The Rx Consultation is set for Highland UMC, Detroit Conference, for May 4-6, 2012 and registration has been opened - see box on the left or click here! Shannon Trilli, head of UMCOR Health and the other workshop leaders are eagerly working on their materials and will bring you an excellent program - geared towards taking medical teams into the world to serve and empower others to serve in turn!
We will present a diverse set of options for medical missions. Please check out the Rx flyer and help spread the word! Another presention by, Judy Bruun (WI) and Jody Pratt (W MI) will be on their "extreme mission" experience, from the Amazon jungle to the city dump of Lima, Peru. It was a contrast in illnesses, nutrition and everyday life of these wonderful and resilient people. Video by Liliana Garcia, team member There will be a workshop and plenary on the Colonias Prject in Pharr, TX whichis located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, about 6 miles from the Mexican border. Although many folks are bilingual, about 80% of the adults say they do not speak English at all or don't speak it very well. We are in Hidalgo County, the poorest county in the United States and pretty much function on a shoe-string budget most of the time. The Colonia (Rural) project (CBH) is one of three major programs that our project offers to low income families. The other two programs are Project Ignite (ESL, GED, Job Readiness Training, and Small or Home Based Business Start Ups); Cultural Arts and Community Theater.
These two programs are offered in the downtown area of Pharr, although some of our students also come from rural areas to attend the classes. Although we receive a lot of our support from the United Methodist Church, we are also a Community of Shalom--so we partner with other denominations and faiths as well as organizations and community agencies to bring about systemic change in the community and encourage & support personal empowerment for our students so they can break the bonds of poverty, become employable and financially self-sufficient. Elva Michal, Ph. D. (Pharr Literacy Project & Cultural Arts Center)
