Project Information!

We've recently learned where we will be heading to in the coutry and what projects we will be working on while there! We are returning to Puerto Barrios is on the eastern coast of Guatemala, the same location that our group went to in 2008!

While there in 2008 we worked to raise the floor of the Lutheran Community Center in El Rastro. We are excited to learn that we will be returning to that same location and building on the front wall to help protect the property as people in the area are trying to encroach on the property. We have been asked to raise $2,700 in project costs and Christ The Savior Lutheran Church in Puerto Barrios has offered to provide $1,094.50 in costs to supplement the total project cost of $3,794.50. You're prayers and monetary donations are greatly appreciated as we work to raise this additional trip cost. Our hope and goal is to raise more than $2,700 so that we may be able to give back to the local church. We are confident that God will provide for this ministry opportunity.

In addition to our construction project we will be providing a Vacation Bible School program to help spread God's messages of love, hope and peace to the children and families in Puerto Barrios.

We are so incredibly excited! Thank you for your continued prayers as we work toward our fund raising goals. Please also pray for the people and families that we will encounter while we're there! Keep checking back here for updates!

Attention:

PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN!

Do you need a date night or two in December to Christmas shop for you children WITHOUT them along??

Or would you just like to go out for a quiet evening?

A large group of University students from Concordia Lutheran are raising funds to travel to Guatemala for a spring mission trip and would love to care for your children, all ages!

WHEN: Friday nights, December 4th and 11th, 5pm to 8pm

WHERE: Concordia Lutheran Church Preschool area

HOW MUCH?: we are requesting a minimim donation of $5.00/hour per child, and $5.00 for pizza, if you'd like them to have dinner at the church. (Any amount gladly accepted)

Please email Ann Summerson (asummerson@turbonet.com) to let us know which evening(s), how many children and their ages, how many hours, and if we should expect them for dinner.

THANKS SO MUCH!!

This week I've included two posts. One for trip members with reminders and events to mark on your calender (look below) and this post for folks checking in to see how we're doing.

Each Sunday morning at Concordia Lutheran church we've been trying to have a “trip table” up with a few folks around to answer questions and to “sell” various items for donations. This last week our fabric gift bags and hand made mittens were a big hit! We made $231 in about a 15 minutes time span! Thanks you to all how donated! Your contributions are GREATLY appreciated!

Here's a few events we have coming up:

December 6th-Baked Goods! A few of our very talented bakers from the team will be baking items all weekend to sell after the 10:30 service. Items will be “for donation” and any contributions will be gladly accepted. Grab a cake, pie, or cookies to enjoy during the holidays!

Holiday Child Care: Fridays, December 4th & 11th. We are currently working on arranging childcare at the church from 5pm to 8pm for parents who'd like to get a little Christmas shopping done with out the kiddos or perhaps just want to have a date night. Prices and details are in the works so check back soon for further details.

We are still have parking available at the church for WSU Men's basketball games! If you're heading to the game come on over we have a parking spot for you! A HUGE THANK YOU to out neighbors the Presbyterians for letting us sell their lot last week too!

Info for Trip Members:

Here's a reminder of what's going on and what needs to be checked off that to-do list!

TRAVEL INFO:

• First, HUGE THANKS to Annie Smith for keeping track of all the passport copies, seat lists, and airline communications! Thanks Annie!!
• The travel agency needs a preliminary name list by December 05, 2009. The final name/passport number list has to be perfection by January 15. If you haven’t applied for your passport, please do it post haste! If you already have a passport and it is not with you here at school, please either bring it back after break so we can copy the photo page here at the church, or while you are at home, make three very clear copies to bring back with you. Annie will need those copies for the ticket list.
• A deposit of $100/person has already been sent in to reserve our seats.
• We’re flying DELTA all the way, and all the way back. We’ll leave from Spokane on Friday, March 12 @ 1:15 p.m., and return on Saturday, March 20 at 8:21 p.m.

