CAMT Works!!
On Sunday, April 19, Covenant's Adult Mission Teams (CAMT) presented slides and told about their experiences on mission trips, and explained Pedals for Progress's work around the world.
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P4P: Pedals for Progress
P4P isn't really a mission trip, but it's been working under the CAMT "umbrella." It's an organization which collects used bikes and sends them to countries around the world where repair shops have been set up. The bikes are repaired and sold to people who have no other way to get to jobs, markets, or schools. 3 great things about P4P:
1. It provides employment for those who repair the bikes.
2. The bikes provide transportation for people who otherwise would have to walk miles.
3. It keeps millions of bikes out of landfills.
It's a win-win-win program!!!
Bring your old bikes to Covenant May 9th from 9 to Noon.
Covenant is located at 400 Lancaster Ave., one block east of Route 352 on Route 30.
Donors will receive a receipt for their donation plus the value of the bike which can be used for a tax deduction. Children's bikes are accepted, but not tricycles or rusted bikes.
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Outley House (for men) &
Sheila Dennis House (for women)
These are rehab centers in Philadelphia. The slides showed Covenant members and friends preparing and serving lunch to those in the shelters. The emphasis is not only the food (delicious as it obviously is!), but the way servers interact with the people they are serving. People are greeted warmly and with respect. Trips are made once a month, alternating between the two shelters.Schedule: May 23 - Outley House
June 13 - Sheila Dennis House
Leave Covenant 8:15 and return about 2:30
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PA Christian Endeavor (PACE) trips to West Virginia
PACE plans mission trips for teens who do amazing home repair work in impoverished areas of West Virginia. CAMT prepares three meals a day for the young people for 2 of the weeks teams are serving. Covenant supplements the PACE budget to give the teens extra hearty meals. Some teams say they plan to come during weeks when CAMT is serving! There's an ice cream social one night each week in memory of Dori Gillstrom who led the first Covenant teams to WV.
Next trips: Jun21 to 27 and June 28 to July 4
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Faith Ministry in Mexico
Faith Ministry was formed 15 years ago and has established 3 Presbyterian Churches and 2 medical clinics in Mexico in the area across the southern Texas border. They host many mission teams from the U.S. Medical teams bring specialized services (such as dentistry and ophthalmology) and work in the medical clinics, and construction teams build houses to replace the shacks in which many families live. Those who want a house built for them must pay $5000 and do volunteer work in the building of other homes before they get one for themselves. More than 2000 homes have been built
Covenant's teams (who often are a bit "long in the tooth" to be pouring cement and lifting cement blocks!) have worked with women and children to teach them sewing and crafts. The congregation contributed 35 boxes of materials this year, and over the past few years has given 4 sewing machines.
Faith Ministry also arranges for scholarships for Mexican children who otherwise would not be able to afford the uniforms and daily supplies required by schools. (5-1/2 million Mexican children don't go to school because they can't afford the expense!) Covenant, which is one of many churches who provide scholarships, supports 3 children.
Next mission trip to Mexico: February 2010.
Want more information: Call Covenant at 610-648-0707
