Since God’s love won’t stay cooped up in individual hearts, nor remain hemmed in by city limits, then we must follow where it leads, and that means out into the whole world.

International Mission: Chimbote’, Peru

A growing group of PPC members and friends head to Chimbote, Peru each year to work in the impoverished community of the parish, Nuestra Senora Del Perpetuo Socorro. They build houses, take the handicapped and disadvantaged on a beach outing, including lunch, and prepare a fish stew for 200-300 community members. They also take the generous cash donations of PPC members to prayerfully use in the care of patients of the hospital for the poor, La Caleta. These funds pay for operations, blood transfusions, prescriptions, patient transfers to larger city hospitals, patient family assistance and many other worthy causes not covered by the government medical program.  These donations are also now being used for care of select patients of the  Hospicio Santiago Apostal (St. James the Apostle Hospice).  In 2016, they were also able to financially support the parish medical clinic as well as provide a pediatrician during our mission week from our group. Working with many of the same folks each year allows relationships to be built up over time. The mission becomes less about doing something for “them” and more about working together with friends. This mission takes place in late January or February. Call the church office and we’ll put you in touch with the right folks to learn more.

Youth Missions

Each Summer, and sometimes at Spring break, our youth head out on mission trips.  The High School youth mission location is scheduled on a four-year cycle. One year is a foreign mission trip, another year is out to the western US, another is an urban mission experience, and another is to a rural community. Recently, the youth have served in Haiti, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and New Mexico. Our Middle School group also travels to various locations for mission work, including Asheville, NC where they worked in a variety of community relief efforts. This past year and in 2016, our Middle School Mission trip was to CROSS which is a local mission through Myers Park Presbyterian Church. Our 2016 High School Mission trip is to the Dominican Republic.

During the school year, our youth raise money and walk in the CROP Walk; shop for, buy and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to families unable to do so; promote the Souper Bowl of Caring offering; help with the Loaves and Fishes Canned Food Drive; and pack meals for Stop Hunger Now.

Other Missions

We host packing sessions for STOP HUNGER NOW, an international organization seeking to do exactly what its name implies. Providence has packed well over 100,000 meals that have gone to places such as Haiti, Dominican Republic, and several areas of Africa.

At Christmas our congregation makes honorary and memorial gifts which help support a variety of organizations such as Presbyterian Disaster Response,  Heifer International, Habitat for Humanity and other international aid organizations. Our youth and numerous adults have packed shoeboxes for and volunteered at Samaritan’s Purse.

Missionaries

 Leah Preston 

Psalm 139:9-10 (NIV) 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,     if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me,     your right hand will hold me fast.

March 2019

Spring is on the way and we can now see different flowers and leaves starting to grow here in North Carolina.  I was out looking at the growth this morning and took a few pictures.  It reminds me of how my plans for ministry in  2019 are coming together.      This is a tree in my front yard.  I know there is promise of new life for the tree but it is always the last one to find new growth in the spring.  That reminds me of the projects I am looking at leading in the future. I have ideas and keep looking for them to develop but no matter how long I stand and look at them, nothing will happen until God says it is time.      Heather and I planted this rhododendron five years ago and every spring we get to see beautiful flowers like this.  The work of planting them was done long ago, so it is easy to work with them to keep the plants growing.  This reminds me of all the people and volunteers who have been working in SC after the floods last year.  The work has begun and just needs more of us to come along side and keep things moving forward.  March 3 – 10, I plan to go back to Myrtle Beach and do just that.      Heather and I planted these tulips at the same time.  They also come up every spring and look beautiful.  As I wait for the tree to push out its leaves, and the bigger SERVE projects to come together I have signed up and joined Refuge 139.  Like the tulips it is beautiful and all over the place.      I made a decision to go on a short-term mission trip with Refuge 139, a program especially designed to minister to the kids of missionaries (MKs) around the world. Having been an MK and having raised MK’s as well as planned programs for MK’s when we had conferences during our years with Wycliffe, I am excited to be able to become part of their new program.      May 30-June 16 I will be going to India to help lead a VBS program especially developed for MKs living there. While their parents are in meetings, I will have the opportunity to minister to their children who are faced with unique challenges such as transitions to and from these countries and their home countries and friends coming and going in their lives. Our team will offer a safe and fun environment for these MKs to grow together and in their relationship with God. Like the tulips, Refuge 139 is all over the place.  I am seeking the Lords leading to see if I should join them in other parts of the world in the future. Please continue to pray for me as I continue to go out and serve with love, pray for safety in my travels, as well as the addition funds I will need for my trips.  I am always in awe of the way God meets my ever need and leads me in His perfect timing.  I love partnering with other groups and hope to do more of it in the future. Serving in Love, Leah Preston I want to thank all of you who have joined hands in this ministry with me. Would you prayerfully consider supporting my ministry with SERVE Make checks payable to: SERVE SERVE % Arnold Reinnikka 34 Freedom Boulevard West Brandywine, PA 19320 With a note “preference SERVE ministry of Leah Preston.”

Kapteyn Chronicle

Ray and Ann Kapteyn

Ray and Ann Kapteyn

Ray and Ann Kapteyn
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