UMCOR is in contact with the Dakotas Annual Conference and Deborah Ball-Kilbourn, superintendent of Three Rivers District, who says they are in a holding pattern at this time, but are busy assembling cleaning buckets for the anticipated floods. UMCOR is standing by to assist the conference in flood preparation and recovery. The flood stage is 19 feet, but forecasters are reporting the river could rise as high as 40 feet above flood level over the next week. You can help North Dakota prepare for the floods by giving to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670. [GIVE NOW] or provide cleaning bucket contents by clicking here. (News courtesy of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR)
*Sager Brown Depot Needs Supplies
Baldwin, LA- Sager Brown Depot, the United Methodist Committee on Relief's supply warehouse, needs support to help it provide much-needed bedding, sewing and layette kits for the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Information is available at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102520629881&e=001bpSB8fBfnAIIIvtyYWlOF3pDBe8sU_09DbQo-5XzAZdTZMmU0zrbVcqjd7wb3EYOM6u3QK9HhzUjjsT_WD-FnDOCUgz9C2BulwMM0tmzp7XjAiqPUCXrBtkJ3R0I7Fc8Bh4faOIES0zgfS7plAhbPETF8UwOqj4O . (News courtesy of The United Methodist News Service)
*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).
*Operation Classroom announces the following UMVIM team opportunities in Sierra Leone:
1. Renovate the Women's Center at Kissy -- new windows, doors, roofing block work, plumbing and electrical. This is one of the important ministries of the United Methodist Women in Sierra Leone. Estimated project cost is $14,000.
2. Construct a chapel/auditorium at the Makeni Secondary School, Makeni. The school has an enrollment of over 800 students and has no auditorium or chapel. Estimated project cost is $26,000.
3. Construction of a 616 food concrete fence around the Kercher Memorial UMC compound, Kenema, Sierra Leone. The church compound is not fenced. This will stop the encroachment of the land by others. Estimated project cost is $9500.
For more information contact: Joseph Wagner: <wagners@operationclassroom.org> or visit their website: <http://www.operationclassroom.org/>
*Volunteers Needed To Serve in Nepal:
Jan and Kurt Kaiser are taking a team to Nepal the first two weeks of Sept. This will be a combined construction/medical team. They have their basic team established for this; however. they need to get more teams from around the USA to consider Nepal as a viable opportunity. So to that end, they wish to extend an invitation for at least one internationally-experienced team leader from each jurisdiction to become a part of this team, with the goal that he/she would return home to set up team(s) from their jurisdiction.
Dates are not concrete yet, pending confirmation from the Nepali side and matching that to the flight options in/out of Kathmandu. But they are looking at Aug 29 (approx) with a return of Sept 17/18 (approx). The trip cost is running $3500. For more information contact Jan Kaiser at love2trvl@imbris.com or 208.263.3220.
*UMCOR To Offer ID Badges to Early Responders
Starting in May 2009, UMCOR will be offering ID badges to all Early Response Teams that have been trained by UMCOR Certified Trainers. Federal and state emergency management agencies are working with faith-based, voluntary and other organizations to establish standards that will have to be met before persons or teams will be allowed to enter disaster sites. It is becoming increasingly clear that UMCOR will need to serve as the “source of authority” behind any volunteer or team that would go to a site. This will be particularly true for those crossing state lines.
With this in mind, UMCOR’s plan is to be the central repository for persons trained in early response in the United Methodist Church. It is our plan to work with Annual Conference Disaster Response and Volunteers In Mission to create the qualifications necessary to receive an ID badge. The deployment of ERTs will remain with the Annual Conference Disaster Response and Jurisdictional VIM offices. UMCOR’s intent will be to ensure to federal, state and local emergency management that anyone wearing a UMCOR ID badge will have a certain level of knowledge and skill.
Details will be finalized in the next two months. Please stay tuned; UMCOR will be sending out more details in the near future. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Tom Hazelwood at thazelwood@gbgm-umc.org or at 202-548-4002.
* Medical & Dental Teams Needed In Guatamala:
San Juan Clinic Project
Location: San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala.
