Tuesday in Texas: Still Sweltering, But Still Smiling

Even when the "real feel" temperature reached 100 today, our Ohio-to-Texas team remained cheerful as they sanded, primed and painted back at Shari's house. Shari, we hear, is a grandmother raising her two grandchildren, both of whom have special needs. The faster the volunteers work, the faster Shari and the kids can get settled back into their home. Our team feels terrific about making that happen!

Photo credits go to Michele for these sunny pics!

Another Project Venue for the Texas Mission Team

A second location our Mission Team has been spending time is at the Peaceful Rest Baptist Church where they are assisting with putting its facility back in order. The congregation is about 90 years old, and it moved to its current location early in 2005.

But only 7 months after taking up residency and ministry in the neighborhood, Hurricane Rita roared into Port Arthur, tearing the steeple right off the roof, and the front porch right off the building!


The good people of the congregation repaired, rebuilt, and renewed their facility. But then, last August, Hurricane Harvey paid an unwanted visit, flooding the building once again. The congregation and pastor, The Rev. Leonard Frazier, are grateful for fellowship and assistance offered in the spirit of Love.


Today, half of the Ohio Moravians spent time at Peaceful Rest Church--but they report not being terribly peaceful! They rocked out to 60's and 70's music, singing at the top of their lungs while pulling nails and sanding...sanding... lots of sanding.

The Texas Mission Team Gets Busy

On Monday, our Ohio-to-Texas Moravian Mission Team set out to accomplish some projects in Port Arthur, a city on the Gulf Coast still getting back on its feet following Hurricane Harvey which devastated the region in August 2017. Pastor Darrell said, "Think about it. Some of these places, these homes, these properties have been waiting for attention for almost a whole year." Many home owners have been displaced all this time, including Shari, the person for whom our team is doing work this week. As with all the structures in the neighborhood, Shari's house was inundated with 5 feet of water during the treacherous storm. It has had to be gutted and rebuilt almost from scratch!

Today, our team continued the work of previous volunteers. They worked indoors painting and installing a range hood in the kitchen.

And they worked outdoors to tame the overgrown jungle of a yard.

They made a lot of progress! Imagine how overjoyed Shari will be when she finally gets to return to her home! This is LOVE--the Jesus kind--in action.


Thanks to Hannah, McKenna, Michele and Pastor Darrell for supplying today's photos.

Ohio-To-Texas Mission Begins

Meet our Ohio Mission Team: Darrell Johnson (Gnadenhutten), Doug Miller (Schoenbrunn), Gina Green (Fry's Valley), Libby Paden (Dover), Molly Morris (Fry's Valley), Rachel Paden (Dover), McKenna Canon (Schoenbrunn), Hannah Paden (Dover), Michele Giffen (Gnadenhutten), Sam Paden (Dover), and Connie Kinsey (Fry's Valley). 

After catching an early flight out of Pittsburgh on Saturday morning, our missionaries arrived in Houston, rented a couple of vans, and drove to their destination: Port Arthur, Texas. It didn't take very long for the team to see a familiar sight. They knew they were in the right place when they read the church sign.

Connie tells us, "We are staying at the Good Shepherd Church. The church members immigrated from Nicaragua. They have been wonderful hosts. We are blessed."

Accommodations in the church building are simple, but no one seems to mind a sparse room as long as the air conditioning is running!

Connie reports: "This is a special Nicaraguan dish called frito. It is made with plantains under chicken with a slaw on top. It is a traditional dish that is eaten without silverware. It was beautifully plated and tasted delicious."

Sunday morning, the team attended worship--a multilingual service in Spanish and Miskito, with English added for their sake. Pastor Darrell said, "Most of the hymns were not in English, but we knew the tunes, so we could sort of sing along." 

Stay tuned to find out more about the projects they'll be involved with starting tomorrow. And of course, please hold them in your prayers. 

Have a Listen

This coming Sunday evening, December 3, when we gather for worship on the first night of Advent (scroll down to previous post), our special musical guests will be the talented members of the Mainstreet Brass Quintet.

While Sunday night's repertoire will be filled with Christmas music (of course!), here is a sample of the group playing other-than-Christmas arrangements. Click on the link and enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Mainstreet+Brass

Shine With Us

The Advent Season begins on December 3, and with it, we have the first of many beautiful opportunities to prepare our hearts for encountering Christ at Christmas. Join us!
Advent Communion Service

with Special Musical Guests 

The Mainstreet Brass Quintet

Sunday Evening, December 3                

6:00 p.m.                              

Sharon Moravian Church

On the Outskirts of Tuscarawas, OH

(For GPS directions, enter 4776 Moravian Church Road SE, New Philadelphia)

We gather with Moravian sisters and brothers from across Ohio for this annual worship tradition of celebrating Holy Communion together. The Rev. Ben Lippert (our region’s most recently ordained Moravian minister and the new pastor of Schoenbrunn Community Moravian Church) will preach the Word. Sister Angie Miller will lead a combined choir in offering a beautiful anthem.

And it will be a special treat when Allen Frank and his acclaimed quintet, Mainstreet Brass, fill the beautiful, Moravian Star-lit sanctuary of the Sharon Moravian Church with sound. The American Organist Magazine says Mainstreet Brass is “a well-knit, finely blended ensemble.” And the International Trumpet Guild Journal praises the group for “high-flying virtuosic playing.”

Please invite friends and family for an uplifting, seasonally-tuned, God-honoring evening.

Memoir Writing Sessions Begin Tonight

Spiritual Memoir Writing: Holidays
with Pastor Chris Johnson
Monday, November 20
Monday, November 27
Monday, December 4

6:30 p.m. -7:45 p.m.
Gnadenhutten Moravian Church
133 S. Walnut Street

Whether they be heartwarming, challenging, funny or poignant, our holiday memories are often rich in detail and spiritually significant.  If you are interested in capturing your memoirs on paper and gaining insights from your life’s story, join in this 3-session series. (It will be most beneficial to attend all three classes, but still come if you can only make it to one or two sessions.)

This class is part of the "Monday With the Ministers" series of Shared Ministry Opportunities. All are welcomed. No pre-registration required.