Latest UMVIM News
First-time Mission Leader Co-Hort Trainings
The cohort opportunities are for first time Mission Team leaders, who are leading short-term volunteer mission teams from local churches. There are two options for the training. It will be broken up into 4 ninety minute sessions for the following date options:
Wednesday evenings: March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 2025, starting at 6pm Central time/7pm Eastern
or
Saturday mornings on April 12, 19, 26, and May 3rd, starting at 9:30am Central time/10:30am Eastern.
Participants must attend all trainings, and any schedule trainings will need to be approved by the whole group.
Participants are encouraged to download and read the Team Leader Handbook at umvim.org/handbookdownload before the event.
This training will focus on theology of mission, the UMC connectional structure, practical advice for leading a team and mission travel.
This will be led by Tammy Kuntz and Ray Yarnall, and is open to all. Minimum of 4 participants and maximum of 12 participants will be needed for the training.
If you have questions, contact Rev. Tammy Kuntz at ncj@umvim.org
Participants will be sent a Google Classroom link for the training dates.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER
Rane Roste (MN) received funding from the Directors Scholarship to serve with Manos Juntas Mission. You can support NCJ Scholarship funds at https://umvim.org/ncj-donate.
When I first joined the team to go on this mission trip, all I really thought I was going to do was go to Rió Bravo and build a casita for a family and a fence for a school. I didn’t really expect much else. I had done two mission trips before, one to Detroit, Michigan and one to Washington D.C. These were youth mission trips so I was with all of my friends. During these trips I was doing work, but I mainly took back the memories I had made with my friends and the fun we had being on a trip together. I expected this one to be just the same but with adults. However, during this mission trip, after it was over and looking back on it now, I still see God in so many of the things I experienced and the people I met, and I am beyond grateful that my path of faith led me this way. It has truly opened my eyes and allowed me to see America from the other side of the border.
When our team of twelve first arrived, our goal was to get a one room with a loft Casita done and build a fence around an outdoor area for a school where kids could play soccer. We were welcomed with open arms by Manos Juntas, a Methodist organization based in Rio Bravo and all settled into our rooms. We then were introduced to Willy the director of Manos Juntas and Claudia our chef for the whole week. Our first two days were “explore” days where we drove around the town, went to a market, visited the town square and on Sunday went to church. We met the pastor there and one of his daughters, Anna. They both spoke very fluent English and told us they had just moved to Rio Bravo from Monterrey. During the Sermon, Anna took us downstairs to translate her fathers sermon for us from Spanish to English. We were all amazed that she was able to listen to his words and then convert them so that we could all experience the message too.
Once we started the “work” days, half of our team went to the Casita worksite and the other half went to the school. At each spot we had a Maestro. Juan worked with the people at the school and Pancho worked with the team at the Casita. Both of them were super patient with us, as they could do all of the jobs (mostly block and cement laying) ten times faster than we could, but still let us go at our own pace. The family at the Casiata, especially the three little girls, loved to help us move wood planks, paint, and grab tools that we needed. It was so fun watching them interact with each team member and having a good time building their new house. The children at the school were a little shy at first, but after the teacher let us join them in celebrating the king's day by sharing some cake, they warmed right up to us.
Once we were nearing the end of the projects, on friday we worked for a half day and then visited a few places that were connected with Manos Juntas. We went to a daycare and a children's temporary foster home that they run. Touring both of those places was so impactful for our team and for me, as all week we were surrounded by poverty. Seeing so many adults care so much for the children of Rio Bravo making sure they have a warm place to sleep, food on the table, clothing, showers and beds and so much more was amazing to witness and makes me so grateful for my own life and family. It just so happened that my birthday was this day too, so after taking a short trip to Progreso for some souvenirs, we went to my birthday dinner and all of the people we had met along the week joined us. I loved being surrounded by all these kind people that had taken our team under their wing and welcomed us into their home and their culture.
When the trip was done and we were crossing the border back into the U.S., I looked back on all the times I had seen God that week. I saw God when Anna was translating her fathers sermon, when Claudia cooked us three meals and day and always had a smile on her face, when I got a porcelain angel in my cake slice, when the team surprised me with a piñata for my birthday, when the mother of the children broke down crying when we finished the casita for her family, when the directors of the foster care house only had enough money to last till march but still had faith that God would provide and when I was looking at the team while we were working and everyone was still enjoying themselves even though we were all tired. I saw God in all of the people I had met along the way and especially saw God when I looked at the border from the other side. Seeing all these news stories and articles about how we need to keep tighter borders and build a wall to keep the “aliens” or “illegals” out after meeting the sweetest people ever is very saddening. These are real people, with real lives who are trying to make their lives better by getting out of situations that you can’t even imagine. I think God brought me to these people to show me how important it is to advocate for others' voices that are pushed down by an unfair system and other people's naive agendas of power. Just having empathy for people goes a long way and I encourage everyone to put themselves in other people's shoes and in this case, look at the border from the other side.
