06-16-13 1030am Pentecost 4 Baptism Bulletin

Prayers for Deployed Military
Quinn Gallagher, Rescue Helicopter Pilot, Afghanistan (grandson of Elizabeth Wood)
Chris Phelps, deployed to Afganistan (brother of Danyelle Phelps)
Staff Sergeant Adam Chapman, deployed to Afghanistan
Jon Ruwe, deployed to Afghanistan (son-in-law of Charlie and Anne Baldwin)
Alex Gora, Ensign 2nd Class (grandson-in-law of Beverly Howell)
Captain William T. Warren, deployed to Afghanistan

Parents-to-Be Prayer List
God said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5
Megan and Eddie Kilb (June 2013)
Tara and Patrick Wooten (July 2013)
Sarah Francis and Luke Rassmussen (July 2013)
Shea and Shaun Chambers (August 2013)
Meagan and Hunter Lewis (August 2013)
Catherine and Jason Regan (October 2013)
Caity and David Booman (November 2013)
Liza and Jamie McDaniel (December 2013)
Mary and James Driver (December 2013)
Molly and Justin Hare (January 2013)

Prayers for Employment
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today” Hebrews 3:13a
Ross Early – land surveyor
Kathy Heavner – arts education
Eddie Steele – manufacturing; engineering

Newman: I am the Project Director for a non-profit organization known as Palmetto Medical Initiative (PMI). PMI is a Charleston based organization that now has two projects based in two different countries, Uganda and Nicaragua. The organization was founded by Christians with the deep faith and knowledge that Jesus Christ is the true healer and we are simply vessels. Their mission statement reads: “PMI exists to provide sustainable, quality healthcare to those in need while increasing accessibility to global medical missions.” PMI Uganda was the first project started by the organization. They built an impressive medical clinic which provides outpatient services 7 days a week 8am-8pm, inpatient services open 24hrs a day/7 days a week, as well as a new maternity/surgical ward also open 24/7. The clinic, Masindi Kitara Medical Center, is built around a sustainable model which is designed to eventually enable the clinic to run its daily operations without the need of outside donor support. It is also completely staffed by Ugandans, except for us. My main goal is to oversee the clinic and help it reach a level of 100% operational sustainability. My other major responsibility is hosting 4 medical mission teams a year that come from the U.S. to provide free care in surrounding villages. I also help organize other short term volunteers who come periodically as well carry out a whole host of other responsibilities.

Trish: I am not employed, but because I am a Registered Nurse, I am able to provide medical advice, care for patients, and help lead the medical mission trips we host. I view my main responsibility as Newman’s helper, and the rest of my time is spent helping the organization and any visitors we have at the time. This is my first experience nursing due to the fact that I arrived in Uganda shortly after acquiring my BSN from MUSC and my license as a RN. It has been a rich experience in many ways.

We are doing this pure and simply because God told us to and nothing gives us more joy than to be able to say yes to God’s calling on our lives. We know that we have been richly blessed, and we can only hope that we have been able to help these precious people through the Lord’s help. We have witnessed miracles through the power of prayer and medicine. We have seen the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear. We have seen people give their lives to Christ. We are most thankful for the Lord’s continued blessings and provision. He has shown us every day that with Him we can do anything, and without Him we can do nothing.

Currently, we have the amazing privilege of being able to share this experience with our dear parents, John and Patti Sosnowski. Dad has been able to arrange a summer internship through Nashota House Seminary and St. Mathew’s Anglican Cathedral here in Masindi, Uganda which has allowed them to be here with us for two months. Dad is working with the Vicar of St. Mathew’s, Rev. Francis Kajura, and learning about parish ministry. It has already been a wonderful experience for him. Mom has the opportunity to teach Religious Education to children ages 8-14 at the local orphanage, Family Spirit.
We couldn’t be more blessed and thankful for this experience. We cannot thank our St. Michael’s family enough for all of their support and love over this past year. For more detailed stories from the past year and for future updates, please read our blog at http://livinginthepearl.blogspot.com . Also for more information about PMI, please visit their website at www.palmettomedical.org .

Thanks again and God Bless you all!
~ Newman and Trish Lawrence

Sundays find us at the Church of Our Father in Hulls Cove (near Bar Harbor), about 50 minutes from our house in Sedgwick.  We were introduced to this wonderful congregation four years ago by Bishop Alden Hathaway, who has been a friend of this parish for quite some time.  In some ways, it is a small version of St. Michael’s: the Gospel is preached faithfully, the people are welcoming and loving, the singing is joyful and enthusiastic; they are mission-minded, and they participate in and promote Alpha and Cursillo.  Unlike St. Michael’s, however, they find themselves almost alone in the Diocese of Maine in their commitment to orthodox belief and practice: there is only one other parish in the Diocese with the same strong ethos.  Joanne is part of the prayer and healing ministry at Church of Our Father, even continuing by phone when we are away from Maine.  And Doug has served as supply/interim when the Rector, Chuck Bradshaw (Trinity School for Ministry graduate-M.Div. and D. Min.), was on sabbatical.  He will serve again this summer, as the Bradshaws have “retired” in order to serve with SAMS in Uganda for three years.  The people at Church of Our Father are great folks, and they welcome you warmly if you find yourselves in that part of Maine on a Sunday.

Tuesday mornings, Joanne finds herself helping to lead a women’s interdenominational Bible study at a small Baptist church in South Blue Hill (about 15 minutes from us).  There are about 20 women participating in this group (fewer in the winter!), at various stages in their spiritual journeys, learning what the Bible teaches about God, about Jesus, about the Holy Spirit, about living as a Christian, and how to know the truth.

