The members of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ believe in sharing God’s love beyond the walls of the church and into the world. Since 1999, St Paul’s has been supporting a mission effort in Ukraine by partnering with S.A.R.A., Sharing America’s Resources Abroad. This year a team, led by Marty Siegel, an occupational therapist, will be going to Nagydobrony, Ukraine to work at the Good Samaritan Home for Children. This will be Ms. Siegel’s 13th trip to the Good Samaritan Home for Children. Laurie Williams, a registered nurse, and Ryan Patten, the organist and choir director at St. Paul’s, will be joining her on the trip as well. The group will be engaged in various projects throughout Transcarpathia, Ukraine. In addition, the team will be delivering a very special gift from St. Paul’s, a financial gift to buy a Brown Swiss cow for the home. The winter of 2011 was very harsh in that region of Ukraine, and the home’s herd needed to be depleted in order to feed the children. Pastor Diane Carter, the pastor at St. Paul’s UCC expressed her delight in the church offering this gift, saying, “As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. This gift will let these children know that, regardless of their circumstances, they are loved.” The team is also hoping to raise funds to purchase a second Brown Swiss to help build the herd, and St Paul’s will be hosting a recital on Sunday, August 26 at 3:00 pm, featuring the organ talents of Ryan Patten, to support their fundraising effort. The recital is open to all, and a free will offering will be taken for the second Brown Swiss cow. To learn more about the group’s efforts and their up-coming trip, as well as how you can make a difference for the children of the Good Samaritan Home for Children, please join us for the recital, or contact St. Paul’s UCC. Donations can also be sent directly to the church.
Hello SARA friends,
I wanted to let you all know that on Sunday July 22nd there will be a SALAD Buffett fundraiser for the September SARA trip to Ukraine. This will take place at St. Paul’s UCC in Bellevue, Ohio (my home church) we hope to raise money to give to Katko for the projects SARA supports through him. Here is a thought: if you all wanted to hold the board meeting that Sunday at my church after the lunch I, as an elder of the church, could arrange it. The service starts at 10:15 and the lunch will follow around 11:30. We are having salads donated by members and friends of SARA as well as taking up a free will offering. Send me you thoughts.
Blessings of Joy,
Marty Siegel
CONNEAUT–If you have personal or church gifts/funds that you would like us to take to Hungary or Ukraine, please forward them immediately to the conference office. We leave on April 19 and need time to process the donations. OR……… You can send them to our church in Conneaut: First Congregational UCC, 255 Buffalo Street, Conneaut OH 44030
Make the check out to the church, mark SARA in the lower left corner. Our local treasurer lives just a few blocks away and she is willing to process the checks the very next day. You will receive the same tax credit. Pray for our safety. Have a wonderful holiday week and Thanks for everything, your time and gifts and prayers!
Stephen/Istvan/Steve/Pista and Jean/Jeannie
COLUMBUS — SARA Co-President Lana C. Sakash will be leading a group trip to Ukraine from June 1-19, 2012. The group will be flying from Columbus to New York and then on to Budapest, Hungary from where they will travel overland to Transcarpathia, Ukraine. They will spend time in Mukachevo, Ra’t and can possibly tailor the trip to fit different needs. In the past some of the group has stayed in Dobron at the Good Samaritan Children’s Home to work with the children there. Others have stayed in town to teach English, American culture and games or at St. Michael’s Children’s Home to teach English and play games with the children. The group will also spend some time visiting places of interest in Transcarpathia. If you are interested in going, please contact Lana Sakash at sakash@bright.net for more details.
Recent floods have hit Central America and some of SARA’s key mission areas in El Salvador. See SARA News for an on-the-scene update from SARA partner Carmen Santacruz of the CRD.
• S.A.R.A. Media Director Andrew Tonn will traveling to Central America and meeting the team under Director for El Salvador John Gilberg in the capitol. Andrew will be writing stories live from El Salvador so be certain to check in daily at “News” (http://www.saragroup.org/news/) right here at www.saragroup.org and pass the link on to your friends.
• The next S.A.R.A. Executive Board Meeting will be March 6, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. at the Conference Offices on Busch Avenue in Columbus, Ohio.
• S.A.R.A. is seeking lodging for Dr. Levente Molnar. He has been invited to visited and observe and study at Christ Hospital’s three neuro-surgical centers. He should arrive in Cincinnati on or about March 15, rest for a few days, then begin the educational period on the 20th for two weeks. He would need transportation from site to site as his host physician works.
A trip to Ukraine will be leaving June 4th and returning June 21, 2011. Marty Siegel will be leading people to the various medical outreach locations and children’s homes SARA has been involved with through the years. There will also be time for sight-seeing as well as for getting to know the girls at the Good Samaritan Home that will be home base in Ukraine. The mission will visit a Roma Village and possibly worship there. As with all SARA trips we also allow our hosts to lead us to additional sights of interest. If you feel called to join this trip please contact Marty Siegel for more details.
COLUMBUS — Dr. Roman Shnitser, Minister of Health for Transcarpathia, Ukraine and Dr. Ivan Malesh, Administrator of the City Hospital in Beregovo, will visit Ohio and be attending the SARA board meeting at the conference offices on 14 November.
Color flyer (PDF)
SARA is returning to Serbia in early Summer 2010! You can expect to visit orphanages, daycare facilities for people with disabilities, hospitals and local clinics—often poorly equipped. You will encounter Christians and will have the opportunity to participate in their different traditions of worship. It is a life changing experience, one that will open up a new world. You will return home and see the world around you with different eyes. The trip will be led by Rev. Attila Szemesi, pastor of Congregational UCC in Amherst.
Planning for this trip has begun. Contact Rev. Szemesi with any questions at 440-225-4450 or amherstintegrity@centurytel.net.
Videos of congregation members talking about past mission trips to Serbia are available at www.amherstcucc.org. Click on Video Gallery.