Project: Medical and Dental teams are needed to serve the people of San Juan and surrounding communities on the shores of Lake Atitlan. We are currently finishing up construction of the buildings and are looking for medical and dental teams to staff the clinic. Our goals are to have a medical/dental team come at least every two months and to provide follow-up care between teams. We are looking for medical and dental teams, construction teams, and also are in need of a longer term individual volunteer in mission. We can arrange all travel, lodging, food, etc. logistics for teams. Contact Information: Mary.Micikas@gmail.com
*Future Teams
1) BELIZE JULY 2009 Mission trip to Corozal, Belize scheduled for July 4-11, 2009. Team currently has one experienced Dentist and two dental assistants. Opportunity to go early or stay late for R&R on nearby island. One or two more dental professionals and other non-dental volunteers needed. For information, contact Dr. Scott Wachter, Senior Pastor at Surfside UMC in Surfside Beach, SC at swachter@surfsideumc.org or 843-238-2734.
2) FIJI July 2009 Bula! (Greetings!) The California-Nevada Annual Conference's second United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) trip to Fiji has been scheduled for July 16-29, 2009. The Fiji Conference has invited the team to the village of Vatukarasa, where the volunteers will be housed in an available and vacant new hospital.
3) GUATEMALA DENTAL MISSION TRIP - May 2-10, 2009. Non-medical team members needed! Dental care is almost non-existent in the rural areas of Guatemala. In an effort to focus on this area of health, Trinity UMC is sending a group of dental professionals to rural Guatemala. Our goal is to remove as much pain and infection as possible during our week there. Non-medical volunteers will help set up and run the clinics and work with the children that will be at the clinics with their families. For more information, see www.puravida.org/dental. To sign up, please contact PJ Baldwin at dental@puravida.org or 303-989-3192. Applications and deposits are due as soon as possible.
4) UMVIM team to Alaska July 2009 Girdwood Chapel UMC, 20 miles southeast of Anchorage, is undertaking a multi-year project to build a new church. (They are currently worshiping in what looks like a small Butler building.) United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) teams are helping them realize their dream. A team of Washington Methodists will help them out July 5-12. If participants are interested, a visit to Denali National Park may be added to the front of the trip. If you would like to join this Alaska adventure, contact Linda Bauer at golfnbauers@aol.com, or 509-947-0482. Linda is an experienced UMVIM team leader from Kennewick First UMC.
5) UMVIM teams to Liberia or Sierra Leone
OPERATION CLASSROOM INVITES YOU TO CONSIDER ANOTHER WORK TEAM TO LIBERIA OR SIERRA LEONE
Choose the team that fits you best and write to the OC office for an application or download one off our webpage http://www.operationclassroom.org/ under workkteams. Choose one of the following opportunities and become a part of a team in 2009. Come and see the changes since you were last there.
Going To Sierra Leone 2009
· 6/4 to 6/23 Site to be determined in February Kay Hess Leader -- hess100@juno.com
· 6/24-7/29 Kabala -- Constructing a school (2 teams)Les and Hope Law team leaders --
· 10/31 to11/14 - Fakunya, -- Construction --John and Pat McDonald team leaders -pat@design-sol.com
· To Be scheduled in the fall: Kissy Urban Center Primary School (Brown) -- Constructio
2010
· January through February 6 -- Medical teaching teams to Kissy -- Don and Marilyn Griffith, team leaders--griffithmarilyn@aol.com
Going to Liberia --- 2010
· 2/28 to 3/14. Ganta United Methodist School, Goshen First UM Church, IN, Loraine Troyer, team leader closed
· April 17 to May 1 West Africa Trauma Training team to Monrovia
· July 10 to 25 -Tubman Gray School, Gbarnga (Youth and Young Adult) -Project to be decided
· Fall October-Delphi continuing construction on the New Georgia School, Todd Ladd, leader
Operaton Classroom is looking for teachers to go for 2 weeks this summer to hold a training seminar. Dates flexible. The contents and place of the seminar will depend on those who want to participate. Contact the OC office.
The projected cost per person for the experience is between $3000 and $3200. This includes: airfare, visa, travel expenses, lodging, transportation, meals, tips, and taxes. It does not include your own personal spending money, obtaining your passport, or immunizations. The cost may vary, depending on the airfare.
