F/FAST = Family/Friends
Actively
Supporting
Troops
We are excited about a military support
group for family & friends who have loved ones that
are actively serving in the Armed Forces.
If you are interested
in being a part of this new ministry or would like to
include the name of your loved one please contact Susan Branch (756-2958 or email) or
Marcia and Mike Board (752-1579 or
email)
List of St. James' Honored Active Service Members
click here!
We are gearing up to send care packages to our
military. (We have around 15 who are serving.) Please let us know if there are others who should be included.
Collection boxes will be placed throughout the church "For Our Troops" - please place your items in
them.
Items that would be appropriate and most welcome include:
Beef Jerky / Slim Jims, Coffee (instant or
drip), Instant Drink Mix (Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light), Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds, Power Bars, Protein
Bars, Cliff Bars, Granola Bars, Cereal Bars, Little Debbie Cakes, Gum, Hard, individually wrapped candy,
Mrs. Dash (on the aisle with seasoning salt), Condiment pkgs.-(Hot Sauce, Sugar & Salad Dressing.), Travel
size Baby Wipes, Liquid Hand Sanitizer (travel. size), Lip Balm, Chap Stick, Bug Spray (pump bottle-no cans),
SunTan Lotion, Baby Powder, Foot Powder, Tooth Brush & Tooth Paste, MoleSkin, Gel Shoe Insole Cushions,
Batteries-(AA, AAA, C & 9-volt), DVD-used or new recent movies, Air Fresheners (car type), Socks (black,
light brown or olive green), Fly Swatters, Sunglasses - not mirrored, Playing cards, Nerf balls, Frisbees,
Small Bibles, Christian Reading Material or Inspirational CD's. Cards, Letters and Banners are most welcomed.
Cash donations can be used for gas or phone cards or for shipping. ($10.95 per box) Please make
checks payable to St. James and indicate "Military Ministry."
*No Chocolate Products from March to October-please.
To all at St. James United
Methodist Church,
First off I would like to thank each and every
one of you for your thoughts and prayers that reach out
daily to the troops here in Afghanistan. I will not go into
what goes on here but will let you all know that if it was
not for people like you and communities with such strong
faith and leadership we would not get that good feeling of
just only family caring about us. Its kind of weird to say
that but we know families care about us, many just feel
what makes us really know. I passed out most of the
items you all sent to the junior Marines and the chocolate
covered peanuts went in about 5 seconds. We are taking
some of the candy to the local community here and in
fact I used some of the candy last night for a local 4 year
old boy yesterday from one of our local villages. The little
boy got his hand burned pretty bad from the hot pot
his family was burning tea in and we treated him but of
course he was hurting and frightened of us and I could
only imagine looking at all these soldiers that are suppose
to be so bad and him being only 4. But with the stocking
stuffed full of candy the little boy got taken care of and
will only suffer some deep scaring but will not risk infection
that he would have gotten and left us with a smile on
his face and was not so scared of us.
Again I appreciate everything that you all did
with the care package and please continue to keep us in
your prayers because its only about to get worse from the
contact we have had and the information we have received.
Thank you all so much and you all have a blessed
day.
GySgt Christmas, James W.
Any ?s please contact Susan Branch susanbranch11@ yahoo.com or Marcia Board- mikeboard@suddenlink.net. If any addresses have changed
since our last mailing, please contact us so our mailing list can be updated. Please pray for our men and
women in our Armed Forces and for their loved ones here at home.
If you are not able to participate, please remember our
troops in your prayers everyday as these women & men
need our support especially through prayer.
May God Bless the USA & Protect Our Troops,
Susan Branch & Marcia Board
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