| Sixty teens experience 30 hour famine  LUSBY Sixty teenagers from four Washington East District churches fasted Feb. 21 and 22. It was the sixth year the district has sponsored the 30-Hour Famine, a World Vision project, to raise funds for hungry and starving children.
Participating churches included St. Paul UMC, Olivet UMC, Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick, and Waters Memorial UMC. Raising money through pledges for every hour they went without food, the group took part in the overnight event by participating in activities that taught them about famine, poverty and sickness, their causes and ways to combat these atrocities, said David Showalter, youth pastor. The teenagers also held a food drive and toured the S.M.I.L.E. Food Pantry and Thrift Shop. They presented the food collected to the food pantry and the St. Paul UMC youth presented a $284 check from a previous fund-raiser. Churches receive GOD grants MARRIOTTSVILLE West Liberty UMC in Marriottsville and Ebenezer UMC in Lanham recently received grants from the General Board of Discipleship. The board awarded $129,970 to 19 projects throughout the United States for programs that serve racial-ethnic groups. West Liberty UMC will receive $4,625 for the West Liberty Learning Center to support an after-school program for children. The $7,000 grant to Ebenezer UMC is for the New Youth Experience Arts Academy, which hopes to establish a year-round program for black youth, ages 12-18. The project will include culturally relevant Bible teachings and cultural studies on the roots of Methodism. Grants were awarded on a one-year basis. Project funding proposals are due July 1 and Nov. 1. Contact Sang E. Chun, director of Ethnic Local Church Concerns grants, at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7050, or at
Church preschool observes 25 years HANOVER Thousands of children, ages 2 through 5, have graduated from the preschool at Wesley Grove UMC in the 25 years since it began, according to Susan Russo, director. Its more than a day-care center, where you drop your kids off and they play for a few hours. This place actually helps kids get ready for school, said Laura Hayden of Fort Meade. Its the number one preschool for families at Fort Meade. That was the intention when it was founded in 1978, according to the Maryland Gazette. Back then we had 14 kids and they were mostly from families of church members, said Lois Wilson, the church secretary. The school met in two Sunday school rooms in the church basement. Today there are 130 children in the program, most from outside the church. There are four classrooms, each with at least one computer. Fire at landmark affects church families UNIONVILLE The historic Von Eiff store burned to the ground March 10, said the Rev. Darryl Zoller, speaking of a community landmark not far from Linganore UMC. The store, which sold heating oil, motor oil and serviced furnaces, was also the home of a family with a 3-year-old son. The family fled the flames barefoot on the windy, wintry night. They were sheltered by a relative across the street, who is a member of the church. Not only did the fire cause the loss of a home for a family, but many irreplaceable heirloom and historical items were also destroyed. I offered (the family) the help of Linganore UMC, and told them we would be keeping them in our prayers, Zoller said. Youth volunteers practice their Spanish DAMASCUS Sixty people from six different churches in Maryland spent two weeks in early February on a Volunteers in Mission trip to Costa Rica. Among the volunteers were more than 20 youth, who took the opportunity in the Bible School program to use their Spanish. The volunteers spent most of their time on construction projects that included working on a house, putting finishing touches on a new dormitory for a youth camp and installing a ceiling in a church. Painting the house was an inspiration to all who helped with this project, said Martin Carr, the only volunteer from Damascus UMC. The home belonged to a family in which the father had lost his job because of a heart condition; there were two disabled family members, one child with multiple sclerosis and another with epilepsy. Elizabeth Matamoros wrote the group a thank-you letter in which she said, You, wherever you are, leave an imprint and Costa Rica has been blessed by God and by you that are like angels in our land. | 
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