The Point Monthly (Aug/Sept 2016) by The Woodlands Methodist Church

THE WOODLANDS UMC

ISSUE 11 | AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2016 EDITION

NEWSLETTER

IN THIS

ISSUE: 4

PASTOR’S

MESSAGE

DELIVERING THE GOOD NEWS

Our Missions Ministry is having an impact around the world.

Dr. Ed Robb, Senior Pastor

Answering God’s Call to Sacrifice Welcome to our annual issue of The Point focused on what’s happening in and through our Missions Ministry.

FOLLOWING GOD’S LEAD

Casa Para Niños Aleluya has pivoted to meet a specific need for Guatemalan children.

God is using a combination of brave missionaries, our smart and caring staff, and your financial support and prayers to accomplish some amazing things for His Kingdom. In these pages, you’ll read inspiring accounts of how Jesus is changing lives both halfway around the world and right around the corner in our own community. As I read through these fascinating stories, one theme really jumped out at me — sacrifice. Our Pastor of Missions, Dr. John Hull, talks in his article about the call to lay down our lives for others.

COVER STORY: A NEW WAY TO LIVE

Amanda Davis is learning to depend on God’s goodness in Tanzania.

HELPING SINGLE MOTHERS SUCCEED

Angel’s Nest teaches young mothers from rough foster backgrounds how to be a good parent.

You and I both know that not everyone can drop everything and move to a different country to live on $114 a month like Amanda Davis (although it might be easier and more fulfilling than you think!). So what does sacrifice look like for the majority of us in The Woodlands area — those who work nine-to-five office jobs, take the kids to extracurriculars in the evenings, and hardly have the time to read a good book anymore? Well, every family will have to pray for guidance to answer that question for itself, but I can offer a great place to start — Serve It Up! This year, our church is setting aside two Saturdays — October 1 and 8 — where we will join our Local Missions partners to minister to those in our own backyard. Regardless of your talent, ability or even age, there will be an opportunity that is perfect for you. Serve It Up is terrific chance to sacrifice for the Kingdom — to lay down your life for another — in a way that is practical and easily accessible. You can make a real difference in another person’s life by signing up, whether alone or with your family, for one or both Saturdays. Visit page 16 for more information. I would also encourage you to continue to support our Local and Global Missions work financially through our Missions Ministry. This issue is a great reminder of the reverberations felt throughout the world because of your generosity.

HELPING THE HOMELESS HELP THEMSELVES

Fresh Start helps the Conroe homeless community work their way off the streets.

CHURCH NEWS

Births, Deaths, New Members, Foundation Gifts

Your Pastor,

Ed Robb

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE:

SERVE IT UP! VOLUNTEERING IN OUR COMMUNITY Saturday, October 1 | Saturday, October 8

Our annual church-wide event gives you the opportunity to make an impact in the Montgomery County area. Pick a Saturday (or both!) and work alongside others from The Woodlands UMC as we share the love of Christ with our neighbors through our actions. Many opportunities are kid-friendly. Regardless of talent, ability or age, there is a place for you! Find more information and register at thewoodlandsumc.org/serveitup

• • • • • • •

Feeding the homeless Painting/restoring houses Packing backpacks for children Serving prisoners Mowing yards Human trafficking awareness And many more!

Kick-off and light breakfast:

8:00 a.m. | Harvest Worship Center

Cost: $10

Helps cover cost of the projects

Child care:

Available for onsite projects by registration only.

