1. What is the Wrong Bus Syndrome?

2. What is the Three Legged Stool?

3. How have some of Africa’s leaders contributed to the problem?

4. What does retirement have to do with leadership in Africa?

5. Why are trees important?

6. Why is culture important?

7. What are micro-nations?

8. How do you feel about debt reduction?

9. How do you feel about Africa?

This year, Dave Webb will be performing a Family Sing Along featuring American Folk Music from his Sing Along Alive CD.  Each family will receive a free CD to take home!  Suggested donation is $12 adult, $5 children or $20 for a family.  Tickets are available at church or at Winslow Drugs.  Silent auction will be open before the concert and immediately following the concert with desserts at 7:00 and the Live auction to begin at 7:30.

Each week in church Ron will be announcing one exciting live auction item!  Let us know what you would like to donate, or if you have an idea for something you would like to bid on — slips are available in the narthex, or email us back here at the office!

Ron Dumpit is our spring auction chairperson  — please let him know if you have any questions or would like to help!

Somaly Mam has won many international prizes for her work.  She has even been mentioned as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate.  This is her autobiography.  She was born in Cambodia in the early 1970′s.  (She has no birth certificate.)  She was left in the village where she was born by her parents.  An old man who claimed to be her grandfather took her to another village.  He treated her as a servant and a money maker.  She was often beaten, but there she met her adoptive family.  They could not take her in, but they were good to her.  At a young age she was married to a soldier who mistreated her but who was gone a lot.  She found work at a nearly hospital.  One day when her husband was away she was taken by the old man to a brothel.  She was forced to become a prostitute.  Her spirit was broken (she no longer thought of running away.)  Eventually she married a Frenchman (a white man).  They lived in France for a short time and then returned to Cambodia.  She started helping other girls who were in the same position she had been in.  She and her husband founded an organization named AFESIP (an acronym for a French name).  They couldn’t make girls leave the brothels but those who were underage or being held against their will could be rescued.  The girls are protected, given a chance to heal and to grow up, and taught a trade.  As of the writing of this book there are organizations in several countries and over 6000 girls have been helped.  In Cambodia, women are taught to be submissive and silent.  For Somaly Mam to write this book was an act of courage and defiance.  This is not an easy book to read, but this is a world-wide problem and we can do something about it if we want to.

1. Do all the girls who end up in brothels in Cambodia want to be there?

2. Who are the clients?

3. What was Pierre’s role in this story?

4. What role did the government / the police play?

5. Why does Somaly Mam, a Cambodian woman, do the things she does?

6. What does Somaly Mam attribute Cambodia’s current problems to?

7. Does sexual slavery exist in the United States?

8. What does this story say about women’s status?

9. What can we do about this problem?

Carol Payne and Mary Schroff would like to remind everyone of the UMW meeting here at the church in the social hall, this Tuesday morning from 10:00 to 1:00. They will be having a fabulous salad lunch instead of stone soup this month and Bemah will be making a special dessert.  The UMW meets every second Tuesday of the month from September through June. Johnnie Horner shared that the devotion will be given by Sarah Hamilton this month.  And the program for this meeting will be a DVD titled, “Forgiveness and Reconciliation.”

Mary Schroff would also like to let everyone know that she will be attending the workshop on Breaking the Cycle of Violence, on April 14 from 8:30 to 4:00 at the Bothell United Methodist Church.  Mary is available to carpool if you would like to attend also.  Mary may be reached at 360.697.5884.  For more information on the workshops, go to http://www.pnwumc.org or to register click on
http://pnwumc.org/index.php?option=com_redevent&view=details&id=566%3Aqwhy-god-whyq-breaking-the-cyle-of-violence&xref=780&Itemid=110

Men’s Breakfast is this coming Saturday — if you aren’t on the Men’s breakfast reminder email list, please let me know!  Ralph is taking reservations through this Thursday for the 8am breakfast at the Wyatt House, on the corner of Wyatt and Madison here in the island.  Cost is $8 per person.  Ralph may be reached at ralphwe@juno.net or 206.842.1732.

Summer camp registration and information is now online at http://pnwcamps.org/.  There are also catalogs in the narthex!

This coming Sunday is Sandwich Sunday!  Please remember to bring your sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs and fruit for the Adult Service Center over in Seattle.  The  youth will meet in the kitchen on Sunday to create another sandwich making assembly line with Michael Potter — they have been doing this every month for almost a year!  Carol Payne will be delivering the sandwiches this month, and if you would like a chance to deliver next month, please see Dave Berfield for information.

YOUth group members, please mark your calendars for the rollerskating/pizza adventure scheduled for April 22nd right after church.  We will be going to Stella’s for pizza in Poulsbo and rollerskating together in Bremerton.  The activities fund will cover all of the skating costs, and we have a special sponsor buying pizza!  There will be no out of pocket expenses for this event — and everyone is welcome to bring a friend!  We just need an RSVP — and signed permission forms — for everyone planning to attend by April 19th. Please call the church office if you have any questions!

Tiffany Becker is very close to welcoming her new baby!  There are cards in the social hall for everyone to share words of encouragement and blessings for her baby.  Please take a card and return it to the basket as we welcome our newest member of our church family!

Don’t forget to stay after church on Sunday for choir practice with Karen Burgan!  We’ll be performing a special anthem for Easter services!

The Work Party to spruce of for Palm Sunday and Easter is on the 24th from 9 to noon.  We have a lot of little tasks to tackle — especially with all the wind we’ve been having!  Please see Scott if you are able to attend.

1. How do you think the South Africans felt about the Americans coming?

2. How do the American women feel about their accomodations when they leave vs when they arrived?

3. What changes Gabby’s mind about adoption?

4. Do you think that Heidi and Katie were able to maintain their new relationship?

5. What part did Trudi play in Cassandra’s life?

6. Why was the safari important to the story?

7. Is someone like Mama Penny necessary to a successful endeavor?

8. How are the South African women like American women?

9. Do you think most mission trips are like this?

10. Who helped who in this story?

Thank you for letting me organizing another fundraising event for Easter time with the Lindt Chocolates.
Like previously, 20% of the total sales will be donated to SUMC.
I would greatly appreciated if a reminder could be posted in the newsletter or sent via email to everyone, about the dateline of Sunday March 18th.
Also, few things that I would like to indicate to everyone regarding the orders:

• Shipping fee is 10% for any order.
• I will be receiving all orders at my house and then I will distribute to everyone no later than April 1st.
• There is no taxes sale.
• Methods of payment cash, check or credit card are accepted.
• Please make check payable to Marion Avril.

Feel free to contact me if you have any question in the ordering process. I look forward to help raising funds for the church!
Sincerely,
Marion
http://www.mylindtchocolatersvp.com/marionavril