WAW Wednesday ... "Change"

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Spiritual Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

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WAW Wednesday: "Change"

Change is funny. There’s always two sides to change. One side is optimistic and one side is pessimistic. Change however most often turns out to be good. It’s not always easy, it’s not always comfortable. But we get through it.

We don’t always have the choice in change, but we always have the choice of which side of change to be on. I seem to always be frustrated with change. I seem to like things the way they are. But once I accept change, I’m ready to move on.

As TWAW goes through some changes, we ask for your prayers and support. We are optimistic about what God has in store for us. And we hope that you will join us, as things look different for TWAW in Belize. There are many new opportunities on the horizon, and we are excited about that!

Please read the following letter regarding the changes for the Word at Work ...

Covid has created quite a few issues and problems with the schools, with the hospitals, with food, obviously with tourism, and with us getting teams to Belize to help. We will continue to work with, and beside our Belizean friends and we look forward to returning soon.

However, where we can help best now is school supplies, clothing, money for food, and prayers. So if you can help in any of these ways please let us know or simply click on the donate below. And as always, please remember to choose TWAW on Amazon smile for all your purchases.

We thank you for your continued support. As always we know you’re praying for us and we thank you for that. If you have any questions or ideas, we would love to hear from you.

Ron Allen - Executive Director
#wearethewordatwork

In the News ... "Take a moment to remember"

OA Photo by Jacob Ford

• Two-year anniversary of August 31, 2019 mass shooting

By Laura Dennis, Reporter
• The Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The yellow flags went up last week at Memorial Gardens Park at 42nd Street and JBS Parkway.

Meant as a way to honor those who were lost, the flags perhaps remind motorists that something happened here. Something awful and tragic. But also something that brought many in Odessa together to help others on that fateful day and in the weeks and months that followed ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "Isaiah foresaw the Messiah"

"The Prophet Isaiah" by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

• Prophet’s poetry ‘unsurpassed in the Old Testament’

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Prophet Isaiah is depicted in Italian artist Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, which were done between 1508-12. The blue book under his arm is considered to be the Book of Isaiah.

As one of the Bible’s four major prophets, Isaiah is most remembered for his prophecies of Jesus Christ in the last 27 chapters of the book that carries his name.

The Revs. Aaron Shipman, Jay Armstrong and Jorge Romero say Isaiah was a humble man emboldened by the hand of God ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo courtesy of Ekvn-Yefolecv

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 31, 2021

EKVN-YEFOLECV INDIGENOUS MASOKE ECOVILLAGE- Nearly two centuries after many of their ancestors were displaced from their native homelands in the southern United States, a group of Native Americans is preserving their language and traditions in a unique community in Alabama.

The Ekvn-Yefolecv Indigenous Maskoke Ecovillage was established in 2018 by Maskoke people who wanted to return to their roots and an agrarian way of life ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Connection Christian hosting COVID vaccine clinic"

• Tuesday at Connection Christian Church

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Odessa Connection Church will host a vaccine clinic with Odessa Regional Medical Center to offer free COVID vaccines for anyone ages 12 and up. The vaccine clinic will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Augusty 31), in the Fellowship Hall of Connection Christian Church. The address is 4241 Tanglewood Lane and entrance to Fellowship Hall is on the north side of the building ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "Rev. Lopez serves school, three churches"

OA Photo

• Priest changed from Catholicism to Anglicanism and returned to hometown

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Rev. Ricardo “Rick” Lopez says the love of God is so incredible as to seem impossible.

And he says God’s love is so powerful and all-inclusive that no one should feel rejected or unloved.

“Just when we believe ourselves to be beyond the reach of God, he comes and finds us no matter where we are because he loves us impossibly,” said the Rev. Lopez, whose assignments include the chaplaincy of St. John’s Episcopal School and the pastorates of three churches ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Contributed Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 30, 2021

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING - Trinity White Plume just turned 13.

Like the gardens she has newly learned to plant and tend, she has also grown in unexpected and extraordinary ways ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Abilene Sermons: 08/28-29/2021"

• What's happening at churches in the Big Country?

Staff Report
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Local and area church sermons this weekend.

Encourage your pastor to tell us the upcoming week's sermon topic. It's FREE, and it's open to churches throughout the Big Country. Email it to publishme@reporternews.com by 2 p.m. each Tuesday. Please put "sermon" in the subject line. Include the topic, who will deliver it, a synopsis limited to 60 words, when services begin and the name and street address of your place of worship ...

• Read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Lubbock Area Faith Calendar"

Courtesy Photo

• What’s going on in area churches

By Erica Pauda, Reporter
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - From the Avalanche-Journal, news of regular services, and special events and programs at houses of faith in Lubbock and across the South Plains ...

 • Read the rest of this LAJ report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Jed Koball

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 29, 2021

SIGNS OF LIFE IN PERU - La Oroya, Peru, is one of the most contaminated places in the world. Poisoned by the emissions of a U.S.-owned metals smelter, nearly 1,000 miles of surrounding land is contaminated as much as 4 inches deep with lead, cadmium and arsenic ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Third time's a charm: St. Vincent's folklorico troupe ready with 'Mexicana' dance show"

ARN Photo by Ronald W. Emerich

• TONIGHT, and Sunday evening

By Loretta Fulton, Reporter
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Ballet Folklorico, a dance troupe sponsored by St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church, is celebrating its 58th year by giving a gift to the community — two evening performances at the Paramount Theater.

