MEXICALI EARTHQUAKE - NEEDS & UPDATE

NEWS ON MEXICALI EARTHQUAKE

Greetings:

Rev. Felipe Ruiz, District Superintendent in the area most affected by the recent series of earthquakes and aftershocks in the Mexicali area has sent me his description of the damage to the area and the following summary of the needs that he found on a trip this past Sunday to the church nearest the epicenter:

“I invite you to pray and join our efforts to help our brothers (and sisters) in faith, who in addition to our prayers need food, bottled water, toilet paper, feminine napkins, items of personal care, candy to bring a little joy to the children, more blankets, tents and later on, rebuilding of some homes. But above all, they need our most fervent demonstrations of love.”

When you hear news reports of aftershocks shaking Southern California, remember that the big quake and those that follow are centered in Mexico. It is almost like the news reports are suggesting that the shocks that we are feeling don’t take place south of the border. In fact, that is where the main damage has been done. In fact, even the smallest aftershocks appear as terrifying events to those who went through the “big one” on Easter Sunday, sending them running into the street in fear. Many are afraid to go back into their homes or places of business. In Mexico, this has been, and continues to be, a terrible and traumatic event.

The UM Joint Commission is the Cal-Pac Advance Special that handles this sort of assistance to the Methodist Church of Mexico. Any of the things above are needed now, and will be for the near future. On behalf of the Joint Commission/Hands Across the Border, I would like to ask that your church pray this coming Sunday for our brothers and sisters in Mexico and I would also ask that you begin to collect some of the requested items. Please call me and let me know what you are doing. I will arrange to have the items picked up and taken to Mexico.

Donations should be sent to:

Joint Commission
c/o Rev. James F. Oliver
13340 Del Monte, 4D
Seal Beach, CA 90740-4556

Please be sure to note on your check that it is for “Earthquake Relief”

Please remember, too, that we are always happy to have the opportunity to address your church or church group and share information about the work of the United Methodist Church south of the border.
Just give me a call.

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support.

Blessings,

Murray Hawkins, President
U.M. Joint Commission for Church Extension/Hands Across the Border
murray@mexicomissionproject.org
(909)793-5171

TEAMS NEEDED IN SENEGAL, MEXICO, CHILE, WASHINGTON, & ALASKA; PRAYERS FOR FUTURE TEAMS

Photo: Volunteer helping to rebuild home in Lewis County, WA due to flooding. To volunteer, read below. Photo courtesy Channels Express, Pacific Northwest Conference.

* TEAMS NEEDED IN SENEGAL, MEXICO, & ALAKSA

Senegal:
The United Methodist Church of Senegal is a Mission Initiative of the General Board of Global Ministries. The church has been recognized by the government of Senegal since 1996. They are involved in a variety of ministries including health, Christian Education, and church constructions. Senegal is a 95% Muslim country, but it is very safe and peaceful. It is very easy to reach from the US as it is the most western country in Africa. There are opportunities for construction, medical, educational, and agricultural teams.

Mexico:
Igelsia Metodista Refugio de Paz - Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon. Construction of Sunday School classrooms. Ten teams needed. Youth accepted.

Chile:

The national Volunteer in Mission coordinator in Chile has a church in theValpariso region which needs to build up a place beside the church forsocial or community programs called VILLA ALEMANA, near to Valparaiso. The weather is so good the views are amazing andthe the people very nice and waiting for your help. Please contact Denise Soto Vergara at denise_178@yahoo.com.

Alaska:

North Star United Methodist Church in Nikiski, AK - 4 teams needed and able to accept youth and family teams as well. Will be able to accept teams as of June 2010 to do construction and landscape work as well as create a playground. For more information please contact Rev. Laura P. Skiba at plskiba@gmail.net or klskiba@alaska.net or at 907-394-3674.

Washington:

In a little less than two months, it will be two years since the 500-year flood in Lewis County, WA. Many volunteers from many faiths have given of their time, their talents and their gifts to help the flood survivors recover.

Unfortunately, the task is not complete. There is still a great need for volunteers. Please consider sharing some of your time, energy and talents with those who have had a very difficult two years.

To volunteer, contact UMVIM:Ronda Cordill: r_cordill@hotmail.comJim Truitt: jftruitt@comcast.net

To give financial support, contact PNWUMC:PNW AC TreasurerP.O. Box 13650Des Moines, WA 98198 For gifts in the form of a check, please indicate "Disaster Relief" on the memo line.Thank you for your past support. I look forward to your continued outreach in the future.

