Yvonne Turner of Grass Valley - Sierra Pines UMC will be serving as a teacher at the Hope School in Ramallah, Palestine.
Kit & Relationship Building Team to the UMCOR West Depot in SLC, Utah: May 8-16 Judy Church of First UMC - Modesto leads a team to the UMCOR West Depot to build relief kits. A list of team members was not available at the time of posting.
National UMC Team to Haiti: May 9 - 22
Phil Bandy will join the National UMC Team to Haiti which will be making assessments in preparation for future UMVIM teams.
Wesley UMC of San Jose Team to Puebla, Mexico: May 16 - 23
Jackie Kawashima leads a team back to Mexico to continue medical consultations, construction work and and other connectional ministries. She will be joined by Mona Otomori, David Brown, Nadezda Brown, Desiree Fuentez, Kelli Kawashima, Don Kawashima and Jeffrey Oldham of San Jose - Wesley UMC.
UMVIM IN ZAMBIA
HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND VOLUNTEERING IN A REMOTE
AREA WITH FRONT PORCH ORPHANS OF ZAMBEZI
We would like to start with the motto of the Volunteers in Mission, which says
“Christian Love In Action.” Everything we have to say, this motto has been quoted as reference.
Since June 2001 when Betty and I started caring for the Front Porch Orphans of Zambezi as Missioners of Hope for the Children of Africa, we nurtured these AIDS Orphaned children with Hope to believe that what God has started in their various lives is going to be permanent.
We built a strong relationship with them and our love to them was in a real action. We forgot our own needs in extent to use our monthly pay from GBGM to meet all their needs.
We made life together as family, every day we stayed beside the FPOZ, we carried them in our heart as our own.
It is true that we made a promise to the children that the work God has started in their lives was permanent but we knew a very big challenge was forge ahead. Our term of service with GBGM as Missioners of Hope was not permanent.
In 4 years we kept our promise, but the harmony life together with the FPOZ could not continue because GBGM ended our term as Missioners of Hope in March 2005.
Painfully, we were preparing to go back to our home country Congo D.R. The FPOZ, Betty and I were sinking back into desperate condition, as we had no any alternative by then.
As we were all crying, God in heaven heard our cry. He sent Volunteers in Mission from US to Zambezi to rescue us all from sinking into hopelessness.
When the couple of the Volunteers in Mission arrived in Zambezi, they were messengers of Hope. We all felt strong to see them in Zambezi, and were encouraged by their Love and commitment they put in action.
They identified the areas in which the FPOZ needed their support. They made a promise to develop a deep relationship with them. From January 2005 to date, we are experiencing the True Love in Action from these volunteers in Mission.
In 4 years, the visiting Volunteers in Mission have been faithful. They have been working hard to allow many churches, individuals in US to know the Front Porch Orphans of Zambezi and to be aware of what the FPOZ needs are. Their commitment to keep the promise has helped the FPOZ to have a shelter today.
Truly, this is the kind of the Volunteers that the Front Porch Orphans of Zambezi need.
Last year’s commemoration of HIV/AIDS world day in Zambia was under the theme: “Leaders keep the Promise, Fight HIV/AIDS”
We believe that this theme is also very important to the FPOZ. They need people who keep the promise to make sure their needs in various areas are met.
The United Methodist Church in Zambezi at large and the Front Porch Orphans of Zambezi in particular have highly regarded many brothers and sisters and friends abroad. Every day, we appreciate your prayers and your gifts.
We also appreciate those who have visited us so far in Zambezi for the past 4 years. And also those who are planning to visit us.
From us,
Pastor Bernard & Betty Lumene and the FPOZ.
NEWS FROM CHILE RE: EARTHQUAKE & NEEDS by John Elmore, Global Ministries Missionary
First Glance
After the Earthquake on the 28th of February, everyone was in sort of a whirlwind of confusion. Yes we have had earthquakes in the past, so that part was not new. No, we had not had an Earthquake of this Magnitude ever. I was in Angol, with my wife where I work as a missionary with General Board of Global Ministries.
My first concern was for the well being of my immediate family. Safety, water, food, ect; . Then, I was concerned with the well being of a VIM team group that I had, whom the night before had left to go on a weekend tour of towns to the South of Angol. We had no phone communication; I did not know the extent of the damage. The only thing I knew for the first half of the day, was that my wife and I were all right, my neighbors were ok as well.
