March 2, 2017

In September the Presbytery of Sacramento hosted a group of 14 health care professionals from the Indonesian Christian Association for Health Services. Among them were nurses, chaplains, physicians, chaplains and administrators.

The project was headed up by Judi Angell, elder at El Dorado County Federated Church in Placerville, and Aart van Beek, pastor of Parkview Presbyterian Church in Sacramento and a former PC(USA) mission co-worker to Indonesia, but it depended on the participation of 15 congregations who took turns providing food, lodging and transportation. In this way, with the Indonesian partners raising the funds for their own flights, the entire project came to fruition at a total cost of $4,000. The presbytery provided the classrooms, and all the speakers contributed pro bono. The Indonesian language PC(USA) congregation in San Francisco and their pastor assisted with field trips, food and lodging for two days in San Francisco. 

The project kicked off with conversations with the Health Ministries Older Adult Ministries Task Force of the Presbytery of Sacramento focusing on the care issues that are relevant in Indonesia but that get scant attention because of lack of funding. They compiled a list of topics that were rated and corrected by the partners in Indonesia yielding a program on “Trauma and Marginalization” that was balanced in workshops/lectures and field trips. The group learned about the cutting edge of services in the US in responding to homelessness, human trafficking, spousal abuse, caring for the aged, the undocumented, the dying, persons with PTSD, caregivers for family caregivers, the developmentally disabled, the culturally marginalized, and traumatized health care professionals as well as in faith community nursing and clinical pastoral education. Plans are in the works for a book in Indonesian based on the presentation during the two weeks. For information on how to develop a similar project, please email Judi Angell at jangell@earthlink.net or call Aart van Beek at (916)443-4464. 

Shelley Mitchell, office manager, Sacramento Presbytery

Today’s Focus:  Presbytery of Sacramento

Let us join in prayer for:

Presbytery of Sacramento staff

Rev. Rob Watkins, interim general presbyter
Rev. Nancy Clegg, stated clerk
Shelley Mitchell, office manager
Earl Lavagnino, accountant
Karen Sturdevant, resource center
Nancy Clegg, mission advocate

PC(USA) Mission Co-workers

Kay Day, Rwanda
Dustin Ellington, Zambia
Sherri Ellington, Zambia

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Tom Taylor, FDN                                                                         
Norma Thieman, OGA                            

Let us pray:

Generous God, we give thanks for new opportunities to hear your word and see your grace transforming our lives. Your abundance bridges our cultural chasms and connects us in new communities of discipleship. In Christ’s service we pray. Amen.

Daily Readings

Morning Psalms 123; 146
First Reading Isaiah 63:7-14
Second Reading 1 Timothy 1:18-2:8 (9-15)
Gospel Reading Mark 11:12-26
Evening Psalms 30; 86