October has many connotations: Fall, Halloween, Breast Cancer Awareness, and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness. As many may be aware, I sadly lost my unborn baby at the end of January after a 19-week pregnancy. It was a difficult way to begin the year, made worse by all that has happened in the world since then. I have been grateful to everyone for their support and could not help but notice how often we simply do not discuss such moments in our lives. While working through my emotions I came across a definition of grief describing it as the love you feel for someone who is no longer here. And that love has nowhere to go. With that in mind, I decided to channel that love into positive creations. Art is very important and therapeutic to me, so I had a specific project in mind to help with this process. After our loss, I dried some of the flowers we received in condolence. I wanted to display them in a shadowbox with some type of watercolor background and through creating this piece of art, I would express my love for my sweet girl. One obstacle in this project was that I do not like watercolor. It is literally a fluid art form and I lean toward creating art with hard lines and clear boundaries. My answer to this challenge was using watercolor pens. They are essentially a pen with a brush at the end that dispenses the watercolor ink. They give me a lot more control and I found I greatly enjoyed painting with them. I wasn’t ready to create my special project yet, so I started out with a few practice pieces. I painted cacti, hearts, flowers, and then practiced the look for the background of the shadowbox. While I was practicing, I realized that a few members of staff, and my friends, would really like some of the pieces I was creating. I even thought about specific individuals while painting them. When I painted a blue and purple heart and wrote 1 Corinthians 13:13 with it, I thought of Rev. Kathy Thiel’s lovely sermon on the “Greatest of These.” That verse specifically reminds me of Kathy, as she exudes a genuine and empathic love to all those around her. The next time I met up with Kathy, I made sure to give her the simple watercolor piece and let her know that I was thinking of her. It was nice to have a connection, especially since we rarely get to meet face to face these days. The project honoring my lost child was so rewarding that I decided I didn’t want to stop. I continued painting using my cool new watercolor pens, making simple watercolor pieces for the members of the Asbury First staff. (Continued on next page)
By Sarah Brubaker
E-Newsletter of Asbury First
Far left: Watercolor art project using the dried condolence flowers from my loss to honor our baby girl. Above: A collection of watercolor paintings for the different members of the Asbury First staff to bring us together with a shared moment during an extended time apart.
October 21, 2020
A church is more than the building, and the members of Asbury First are proving this time and again. We aim to keep connected with an e-newsletter that will highlight the unique stories of our amazing community.
Using my knowledge of their individual interests, I painted items such as a guitar for James Flack, a multi-color ball of yarn for Deb Bullock-Smith, and a Superman “S” for Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady. It truly was a joyful connection to paint something for these incredible individuals who have all been so supportive during my grief and in general during this pandemic. Keeping these simple connections alive and making sure that people out there know you are thinking of them, is one important way to spread God’s love. To make it more fun and to try and enhance the connection between our staff, I had a surprise reveal at the beginning of our staff meeting last week. I wanted everyone to receive their picture at the same time to create a moment of inclusion in a time of separation. It was a lovely moment and I am grateful for the opportunity to send love out into the world. So, here is my call to action. I challenge you all to find or recognize something that reminds you of a person you haven’t seen in a while, and then let that person know they are in your thoughts. You don’t have to learn watercolor painting to make the connection. A card, a hand-written note, or a phone call will do nicely. Let that person know that a lovely sunrise reminded you of the time you stayed up on Maundy Thursday with the Men’s Group, or a hymn or song on the radio reminded you of singing along with our excellent choir, or while practicing yoga you remembered the time there was Goat Yoga on the front lawn of the church. The key is to acknowledge that connection and make it known. Go and spread the good news of God’s love one connection at a time.
Connections, continued.
The big reveal at staff meeting.
COMMUNITY
DRIVE IN
It was wonderful to gather together, even if we were in separate cars with masks! Enjoy these pictures from the event.
We hope you all enjoyed gathering together to watch It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on October 17. We had about 30 cars join in the fun, we even had a local ambulance stop and watch for a while!
Happy Halloween!
YOUTH MINISTRY
On October 4, the Asbury First Youth were able to keep their annual tradition of attending the Amazing Maize Maze at Long Acre Farms in Macedon. This year may have had an addition of masks and social distancing, but that didn’t stop the fun of getting lost in the corn, jumping on a giant air pillow, trying to maneuver a golf ball through a vertical labyrinth, or hanging out by a fire and enjoying apple cider and a donut. Each year, Long Acre Farms chooses a theme for their maze, and this year it was the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. — Mike Mullin, Minister for Discipleship and Youth
This last Sunday night, we had our annual Youth Group Halloween parties! There was a costume contest, an apple cider taste test to find out which cider rules them all, trivia contests, charades, and a chance to win a jar of candy. Plus, folks brought in treats and wrote out warm fuzzies for our college freshmen care packages. Happy Halloween!! — Summer Sattora, Assistant Youth Minister
Visit to Long Acre Farms
Top: Students at the nearby public school getting the Shoes That Grow — a gift from Asbury First VBS 2019. Above: The new hallway at Chacocente Christian School with glass windows and tile floor installed and fresh paint.
COVID-19 has greatly altered life for the people of Nicaragua, as it has for all of us. The government is not forthcoming about the number of cases and fatalities, and it has been difficult to obtain reliable data. Project Chacocente staff and fellow missionaries to Nicaragua share stories of sadness and hardship, but thanks to the faith and determination of the people of the Project and the support and prayers of our donors here in Rochester and throughout the United States, the ministry has been able to carry on vital work: Nearly $2,500 in emergency food relief has been distributed to the families of the Project and to neighbors in the community, a blessing for people living day-to-day. The six elementary classrooms at Chacocente Christian School have been renovated to greatly enhance the academic experience for students and teachers. This effort has provided income for the workers who raised the roof, installed doors and new tile flooring, and painted the walls. New lighting and fans will soon be installed. “Remote” instruction continued during the period that classes were suspended, using WhatsApp, teaching materials, and homework assignments carried back and forth between home and school. Classes have resumed with a hybrid model of in-school and at-home instruction. Students at the public school down the road from Chacocente were grateful for the gift of “Shoes That Grow.” Thanks to Asbury First’s Vacation Bible School 2019, over 300 pairs of sandals that expand for growing feet were delivered to Nicaragua by our 2020 mission team. Each student at Chacocente received a pair, and leftover shoes were given to our neighboring public school. Blessed to be a blessing! The pandemic has greatly limited fundraising, and like all non-profits, we Project Chacocente has had to go virtual. Steps of Hope, our first-ever virtual 5K will take place throughout the month of November. Positivity Amidst a Pandemic, our #GivingTuesday event, will be on December 1. Email Robyn Gage at robynegage@gmail.com or call her at 585-752-9070, or visit www.outofthedump.org to learn more.
By Robyn Gage
Project Chacocente During the Pandemic
OUTREACH
Have a birthday coming up? We'd love to help celebrate. Let us know about it by emailing communication@asburyfirst.org.
Happy Birthday!
Asbury First wants to wish Alice Young a belated Happy 97th Birthday! Martha Neubert and Stuart Mitchell recently visited Alice to help celebrate this incredible day with some lovely flowers and conversation.