MILITARY MAILINGS

I'm mmmmm baaaack!!!!!

And this time I have brought along my fellow Deacon, Paula Sweitzer. Paula, as you surely remember, spearheaded the Church's military mailing project back in October when we didn't go to church on Sunday; but rather we were the Church. Her little project was able to send out an amazing 28 packages to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan with God's will and your help. Even though this sets a very high standard, we are attempting to push the bar up just a little this year. We want to send out packages which will arrive on four different holidays which have special significance to the women and men who have volunteered to serve our Country in the military -

" Armed Forces Day - Saturday, May 15th
" Flag Day - Sunday, June 14th
" Independence Day - Saturday, July 4th
" Veterans Day - Wednesday, November 23rd

So we are collecting the items listed on below which will then be mailed to Iraq and Afghanistan in the hope that someone-far-from-home's life will be made a little more bearable. And this is where you can help. Donations for this effort can be dropped off in the Church office on any day throughout the year when it is open. Packages will then be assembled and mailed so as to arrive at their destination just in time for the holiday. We thank you in advance for your kind, generous, and continual support.

Respectfully submitted- Paula Sweitzer and Fred Lewis

Items needed:

FOODS:
Bakeds Goods (a delicacy!)
Snacks (gum, candy)
Instant coffee
Fruit chips
Peanuts

TOILETRIES:
Shampoo
Deodorant
Dental Floss
Shaving Cream
Razors
Lotion

MISCELLANEOUS:
Phone Cards
AA/AAA Batteries
Foot Inserts for Boots
Envelopes
Socks
Paper
Magazines
Baby Wipes
Neosporin
Vitamins (multi-vitamins)
Tylenol/Advil
Antacids/Cough drops
Plastic bowls
Plastic spoons/forks/knives

Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day is celebrated this year on Saturday, May 15

When I was a young boy I lived with my family on an Air Force base on the Azores Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Armed Forces Day was always a special time on the base because the Air Force would get all dressed up and put on a big show. What an exciting time this would be for me and any young kid! You could go down right on to the tarmac next to the runway and see all kinds of equipment used by our Air Force. There would be fire engines and fire fighting equipment, fighter jets, helicopters and lots of other planes. You could actually get close enough to touch them and peer right inside the cockpit with your nose pressed against the windshield. There were even some that they would allow you to go inside of and sit behind the stick. This was just too cool. And that was not all. There would be equipment demonstrations, a parade with a reviewing stand, and an air show. Fighters would come screeching in so low and so close that you felt you could reach out and touch them as they went by. A glorious time was had by all. I can still recall much of the details even after forty plus years.
Please help me remember these brave women and men who serve our Country in the Armed Force on this their holiday. Paula Sweitzer and I will be mailing out packages to some of those in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Respectfully submitted, Fred Lewis