Letters from Jos, Nigeria

Barrington United Methodist Church Missions Work Area Volunteer Options/Interests

I am interested in (check all that apply):

	Helping with Christmas Gifts for needy children
	Helping at the Ten Thousand Villages Craft Sale
	Working on the Heifer Project Xmas Ornaments
	Going on a short-term Volunteer in Mission trip to a developing country
	Working (painting, cleaning, etc) on a project in the inner city
	Helping with a dinner/program featuring a missionary speaker
	Working on fundraising for missions
	Designing/providing information for our congregation on missions (via print, internet and other media)
	Reviewing local charity needs and becoming "plugged in" to one of them
	Tutoring an individual (at my own schedule) in English
	I speak some Spanish and would like to help with the Hispanic Ministry
	I would like to coordinate a hands-on project to help disaster relief (such as health kits, or school kits, or flood buckets)
	I am interested in working with Habitat for Humanity
	I want to help with the Foods Resource Bank program to fight world hunger

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Meals with Wheels

Delivers meals on the 2nd Friday and the 1st Monday every month. It takes about 2 hours and is an opportunity for service and a pleasant way to meet some the homebound people in our community. Call Marie Verschoor to let her know when you can drive.

Humboldt Park United Methodist Church

Judy and Fernando Siaba always need work help at Humboldt Park. Work is done in the city at your mutual convenience. Minumum cost.

Catchpenny to collect used wireless phones to aid victims of domestic violence

The Auxiliary of Good Shepherd Hospital is joining forces with the Illinois Conference of Women Legislators in a nationwide campaign to collect one million used wireless phones to benefit victims of domestic violence.

Phones may be dropped off during regular business hours, Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm. And Saturday, 10:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Auxiliary's resale shop at 118 E. Main in Barrington.

Make www.thehungersite.com your home page. A click of a button provides food for hungry people throughout the world.

UMCOR 1-800-841-1235

Mission Possible in Jos, Nigeria

Medical missionaries Drs. Greg and Carolyn Kirschner, recently returned to Jos, Nigeria as part of their fourteen year medical mission to ECWA Evangel Hospital. Carolyn Kirschner, daughter of long-time BUMC members Dr. Curt and Marie Verschoor, is a gynecologic oncologist, on staff at Evanston Hospital. A graduate of Barrington High School, she was recently named a Distinguished Graduate for her work in Nigeria. Her husband, Greg, a family physician, teaches in the family practice residency at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. The couple served at ECWA Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria from 1995 through 1999, and again, from 2001 through 2004. Greg has served as the director of a residency training program for Nigerian Christian family physicians and worked with a community development program of the church. Carolyn has operated on women with vesicovaginal fistulas (chiefly from childbirth injuries and female circumcision) and taught the surgical technique to African doctors. Vesicovaginal fistulas are devastating injuries which cause women to be ostracized from their community. They are rare in the developed world, but it is estimated that between 400 and 800 thousand women in Nigeria suffer desperately with this problem. A few hundred dollars is all it costs to repair and rehabilitate these women. "Carolyn's work is more than medical and physical, as it allows young women suffering from traumatic childbirth, some only in their early teens, to go back to a near-normal life in their villages," said Carolyn's father, Curt Verschoor. "Many find their lives importantly improved as they see the effects of the love of God."

The Kirschners will be in Jos from August 1, 2009 through December 22, 2009, to assist with similar work, focus on training Nigerian doctors, and fill in for missionaries on leave. Though all four of their children accompanied the couple on their first two missions to Jos, only the two youngest will journey with them for this project. "Chris will be a senior at Wheaton College next year and is spending six months in a small town in Peru doing research and working with mistreated women," said Verschoor. "Katie will continue as a sophomore at Wheaton. Stef will be a senior (in high school). She and Jon, a sophomore, will attend Hillcrest, the American high school in Jos." He added: "As parents, we are pleased to see Greg and Carolyn share the fruits of their talents with the destitute, but of course, are concerned and pray for their safe return."

To learn more, go to Walk to Beautiful, Nova's Walk to Beautiful episode. Designated gifts can be made online to Greg & Carolyn Kirschner's Ministry Account #033756-050.

Letters from Jos

December 21, 2009

Kirschner Prayer and Ministry Update, December 2009 (PDF)