Newsletter | Rio Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action

This year’s Friends in Faith Luncheon highlights a friendship forged in tragedy and bound by hope. An intimate conversation that will never be forgetten, between friends who prove that anything is possible.

Featuring

Nader Hassan and Kerry Cahill of the Nawal Foundation

A Friendship Forged from Tragedy.
Two Voices Raised Against Extremism.

Created to provide a platform for Muslim-Americans to speak out against violence, the work of the Nawal Foundation is deeply informed by the friendship between its founder, Nader Hasan, cousin of the alleged Fort Hood Shooter of November 5, 2009, and Kerry Cahill, the daughter of Michael G. Cahill CWII (ret.) one of the thirteen who was killed in that tragedy. http://interfaithtexas.org/

International Day Of The Girl

October 7, 2013 — Rio Texas MFSA

From BeadforLife.org)

The United Nations has established October 11 as International Day of the Girl to advance the UN Millennium Development Goals. Their mission, which BeadforLife stands behind, is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.” We caught up with Joy Gardner, who works at the organization 10×10.org and asked her to write a guest blog about their upcoming global campaign to educate girls. It launches tomorrow, on International Day of the Girl.

“Around the world, girls face barriers to education that boys do not. Tradition, work, and cultural practices like early marriage prevent millions of girls from attending school. Yet when you educate girls, truly extraordinary things can happen. Research shows that when girls have access to quality education, GDP (gross domestic product) rises, early marriage decreases, population growth stabilizes, agricultural output grows, and health outcomes improve. In fact, you can break the cycle of poverty in just one generation, which is truly something to get excited about!

Currently, 77.6 million girls are not in school, which is why the United Nations recently designated October 11th as a day of advocacy for girls’ rights around the world. This Thursday, on the first-ever International Day of the Girl, 10×10 will launch a global campaign to educate and empower girls. Using storytelling and our new feature film, Girl Rising, we’re spreading the message that investing in girls —equally to boys —benefits everyone. We’re reaching out to a global audience, engaging a grassroots community, and inspiring individuals to take action for girls.

Organizations like BeadforLife and their recently successful 100 DREAMS campaign to send 100 Ugandan girls to school, will ignite a change in the lives of girls that can have an exponential effect. Each of us has the ability to make a HUGE impact in not only the life of an individual girl, but in her community, her country, and the world! Raising a collective voice can lead to a positive change. So stand up! Learn about the power of girls’ education – spread the word, share their stories, TAKE ACTION! Together we can write a better future for girls and change the world.” – Joy Gardner

Diecke Partnership – Huge News!

October 7, 2013 — Rio Texas MFSA

More than a decade ago, civil war forced Liberian United Methodists in the Ganta region to flee across the border to refugee camps in Diecke (pronounced: JAY-KAY) Guinea, West Africa, a community of approximately 70,000. They brought medical supplies from Ganta Hospital and created a makeshift clinic. A school and church eventually followed. When the war was over, the Liberian Annual Conference, with the blessing of the predominately Muslim leadership in Diecke, committed to sustaining the clinic, school and church so that the people of Diecke could have new opportunities to learn, heal, and serve God.In 2009, the first Austin-area mission team visited Diecke. With leadership from that original team, a group of ten teachers, church leaders, and medical professionals returned to Diecke in the summer of 2012 to do medical training and vacation bible school. Most of all, though, the team was there to live with and learn from the people who are in ministry through the clinic, school and church every day. It is our hope that through continued partnership, we will be able to build the infrastructure and the relationships that will contribute to future health and hope for the people of Diecke.One of the first things our brothers and sisters asked for during our visit was assistance in finishing their new health clinic.

We are pleased to announce than a family at First UMC- Austin has donated just under $18,000.00 toward the new clinic. UMCOR will match that donation, and we will have the clinic finished by the late spring. This effort will be saving lives shortly.

This is a huge step. We look forward to moving forward with the partnership so that our congregation members can develop relationships with our brothers and sisters in Liberia and Guinea, but first we have to set up the basic infrastructure to help them get at that point.

In addition to this donation, others have made donations during the Advent season, and we hope to be making additional announcements over the next few weeks.

If you want more information on the partnership, visit our new (still under construction) website: www.lonestarconnection.org

In the meantime, if you would like one of our team members come to your church or your church’s small group, feel free to contact me at brooks@civtrial.com

Rio Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action

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Journey of Faith and Glenda Whitehead Win the

Voice in the Wilderness Award!

In need of welfare

A reflection on Jeremiah 29: 4-7 and the March on Washington

Sunday, October 20^th, 7pm – showing of the film “Redemption of the Prosecutor“.

A powerful look at the way our justice system isn’t working.

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