Gabriel, the Missionary Bear

Meet Gabriel Bear, a missionary from Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA. His mission is to connect the people of God and share their stories. On this page, Gabriel shares stories of how the people he has met love God and love each other. So that all who have had Gabriel visit can follow him in his travels, please send a copy of text and photos of his visit to bear@gracelynchburg.org. When Gabriel has completed his work with you, please see that he arrives safely in another community.

Grace Memorial is a beautiful church located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Lynchburg is situated along the James River at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The worship is traditional and joyful. This friendly congregation is all about outreach. They feed the hungry, clothe the needy, house the homeless, and more. Even I helped sort and fold clothes at the Helping Hands Clothing Center. Gotta love these kids! In the spring, the youth at Grace Memorial sponsored a sub sandwich lunch which raised money for the student community at Virginia Tech following the tragic shootings. Virginia Tech is in the same diocese as Grace Memorial, so it was easy for me to visit the campus and pay my respects at the memorial to the shooting victims.

Grace Memorial children with Gabriel Gabriel helping out at the Helping Hands Clothing Center	Gabriel at the memorial to the victims of the April 16, 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech
Gabriel supports the victims of the April 16th shooting	Grace Memorial children with Gabriel