Foothills UMC's Record Breaking Rummage Sale
By: Susan Naslund
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
My favorite part of the Missions Rummage Sale is the prayer we say before the shoppers are invited into King Hall. We join hands and pray for each person who will enter through the doors and also ask that each one of us working will be a beacon of hospitality. This year on Friday morning, one of the shoppers saw us forming our prayer circle and said, "I want to pray, too," grabbing my hand and lengthening the chain of prayer partners. At the end of the petition, his "Amen!" was the loudest and most heartfelt.
You might have heard that funds made during this year's rummage sale were the most ever received. Certainly, the number of items donated by Foothillians were the most ever collected, as well. You should know that at our last meeting, the Missions Committee voted to distribute the proceeds from the rummage sale to several of its ministries. Project Moses, Volunteers in Medicine, La Roca Dental Clinic, Good Neighbor Center and Interfaith Shelter all received donations to carry on their vital work. Funds were also designated for the benefit of the mission trips to Fiji (seminary construction projects) and Texas (flood relief). A small reserve was retained for emergency needs.
It is with much gratitude that I think about all who cleaned their garages and closets and remembered to give their unneeded items to Foothills. I give many thanks to those who helped sort those items, priced them, and ultimately sold them. I am appreciative of the shoppers who bought those same items and took them into their homes to re-use and enjoy.
The Missions Rummage Sale is so much more than a way to make money. It is a way to shine the light, by extending the lifespan of material goods through recycling, widening the prayer circle to always include more, and expanding our outreach in mission to the world. To all of that I say a hearty, "Amen!"