The group of dancers, directed by Alvaro Munoz, will present “Mi Tierra Mexicana” at 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Some tickets will be available at the box office ...

• Read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Odessa Church News"

• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 28, 2021

REV. DR. JAMES A. FORBES, JR. - The New York City chapter of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus was recently privileged to hear the prophetic voice of the Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes Jr. You too can hear Forbes’ talk here ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "‘Heartbroken’ El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank temporarily closes one location; volunteers needed"

Photo courtesy of UTEP

• Without volunteers or funding to hire additional manpower to operate the location, officials say the closure was necessary

Staff Report
• El Paso Herald-Post

EL PASO, TEXAS - Due to the drawdown of the Texas National Guard, and the two-week gap between the start of a new group of AmeriCorps members, officials with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank will have to temporarily shutter their Westside food distribution site ...

• Read the rest of this EPHP report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo courtesy of Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 27, 2021

CHAPEL BY THE SEA, MATTHEW 25 – FEEDING THE HUNGRY - Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church is where wedding dreams come true. Nestled among knotty pine trees on the rocky Washington coastline, the chapel, however, provides more than just nuptial photo ops. It provides a snapshot of hope for residents living in the hamlet of Moclips who struggle to put food on the table ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

FBR Report: "A Good Life in the Jungle: Choosing Good over Evil"

The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement. They bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma (Myanmar) and the Middle East. Groups send teams to be trained, supplied and sent into the areas under attack to provide emergency assistance and human rights documentation. Together with other groups, the teams work to serve people in need.

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FBR Photo

A Good Life in the Jungle: Choosing Good over Evil

7 May 2021
Karen State, Burma

Dear friends,

Machine guns ripped the rice fields with bullets as the Burma Army opened up on villagers trying to plant their new rice in the flooded paddies below. Mortars, rifles and grenade launchers followed as the shooting intensified. The handful of Karen resistance who were present fought back and the Burma military stayed on top of the hill, shooting but not advancing.

Down in the valley, in the small village of Saw Mu Plaw, northern Karen State, where we were doing a children’s program, mothers nervously grabbed their children and looked up at the hill where the Burma Army was firing from. None of the rounds landed close to the gathering so Karen, our kids and our Ranger team kept singing and smiling. The shooting slowed down and then stopped and life went back to normal. Kids played games as part of the program, mothers and fathers looked on and laughed. The Burma Army could not stop this, nor could they mar the beauty...

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this FBR report ...

Thank you and God bless you,

Dave, family, and team

• CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...

“LOVE EACH OTHER.
UNITE AND WORK FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND PEACE.
FORGIVE AND DON’T HATE EACH OTHER.
PRAY WITH FAITH, ACT WITH COURAGE, NEVER SURRENDER.”

From Outreach Foundation ... "Meet Outreach's new mission partners"

Meet Outreach's new mission partners

We are excited that God continues to put before The Outreach Foundation expanding opportunities to engage with ministries which make Christ known. Read more below about five exciting new partnerships that Outreach is supporting.

Haigazian University

This small, Christian liberal arts college in the heart of Beirut was founded by the Armenian Evangelical Church 63 years ago. It serves a diverse ethnic and religious community but with a Christian perspective.

• Click here to learn more ...

Presbyterian Education Board

PEB runs 25 primary and secondary schools with over 5,700 students. Often located in rural villages, they focus on offering quality education to the poor who are usually Christian.

• Click here to learn more ...

Hamlin Nursing Home

Hamlin is an elder-care facility that is committed to honoring God and serving individuals and the community by providing compassionate, and professional care which emphasizes the sacredness of all phases of life.

• Click here to learn more ...

Europe Initiative

From a safe house in Holland which shelters those fleeing religious persecution in lands hostile to Christianity to fellowship gatherings in Germany which disciple new believers who have come to faith after leaving places where religious freedom was impossible to church planting movements in Lithuania, God is at work!

• Click here to learn more ...

Together For the Family

Together for the Family, located in Zahle, Lebanon, is serving Syrian refugees. While sharing the message of the Good News, TFF ministers to refugee families with a Baby Ministry for newborns, provides food parcels and medicines, and more.

• Click here to learn more ...

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Engaging followers of Christ for His work in the world, the Outreach Foundation is committed to helping the church live out its missional calling, building the capacity of the global church, especially where the church is vulnerable or growing rapidly, and transforming lives through mission involvement.

