Weekly E-pistle

Our mission team from Minnesota has received its assignment.  We will be leaving Saturday morning for Patillas, Puerto Rico on the Southeast coast of the island.  Our assignment will be working on a house that was 90% destroyed by Hurricane Maria.  Depending on how much work the team that is there this week gets done, we will probably be finishing up the concrete work.  It's nice to volunteer some time on a project like this, but the journey is more important.  In earlier times and in some religions, it was important to do a pilgrimage to holy sites.  Protestants have never been big at holy sites, so I think we have created mission trips to take their place. I'm happy to donate 40 hours of labor to the recovery and rebuilding project that the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico has tackled, but more important will be the relationships and experiences I have with my teammates and the people we work with in Patillas.  As I have experienced on other mission trips, this will be a deeply spiritual experience, do a little good, and witness that we care enough to come.  Pray for traveling mercies for our Minnesota team, and that we cope well with the tropical heat and humidity.

 

Mary Hitzeman has announced her intention to retire from her position as Music Minister effective August 31.  She certainly deserves a long and happy retirement after her many years of service in this role at many congregations.  We are thankful for her ten years of service at OUMC.  Keep Mary and our congregation in your prayers in this time of transition.