LOVE IS

LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE GOSPEL

By Dr. John Hull Love is _________________. How would you fill in the blank? There is certainly no “one word fits all” response, but we plan to explore a number of possibilities during this fall’s Missions Emphasis. Clearly, the best definition for Love comes from looking at the life of Jesus. 1 John 3:16a declares, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.” The verse continues in 16b: “And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Though this has involved physical death for some believers through the ages, the definition is much broader for most of us. This brand of Love means more than warm, compassionate feelings for friends and family; it means, as it did for Jesus, pouring ourselves out for others — those who don’t know Him, the poor, the weak, the stranger or even the enemy. Many missionaries that we support through your gifts to our Missions Ministry have laid down their lives for the sake of the Gospel. I want to tell you about a few of them. Love is…revealing Christ through our actions. Jeremy Courtney founded the PreEmptive Love Coalition nearly 10 years ago to assist Iraqi families whose babies were born with heart defects. Jeremy and his staff have become witnesses for Christ in this Muslim country by offering life-saving heart surgery for these children. Their Christian witness has been recognized and warmly received by government officials, religious leaders and the thousands of families who have been given new hope for their children. Now, with the increased violence ISIS has brought to Iraq, PreEmptive Love is offering humanitarian relief and working to restore the lives of those who have lost everything and are living in refugee camps. They are revealing the Love of Christ through their caring and compassionate action. 4

Love is…being willing to step out in faith. Amanda Davis, The Woodlands UMC member and a teacher in nearby Klein ISD, stepped out in faith to serve this past year as a high school teacher in a remote location in Tanzania, Africa, with the Christian organization Village Schools International. Amanda’s world changed dramatically. She had to carry water in a bucket from the river for cooking and bathing; start a fire every time she needed to cook; and walk miles to the nearest village for fruit and vegetables and then carry them home in a basket. But Amanda will tell you that it was worth it all to work with African teens who labor night and day at their studies and count it a privilege to secure a better life for themselves and their families. Amanda offered the Love of Christ by stepping out in faith. (Read Amanda’s story on page 8.) Love is … seeing a need and responding with compassion. Luke Redus and his wife, Karla, were working as an IT manager and schoolteacher, respectively, when their hearts were moved for those living on the streets in Conroe. One Saturday morning, Luke loaded his car with a cooler containing breakfast tacos and drove around town, passing out breakfast and ministering to the homeless. That’s how it all started — with two hearts aching for needy folks within their community and a willingness to help meet the needs. Compassion United is now one of the most effective and thriving homeless ministries in the area. Here are some of the ways they reach those in need: every week, Breakfast in the Park serves meals to hundreds; the Conroe House of Prayer (CHOP) provides worship, Christian teaching, and prayer six days a week; Freedom House (men) and Hosanna House (women) offer a safe place to live and transition from homelessness to wholeness; and Joy House provides shelter, guidance and hope to young girls who are homeless and pregnant.

The Love of Christ is being shared in our area because two people saw a need and took action. Love is … sacrificing one’s life to save the lost. Peter and Esther Pereira were born in India, but their parents moved to the United States when they were young. Peter was a pastor, and together he and Esther were raising their family in Chicago. But over the years, God continued to put a burden on their hearts for the lost in India, where 94% of the population is Hindu and literally millions of gods are worshipped. Only 2% of the people know Christ. Sacrificing all they had, they moved to India and founded Hope for Today. This growing ministry includes two orphanages (providing a home, an education and the Good News of the Gospel for children who have been abandoned), the Church Planting Discipleship Movement (which is training young pastors who have now planted over 3000 house churches) and International Leadership Conferences (conducting hundreds of seminars to train Christian leaders). Peter and Esther have sacrificed their lives to offer the Love of Christ. I could go on and on with stories of men and women who set aside successful careers, personal comfort and financial security to go where God called them. Their circumstances and their ministries may be vastly different, but they have two things in common: they are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through their words and their actions and they are laying down their lives for others. Our church is privileged to support and stand by each of them! Dr. John Hull is The Woodlands UMC’s Pastor of Missions. •

Find more information on Missions Ministry at thewoodlandsumc.org/missions

MAKING GOD KNOWN IN GUATEMALA LEARNING TO SEE WITH GODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VISION AND NOT YOUR OWN By Mike Clark 6

