PRAYER REQUESTS FOR FUTURE TEAMS: “Salaam” to the Individual Volunteer serving in Palestine: Dec.15 - June 2009 Yvonne Turner of Sierra Pines UMC is volunteering as an English teacher for youth at Hope School in Palestine through June of 2009. Yvonne first visited Palestine as part of an UMVIM Team led by Rev. Tana McDonald (Feather River Cooperative Parish) last year and felt personally challenged to offer her service and presence in solidarity with the Palestinian community. Yvonne has established a blog for family, friends and well-wishers to stay connected with her there. http://yvonnepalestine.blogspot.com/ Gary & Jeri Carson-Hull partner with a Tennessee UMVIM team to Swaziland, Africa: May 12 – September 16 Gary & Jeri Carson-Hull will be joined by a team from Tennessee to build and repair Methodist schools in Manzini, Swaziland (the largest city in the country). Chris McLain (the in-country VIM coordinator) will be keeping them busy with many projects over their 4 month stay as they travel and serve through-out the country. Gary and Jeri plan to keep family, friends and supporters up to date via their blog page at http://carson-hull.blogspot.com/ Medical & Connectional team serving the Ray of Hope Foundation in Kenya May 22 – June 5 Team leader Craig Wood of Glide UMC – San Francisco will be leading Glide UMC’s first UMVIM team! Glide UMVIM volunteers are doctors, nurses, teachers, photographers, videographers and social workers. The mission of Ray of Hope Foundation is to promote health, healing, medicine and education to the global community through the exchange of volunteers, technology, training, medical supplies and educational programming. Craig will be joined by Katherine Burke, Mark Hespeth, Joshua Biddle, Karen Oliveto, Travis Woodard, Robin Ridenour and Stephan Chase. Care – A – Vaners construction team works in Mt. Shasta, CA: May 26 - June 3 Rod and Gloria Castor head up yet another group of nomadic volunteers who will go in mission, living out of their RVs while working on light construction and repair projects throughout California-Nevada Conference. The Care-A-Vaners has worked this year at Laton UMC and The East Salinas Family Center. Other locations are scheduled for this year—give us a call if you want to join them in this work. San Ramon Valley UMC High School Youth Team to Laton, CA: June 20 - 27 Michael Stephenson and 4 other adult volunteers will lead a team of 18 high school aged volunteers to Laton UMC to continue repairs there. See the UMVIM website for photos. Projects may include exterior painting, the sanding and staining of church pews and the replacement of window screens. Michael will be joined by Mackenzie Dimler, Keegan Dimler, Matt Donatelli, Spencer Farady, Lindsay Garnick, Nick Johnson, Justin Koos, Ali Kuelz, Thomas Mannell, Lizzy Miskovetz, Lauren Nakaso, Evan Preece, Jack Jack Schramm, Paige Steffy, Ben TenElshof, Mark Warwick, Annette Warwick, Trevor Willis, Kevin Dimler, Crista Farrow, Paul Kuelz and Debbie Koos of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC. Epworth UMC-Berkeley heads to Nicaragua: June 21 – July 3 Lloyd Elliott from Epworth UMC – Berkeley will take a second team of volunteers to a newly created UMVIM site in Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua to continue their relationship of support and friendship with the Ruben Dario High School. They will also be exploring possible mission opportunities related to health and healthcare as well as water quality and water erosion. Lloyd will be joined by Annette Cayot, Jim Lockwood-Stewart, Charles Lynch and Christina Kellogg of Berkeley - Epworth UMC Lynne McCoy and Pat Stout of Los Altos - Los Altos UMC. Mother and daughter volunteer to join missionary daughter in Cambodia: June 23 – August 12 Martha Parker of Mill Valley – Mt. Tamalpais UMC will join her daughter Katherine Parker ( A GBGM UM Missionary) in Cambodia to aid with projects there. Martha’s other daughter Janet Parker has been serving in the region since April 28th and will continue through June 12th. Martha’s background is in nursing and she has a community health and advance practice as the Mill Valley School district nurse. You can check out all the Parker’s activities at Katherine’s missionary blog: http://chad-cambodia.blogspot.com/ *INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER TRAINING JUNE 25-28, 2009 If you are interested in serving in mission as an Individual Volunteer then come to the training event held June 25-28th at Aldersgate Retreat Center in Pacific Palisades, CA. For more information and to register please contact Landon Taylor at ltaylor@gbgm-umc.org. The recent political crisis in the Swat region of Pakistan is forcing over 1 million people to flee for safety from heavy fighting in the North-West Frontier Province. UMCOR is providing immediate relief through partner organizations and is in contact with the Church of Pakistan regarding assistance. UMCOR is supporting Church World Service (CWS) and Muslim Aid to deliver food, shelter, blankets and other supplies in the Mardan and Swabi district. CWS is setting up mobile health clinics to provide medical services to those in need and Muslim Aid is providing tents, mattresses and other needs including medical services. Help support this effort with your gifts to International Disaster Response-Pakistan, UMCOR Advance #982450. * HONDURAS: BUILDING HOMES In Honduras, hundreds of thousands of families live in overcrowded, substandard rural homes that are vulnerable to flooding, mudslides and fire. Most are poorly built with weak foundations that cannot withstand heavy rainfall. UMCOR is supporting a two-year grant for the Sierra Service Project of Carmichael, Calif., an incorporated agency of the California-Nevada and the California-Pacific Annual Conferences, to build 12 safe and secure homes for families in need. UMCOR is providing building materials and funds to hire local labor to supervise the work. The Sierra Service Project involves North American youth and adult volunteers to assist in building homes in Honduras. For more information about volunteering with the Sierra Service Project team in the summer of 2010, contact Rick Eaton, executive director at rickeaton@sierraserviceproject.org or visit their website. You can also give to Sierra Service Project, UMCOR Advance #982185 or Central America Emergency, UMCOR Advance #501300. |
