Have you ever wondered what happens to your money after you put it in the offering plate?  Just so you'll have some answers, the plates are taken to the office where the cash is counted, the check amounts are counted and recorded, so you'll get a statement later on, and then the whole thing is taken to the bank for a deposit.  Nice and simple, right?    But then, what happens to the money? 

The Session, annually, makes a budget to allot sums of money for payroll, building and grounds maintenance, fellowship dinners, missions, Christian education, etc.  This year the Session budgeted for money to be given to missionaries in the Congo via the Vernon Anderson Memorial Fund, which was sent including the budgeted amount from 2008 which hadn't been designated prior.  Now, you ask, who was Vernon Anderson and why does Swift send money to his memorial? 

Vernon Anderson grew up at Swift and became a missionary in the Congo.  Dr. Anderson was a physician, who lost his wife and two children to disease while he was in the Congo.  After spending 50 years there, he came back to the USA and lived in Florida where he lived to be over 100 years of age.  Debbie Schmidt, Lynn Barnwell and Linda Henry, who some will know, went to Florida to visit with him.  At that time they interviewed him and made a video of him.  When he died he was buried in our own cemetery.  A fund was set up with the PCUSA to honor him and his work in the Congo.  Swift has contributed to that fund for several years.  This year we'd like to let you know a little about the missionaries who have benefited from Swift's contributions.

The missionaries we have chosen are being featured in the Mission Connections page:  Featured now are  Larry and Inge Sthreshley, They will be followed by Gwenda and John Fletcher who have just returned to the Congo. The first missionary family was Mike and Nancy Haninger who you can get more information about on the web site link.www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/congo.htm

 Click on MINISTRIES on the left side bar, then click on "Mission Connections" for a look at the mission work of these faithful servants.