Board Member Karen Viele is ACT’S Holt Connection
Musician and new ACT-Michigan Board Member Karen Viele spent much of her distinguished professional career enriching the education of students in the Midland area. Now, in “retirement” in her home town of Holt, Michigan since mid-2009, Karen has more time to do the same for ACT-Uganda’s children. Holt is about 100 miles or 160 kilometers south of Midland.
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| First Presbyterian Church, Holt Michigan |
"I was an elder at Memorial Presbyterian Church, knew Sue (Waechter),
and was really engaged in ACT right from the start," Karen says. When she and her family
moved back to Holt, Karen rejoined First Presbyterian Church of Holt and continued her
ACT-ivism there. "They say you can’t go home again, but we did!" Karen laughs.
"They’ve become really great to partner with, since they’re already engaged in outreach
projects in the Yucatan."
The most recent activity in support of ACT was the church’s hosting of a handcraft sale
to benefit the Muko Empowerment Program on October 3. (See more about that event
here.) Another sale is scheduled for November 14.
Karen praises her pastor Reverend Kirk Miller and Associate Pastor Rev. Bekah Zorgdrager for their support, and hopes their enthusiasm will spread through the congregation. "I’d like to encourage people to consider sponsoring an orphan, possibly multiple families joining together to sponsor one," she says. The Vieles’ own sponsored orphan, Grace, will get a visit from her American "sister" when the Vieles’ daughter Ashley visits Uganda in December as part of the ACT mission team.
"Though financial sponsorship is the primary endeavor, it’s important to write letters that keep establishing the relationship," Karen explains. "That’s the thing that first touched my heart about ACT; the thought of children who didn’t have shelter or parents. Here we have all the gracious gifts we’ve been given – tucking our own children into bed every night.
"I would love to see ACT be able to purchase the building (in Uganda), and adopt more children,” Karen notes. “Education is so important. So is the Muko Empowerment Program for the women." ACT is looking forward to designing projects to engage the men in the production of handcrafts.
She’s glad to be part of the ACT team.
"It’s very well organized," Karen says. "I hope we can continue at the same or an expanded pace!"
(Posted 12 Nov 2010)
