UMVIM MISSION NEWS AND UPDATES FOR WEEK OF 9/15/2014

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

 

 

1. Kenya, December 31, 2014 - January 19, 2015. Team Leader Debbie Welden is seeking additional members for her mission to Kenya. They will be working with their partners in-country to convert a school classroom into a library, as well as following up on ongoing clean water projects. The cost is $4,400, and the only skill required is a willingness to participate. For additional information, please contact Debbie at deborah.welden@gmail.com.


2. Applications for the 2015 Global Mission Fellow program are now available online. These are the long term mission opportunities for ages 20-30. Through the Global Mission Fellows program, you can serve internationally (International Track) or in the United States (US-2 Track) for a duration of 2 years.

It's encouraged that the application be completed prior to October 15, so you can interview in November allowing priority placement to begin service in August 2015. Please see www.umcmission.org for more information on how to apply.

3. Bahamas Methodist Habitat is looking for an After School Coordinator and Spring and Fall Semester Volunteers. Please check out www.methodisthabitat.org for more information.


4. A reminder of volunteer needs - assessors and teams - in Colorado from the 2013 floods: Please check out www.rmcumccoloradoflood.com.  United Methodist Recovery Projec.

5.  NICARAGUA, Dec 1-12, 2014. It's now fall and we know what is around the corner! But also around the corner are chances to go to sunny Nicaragua with an ISLA group! Included is a unique Dec. 1-12, 2014 trip "Natural Health & Cultural Context" that uses the backdrop of La Purisima holidays to also explore alternative or complementary medicine programs in a developing country. We'll be traveling to some different places in Nicaragua, including the island of Ometepe, and spending time at a rural clinic with Natural Doctors International, all for the same low trip price of $1,450 plus airfare. Give us a call at 612-819-8877. Spread the word! 

6. March 4-16, 2015. Ubuntu to Cambodia, led by Roberta Eddy, W OH Conference. Ubuntu Journeys are for women only! Contact Roberta Eddy, Shawnee Valley District, Mission Coordinator and Administrative Assistant, 740-851-5243.

7. August 4-17, 2015, Ubuntu to Cameroon, led by Marcia Florkey, W OH Conference. For additional information, contact team leader Marcia Florkey, Deaconess, 937-232-6990. 

8.   The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum—September 21-27: The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of the World Council of Churches invites member churches, faith-based communities, and civil society organizations around the world.  The event will be observed September 21-27 with the theme of “Let my people go!” Please check out www.umcmission.org for resources and ways to observe this week.

9. Jim Truitt, PNW UMVIM Disaster Response Coordinator, extends "an invitation to the younger generation to reach out and help the people who need our help the most." — with David Valera and Jim Truitt.  Check out the following link to see the video

 https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152286734511456&set=vb.69400621455&type=2&theater

PRICE INCREASE FOR UMVIM INSURANCE FROM NORTHEAST JURISDICTION

 

Keeping up with insurance industry standards, Seven Corners is increasing the price of insurance by $0.05 per day.This means $0.35 to $0.50 per average journey. This increase will take effect as of Wednesday, October 1, 2014.  For more information and/or to apply to receive insurance for your UMVIM team, please visit www.umvimnej.org.  Please remember that Global Ministries no longer offers accident insurance to short-term volunteer teams.  You may now apply and receive insurance for your UMVIM team from the Northeast, Southeast or NorthCentral UMVIM Jurisidictional offices.

 

 

INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER TRAINING - SPOTS STILL OPEN FOR OCTOBER 2014

 

 

 

Your life can be changed by volunteering in mission. Become an individual volunteer. The opportunities for volunteers are diverse, including such positions as case managers for refugees, teachers, pastors, camp directors, children and youth assistants, and health care administrators and practitioners. The length of service is a minimum of two months and can extend to two years or more.

 

October 22-26 2014 National Christian Conference Center near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Nearest airport – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania International
nationalchristianconferencecenter.org - See more at: http://www.umcmission.org/Get-Involved/Volunteer-Opportunities/Types-of-Volunteers/Individual-Volunteers/Orientation-and-Training-Schedule#sthash.q4bhYFzc.dpuf
 

 

VOLUNTEER NEWS & UPDATES FOR SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

WE DID IT - VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE HOUSES IN GALENA, ALASKA

GOD IS GOOD!

