Habitat Blitz Build: Gifford IL June 1 - 14
Update - April 22:
Volunteers need to register with ABHMS.
You may send your cash donations (we need to raise $100,000) directly to GRR through your monthly mission giving – just clearly mark it for Gifford Rebuild Project. Donations other than cash need to be arranged directly through Habitat for Humanity, Champaign Chapter ( director@cuhabitat.org or 217-363-3373 ).
Here is the registration information for the rebuilding project in Gifford IL that we are doing in partnership with ABHMS and Habitat for Humanity. Please note that the registration deadline is May 15.
News and Forms from American Baptist Home Mission Societies, Victoria Goff
Flyer | FAQs | Release Forms | Registration & Skills
Or the above in one download
Area III churches meeting during the spring Discipleship Summit gave over $400 toward this project. Thank you, churches of Area III!!!
Give to this project online. Choose "Gifford Rebuild" as your designation when completing the form. Or, mail your check to the GRR Office with "Gifford Rebuild" written on the memo line of your check. (In case you have wondered if the GRR secure site is vulnerable to the virus that is making the news these days, we have been assured by our hosting company, that we are not.)
Rev. Leslie "Les" D. Rempel, 77, of Bloomington, IL formerly of Fairbury, NE, passed away at 9:05 p.m. at OST. St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington on Saturday, April 5, 2014.
Visitation was on Friday, April 11, 2014 at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington from 4—8 p.m. Family and friends celebrated Les' life during a memorial service on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at First Baptist Church of Bloomington, IL at 4:00 p.m. Rev. Adam Davis officiated. Burial will follow at Graceland Cemetery in Fairbury, NE. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to First Baptist Church of Bloomington or to the donor's choice in memory of Les. (Full obituary)
Larry and Becky Stanton now in Liberia!
What a journey! After a two-year process, the dream has become reality. And it's real in all it's glory: ants, jet lag, communication difficulty. But the joy of seeing our children walk hand-in-hand with Liberian children is amazing.
Want to see more pictures? Be sure to follow us on our public Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HopingLiberia.
Give to our continuing work in Liberia and see our journals on www.internationalministries.org/team/513-stanton.
Friends
On Thursday, April 3, Vickie Goff (ABHMS), Brian Romanowski and I met with Habitat for Humanity leaders in Champaign to plan the Blitz Build for Gifford. Gifford is a small community just Northeast of Champaign, East of Rantoul on 136. Last November a tornado cut across the town. Our ABMen Disaster Team was there to help with the clean up. Now we are in the rebuilding stage. The Blitz Build is planned for June 1 to June 14. Volunteers will check in at 8:00 AM, ready to work, on June 2.
Habitat has several projects in Gifford, including 1 rebuild, 2 totally new houses, and many smaller projects across the town. Through Habitat, we are partnering with other groups in this effort. The exact project volunteers will be working on will depend on skills and the number of volunteers. Still, GRR's focus will be one of the totally new houses. Habitat has already screened and selected the family. This is a father and mother with two children, one of whom is a special needs child. While they were not homeowners when the tornado struck, and, technically did not "lose" a home, they were displaced. The family has responded to this tragedy by choosing to turn it into an opportunity for home ownership. They meet the financial requirements and have committed to sweat equity to make this reality. We (and Habitat) are going to make that happen.
We will send more details, including applications for volunteers, just as soon as we can. But right now we need to be raising money. American Baptists need to raise $100,000 in support of the Gifford Rebuild. Time is short (only about 8 weeks)! Without the money to buy supplies volunteers will be irrelevant. If you are not able to volunteer, please send $100 to buy materials for someone who can. If your church is sending volunteers, please send $1000 in their behalf to purchase materials. If your church cannot send volunteers, please send a generous offering to make the work of others possible.
Send your financial support to the Great Rivers Region (churches should use the regular mission support form) clearly marked GRR Gifford Rebuild.
The Great Rivers Region played a major role in Habitat projects following Hurricane Katrina and more recently Sandy in New Jersey. It is time for us to show the same energy for a project close to home.
PLAN PRAY CONTRIBUTE
Dwight Stinnett
Executive Minister
