PRAYER REQUESTS FOR FUTURE TEAMS & UMCOR WEST OFFICE DEPOT CONTACT INFO

PHOTO: Bishop Elaine Stanovsky, Rocky Mountain Annual Conference and Jamie Michaels, US-2 missionary for UMCOR West assists Depot Director Brian Diggs as he cuts a ribbon marking the official opening of the UMCOR West in Salt Lake City, Utah.Melissa Hinnen/UMCOR

* PRAYER REQUESTS FOR FUTURE TEAMS Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. (Ephesians 6: 7 -8) 1) “Salaam” to the Individual Volunteer serving in Palestine: Dec.15 - June 2009 Yvonne Turner of Sierra Pines UMC is volunteering as an English teacher for youth at Hope School in Palestine through June of 2009. Yvonne first visited Palestine as part of an UMVIM Team led by Rev. Tana McDonald (Feather River Cooperative Parish) last year and felt personally challenged to offer her service and presence in solidarity with the Palestinian community. Yvonne has established a blog for family, friends and well-wishers to stay connected with her there. http://yvonnepalestine.blogspot.com/ 2) Medical & Connectional team serving the Ray of Hope Foundation in Kenya May 22 – June 5 Team leader Craig Wood of Glide UMC – San Francisco will be leading Glide UMC’s first UMVIM team! Glide UMVIM volunteers are doctors, nurses, teachers, photographers, videographers and social workeworkers. The mission of Ray of Hope Foundation is to promote health, healing, medicine and education to the global community through the exchange of volunteers, technology, training, medical supplies and educational programming. Craig will be joined by Katherine Burke, Mark Hespeth, Joshua Biddle, Karen Oliveto, Travis Woodard, Robin Ridenour and Stephan Chase. 3) Care – A – Vaners construction team works in Mt. Shasta, CA: May 26 - June 3 Rod and Gloria Castor head up yet another group of nomadic volunteers who will go in mission, living out of their RVs while working on light construction and repair projects throughout California-Nevada Conference. The Care-A-Vaners has worked this year at Laton UMC and The East Salinas Family Center. Other locations are scheduled for this year—give us a call if you want to join them in this work. 4) San Ramon Valley UMC High School Youth Team to Laton, CA: June 20 - 27 Michael Stephenson and 4 other adult volunteers will lead a team of 18 high school aged volunteers to Laton UMC to continue repairs there. See the UMVIM website for photos. Projects may include exterior painting, the sanding and staining of church pews and the replacement of window screens. Michael will be joined by Mackenzie Dimler, Keegan Dimler, Matt Donatelli, Spencer Farady, Lindsay Garnick, Nick Johnson, Justin Koos, Ali Kuelz, Thomas Mannell, Lizzy Miskovetz, Lauren Nakaso, Evan Preece, Jack Schramm, Paige Steffy, Ben TenElshof, Mark Warwick, Annette Warwick, Trevor Willis, Kevin Dimler, Crista Farrow, Paul Kuelz and Debbie Koos of Alamo - San Ramon Valley UMC. 5) Epworth UMC-Berkeley heads to Nicaragua: June 21 – July 3 Lloyd Elliott from Epworth UMC – Berkeley will take a second team of volunteers to a newly created UMVIM site in Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua to continue their relationship of support and friendship with the Ruben Dario High School. They will also be exploring possible mission opportunities related to health and healthcare as well as water quality and water erosion. Lloyd will be joined by Annette Cayot, Jim Lockwood-Stewart, Charles Lynch and Christina Kellogg of Berkeley - Epworth UMC Lynne McCoy and Pat Stout of Los Altos - Los Altos UMC. 6) Mother and daughter volunteer to join missionary daughter in Cambodia: June 23 – August 12 Martha Parker of Mill Valley – Mt. Tamalpais UMC will join her daughter Katherine Parker ( A GBGM UM Missionary) in Cambodia to aid with projects there. Martha’s other daughter Janet Parker has been serving in the region since April 28th and will continue through June 12th. Martha’s background is in nursing and she has a community health and advance practice as the Mill Valley School district nurse. You can check out all the Parker’s activities at Katherine’s missionary blog: http://chad-cambodia.blogspot.com/ 7) Multi-Church VBS & Connectional Team to Swaziland, Africa: June 30 – July 14 Becky Perry from Boulder Creek UMC will take a team of 11 volunteers to a newly created UMVIM site in Bulembu – Swaziland. They will be leading VBS classes for Enduduzweni children and connecting with many other ministries in the area during their time there. Becky will be joined by Heather Bishop and Hallie Greene of Boulder Creek - Boulder Creek UMC Donna Brandt, Jane Cross, Mary Davis, Farida Melia and Mary Melvin of Pacific Grove - First UMC Christian Knox of Galt - Galt UMC Ruth Matthews of Milpitas - Genesis UMC Rosemary Steenhausen of San Jose - Alamaden Hills UMC and Chris McLain of Texas - Round Rock UMC. * UMCOR WEST OFFICE & DEPOT UMCOR Sager Brown now has company! For years, this warehouse in Baldwin, LA was the only place where UMCOR would keep all of its kits and is still an amazing place to volunteer. Now, there is such a warehouse in the West, called UMCOR WEST OFFICE & DEPOT. The director is Rev. Brian Diggs and they are open to accepting kits, donations, and volunteers. You can connect with them at 1479 South 700 West, Salt Lake City, UT, 84104-1605. The phone number is 801.973.7250 and the fax number is 801.973.7916. You can also email the depot at westdepot@umcor.org.

