People Met = 7+
Ky returned today from visiting family in Atlanta. Debbie and Pat graciously offered to pick Ky up at the airport and rendezvous with her nephew for lunch. That left Cindy and I to take Ky’s van to Oakville where her camper had been in storage.
Timing is everything! We arrived late for Sunday morning service because the wrong time was listed on the Internet, but we did not come too late for the annual New Year’s brunch that the St. Paul UCC hosts. During brunch we chatted with Pastor Bruce one more time and made new friends with Birdie, Julie, Joe, Betty and Forest. Jon Hicks had helped Ky store her camper; he and wife Carolyn invited us over to their house for the evening.
New Year's brunch at the St. Paul UCC in Oakville
Around the time of retirement Jon took charge of the Missions Committee at the church. He tackled this with gusto. His first mission trip I believe was to Honduras, but I must confess Jon has so many mission irons in the fire I could not keep track of them all. I jotted down some notes for two ideas to report on.
Jon Hicks
Jon organizes the CROP Hunger Walks in South St. Louis, something that caught my attention since I used to organize them in our small town of Norfolk. Jon got a little extra food “bang for the buck” by offering a hot dog to anyone who brought a canned good to the CROP Walk. This effectively increased what was raised for the local charity.
Carolyn Hicks
Jon looks for ways to extend involvement and ownership in mission work. When an elderly woman once lamented she could not go on a missions trip, Jon suggested she make and freeze some type of casserole that could be sent down with the mission party. He assured her that this made her just as much a part of the mission as those traveling down.
I asked Jon for permission to share his contact info with anyone who might want to tap into his gift for mission brainstorming. Here you go: hless03(at)att.net.
