Day 9 - Ministry Monday...

Last week I shared a little bit about my church...well, today on Ministry Monday of The First 25 Days of 2012 I'm going to spotlight a missionary ministry based from our church...

C.A.R.E. - Christ's Ambassador's Reaching the Elderly is the mission of Norman and Priscilla Aabye. (Pronounce like Abby.)

This is their prayer card with a brief description of what the mission is about. Then below is an overview of what they do from their blogspot...

C.A.R.E. Ministries

2 1/2 million elderly live in 25,000 nursing homes across the USA. 40% of these elderly are considered "castaways" or an "inconvenience" by their families. Some never receive a visitor. Most feel abandoned and suffer from some degree of depression. Others, having lost mobility, feel trapped with no hope.

 

In 2006, the Lord led us to establish C.A.R.E. (Christ's Ambassadors Reaching the Elderly) Ministries as an independent Baptist, local church based mission work dedicated to reaching what we believe are "America's fastest growing, yet most neglected people group: the elderly in nursing homes"!

 

Do you know someone in a nursing home? Probably. How important is it that this segment of society, that gave us so much, should have one more opportunity to hear the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? We are doing just that 6 days a week, in 13 facilities throughout northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio, seeing many come to faith in Christ as their Saviour. In addition, we are now recruiting couples who share our burden to reach the elderly, who will come and work with us, and be trained to begin similar ministries in key locations throughout America.

 

As you follow along on this blogspot, our prayer is that you will develop the same burden we have to reach these dear ones while there is still time.

Norm & Priscilla Aabye

 

Missionaries Norm and Priscilla are originally from Connecticut, where he started and pastored River Valley Baptist Church for 18 years. As stated above, they moved out here to begin their ministry...and to be near their only child, our Pastor, Jason Aabye, and his family.

 

We are so grateful they did, because not only are they doing a GREAT work as missionaries to the 13 nursing homes, they are also a major help to the church! Most days of the week you will find them at school (Open Door Baptist Academy) helping the kids with their school work. They are loved by the children and are affectionately referred to as Grandpa and Grandma Aabye {especially by me [even though they are only old enough to be my parents and not my grandparents ;) ] and my girls :)}

 

Why not check out this greatly needed ministry by clicking over to their blog, reading about what is happening, and find out what you can do to help this lost and neglected segment of society.

 

 

Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not;

until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,

and thy power to every one that is to come.

Psalm 71:18

 

Amanda

 

{Another prescheduled post, done the night before...YEAH! This is so exciting :) }

However...if it wasn't for these being daily post that go with The First 25 Days of 2012,

I probably wouldn't even be preschelduing anyway!

How quickly...

Time just flies by! It's been two week since my last post...so this one is long over due, right?!

The past two weeks have been busy. First, I was finishing making the fabric baskets for the Missions conference at church. They were completed and filled the day before the conference started. Between the sewing time I was cleanning the house for the guest we were having during the conference.

We had our churches annual Harvest party on Saturday...it kind of kicked off the missions conference, which started on Sunday morning with a great Sunday School lesson about the harvest fields.

The conference continued on Sunday night, as well as on Monday and Tuesday night. Something new that we did this year was have a Discussion panel time for the school kids on Monday and Tuesday morning.

The kids seemed to enjoy it and the missionaries gave great information about the counries that they are/are going to be missionaries to. A few of them are even native to their mission field, which helped provide even more insite to those areas of the globe.

It was some good geography learning for the kids. Liz even seemed to pay attention (at least on the first day) for part of it!

Amber was herself...all though she didn't seem to yell as much!



It was a great conference and we had some wonderful missionaries that we were able to really get to know better!

Say not ye, There are yet four months,

and then cometh harvest?

behold, I say unto you,

Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields;

for they are white already to harvest.

John 4:35

This was the text for the Sunday School message that began a great missions conference. The point that stuck out to me was that some people that are ready to be 'harvested' will spoil in the field before anyone gets the Gospel to them. Made me think that the message needs to get out more so that we do not lose to many in the field.

Amanda

Fabric Box...

At the beginning of October, our church is having a missions conference...and taking an idea from the missionary couple we have in our church (from when they went to a conference at another church)...I thought that putting together some cute little gift baskets for each couple would be nice.

So, the base of this idea is the basket, right? What size is it going to be? How much will fit in it?

Well, in order to make up a list of needed goodies to fill these baskets...I need to get the basket, right? The thought of regular wicker baskets from a thrift store or dollar store was discussed...but I'm not to much of a shopper anymore and thought...FABRIC!

A while ago I saved a link to Amanda Jean's Storage Cubes over at her site, Crazy Mom Quilts. While, last night I made one of these boxes...

I did increase my size to 7 1/2 inch fabric squares to begin with (rather than the tutorials 6 inches) and I think it turned out perfect for the intended use...

However, this particular one will not be given out because it has a few flaws I hope to remedy in the next 5 I make.

The lining is a little bunchy and my label holder is crooked...
Now, to make that list of fun goodies to present to the missionaries in their new Fabric box!

Also, the promised picture of Amber's quilt that is hanging on my design wall...

OK, so it's not the entire quilt, but I'm not quite ready to show it yet...
But here is a small section of the Warm/Cool section of the quilt...I used 2 Fresh Flowers charm packs by Deb Strain for Moda. It's not enough to make a full quilt, so I had to come up with something to fill this into a twin sized quilt (well maybe almost twin size)...

 So, adding some wide borders on the ends and narrower borders on the sides...here's a sketch of what I hope to make it into...

I can't wait to get a chance to work on it again!

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God

 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:

this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:30

God commands us to first love Him...in and with everything. Do we? Do you even know God and what He has done for us? If you don't, Please read the left side bar and consider what you read!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Amanda

Remember to check out the weekly linky parties on my right side bar for more crafty fun!

Note: Gay from It's a Hodgepodge Life is taking a leave of absence on her Friday linky party...It's a Hodgepodge Friday...but I will be leaving the button where it is, so when she decides to return to host this wonderful party, it's there!