 

 

100 days, 189 volunteers and 21,000+ volunteer hours later we will hand over the keys to all our houses in Galena today! All of the houses are complete with the exception of one window that required special handling. It will be installed by the State of Alaska when it arrives in Galena. The homeowners can begin moving in.

Jim Truitt
UMVIM Disaster Response Coordinator
PNW Conference United Methodist Church
253-797-1680 (C)

WELCOME TO THE NEW UMVIM CONFERENCE COORDINATORS FOR

THE DESERT SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

 

Bill Sanford and Chris Spencer served as the UMVIM Conference Coordinators for the Desert Southwest Conference and did an amazing job!!!  UMVIM WJ would not be
the same withought their passionate efforts, experience, and skills over these last several years.  We will miss them as part of the UMVIM WJ team and trust that God
will continue to use them in mighty ways. 

UMVIM WJ welcomes Jen and Victor Hammond to the UMVIM WJ teams as the new UMVIM Conference Coordinators for the Desert Southwest Conference.  We
look forward to serving with them.  Please give them a shout out to say hello and welcome them aboard.  Their contact information is:

Victor and Jen Hammond

Desert Southwest Conference

UMVIM Coordinators

desertswumvim@gmail.com

Victor – 520-424-6821

Jen – 520-431-9590

 

 

UPDATE ON SOUTH NAPA EARTHQUAKE

 

 

 

Thank you to all who have contact me and sorry for the delayed response.  As you all know,

we had an earthquake here in Northern California early Sunday morning. 

This 6.0 magnitude earthquake caused hundreds of injuries and extensive damage in Napa, CA.  For all of us in our roles as volunteer leaders, we started thinking about how to help and if we might soon be putting together volunteer teams headed to Napa.  At this time we do not expect to deploy any of our conference ERT volunteers or issue a request for any from outside the California-Nevada conference. 

The hardest hit area was Napa and I accompanied Norm Harden, our conference

Disaster Response Coordinator, to Napa Sunday afternoon to get a first-hand view of the situation. The community had already rallied and cleanup was already well under way.  Damage reports are still coming in and there over 100 buildings that were "red tagged", including First United Methodist Church in Napa.  There is a lot of cleanup needed at this church but they are prepared to handle this locally themselves and do not at this time request we send any teams to help them.  We have been in close contact with other pastors in the area and conference leadership and we do not know of any needs for volunteer help.  We have also been in close contact with UMCOR and they are standby to respond in assistance.

There is a lot of repair and rebuilding work ahead, but it too early to know if there are future needs where volunteers for UMVIM teams might be appropriate. 

 

EBOLA OUTBREAK AND INSURANCE FOR UMVIM TEAMS

As of August 25, UMVIM will no longer provide insurance to any volunteer or team going into any and all countries with active Ebola cases. According to the World Health Organization, in the last 5 months there have been 1,350 deaths due to the Ebola virus, which continues to spread in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, with 221 new cases reported just between August 17-19, and there are now cases as far south as Congo.

For several reasons, it has been difficult to control the spread of Ebola, including the increased disbelief of the people living in this region, and the lack of compliance with the advice of health workers and government sanctions, as they are in contradiction to many of their cultural practices. Liberia’s President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has imposed a nationwide curfew and quarantined communities, and many have retaliated with violence.

It is difficult to determine what will happen with the Ebola Outbreak and where it might spread. If there are any active cases in in the country prior to your departure time, we recommend rescheduling for a later date. When the time is right to plan mission travel into these countries again, here are a few suggestions of what to discuss with your team as you prepare to leave:

1. Discuss with your team what you would do if you were quarantined and whether the potential risk is worth what you can possibly wait and do later in 2015 after this disease has been controlled.

2. Discuss with your partners in West Africa what precautions are being made regarding the Ebola Outbreak for persons in your destination country and those coming into the country.

3. When you do go, please register with the U.S. State Department's STEP program and contact the Embassy directly in your destination country to let them know of your plans to bring a group of volunteers there. Provide them with where you will be and what you will be doing. Ask them if they have any advice regarding your travel there and what type of assistance could they provide if you encountered any problems.

4. Leave information with the church and someone who has connections perhaps with your US senator in case you were to need them to assist you.