DUMC believes in ‘reaching out' to people around the world

It takes a village to raise a child.

But sometimes even that village needs help. And that is when Destin United Methodist Church steps in.

Destin’s Mission Love Seeds provides food, clothing, medical/dental clinics, Bible studies and special emergency needs to the children in four villages in the Philippines every month.

And thanks to Destin United Methodist Church, another village has now been added to that list.

“We had plans to use the funds (from DUMC) to help with needs in our other four villages,” Barbi Carroll, president of Mission Love Seeds, told The Log. “But with much prayer, we made the decision to add our fifth village, Galilee. This would not have been possible without the support and prayers of Destin United Methodist Church.”

DUMC is involved in numerous organizations here and around the world. Locally they support such organizations like Hosanna House, Haven House and Children’s Neighborhood in Fort Walton Beach.

“We believe in reaching out, so we tithe back to the church and give away to mission organizations to the tune of about $120,000 a year,” Rev. Tom Sharron of Destin United Methodist Church told The Log.

A lot of their work is involved with children, supporting orphans in Argentina and Peru and building schools and houses.

And now they have made a commitment to help the children in Galilee.

“Mission Love Seeds is a worthy cause, and we first got involved because of Hurricane Katrina and what Mission Love Seeds was doing in Mississippi,” Sharron said. “People from the church went to help, and once you’ve been there and have a connection, you want to help.”

In 2005, when DUMC partnered with Mission Love Seeds to help those in Mississippi who had lost everything, the church provided funds for rental trucks and fuel to take supplies to Mississippi. Members donated anything and everything, and picked up and delivered donations to the warehouse. When it was time to deliver the items, members loaded and drove trucks to Mississippi and helped set up homes.

DUMC also helped to build a chapel in Pearlington, supplied funds to help build two homes in Pearlington and furnished building supplies for other homes.

“Another trip is planned to take  furniture and supplies to Mississippi  in September, and we know DUMC will be there to help,” Carroll said.
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In addition to donations the church makes, the Destin United Methodist Women do their share with their own mission support program.

Cancer kits are made by the group for hospitals and cancer treatment centers. They organize, buy and fill the kits which are then taken to the hospitals to be handed out to their cancer patients.

All monies made from their jewelry sales during the year and the Chocolat’ Fare in February are given to missions.

“We choose the missions and vote each year and give according to how much is made,” Donna Stiles, vice-president of UMW, told The Log.
“We help with Children in Crisis, Shelter House and Sozo Life Ministry in Fort Walton Beach, Hosanna House and Harvest House in Destin and Blue Lake Methodist Assembly in Alabama.”

Some of the other organizations they support include Fresh Start in Okaloosa County, Mission Love Seeds, and Milk and Honey Outreach Ministries. They also give to youth mission trips at their church.

“We sent filled flood buckets to UMCOR, United Methodist Committee on Relief, during the spring floods,” Stiles said.
Buckets include such needed items as disinfectant, scouring pads, sponges, bleach, soap, gloves and trash bags.

Last week, the women of DUMC met in Pensacola with the high school girls from United Methodist Children’s Home in Milton.

“We took them shopping for school clothes and tried to help advise them,” Stiles said. “They were really excited about the money we gave them to shop with.

“God has been good to us, really blessed us, and we want to turn around and bless others.”