| From the Office of Outreach Emergency Relief and Ecumenical/Interreligious Teams MCC declares August 28 as Solidarity with Somalia Day Somalia is a country in East Africa that is devastated by drought and poverty, which has led to epidemic starvation. The crisis has been getting notice on the world stage because of the sheer numbers of people fleeing the country in search of food for their children and the numbers of people who have died from lack of food and water. Jesus said in Matthew 25: 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 Christ will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these children of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' We would like to invite all the congregations of MCC to join with relief actions for Somalia within your own communities. One of MCC's core values is to "Build Bridges that Liberate and Unite," and in that vein, we encourage you to reach out and partner with other organizations and churches. This will serve many purposes, most importantly demonstrating that together we can do far more than any of us can do alone. Secondly, it will help build or cement relationships within your communities, and it will strengthen ecumenical/interreligious ties. Let your wider community and other non-profits know that MCC cares and wants to work in coalition with others to save lives today. Eucharistic Prayer Compassionate One, Throughout all time you have cared for us. You created us and sent prophets to teach us. When we wandered in the desert, You provided for us. When we strayed, You sent your child Who brought us back to You Offering us a new understanding of Your love for us. Jesus taught us about forgiveness and mercy, Told us to "love our neighbors as we love ourselves." In a hurting world, You were there, Just as You are here! Today we ache, knowing hundreds of thousands of Your people Are dying of hunger and thirst in Somalia. They are fleeing, moving across deserts, to find hope. Help us to be your hands and feet To take forward Jesus' compassionate heart And bring water and food to those fleeing their homes. We remember when Jesus met with his friends For one final meal in the Upper room. He took the bread, gave God thanks and praise, blessed it and broke it and said, "Take, eat, this is my body given that you might have life. Each time you eat of it, remember me." We remember those fleeing to find the bread of life. Jesus then took the final cup of wine and again gave God thanks and praise and blessed it, "This is my life, poured out for your forgiveness and freedom. Drink of this, all of you, and know that I will not drink of it again Until we are reunited in God's heavenly realm." We remember those looking for the life-giving waters of hope. God, we ask you to bless this meal that it might encourage each of us to be thankful for our lives. Help us to be Your vehicles of hope to those needing food, water and medical care in Somalia. May we meet them on the road and share all that we have. May our world come together to feed the hungry, to give water to those who thirst, to bring peace where there is discord. God, we ask you to rain down Your grace, mercy and love, and we ask this is the name of the One who gave it all, Jesus, the Christ. Amen. We know that you can make a huge difference partnering with your communities by responding generously to the crisis in Somalia. Let us know what you have done so that we can share and inspire others. Send your experiences to RevDianeFisher@MCCchurch.net. We want to know how you are making a difference. Let's build those bridges that liberate and unite today in our local communities! God Bless, 
Rev. Elder Diane Fisher MCC Office of Outreach For additional information, check out these websites: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/somalia/index.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072592.stm | 
