Mobile Food Truck

Since the time our church held it’s first Mobile Food Truck in November of 2008, our church has distributed 30,000 lbs. of food.  This food was served to 363 families consisting of 1,139 adults and children. Amazing, isn’t it, in what we can do?! 

Relieving hunger in Newaygo County is a worthy assignment, one which many churches and other organizations have taken on locally. 

Thanks to the Fremont Area Community Foundation for providing most of the funds with grant dollars, both to purchase the food distributed and for the cost of publicizing the Mobile Food Truck schedule each week in the Hi-Lites. 

And thanks to each of you who donate your time and efforts when our church hosts the truck.  Together, we serve in Christ’s name.

African Medical Mission: years in the making
 by Jim and Brett Hilbrand

Over thirty years ago I saw a movie in a social studies class about the Project Hope ship.  They were in an African port and I thought what a great thing that would be to someday go to Africa on a medical mission trip.

Last summer I learned of Project Compassion through a dentist who works in our office.  He was telling me of an upcoming mission trip in the summer of 2010 to Malawi, Africa.  Malawi is in Southeast Africa.  It is a country of 13 million people with only 200 doctors to treat them.  So many people do not have access to any type of medical care.

Sandy and I had discussed the trip.  She and Julianne would not have the time this summer for the trip.  Brett was all for it!  So we started planning.  Brett would go as a non-medical person and do whatever needed to be done, - crowd control, play with kids, run for this or that, photographer, etc.

We flew from Grand Rapids to Chicago on Thursday, July 22.  We boarded our plane in Chicago and were to leave for London at 9 p.m.  However, there was a problem with the air conditioner. They attempted to repair it and, finally at 3 a.m., it was decided we couldn’t fly so we were put up for the night. 

Project Compassion had a large group of people coming from California and we were to meet this group on Friday in London to complete the remainder of the trip.  Our next flight did not leave Chicago until 6 p.m. Friday.  I contacted the group in London and informed them of our dilemma.  We proceeded to London only to have missed our connecting flight to Kenya, Africa.  There is only one flight a day to Africa.  The flight on Saturday was booked so we had to spend some time in London which gave us a chance to see London.  No disappointment for Brett on this stay!

At the airport Sunday evening, we were told we weren’t booked on this flight.  We did fly standby and got on the last minute to Nairobi, Kenya, only to be told we weren’t booked on the flight to Malawi.  Again, only one     flight per day to Malawi out of Kenya.  We flew standby and finally arrived at our destination Monday afternoon, two days late.  No luggage for six days!

We stayed on the campus of African Bible College which is in the capital of Malawi and drove out to the villages everyday.  Travel was dusty and dirty and long.  We treated any person who wanted to be seen.  We treated and saw a wide variety of illness that you don’t see in the U.S.  We saw measles, treated malaria & schistomisis, a parasite, which if left untreated would result in death.  We also saw common infections such as ear aches, anemia, and influenza.  As people waited to be seen, the men and women would wait in separate lines.  The children were to wait in line with the women.  The men would wait quietly for their turn while the women were a bit unruly. That’s where we needed crowd control.  On one instance, we were told to be ready to pack up and head out quickly as that “line” was getting loud and demanding.  The situation did get under control so that our workers could continue the rest of the day.

Every patient was prayed for.  These were Muslim and Christian people.  The Muslims would wear some type of necklace, believing that this would protect them from evil and illness.  Our prayer partner explained to them this would not protect them from getting sick and most agreed to remove the necklace.

We worked long days. We were up by 5:30 a.m. and one day we did not return to home base until 9:45 p.m.  That certain day we had a very sick baby with malaria that we had given an I.V. in the village.  The baby wasn’t doing any better by the time we left.  It was decided to drive the mother and the baby to a hospital.  The mother had to stand in the bus because there was no room to sit.  The first hospital had no power and they were unable to care for the baby.  We drove to the next hospital which also had no power and it was dark but they were willing to take the baby.  These “hospitals” are more on the order of our med-centers here in the states.

Everyday we would take shifts to eat a lunch which consisted of a small can of tuna fish, 6 crackers, a small bag of chips, and a small cup of apple sauce and dried fruit or nuts.  The kids would stand outside the bus with their hands out, wanting us to give them something to eat.  We could not give them food in that we didn’t have enough for all the village.  It would have created a situation that we were not equipped to handle.

Brett and another young man named Ryan who was from Texas, worked with the children of the village and taught them hand hygiene, dental hygiene and sanitation.  The kids really like the feeling of clean hands!  It was fun for them to “make bubbles” and see the dirt wash away.  Brett played a lot of games with the children and really had a good time.  The kids used a ball made from plastic bags which a nurse taped up to hold it together.  During this time with the children is where Brett learned “azungo” was the meaning for white people, as all the kids would chant azungo, azungo, while he played with them or when he would take their picture.  They all really liked to have their picture taken.