A Lesson in Caregiving
Heather Jue-Wong received funding from the Directors Scholarship to support her mission journey to Peru. Read her story Here. Or watch her share with her local church here.
Click here to help us be sure others can engage in God’s mission by supporting the scholarship funds. Designate your gift to scholarships.
You can serve in Peru! Go to Discover…Mission and contact. Michigan UMVIM coordinator Jody Pratt.
California Fires Update
Updated 1/15/25
The fires in California have devastated a large area in a short amount of time. The recovery will take years and will require many volunteers. Monetary donations are the best way to help now. We are called as United Methodists to be the body of Christ long after the news cameras leave, and offer sustained hope to all affected. We will communicate the needs as they develop and pass along any invitations from those in the Cal-Pac Conference and beyond.
Here is the latest along with how to donate:
We are so thankful for the outpouring of support. Many of you have asked how you can help support relief efforts, and as evacuations continue, the fires still burn, and hundreds of thousands remain without power, the best way to help right now is through monetary donations. We've set up a special fund for the Los Angeles Fires Recovery Fund, where you can contribute directly towards relief and recovery from the effects of the winds and firestorms this week: www.calpacumc.org/donate
UMVIM, SEJ January 2025 Newsletter
The first UMVIM, SEJ Newsletter for 2025 is available! Click here to view, or click the image below.
UMVIM-NCJ 2024 The Year in pictures
This team is manufacturing solar ovens at the workshop in South Dakota.
N0rth Central Jurisdiction News 12 15 24
UMVIM-NCJ news 12 15 24
https://mailchi.mp/umvim/theres-a-new-look-to-umvimncj-news-8-31-18230868?e=2865e3c70f
Lake Junaluska Hosting Mission/Ski Event for Youth
[This is not an UMVIM event, but is hosted by Lake Junaluska]
Looking for a transformative weekend for your youth? Bring them to SEEK: Mission and Ski Retreat, an ENCOUNTER youth retreat, Jan. 17-20, at Lake Junaluska.
This hands-on mission weekend will allow participants to put their faith into action by helping those affected by Hurricane Helene. They’ll meet other young people and make new friends, while rolling up their sleeves to participate in meaningful projects that will directly benefit those in need.
They will also experience the beautiful outdoors of Western North Carolina with a day of skiing or snowboarding at Cataloochee Ski Area or snow tubing at Tube World.
SEEK: Mission and Ski Retreat is part of Lake Junaluska’s ENCOUNTER Youth & Adult Leader Retreats 2025, one of which is a dedicated United Methodist Confirmation retreat. The theme for the 2025 retreats is “Living My Part” from Matthew 7:7, which says, “Ask and it will be given to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”
To register for Seek: Mission and Ski Retreat or to learn more about ENCOUNTER Youth & Adult Leader Retreats 2025, visit https://bit.ly/LJEncounterMissionSkiRetreat.
North Central Jurisdiction News Nov. 30, 2024
https://mailchi.mp/umvim/theres-a-new-look-to-umvimncj-news-8-31-18230292?e=943bd93bed
UMVIM-NCJ news 11 15 24
https://mailchi.mp/umvim/theres-a-new-look-to-umvimncj-news-8-31-18229832?e=77d0eaea63
UMVIM, Southeast Jurisdiction Giving Tuesday Fundraiser
The Southeast Jurisdiction office of UMVIM has kicked off its annual Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign. If $20,000 is raised by Dec 3rd, Giving Tuesday, generous donors will add an additional $10,000 to the total!
You can help by giving, posting the link to the donation page, umvim.org/tuesday on your social media pages, and announcing the campaign in your church!
Visit umvim.org/tuesday to give and for more information!
Hurricane Helene and Milton Updates
Last Update: 22 October 2024
Current volunteer opportunties:
Mississippi Conference is currently looking for teams. Click here for more info.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton left significant damage to areas of the Southeast. Many communities are reeling from heavy rains which caused flooding in populated areas and first responders are still working around the clock to prepare the way for longer stages of response and recovery.
Below are a few general guidelines about volunteering, donating, and the best ways to help those affected.
