St. Margaret's Episcopal Church

We would like to send Easter packages to two of our parish family members in Iraq and Afghanistan. Charles Henry is in Afghanistan and on the move. He would very much enjoy a few changes from the Army grub; good standards like Chef Boyardee, Ramen noodle soups, homemade goodies, munchies, and powdered drink mixes (that make the water they get more palatable). Also, he has a special fondness for the beef jerky made at the butcher shop in Monroe. As a diversion, he'd like to delve into the first Twilight series book, Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. While reading, some wool (or warm) socks would be welcome.

Heather Emerick's brother, Isaac Staples, Jr., is in Iraq, driving trucks and heavy equipment. He is 32 and Heather reports that his 6'7" frame probably got him the nickname "Dozer." He likes science fiction books and movies, and he listens to rock music like Metallica and Pantera, but he likes Pink Floyd and some classic rock too. His tastes in movies include such classics as Monty Python and Mel Brooks films, but also enjoys horror films. Other good ideas include homemade munchies, instant coffee or tea, and personal items like lip balm, sunscreen, and bug repellant. Does anyone have an old etch-a-sketch they could send East?

Remember that with homemade goods, they should not go bad in two weeks, the time it will take to get there. I am sure that if you could write a short Easter note of encouragement, that would be wonderful. If you have questions or late additions, give John Arrison a call at 338-4605. He'd like to get the package in the mail on Monday. Thank you for your help!

Please keep these young men in your prayers.

A LETTER FROM BISHOP STEPHEN LANE REGARDING THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE DISASTER

"Imagine there's been a nuclear explosion"......

SCREENING OF FILM "POTO MITAN"
AT COLONIAL THEATRE FOR HAITI RELIEF

      St. Margaret's will sponsor a special screening of "Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy" at The Colonial Theatre Monday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. as a fundraiser for Haiti.
The film, produced last year by Tet Ansanm Productions, has been nominated for the Social Justice Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Best Documentary award at the Boston International Film Festival. Narrated by novelist Edwidge Danticat, the 50-minute film gives an inside perspective on globalization, Haiti's current crisis and the resilient women challenging the system.
"Poto Mitan" (the Kreyol phrase means center post or pillar) provides interviews with Haitian NGO activists, scholars and government ministers, but its main focus is on the lives of five women:  Marie Jeanne, a garment factory worker who toils to give her children the education she was denied; Solange, who lives and braves death in Cite Soleil, one of the capital's worst slums; Frisline, who battles a male-dominated union until she joins a women's organization; Helene who was pushed off her own land by foreign agricultural policies; and Therese, whose ailments highlight the critical state of public health even before the earthquake.
Director/Producer Renee Bergan started researching her film in 2006. Over the next two years she and co-producer Mark Schuller travelled across Haiti and into risky places and situations to document working conditions and Haitian realities. They used video spy cameras and even gave them to workers to take into the factories. Those women they call valiant. "They both inspire and humble me," says Bergan, "and leave me wondering if under similar circumstances I could be as courageous."
Bergan says she is often asked what Haiti is like. "I say it is a hard country, particularly in the capital. Yet, despite the hardships there is much beauty. There is an intangible spirit: an air of pride due in large part to Haiti's origin as the first free black country, stemming from a 200-year-old victory in a battle between renegade slaves and their colonists. Sadly, they are still fighting that battle."
Tickets for the film are $10. Additional donations will be gratefully accepted. The IRS is allowing filers to deduct relief donations for Haiti made before March 1 on their 2009 tax returns.
All proceeds will go to Partners in Health, the medical mission founded in Haiti 23 years ago by Dr. Paul Farmer. Before the earthquake struck, Partners in Health (PIH) already had more than 100 doctors, 600 nurses and 4,000 employees at 12 medical facilities across the country's Central Plateau and the Lower Artibonite Valley. Since Jan. 12th, PIH has expanded its force almost daily and now has 20 operating rooms up and running with 12 of them functioning 24-hours a day. As of last week, PIH had sent 66 plane loads with more than 210 medical volunteers including orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists and 150,000 pounds of medical supplies. To learn more about PIH's work visit www.standwithhaiti.org. The Episcopal Church in Haiti has worked with Partners in Health from its beginnings at an Episcopal Church complex in Cange.

After almost two years of organizational work, largely by members of First Baptist Church, a Waldo County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity was made official this summer on July 1. Larry Theye served on the steering committee that formed Habitat for Humanity of Waldo County, and Alton Kenney is serving on its Board of Directors. John Arrison is serving on the Resource Development Committee and the Church Relations Committee.
 
The work and mission of Habitat for Humanity fits so well with the goals of the Outreach Committee, and particularly the committee's vision of how Trauger outreach funds should be spent, that the committee unanimously approved a $5,000 gift to support this project. HfH of Waldo County has a goal to raise $100,000, largely as seed money, to build the first house for an appropriate family. We hope to identify a family this fall and build in the spring. The family will participate in the construction of the house, to the extent that they can, and they will repay the loan for the cost of materials to build the house. That money will then be used to build another home in the future.
 
During the fall, we will be doing additional church fundraising, identifying volunteers to help build a house, seek in-kind donations of building materials, and build community spirit for the project. As Habitat is a Christian organization, we are working to mobilize as many of Waldo County's 80 churches as possible.
 
If you are interested in helping with Habitat, contact John Arrison.