Stacey Gagne

Our crew had a blast once again this year at the Cardboard Derby at Roundtop Mountain Resorts.  Teams came out with super creative vessels and even costumes to go along with the theme “Candy Rush”.  Some of the creations were speedy and went the distance, some fell apart before they made it down the hill and others just enjoyed the ride and the fruition of their teamwork.

Thanks to everyone that bundled up and came out to cheer on the teams and all who participated in another fun event.  Thanks also to Roundtop Mountain Resorts for inviting WJTL to be a part of the event.  Here are the results (by Team Name) from the judging and the races:

(video and photos to come soon)

Distance Youth

1st:  Nerds (from Calvary Chapel)

2nd:  Smartie Pants

3rd: One Sweet Ride

4th: Candy Crusher

5th: Nerds f(rom Zion Lutheran)

6th: Big Box of Skittles

Distance Adults

1st: Team Sour Patch

2nd: Mr B Entertainment

3rd: Flaming Marshmellows

4th: Nerds (from York)

5th: Darth Pez

6th: Backwards Piñata

Creativity/Appearance Youth

1st: Battle of the Bulge

2nd: Smartie Pants

3rd; Candy Canes and Bottle Caps

Creativity/Appearance Youth

1st: Candy Rush

2nd: Nerd Dragster

3rd: Darth Pez

Spirit Awards:

Youth:  Tootsie Roll

Adult: Candy Rush

There are many organizations and ministries lending aid to those impacted by the storm in the Phillipines.  Please pray for the victims and prayerfully consider how and where you can pitch in to those in need:

AMG International :  AMG has a large ministry presence in the Philippines, including in the hard-hit Visayas Region. Our field staff there, led by national director Hector Araña, has sprung into action collecting relief supplies, working to establish communication with our partners in the affected areas, and preparing to travel into the disaster zone to assess damage and distribute supplies to the thousands of families AMG serves through our childcare ministries there.is providing relief supplies from our Disaster Relief Fund (www.amgdisasterrelief.org), and funds are urgently needed to sustain this response. You can donate now at www.amgdisasterrelief.org, over the phone at (423) 894-6060, or by mail to AMG International, 6815 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37421.

HarvestNet International: Gifts through this link will be entrusted to pastors with congregations in the devastated area.  Locally based HarvestNET International has over 100 partner churches and ministries in the Philippines.

World Vision:  World Vision is launching an emergency response to help affected children and families in the Philippines.

Compassion International:   Your gift makes possible interventions such as: emergency food and water, temporary shelters, personal items, cooking utensils, trauma counseling and spiritual support, replacing clothing, school supplies and household items, restoring supplies a family needs for earning income, providing continued counseling and support as needed

Samaritans Purse:  A Samaritan’s Purse disaster response team is in the Philippines to help in the aftermath of one the strongest storms ever recorded.  “Our multinational team is coordinating relief efforts on the Leyte and the neighboring island of Samar, working with local Christians to deliver relief to those most in need. Community water filters, protective tarps, blankets, hygiene kits, and emergency family food packets are being rushed to affected areas.”

SEND International:  SEND has set up a Typhoon relief option that will allow people to give to Filipino churches who will aid in disaster relief

MCC:  Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is responding to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, providing funding for relief, supporting an initial assessment team of an MCC partner organization and working with partners to determine needs for longer-term recovery.

CCT: Center for Community Transformation:  HOPE International’s local partner, the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), works in the regions hit hardest by the typhoon, and they are currently mobilizing to provide these communities with immediate help.

As the departure time for our planned Compassion Sponsors Missions Trip to Ethiopia has approached, some of you have been asking me about the status of the trip.   We were to have left  August 3rd, which (as I write this) is tomorrow! I can’t believe August is already here.

Unfortunately, we did not have enough people registered in time to make the trip possible for this year. We are talking with Compassion about options for rescheduling a similar trip in the future.  I am still anxiously looking for the day that you are able to meet the children that have been sponsored through the WJTL community.

Though it is disappointing that we are not able to go on the dates we originally planned, I am confident that God’s timing is perfect and still prayerfully have my sights set on an opportunity to return with you many of you to see the faces of the children that you sponsored.

I’ll take this opportunity too, to remind any of you who currently sponsor a child to send them a letter today … and if you don’t yet, check out compassioninternational.com to find out how.

