Help for the homeless: sleeping mats from milk bags

Beds for the homeless

For months, the members of the congregation in Thorold, Ontario (Canada) have been turning a really good idea into a successful project. They have been recycling milk bags, cutting them into strips, tying them together, and then weaving them into mats to provide a durable and portable alternative for homeless people to sleep on. And they are delighted not to have to sleep on the often cold and damp ground. The mats are durable and do not retain moisture.

“It takes 150 bags to make one mat and many helping hands to weave them,” Lisa Hickey, the project co-ordinator says. Mark Woll, the Canadian District Apostle, is delighted and adds: “The members get together twice a month. More are joining the group.” In June 2017 a Canadian television station reported about this project.

Krakitan celebrates its centenary

Krakitan Congregation in Indonesia celebrated its centenary with a concert on Saturday, 15 July 2017. The concert was the highlight of a whole series of events in celebration of the anniversary, which have been going on since February this year. On Saturday, 16 July 2017, District Apostle Helper Edy Isnugroho celebrated a divine service to mark the congregation’s special anniversary. The congregation was founded about a hundred years ago and evolved from the Ngabean Mangir Congregation. Krakitan has a membership of 145.

Changes in the circle of the Apostles

Friday, 30 June 2017, Thika (Kenya). Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider placed the Apostles Zacharia Gathondo, Daniel Otumba Okeno, Peter Jarubi Okubasu from Kenya, and Francis Webisa from Uganda into retirement. For Kenya he ordained three new Apostles: Patrick Otuo Baridi, John Were Wesonga, and John Ngaga Dianga.

Sunday, 16 July 2017, Kawama/Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo). The Apostles Bernard Hianda, André Kakabu, and Emmanuel N’Dindji, who have been in the Apostle ministry for 23, 20, and 15 years respectively, went into retirement. In the same service, Chief Apostle Schneider ordained six new Apostles: Moses Mulumba Mulumba (Demba), Liévain Munganga Teo (Lodja), Baudouin Mununga Wayiva (Dilolo), Jean-Pierre Muleku Badibanga (Mibalayi), André Claudel Bapanda Wa Bapanda (Mweka), and Vincent Inyamueni Punga (Luebo). Some 30,000 brothers and sisters attended this divine service in our church in Kawama. Hundreds of thousands of others were able to watch a national television broadcast of it.

Sunday, 23 July 2017, Barcelona (Spain). Apostle Erhard Suter from Spain went into retirement after 43 years of serving the Church in various ministries, the last 16 of which he was an Apostle. “He has recovered from his serious illness and we wish him a peaceful and blessed retirement,” Chief Apostle Schneider wrote to the Apostles on returning from Spain. Bishop Rolf Camenzind was ordained an Apostle for Spain, Italy, and Cuba.

Children’s Church

District Apostle Mark Woll celebrated a midweek service in Sault Ste. Marie. About a hundred people attended. Learning from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is the goal of the Children’s Church in Sault Ste. Marie.

The project was started in 2012. At the time, a young boy asked a girl who was heading to Vacation Bible School where she was going. He joined her. Then he invited his friends to come along, and over time more and more children joined. In the meantime, up to fifty children regularly attend divine services. And the parents too contribute and help along.