Latest UMVIM News

Tammy Kuntz Tammy Kuntz

Iowa UMVIM team partners with Strong Missions in Costa Rica

The Nolte Alpha team recently served in Costa Rica.

“One of the ways we nurture one another during a mission is to encourage members to reach out of their comfort zones and learn new skills. Our gifts and talents are shared intentionally to help one another grow. We encourage one another to become more aware of the gifts and talents they see in others to explore those we might like to develop. Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” (1 John 3:16-18)”

Read the story here.

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

New Mission Trainings Available

Several new training opportunities, including online Team Leader Refresher trainings, have been added to the training calendar.

For more information about these, visit umvim.org/calendar

Two online Team Leader refresher trainings will take place March 9 and Sept 14, via zoom, and open for registration at the above link.

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

Volunteer Team Opportunities for Cuba, Angola

The Florida Conference is seeking team members for projects in Cuba and Angola. Those interested can contact the team leaders listed below.

Angola: the Florida Conference is seeking team members for the Quéssua Methodist Mission in Angola There are a number of opportunities: from theological education to medical work, ministry with youth and women, VBS, malaria control, minor construction projects, and more!

If you are interested in joining a team to Angola or need more information, please contact me at irodriguez@flumc.org or the team leader.

July 12-26, led by Giselle Lawn, gisellelawn@gmail.com
August 1-15, led by Trish and Adam Hall, ath5789@gmail.com
August 18 - August 30, Mountain Sky Conference
September 2-16, led by Molly McEntire and Icel Rodriguez, mmcentire@flumc.org
September 16-30, led by Armando & Icel Rodriguez, irodriguez@flumc.org
October/November (exact date and team leader TBD)

Cuba: the Florida Conference is also seeking team members for various journeys to Cuba.

July 8-15, Home for the Elderly in Havana, led by Robert Pinera, rpinera@aol.com
Sept 9-16, Camp Canaan in central Cuba, led by Robert Pinera, rpinera@aol.com
Oct 10-17, Methodist Seminary in Havana, led by Robert Pinera, rpinera@aol.com
Dec 2-9, Holguin Central Church in eastern Cuba, led by Icel Rodriguez, irodriguez@flumc.org

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

When Paul Met Sally: Volunteers Find Love in Holston Conference Church

[Re-posted from Holston Conference website, written by Annette Spence, photo by Tim Jackson]

The first time Paul Morgan met Sally Ball, they were standing amid the dusty archives at Magnolia Avenue United Methodist Church.

Almost two years later, after showing up from separate churches to help get the 100-year-old building back on its feet, the two were married amid the Christmas decorations in Magnolia Avenue’s sanctuary on December 30, 2023.

“There was no reason to put it off,” says Paul Morgan. “Why go into the new year?”

Click here to read more on the Holston Conference website.

Read More
Tammy Kuntz Tammy Kuntz

OC Ministries makes impact in Sierra Leone

Through OC Ministries, a ministry of the Minnesota Conference, 50 Minnesota United Methodist churches contributed to an effort to build The Rev. Richard Ormsby Secondary School in Baiwalla, Sierra Leone, which opened its doors in 2019. A group recently traveled there to check in on the school and explore with faculty and staff how to continue to strengthen it.

Read more about OC Ministries via the Minnesota Conference website, or by visiting the OC Ministries webpage.

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

UMVIM, Southeast Juris. News, September 23

SERVING IN SUMMER AND DEALING WITH COVID

This summer saw some return to normalcy for churches serving internationally after nearly 3 years of adapting to COVID. First Church UMC in Birmingham served in Panama with Missionary Rhett Thompson, and Grace UMC in North Augusta, SC journeyed to Bolivia. However, COVID infections have seen a resurgence since the Spring.

All mission teams are encouraged to check CDC.gov or their personal physician before journeying away from home in areas where COVID transmission has increased.

Grace UMC in North Augusta, SC served in Bolivia over the summer.