It’s that time of year again; it’s time to vote in the  13th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards sponsored by the Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.  Cast your vote and support your favorites!  WJTL is once again up for Favorite Radio Station and we’d be honored to have your vote!  You can look for the ballot in the June 2nd Sunday News and in the Intelligencer Journal /Lancaster New Era this week.  You can also vote at LancasterOnline.com June 3 through 6.   Look for us in the Miscellaneous catetory.  Be sure to fill out all of the pertinent information so that your vote is counted.   Results will be published in  the Sunday News on August 25.

Christ in Action: UPDATE:  After much deliberation and discussion CIA has decided to cancel the trip from this area scheduled to go to Oklahoma.   There has been such an increidble response from the community and around the country to accomplish immediate needs.  Also, “Homes were completely demolished so we are not going in and helping the homeowner clear things out of their home and prepare for remodeling. In this case, they simply saved what they could in memories and the rest is being completely bulldozed and taken away. People are staying with relatives and friends and are not really in the area at this time.”

Keep up to date with  Christ in Action’s Facebook page.

Feed the Children:  Feed The Children has already responded with basic essentials for the families in Shawnee, OK and provided several pallets of water and frozen lasagna to The Salvation Army and The Red Cross – who are already providing services to those in need.

Cash donations to help with Feed The Children’s disaster relief efforts and help defray the transportation costs of food and essentials needed for the families of those affected can be made by phone, call: 800-627-4556 or online at www.feedthechildren.org

Samaritans Purse:  Information for how to volunteer with Samaritans Purse are available at samaritanspurse.org   Chainsaw skills are helpful but not required. Volunteers will be working primarily on debris clean up, chainsaw work and roof tarping.

The Salvation Army:   Responding with teams to areas affected.  Providing meals and food items,  emotional and spiritual care, working with local officials and more.  Inviting everyone to pray and give financially.  Supporters are encouraged to give online or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”

Love From Lancaster County: Partnering with Touch of Color Flooring in Harrisburg to collect relief items for those in need . For information Email Joell or go to Facebook – Love From Lancaster County

Lancaster Area Habitat for Humanity:  Collecting financial donations.  Donations of cash, check, credit card, or securities are accepted and all donations are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to “Lancaster Area Habitat for Humanity” and mailed to LAHFH, 443 Fairview Avenue, Lancaster, PA  17603 or delivered in person to Habitat ReStore during business hours. Gifts can also be made online.  Will assist with cleanup, repairs and new construction efforts as need and available resources become clearer.  717-392-8836   LancasterHabitat.org

Southern Regional Police Officer’s Association (Conestoga):  Collecting items through 6/18 to deliver to Oklahoma City.

Items include:

• Bottled Water
• Sports drinks
• Energy/granola bars
• Hand sanitizer
• Diapers, Baby Wipes, Formula
•   Non-perishables: canned fruit/vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, pudding, tea, powdered drink mix
• Cleaning supplies, Work gloves
• Toiletries (i.e.- toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, deodorant,)
• Sun block, Insect repellant
• Monetary donations will also be accepted.  They can be in the form of Pre-paid Visa cards, or checks made payable to SRPOA, note “tornado relief” in the memo line.  They can be mailed to SRPOA at P.O. Box 254 Conestoga Pa 17516 ** Attn: Cpl. Michener.
• Volunteers are also needed

Items can be dropped off at the Southern Regional Police Department between the hours of 8AM and 1 PM, Monday thru Friday.  Weekend or after hour deliveries may be arranged by calling 717-461-2323   Information available at  southernregionalpolice.com

STACEY GAGNE – I didn’t have a passport until 2010.  It only took one trip for me to gain a heart for people living in poverty and that was my trip to Ethiopia with Compassion International.

If you were one of the many who have sponsored a child from a project in Ethiopia during WJTL’s 26 Hours of Compassion, I would love to have you join me and other WJTL listeners August 3 thru 10 on a special trip designed just for us to go meet our children, spend time serving alongside the people in Ethiopia, and see firsthand how Compassion is working through the local church in Ethiopia.

You’ll attend a church service with our brothers and sisters in Addis Ababa, spend time with the children at the projects,  lead some VBS style activities, visit some children’s homes,  work alongside some church partners on some service projects,  get to know students in the Leadership Development program, and of course spend plenty of time playing with our kids and taking them on a special fun day!  What an opportunity to join together as a community and go share the Love of Jesus while making memories together.  Of course there will be sight seeing and many chances to learn about Ethiopian culture along the way.

Please check out the link with registration information,  Email Me or call 717-392-3690 with any questions.

