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.
Crisis in El Salvador
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.
Winter News
• 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.
Upcoming Ukraine Trip
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.
Special Visitors and Upcoming Meeting
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.
Serbia Trip Planned for Summer 2010, June 18–26
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.