HEALTHCARE SYMPOSIUM; UMCOR OPENS NEW OFFICE IN THE PHILIPPINES; UMCOR WEST OFFICE OPEN FOR BUSINESS; PRAYER REQUEST FOR TEAM TO TONGA

Photo: Opening of UMCOR office in Philippines, courtesy David Valera/UMCOR. Read below for more information....

* Cross-Cultural Competency in Healthcare Symposium

American patients are increasingly global in makeup. Some 50 million areculturally diverse and operate under concepts of health and medicine thatare unfamiliar to many healthcare professionals. The Cross-CulturalCompetency in Healthcare Symposium will equip healthcare professionals tosuccessfully care for some of the most distinct and underserved immigrantsand minorities in America.

Details: At Research Medical Center-Brookside Campus in Kansas City,Missouri, on Friday, October 2, 2009. Symposium Info:http://inmed.us/2009_cross-cultural_competency_in_healthcare_symposium.asp For: Physicians, Nurses, Dentists, Therapists, Physicians Assistants, PublicHealth Specialists, Residents, Pharmacists, and all Health ProfessionStudents. CME and CEU credit available.

Symposium Info:http://inmed.us/2009_cross-cultural_competency_in_healthcare_symposium.asp For more information email office@inmed.us, or call 816-835-1899 Nicholas Comninellis, MD MPH, President INMED - Institute for International Medicine http://inmed.us/"Equipping health professionals to serve in medical missions"6700 Troost Ave. Suite 224 Kansas City MO 64131-4401

*UMCOR OPENS NEW OFFICE IN PHILIPPINES

UMCOR will open an office in the Philippines on July 24 to help bring relief to a population vulnerable to natural disasters, civil conflict and extreme poverty. Based on the campus of Union Theological Seminary in Cavite, about 50 miles south of Manila, UMCOR Philippines will serve as the communications hub between United Methodist conferences within the Philippines and the US.

The office will also offer an on-site storage facility for material goods and relief supplies.
Bishops, disaster response coordinators and partner organizations will gather at UMCOR Philippines on July 21-24 to participate in a disaster preparedness training led by Melissa Crutchfield, head of UMCOR’s International Disaster Response and Lisa Jackson, head of special projects, to implement appropriate responses to different phases of disaster.
Support the new office with your gifts to Philippines Emergency, UMCOR Advance #240235.

*UMCOR WEST OFFICE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND INFORMATION

There is now an UMCOR Depot in Salt Lake City, UT headed by Rev. Brian Diggs. For more information about the depot and how you can volunteer there visit http://www.umcordepots.org/ or http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/umcorwest/.

*PRAYER REQUEST FOR TEAM GOING TO SERVE IN TONGA

A Multi-Church Team to Vava’n, Tonga: July 21 – August 4, 2009
Richard Thompson from Bakersfield – First UMC will lead a team of 15 volunteers from various churches in our conference, Oklahoma and Washington to Tonga. The team will be doing medical work, construction work and an after-school program. Joining Richard will be Ofa Thompson, Rebekah Thompson, Aaron Thompson, Ray Bowles, Fred Cramer, Gerry Stratton and Scott Wallace of Bakersfield - First UMC Larry Kavinoky, Cindy Gyugyi, and Stephen Gyugyi of Palo Alto - Wesley UMC Mark Thompson of Miami, OK. and Wyatt Finn from Olympia, WA.

SERVING IN TONGA; CELL PHONE DONATIONS; DISASTER RECOVERY

* TEAM TO SERVE IN TONGA

Several members of First United Methodist Church, Bakersfield will participate in a mission trip to Tonga, planned for July 21-August 4, departing from Los Angeles.

The team will be providing medical/dental and elderly care, doing repairs/construction, and conducting after school programs on one of the remote islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. Focus of the mission will be support of an elementary school, local clinic, and the local Wesleyan church.

"We are privileged to share hope along with medical attention, bring inspiration to the local teachers, nurses, and doctors, and spread joy with the children," reports a spokesperson for FUMC Bakersfield.

There may be room for two to three more participants on this unique mission team. Those with specific skills and those willing to be "utility players" are needed (medical personnel, skilled carpenters/builders, teachers, and those willing to help with cooking and serving).

Requirements are: good health, ability to travel the distance (the flight is 11+ hours, and there will be a short boat trip, as well), ability to stay in "rustic" accommodations, and a positive attitude and ability to get along with people under these conditions.

The approximate cost per person is $2,600. If you are interested in joining the team contact the Rev. Richard Thompson, FUMC pastor, immediately. Travel deposits were due in April. Call the church office at 661.325.1267 for more information.

If you cannot go but would like to support this mission trip, monetary contributions (to help the team buy building materials) will be welcomed, along with donations of:

Non-prescription reading glasses ("drug store glasses"), over-the-counter pain relievers, Band Aids, antibiotic ointments, "sample size" toothpaste, soft toothbrushes, small boxes of crayons, No. 2 pencils, erasers, white poster board, and blackboard chalk.

All donations may be dropped off at the FUMC Bakersfield church office, 4600 Stockdale, Bakersfield, CA 93309.

(Click here to read related story, "Mission Minute: Churches Partner to Ship Ambulance to Tonga.")

* DONATED CELL PHONES EQUALS UMVIM SUPPORT

Your donation of cell phones at Annual Conference Session supports California-Nevada UMVIM teams through the Western Jurisdiction UMVIM program, providing travel expenses for part-time Jurisdictional UMVIM coordinator, Heather Wilson. Heather supports site assessments and communications with mission projects throughout the world. She is the "go-to" connection between Mission Volunteers, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and Mission Personnel. She supports the UMVIM offices in California-Nevada and seven other annual conferences of the Western Jurisdiction.The hearing aids collected will be donated to the Rotary International project, "Help the Children Hear." This project collects and refurbishes hearing aids of all kinds and then provides them to needy children in the Tucuman Province of Argentina.

Some hearing aids are refurbished and sold, and the funds raised are used to purchase new hearing aids for the smaller children in the Province.

UMVIM Director Sue King, who coordinated the effort, thanks congregations for their willingness to help those less fortunate through these donations.

"Some of our UMVIM teams have distributed eye glasses and all of them benefit indirectly from the services of the Western Jurisdiction UMVIM program. Everyone donating is a part of UMVIM ministry through these important donations, even if they don't even leave home!"

(Click here to read main story, "Donate Cell Phones, Eye Glasses, Hearing Aids in Separate Bins at ACS.")

* VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DISASTER RECOVERY

Volunteers are often needed to help in recovery efforts following a disaster in the US. In the initial weeks, and in some places, months, only specially trained volunteers such as those on Early Response Teams can enter an area. This is because immediately following a disaster there are many health concerns due to structural damage and water-borne illnesses. Additionally, disaster areas lack the infrastructure needed to host volunteer teams. For more information on how to volunteer in this area contact Heather Wilson at umvimwj@hotmail.com or at 818-333-6730.

When an area is considered safe and able to host volunteers, teams are welcomed through United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM).Oftentimes volunteers are needed for several years following a major event.To find out about groups from your area, contact your jurisdictional or conference UMVIM coordinator