“What you have, you need and what you do not have, you do not need.” The Lord spoke those words to me in 1989 as I stood at the border separating Guatemala and Mexico. My desire and that of my wife was to care for children in Guatemala. But I was frightened and had only $2000. I was no great man of faith. Since that time, the Lord has blessed the children’s home we founded with over 5300 children. Currently there are 460 children, from four-month-olds to young adult university students, living on the Casa Para Niños Aleluya campus in San Bartolomé, Guatemala. We have eight dormitories, a Christian school (Kindergarten through high school), a medical clinic, telemedicine, a dental clinic and a psychology clinic with two full-time psychologists. In 2008, an eight-year-old girl with kidney failure arrived and, due to the fact she had five sisters here, was able to receive a new kidney. Today she is 18 and in high school, dreaming of a career as a nephrologist, a doctor who specializes in kidney care. Three months after her surgery, the physician called and asked that I take a four-year-old who was near death and had no opportunity of a transplant since he was simply left at the hospital in critical condition. My response was to not receive him because the death of a child had always been so traumatic to the other children at Casa. But God said “Do not let him die alone in a hospital and without knowing Me.” I took him in and he lived less than a year. His funeral was the most difficult of all of the funerals we’ve done. A few months later the same nephrologist called and said that another child was dying. He was 10 and there was no opportunity for a transplant. Again I took him in. He also died, as did the next two children we received who had renal failure. It was at that time the teenagers and staff began to pray and fast for discernment about what God was telling us. We believed He wanted us to provide peritoneal care here on campus and to bring children in need of hemodialysis (kidney treatment) to Guatemala City where Dr. Randal

Lou provides treatment through his foundation. Over the past two years, none of our children have passed away. Three have received transplants and, after a year of recovery, have returned to their families. Currently there are eight children receiving treatment here on campus. Four young people raised at Casa have graduated and now serve as nurses while two others are dialysis technicians. Five university students live with and care for the children.

lives outside these walls and provide for their own needs. For those who are not able to have a transplant and are limited to a shortened life, our resolve is that they will not die alone in a hospital without knowing Him. Mike Clark is the founder of Casa Para Niños Aleluya in San Bartolomé, Guatemala. •

Find more information about Casa Para Niños Aleluya at casaaleluya.org

God then asked us to trust Him to build a medical facility to provide care for 40 children. As I prayed and considered our current monthly finances for eight children and how caring for 40 children would impact us, I felt the same fear I had experienced at the border. However, knowing that God had provided the finances for 5300 children and their food, housing, education, clothes and medical needs for all these years, His words again rang in my ears. So, in 2015, I felt it was time to step out and trust Him. We began construction of a three-story building for 40 children that is now over 60% complete. If these children receive treatment, medication and education through the university level, they can live their own 7

LEARNING TO TRUST SEEING GODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PROVIDENCE IN TANZANIA

By Amanda Davis

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“I had to be humble and submit daily — not only to God, but also to these beautiful people who called me mwalimu (teacher).”

When I take a serious look at myself, I can honestly say that I am a person of pride. I also have this tendency to like to think that I am in control of a lot of things in my life, and I admit that it is not always easy to ask for help. Well, throughout the course of the 10 months I was in Tanzania, I was constantly challenged, put in a position of humility and had to learn to rely on God for His provisions. Nothing in Tanzania comes without work, and I mean nothing. As a society, Tanzanians very much live in community with one another and often rely on each other for support spiritually, financially and just in meeting basic needs. They truly have the mindset that “it takes a village,” and without the village, many would not survive. In 2 Corinthians 12:8–9 the Apostle Paul says to the people of Corinth, “But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” This verse reminded me each day that I could not make it in Tanzania on my own. I had to be humble and submit daily — not only to God, but also to these beautiful people who called me mwalimu (teacher). Every drop of water I used, whether it was for cooking, washing dishes, clothes or bathing, had to be fetched. Every. Single. Drop. I quickly realized that while I may be strong at home in taking care of myself, I was completely weak when 10

