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Annual Conference Session Raises $49,000For Children of Haiti and Liberia

During it's 2002 Session, The Detroit Annual Conference donat-ed some $49,000 to provide ministry to children in Haiti and Liberia. Half the money raised will be used for fund the hot lunch program for Haiti school children; the other half of the money will be used to help orphans in war-torn Liberia. More than 600 "tubs (rubber-maid style plastic containers) were filled with school kits, sewing kits, hygiene kits, hymnals, and choir robes all of which went into a container bound for Liberia. The "tubs" will be used for rodent and insect resistant storage in Liberian Methodist Churches and schools. More than $14,000 was col-lected to buy the container (which will be used as a portable building in Liberia) and to pay the shipping

expense to get the full container to the African nation. The Bishop of the Liberian Methodist Church and one of his District Superintendents were on hand at the session of Annual Conference to receive the gift. There was also a time of celebra-tion and a dedication of the gift. The Bishop from Liberia shared stories with the delegates of Annual Conference that conveyed the great upheaval, and the trials and tribulations of his nation that has long been suffering the horrors of civil war. The United Method-ist Church in Liberia has not only been spread the Gospel, but living it by caring for victims of the civil war, witnessing against the use of violence, and working for peace in the land. The Bishop asked for continued prayers for Liberia.

The Annual Conference dealt with a number of other important issues during its sessions. Darrell Richmond was the London/Azalia Charge's Lay Delegate to Annual Conference this year. See Darrell's report inside this newsletter for more information about the business and other events of Annual Conference.

Church Night At the Ball Park 2002???
Vacation Bible Schools BeingPlanned
Azalia's"Institutional Will" Committee Meets for the First Time

London and Azalia Churches have had an annual "Church Night at the Ballpark" for about 5 years. The pastor has purchased a block of 25 box seats each year, usually along the first base line that offer a good view of the action as the Mudhens play baseball.

This year the Toledo Mud Hens play at their new downtown Stadium, The Fifth Third Field. Tickets, for a group of 25 people, would be $7 each. Would you be interested in going to a game in July???

See the Pastor if you want to watch the Hens in the new Stadium !!!

London and Azalia Churches will be part of two Vacation Bible Schools this summer. Both of the VBS programs are geared for pre-school through 6th grade.

The Cooperative VBS with Milan Marble UMC will begin July 7th and run until July 12th . The VBS will begin each evening at 6:15 PM. and will end at about 8:30.

The Dundee Cooperative VBS will begin August 12th and run until August 16th . This VBS will begin each morning at 9 AM and will end at about noon.

We are needing some adults to volunteer to help with activities and with preparing or serving snacks. Contact the pastor or Darrell Richmond for more information or to volunteer.

The "Institutional Will" Committee of the Azalia UMC met in the church at 7 P.M. on May 28th. There were 9 people present.

The focus of the meeting was to define the task of the Committee. The Committee is to make recom-mendations to the congregation and to the Annual Conference about how the congregation's assets should be used should the congregation disband.

Those attending the meeting were assured that no decisions have been made about closing the church and were reminded that the Committee was proposed 5 years ago to undertake this task. Recent events made the issues pressing.

The next meeting will be in July.