Jeff Hassel, our missionary

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This year at Charge Conference, we included a line item in our budget to support Jeff Hassel, who is a United Methodist missionary from our annual conference to Lithuania. Some members of our church Outreach Committee met Jeff this past year when he came to Shiloh to share his work with that committee.

The kids of his congregation in Vilnius, Lithuania (a former Soviet occupied country, now free) have been busy since September making Christmas cards which Jeff buys in order to help the kids and their families. Jeff has put some of the nicest cards on his web page and invites you to have a look: www.hassel.lt

"Our kids had no idea that they were talented artists," Jeff said. "But when I looked at the work they did, I was convinced that God was using this creative exercise of card making to reveal talents that were hidden and encourage these kids." I think it's not a coincidence that God revealed their talents as they were painting pictures of angels that appeared to the shepherds announcing Jesus' birth."

One girl, named Emilija is from an impoverished family in which both the mom and dad are alcoholics and the dad is physically abusive. Emilija had real problems with self confidence and preferred to "Blend into the woodwork" rather than receive attention of any kind. Her art work opened a door for her to receive compliments from everyone who saw her paintings, and now she even has a speaking part in our Church Christmas play! She is a girl with a newfound confidence that God has indeed given her talents. "I think it is getting through to Emilija that SHE IS NOT TALENTLESS AND WORTHLESS - despite what her dad says."

I hope you enjoy looking at the paintings that Emilija and two other kids have made for you.

Merry Christmas from Rev. Jeff Hassel and the congregation of the Vilnius United Methodist Church in Lithuania.

The entire newsletter is on display on a table beneath bulletin board outside my office at the church. There is also a Christmas card there, made by one of the children that Jeff works with in Lithuania.

Like I said, the church has $150.00 in our annual budget for 2005 to support Jeff's mission work. If you would like to give additional money, make a check out to the church and mark it "Jeff Hassel." I hope we can have Jeff come to Shiloh next year so that he can speak to the whole church on a Sunday morning! The members of our Outreach Committee had a wonderful time listening to him describe his work in person, and I hope the whole congregation will get to hear him next year!