Our summer mission trip to San Antonio is less than ten weeks away! So far, 22 Royal Laners have committed to spending the week in San Antonio being the presence of Christ in that community. At the moment, we are planning to work on five different projects, but we need more missioners if we’re going to be able to do that! If you haven’t already signed up, please consider participating in the mission trip. I promise you … it will be a week you will never forget!

To help you make your decision, here is an overview of the week …

We will depart Sunday afternoon, July 15th. We will be living on the campus of the Baptist University of the Americas, where Linda Cross is currently on assignment. We will be staying in brand new student housing. Each apartment has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Our evening meals will be catered by Bernard Coleman-McGraw, a Hurricane Katrina refugee, who promises that we will NOT be underfed.

The organizations we will be supporting are:

Alpha Home, a non-profit treatment center that provides women specialized services for substance abuse and pregnant/post-partem interventions. We will be doing painting and repair work, as well as collecting and assembling items for the new resident welcome kits.

Rosemont Apartments, a local apartment complex. We will be working with Baptist Temple to do a day camp/backyard Bible club. We will also participate in a community feeding program and a literacy program.

San Antonio Food Bank, a non-profit organization that serves as a clearinghouse by receiving and storing truckloads of donated food, produce, and other grocery products. We will be working in the community garden, preparing sack lunches, and sorting/packing donations.

Baptist University of the Americas, an institution for the training of Hispanic church leaders. We will be building a prayer garden on their new campus for the students and faculty to use. That will also allow this plot of land – which is currently undeveloped – to be classified as non-taxable, thereby saving the university thousands of dollars each year.

Christian Assistance Ministry, a non-profit organization that provides temporary assistance to individuals and families in crisis situations, most of whom are homeless. We will be working in the clothes closet, serving meals, and assembling hygiene kits.

In addition to working hard for these good and worthy organizations, we also plan to have a little fun while we’re in The River City. Our tour guide, Adam Simmons, will be planning events for us that are sure to make this trip even more memorable. Never been to The Alamo or The River Walk? Then this is your trip! We are also likely to visit one of the Colonias and meet some of the people in that community.

As you can see, there is plenty of work to be done (and fun to be had!) on this trip. There is work to be done outside for the hearty and heat-tolerant, but there’s also work to be done indoors (in air-conditioned comfort). No matter what your level of skill or physical ability, there is a place for you on mission trip. (There always is!) So spread the word … we need more missioners!

Here is a PowerPoint deck that we used in our mission trip forum last Saturday. It contains photos and additional details about the trip.

If you have any questions or need additional information, don’t hesitate to contact me (Garland Hamic)!

gjhamic [at] gmail [dot] com

If you think you MIGHT go on mission trip, please take a moment to complete this brief survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RLBC2012MissionTrip

If you have any questions or need additional info, please don’t hesitate to Garland Hamic -

Mobile: 214-707-6340

We especially could use some clothes-sorters! This is an indoors job. It will keep you out of those hot March temperatures.

Also, if you have furniture or other heavier items that need to be picked up on Saturday, please contact Garland Hamic.

The Missions Committee is pleased to announce that our 2012 mission trip will be to San Antonio! We will be partnering with our own Linda Cross at Baptist University of the Americas. There are a number of exciting projects being considered including construction, partnerships with local relief agencies, sports camps, backyard Bible clubs, and others. We are also investigating the feasibility of offering a music and worship component that would involve our choir.

More details will be provided in the coming weeks, but for now, mark your calendar for July 14 – 21!

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Garland Hamic.

Also, if you have furniture or other heavier items that need to be picked up on Saturday, please contact Garland Hamic.

Here’s the good news: a big step forward was made this week due to the generosity of Royal Laners who contributed money to the mission trip. Between rummage sale proceeds, sponsorships, gifts, and mission trip fees paid by the missioners themselves (many of whom declined discounts they were entitled to), we had a surplus of over $3,000 after all of our expenses were paid. We sent that money to Rick McClatchy of CBF Texas, who reports that the money was used to buy: a new bathtub ($210), plumbing supplies, a bathroom sink, a toilet, and associated labor ($1,355), a hot water heater ($210), and electrical supplies and labor ($1,240).

Thank you again for all you did and for all you contributed to make our mission trip to Eagle Pass a success! Your generosity continues to have a tremendous impact in the community, especially for the Hernandez family!

Blessings,

Garland Hamic

Join us for our first 2012 mission trip forum on Saturday morning, November 19th, at 9:30 a.m. in Portable 1. We will reflect a bit on previous trips and begin to talk about what community we will serve next summer. It doesn’t matter whether you plan to go or not … EVERYONE is welcome! Mission trip belongs to the whole church, so come be a part of the dialogue.

We need a few volunteers to bring food. Please sign up here.

This part of the trip is so exciting! It’s the part where we begin to connect with a new community and dream about how we will serve together. Don’t miss out … be involved from the very beginning!!

Blessings …

Ruth May & Garland Hamic,

Mission Trip Coordinators

Go to this link:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/fuo/2654794586.html

Royal Lane is a Covenant Congregation of North Dallas Shared Ministries.

Since the first Sunday of each month is time for Communion atRoyal Lane, what better time to think of others in need. As we prepare to partake of The Lord’s Supper, let us also think of sharing food with our neighbors.

On the first Sunday of each month, simply bring what you can from the list below and drop your sacks either in the Narthex or in Family Hall. While the focus is on the first Sunday, you can drop off food any time during the month in the donations room in Family Hall.

The list: canned tuna, canned salmon, peanut butter, ramen noodles, salt, coffee, tea, canned carrots, canned black-eyed peas, canned spinach, canned sweet potatoes, canned pears, canned pineapple, canned mixed fruit, Jell-O, breakfast cereal, saltine crackers.

We know you can’t bring the whole list. Just choose what you can bring–it’s all needed.