it came to carrying 5–10 gallon buckets of water. Many times I would struggle to carry water back to my room. Often, students would come and offer to help fetch it and carry it back for me. I also had to learn how to start fire so that I could cook, keep warm during the winter months and heat water for my bath. I eventually mastered the art of bathing out of a five-gallon bucket. Washing clothes was something I was terrible at, as you have to use the inside of your wrist as your washboard. While I tried and tried, my students patiently — and usually with a laugh — would tell me I was not doing it right and then offer to do it for me. Setting aside one’s pride and humbling yourself so that others can take care of you was very uncomfortable but also very necessary, for without their constant help and kind, gracious spirits, I would have never survived. As a teacher in my village, I was paid 247,000 shillings a month, which was exactly the same a Tanzania teacher made. This is equivalent to approximately $114 US dollars. Initially, I was very concerned that I would not have enough to not only take care of myself, but to also be able to bless others at my school and in my village. Month after month, I would budget to give away about half of my money and usually ended up giving away more. I always worried that I would never have enough by the end, but I continually relied on God to take care of me. In situation after situation, He did just that!

In those times when money was low and payday was still days away, various gifts always managed to come my way. Sometimes it was a bag of avocados from my students. Sometimes it was maize or meat that was prepared and then shared with me. Sometimes there was a celebration, and so I got to not only have a free meal but also a soda! Every time I turned around, God was giving me these little gifts, reminding me that He always takes care of His people. He always provided exactly what I needed and when I needed it. My needs were always met, I was constantly able to bless others and God was glorified in the process. I think that was really the point to begin with. Humility and relying on God’s provisions definitely do not come naturally to me. I had to make an effort to be humble and to rely on Him each day. While I am still a work in progress, He continually showed me that when I set aside my pride and my need to control life, He will bless me in more ways than I could expect or imagine. It may not always be in the way I plan it, but it is always sufficient. Amanda Davis taught with Village Schools International from September 2015 to June 2016. •

Find more information on Village School International at villageschools.org

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY TEACHING MOTHERS TO BE THE PARENTS THEY NEVER HAD Samantha is a vibrant, beautiful and intelligent 22-year-old young woman who had a difficult childhood. She experienced constant sexual abuse by her biological father over the period of one year when she was just seven years old, a crime for which he is still incarcerated. She was removed from her home by Child Protective Services (CPS) just days before her 13th birthday after reporting that her uncle, who also lived in the home, was molesting her. Her biological mother was generally unsupportive and unwilling to be protective of Samantha. Entering into the CPS system already broken and confused, Samantha was shuffled to about 13 placements including foster homes, psychiatric hospitals, group homes, emergency shelters and residential treatment centers (as well as seven different schools) until she aged out of the system at 18. Statistics tell us that by the time the average young woman ages out of foster care, 70% are pregnant. Samantha joined that group and gave birth to her child, Alijah Justice, on December 23 of last year. Experience also tells us a large majority of children born to foster care mothers — just like Alijah — will end up back in the very same CPS system. Thankfully, Samantha has been able to take advantage of a newly developed program called Angel’s Nest, an extension of Angel Reach that serves

pregnant and parenting girls who have aged out of foster care. Angel’s Nest provided Samantha the support she wanted and needed to be a good mother. Due in large part to this program, she and Alijah have thrived and avoided becoming another statistic. Angel’s Nest came about when Sandra Carpenter, the executive director and co-founder of Angel Reach, realized that young mothers and pregnant youth who had spent time in foster care needed a different type of support, one that allows them to recover from their own childhood trauma while providing an environment where they can learn trust and connection and focus on the motherchild relationship. The residents live with their babies in a home dedicated to Angel’s Nest. The clients participate in the same transitional living programs as other Angel Reach clients, but they also attend child care and parenting classes.

implementation of a developmental, relationship-based approach to support these youth as they develop into healthy, productive adults. We are thankful to see such success in young adults like Samantha, who is currently working full time as an administrative assistant and is committed to continuing her professional growth to be able to provide the very best life possible for Alijah. She is grateful for Angel’s Nest and the family unit she has developed with the people both there and at Angel Reach. She has seen examples of healthy relationships and parenting that she never saw as a child and is hopeful that she can apply those examples to be the mother to Alijah that she never had. •

