Covenant News

Two World Mission Projects to Aid Camps, VBS Ministry

CHICAGO, IL (May 10, 2002) - The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) Department of World Mission has announced two new projects that will aid camps in Thailand and a Vacation Bible School ministry in Mexico.

The 2002 Vacation Bible School (VBS) project through World Mission will raise funds from various North American Covenant congregations to aid a ministry at the Atizapan Landfill located near Mexico City. The poverty-stricken area is the site of a former garbage dump.

Local Covenant churches are helping provide Bible training and raising school scholarship funds through an organization called Union Biblica de Mexico (Scripture Union of Mexico) to assist some of the children who live in the area. El Dorado Covenant Church member Beto Sotres is currently the director of Union Biblica de Mexico, which is responsible for the landfill ministry.

In 2001, funds from the 2002 VBS project aided VBS work with children living in and around a Puebla, Mexico, apartment complex.

Camp Project 2002, will raise funds from North American Covenant camps this summer to help two Thailand-based camps in the northeast part of that country - Shade of Grace Camp in Roi Et and God's Forest Camp in Udon Thani. Funds will help workers provide earthwork and access road improvements and will help provide electricity, a water system and sports areas for volleyball, basketball, soccer and other activities.

The camps will be used first by churches and groups affiliated with the Thailand Covenant Church and then by other area Christian and community groups. Campers and staff members at various Covenant camps raised $86,000 last year for a new camp in Chile.

Packets have been assembled to help educate churches about the 2002 VBS project and Camp Project 2002, said Patty Retamal Shepherd of the Department of World Mission. Materials include information about the project, a history of mission work in Mexico and Thailand and various games, songs and art projects for educating children about mission programs.

To receive educational packets or to learn more about the two Department of World Mission projects, call Retamal Shepherd at 773-907-3321 or email the department at world.mission@covchurch.org. More information can be obtained by checking the Covenant website at www.covchurch.org, opening the Covenant World Mission link and selecting the country of interest to you.

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