*PRAYER REQUESTS FOR FUTURE TEAMS

Individual Volunteers to Tiu Rancho, Bolivia: October 24- November 13
Monica Bruesewitz from South Reno UMC - Nevada, and Margie Marshall will travel to T’iu Rancho outside Cochabamba, Bolivia to work with the GBGM missionaries currently assigned there.

Retired Clergy Team to New Orleans, Louisiana: October 30- November 7
Nadine Dewitt of Sparks UMC - Nevada leads another R.C.A. team back to the Gulf coast to continue hurricane recovery efforts. She will be joined by Philip Angove of Loomis - First UMC Mary Bahlert of Oakland - Lake Merritt UMC Harry Dutt of Bakersfield - First UMC Edna McCoy of Susanville UMC Joe Hurd, Linda Butler, Anita Dutt, Douglas McCoy and John Sublett.

Ca-Nev / Kansas Team to Tatoxcac, Mexico: November 15-24
Jackie Kawashima, Don Kawashima of Wesley UMC – San Jose (and the possible additions of Kelli Kawashima and Desiree Fuentez) will join up with a Kansas team to continue their work in Mexico.

Multi-Church Team to Cuba: November 29 – December 13
Martha Milk will lead a team of 12 to Cuba from Yerington UMC and Woodland UMC. They include Gregg Atkins, Ardith Allread, John Baggaley, Shanna Baggaley, Kris Beck, Ashley Broaster, La Vonda Ristow, Belinda Robinson, LaRae Shaw Meadows, Bob Weiser and Paul Sweet.

URGENT NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS & SUPPLIES IN MEXICO

Photo: Hurricane Jimena hits Mexico, courtesy scientificamerican.com.

* URGENT NEEDS IN MEXICO DUE TO HURRICANE JIMENA The Joint Commission and Desert Southwest Annual Conference have just responded with money to repair two parsonages and churches. That ended up being small potatoes in light of the overall devastation which has not been reported either in Mexico or in the USA. Hurricane Jimena hit the coast near Guaymas and left flood waters that reached two meters deep in some areas. This area was severely damaged according to Bishop Vasquez of the Northwest Annual Conference. Communications are down, roads are washed out, water supplies are ruined, and homes severely damaged. In Santa Clara, the damages were greatest. Entire communities were washed out and many families lost everything. The farms where they worked were destroyed and unemployment is extremely high. Many of those left homeless are members of our church. Bishop Vasquez is asking for help as follows: Food (or money to purchase food in Mexico) Clothing – used - all kinds and sizes Drinking Water School materials and supplies Construction Materials Support for medical assistance Financial assistance If your church could help out, the Joint Commission will deliver the items and help get any funds to the right place in Mexico. Please see if an announcement can be made at this Sunday’s service. Also, could you give this information to your Missions Committee? Any help would be most appreciated. Time is of the essence. Blessings, Murray Hawkins, President United Methodist Joint Commission murray@mexicomissionproject.org (909)793-5171 1594 Elizabeth St. Redlands, CA 92373

Swine Flu & Travel to Mexico; Volunteering in Tough Economic Times, Sri Lanka Emergency; Volunteers Bless Flood Victims in WA

In this photograph released by the Sri Lankan navy, a Tamil man and woman carry children after fleeing an area called the 'No Fire Zone' controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in northern Sri Lanka, April 22, 2009. REUTERS/Sri Lankan

* SWINE FLU & TRAVEL TO MEXICO

Below is a link concerning swine flu outbreak in Mexico.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24452859.htm


The CDC says, "CDC has NOT recommended that people avoid travel to Mexico at this time." They suggest instead that you take some precautions as outlined on the following website:

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx

* UNITED METHODISTS UNITE TO HELP FLOOD SURVIVORS IN LEWIS COUNTY

The Sunday School children from Rochester United Methodist Church gathered at the dairy farm of John Brunoff last Saturday to meet their cow. In the Lewis County town of Adna, they were celebrating helping him recover from last year’s flood in which all of his 272 cows drowned.
When the Sunday School heard about his need, they wanted to help. Leaders Danette and Bryan Jones organized a project selling Beanie Babies and candy bars, and raised over $650 toward the price of a cow. RUMC’s flood fund augmented that to buy a total of 2 cows.