First UMC Birmingham travelled to Panama to serve with Rhett Thompson

SERVING AS AN INDIVIDUAL

The Mission Volunteer program, under the direction of Una Jones at Global Ministries, exists for individual volunteers, as well as couples, to serve longer than the usualy mission team.

Those interested in the program can visit missionvolunteers.org to view the application and more about the program.

Applicants will be invited to the Mission Volunteer Training in Tampa, FL in November.

Read More
Tammy Kuntz Tammy Kuntz

DIscover...Mission journey to Ganta Hospital

Sarah Metz was a recipient of the Directors Scholarship and served with a Discover…Mission team to Liberia in July 2023.


In may, I was presented with a surreal opportunity to travel to Liberia in Africa to participate in a medical mission trip. We arrived in Ganta, at Ganta United Methodist Hospital, to a home of welcoming arms and excited staff. As a pharmacy student, I was able to practice

hands-on clinical skills that would not be routinely done within the States, and it was rewarding to have so many wonderful mentors along the way to teach me their ways and techniques. Individuals studying pharmacy in Liberia are sparse, and the staff was beyond surprised, and thankful for me to be there. I walked into the doors of the hospital with expectations of learning more than my brain and my heart could handle, and that was beyond achieved. Although I spent time in every single unit, and every unit impacted my heart, there were three units that really impacted myself as a student.

Within the walls of the pharmacy, I learned Pharmacist Barr’s methodology behind stocking, inventory, and common medication administration in Ganta. He was also beyond gracious enough to teach me the administrative side of pharmacy, which I did not even have experience in within the States. Pharmacist Barr’s techniques proved his excellence as a pharmacist, and I was very impressed with the love he pours into his unit.

My participation in the emergency department was overwhelming. After not having much hands-on clinical experience, I was guided in the right directions by Nurse Grace. The staff of the ER were knowledgeable about common disease states in the country, and were more than willing to explain methods of treatment within the hospital. Although there were plenty of differences in care between the States and Liberia, the staff in the ER are very willing to educate their patients, and even visitors like myself, in the importance of adequate healthcare.

In the OB GYN/Labor and Delivery units, I met too many beautiful babies to count. I admire each staff member and their love for their patients and their babies. The nurses took care of each patient as their own children and family.

I found it so easy to connect with these patients and provide care solely because of our

common relationship with Christ. Even in the States, it is difficult to develop a stable patient-provider relationship. Ganta United Methodist Hospital taught me more about your healthcare than a classroom could ever provide, from language barriers, health literacy, fear of new people, and differences in access to care. Everyone was extremely accepting of advice from me, as well as accepting my ways of patient-care within the States. The leader of our team, Samuel Quarshie, was family to our team. Sam put us as his priority, not only as his job for one week while we were there, but he connected with each one of us spiritually and emotionally. Sam showed that the Lord is truly upon us, and He speaks through Samuel. I have never felt more love from other friends who are not considered to be family than I did from Sam. I will forever be thankful for my relationship that I was able to build with him over our ten day trip.

They always say you’ll never truly understand, and that couldn’t be more correct. Even after such heartfelt experiences, I am still at a loss for words to describe my trip. The best that I can come up with is “love”. The love that Ganta has for the Lord is inspiring. The love that Ganta has for their people is unimaginable. The love of your community is untouched. The love given within your care is unconditional.

Even surrounded with new people with different things to offer in aspects of patient care, the families and staff in Ganta United Methodist Hospital still showed unconditional support and love. From our team including an emergency room nurse, a medical student, a biomedical technician, and myself, a pharmacy student, the staff loved each of us as their own. I want to show thanks to our remarkable team on this trip. We all proved our love for Liberia, especially Ganta. We provided our expertise in many different aspects. We grew in ourselves, and it was evident at the end of the trip. Every single one of us proved to be a leader.

I want to give my sincere thanks to each and every one of my supporters from the very beginning of my journey. You all were the reason that I could learn in this new environment. I was overwhelmed with guidance, advice, and financial support from my home church, Gay Street United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon, OH), as well as scholarships from UMVIM. Either with kind words, encouragement, prayers, or financially, you all made this trip possible.