On Thursday mornings, we regularly join a group of friends and neighbors for breakfast at a little café in the neighboring village of Brooklin, where we enjoy the company, the food, and the conversation, which ranges over a wide variety of topics.  Later that morning, Joanne gathers her painting materials and joins with a group of other painters, to return to Brooklin and the parish hall of the small Baptist church there as they paint together, encourage each other, and interact in various ways.  Often, too, Joanne has the opportunity to visit with the pastor and be a source of encouragement for him.  (Doug tries to have lunch with him when possible, too.)  Every second Thursday during the season, Doug leads a hymn sing at the Rockbound Chapel-another Baptist chapel only about a mile from our house and now otherwise mostly unused-where “all sorts and conditions” come, choose their favorite hymns, which we all join in singing, making what is often beautiful music together.  It is an opportunity to tell not only the stories behind some of the hymns but also to remind us of the theology contained in the words we sing.

In addition to all the above, we delight in welcoming guests.  When the weather is suitable, we often go out in our small power boat on the (relatively) calm waters of the Eggemoggin Reach (part of East Penobscot Bay, separating us on the mainland from Deer Isle), even venturing sometimes to Islesboro, in West Penobscot Bay, or Castine, or to Stonington, at the end of nearby Deer Isle.  Or maybe we’ll go kayaking, or looking in local antique shops (where most of the stuff seems to be younger than we are!), or even yard-sale-ing (on Saturdays).

We will miss St. Michael’s and all our friends here very much, but we will be praying for all of you regularly, as does Church of Our Father.  We would appreciate your praying for us, as well, that we may be sensitive to and responsive to the nudges of the Holy Spirit, and that we will be both obedient and courageous, so that others will respond to the love of Jesus.  Please let us know if Maine is in your plans.  We’d love to see you there. You can reach us at: P. O. Box 23 (25 Main St.), Sedgwick, Maine  04676; 207-359-2705; or pdpandjvp@aol.com.
~ Doug and Joanne Peterson

Following the inaugural game last year, the Biblical Family Center’s Sticks ‘N Stones or “Blue Bus Ministry” invited partner churches to play T-ball the morning of May 11 at Martin Park on Jackson St. The boys from all walks of life age six to nine played T-ball and became acquainted with each other while the older boys and men coached.

The boys of the “Blue Bus Ministry” proudly arrived in their own bus, which will be painted blue before camp starts this summer. Maintenance, insurance, painting and bus renovations are all scheduled or in place primarily as a result of generous help from 2012 GIC funding from St. Michael’s.

St. Philip’s, St. Peter’s, St. Michael’s, St. John’s and Holy Cross had volunteers on site. Charleston’s Deputy Chief of Police Jerome Taylor said a blessing before the action began. Chief Taylor also serves on the board of the Biblical Family Center.

About 70 total persons attended the exhibition game. A steady breeze kept weather conditions most pleasant. Participants enjoyed a delicious barbecue lunch cooked by Jimmy Hagood’s Tidewater Catering.

The little boys represent the core of this summer’s camp program at Agape on Blake Street. The camp leaders expect 30 boys to participate.
– Charles W. Waring III

On the day before Pentecost, members of St. Michael’s and partner churches saw the spirit of sportsmanship alive and well on John’s Island. The opportunity came to reality because Michael Lalich had generously arranged with a friend on River Road to have the boys from the Biblical Family Center’s Sticks ‘N Stones or “Blue Bus Ministry” visit to fish for bass and bream.

A dozen boys from the Eastside arrived in their own bus with three adult chaperones. Michael Lalich also arranged for fishing rods on loan from Dee Oliver at Haddrells’ Point West Ashley; all the volunteers baited rods and guided the boys. Before long, the boys, the vast majority of whom had never previously caught a fish, began landing one fish after another. Many boys learned to cast spinning reels. Every boy caught at least two fish and some caught more than eight. The laughter and excitement grew to a constant during more than two hours of focused fishing.

Our host, Dr. Ed Rodelsperger, wanted the boys to take fish home to eat, and they certainly did, returning to the Eastside with more than 100 fish in their coolers. Following a midday end to the fishing, all adults and boys enjoyed barbecue sandwiches in the shade of a large live oak tree as a constant breeze added yet another blessing to an outing that none of the boys or volunteers will ever forget.
– Charles W. Waring III

“I Fed My Heart Today”

On Saturday morning, May 18th, I had the most wonderful opportunity and volunteered for the Blue Bus Fishing Day! I arrived on the Johns Island site early with an anxious feeling of not knowing what to expect. After about 20 minutes, more volunteers began to arrive. Everyone had various types of fishing gear, buckets and live to artificial bait. I started fishing with Ben, one of the volunteers sons, while anticipating the arrival of the bus. Right off the bat, Ben caught a 5 lb bass and I followed up with one of almost equal size. There was another gentleman fishing with his 3 year old son… you’ve got to start them early……and they were hauling in big slab bream. At this point, I knew that it was going to be a great fishing day. Shortly after the initial excitement, the bus from “Biblical Family Center Sticks n’ Stones pulls up with 12 young boys, mostly 10 and under with an array of different back grounds and personalities. They were lined up, given instructions, a fishing pole and bait. Then they were split up among the volunteers to assist them with the task of catching fish….and boy did they catch on quick. The fish were biting like I’ve never seen before and excitement came to life in most of the boys. There was one boy that I noticed that seemed like he didn’t really want to be there. I took him “under my wings” in an attempt to put some happiness in his life. He ended up catching enough for a good sized family and a smile of excitement on his face. God blessed me with this opportunity to mentor and I am very sure that the Holy Spirit was there with us ALL today!
~ Grant Inscoe