After completing our medical mission we drove by bus to Zambia 8 hours to go on safari.  This was a fantastic experience seeing many different African animals such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, leopards, lions and many different types of deer.  We had many vehicle break downs from flat tires, vehicles that died while being driven and a blown clutch. 

Upon landing in Chicago, our plane caught fire in the wheels and landing gear.  We had to exit the plane immediately on the run way, in the rain, down the emergency chutes.  A very tense situation, in that we did not know what was wrong until we got off the plane and saw the fire.

The Church is made up of people like....Phyllis V.W.

I was born in Holland, Michigan on June 16, 1939, to Harold and Henrietta Borgman.  I am the oldest of my siblings, two brothers and one sister.  I had another brother who died of leukemia when he was 4 years old.  He died on my 12th birthday.

I lived on the “North End” of Holland in the Beechwood area, and went to Beechwood School and Beechwood Reformed Church.  I always enjoyed sports and played softball and basketball when I was young.  I graduated from Holland High School, where I was in Dutch Dance for three years.  My first job, besides babysitting, was as a “soda jerk” in Model Drug Store in Holland.

I went to Western Michigan University to major in Special Education, but in my sophomore year, I had some health issues and dropped out of school.  By this time, I was dating a cute guy I met on a blind date, so I got my “MRS degree” instead of a BS degree.  Walt and I were married June 27, 1959.  Until we started our family, I worked as a receptionist/secretary in Children’s Retreat at Pine Rest.

After living in the Grand Rapids area for 10 years, we moved to Grant with our two daughters, Kathy (Byma), Susan (Sotelo), and our son Steven, in July, 1969.  Jim was born the following January.  We enjoyed raising our family on the farm.  There was never any time to get bored.

I always enjoyed teaching and I taught Sunday School, VBS, and Calvinettes (now GEMS) in churches we attended.     I also enjoyed teaching Story Hour in the Coffee Break program here at Grant CRC for 25 years, and I was a teacher’s aide at Grant Christian School for two years.

We are blessed to have our daughters live in Grant and our sons live in Grand Rapids, so we have been able to enjoy our 12 grandchildren and 4 great-grand-children.  I enjoy watching sports, quilting, reading, knitting, and Bible studies.

Bible verses that have been important in my life are:
     Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”
     Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
     Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will
          direct your path.”

GEMS Happenings

G is for God.  He is the focus of every GEMS lesson, outing, craft or activity.
E is for Exciting.  Every GEMS night is filled with something different and that keeps the girls in suspense and always wanting more.
M is for Memories.  We hope that each GEMS year is one that the girls will always remember.
S is for Smiles. There isn’t a Fellowship Night where you won’t find the girls laughing and having a good time with each other.

What does this spell??  GEMS!! Last year was one to be remembered.  The year started out learning about the Little Lambs ministry. Over the last few years the GEMS have supported different organizations and this year it was Little Lambs.  The girls made care packages, wrote letters, made crafts, sent pictures of themselves, made blankets, and collected clothing to send to the orphans.  Altogether five tubs were sent down to Chicago where they would later be sent on to the Ukraine.

Supporting Little Lambs was not the only thing the girls did last year.  They also had their GEMS diner (which was a HUGE success!), made stepping stones & jewelry, enjoyed lessons, made cards with Sheryl Brink & Pat Boks (who we had such a great time with!), went on a scavenger hunt, participated in several service projects, went bowling (two times!) and made gift baskets for a few widows in the church!

This year we are so excited to start!  We have new teachers, more girls and we are going to have a GREAT year.  We will be working closely with more women of the church to support our theme this year: Becoming Strong Women in Christ

Our night will start out with prayer partners.  The girls take 15 minutes to meet in groups of two or three, they share prayer requests/praises and then use that time to pray for and with each other.  The rest of the night is taken up with a lesson or a craft.  On other nights we will spend our time with service projects like: watching the kids in the nursery, cleaning nursery toys, or cleaning up after Fellowship Night dinner.  The girls will also spend one Wednesday evening visiting with a few widows in our church.  This is a wonderful evening enjoyed by the girls and women of our church.

We don’t want to give away all of our plans for this year so if you want to know more just ask one of the GEMS girls once Fellowship Night begins!                 - AP

Our Christian hope

“Christian hope involves more than a sunny, cheerful attitude. It is more than a general kind of optimism. It is more than hope in hope, or faith in faith. Christian hope is tied to the goal of history and the purpose of each person’s existence. It is the unshakeable confidence of the sovereignty of God and God’s eventual triumph over all the forces that stand against truth, righteousness, faithfulness, love and mercy. And in the great contest between good and evil, Christian hope declares God as winner. ... Christ is the hope not only in the world to come; he is the hope of the world right now!”

—Oswald Bronson