STACEY GAGNE –

During our 26 Hours of Compassion events in 2010 and 2013, WJTL listeners have sponsored children from 2 specific projects in Ethiopia through Compassion International.  These sponsors are  beginning to receive details about a trip scheduled to take place this August 3 through 10!  We will be traveling together from the listening area as a team to serve alongside the local church and Compassion staff at our projects in Ethiopia.  We’ll worship together, spend time at the student centers and meet with the staff there,  play with the children and serve through some fun VBS style activities.  Our team will visit some of the children’s homes,  participate in service projects like painting, clean up and other hands on work.  It’s going to be a treasure to spend time with our sponsored children and even treat them to a visit at an amusement park.  There will also be time for sight seeing and more.  I can’t wait!!!  I know that there are many church staff, children and families eager to meet the people that are impacting their lives!

Our trip will enable us to better sense God’s heart for this country, to join together as a community, to get to know the culture where our sponsored children live, and see the ministry of Compassion International first hand.   It will mean so much to the children and their families to know that you would come and visit them!  I am confident that lives will be changed as our community joins together to bring God’s message of love to these children and their communities in Ethiopia.

I will continue to give updates and share more about the trip and even give opportunities  for those who can’t travel with us to get involved.  Please pray for us as we continue to plan details,  for God to prepare our hearts and for provision for the listeners who will join us.

STACEY GAGNE –   It’s been encouraging to hear the response from listeners who were challenged, reminded and inspired to impact the life of a child during our 26 Hours of Compassion last week.  I’ve also gotten to catch up with some adult students  that I befriended during my trip.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to chat with a couple of the college students in Compassion International’s Leadership Development Program who came up through the Child Sponsorship Program.   They were involved in some service projects this past week that included prison ministry, serving at Compassion projects in the local church,  serving by painting in the homes of some of the sponsored families,  helping to train parents and volunteers and just loving the children.  How inspiring to know that these young adults are already having such an impact!    This is the kind of God given hope and opportunity that our sponsorship provides!

We have heard from several listeners about ways that God has already reaffirmed things that He was speaking to their heart about missions, child sponsorship and our responsibility during the 26 Hours of Compassion.  I (literally) ran into someone in the mall who flagged me down to introduce their family to me and thank WJTL for this opportunity!

We discovered that there are still a handful of students at WJTL’s project that are still waiting to “get into the classroom”.   I’m highlighting their photo’s below.  Please consider the impact that you can make on a life or share the opportunity and this link with a friend.

STACEY GAGNE –   “God mobilizes the heart of the world even for just one child”.   When I visited the Ethiopian office for Compassion International, the Country Director said this and it really impacted me.  Of course He does.  God did it for me.  He did it for you and He is doing it all over the world… creatively drawing people to Himself.  I am confident that Compassion International is one of those ways.

Child sponsorship is so powerful because it focuses in on the individual but then impacts many.  As we “honor the image of God” in a young person and value their holistic care we are also speaking to the fact that they matter.  As a sponsor you get to be a part of a childs journey as they are fed spiritually, economically, socially and of course physically.   You also get to encourage them to follow Jesus as they pursue their dreams.    Your sponsorship also encourages that childs family, community and the local church that is hosting their project.

I invite you to pray about taking this journey with a child this week.  Call 1-866-392-3690 Wednesday or Thursday or click here to sponsor a child right now. 

STACEY GAGNE – The time has come!  WJTL’s 26 Hours of Compassion is this Wednesday and Thursday!  I am thrilled that we have another opportunity to come together with a church in Ethiopia and sponsor an entire project.  One that I had the opportunity to visit just last month! (if you missed them, call in reports are available at our wjtlcasts page)

Our focus for this event is the Tedecha Mekane Yesus Church Student Center located in Dukem, about 20 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in Africa.  It’s home to about 22,000.   Through child sponsorship with Compassion we have the opportunity to help provide these children with Bible teaching, health screenings, field trips, sports, health education, educational supplies, school fees and HIV/AIDS awareness education.  The center staff will also provide opportunities for project involvement for the parents or guardians of your sponsored child.  HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, typhoid fever and typhus are a problem in this region. Most adults in Dukem work as day laborers and earn the equivalent of $30 per month.

Together with the local church in Ethiopia and Compassion International;  we can help bring the light and hope of Jesus to many!  Tune in this Wednesday and Thursday to hear stories about specific children we met, testimonies and more.  Visit wjtl.com to check out videos as they are posted  and please be praying for this event and consider sponsoring one of these children.