CARE TEAMS TO GULF; HAITI JOB OPENINGS; FUTURE TEAMS; FLOODING IN PAKISTAN; UMVIM NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

Flooding in Pakistan. See what you can do to help. Photo courtesy, nydailynews.com.

CARE TEAMS TO GULF - OIL SPILL DISASTER

UMCOR and the Louisiana Annual Conference trained 128 clergy and laity to serve on Care Teams that will be sent to communities on the Louisiana coast that have been affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We expect to be sending teams for several months,” said Candy McCammon, Care Team supervisor for the conference. Teams will be sent to the British Petroleum compound to meet with oil spill response workers, and to community centers and local congregations to talk with those affected by the disaster.

Your gift to US Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670, helps UMCOR respond to this and other natural or human-caused disasters in the United States.

HAITI JOB OPENINGS

UMCOR has posted several employment opportunities to its website to help the organization advance its relief and development work in Haiti. Positions are open for a Livelihoods Coordinator; Shelter and Reconstruction Coordinator; and a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Coordinator.
For more information, please visit UMCOR’s Job and Volunteer Opportunities website.

FUTURE TEAMS

Carson City UMC Team to Guatemala: July 29 – August 8
Anita Shaul leads a team to Guatemala. She will serve with Warren Shaul, Day Williams, Robin Williams, Abby Williams, Nathanial Williams, Brenda Keller, Sharon Urban, Ben Swanson, Christina Reid, Madison Reid, Robert Jennings-Teats Tobin Volberding, Hope Hutchins, Brian Hutchins, Kristin Schlager, Brianna McCord, Nick Schlager and Hillary Schlager of First UMC - Carson City Maurine Williams of American Baptist Fellowship and Frank Cruz.

Concord UMC Team to Guatemala: July 30 – August 8
Doug and Betsy McLeod lead a team to Guatemala. They will serve with Rebecca Jensen, Michelle Kop, Susan Pintar, Suzanne Hargis and Silvy Puthukkeril of Concord UMC, Alison Berry, Alice Impraim and Wolf Meier of Alamo – San Ramon Valley UMC and Will Valdriz, UCBerkeley student.

Multi Church International Team to Fiji: August 12 - 26
Virisila Batiratu of Sacramento - Centennial UMC leads a team Fiji to continue construction work on a local school. She will serve with David Orland of Foothill - Federated Church, Nancy O'Bryon of Sacramento - St. Joseph Catholic Church and Don Kawashima of San Jose - Wesley UMC.

Kit & Relationship Building Team to Salt Lake City, Utah Supply Depot: August 15 - 20 Steve Elliott leads a kit building team to the UMCOR West Depot. He serves with, Kim Risedorph, Gabe Elliott, Becca Elliott, Coleman Johnson, Bobbie Johnson, Silvia Moon, Louise Nelson, Robert Smith and Carolee Smith of Livermore - Asbury UMC, Cynthia DeLand, Wendy Kenley, Doug Huey and Mary Ellen Huey of Lynnewood UMC, Donna Lindquist and Ginger McGuffin of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC.

FLOODING IN PAKISTAN

At least 1,200 people have died and 2 million have been displaced from their homes by the most severe flooding on record in northwest Pakistan. Tens of thousands of people remained isolated on rooftops awaiting rescue on Monday, as floodwaters destroyed bridges and roads, according to news reports.

Government buildings, businesses, thousands of acres of crops, and at least 29,500 homes have been completely destroyed by the floods that followed on the heels of extremely heavy monsoon rains that particularly affected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Additional rain is expected this week, which could provoke more flooding and increase fears of the spread of waterborne illnesses such as cholera. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is reaching out to partners in Pakistan, including Church World Service, Muslim Aid, and the Peshawar Diocese of the Church of Pakistan, and preparing an initial grant to assist in relief efforts.

“We are praying for the people who have lost loved ones, are left without homes and livelihoods, and for those who are trapped and waiting for food and clean water,” said the Rev. Cynthia Fierro Harvey, UMCOR’s top executive. “UMCOR is committed to addressing their needs and especially reaching out to those who are most vulnerable.”

Please support UMCOR’s response to the crisis in Pakistan with your gift to International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450. Please write Pakistan Emergency on the memo line of your check.

UMVIM NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

From the NorthCentral Jurisdiction:

MEXICO medical team needs pharmacist: Can you put the word out that we are desperate for a pharmacists for our Oct. 7, 2010 medical team to Nuevo Progreso. This is one of the safest border towns in Mexico. We have a pretty complete team EXCEPT for pharmacy. Help! More info, contact Rev. Jo Powers, 419 376 6017.

The next Russia Initiative Consultation will be held at the St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, April 7-9, 2011. The Crowne Plaza Hotel at 2945 Northwest Expressway will accommodate our participants at a special room rate of $95 per night, breakfast included. Bishop Hans Växby will deliver his address in the opening afternoon plenary on April 7. Thomas Kemper, the new general secretary of Global Ministries, will address the gathering in the morning plenary on April 8. Please protect the dates and plan to attend. The Eurasia Roadmap to 2015 will be the theme of the consultation. We are scheduling these major consultations every two years now, and it is important for us to come together and discern the future directions of the mission.