Volunteers Needed to Serve in Cuba; New UMCOR Depot in Salt Lake City; & UMCOR/UMVIM Gathering in Mexico City

Photos: Rev. Willie Berman at UMCOR/UMVIM Gathering in Mexico City (top) & Rev. Brian Diggs new head of UMCOR Depot in Salt Lake City, UT (bottom).

CALLED TO SERVE IN CUBA? UMVIM TRIP: SPEND YOUR 4TH OF JULY HELPING OTHERS!

Team of 12 from all over the USA will work on the Methodist Seminary in Havana, Cuba. 3 spaces remain! Trip is scheduled for July 2-13, 2009. Cost is approximately $2100 plus cost of trip to Miami. Deadline for Visa Application and deposit of $300 is due April 15. For additional information, contact Rev. Vicki Walker at vwalker@hydeparkumc.org or (813) 253-5388 and your UMVIM Conference Coordinator.

UMCOR NOW ALSO LOCATED IN THE WESTERN JURISDICTION

Most United Methodists have heard of Sager Brown. Sager Brown is the UMCOR depot in Baldwin, LA. Whenever you and/or your church puts together health kits, layette kits, school kits, Flood Bucket/Clean-Up kits, etc. they get sent to Sager Brown. This is where they are held until they are shipped out all over the country and the world as needed.

Now, UMCOR has a new depot in the Western Jurisdiction located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is headed by Rev. Brian Diggs (pictured above, second photo from the top) and will serve in expanding UMCOR's kit ministry.

Want to go and volunteer? The Western Jurisdiction Office is ready to put volunteers to work painting and cleaning as they prepare the 25,000 square foot warehouse for business. Those interested in volunteering can contact Rev. Diggs by phone or email. Phone: 801-973-7250Phone/Fax: 801-973-7290Email: WestDepot@UMCOR.org

Latin American, Caribbean and US Churches Explore New Ways of Being in Mission Together
by UMCOR

More than 100 Methodist leaders from Latin America, Caribbean and the United States gathered in Mexico City, March 24-27, to strengthen relationships through sending and receiving volunteers and when responding to local disasters. The four-day gathering, brought together by Global Ministries' Mission Contexts and Relationships, was marked by honest dialog across borders and cultures to strengthen understanding and partnership when engaging in mission together.

"We need to extend our hands to each other," said Rev. Juan de Dios Peña, from El Salvador regarding the need for Latin American and Caribbean countries to be senders as well as receivers of volunteer missionaries. Rev. De Dios acknowledged the economic challenges faced by many Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) and Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) churches and also gave examples of how these have been overcome in his own and other countries in the region..
Sharing of models for volunteer sending and disaster response within the United States was part of the consultation that was led by United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Ways to adapt these models for the various cultural contexts were invited.

"United we can achieve much more," said Bishop Moisés Valderrama Gómez of Mexico, and president of CIEMAL. "We can do what God wants to do through our hands not just as volunteers working in Latin America, but all of us as part of the same church."
The idea for the consultation was born out of a pre-General Conference meeting in Panama when the need to develop volunteer coordinators and leaders within Latin American was raised.
Bishop Valderrama was one of the driving forces behind the consultation, "This is not the result of one individual," said Bishop Valderama of the consultation. "God is calling all of us together."
The meeting brought together volunteer coordinators and bishops from the entire region to explore new ways of doing mission. "This is especially important because Latin America suffers many disasters," said Joyce Torres Placa, general secretary of CIEMAL regarding the disaster response training that was led by UMCOR and Mission Volunteers and resourced by Mission Contexts and Relationships.

In addition to the goal of building the capacity of Latin American and Caribbean churches to respond to disaster was providing assistance for them to send as well as receive volunteer teams, "This event is bringing us together and I trust our future work together will produce good fruits-to not only receive volunteers, but to send them as well," commented Bishop Valderrama.

UMVIM & Mexico - Is It Safe for Volunteers?

In light of all the reports about the drug cartel violence in the border areas of Mexico, volunteers have many questions as to the safety of serving there. The following are two statements. The first is from Bishop Raul Garcia de Ochoa who is the Bishop of the Eastern Conference in Mexico. The second statement comes from the Desert Southwest Annual Conference and represents not only this conference's stance on volunteers and Mexico but also the General Board of Global Ministries's opinion as well. From Bishop Raul Garcia de Ochoa: Dear friends, I write just a few words to you to greet you in the name of Christ our Lord. In the last weeks, our government has made a much more decisive campaingn against drug cartels in our country. These actions, as expected, have provoked a violent reaction from the side of drug dealers. This, in turn, being publicized by the media, makes people in the US to think that it is wholy insecure being in Mexico. The truth is that our government is working hard to keep our country clean of this evil and it is impossible to avoid the clashing of forces. Nevertheless, the general athmosphera in society is at calm. In spite of the finantial crisis which permeates in the globe, our industry, commerce, tourism, and other areas of development keep operating as usual. We have never had a single problem with one of the visiting teams. Scheduled activities are done in such a way that we take no chances for risk, the travel routes are totally safe. Nationals are always with every team. We instruct teams to stay together and we provide directions that make their visit most pleasant for all and fruitful for God´s kingdom. Incidents in our midst are in average just as incidents in any other place.We trust that you will continue to support the ministries you have considered. Our people and churches are open to receive you even in their homes. Our partnership is one of God´s means to continue to heal both the Church and the world. "May the Lord bless you and keep you." - Raúl García de Ochoa, Bishop Mexico Eastern Conference From: Desert Southwest Annual Conference 1. We are called to be in ministry "in all the places we can … at all the times we can … as often as we can …." (Paraphrasing John Wesley). 2. The Desert Southwest Conference does not say "YES" or NO" with regard to going or taking UMVIM teams to Mexico. Each ADULT person who wishes to be in ministry in Mexico is accountable for their own decision on whether to go or not to go – based on their personal knowledge of the risks and their own level of comfort with those risks. 3. We want (and are called) to continue doing God's work through our bi-lateral ministry with our colleagues in Mexico. (This may include alternative ways to be in ministry). But of primary importance is the safety and welfare of our people. 4. According to legal counsel, "What the Desert Southwest Conference and specific UMC churches do will be judged in the context of what other entities have done. For example, "If a government entity, which is considered to have dependable knowledge about safety and security, is taking drastic steps … then it is prudent for us to take similar steps." 5. It is a team leader’s responsibility to provide as much information as possible to all team members regarding the level of potential danger so that each member may make a fully-informed decision on whether or not to travel into Mexico based on their individual level of comfort in the face of those risks. The latest information, dated February 20, 2009, can be found at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis.pa.tw/pa/pa_3028.html. Additional information is available by initiating a search using "Travel Warnings – Mexico" as parameters. 6. Team leaders should maintain a record of what information is provided to whom, date and time. Further, those persons electing to go should sign a statement indicating that they have been advised of potential risks, but he or she is choosing to participate and signs a "hold harmless agreement" (liability release). 7. Team leaders should also insure that all members apply for and have the UMVIM Accident Insurance and that they understand what this insurance covers – and equally important what it does not cover. (These two forms are available in the UMVIM Training Manual which was issued by The UMC (GBGM). (And one may wish to consider purchasing trip insurance). And finally – the DSC highly discourages including youth members on UMVIM teams going to Mexico until the situation becomes more stable.