| Church joins massive anti-war march  SILVER SPRING The Peace with Justice Team at Colesville UMC took part in the march to oppose the war in Iraq in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18. Nine members, accompanied by a Gazette newspaper reporter, met at the Glenmont Metro station. They began with a prayer and joined the massive rally on the National Mall where the march started. The group carried a banner identifying their church and placards with appropriate Bible verses to identify them as Christians, said Richard Gillum, the teams organizer. Despite subfreezing temperatures, (we) were happy to provide by (our) placards and testimonies a Christian witness on this historic occasion, Gillum said. Couple relates Sierra Leone conditions CATONSVILLE Daniel and Dorcas Kamanda from Sierra Leone, now residing in North Carolina, told the congregation of Catonsville UMC about the conditions they saw in Sierra Leone last summer. Dean Tuthill, a member of Catonsvilles missions committee, first met the couple when he worked in Njula University College years ago. The Providence Press, the churchs newsletter, excerpted Dorcas Kamanda s report. We visited an amputee camp inside Freetown. Their sleeping places were simple mats on cold concrete floors with hardly any sheets. Remember, they were not born as amputees but were made amputees by their fellow men. These people live with their attackers across the street; the men and children who chopped off their hands and feet. I saw no bitterness in any one of them At present all they want is for people to help them become independent. Catonsville UMC missions provides more than $1,000 a year to the Harford School for Girls in Moyamba, where Dorcas Kamanda once taught. Conference staff tested for mold exposure  SCAGGSVILLE Functions that usually take place at the conference center have moved to several locations in nearby areas since the sick building was closed Dec. 14. Since many of the 55 employees began showing symptoms of possible reaction to the molds found in the building, even after several remediation measures, the conference brought in an environmental medical specialist to provide laboratory diagnostic services for all who needed it. The pre-school at Emmanuel UMC was on Christmas break; so Dr. Richie Shoemaker and his staff set up a lab, testing, reception and consulting room in those quarters. Thirty-eight employees took advantage of the Dec. 27 date to be tested. Md. Bible Society presents 3,500 Bibles  GLEN BURNIE The more than 3,000 youth attending ROCK 2003 each took home a CEV Outreach edition of the Bible, the American Bible Societys newest translation. Richard Campbell, a member of Glen Burnie UMC on the Maryland Bible Societys board of directors, at the request of Tom Price, conference youth director, made the connection. Tom and I both prayed about the request knowing how great it would be to put the word of God in the hands of so many youth, Campbell said.  The Rev. Ray Moreland, executive director of the society, responded quickly to secure 146 cases of Bibles at a cost of $1.69 for each Bible. Moreland also provided a grant to cover the cost of 20 cases of Bibles and secured a grant from the American Bible Society to Glen Burnie UMC as a Ministry in Partnership to cover the cost of 16 more cases of Bibles. The Maryland Bible Society previously had provided 2,000 Bibles for the youth at Rock 2001 and covered half the costs for 3,000 Bibles at the Savings Stations this past summer, Price said. | 
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