General Rules:
Money is usually the best option to help those affected. Your gift to UMCOR or another vetted organization such as the Red Cross, will help those working to recover, give back to the local economies in the disaster area, and allow flexibility as supplies and needs can change rapidly.
Donations such as used clothes, furniture, or other items should not be donated unless an organization has made a direct appeal for those items. Even if used items are given with good intentions, they can make donation managment more difficult and [if given when not needed] simply add to trash piles.
Interest in volunteering always cresendos in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. But setting up effective volunteer networks takes time and should always come after first responders have been allowed to do their jobs. To the right is an illustration of a general timeline concerning responding to disasters in the United Methodist Church. Any Annual Conference who is seeking volunteer teams will put out a call through denominational networks, including UMVIM.
If you church is interested in putting together supply kits, please check UMCOR’s website to see if kits are needed, and if so, what supplies should go into them.
UMVIM will continue to serve as one of the communication streams during Hurricane Helene response and recovery as the situation progresses. For the latest news and information, we encourage you to check with your Annual Conference Disaster Coordinator for any information concerning volunteers and donations.
Below are links to each Annual Conference who has posted information about Disaster Response and Recovery for their UMC members:
Florida: https://www.flumc.org/2024-hurricane-season-updates
Alabama-West Florida: https://www.awfumc.org/newsdetail/18665887
North Georgia: https://www.ngumc.org/newsdetail/disaster-response-update-helene-18670010
South Georgia: https://www.sgaumc.org/disasterresponse
Western North Carolina: https://www.wnccumc.org/newsdetail/hurricane-helene-response-18662070
North Carolina: https://nccumc.org/helene/
South Carolina: https://www.umcsc.org/disaster/
Holston: https://www.holston.org/article/flood-news-blog-18662033
Virginia: https://vaumc.org/helene
Oak Ridge, TN FUMC Serves at UMCOR Sager Brown
Members of Oak Ridge, TN FUMC
With 197 Hygiene Kits in hand, six members of the First United Methodist Church Oak Ridge’s congregation departed Oak Ridge to act as Gods hands and feet at UMCOR Sager Brown in Baldwin, LA on Saturday September 7th. After attending church at Parkway Heights UMC in Hattiesburg MS the team arrived at the depot Sunday afternoon. They were assigned their dorm rooms and attended a kickoff briefing. Monday morning, after a great breakfast, the 42 short term volunteers gathered at the Depot to select their assignments for the week. Thirty of the volunteers were sponsored by the Arkansas Methodist Foundation. They came from six different churches across the state. Four volunteers were from Texas and two from Kansas City. In addition to the short-term volunteers there were three long term volunteers. There were many opportunities for various types of work ranging from gardening, facility maintenance, ramp construction and of course the main reason for the trip and facility – the verification and staging of disaster relief kits. With Hurricane Francine looming in the near future, Flood Bucket kits were the disaster relief kit of the week. Four of the Oak Ridge volunteers verified Flood Buckets, while the other two members worked on building a wheelchair ramp.
By Tuesday morning it became obvious that it was time to depart the lovely Bayou Tech as a possible 10 ft. storm surge was being predicated and the altitude at the Sager Brown facility is 17 feet above sea level. As the team departed Baldwin on their way home, Sager Brown operations were shut down and all staff members were sent home to prepare for the winds and storm surge from Francine. Sager Brown has sent out over $2 million in kits (flood buckets, Hygiene & Menstrual Hygiene Kits) so far this year.
This was the 17th Team that FUMCOR has sent to Baldwin, LA to work at Sager Brown. Since starting launching their “Adult Mission Trip” program in 2003 FUMCOR has sent 83 Mission Teams to 5 countries and have worked at seven different disaster sites in the US. Those efforts represent UMCOR’s byline of First In (with disaster kits on the front end) and Last Out (by rehabilitating damaged homes at the back end) as well as showing God’s love through the efforts of over 1,300 missioners.
The FUMC Team members were: Sarah Lively, Becky Keller, Charlie Keller, Maxine Schultz (Team Leader), Wayne Houlberg and Bob Schultz.
Wisconsin IN Mission Together team serves in Lithuania
This past summer, 11 members of First United Methodist Church of Neenah/Menasha embarked on a truly transformative mission [journey] to Lithuania, reconnecting with our partner church, Pilviškiai United Methodist Church. Our “In Mission Together” partnership, which began in 2013, is grounded in long-term relationship building rather than short-term projects. We focus on empowerment over dependency, bringing the unique gifts and talents of each partner to the table, and nurturing the spiritual development of both communities. Our multi-generational team, ranging from energetic youth to middle-aged parents to enthusiastic retirees, found that the journey was far more about spiritual renewal than traditional work projects.
