FLEMING - Volunteers from the Fleming Federated Church are setting out to prove Mother Theresa's words that, “Good works are links that form a chain of love.”
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Cristian Santiago, visiting from the Dominican Republic, and president of the Lighthouse School, leads a prayer during the offering at the Fleming Federated Church on Sunday.
Cristian Santiago, visiting from the Dominican Republic, and president of the Lighthouse School, leads a prayer during the offering at the Fleming Federated Church on Sunday.
People gathered at the Fleming Federated Church Sunday to listen to the music of Diana Jacob and to give aid and assistance for a mission trip that the church hopes to conduct next year.
Diane Saxton organizes the mission trips that church members participate in.
This mission is planned to aid a poor family in the Dominican Republic next July.
The Baez family currently lives in a one-room shack in the village of Los Alcarrizos with no running water or indoor plumbing.
The small home floods every time it rains, forcing Porfirio Baez and his four daughters to seek shelter with neighbors as poor drainage in the area forces them out of their home.
Even on sunny days, the family must trek for several blocks just to fetch water for cooking, cleaning or just drinking.
The goal of the mission is to raise $12,000 for supplies to construct a new home for the Baez family, a stone building with three bedrooms, a living area, a kitchen and a bathroom with clean running water.
To achieve this goal, Saxton has organized events such as the concert Sunday.
Jacob's inspirational and devotional music drew a crowd to the church. Refreshments and CDs of Jacob's music for sale were downstairs after the concert.
The concert itself was free and Saxton asked those in attendance only to give what they could.
Aside from events such as the concert, Saxton organizes other fund-raising activities. One involves placing pink plastic flamingos on people's lawns. The unsuspecting recipients can then give a donation to the mission fund.
The flamingo is then removed from the lawn and placed in the new location.
“It's just a fun little fundraiser,” Saxton said, “a kind of game that's fun and can raise a little bit of money for the mission.”
This is the eighth year a mission from Fleming Federated Church will go to the Dominican Republic.They work closely with Lighthouse School, a Christian school that seeks to educate the less fortunate members of communities in the Caribbean nation.
The Lighthouse School was constructed by volunteers, such as the missionaries from Fleming and is sponsored by charity organizations UNTO, INC. and ProjectServe.
In addition to construction projects in poorer areas, UNTO, Inc. is also dedicated to sponsorship programs for students and other children in need around the world, and is named for a verse from the Gospel according to Matthew, “Whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.”
Attendees of the concert joined together to sing “Amazing Grace” with Jacob to display the spirit of service and commitment to helping others.
Diane Saxton organizes the mission trips that church members participate in.
This mission is planned to aid a poor family in the Dominican Republic next July.
The Baez family currently lives in a one-room shack in the village of Los Alcarrizos with no running water or indoor plumbing.
The small home floods every time it rains, forcing Porfirio Baez and his four daughters to seek shelter with neighbors as poor drainage in the area forces them out of their home.
Even on sunny days, the family must trek for several blocks just to fetch water for cooking, cleaning or just drinking.
The goal of the mission is to raise $12,000 for supplies to construct a new home for the Baez family, a stone building with three bedrooms, a living area, a kitchen and a bathroom with clean running water.
To achieve this goal, Saxton has organized events such as the concert Sunday.
Jacob's inspirational and devotional music drew a crowd to the church. Refreshments and CDs of Jacob's music for sale were downstairs after the concert.
The concert itself was free and Saxton asked those in attendance only to give what they could.
Aside from events such as the concert, Saxton organizes other fund-raising activities. One involves placing pink plastic flamingos on people's lawns. The unsuspecting recipients can then give a donation to the mission fund.
The flamingo is then removed from the lawn and placed in the new location.
“It's just a fun little fundraiser,” Saxton said, “a kind of game that's fun and can raise a little bit of money for the mission.”
This is the eighth year a mission from Fleming Federated Church will go to the Dominican Republic.They work closely with Lighthouse School, a Christian school that seeks to educate the less fortunate members of communities in the Caribbean nation.
The Lighthouse School was constructed by volunteers, such as the missionaries from Fleming and is sponsored by charity organizations UNTO, INC. and ProjectServe.
In addition to construction projects in poorer areas, UNTO, Inc. is also dedicated to sponsorship programs for students and other children in need around the world, and is named for a verse from the Gospel according to Matthew, “Whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.”
Attendees of the concert joined together to sing “Amazing Grace” with Jacob to display the spirit of service and commitment to helping others.
The Citizens' Say
There are 1 comment(s)
blueyankee443 wrote on Oct 24, 2008 11:46 PM:
s after Crisis here in the states.I am
not against helping other people.Lets j
ust consider helping our own people fir
st.There are many people right in our s
tate,and other states.Whats wrong with
helping our own illiterates,and poor.Th
is organization is maybe great.But why
not help our own Taxpayers to have a li
ving in a decent manner. Geeze!!! "