Find more information on Angel’s Nest at angelreach.org

The plan is for the program to be twogenerational, with three to five years of support recommended by current research. This allows time for mothers to complete their education and/or obtain work experience to break the cycle of poverty. A licensed professional counselor will be sure their emotional needs are addressed so they become engaged and empowered within the community. Emerging research supports the 13

EMPOWERING THE HOMELESS GIVING A FRESH START TO THOSE WHO DESIRE IT By Amber Yates

David was a successful man in the eyes of the world. He had a college degree, a great job, a nice house and an overall good life. Although not a native Texan, he moved here to take a job in the oilfield, but like many others lately, he was eventually laid off. He had been drinking on a regular basis since his teenage years; however, he had a tendency to drive when he drank…and get caught. After his third DWI, David was forced to stay in Texas to serve some jail time and complete his probation. After burning through his savings while staying in a residential addiction recovery program, David became homeless. He made his way to the Salvation Army in Conroe. He knew that staying there was only a temporary solution, and, after 30 days, costs $7 per day. While living there, he obtained employment in the local grocery store deli. It was evident that David was really determined to get his life back on track given that he had both attained and maintained employment. Not only that, but his job was over three miles away and he did not have his own transportation. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and perseverance to make that happen. Even if he were to take the city bus at $1, the trip would take approximately an hour each way. Working 20 days per month would quickly total $320 in bus fare and 14

40 hours per month in bus rides. This information is not to disparage the public transit system at all, but to highlight the challenges David was faced with in order to acquire and sustain employment.

Start addiction recovery group. Serving at Breakfast in the Park and CHOP are just of a few of the ways that he and the other residents give back to the community.

He did what many other residents of the Salvation Army do in the mornings — he headed to the Conroe House of Prayer (CHOP) for breakfast. He continued this habit for a few months, during which he heard messages on the teachings of Jesus.

David’s time with this ministry is nearing its end. In the fall, he will begin working on his master’s degree at Sam Houston State University. After several unsuccessful attempts to change his probation to Grimes County, he finally received the green light.

He also learned about the ministry of Compassion United. Based on his deep desire to make necessary changes in his life, he was welcomed into Freedom House, the organization’s male transition home, which automatically made him a part of the Fresh Start program.

Not only will he be a student, but he was also offered a full-time position as a teacher’s assistant in undergraduate classes. As such, he will have a fully furnished apartment on campus as a bonus with this position.

He began participating in Fresh Start University’s empowerment classes, which cover a variety of life skills, as well as helping to change unhealthy mindsets and behaviors. Fresh Start provided him with a mentor, and that mentor actually had a mentor-in-training shadowing him. Mentors provide community resource information, support, encouragement, relationship and accountability for people like David. He said that the time he spends with his mentors each week is the best thing he does as a part of this program. David used the community computers at Fresh Start to apply for graduate school at Sam Houston State University. David also participates in the Fresh

He and his mentors are also making plans to continue to see each other after David moves. It has been an honor for Fresh Start to partner with David to help him as he helps himself. He has been a perfect example of what a life can become when we invite the power of God to work in it. Amber Yates is the Fresh Start Program Director at Compassion United.

Find more information about Compassion United and Fresh Start at compassionunited.com

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WORSHIP WHEREVER YOU ARE BRING HOME MUSIC INSPIRED BY AND WRITTEN FOR OUR CHURCH Our Mark Swayze â&#x20AC;¢ Live at Harvest record release date is set for September 22! Pre-orders are available now at harvestnightofworship.com and benefit our contemporary music ministry. Each pre-order includes a digital album download, a physical CD copy of the album, which features eight new songs, and exclusive access to bonus online content.

Houston Methodist Hospital recently elected our very own Dr. Ed Robb to join their board of directors. Dr. Robb, who also serves as chairman of The Woodlands Township, will help lead the nonprofit organization comprised of a major academic medical center, six community hospitals, a research institute and a comprehensive residency program. “I am delighted for this opportunity to serve,” says Dr. Robb. “We are fortunate to have one of the leading medical institutions of the world here in Texas.” The organization, consistently named among the country’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report — including being named the No. 1 hospital in Texas and the Houston

CHURCHNEWS

DR. ROBB ELECTED TO HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL BOARD

area, will be opening a 656,200 sq. ft., 139-bed hospital right here in The Woodlands in 2017. “We are so fortunate to have a new board member of Rev. Robb’s caliber,” said Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., chairman of the board. “We look forward to the wisdom and experience he will bring to our institution.” •

CHURCHNEWS

This information removed for online viewing.

