United Methodist Mission group safely out of South Sudan
By GBGM Administration
A 19-member mission travel group is safely back in the United States after civil strife in Yei, Sudan broke out, disrupting their study tour.
The group spent most of a week inside a hotel because of what Sudanese news said was violence resulting from dissension within the armed forces over salary payments. The border between Sudan and Uganda was closed for a few days.
No one in the United Methodist group was injured; reports were unclear on whether any civilian or military personnel were killed or injured. High government officials came to quell the disturbances.
The group left Sudan on March 21, returning first to Kampala, Uganda, and on to New York on March 24. The trip relates to a forthcoming United Methodist mission study on Sudan and is sponsored by the General Board of Global Ministries.
*Disaster Response Teams
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The UMVIM (Volunteers in Missions) program is accepting teams to assist with the clean up and continue the long term recovery of 2007 while needs are being assessed from the 2009 flood.
If you or your church is interested in sending a team, please contact Ronda Cordill UMVIM Annual Conference Coordinator (509-235-5466/509-993-6753 or r_cordill@hotmail.com) or Jim Truitt (253-630-1268 or jftruitt@comcast.net).
*To Lunch or Not to Lunch? By United Methodist Communications Nashville, TN
The people of The United Methodist Church are marking the lead up to April 25, World Malaria Day, with a renewed call to members and friends to support Nothing But Nets, a grassroots anti-malaria effort which allows anyone, for $10, to send a lifesaving bed net to a family in Africa. Bed nets protect children and their families from the bites of malaria-infected mosquitoes.
"Malaria is a crisis that is threatening many of God's children across the globe," said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, referring to malaria's rank as Africa's leading killer of children under age five. "Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are the most scientifically proven way to stop its spread."
Bickerton, chairperson of The United Methodist Church's Global Health Initiative, joins with the people of The United Methodist Church in urging everyone to forego a lunch out, and to direct that $10 savings toward the purchase of a bed net.
"We're asking people to 'skip a lunch, send a net, save a life,'" said Bickerton. Dubbed "To Lunch or Not to Lunch?" the campaign highlights how $10, the cost of lunch, is all that it takes to provide a potentially lifesaving bed net to an African family. A $10 donation at www.umcnothingbutnets.org covers the cost of the bed net, its distribution, and education on its use.
New downloadable resources are available at www.umcnothingbutnets.org for churches to use for World Malaria Day 2009, including a bulletin cover, door hanger, web banner, poster and postcard.
*Prayer Requests From California-Nevada United Methodist Volunteers in Mission,
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16 - NIV
As important it is for us to be the hands and feet of Christ it is also important for us to share our service experiences with others. God calls us all in different ways and your testimony might be the exact words someone has been waiting to hear.
San-Jose - Wesley UMC team to Mexico: March 23 – April 7
Jackie Kawashima will be leading another construction/connectional team to Mexico to continue that strong partnership. The list of volunteer names was not available at the time of printing.
Care – A – Vaners construction team works at Round Valley UMC: March 29 – April 3
Rod and Gloria Castor head up a group of volunteers who go into mission, living out of their RVs while working on projects throughout California-Nevada Conference. They will be working on some plumbing at the parsonage in Round Valley and other minor repair and “sprucing up” tasks. The list of volunteer names was not available at the time of printing.
Multi-Church Team to Slidell, Louisiana: April 4 – 11
Joe Hoffman of Dutch Flat UMC will be leading a team of 10 to Slidell, Louisiana to work with their sister churches, First UMC of Slidell and Hartzell – Mt. Zion UMC. This is a continued partnership from their April 2007 trip from which many friendships were started. They plan to do construction work at the church sites and at homes in the local community that need their assistance during their stay. Joe will be joined by Elizabeth Murphy, Brenton Sanders and Katie Sanders of Colfax - Colfax UMC as well as Jerry Adams, Warren Adams, Debbie Dillon-Adams, Karen Kesler, Michael Kesler and Anna Schmidt of Auburn - Pioneer UMC.
Livermore – Asbury UMC Team to Slidell, Louisiana: April 4 – 11
Roger Everett of Livermore - Asbury UMC will also be leading a construction team of 10 volunteers to Slidell, LA in early April to do hurricane recovery work. He will be joined by Dick Crawford, Sharmyn Crawford, Ruth Coffing, Bob Hoffman, Art Molvik, Larry Suter, Anton West, Alec Willis and Philip Woolworth of Livermore - Asbury UMC
Care – A – Vaners construction team works at East Salinas Family Center: April 26 – May 1
Rod and Gloria Castor and other Care-A-Vaners will be serving in Salinas, California at the East Salinas Family Center. The list of volunteer names was not available at the time of printing.
Please post this Prayer Request in your home, office, church or car…anywhere that you’ll be reminded to offer prayers of support and for the safety for these United Methodist Volunteers in Mission.
Eddie Frutchey
Administrative Asst. Volunteers in Mission
California-Nevada UM Conference
eddief@calnevumc.org
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