The Outreach Foundation
381 Riverside Drive, Suite 110
Franklin, TN 37064,
United States
(615) 778-8881
info@theoutreachfoundation.org

From Presbyterian Giving Catalog ... Give the Gift of Land Security

PGC Photo

Empowering Ugandan Women to Secure their Land

"As farmers and also women with families, security on land is our top priority."
— Rose, Program Participant

Women in rural Uganda are securing their future — by learning property law. Poorly maintained land registration and documentation systems in this region make land disputes common affecting income, impacting access to food and sometimes even resulting in illegal evictions or violence. Women are especially vulnerable during these land conflicts in which widows and divorced women are often forced to relinquish land in family disputes. To help, Presbyterian partner Action for Rural Women’s Empowerment is making sure women understand their land ownership status. They are assisting women in acquiring land registration and empowering them with the ability to draft wills that will preserve land ownership for the next generation. Read more about how gifts from the Presbyterian Giving Catalog supported this important work ...

Read More ...

A gift from the Presbyterian Giving Catalog makes an impact that lasts long after the last present is unwrapped. Not only does your gift help teach the joy of giving, your gift could help combat hunger, provide access to clean water or connect those in need with health and hygiene resources. Fill your cart with life-changing gifts, like:

• Women's Empowerment Project

Where women receive education and economic opportunity, communities thrive. By helping to provide agricultural and vocational training, literacy education and access to loans and credit services for women, you are helping them in their efforts to care for their families and reduce hunger and poverty in their communities ...

Give Now ...

• Farming Tools

Growing and harvesting a fruitful crop is possible only with the proper tools, such as shovels and machetes. This necessary equipment can help bring a fruitful yield from the land ...

Give Now ...

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If you have a case that's close to your heart, you can find a way to help in the Presbyterian Giving Catalog. Explore a wide variety of gifts that provide real and positive impact around the world — including aid for refugees, access to clean water and helping to end hunger.

Presbyterian Giving Catalog
Presbyterian Church USA
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202
United States
(800) 872-3283
presbyteriangifts@pcusa.org

In the News ... "Abilene Sermons: 08/21-22/2021"

• What's happening at churches in the Big Country?

Staff Report
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Local and area church sermons this weekend.

Encourage your pastor to tell us the upcoming week's sermon topic. It's FREE, and it's open to churches throughout the Big Country. Email it to publishme@reporternews.com by 2 p.m. each Tuesday. Please put "sermon" in the subject line. Include the topic, who will deliver it, a synopsis limited to 60 words, when services begin and the name and street address of your place of worship ...

• Read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Lubbock Area Faith Calendar"

Courtesy Photo

• What’s going on in area churches

By Erica Pauda, Reporter
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - From the Avalanche-Journal, news of regular services, and special events and programs at houses of faith in Lubbock and across the South Plains ...

 • Read the rest of this LAJ report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 22, 2021

REV. DR. OTIS MOSS III - The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III remembers the heartbroken grandmother of a man in denial of his drug addiction. “Son,” she told him one day, “until you name the demon, you ain’t never gonna be free.”

“The moment he made that decision and named [his addiction] was the day he began to walk the road of recovery,” Moss said during a recent worship service ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Odessa Church News"

• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Alexander Schimmeck via Unsplash

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 21, 2021

GOD OF SCARCITY OR GOD OF ABUNDANCE? - There is a growing awareness across the PC(USA) that racism and poverty are crises that must be addressed.

Thanks, in large part, to the Matthew 25 invitation, many of us are taking intentional steps to address our own complicity in perpetuating the systems that advantage some people while disadvantaging others. For that reason, I have made it my practice for the past few years to attempt to read Scripture from the perspective of the poor and the oppressed rather than through my own lens of privilege ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Kathy Melvin

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 20, 2021

FAIR TRADE CO-OP IN INDONESIA - Economic partnerships open the door for cooperation between Christians and Muslims through the House of Authentic Sense (HAS), Indonesia’s only fair trade co-op. Like many countries, Indonesia needs development projects that are designed to empower society, especially women, minorities and disabled communities.

HAS was created in 2015 with the goal of becoming a social entrepreneurial unit that enlists Indonesian villagers, both farmers and artists, to create, market and sell products that help communities overcome poverty and achieve social equality ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

FBR Report: "Planting Rice Under Fire"

The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement. They bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma (Myanmar) and the Middle East. Groups send teams to be trained, supplied and sent into the areas under attack to provide emergency assistance and human rights documentation. Together with other groups, the teams work to serve people in need.

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FBR Photo

Planting Rice Under Fire

29 June 2021
Karen State, Burma

Dear friends,

“As I tried to plant my rice this morning, Burma Army machine guns opened up on me. Bullets stitched the water to my left and my right less than one foot from me as I ran. In my panic I ran back and forth and it seemed like the more they shot, the more they enjoyed shooting at me, like it was a game. But I thank God they missed and I dove into the bushes and down into the stream bed. You know, the only thing I can do is plant my rice, without it we don’t have food.” This was the story of Naw Thraw Gay, widow and mother of five, as she told us of being shot at earlier in the morning before the children’s program ...

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this FBR report ...

Thank you and God bless you,

Dave, family, and team

• CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...

“LOVE EACH OTHER.
UNITE AND WORK FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND PEACE.
FORGIVE AND DON’T HATE EACH OTHER.
PRAY WITH FAITH, ACT WITH COURAGE, NEVER SURRENDER.”