8.27.2008

This Sunday - August 31st

This Sunday we are having a Gathering focused around our rhythm of listening.

We will be gathering at Whatcom Falls Park at 10 am, in the upper part of the park near the playground. Just bring yourself and the appropriate children (see below). We will provide coffee and donuts.

If you have littles (ages 0-5), feel free to drop them off at the Atkins' house on your way. E-mail me for directions.

The 6-12 year olds will be hanging out with Mr. C and me for a special time of listening geared toward them (but will be with you, their parents, for part of the fun as well).

See you on Sunday!

image from here

8.22.2008

This Sunday - August 24th


It's Party Time!

Come join us as we celebrate year two of Mosaic!!!

We are meeting at Whatcom Falls Park (near the upper play area) at 5pm.

Dinner is provided, but bring a salad or dessert to share, and your beverage of choice! We'll have games for the whole family and lots of time to celebrate all that God has done this past year in and through our community.

edit: Party postponed due to weather. Mark your calendars for September 21st at 5 pm... location TBA!

8.12.2008

This Sunday - August 17th - Beautify Projects

This Sunday we are gathering at Whatcom Middle School at 9:30am.

We are partnering up with Roosevelt Community Church to serve our community!

If you'd like to drop off your little ones, you may do so! Drop them off between 9:00 & 9:15 at the Neufeld's house! Check your Mosaic E-mail Newsletter for a map (or just e-mail me.) Many Blessings. Enjoy Sunday as Johnny and I continue to enjoy Maui!!!

8.05.2008

A Note to Our Volunteers

This is going out to all of you faithful (and new!) Mosaic Kids Volunteers. I've noticed that set-up has been going really smoothly now that we're in our new space AND you guys are rocking it on clean up too!! So, I've made an executive decision. From now on, you will only need to come for either set-up OR clean up... Not both. Good news, right? The only thing is, we do need to designate ahead of time which one you will be doing. With that in mind, please e-mail me with your preference, and any arguments you wish to give in your favor ;). In the end, we'll need to work it out so that we have an even amount of people for each.

Set up is at 9:15 and clean up is usually done before 12:45.

So, that's the scoop! Let me know as soon as you have a chance.

Helping Hawa


We received the letter below last week. It comes from the orphanage in Mozambique where Amy McMurtrey served last summer. Those of you who were a part of Mosaic then might remember that the children took part in "SENDING" her by collecting toiletries, clothes and toys for the children who are under Pieter and Rika's care. Our kids were really touched and pleased to know that they were making a difference in the life of another child. So, when we got this e-mail, I thought, let's do it again! Plus, Sunday night we were learning about the rhythm of "SEND." This rhythm describes how God sent Jesus to us, Jesus has sent US to be a blessing to all, and we at Mosaic send others to do the same, through friendship, discipleship and mentoring. I thought that helping Hawa with her medical expenses would be a great representation of how we are "sent" and also how even kids can reach out to someone younger than they are! So, feel free to read about Hawa below, and then help your children to decide in their hearts what they should give.

Dear friends,

Hawa is two years old; she is malnourished, and living with AIDS. She has 10% of her immune system. She moves slowly, hardly walking and is very ill. Today she had her Doctor’s appointment, the Doctor thinks she has problems with her liver and her heartbeat was very weak. The doctor is extremely worried about her health and wants Hawa to see a heart specialist here in Mozambique. We have grown to love her so much, she is so fragile when you hold her and it is such a miracle to see her smile. It is going to be expensive for Hawa to visit the heart specialist; on Thursday we will try and make an appointment. We do not know what it will cost, but we do want to help her and she deserves a better life. Please prayerfully consider sowing into her life, she is so precious and has suffered so much in the short time she has lived. Please let us know if you want to give towards her Doctor appointments and medical bills. Please pray for her.

