2010 Group Schedule

Weeks in 2010 for mission groups to travel to Chiapas to work with Pablo & Jan are filling up fast! Please note the following reservations received to date:

1/9/2010 Salem Presbytery Medical Caravan (multi-state participants)
1/16/2010 Salem Presbytery Medical Caravan (multi-state participants)
Other Jan weeks Open
February, 2010 Open
3/20/2010 Westover Hills Presbyterian (AR)
Other March weeks Open
April, 2010 Open
5/02/2010 Open
5/09/2010 Open
5/16/2010 Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community (PA)
5/23/2010 OPEN
5/30/2010 2nd Presbyterian, Bloomington, IL
6/06/2010 OPEN
6/13/2010 OPEN
6/20/2010 River Forest Presbyterian (IL)
6/26/2010 Salem Presbytery (NC)
7/04/2010 Salem Presbytery (NC)
7/11/2010 Maumee Presbyterian (OH)
7/18/2010 Presbytery of Eastern VA (VA)
7/25/2010 First Presbyterian of Virginia Beach (VA)
7/25/2010 River Glen Presbyterian (IL)
8/02/2010 Pastor's Course in Ocosingo

Proposed Extended Stay Missionaries: Alan Desjardins (April - September), Maggie Mills (several weeks, not yet defined).

For more information about scheduling mission trips, applying for internships or orientation information, please email jgmills@att.net.

Pablo & Jan's Itinerary

Pablo & Jan in the US ~
Fall, 2009 Itinerary

AS OF: 7:38 Saturday, Nov. 7th

Wow! Pablo & Jan's itinerary is CRAZY!!! At this point, we have requests from about 20 churches, organizations and individuals to arrange for them to visit in 8 states during 6 weeks. Whew! This is gonna be tough.

So, please consider this your resource for the most up-to-date information about confirmed and tentatively scheduled appearances by Pablo & Jan.

If you have received an email from me proposing specific dates, please get back in touch with me ASAP to express your regrets or confirm your plans to welcome Pablo & Jan to your group. Use this blog entry as your source of the most current information about their availability!

Red = confirmed engagement
Green = open for now but invitations extended
Orange = probable but not confirmed

• October 8th: Arrival at the Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, NC
• October 9 - 10th: Open but awaiting confirmations from several NC churches
• October 11th: Oak Ridge Presbyterian, Oak Ridge, NC
• October 12th-13th: Open
• October 14th: Millbrook Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
• October 15th-17th: Open but awaiting confirmations from several NC churches
• October 18th: Speedwell Presbyterian Church, NC
• October 18th in the afternoon: POSSIBLE Hebron USA Board Meeting
• October 19th: Open
• October 20th: Salem Presbytery meeting, NC
• October 21-24th: PCUSA World Mission Celebration, Cincinnati, OH
• Octover 23-25th for Jan: Women's Retreat, Maumee, OH then on to Detroit
• October 25-27th: Twin Oaks Christian Church, Detroit area
• October 28th: Orchard Lake Presbyterian, Orchard Lake, MI
• October 29th - 31st: The Village Presbyterian, Northbrook, Illinois
• November 1st: Worship at 2nd Presbyterian, Bloomington, Illinois
• November 2nd & 3rd: River Glen Presbyterian, Naperville, Illinois
• November 4th-6th: Virginia Beach, VA
• November 7th: Hebron USA Chiapas Mission Conference, Winston-Salem, NC
• November 7th in the evening: POSSIBLE Hebron USA Board Meeting
• November 8th: Open but awaiting confirmations from PA and NC churches
• November 9th-10th: Gladden United Presbyterian, PA and others in the P'burgh area
• November 11th-12th: Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
• November 13th - 15th: Pittsburgh, PA (including worship at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community on Sunday). Other details to follow.
• November 16th: Travel Day, Pittsburgh => Greensboro, NC
• November 17th: Curriculum Planning Meeting, Oak Ridge Pres., 3:30 pm
• November 18th-19th: Open but awaiting confirmations from GA and NC churches
• November 20th-23rd: Arkansas Presbytery, preaching at Westover Presbyterian on Sunday
• November 25th-30th: Reserved for family time in Grand Rapids with Jan's family but may consider requests to appear in Michigan
• December 1st: Tentative return to Chiapas. May extend their stay if there have been substantial requests for appearances that have not yet been fulfilled.

HOST FAMILIES confirmed:

• While in NC: Brad & Melinda Morton, Greensboro, NC
• While in Northbrook, IL: Carolyn Vogel
• While in VA: Randy & Leslie DuVall, Virginia Beach, VA
• While visiting Gladden UPC, Elizabeth Broschart
• While visiting PTS: Don Dawson
• While visiting Hot Metal Bridge: Sonja Van Dijk
• While in Arkansas: Liz and Bill Branch

Email all confirmations, regrets, questions and details about host families to: jgmills@att.net

LAST UPDATED: Saturday, Nov. 7th

Last updated: Thursday, September 24, 2009

New Ministries Update

March, 2009 Update

Dear Partners in Missions,

Trusting that God has work for us to do in the US as well as in Mexico, we've all been hard at work redefining our ministry since moving back to NC. Each organization that we are now serving may be of interest to you or someone you know. Please check out the websites below and let us know if you'd like more information about Full Life Counseling, ECHO Clinics or El Buen Pastor/Latino Community Services.

Full Life Counseling

Ginny's new private counseling practice ~ dedicated to supporting families whose lives are affected by alcohol, medications and drug. So no one suffers alone. For those who are reluctant to reach out, "house calls" are available by special arrangement. www.Full-Life-Counseling.com


ECHO Clinics (Empowering Church Healthcare Outreach)



John's new employer - ECHO - dedicated to consulting with and for churches seeking to establish free medical clinics and medical ministries in their communities. John is currently supporting churches in SC, TX, FL and OK.


El Buen Pastor Iglesia Presbiteriana en Winston-Salem

Holly & Maggie's volunteer site where they tutor Latino students receiving afterschool care and homework help. This PCUSA church is led by Rev. Rosa Miranda, one of the very first ordained female PCUSA pastors who completed seminary training in Mexico.

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Although we may live in NC now, our hearts and minds are still connected to the ministry in Chiapas. Here are a few updates of interest:

• Sign-up for Summer Mission Trips is underway. Deadline for Salem Presbytery trip registration is March 15th. See the Salem Presbytery Mexico Mission site for details or email Wil Gibble.
• Randy DuVall of First Presbyterian in Virginia Beach will be serving as the Missionary in Residence in Ocosingo from April to August. Although we are still able to answer questions and help with some practical matters, most trip planning details should be directed to Randy's email.
• Pablo & Jan's son, Josue, was married to Ana Brito in Mexico City in January. They are continuing their studies at Dordt College in Iowa.
• Despite reports of rampant drug violence in other parts of Mexico, Chiapas continues to be relatively violence-free. The only significant change in our recommendations for travelers would be to avoid making currency exchanges in the Mexico City airport.
• Clinic construction is ongoing, in large part because of a significant gift from The Village Presbyterian Church in Illinois (Carolyn Vogel's church).
• Holly & Maggie plan to intern with Pablo, Jan and Randy for several weeks this summer. Others interested in interning should contact us or Randy DuVall.
  

All in all, the transition has been okay, but we all still miss our friends and "family" in Chiapas. We love our miracle machines (the ones that wash dishes and clothes) but miss our life in Ocosingo. For those who are able to travel to Chiapas this summer, enjoy! For those who are not able to travel this summer, please consider making a contribution towards clinic construction through Hebron USA.

Su hermano y hermana en Cristo,

John and Ginny Mills
Mills Family Mission