FAMILY AND FRIENDS DINNER: February 27th 6:00 pm

This is a full turkey dinner with all the fixins'. There are no tickets. Just let Larry Eckhardt or any of the men from the Men's breakfast know if you are coming so we have enough food.

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE 6:00 am April 4th At the Garfield cemetery. Check place for inclement weather.

EASTER SUNRISE BREAKFAST - In Pierce Hall following the sunrise service. All are welcome.

THE GIFT OF SHARING

A wonderful opportunity has presented itself to us, as the members and friends of the Stephentown Federated Church. Those of you who attended the Special Peace Corps Service, June 16th, will no doubt remember Lynn Mindermann and her Litkiting Village Orphans. Her words of passion and evident commitment to the people of Lesotho, South Africa, left a lasting impression on all of us. The generous contributions from that service were used to help Lynn pay to send boxes of clothing and supplies to the orphans. This was wonderful, but many members wanted to do more. As the Federated Church, we serve Stephentown in a variety of ways. None-the-less, there is a need to aide the World Community, as well.

Since that June service, members requested, and the General Committee approved, the sponsorship of a South African teenager. We are starting by providing a one-year scholarship for a student at the Qholaqhoe High School in Butha-Buthe province in Lesotho. It is our hope that this will be the first step in helping a youngster achieve the education and training that is so needed in the area. Although Primary education in Lesotho is currently free, high school tuition is prohibitive for many who live in this remote mountainous area.

Qholaqhoe High School serves a large geographical region made up of many villages. The families are subsistence farmers or goat and sheepherders. A few men, who consider themselves lucky, find work in the diamond mines of South Africa. They rarely come home due to the extreme expense of travel. High school students walk long distances to attend school. Some live in small huts near the school during the week, and return home on the weekends.

Education is highly regarded and seen as the key to a brighter future for those lucky enough to continue on to high school and beyond. Our ( your! ) student will be chosen by the teachers and principal at the Qholaqhoe High School from a pool of anxious applicants. A picture of members of the Federated church (who attended August 23rd and volunteered to have their picture taken) will accompany Lynn on her September 16th return trip to Lesotho. This will serve as our introduction to our young man or woman, who will, in turn, send us letters as well as pictures of him/herself, family, home and school, with Lynn when she returns.

A great big Thank you! goes out to all of the church family who worked to make this sponsorship a possibility. You will be kept up to date with news from our student. Feel free to see anyone on General Committee with any questions. Letters and pictures will be shared as soon as they arrive. There is little better than education to be shared with others,

Lynn came back to visit us in December to bring us more news. At that time we took up another collection. The $185 that we collected along with another church has been enough to sponsor another student for a year.