Dear Family,

This Sunday is the homeless mission to Portland. Though we have a lot of people going we are lacking in tote bags and things to fill the totes with. Please consider donating even one item. If each family donated just one small item (which price averages $2.00 at Wal-Mart) we would have well over 100 items to put in the bags. Would you please consider picking up something from the list below and dropping it at the church no later than Friday night. The youth will be taking all the items with them. And if you already have given thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts.

Here’s what we still need:

• Granola bars
• Cereal bars
• Snacks
• Pudding cups
• Fruit cups
• Apples
• Oranges
• Bottled water
• Cookies in small packages
• Peanut butter crackers in small packages
• Prepackage tuna & crackers
• Or any small snack packages.

Thank you for all your donations, God bless you all,

Candy and Mark Allen

Come find out how God showed His love through our missionaries in Honduras tonight at 6 pm. Nursery services will be provided for children 5 and under.

Yes it’s that time again. We will be doing another Homeless mission in May. The Youth Group will be participating with our Youth Pastor. They will all be heading to Portland. So I was hoping we would have some volunteers to go to Manchester, it’s been a long time since we’ve been there!

I’m sure Pastor Jeff’s message today tugged at a lot of peoples hearts…remember we love anything you can donate to these missions, time, food, clothing, or yourself as a missionary for the afternoon. It’s always worth it, and you will come back deeply moved, with your eyes
open to a love only our Heavenly Father could have designed! So get ready!

We will be collecting starting as soon as possible, we have plenty of clothes right now. So I think we are all set there. But here’s what we do need:

• Walmart tote bags ($1.00ea) (to store food)
• combs
• deodorant
• toothbrushes
• toothpaste
• mouthwash
• small pkgs of handi wipes
• sunglasses
• baseball hats
• socks
• Food:
  • small pkgs prewrapped snacks
  • apples
  • oranges
  • juiceboxes
  • bottled water
  • small containers of soup
  • small containers of fruit
  • apples sauce snack packs
  • cereal bars
  • granola bars
  • any other snacks you can think of!
• Always- BLANKETS AND BEDROLLS (WALMART CAMPING SECTION, BLUE AND ROLLED UP $6.00 EA)

Please let Mark and I know if you think you might be attending, I’ll e-mail the date a little later!

And as always, Thank you all for your hearts that are so willing to give to these lonely people!

Love and God Bless,

Candy and Mark A.

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. David is home, he had 5 wks in Far East Russia and 3 wks in Kashakstan, returning 12/15. We are preparing to leave for conferences in the eastern part of the states plus one in FL. Dave send me (us) the most current update with our schedule. I will be on their mailing list for future updates. Tell the children that their prayers are being answered in many ways, so keep praying!! “Perhaps we can come to Valley Christian and visit your class in the Spring (April, May or June).” http://users.adelphia.net/~djking39

Poland: Pastor Irek reports that although they got way less Operation Christmas Child boxes this year, (sounded like a political thing) he was able to use the money sent from the Sunday School class here to buy the kids in church nice gifts.

The “problem” he was having when Ric was there has been given to God and there is some positive progress. God’s timing, you know. But please continue to pray for: “that” problem, Irek and his family as with anyone with teens, there are “growing pain” problems. www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1141/tarnow.html

Pastor Ben reports he’s been blessed with a lot of “firsts” in his “first” year of ministry after language school. “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost” was said in Portuguese as Alessandra was plunged beneath the water. Eu te amo! The first time he ever said the words “I love you” in Portuguese was, I suspect, for Daniele, his fiancé! For his first communion, he prayed that God would bless the grapes instead of the juice. (Hey, God knew what Ben wanted to say!). His first discipleship was with two girls. One quit because she got embarrassed about the idea of praying in front of people and the other girl quit too but the first girl just prayed out loud for the first time in his Sunday School class. The response of “Yes, Pastor Ben, I believe I would like to accept Christ as my personal Savior” was of course his favorite “firsts”. Many fumbled and often time funny words have rolled off his lips at many of his “firsts”: giving his first Sunday school lesson, first discipleship, first sermon, and many more. Sometimes it was very difficult, discouraging, humiliating, and very frustrating, but always, ALWAYS, very rewarding. He said he appreciates those who have allowed him to reach this goal of completing his “firsts”, and thankful for those who have pledged with their prayers and support to allow him to go back for “seconds”. www.bdjbrazil.cjb.net

“THE PLUNGE”

The plunge. That vivid experience that happened to me just over 3 years ago was not quickly forgotten. Eyes bulging with stark terror, arms flailing in desperation, my body was plunged into the depths of the Amazon river due to an overzealous teen trying to initiate me to the Amazon region. Although I do not know how to swim, I “clawed” my way back to the dock.

The plunge. It happened to Dani, my wife, less than one week after handing in her last test that completed one year of Bible college. She was thrown into many unfamiliar waters as soon as she stepped onto American soil. Culture shock to the extreme was celebrating the 4th of July fireworks at Sea World after being in the US for a total of 6 hours! But my wife’s ever looming doctrinal exam threw a wet blanket on anything that wanted to be festive for the following long two weeks. My wife did a beautiful job on that fateful day, and we give all the credit to the Lord for sustaining us through that difficult time through the many prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. THANK YOU!

“The plunge” was more than just the daunting doctrinal debut but also a diversified road trip that would have many any travel agent proud. My wife’s first time in America started off with putting 7,000 miles of road behind us in the last two months and slipping in and out of 14 different states and 10 different churches. From theme parks to cottonfields. From Georgia to Chicago. From air-conditioned luxury hotels to leaking tents. From the top of the St. Louis Arch to hidden river caves. It truly has been a cultural roller coaster ride.

Three years ago someone pushed me in to initiate me, but the amazing thing to me is that my wife “willingly” took the plunge. Although floundering at many times in her English, she continues to stay afloat. I am so proud of her, and also of all of you. My wife testified of her gratefulness around 4 days before the test. She said, “I know I need to be strong and continue on because of all those people who are behind me and praying for my doctrinal exam.”

Eyes bulging and arms flailing? Yah, at times, but it is so much easier taking “the plunge” because of YOU and YOUR prayers.

Serving Him,

Ben and Dani Jacobs

Who are Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong? We usually only hear about them during Christmas and Easter. Through gifts to Annie and Lottie offerings, missions personnel are enabled to share the good news of Jesus Christ through the North American Missions Board. Every dollar goes to direct support of missionaries and their ministries. These women rallied churches to give more, pray more and do more for reaching people to Christ. Is this on your heart??

So much more could be said but for now, please pray that those in the missions field here in the States and overseas can reach those unsaved and pitiful, through God’s word and His heart’s desire. Remember as always, please keep The Greens, (Littleton, NH,) and Jeff and Julie Johnson (Uzbekistan) in your prayers.

May God bless VCC as a body, Love, Sooz Eland