Contact the Carolyn Wagner for additional information. --- ccwagner@hotmail.com
Check the website for additional information about Operation Classroom. http://www.operationclassroom.org/
Operation Classroom, Inc.PO Box 246Colfax, IN 46035765.436.2805ocmission@frontiernet.nethttp://www.operationclassroom.org/
6) Northern Ghana, August 17-29, 2009 Dentists, nurses, and doctors--especially in General or Family Practice--are needed to be part of the North Georgia UMVIM Team to Northern Ghana on August 17 - 29, 2009. The Team will also be involved in Evangelism and Children's ministries. Mike and Claire Mozley will be the hosts. Team Members need to have been on a mission trip before or be seasoned travelers. If interested, contact Jim Lowry at jim.lowry@ngumc.net or by phone 770-428-0071 in Atlanta- Marietta District Office.
7) Ouanaminthe, Haiti, April 24- May 3rd, 2009 We will be going to a school and medical clinic. The town of Ouanaminthe has about 100,000 people that need medical and dental care. The school has 1500 children and 135 staff who need health screenings (nurses can do any type of screenings they feel comfortable with as well as initial diagnosis and administering tx for intestinal parasites). Dental professionals will have a dental operatory in the medical center and can administer care, fluoride txs, and oral hygiene instructions. We will be the first group to do an optical clinic using an auto refractor donated by Kendall optometry missions. We need at least two trained people to do diagnosis, two to do eyeglass fittings, and two to help manage the waiting area and flow of patients. More info can be found at http://kendall-optometry-ministry.org/ and http://www.haiticocina.org/ . For more information please contact team leader Liza Case at (352) 338-1269, (352) 262-0167, or twocheetas@gmail.com.
8) Brazil - Spring 2009. For more information please contact the California-Nevada Conference UMVIM Coordinator, Sue King, at suek@calnevumc.org.
9) CUBA, April 17-29, 2009: The Tennessee Conference UMVIM team to Cuba has one open slot. The date of the trip is April 17 -- 29, 2009. The work is on the seminary in Havana, and we will be staying at the Methodist Center in Havana. The cost of the trip is $1,916 IN ADDITION to your domestic ticket to and from Miami. The team member must be United Methodist and have a valid passport. For more information, contact your Annual UMVIM Conference Coordinator and the Team Leader, Rev. Larry Burke. (615) 604-4300, or ljrdburke@comcast.net.
10) CUBA, June 27-July 10, 2009: Neil Vander Linden is leading a team to Cuba during Summer 2009. Several volunteers are still needed. The dates are June 27 to July 10, 2009. Total cost should be about $2100. They will be doing construction work at a yet undetermined site. Volunteers must be Methodists and cannot hold a commercial pilot's license or a top secret government clearance nor can they be active military. For further information contact your UMVIM Annual Conference Coordinator and Neil Vander Linden (ngvl@charter.net) or 864-859-3652 home, 843-297-0673 cell
11) FIJI: bula! July 16-29, 2009 The second United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team to Fiji is on the calendar: July 16-29, 2009. The Fiji Conference has invited us to the village of Vatukarasa where we will be housed in an available, vacant new hosipital. Use your own unique talents to help create our outreach pattern. Opportunities are available for construction (tiling of floors), painting, teaching, sewing, and medical (check-up) care. Our evening programs will provide more adventures in meeting Fijian youth and adults. Approximate fee for participants includes airefare, local transportation, food, program incidentals, insurance and materials fee: $1500. Leaders: Judy Church (209-522-2565) and Virisila Batiratu (916-256-9599). Contact us now and UMVIM Conference Coordinator for details. Vinaka!"
12) CUBA: Team members needed, April 14-26, 2009: April 14-26, 2009. Experience a vibrant and emerging Christian community while helping to provide much needed spiritual support. Troy Annual Conference is sponsoring this team that will work to build and/or repair church facilities with a local congregation in Cuba. The team also will participate in worship and Bible study with that local church. Biggest qualification? Willingness to help! Two team members are urgently needed. Contact your annual conference UMVIM Coordinator and team leaders Tom and Judy Bonds, Jonesville UMC, at (518)371-1547 or bondsjt@gmail.com.
13) Want to go on a Medical Mission to the Philippines? May 28-June 10, 2009. Sponsored by East UMC Colorado Springs. Medical mission and painting of high school classrooms. Please contact Rocky Mountain Conference UMVIM Coordinators, Betsy Keyack and Ann Fort at bkeyack@att.net and annfort8269@ comcast.net and team leader Liwliwa Robledo at liwliwa_robledo @yahoo.com Thanks. Pastor - Rev Ramon V Robledo 1505 E Monument St, Colorado Springs, CO 80909, Phone 719 634-2801. E-mail Address: eastumc@juno.com Church Website:http://www.gbgm-umc.org/eastumc-cos/.
