International
International Mission
Breaking News…
Haitian Earthquake Relief
COSTA RICA
On September 28, 2009, Pastor John DeBevoise and Geoff Kohler commissioned Doug McDuffie, Grant Wellman, and Dave Winston to serve as missionaries to Fraijanes, Costa Rica. In November a group of several members from the church will be joining these three to provide disaster relief following earthquake damage. The intent of this website is to share with the congregation of Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church the work being done in Costa Rica. Our Mission is to provide disaster relief to the city of Fraijanes, Costa Rica. Over the course of three months we will be meeting the people of Friajanes, learning local building techniques, providing building materials, constructing homes, and aiding a group of PCPC volunteers.
Click here to follow the lives of these three young men on their mission to Costa Rica.
UGANDA
Our Ugandan mission began with and e-mail from a 14 year old girl, Martha Kawala, living in the village of Papoli. Local doctors had discovered that Martha had a hole in her heart that could not be corrected in Africa. Martha found an e-mail address for Dr. Sylvia Campbell, a Tampa surgeon, in an old surgery journal at the doctor’s office. She e-mailed Sylvia and thus began a relationship that is now nine years old. Emmanuel Ofumbi, Martha’s uncle, came with Martha to the States for her surgery. Emmanuel formed many friendships while Martha recuperated. Dr. Campbell wanted to be sure that Martha received an education so she made arrangement for a scholarship for her. Ofumbi said that Uganda’s greatest need was for future leadership. He felt that education was critical for such leadership. So the Witness and Service Committee of PCPC partnered with the village of Papoli and built a modern pre-school there in the village.
During the next eight years, this partnership has dug 8 fresh water wells, constructed 89 small houses, built a primary school, funded scholarships for 16 more young people and much more. Today the first wing of a new hospital has been completed. Further construction awaits additional grants. From a mustard seed e-mail, the Spirit of God, has grown a wonderful friendship and a large tree producing much fruit.
Christmas in Africa
Every Christmas we offer up a program called Christmas in Africa. This is a great opportunity for people to support the village in Uganda.
Click here to read more about Christmas in Africa.
Click here for the 2010 Christmas in Africa brochure with a clomplete list of items.
Uganda Mission for Mental Health
PCPC’s Uganda Mission for Mental Health equips mental health counselors (from different parts of Uganda), and teachers, and village leaders in and around Papoli with the knowledge they need to better serve their community through the use of creative intervention and supporttechniques that the people of Uganda have requested.
PCPC is prepares a mission trip in the spring of 2010. If you would like to support this ministry, please contact B.J. Johns or 813-253-6047, ext. 234. Click below to download a brochure that highlights our 2009 goals and what we acheived through our mission in 2008.
Uganda Mission Outreach Brochure
Personal Stories in Uganda
Betsy and Dennis Bradt are serving as missionaries in Papoli, Uganda this Fall. Click hereto read some personal stories of the individuals they have met in the village.
HAITI
Haitian Earthquake Relief
Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Although just two hours away from Florida by plane, traveling there is like going back in time to a place that few here have ever experienced. The country has been decimated by ecological and financial disasters. In many places, running water and electricity cannot be found, and health care is largely non-existent. Infant mortality reaches 50 percent, and hunger and sickness are commonplace.
Realizing this, the Presbyterian Church (USA) became involved with the development of a medical clinic in Mombin Crochu, Haiti in the early 1990s. An old World Health Organization building was used to build a rudimentary clinic to allow those in the remotest part of the country access to medical care.
Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church became deeply involved in this endeavor in the early 1990’s, and began a relationship with Covenant Hospital that has grown over the years. Medical missions began going to this clinic in 1996, and have continued with trips once or twice a year. In 2002, a group from the congregation traveled to these mountains to build cisterns, which deliver life-giving clean water to the people of Mombin Crochu.
Several years ago, the churches in the US involved in the clinic formed the Covenant Hospital Network (www.covenanthospitalnetwork.org/), which is involved in fundraising, repairs, and maintenance work for the clinic, as well as sponsoring groups to travel to this area.
Efforts continue with the support of Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church and its members to bring hope and healing to those in a part of the world that has been largely forgotten.
VILLAGE PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL
KIRK OF THE PINES
Chuck Greenwood, the Pastor Emeritus of PCPC, has provided extensive support to the Kirk of the Pines Church in the Bahamas. PCPC and its members have contributed to the church’s building fund as well.