CHURCHNEWS

FOUNDATION GIFTS MAY 16 – JULY 21, 2016 In Memory of Tommy Ault, Husband of Norma Ault Norma Ault In Memory of Robert Downing, Husband of Janet Downing The Emptying Nest Sunday School Class In Memory of William “Dooley” George, Husband of Sandra George Sandra George In Memory of Carla Haddox, Wife of Randy Haddox Greg and Jane Jordan In Memory of Jerry Harris, Husband of Nadyne Harris Clarence Thompson

In Honor of Florence Saltzman’s 100th Birthday Wayne and Karen Freeman Marilyn Stinson In Memory of Harrison Scott, Brother of William Scott Harlan and Marie Hartman In Memory of Dortha Taylor Judi Bonds Steve and Becky Hamrick Nadyne Harris Dave and Dee Megee Ken and Joyce Nesmith Evelyn Schilling Mary Jon Smith Clarence Thompson

In Memory of Brenda Joyce Wilson, Mother of Tami Hurt Friends from Radiant and Emmaus

FOUNDATION UNRESTRICTED Steve and Julie Bedingfield Christina Fuller Charles and Rebecca Shirley

In Memory of Rosemary Nachman, Wife of Joe Nachman Bill and Mickey Nelson

FOUNDATION RESTRICTED

In Honor of Rev. Don Meador’s 50th Year of Ministry Ken and Joyce Nesmith In Memory of Lyn Perkins Greg and Jane Jordan In Memory of George Pollard, Husband of Pam Pollard Harry “Mack” Brown Charles and Louise Donaldson David and Tami Donaldson and Family Peter and Pat Eckdahl Doug and Geni Garrison Jeff and Aletha Harris Lynn and Mike Healy and Family Don Hoines Greg and Jane Jordan Ann and Jim Lawnin David and Sharon McDonald Bill and Mickey Nelson Jack and Caryn Patton Peter and Elaine Poulsen Clarence Thompson Larry and Carolyn Townley David and Sandy Van Covern In Honor of Tarrol Roberts, Wife of Nolan Roberts Nolan Roberts

This information removed for online viewing.

The Woodlands Methodist School Scholarship Endowment Fund In Honor of Georgia Mahoney’s Confirmation, daughter of Kelly and Coco Mahoney Glenn and Judy Smith TWUMC Missions Endowment Fund Anonymous

THE POINT

Published by The Woodlands UMC.

In Memory of Clarence “Bud” Crozier, Husband of Peggy Crozier The Perspectives Sunday School Class In Memory of Gail Johnson The Perspectives Sunday School Class In Memory of George Pollard, Husband of Pam Pollard Kevin and Leah Anderson Harlan and Marie Hartman Mamie and Tommy Polk In Memory of Patricia Roman, Mother of John Hoyt The Perspectives Sunday School Class

Dr. Ed Robb Senior Pastor Mike Sims Editor/Creative Director Scott Brinkmeyer Art Director Michelle “Micki” Mensio Project Manager Contributing Writers Dr. Ed Robb Dr. John Hull Mike Clark Amanda Davis Amber Yates Copy Editors Nathan Nix Sally Bacon 19

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

N. HOUSTON, TX PERMIT #280

2200 Lake Woodlands Drive The Woodlands, TX 77380

SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

Find a listing of fall Bible studies beginning in September at thewoodlandsumc.org/explore

FACEBOOK

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ROOTS Bible Study Begins Anger Management Begins Abortion Recovery for Women Begins Abortion Recovery for Men Begins Serve It Up Seniors Afternoon at the Movies

OCTOBER

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