I am proud of you, Ganta. I am proud of the family I have overseas. I am proud of myself and my confidence within your walls. And I am proud of every supporter that helped me along the way. As I said before I boarded the plane: “It isn’t a goodbye, because I’ll be back to Ganta soon”.





Read More
Tammy Kuntz Tammy Kuntz

Spooner UMC (WI) serves in the Philippines

Philippines Trip 2023

By: Lyza Serra, recipient of the Nolte Mission Scholarship for education missions

Our mission trip was a blessed experience, both for us, the missionaries, and for all the people we met in the Philippines.

Our mission team was small; it consisted of me, Reverend Ferdinand Serra, Billie LaBumbard, Terri (Theresa) Reiter, and Andrea Schullo. However, despite our small size, we were all willing to offer our services to whoever and wherever God may call us. to On January 3rd, we boarded a 19-hour flight from Minneapolis to Incheon, South Korea. From there, we had a one-and-a-half-hour flight to Manila. We arrived there on January 4th. Our traveling wasn’t over, however. We still had to travel to the province of Isabela, which was a seven-hour drive from our hotel. Once there, we slept in another hotel for the night.

On January 5th, we finally drove to our mission destination: the barangay of Bigao, of the City Ilucano, Isabela. When we arrived, the Bigao Methodist Church had already set up tables and chairs in the Bigao Community Center for the medical mission. There, our mission team helped out in a variety of ways. Terri helped with intake; she wrote down people’s names and their blood pressure. Andrea helped distribute medicine, which the Spooner UMC helped pay for. Billie and I helped the group of dentists by keeping people still while they got their teeth pulled. There was also a section where people could get counseling and be prayed over by the pastors. They also received free bibles, which the Spooner UMC also helped purchase.

We finished our medical mission around lunchtime, then walked over to the Bigao Methodist Church. The church members kindly hosted a potluck for all the volunteers. Afterwards, we visited the family that the Spooner UMC have been helping. This family, the Del Rosario’s, lost their house during a typhoon a few years ago. Spooner UMC has been helping them by paying for the construction of a new house. Our mission team visited them, and they expressed how grateful they were to us. In fact, the whole family started attending the Methodist church because of our help. The mother, Melinda Del Rosario, even became the church’s council chairperson. It was wonderful to meet them and pray with them. Our mission team is also planning to raise money to pay for windows and bags of cement or plaster for the Del Rosario house. 

Later that evening, our mission team went back to the Bigao Community Center to take part in their Evangelistic Campaign night. Their youth group had formed a band and they lead everyone in singing worship songs. A lot of people were gathered inside the community center, including a large group of kids. We also listened to a Filipino pastor give a powerful sermon about what it means to be a Christian. It was a very joyous night, and you could tell that the Holy Spirit was there with us.

Our mission team also attended Sunday service at the Bigao UMC. We arrived at the church an hour before the service started. I led the children in their Sunday school lesson, with help from Andrea and Terri. We talked about the story of the Good Samaritan and how it’s important to love everyone regardless of where they come from. Now, while the children learn how to speak and understand English in school, my aunt Mae helped translate my lesson to Filipino to make sure the kids understood what I was saying. We also did some crafts, where the children made some “Thank you” cards or “I love you” cards for their loved ones. We were the ones who bought all the crafting materials (paper, markers, stickers, etc.), and after the lesson, we decided to donate all the leftover materials to the Sunday school.

While this was happening, Billie was leading the adults in their own Sunday school lesson so to speak. Every Sunday, many adult Bigao UMC members gather before the service to learn and talk about the Lord. That morning, Billie talked about letting go of your anxieties and to trust the plan that God has for you. There, Pastor Darlito’s wife, Bev, helped translate Billie’s words. (Pastor Darlito is the pastor at the Bigao UMC and the main person we collaborated with to make this mission trip possible).

