The Covid pandemic altered worship and meetings for most everyone. Recently, our Global Ministries Southern California Team met to discuss updates with our identified mission partners and set some future goals.
We hope some regional churches enjoyed a visit from Jeffrey Mensendiak reporting about his life in Japan and the ongoing recovery of more than ten years since the Sendai earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster. We welcome your posts from those who met with Jeffrey!
In the coming year, we hope to visit at least one of our mission partners in Tijuana. All are welcome. One partner, Albergue Las Memorias, a shelter for people living with addictions and HIV, protected their residents quite well during the Covid pandemic. Tuberculosis is a problem in Tijuana and especially for high-risk populations. The newly built tuberculosis clinic at Las Memorias is now in active use. There are additional migrant mission projects in Tijuana that some of our regional churches have been involved with. "Room for All" has inspired practical member support for the past few years, providing beds and basics to those in need.
Our Team supported DOC Missionary Paul Turner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for several years. Projects in the Congo included more than 200 pairs of eyeglasses being distributed; election monitoring; and advocating for regional pygmy populations to receive healthcare, as well as projects to help increase economic livelihoods for citizens.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, our Team arranged an annual work trip, generally to Central America. Plans are being made for this annual trip to proceed in early 2024, either to Cuba, Central America, or Ecuador.
Plans are also underway for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the Fall of 2024. With recent political changes, Palestinian and Israeli tensions are higher than in the past 20 years, with violent conflicts occurring. We partner with Churches for Peace in the Middle East, as well as other Israeli and Palestinian organizations working for peace. Our hope is to share educational sources with regional churches as we prepare for a trip of witness and advocacy. Watch for more to come!
Our next virtual meeting will be on Wed, April 26th at 10 am. Join us by writing to revnbacon@gmail.com for access to the meeting link.