2 Months to Departure!

We are only TWO months away from our departure date, September 6th, 2010! We will be flying out of BWI (thank you!) and going first to London. We will have a 12-hour lay-over in London where we will be meeting up with 13 other people coming from various parts of Europe and the U.S. We will all then board a plane to Dar es Salaam, where we will be met by a contact of VSI's.

These next two months are going to be filled with vacation, packing, unpacking, packing again, and making last minute plans for our departure!

Some things to keep in mind:

We will be collecting school supplies to take with us! Look at the list to get some ideas!

Friday, August 13th, we will be having a "Outdoor Movie Night" at BEP, mark your calendar!

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

Emily and Matt

We're having another Car WASH!

Thanks to the amazing success of our first, we've decided to go for round two!

When: Saturday, June 26th, 10am-2pm

Where: Broadneck EP Church, Arnold

Please let us know if your able to come help out, even if its just for an hour!

Success!

Thanks to all for making the car wash a HUGE success! We can't thank everyone enough for giving up their Saturday morning to come out and help! Not only were we blessed to bring in a decent chunk of our needed support, we had tons of fun. If anyone would like to help us with another car wash in the next month or so, let us know! Several people in the community were really interested in us having another wash. We can only do it with help.

A special thanks to:

Mom and Dad Thornton

Mom and Dad Sroka

Allison

Dave

Robin

Chris

Aunt Gail

Aunt Teri

Aunt Lena

Courtney

Emily D.

Jimmy

Josh P.

Teddy

Seth

and everyone else who scrubbed, rinsed, or came to get their car sparkling!

Online donation option

Village Schools International has now made it possible for support to be donated online. This is done securely through Paypal.
1) Click "Donate to a Missionary"
2) enter the amount you would like to donate
3) enter your credit card information, or sign into your Paypal account
4) Click "Enter the missionary you wish to support," and enter Matt and Emily, or the
Sroka's

If you would prefer to send support via mail, print the donation form found here, and mail to:
Village Schools International
Box 1929
Tomball, TX 77377

Thanks alot!

Workin at the car wash....

Mark your calendars. We want to wash YOUR car!

Car wash to benefit the Sroka's Mission to Tanzania Fund
@ Broadneck EP Church, Bay Dale Drive, Arnold
Saturday, May 22nd, 9am-1pm
Want to help? email me! emilyesroka@gmail.com

(rain date TBA)

so what about HIV

We all know HIV is a growing, global issue. Worldwide, the number of people living with HIV has risen from around 8 million in 1990 to 33 million today, and is still growing. Around 67% of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa. This tragic virus, yes a VIRUS. Normally, when you and I contract a virus, our immune system will fight it off. However, the HIV virus attacks the human immune system itself, the very thing that would normally get rid of a virus.

This epidemic has created a unique situation in regards to orphans and education. Africa has over 14 million AIDS orphans. AIDS is creating a tragedy of momentuous proportions all across Tanzania. There are today more than 1,100,000 orphans, in Tanzania, the vast majority of whom have no hope of ever going to school.

I am a nurse, alot of you know. I see patients with HIV/AIDS more OFTEN than you would think. Sometimes its shocking. In Tanzania, I imagine it will become less shocking, and more the norm. Village Schools has joined with Tanzania providing HIV testing and anti-retrovirals. See what they've been doing....

http://www.villageschools.org/videos/aids_presentation.html

Beautiful Feet

"How then will they call on him in

whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him

of whom they have never heard?

And how are they to hear without

someone preaching? And how are

they to preach unless they

are sent? As it is written,

"How beautiful are the feet of those

who preach the good news!"

Romans 10:14-15

Well, Matt and I would like to have beautiful feet, and we would like for YOU to make our beautiful feet possible. We have decided that the Lord wants us to be "goers." We want to give you the opportunity to be "senders."

We have thought alot about ways to get others excited about our impending trip. We really desire to share with as many people as possible what we are getting ready to do.

So, if you live in the area and would like either host or come to dinnner/dessert and let us share with you our excitement for our journey, please email us! We would like to open our home to our friends and family in order to share with you our prayer and support needs. (and who doesn't want a free meal!) If you would like to host us, and invite some of your own friends that would be wonderful as well.

If you don't live in the area, but would like to know what we are up to, visit the other pages of our blog, or email us! We would love to send you our support letter!

Emily Sroka