Relief Sale Friends,
It is that time again. In less than two months we will start our trek to the Kansas State Fairgrounds. In less than a week’s time we will create our own community that comes together for the sole purpose of raising money to support the Mennonite Central Committee. It is a time that we will most definitely be “walking with Jesus” as we hear the call to volunteer and contribute in many ways. The heart of the sale is the people who volunteer for a committee assignment, volunteer to help make baked goods, represent their congregation, spend time working on crafts, quilts, getting vehicles ready, ordering food for the sale and so on. Over a thousand of you will be involved all to the glory of God.
Recently at one of the General Meetings, I shared a part of a magazine article that alluded to the post WW2 MCC. The writer of the article was interviewing some people who were gathering clothes together to send to Europe and other areas where the needs were great. Into each piece of clothing was sewn a tag that said “in the name of Christ”. The interviewer asked about the work that had gone in collecting and repairing the clothes and shoes and wasn’t that hard. The response referred to the tag and said that means we all give our very best.
And so I hope and pray that it is with you, whether you come to volunteer and spend the weekend working, or whether you come to share of your bounty, or whether you come to enjoy the company of friends and family…may you give your very best. It is what walking with Jesus means…giving the very best we can, every day as we help to make the world a better place through our work and activities.
In the next two months, we will be pulling all the pieces together…volunteers, ordered foods and serving needs, communicating schedules and what you will find, and getting information out to the general public, our congregations, our donors, and our families. It is a big puzzle and we trust that God will direct us as we finalize the puzzle in Hutchinson on April 14 and 15.
The needs around the world are very large. From struggling refugees in the Ukraine, to victims of earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, to victims of drought and war, to those struggling to make a life for themselves and their families in the 40+ countries around the world where MCC has a presence. The call is there…they need help…and the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale is a way for you to help. One of our long-time contributors was asked why he worked to build Grandfather Clocks so they could be sold at the General Auction. He said that he was not capable of volunteering to go overseas and work directly for MCC, but he could use his time and his talents here to help raise money for the programs of the Mennonite Central Committee.
Please, let us use our talents to contribute to the work of MCC by offering our skills, talents and time to give the best that we can “in the name of Christ”.
Blessings to all of you as you prepare for the sale…
Jim Robb, Chairman, KMRS