Beyond the physical work of painting parts of the church, together with our partners, we immersed ourselves in the rich tapestry of the Lithuanian people and culture, exploring its history and traditions. We confronted the profound scars left by the genocide of the Jewish people, both in Pilviškiai and across Lithuania, during the 50+ years of Soviet and German occupation. Paying our respects at a sacred and holy mass grave site, hearing a first-hand account from a church member who witnessed these atrocities as a child, together, we prayed for the lives lost, the lives forever changed, and for a future where such horrors are never repeated.
We also learned about the immense suffering endured during the Soviet and German occupations. Countless lives were lost, families were forcibly exiled to Siberia, and all freedoms, including religious freedom, were stripped away. This painful history illuminated the enduring strength and resilience of the Lithuanian people, deepening our understanding of their journey, their unbreakable spirit, and their abiding faith.
Amidst the challenges, we discovered moments of extraordinary hope. The joy and energy of local children, who grew in number and spirit as the week progressed, were a testament to the future of the church. We were uplifted by the display of unity at the National Song and Dance Festival. Witnessing this traditional celebration, we saw firsthand the spirit and cultural pride of the Lithuanian people. The dedication of four young people, who were raised in the church, returning to assist with translation was a profound joy. Additionally, one of the translators feels a calling into ministry after completing her military service. She is now actively supporting the Pilviškiai church by leading small group worship on a weekly basis, a significant help for the congregation who is without a pastor. Her involvement enriches the community, highlighting a new chapter of engagement and spiritual development for the church.
The most profound impact of our experience was the deep connections we formed with the Pilviškiai church community and with each other. Every evening, we came together to share our personal faith journey, lifting our voices in stories, prayer and song. Despite language barriers, our shared faith fostered a strong sense of love and unity. Both Lithuanians and Americans expressed similar concerns about the future—economic worries, political uncertainties, health challenges, and divided nations—but we also discovered a resilient hope that transcends these fears, binding us together in a spirit of perseverance, love, and faith.
Since returning home, plans are underway with the support of the East Winds UMC District and the Flushing UMC in the Michigan Conference to equip the Pilviškiai Methodist Church with the necessary technology and equipment to facilitate joint Bible studies and worship services via Zoom. This will enable us to bridge the distance and maintain the meaningful connections we’ve established, allowing us to worship and study together, even if we are oceans apart.
By: Nick Kaiser and Jeanie Kurka Reimer, Mission [journey] Participants
Indiana North District youth experience other faith traditions
The Indiana North District Better Way Youth Mission Journey (recipients of the NCJ Directors Scholarship
“The goal of the trip was to prepare for a brighter future by equipping young people with an experience that breaks down stereotypes as the country becomes increasingly more diverse. One youth said, “This was the highlight of my summer. It taught me to tear down walls of prejudice and learn about others and how to have fun while learning.””
Indiana team Experience more than expected
LaGrange First UMC in Lagrange, Indiana sent our team of 14 to Henderson Settlement in July 2024. The team was started by Jeanie Estep, a retired teacher. No one else on the team had ever been to Henderson before, and for over half the team this was their first mission trip ever. The team included members ages 80-13 with half of them adults and half teens. They power-washed and sealed a 200 ft. walking bridge, built a covered porch for a family, packed over 50 boxes of food in the food pantry, and planted corn for fall decorations. Everyone grew a lot. This was already a group passionate about service, but they also learned the importance of their testimony and to look for how God is at work every day. Here are some quotes from our teens:
Colton, 13, “God brought us here to build a deck. I feel like we accomplished what we came here to do. I learned a lot.”
Hank, 14, “If felt like no matter what we did, there was more that needed done. It was a relief it finally got done.”
Zeke, 14, “On Thursday night we hosted the worship service. There was one part where people could share what touched them. It was really long. It kind of quantifies how much has gone right here.
Zeke, 14, “I think it was great. I think I’m gonna come back again. I think you should come and try it out. It’s really nice.”
Lydia, 16, “I saw God working in our devotions. I got to hear testimonies from my brother and dad. It was really special to me because I was there when it was happening. It’s nice to hear that is part of their story.”
Kamilla, 16, “Getting to know everyone was awesome. I think Howe UMC and Lagrange UMC should mingle a lot more!”
Kamilla, 16, “I think they really felt God. I think I really felt God too.
Zac, 18, “It brought us together as a little family inside a bigger family. It also brought us closer together as friends.
Claire, 23, “I shared for the first time about what brought me to church a year ago.”
Rev. Crystal Jacobson
LaGrange UMC
