The "MCC family" is rooted in love

Being welcomed. Being loved. Rooted in love. Being God's heart and hands around the world. That's what the "MCC family" is all about and that was the theme for the MCC Great Lakes annual meeting on March 7-8 at Community Christian Fellowship in Detroit, Michigan.

It was a time to hear MCC updates, rekindle old friendships, fellowship together, listen to faith stories from recently returned service workers, and to learn from each other.

The Friday evening worship service began with Bishop Samuel Wilson welcoming us to his congregation. Leonard Dow, MCC East Coast Service Program Administrator, shared about "Transformation experiences - From the inside (heart) out (hands)!" Nelson Shantz, led us in congregational singing throughout our meetings. Shanna Wilson, MCC Summer Service Worker from Community Christian Fellowship, shared her faith experience working with an after school tutoring program. Everyone was treated to spectacular singing and "stepping" by the youth choir from Community. Stepping is an expression form using rhythmic dance, claps, stomping, words and song to get a message across.

Saturday morning began with more singing, sharing of faith stories, updates and a little business too. Edwin Contreras shared how his faith has been strengthened through teaching music during the past four summers at Igelsia Menonita Getsemani in East Chicago, as a Summer Service Worker. Ron Mathies, MCC Bi-National Executive Director, challenged us to think about and offer counsel to the impending war with Iraq and working with tight budgets. Directors and chairpersons, both incoming and outgoing, shared "What's different? What's the same about MCC Great Lakes?"

During session two Suzanne Lind, former MCC'er in South Africa, shared a faith story. Brenda Wagner, Generations at Risk campaign coordinator, reported that currently there are about the 42 million cases of HIV/AIDs in Africa and 14 million orphans as a result. More business followed with the presentation of the proposed budget, program plans, affirmation ballot for new board members and the Chicago initiative.

The afternoon business session introduced the many transitions in staffing that are taking place in the region. Recent new staff include Karen Glick Metzler, Regional Associate for Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee; Cindy Litwiller, Administrative Assistant; and Yvonne Diaz Keeler, Director. In July, Mary Ann Weber, Human Resources and Communications Coordinator, and Janet Schumacher, Regional Associate for Northwest Ohio, Northern Indiana and Michigan will be added. New board members, Vernon Sommers, Virgil Troyer, and Kim Kurtz, were welcomed. There was also a renewal of term for Regina Shands Stoltzfus.

Saying goodbye to Helen Glick, Jane Miller, and later this year to Sandy Sohar, Charles Geiser, and Kathy Roth was indeed a sad moment. From the board, we said goodbye to Kay Bontrager-Singer, Jerry Kuhns, and Sam Brubaker. Although these persons will not be serving in some formal capacity, they will continue being part of the MCC family in whatever way they can serve.

Bethany Spicher, Washington Office legislative associate, reported what happens at their office on Capitol Hill and an overwhelming sadness settled over participants as Daryl Byler, Washington Office director, shared an update on Iraq. Ellie Huebner, MCC Appalachia, shared her faith story which provided glimmers of hope that what we do does make a difference, even if we don't have all the answers. Lois Hess Nafziger, Peace and Justice Educator/Advocate shared her reflection that there is value in putting a human face to all people. We then saw the faces of our IVEPers: Ya-wen Chang, Denia Flores and Lesly Vasquez as they shared a bit about themselves and a song.

The Saturday evening worship service included the joy of dedicating blankets and being challenged by Ron Mathies to imagine where they might go. Brenda Wagner concluded the meetings with the message "Who Touched Me?" reminding us of the "touch" we can experience when we are willing to be like Jesus.

We look forward to another "MCC family reunion" March 6-7, 2004 in Roanoke, Illinois.

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(Photo coming!)

Meet the MCC Great Lakes board

Margaret Schrock joined the Great Lakes board in 1995, representing the Evangelical Mennonite Church. She currently serves as board secretary and is a member of the executive committee and the Damascus Road Team (anti-racism). Margaret recalls her earliest exposure to MCC was making Christmas bundles as a child in Sunday school class. Years later she attended a Central District Conference meeting that featured an MCC speaker. "That event really opened my eyes to the work of MCC," Margaret said, "and a local friend/mentor who served on the MCC U.S. board encouraged me to get involved."

Margaret and her husband Claude live in the Grabill, Indiana area where they are members of Grabill Evangelical Mennonite Church. They have two sons, Leonard and Benjamin. Employed by Grabill Hardware, Margaret works for Claude and readily admits, "It's nice to have my husband for a boss. He is very supportive of MCC and gives me time off when I need it."

Last year both Margaret and Claude participated in an MCC Learning Tour to Central America. When they returned home Margaret was compelled to write about the experience and submitted seven consecutive articles to the local East Allen Courier. The community responded positively. "To see first hand the living conditions people are in . . . the children suffering from malnutrition, the begging. I tear up now just thinking about it."

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Upcoming Events

May 20-24 Immigration Training; Akron, Pa.
717-859-3889; tkh@mccus.org
July 2-3 When the Saints Go Marchin' Peace Gathering; Taccoa, Ga.
574-294-7523; info@atlanta2003.org
July 13-18 Summer Mediation and Restorative Justice Training Institute; Valley Forge, Pa.
717-859-3889; tkh@mccus.org
July 20 Mennofolk; Camp Friedenswald
Cassopolis, Mich.; www.mennofolk.org

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Great Lakes relief sale schedule

June 20-21 Black Swamp Benefit Bazaar Wauseon, Ohio www.blackswampbenefit.org
Aug 1-2 Northern Michigan Relief Sale Fairview, Mich. www.reliefsale.org
Aug 1-2 Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale, Kidron Ohio www.ohiomccreliefsale.org
Aug 22-23 Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale, Arthur, Ill.
Sept 20 Daviess County Relief Sale Montgomery, Ind.
Sept 26-27 Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale Goshen, Ind.
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Musical tour update

The Radiant Sonchild tour is well underway. The tour performed in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. In May they will be in Kansas, June in Indiana and Ohio, July in Georgia and Michigan. In August they travel to Canada. Check out www.radiantsonchild.com for booking information Great Lakes bookings:
June •6, Fri., Electric Brew, Goshen, IN 8-10 •7, Sat., The Green Room, Elkhart, IN, 8-11 •15, Sun., Harris Prairie Church of Christ, Granger, IN, 7pm •20, Fri., Black Swamp Relief Sale, Waseon, OH evening •21, Sat., Outdoor concert in park, New Carlisle, OH •22, Sun., Buen Pastor Church, Archbold, OH, evening •25, Wed., Orbit Music Store, 8:15 •26, Thurs., Solid Grounds Coffeehouse, New Paris, IN 7-8a;15 •27, Fri., Java Jungle, Elkhart, IN 6-9 •29, Sun., Millersburg Mennonite Church, OH, 9:30	Radiant		Sonchild

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New videos available

A Time to Heal, A Time to Rebuild. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is cooperating to provide the second phase of the Afghan Home Reconstruction Project. CPT is working to place a team in Afghanistan that could arrange visits between American schools, congregations, organizations and individuals that have collected funds to rebuild Afghan homes and families.

Voice on the Hill. Interviews from inner-city
Philadelphia and the coal mining region of Kentucky detail how MCC works with communities in the United States struggling with poverty. The video explores how advocacy grows from service, and how the MCC U.S. Washington Office encourages Mennonites to work on a political level in addition to meeting people's immediate needs. For grades 11 to adult.

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