The dust had settled, and the first day communication was starting to leak in,. Although we had no electricity and water for a week, people started to try and survive the best that they could. Living in the Country, a lot of people have water wells that are not depend on electricity. People had some food resources.
We in Angol learned of the extent of the major damage to the west of us on the Coast, Major town of Concepcion , second largest City in Chile. We heard of the terrible destruction, and then the aftermath of a Tsunami..
“Lord here our Prayers”
At First glance, or passing glance the destruction did not appear to be so bad, there were noticeable cracks in walls, roofs that were clay tiles had slid off. Buildings that were made of Adobe fell down. This kind of damage is expected of an earthquake of this size. Buildings that were seemingly structurally sound did not crumble. I expected to see a lot more visible damage at First glance. It is when you look closer; it is when you take the time to see the more penetrating damage that has occurred.
“Lord here our Prayers”
Buildings have been condemned, in Angol they are tearing down whole city blocks. This is the same in all the Earthquake affected areas, from Santiago to Chillan, to Linares, Parral, Concepcion, In Dichato and Penco where the Sea rose and took away not only houses and back yards, streets and businesses , but memories of family times, of Church outings of a life that at one time was a peaceful existence in a small fishing coastal town. Now the Pastor and his Family from the Methodist Church in Penco live in the Church, because they were washed out of there home by a tsunami..
“Lord here our Prayers”
After a First Glance, you see Methodist Church communities in Los Angles Chile, a membership of 140, the largest church membership of the whole Region gathered a small classroom numbering maybe twenty., needing the comfort of their Church community family but still scared to come out of their houses because of the daily aftershocks.
“Lord here our Prayers
The Methodist Church of Angol, whose long lasting presence over eighty years sitting on one of the tree lined four corners of the downtown Plaza in Angol.
The building has been condemned. What an awful sounding word “condemned”. Well it does describe the feelings of the membership of this Church community, seeking , hoping for a light in the night. As the days pass, they have come to accept the fate of there beloved church building. The Building has to come down. They have no money to do this, it is a big building, the estimate for this destruction is about twenty thousand dollars. The members have done everything they can do themselves, now they wait for the funds to come in .
“Lord here our Prayers”
The Methodist Church community, when they saw what was going on, they responded immediately. All Methodist Churches through out Chile had special collections to help their brothers in the South Central part of Chile, Clothing , Blankets, food, water was sent to those areas.
‘Lord here our Prayers”
On May 8th, a group of Methodist Men from the North, Iquique will be traveling to Linares to help build a house for the Pastor, so that he will have a shelter before the winter rains come. The Bishop has asked me to go and help this group. I will travel there with my wife and stay for the duration.
‘Lord here our Prayers”
Peoples lives have changed, the physical effect is more obvious and somewhat expected after an Earthquake of this magnitude. The physiological effect goes a little deeper. This condition needs to be looked at and handled more delicately. We as a Christian community here in Chie intend on taking this very seriously.
This condition if not treated by care of the Church and people just like you and me, Can and will have a more lasting effect than the damage structurally of a building. It is for this reason. We need your help.. Please talk to your Churches, and pray about ways that you can join us here in Chile to rebuild.
“Lord here our Prayers”
Mission teams are needed, not just to rebuild the damages that were left by the earthquake, but to come together as a Christian community extending you hand saying here I am, your neighbor, your sister and brother, asking what can I do to help you. Your mere presence will build a stronger, more lasting foundation for recovery that is much needed.
After meeting with all the Superintendents and the Bishop two times . We have ( the Methodist Church of Chile) found that a major part of the reconstruction, due to its extensive damage is going to have to be done by professional s.. We have a list of the different churches that need VIM teams..
We can start accepting teams any time.
This need is urgent, because winter is approaching.
· Santiago -
There is a need for four Groups,
Three Churches are in need of Repair
· Methodsit Church of Parral-
This church will need 3 work teams. A group of Methodsit Men from the Southern District of Chile will go work in October for three days.
· The Methodist Church of Linares-
Many teams are needed to rebuild the parsonage and the Temple
· Methodist Church of Penco-
This church needs to rebuild a wall around the Parsonage that was washed away by the tsunami, Four Groups to this area.
· 2ND Methodist Church of Temuco-
Three teams will be able to do the repair work on this church
Lord here our Prayers.