14) LOUISIANA NEEDS TEAMS! Louisiana Disaster Recovery has significant needs for all forms of recovery teams. We have areas were ERT are still needed. Homes still have trees in them, needs for tarps, mucking out and evaluative and assessment needs from Gustav and Ike. Long term recovery teams are still needed in the New Orleans and Lake Charles areas from Katrina and Rita.
Revisions are currently being made in the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Katrina/Rita response to extend to Gustav and Ike responses. The New Orleans recovery stations will phase out in 20 months. The Abbeville station will remain open due to new damage assessments from this years storms and the Lake Charles station extended. Damage from Gustav and Ike is heaviest along the coast and inland for up to 75 miles from Houma to the Texas/Louisiana state line. Several towns in this area are just now experiencing the retreat of storm surge and flood waters which covered the entire incorporated area. Damage (wind and flooding) from Gustav heavily effected the Baton Rouge to Alexandria areas.
Team leaders should contact their Annual Conference UMVIM Coordinators who will work with Rev. Yvonne Dayries, Louisiana Disaster Recovery, 225.346.5193, or registering on the Louisiana Conference web site: http://la-umc.org/. Follow the prompts to registration forms. The web site also includes a number of photos and updates on the effected areas.
15) Texas Early Response teams: Texas Annual Conference is accepting recovery trained Early Response teams for some of the more devastated areas, but they are also accepting long term clean-up teams for those areas that are ready now. Teams can stay in various churches and need to be semi- self-sufficient. The area does have gas now, and stores are open in most areas so teams can buy food products. It will depend on the area they go to. Galveston Island is to be open next week for clean up teams, but only Early Response will be allowed there. Surfside and Freeport are in desperate need of muck out teams and debris removal.
Teams must contact their Annual Conference UMVIM Coordinator and register online, www.txcumc.org, and will receive a call or e-mail back within 24-48 hours. Teams can also call directly to the Rita Recovery phone number 409.892.0140 as they are back in business, but they need to call there only if they want to work in that area. If they want to work the coastal area, they need to go through the registration system.
15) CAL-NEVADA UMVIM Teams: Please visit the UMVIM Cal-Nevada Conference Website to see a listing of UMVIM teams scheduled to go and serve. Go to http://cnsite.brickriver.com/page.asp?PKValue=1113 or contact Sue King at suek@calnevumc.org.
16) Georgia: VOLUNTEER NEEDED IN Georgia: The survivors of the Mother’s Day tornadoes in Macon/Bibb County, GA are ready to finish rebuilding their homes and lives. However, many still have unmet needs and have run out of resources. An UMCOR guided Long Term Recovery Committee is functioning and located in the recently closed Aldersgate United Methodist Church in the Bloomfield area of Macon. UMCOR trained Case Managers are seeing clients, homes have been approved, funding is available to provide for supplies and UMVIM TEAMS ARE NEEDED !!
There is still a lot of chain saw work and debris removal to be done. Two elderly families need roofs; other families need sheetrock work, gutters and awnings replaced and soffits repaired. More applications are being received daily for assistance with unmet needs.
If your church can form a team or have individuals able to donate time and talents, please contact your Annual Conference UMVIM Coordinator and Judy Sexton, Case Management Supervisor at (478) 297-5507. Housing and meals will be arranged for teams who can come for several days. Please lend your support and blessings to help families who have lost much to be able to recover and rebuild their homes and their lives.
17) Hurricane Recovery: In the week after Hurricane Ike hit Texas and the Gulf Coast areas, Texas Annual Conference Bishop Janie Riggle Huie, UMCOR executive Sandra Kennedy-Owes, and conference staff visited numerous churches to assess damages, encourage church members and offer immediate help. “There has been tremendous loss here,” said Huie. “Millions need help, especially the most vulnerable.” The Texas Conference will evaluate options for expanding the Rita Recovery office in Beaumont and establishing a new presence in the Houston area to serve Ike survivors and help in rebuilding and recovery. Many in Texas are still without power and lack the basic supplies to proceed in recovery. Help affected UMC churches rebuild so that they can better serve the people most in need in their communities. You can send gifts for much-needed relief supplies or give to Hurricanes 2008, UMCOR Advance #3019695.
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