Other UMC’s have joined in the project, including Moscow, Goldendale and Salmon Creek. Salmon Creek has donated more than $4000 just for this part of their flood recovery mission!
To date his herd has been rebuilt to 140 animals, 118 of which are milking. He needs to milk 200 to make a living. 15 pregnant heifers are available from a nearby farmer for $1500, a great bargain.

King 5 filmed the Sunday School visiting the farm; the story can be viewed at http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=353206

United Methodists made other great contributions that same day: Salmon Creek brought a gift of donated clothes for the Rochester Community Closet, RUMC’s new clothing bank started by Susie Hawes and June Gelvin. Also that day, Jim Truitt was coordinating about 40 volunteers from Edmonds, Vashon, Shelton, Salmon Creek, and Fairwood, First United Methodist of Olympia, and St. Andrew’s UMCs at five homes.

What a blessed day to see the joy shared as our churches work in community.
If you would like to contribute to the dairy cow project contact:
Brett DeMond, livingart@centurytel.net, 360-402-3037

If you would like information about donating to the Rochester Community Closet contact:
Susie Hawes, sjhawes@qwestoffice.net, 360-280-7797

If you would like to volunteer contact:
Ronda Cordill, r_cordill@hotmail.com, (509) 993-6753
Jim Truitt jftruitt@comcast.net, (253) 797-1680

*VOLUNTEERING IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES by Sue King, UMVIM Coordinator, Cal-Nevada Conference Much of news and conversation is filled with gloom and despair regarding the current economic situation that our country and others around the world are facing. The concerns are undeniably real and can affect us and our loved ones personally and often with serious consequences. It is at such times that we as people of faith are called to remember whose we are and who we are called to be. We are not alone. I was reminded of this last Saturday at Epworth UMC in Berkeley. Forty people took six hours out of their free time on Saturday to attend an UMVIM team leader training....to gain knowledge about leading mission teams that help the many people in our world who are hurting and often forgotten. Instead of reacting to their own economic situations by turning their focus and limited resources INWARD, they were preparing to look OUTWARD and EXTEND the hand of Christ. Beginning last year, a few people have asked me, “How is the economic situation affecting the Volunteers in Mission? Are there fewer volunteers going?” I can only say that the numbers of people wanting to serve continues to grow...this last training had the highest attendance ever! And, 2008 was another record year for volunteer numbers! Some churches are choosing to do more local trips in addition to usually scheduled international and hurricane response missions. It isn’t that volunteers haven’t been touched by the economic decline—it is because they know it, too, they want to help others they see hurting around them. Yes, I am getting more frequent and urgent requests from churches and economically fragile communities here in California-Nevada Conference. They want to be UMVIM sites and receive volunteers help AND encouragement. Maybe you saw the Oprah show about the situation in Sacramento? Or, read the Sacramento Bee article about what Cameron Foothills UMC and others are doing to feed folks who have no option but to live in “tent cities”? This week I was assessing a site in Laton, CA and saw the orchards of older walnut trees that have been bulldozed and fields laying fallow because of drought in California—unemployment in Fresno County is 35% already. Those numbers include many of the agricultural workers who are at risk economically even in better times. It is such a time as this that we are called to true compassion that result in deeds, not just platitudes. Over the next few weeks, I encourage you to take frequent looks at our UMVIM website to see what new local project has been added. There will be new ones every day. Remember who you are.... and whose you are. We are not alone when we reach out to another.....in prayer, in word, in actions. In mission together, Sue * SRI LANKA:EMERGENCY RELIEF FOR THE DISPLACED UMCOR’s Sri Lanka office is working on the ground with other humanitarian aid organizations to provide emergency assistance to thousands who are being forced to flee from intense fighting in the northern region of Sri Lanka. Thanks to an umbrella grant from the US Agency of International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), UMCOR is reaching the most vulnerable to provide 60,000 emergency kits that include water, glucose, and biscuits as well as help build 4,400 emergency shelters and 800 duplex-toilets for displaced people fleeing to Vavuniya. In addition, UMCOR, working with the Ministry of Health and USAID/OFDA, provided World Health Organization standard emergency health kits and basic medical supplies to provide treatment to 50,000 hospitalized people in Vavuniya, Mannar and Padwiya where hospital resources are particularly strained. Support this effort to help displaced people in Sri Lanka by giving to Sri Lanka Relief and Development, UMCOR Advance # 3020630.