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Hello!
What a joy it is to look back at a wonderful year of service! It has been amazing, and
an honor, to see God moving in the urban centers of North America.
We are grateful to each trip participant, ministry partner, donor, staff person and individual
that has come alongside the work of CSM throughout 2008.
For this month's CSM Impact interview, we have the opportunity to get to know Brian Burris, a CSM group leader that has taken the "CSM
Experience" to the next level!
Come and discover the real Chicago - this month's City Highlight. If you'd
like to learn more
about serving in the "Windy City",
please visit
our website.
Now
is the time to register for your Spring 2009 trip. That's right - many weeks have already filled! If you
haven't registered
yet, please call the Home Office
(949-248-8200) to
find out which dates are still available.
Also, at the end of the month,
Maryanne McLaren (current CSM Director of
Operations) will be leaving her position. We thank her for 16 years of
dedicated service, the passion for ministry she has brought to the CSM
family and for always keeping our team on it's toes! She will be
missed, but we wish her the best as she follows the Lord into the next
chapter He has for her.
From our hearts to yours - we wish you a very Merry
Christmas and a peaceful New Year!
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| City
Highlight: Chicago
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Isaac and Will are best friends. You would think them an unlikely
alliance as they stand next to each other, both towering at over 6 feet
tall, Will very scrawny with snow white skin that matches his thinning
hair and Isaac with a much broader frame and ebony skin that matches
his dark hair and thick framed glasses. Despite their opposite looks,
what brings these two together is their mutual love for the homeless
and desire to provide for the poor and the hungry.
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| A Prayer
for You |
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As we hurry along this Christmas season, may we always remember those that are hurting, that
are lost and in need. This is our prayer for you (and ourselves!) as we seek to be Jesus' hands and feet in
this world:
"May God bless us with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that we may live deep within your
heart.
May God bless us with
anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless us with tears to shed
for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war
so that we may reach out your hand to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless us with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done - to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the
poor."
- A Franciscan Benediction
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CSM Impact: Brian Burris
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 After years of serving with CSM and returning home to Springfield (IL), Brian and his team
noticed how many of their students began asking “What do we do now?” They took that question as a
challenge...
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Job Opening: Spring 2009 City
Hosts
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 CSM is still in need of a few more City Hosts for this upcoming Spring. The most likely
spots available are in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, Chicago, New York City and Washington, DC. To learn more
about being a City Host and how to apply, please visit our website
. We have also begun accepting applications for the Summer of 2009!
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Get Started
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There
is still time to sign up for your Spring 2009 mission trip! Call the home office
to find out the availability of the city you want to serve in.
Find out more....
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| Our Sponsors |
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