Mission 3

Trinity has a rich history of youth mission work trips. In 1992, Dave Gaulke and Dalene Davies led the first group of six youth to work camp in Tennessee. Maurice and Betty Dyer, who became high school youth leaders the next year, took eight youth to Ohio in the summer of 1993. Over the years, the mission groups grew to include greater numbers of youth participating. By Maurice and Betty's last year as leaders in the summer of 2002, 46 youth and 13 adults traveled to Pennsylvania for Betty and Maurice's final work trip.

In 2003, Jack and Amy Bishop became the new high school youth leaders . They continue to help our youth realize their mission commitment and have lead groups to and Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kentucky.

Through annual gifts to the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, this church supports mission activities in the Midwest including reaching out to immigrant Sudanese, native Americans and mission projects done jointly between several presbyteries within the Synod.

General Assembly
Through annual gifts to the mission of the national Presbyterian Church, we support the work of missionaries and churches across the world.

Special Offerings

	One Great Hour of Sharing Each Easter Presbyterians along with many other denominations receive the offering for One Great Hour of Sharing. These gifts go to help hunger relief, disaster assistance and programs designed to allow communities to become self-sustaining.
	Pentecost Offering This offering, normally received on Pentecost Sunday goes to help children at risk. Forty percent of the offering is kept by the local church to assist in their ministry with children. The other sixty percent is sent to the national church to assist with other ministries working with children and young people.
	Peacemaking Offering This offering is normally received on the first Sunday in October (World-wide Communion Sunday). Twenty-five percent of the offering is kept by the local church to help with their peacemaking efforts. Another twenty-five is used by the presbytery and synod in their ministries of peacemaking. The remaining fifty percent is sent to the General Assembly for national and international efforts of peacemaking.
	Joy Offering This offering is typically received the Sunday before Christmas. Fifty percent is used to supplement the income of retired ministers and missionary. The other fifty percent is used to assist Presbyterian related racial-ethnic education.

Cents-Ability

Cents-Ability is a small, first step in the battle against hunger and poverty. Congregations invite every member — of all ages — to contribute a few cents at every meal. This simple act is an expression of thanks for what we have received. It is also a commitment to share with others in response to Jesus' command "You give them something to eat." When members bring their offerings to church on the first Sunday of the month, all of those coins "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" as they are received and dedicated. Remember to bring your donations of non-perishable items for the Food Pantry, too.

Read Blair Lawson's report of his visit to our sister parish, Casa de Zinc, and see his photo album of our brothers and sisters in El Salvador.

The Des Moines Presbytery's involvement in El Salvador began in 1990 when fifty percent of the Des Moines Presbytery's Rural Harvest Offering was granted to El Tablon, a canton (dirt-floor-home community), located in the mountains of eastern El Salvador in the Department of Usulutan. The $8,000 grant was for agricultural development in that community of 150 families. Rev. Robert Cook., the presbytery's Hunger Action Enabler at that time, visited El Tablon in November that year.

Trinity's involvement in the mission began in July of 1996 when Carmen and Don Hampton visited Berlin to repair and adjust all sewing machines in El Tablon and Virginia.

Trinity's involvement continued to grow when in August 2001 Trinity members Karen Martins, Kate Dykstra, Pat Wilson, Whitney Wilson and Casey Smith traveled to El Salvador with a Heartland delegation. In 2002, Don and Carmen Hampton spent January and February in Berlin teaching English classes and were joined in March 2002 by Karen and Wayne Martens to help establish our first sister relationship with the canton San Isidro.

InSeptember 2002, Dave Endriss, Don Hampton, Blair Lawson and Mary MacKenzie traveled in El Salvador. They spent two days and an overnight in San Isidro and distributed personal care packets to each home in the village. The packets were donated by Trinity members. They met with the Directiva and other members of the community. They also visited the school and met with the teacher.

In July 2004, a seven-member delegation from Trinity traveled to El Salvador. The group members were Don and Carmen Hampton and grandson Michael Knoller from Carroll; Larry Lepper, Brad Lepper, Denise Core and Betty Crawford. They visited San Isidro and saw the water-tank fencing Trinity funded. In Casa de Zinc, the new sister parish, they spent time with the Directiva and residents learning about their dreams and seeing the projects they had already accomplished in their short three-year existence. They also walked to 14 of the 16 houses of Casa de Zinc to deliver the health care packages supplied by members of Trinity.

Don Hampton spent January 2005 in Berlin assisting Rev. Cook with the delegations and with additional delegation scheduling and computer assistance.

The most recent Trinity member to travel to El Salvador is Blair Lawson. Blair spent a week in February 2006 with a Compañeros delegation. Blair is pictured at the left with community members and members of the Pastoral Team.

Trinity funds have been sent to San Isidro and, now, to Casa de Zinc to support water projects and other needs. In 2005, additional funds were sent following the flooding and landslides caused by hurricanes.

Trinity also sells Don Justo Coffee, an economic development project of Our Sister Parish, which provides farmers in the cantons around Berlin with a fair wage for their coffee beans. Denise Core is the coffee coordinator for Trinity. Trinity members have also purchased craft items from El Salvador which support a variety of people and projects.

PW collects soup labels for the Menaul School in Albuquerque, www.menaulschool.com, and in past years made mosquito nets for Africa. Various other items are collected and made for overseas missions.