After all this, we finally started the service. The Bigao UMC has a large group of members; almost everyone in the village attends this church. That morning, the church pews were packed full, which was such a blessing to see. Terri was on the piano acting as the accompaniment during some of the songs. The church’s youth choir also sang a couple of songs. My dad, Pastor Ferdinand, gave the main message. The whole mission team also stood up and each of us gave a testament of our faith, and how being a Christian has affected our lives. Overall, it was a blessed experience, and one that we will always remember. 

The next part of our mission happened on Monday, January 9th. Our mission team woke up early in the morning to visit the local elementary school in Bigao. There they teach kids from Kindergarten to sixth grade, all in one place. The Spooner UMC had paid for new school supplies for every student in that school. After a short gathering where all the kids sang some songs, the mission team handed out the school supplies to each kid. The supplies were in plastic bags, and there was some slight variation of the supplies depending on the grade. But, in general, each bag contained a couple of notebooks, some pencils, glue, a washrag, and some crayons for the younger kids. The Spooner UMC also paid for some boxes of chalk for each classroom to have, which we handed to the teachers. In the end, both the faculty and the students were very grateful to receive their new school supplies, and they showed their appreciation by yelling a great big “Thank you!” to us.     

Finally, we spent our last night at Bigao at Pastor Darlito’s house. There Pastor Darlito’s family hosted a meal for us, and many visitors came over to say goodbye to us. They also gave us some parting gifts, including a certificate stating their appreciation for, not only us, but for the whole Spooner UMC. Everyone expressed how grateful they were for our help, and they were hopeful that we could send another mission team in the future. In return, we expressed our gratitude for their hospitality and their kindness. We really felt that we connected with the people there and that this was only just the start of a wonderful friendship between the Spooner and Bigao United Methodist Churches. 

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

2023 Storms Update, Southeast Jurisdiction

Friends,

We are just barely into the month of April, and already an overwhelming number of disasters have hit communities throughout the Southeast.

As of right now, storms in March alone have killed nearly 30 individuals, and resulted in catastrophic damage in multiple Annual Conferences.

On top of this, many Annual Conferences are still dealing with active Disaster Recovery efforts who are in need of volunteers. If you are feeling a call to serve with those in disaster areas, consider one of the many disaster recovery efforts going on who need volunteers. The above video goes through best practices and reminders about wanting to serve in a disaster area.

The following is the latest information from Annual Conferences who have been hurt by these recent storms, as well as Conferences who are in desperate need of teams for recovery from previous storms. Though we try to keep all information up to date, please check with the contacts listed below.

North Alabama Conference

On March 24, parts of Alabama and Mississippi experienced devastating storms and tornadoes. In response, UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) approved a grant from the Mississippi Conference for emergency relief and gave permission to the North Alabama Conference to use unused funds previously awarded to address the current disaster.

In our own North Alabama Conference, most of the response is being handled on the local level with great support from the United Methodist Disaster Warehouse in Decatur.

The Warehouse welcomes volunteers — from youth to retirees. All volunteer activities are scheduled. Please complete the Volunteer form or call the Warehouse at 256-341-9961 to schedule your group.

Mississippi Conference

The damage in Mississippi is extensive. Rev. Vickie White from the Mississippi Conference has reached out to invite volunteers and teams to help in Rolling Fork and other areas. Below are the current needs Mississippi has shared.

  • Continue to pray for all those who have been affected, directly and indirectly.
     

  • Financial contributions either mailed to the Mississippi Conference, P O Box 1603, Jackson, MS 39215 or submitted electronically at https://www.paypal.com/US/fundraiser/charity/2411283
     

  • If you are interested in being a part of an ERT team in one of the many affected areas of Mississippi, please reach out to Willie Morris at morris61@msn.com.
     

  • If you have questions about the various affected areas in Mississippi and want to volunteer, please reach out to Rev. Frank Newell at fnewell@mississippi-umc.org.

