Over the summer, mission teams from 4 different California congregations visited FIRM, bringing some much needed help. These mission teams helped with various projects relating to property maintenance and upkeep, direct services like distributing water on very hot days, and helping with social/outreach events like a bingo lunch for elders and the Carnival. Along the way, they got to learn more about refugees and some of the specific cultures that FIRM serves.
A couple of the teams worked on the conference room in FIRM’s main administration building. Teams painted, tore out the old carpet, put in new flooring and more to get it ready. It will be named the Neng Thao Memorial Conference Room to remember Neng Thao, who was a passionate young advocate for the Southeast Asian community in Fresno. Neng tragically drowned in the San Joaquin River in May weeks before his high school graduation. With the mission teams’ help, we will complete this project by the end of the Summer, when we will invite Neng’s family to the opening of the new space.
Thanks to these congregations for helping us share Christ’s love to build communities of Hope!
- Congregational Church of San Mateo
- Cornerstone Church of the Silicon Valley
- First Congregational Church of Berkeley
- United Japanese Christian Church, Clovis