Exhibits at Iowa Methodist Annual Conference

Jay Cutler from Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City, IA, had a booth to show our church’s soap making project for the local food pantry.

He even got some people to sign up to help on June 11 and 12.

Kid’s Care packed high protein meals in the exhibit area.

The Midwest Mission Distribution Center booth was manned by the Iowa board member.

Each district had a mission project. The Potpourri Booth collected them all.

The PET (Personal Energy Transport) was a big hit with this young man.

MMDC--truck loaded & Iowa Annual Conference

So when we came back the second day, there was a flood cleaning bucket waiting for us before we even unlocked the truck an hour before the conference sessions began!

Susan knitted a prayer shawl while waiting by the truck.

Carl got in a short siesta.

On the last day we flattened all of the extra cardboard boxes and stowed them in Gary Burket’s truck for recycling.

Getting fuller...

...and organized for the trip to Chatham tomorrow.

It was a hard day!

Meanwhile, Jay Cutler demonstrated Trinity’s soap making project. We make liquid laundry detergent and give it to the local community kitchen.

At the back of the exhibit hall Kids Care was packing high protein meals during the conference.

Iowa MMDC board member Carol had a booth in the exhibit hall.

And the various Iowa Districts were also collecting items for missions at the Potpourri booth.

This young man tried out the PET.

Here’s proof that Trinity UMW was represented--Jane and Pastor Jim and Carl.

Cindy and Denny Rippentrop and Pastor Jim joined the Jacobs for dinner on the last night.

Fill the Truck for MMDC

On June 1 we drove to Des Moines and picked up a 26 ft. diesel rental truck. We volunteered to sit in the parking lot just north of Veterans Auditorium for 3 days to collect donations for Midwest Mission Distribution Center. Then on June 5 we will head to Chatham, IL, to deliver the donations.

The empty truck is just waiting for all of those good Iowa Methodists to drop off their health kits, school supplies, cleaning buckets, layettes, bedding kits, birthing kits, baby sweaters, sewing kits, and more.

We set up our chairs and camping table and were ready for business.

Carl assembled washing machine boxes for collecting donations.

It was a little chilly when we arrived at 8 a.m.

Susan sat in the truck to get out of the wind.

And then our first donation arrive--about 6 boxes from Salem UMC in Cedar Rapids.

Trish Burket, Iowa Disaster Coordinator, took items into HyVee Hall that were mistakenly dropped off at the truck. These were items for the Iowa Nigera Project, Camp Joy, and the new Disaster Relief trailer.

Parked just south of our Fill the Truck location is the new Disaster Relief trailer.

The Disaster Relief trailer is designed to provide mobile laundry and shower facilities. It is still being outfitted, but it was on display at Iowa Annual Conference.

The trailer includes shower facilities...

...and laundry facilities.

Donations of bath towels, shampoo, detergent, and laundry bags were dropped off by conference attendees.

Donations started rolling in throughout the day.

Trish and Susan started sorting items to make our job a little easier when we get to MMDC— pencils in one box, crayons in another, completed health kits in another...