On World Communion Sunday, 12 boxes of 1,426 pieces of clothing and shoes, plus 22 home-made school bags with school supplies, were blessed and sent across the ocean to women and children who are internally displaced in their search for safety from militant groups in Nigeria.
“When we learned that our United Methodist brothers and sisters in Nigerian were praying and striving for provision of daily needs, we embraced their prayer as our prayer. We affirmed kinship and unity in Christ with them,” PyungAhn “Peace” Kim, pastor of Lodi UMC, said in his Sunday message, titled The Lord’s Prayer 4: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread. “Therefore, we say the prayer and live the prayer,” Pastor Peace continued, “Lord, give us bread. We are all together in the hunger of starving children in this nation and around the world. We are all together in the hunger for peace and justice for those oppressed and for all.”
Clothing was in the list of the needed items that Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel, Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of Nigeria Epispocal Area, sent to Pastor Kim via the text message. The two UM pastors who got to know each other during their seminary years have stayed connected for mutual support. Through their recent text message exchange, Rev. Emmanuel inspired the Lodi church to join United Methodists in Nigeria to serve the internally displaced.
“We were almost crying when we were packing the donated items,” said Michelle Commings, chairperson of the church’s Missions Team. As its story was featured in a local newspaper, community members also participated in the mission through donating clothing and financial gifts for international shipment which was possible at a discounted price through a United Methodist connection in Wisconsin.
“When we learned that our United Methodist brothers and sisters in Nigerian were praying and striving for provision of daily needs, we embraced their prayer as our prayer. We affirmed kinship and unity in Christ with them,” PyungAhn “Peace” Kim, pastor of Lodi UMC, said in his Sunday message, titled The Lord’s Prayer 4: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread. “Therefore, we say the prayer and live the prayer,” Pastor Peace continued, “Lord, give us bread. We are all together in the hunger of starving children in this nation and around the world. We are all together in the hunger for peace and justice for those oppressed and for all.”
Clothing was in the list of the needed items that Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel, Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of Nigeria Epispocal Area, sent to Pastor Kim via the text message. The two UM pastors who got to know each other during their seminary years have stayed connected for mutual support. Through their recent text message exchange, Rev. Emmanuel inspired the Lodi church to join United Methodists in Nigeria to serve the internally displaced.
“We were almost crying when we were packing the donated items,” said Michelle Commings, chairperson of the church’s Missions Team. As its story was featured in a local newspaper, community members also participated in the mission through donating clothing and financial gifts for international shipment which was possible at a discounted price through a United Methodist connection in Wisconsin.