“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Cor. 3:7
Equip Update
Aidan, Caleb, Donny, and Logan have begun planning for their lives post-Equip, looking at the different options available to them. If you’re interested in learning more about them, their monthly newsletters are available on the website. We highly encourage you to read them if you can’t get to know the students in person.
Around the Ministry in Bernville, PA
We were all excited to see the first good winter snow in a long time. To the delight of the staff, staff children, and students, inner tubes were inflated and hooked to four-wheelers for a well-deserved afternoon of winter delights. It’s a blessing to be able to serve at a ministry that prioritizes relationships and finds joy in all things, even snow!
Nick & Kelly VanWert welcomed their 4th baby, a boy named Tate. Nick spent much of January helping Kelly and their family adjust to the new addition, working when possible on cars for missionaries and pastors. In the Auto Body Shop, Doug Sylva and Donny have been working on repairing staff and volunteer vehicles.
Through January, the staff have been praying for more donations to come into the Warehouse. Justin Darnell and Johnny Debkowski, and the volunteers were able to prepare and send out 8 pallets to local churches and/or ministries. Justin visited Hope Rescue Mission, where he was able to give out blankets, pillows, and toilet paper while building more relationships to see how we can help meet their needs. He was also excited to give One Luv, a local ministry in Reading, a donation of clothes and lots of boots.
The last day to hand in donations for the Winter Clothing Drive is February 29th. We are still looking for things like hats, gloves, socks, underwear, coats, long-sleeved shirts, pants, etc. Thanks to all of the wonderful Volunteers who came to sort clothes at our January Serve Day, we have been able to give away 65 bags of clothing, blankets, etc. Ray Pete and Logan have been working together again. Here’s what Logan has to say about their work: “As the tech guru around here, he’s been teaching me tons of fascinating stuff about computers that I never knew about! He showed me things like how to run an operating system like Ubuntu Linux inside another operating system like Windows 11 (which we’ve both come to dislike) through a “Virtual Box” virtual machine.”
RSVP now! February 22nd is the annual CMTS Banquet. Seats are $20/person and can be reserved here, or by sending a check to CMTS Ministries with a note including names of the people attending and contact information. We hope to see you there!
Belize
Andy & Nancy Merrick’s latest update has been shared on the CMTS website. Here’s an excerpt: “We are very grateful for the year-end donations that were received for projects here in Belize. The driveway was in need of maintenance. So we had three dump truck loads (17 yards each) of stone delivered. When the first load arrived, I (Nancy) operated the backhoe while Andy shoveled stone from the bucket into the many potholes. This was a first-time experience for me. Now I can cross that off of my bucket list!”
Through your help, prayers, and support, your donations are used to reach the less fortunate, via educational resources, job training materials, basic needs, and supporting the full-time staff members who use their God-given talents to serve Him.
