June 3, 2013
Brothers and Sisters,
Please keep the communities of Palmdale and Antelope Valley in your prayers as they face our most recent fires in Southern California. I am pleased to report that last Friday the Good Neighbor Meal, a monthly lunch program of Catholic and United Methodist churches in Quartz Hill, sent food to the firefighters in the Lake Hughes/Lake Elizabeth area. I understand that the food was delivered by a Catholic parishioner who had a press pass. This past Sunday our United Methodists in Quartz Hill also sent volunteers to the Antelope Valley Fair Ground to help with the feeding, watering, and tending of the horses and other large animals evacuated from the fire-affected areas. They also raised and contributed $180 for the cost of hay, other feed, and water for the animals. Our Palmdale UMC, with the support of the churches of their Antelope and Desert Valleys Mission Area, has also been responding to the needs of the fire victims and front line workers. They have delivered supplies to families, firefighters, and law enforcement at the Red Cross Evacuation and Command Centers in Palmdale. They are also sending volunteers to pray with families over the next 3 days, as well as continuing to send basic supplies to affected families and their animals. Several families from our Palmdale church have been evacuated but none have lost their homes thus far. For all this ministry of presence and signs of mercy we give God thanks. With the help of our pastors in the area we will continue to monitor this situation to determine if we need to turn to our United Methodist Committee on Relief for assistance.
Peace,
Bishop Minerva |
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