FUND RAISING:

• Letters: Get appeal letters in the mail ASAP! Ann has a sample letter if you would like to see one and she also has envelopes available to you as well! Any questions concerning these please chat with Ann!
• The fabric-gift-bag/LeeAnn-Tibbals-handmade-mittens were a big hit! In December after break, we’ll have a bake sale on Sunday, December 6th. Those interested in baking are meeting at the church on Saturday, Dec. 5th at 4:00 to bake up a storm.
• Friday Night Child Care: Ashley Krieger had a great idea – to watch children while their parents go Christmas shopping without them, or just go out on a date. What do you think of two Friday nights: December 4 and 11, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.? Please send Ann a note back if you’d be willing to watch some 3-5 year olds on one or both evenings! Thanks!
• Basketball parking: We are in good shape for covering all the home basketball games until January 14. THANKS to everyone who signed up!
• Krantz cleaning, etc.: Becky (the preschool teacher) said that their realtor is coming to view their home and set up the FOR SALE signs on Friday, November 27 – the day after Thanksgiving. If anyone has ANY time between now and then, she’s highly motivated to spend some cash for your help! If you are able please contact Ann and she will forward you Becky's contact info. If there is a group all interested we might be able to schedule a time to carpool...

VACCINATIONS: (Every one's favorite!)

• Over break would be a good time to check out about vaccination information!
• The hepatitis vaccines are given in a series, so if you haven’t had those, it’s a good idea to get them started soon. If you only get 2 of 3 before we leave, that’s enough to cover you.
• The typhoid injection is a one-time thing, available at either a travel clinic (most Safeway pharmacies) or maybe even student health.
• If you go to the Center for Disease Control website, you’ll find a ton of information. http://www.cdc.gov/ You can even locate your nearest travel clinic through that website.
• Our malaria coverage will be by tablet. We don't know how early we can get those prescriptions filled, so feel free to ask about it when you get your vaccinations.
• One thing that is sort of hidden in the “routine” list of vaccinations is tetanus – needed very 10 years. Be sure to check your records to see if you’re due for one of those.
• Flu shots are recommended but optional.

That's a lot of information!! If you have questions, concerns, comments, etc...please don't hesitate to chat with Ann (the keeper of all info!). And on that note a HUGE THANK YOU to Ann for all the planning and preparation you've been doing and will do! You are GREATLY appreciated!!

Upcoming Fund Raising Events...

Planning is well under way for our Spring 2010 trip. Plane tickets have been reserved and our first deposit has been sent in! Right now we have 29 folks signed up to go and we're all knee-deep in the fund raising process. Soon we'll have a donations tracker up and running here so that you can check back to see our progress. We are confident that God will provide for us and for the people that we will be ministering to while in Guatemala.

Here are a few fund raising events that we have in the works:

Sunday, November 15th at Concordia Lutheran after the 10:30am service we'll be selling handmade fabric gift bags and crocheted mittens! Perfect for the first snow fall of the season today. Price is “for donation” and a few folks will be around to answer questions. Stop by the table pick up a gift bag and say hello!

Sunday, December 6th at Concordia Lutheran we'll be selling handmade baked goods after the 10:30am service. Trippers will be meeting at the church at 4pm on Saturday, Dec 5th to get some mass baking done. Our mission trip group has no shortage of talented bakers so stop by pick up a pie, cake, or cookies to enjoy for the holidays.


Throughout the WSU Men's basketball season we'll also be collecting parking $$ to go towards the trip fund. If you're heading to a WSU game we have a parking spot for you! Here are upcoming dates and who will be working at them:

• Friday, Nov 13 (vs. Mississippi Valley), 7pm. [Shawn Nolph & Matt Thom]
• Monday, Nov 16th (vs. Eastern Washington), 7pm [Shawn Nolph & Anna Hansen]
• Thursday, Nov 19th (vs. Indian Fort Wayne), 7pm [Garner Alzheimer & Shanna Goplen]
• Wednesday, Dec 9th (vs. Idaho), TBD [Ashley Krieger & Rick Leary]
• More Dates to come...

Welcome!

Welome to the blog for Concordia Lutheran's Guatemala mission trip group! We are excited to share our experiences before, during and after our March 2010 mission trip with you. Soon we will have up-to-date information on our fund raising efforts, personal preparation and ways that you can pray and help out as we work towards our goal. Thank you for taking the time to be directly and indirectly involved!