MISSION PRESBYTERY HAS A NEW PARTNER

Partnership Covenant approved with the Luebo-Mission Presbytery in the Democratic Republic of Congo

U.S. Presbyterians have had a relationship with the Luebo area of the Congo since 1891. Many of us have heard since we were children the stories of fellow Texans who served in the Congo. Now we have an agreement for a spiritual bond between Mission Presbytery and Luebo-Mission Presbytery.

In the face of oppressive governments and the resultant anarchy and total breakdown of the country’s infrastructure, the resilience of the Congolese Christians is remarkable. They sing with the joy of faith despite their lack of roads, convenient clean water, and medicines, and their malnutrition and high infant mortality rate.

In Luebo the Church has schooling for children through twelfth grade but no books, paper, or pens; the upper grades have desks, but the younger children must sit on the floor. The Church has a hospital but lacks necessary equipment. Children whose parents have died of AIDS are housed and fed by Luebo's Fifth Church, but there are many more AIDS-orphans for whom there is no room. The material needs are overwhelming.

But the Congolese Christians sing joyfully. These buoyant Christian brothers and sisters have much to share with us. And we have much to offer them.

Partnership Team members visited Luebo in July 2006. They found that mosquito nets are needed to control malaria. Better nutrition and immunizations are needed for the children. Micro-business loans are needed by the women to raise pigs and chickens and better seeds to grow food for their families. A larger home is needed for the orphans, as is equipment and medicine for the hospital. Funds are needed to repair the 100-year old First Presbyterian Church, once the largest Presbyterian congregation in the world.

Learn about Congolese Presbyterians. Invite speakers to your church from the Partnership Team (See addresses below.) Learn from the Congolese how to live Ps. 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you." Pray for them. Accept their gifts. Give to them.

Donations may be given through the Presbytery office.
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Team
Jack Hohengarten: jack.hohengarten@sbcglobal.net
Craig Deats: cdeats@ddollaw.com
Don Bobb: donaldbobb7@earthlink.net
Scott Collins: scollins@mail.utexas.edu

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MOSD Budget for 2006

Border Ministry Team
BARCA (Border Ass'n for Refugees from C. America)			$6,000
Comite de Apoyo			$4,000
CUPS (Comunidades Unidas Pro Salud)			$5,000
Presbyterian Border Ministry
	Laredos Unidos - Laredo/Nuevo Laredo		$6,500
	Proyecto Amistad - Eagle Pass		$4,500
	Puentes de Cristo - McAllen/Reynosa		$6,500
Su Casa de Esperanza - Pharr			$6,000
Loaves & Fishes - Harlingen			$6,500
International Ministry Team
Guatemala
	Living Waters for the World
	Partnership (CESSMAQ)
Congo			$1,000
Kenya			$1,000
Compassion/Justice Team
Austin Area Interreligous Ministries			$3,000
Metro Ministries
	Corpus Christi Metro		$6,500
	House of Neighborly Service (San Antonio)		$5,000
	Manos de Cristo (Austin)		$5,500
	San Antonio Urban Ministry		$1,000
	Victoria CAM		$1,000
Westside Community Center			$1,000
Peacemaking
	Advocate		$400
Religion & Labor Network -Austin			$1,000
Texas Conference of Churches
	Contribution		$1,000
	Delegates		$350
Texas Impact			$2,500
Communications Team			$400
Campus Christian Community			$2,000
General Administrative
	Meetings		$1,400
	Training/Conferences		$450
New Mission Initiatives (2.5%)			$2,000
Total			$81,500

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Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (Oasis of Peace)

The citizens of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam exemplify a pattern of cooperation and working together, which, if widely replicated in the area, could enhance the safety and security of all who live there.

The American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (NSWAS) are currently advocating for NSWAS to be included as one of Congress's recommended Reconciliation Programs to receive funding in Fiscal Year 2007. The Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2006 (H.R. 3057), Section 568 (Reconciliation Programs), makes available $15,000,000 "to support reconciliation programs and activities, which bring together individuals of different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds from areas of civil conflict and war." This funding has been increased by $3,000,000 since 2005.

The American Friends of Neve Shalom estimate that up to $300,000 could be available through a Department of State grant. They see the money being used in two ways:

1) half ($150,000) to provide annual scholarships to some of the 300 children on the waiting list for the primary school (at $850 per pupil), and

2) the other half to finance the School of Peace training workshops in conflict management. These cost $12,500 per workshop.

The subcommittee that selects the groups for an approved list from which the State Department makes its grants is the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. Jim Kolbe (R), U.S. Representative from Arizona's 8th Congressional District, chairs the subcommittee. Nita Lowey (D), New York's 18th Congressional District, is the ranking minority member. John Carter (R), representing the 31st CD of Texas (Georgetown) serves on this committee as the only Texan. Henry Bonilla (R) of the 23rd CD in the San Antonio area is a member of the Appropriations Committee.

The nine groups that were recommended by the Foreign Operations subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2006 were Seeds of Peace, Jerusalem International YMCA, Interns for Peace, Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability, roots of Peace, Aravra Institute, Peacemaking Circle, Project Circle and Cooperation, and Interfaith Dialogue.

We ask you to communicate with your U.S. Representative, requesting your Representative to contact the leaders of the Foreign Operations subcommittee (Kilbe or Lowey), asking them to support the Middle East people-to-people co-existence programs focused on the Israeli-Arab conflict, and to include Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam as a recommended reconciliation organization in the FY07 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. A sample letter is provided.

Web sites: Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam

American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam

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