Kentucky Conference

Kentucky is at the beginning of the Recovery Phase from the floods that devastated the Southeast portion of Kentucky on July 28th, 2022 in which they experienced 11 inches of rain in 2 hours. This event came only 6 months after the devastating tornadoes in Western Kentucky. Those interested in serving should contact Rev. Jim Savage at jsavage@kyumc.org

North Georgia Conference

The North Georgia Conference had an unusual number of tornadoes January-March 2023 unlike anything we've experienced before. On January 12th, the system that tore through the southeast resulted in a dozen tornadoes in Georgia. North Georgia Conference is currently working with UMCOR and county local long term recovery groups, and will need the assistance of UMVIM teams partnering in rebuilding. Please contact Rev. Scott Parrish at scott.parrish@ngumc.net for more information.

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

Mississippi and Alabama Tornadoes, First Update

UMCOR and UMVIM have been in touch with leaders in Mississippi and Alabama about the tornados that left a devastating mark on communities there. For those outside the affected communities: please do not self deploy until emergency officials are able to do their jobs. Leaders in the area, along with UMCOR and UMVIM, will pass along as volunteer opportunities become apparent. There will be no shortage of volunteer opportunities in the coming years for the areas hit. Right now, you can help by going to UMCOR.org and giving to US Disaster Response. 100% of your donation will go to help disaster victims.

Here is a link to give: https://umcmission.org/advance-project/901670/

In the coming days, more updates will follow.

-Matt
Rev. Matt Lacey, Exec. Dir. UMVIM, SEJ

Read More
Matt Lacey Matt Lacey

Looking for a Team to Join With?

Mission travel ramps up during the summer months, and often a small group from an individual church, or a single person, wishes to participate on a mission journey, but can’t find enough volunteers to make a full team.

There are several options to consider:

-Consider joining with another church to make a whole team. Multi-church volunteer teams are fairly common, and great ways to get engaged with other mission-minded folks.

-Look at the listings for team openings. UMVIM.org keeps a list of teams seeking individuals to fill their team. You can click here to view the openings.

-Some projects can accommodate smaller teams. If you have an existing relationship with a project, reach out to see if there is a need for smaller teams. Click here to view the project list.

Read More
Disaster Matt Lacey Disaster Matt Lacey

Sager Brown Depot Open Again

Baldwin, Louisiana. (March 2, 2023) – UMCOR Sager Brown Depot, which has hosted thousands of volunteers who support the United Methodist Committee on Relief by working on relief supply kits, reopens to previously scheduled volunteer teams starting in March 2023. Part of the United Methodist Relief Supply Network, UMCOR Sager Brown Depot was closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the safety of volunteers, staff and supplies.

Read more at UMCmission.org by clicking here.

Read More
Mission Volunteers Matt Lacey Mission Volunteers Matt Lacey

Mission Volunteer Program News and Trainings

Mission Volunteers are individuals or couples (ages 18 and up) who seek long-term partnerships with communities around the world and fund themselves. Mission Volunteer opportunities are diverse and range from working with refugees, children and youth to serving as a teacher, pastor, camp director or health care professional. The length of service ranges from two months to more than two years.

Plan to attend one of the Mission Volunteer Trainings in 2023:

  • March 27-30, 2023, St. Raphaela Retreat Center, Haverford, PA

  • May 10-13, 2023, Jesuit Retreat Center, Los Altos, CA

  • Nov 8-11, 2023, Franciscan Center, Tampa, FL

Need more info? Email mv@umcmission.org

Read More
Disaster Matt Lacey Disaster Matt Lacey

Hurricane Ian update

Our friends at UMCOR and in the Annual Conferences affected by Hurricane Ian would like to remind us that, at this time, self-deployed teams will cause more harm than good. Please wait for official invitations from your Conference Disaster Response Coordinator before traveling to help. Roads and conditions are very dangerous in many areas.

Thank you for keeping those in the storm’s path in your thoughts and prayers.

You can give to the relief effort at umcor.org

More news concerning volunteers will come in a few weeks.

Click here for an article about Hurricane Ian from UMNews.org

Read More