Safety Officer Training in the PNW Conference, Missionary Visits from Mongolia; Volunteers Needed to Cuba & Midwest; Sager Brown Volunteers Touch Live

Photo: Two Volunteers at Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, LA, help replace a homeowner's door, courtesy UMCOR

* DESIGNATED SAFETY OFFICER TRAINING

If you, or someone in your church needs to get certified as a DSO or have their certification updated we have a number of training opportunities coming up. May 24 - during Convo, lunch-time. $10 if not registered for ConvoMay 31 - Sand Point Community UMC, Seattle, 1pm, cost $10June 18 - Annual Conference at UPS, 10am, cost $10 If you would like to attend one of these events please send an email to: camping@pnwumc.org or call 1-800-755-7710 x 305

* INTERESTED IN SERVING IN CUBA?

Rev. Nick Elliott, former Executive Director of UMVIM, SEJ, will be leading a 12 member construction team to Havana, Cuba. Team will assemble in Miami on November 30 and fly to Havana on December 1-10. We will be working on the Methodist Seminary in old Havana, worshipping in different churches, and learning about the Cuban culture.

Please email NickElliott@onlymyemail.com for an application. Special consideration will be given to persons who have never been to Cuba. Anticipated cost is $2250 from Miami.

* NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS

Recent flooding and windstorms in the midwest have resulted in a great need for volunteers.
For more information about this need, view the attached document, or visit www.umvim.org/midwestflooding.pdf.

* GLOBAL MINISTRIES MISSIONARY TO MONGOLIA VISITS CHURCHES IN CA

Helen M. Sheperd, a General Board of Global Ministries' missionary serving in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is available for Covenant Relationship support in the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

She currently is making appointments to visit churches in California.

Read about Helen Sheperd's work in her May 2009 newsletter - and read her biographical information on the GBGM website.

Another GBGM missionary, Debbie Umipig-Julian, writes from Yokohama, Japan, "The worldwide economic status is influencing every fiber of our lives this season - definitely not good news, but let us not get tired of loving others, and making a difference wherever we are for God's glory and honor."

Umipig-Julian's third term in mission is nearing an end. Read her spring 2009 newsletter to learn more.

* UMCOR VOLUNTEERS AT SAGER BROWN DEPOT

Volunteers working at UMCOR’s Sager Brown campus in Baldwin, La., do more than prepare emergency relief kits, they help their community with home repairs.
Sager Brown volunteers helped Bobbie, a Louisiana resident who after colon cancer surgery had to use a walker. Bobbie’s doorway was too narrow to accommodate her walker, so the volunteers brought tools and materials and widened her doorway. The volunteers also replaced her front door.

Barbara Snell, who directs of outreach ministries at UMCOR Sager Brown says there are approximately 80 applications from people in the community who are requesting home repairs—demonstrating a strong need in the Sager Brown community in addition to kit ministry that reaches around the world.
Support UMCOR Sager Brown Depot by giving to Material Resources, UMCOR Advance #901440