Blessings,
Pieter and Rika Boersma
http://allnationsmozambique.com/

***Mosaic Kids is collecting donations for Hawa during our Gathering on August 10th. If your children would like to help, please make sure they bring their gift with them that morning. Thanks!

8.04.2008

August 17th - Beautify Sunday

Sunday, August 17th we are joining Roosevelt Community Church for a service project Sunday. We are looking to provide some childcare for the little ones again, so that you parents can go out and serve freely!!

If you would like to offer up your home as a place for kids to hang out, please e-mail me and let me know. Also, if you are interested in helping with kids, you may e-mail me, or sign up this Sunday, August 10th. We will pass around a sheet for you to sign up your children and/or yourselves... so look for it at our Gathering this week!

Learning to B.L.E.S.S

The Kids at Mosaic have spent the summer learning about our rhythms through the book of John. Let me tell you, it's been awesome!

We started out learning hand motions to the 5 rhythms. Ask your kids if they know them, because it's pretty neat to watch them say the rhythms and be excited by them!

B - First we learned about BEAUTIFY through the story of John 9, where Jesus heals a blind man. We talked about how this act by Jesus brought beauty to this man's life! He allowed him to see the beautiful world and his parent's faces for the first time. By healing his blindness, Jesus made this man's life so much more beautiful. As a response, we spent a few moments LISTENING to God and asking Him to show us someone we could bring beauty to. We then made cards, flowers, and special things to give to those people. This was so cool! The kids heard from God and thought of people who might be lonely or hurting, and then did something special to bring that person joy. Read more about it here.

L - Next, we spent a night learning about LISTENING to God. We looked at John 10 where Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me." Perfect, right? We learned that we listen to God, the Bible, and our parents and teachers also. We also spent a few moments in silence before God! Then, we blindfolded ourselves and stuck cotton balls onto a sheep on the wall, with the guiding voice of a volunteer "shepherd." We learned that this game was much easier with the help of the shepherd than it would have been without!

E - This one might have slipped under the radar. We spent the next week at Broadway Park, EATING together, enjoying each other, playing, and having a great time with our community. Read more about it here. The way we talk about the rhythm of EAT with the kids is that we "eat together and make friends."

S - Next we took on STUDY, with John 11. We read the story of Lazarus and talked about what we can learn about Jesus from this story. That's what the rhythm of study is all about! We learned that Jesus is God, Jesus can heal people, Jesus can make dead people alive again (He gives life to people), Jesus loves his friends, Jesus is sad when his friends are hurting, Jesus can do anything! And then, we split up into our groups and gave each group 2 rolls of toilet paper. They had to turn one of their teammates into a Lazarus - wrapped in grave clothes! This was SO much fun. My only regret is that I didn't bring my camera!

S - Then, just last night we talked about the rhythm of SEND. Jackson H. read to us out of John 12, where Jesus enters Jerusalem. We talked about the story, had a little review of Lazarus, and talked about what Jesus says right after this (teaching context to kids, how crazy is that?) - Jesus goes on to tell His disciples that He must die. We used this to open up the conversation about how God sent Jesus to us, and Jesus has sent us to love and live just as He did. YEAH! That's all 5. We then made some really awesome magnets with the word "B.L.E.S.S" on them so that your family can put them up on the fridge and talk about the rhythms together. Like this one:


So, what's next?

Next week, Delia will be sharing out of John 13, where Jesus and His disciples are in the Upper Room, just before He dies. This story has all 5 rhythms in it! So, the children will be looking for those and will be reviewing what they have learned about Communion. And I will be in Maui! Yeehaw!!

Volunteers Needed

We've had a great response to our sign-ups the last two weeks, but we're still looking for a couple of helpers for our 2 & 3 year olds. If you are interested in helping to beautify the lives of some of the children in our community, please e-mail me. You will help 4 or 5 times, starting in August, & ending at the end of the year.

Thank you to EVERYONE who has signed up recently and those who have served faithfully for months and months. We truly appreciate our commitment to the children of Mosaic!