Fall/Winter News

Hello!

A hearty thank you to all those who support Western Washington County Hispanic/Latino Ministries through participation, prayer and gifts! It has been full and fulfilling fall and I find myself overflowing with gratitude for the opportunity to serve and be in relationship with so many good folks in the communities and churches of Western Washington County. And as we walk together through this season of Advent, I am reminded that we are in the in-between, in an already and not yet place. Jesus is with us, yet we squint in the darkness, waiting for his light to break through. We have been made whole, yet we are often all too aware of the cracks that keep us from living out that wholeness. God has broken down the the categories that divide us and has made us one, but we must work each day to be a church that truly embraces all. Let us walk this path together, welcoming the uncertainty, lingering in the in-between as we continue this work we have been given and keep watch for the new ways that God is showing up. 

Please return often to see updates and stories of transformation!  And contact me if you would like more information about any programs below or if you have an event or story that you'd like to share here!

Peace to you,
Mira Conklin
Hispanic/Latino Ministry Developer


Join me in celebrating these recent events and programs:

Community Table Food Pantry.   The Cornelius pantry, open since March of this year, serves around 50 families each month, and provided food for 68 families in November!  In addition to basic boxes, 40 families also received Thanksgiving food in a reusable cloth bag and 40 families signed up to receive an additional bag of Christmas food in December.  This fall, Community Table provided a significant portion of the healthy snacks served three days a week to the children of  PODER, the OCDC family literacy that shares space with CUMC.  Many new volunteers have joined us and some have recently begun to teach crafts to guests, starting with jewelry-making in November. 

Community Table and Garden Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.  On Saturday, December 5th, pantry and garden volunteers and their families gathered for a festive homemade enchilada dinner at Cornelius United Methodist Church.  The 45 people present heard inspiring words from Western District Hunger Ministry Coordinators Gerry and Dotty Edy and volunteers were presented a small, framed certificate.  One volunteer, Carlos Ortega, was randomly chosen to receive a $50 Honeybaked Ham, which the pantry had received from the Oregon Food Bank.  In addition to the volunteers recognized that evening, special thanks go to the Forest Grove youth group, who came earlier that day for their second work day at the pantry and helped set up for the dinner.

Conference Hunger Grant.  The Community Table Food Pantry and CUMC received a grant for $3000 from the Bishop's Initiative to End Hunger Task Force to expand hunger-related ministries.  Very exciting! New programs include a bilingual nutrition and cooking class that will conclude next week, a bilingual musical theater class that will begin January 11th, and a laptop and language software for church and community members to improve English and Spanish skills (please read below for more about these programs).  Gerry and Dotty Edy, Western District Hunger Coordinators, presented the check to Community Table coordinator Joanne Dempsey on a celebratory Sunday this fall.

Western District Church Extension Society Grant:  A tremendous thank-you goes to the Western District CES for the generous grant given over three years to support the development of new and expanding Hispanic Ministries in Western Washington County.  It was a gift to be able to share ministry stories at the WDCES Annual Meeting in Cornelius this fall. 

Cooking and Nutrition Class.  Cornelius UMC has partnered with the OSU Extension Service Nutrition Education Program to provide a fun, interactive nutrition and cooking class in English and Spanish.  Matilde Rodriguez is teaching the lively, 5-week course, which has had around 12 students, some primary Spanish-speaker and some primary English-speakers, each week.  Topics include: nutrients the body needs, being a smart shopper, and the importance of fruits and vegetables.  Some of the recipes we've prepared are carrot muffins, cowboy salad, and baked fish topped with veggie sauce.  Food vocab, practice conversations, and interactive language games have invited participants to get to know one another and practice their language skills!  Find healthy recipes in English and Spanish here. 

English as a Second Language.  Hillsboro UMC's ESL program had a successful fall '09 term!  With 64 students and lots of faithful volunteers, the church fellowship hall (and now other rooms as well!) were full of life every Wednesday and Thursday evening!  The term closed with a celebration and recognition of students with great attendance and plans are in the works for Winter Term 2010!  If you're interested in volunteering or know someone who would like to participate, contact Mary Foote at mmfoote(at)verizon(dot)net.  Registration is January 6th and 7th from 6:30-8:00 p.m., with volunteer orientation the next following and classes beginning that next Wednesday.

Spanish Bible Study:  ESL students were invited to participate in a Spanish Bible Study on Saturday evenings at Hillsboro UMC.  Several demonstrated interest and one man came regularly to pray, read, and discuss stories using the see/judge/act methodology.

Coming Up:

Bilingual Musical Theater Class:  Cyndi Turtledove, the Artistic Director at LESTA (Learning English/Spanish Through the Arts), will lead this family class with a nutrition theme beginning Monday, January 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Cornelius UMC.  Adults, youth and children age 6 and up are welcome to take part in this fun, interactive class in which participants learn and improve language skills as they play theater games, do crafts, sing and prepare for a nutrition-themed play, in March that will be open to the community.  All levels of English and Spanish are welcome!  Please consider joining us for this 8-week class!

Immigration Workshops:  In November, along with Ron and Cathy Whitlatch, Mira attended a National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry Module 3 Training around immigration advocacy in Phoenix, AZ.  Mira, Cathy and Ron are working together to organize trainings in different parts of the conference during the early part of 2010.  Plans are underway for a Spanish-language training in immigration advocacy in Western Washington County on Saturday, February 13th.

Resources:

Immigration Resources on Conference Website:  Please see the Hispanic/Latino Ministry page on the Oregon-Idaho Conference website, umoi.net, for a recently added list of immigration resources.