Volume 6, number 11
June 3, 2002
Vineland, Ont.-Vineland United Mennonite Church held a commissioning service on April 21 for Liz (Gortson) and Alf Koop who will be working for Mennonite Central Committee in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, for three years. Liz will work with the local Mennonite newspaper and Alf in administration. Their assignment includes learning Spanish and Low German. The Koops, who have two married children, have been employed on the Koop family farm, growing grapes and marketing eggs. During the service, Liz talked to the children about MCC and Alf spoke about Bolivia. Family and friends gathered around them as Marvin Friesen, pastor, prayed for them.
-From report by Maria Klassen Neudorf
Akron, Pa.-The Mennonite Central Committee executive committee recently approved plans for an additional 288 square metres of office space at the MCC binational office here at a cost of $640,000. The decision came after the MCC U.S. and East Coast offices were asked by their landlord to vacate their present location. "This was a tough decision for the board and staff, given our recent belt-tightening," said Ron Matthies, MCC director. Costs will be shared by the three MCC organizations. Construction will be completed by the end of the year.
-MCC release
Wauseon, Ohio-The Tedrow Mennonite Church here discovered that it had raised too much money for its building project. So the 125-member congregation combined the leftover money with some endowment funds and invested $100,000 in Sarona, a fund of Mennonite Economic Development Associates that assists people in the developing world. The church also gave 10 percent of its building cost to projects in other countries. Sarona received investments of almost $400,000 US between December 1 and March 1.
-MEDA release