TRAININGS & OTHER NEWS

UMVIM TRAINING NEWS

EARLY RESPONSE TEAM (ERT) training - April 17, 2010, 9 am to 5 pm, south Denver area. ERT's are self-sufficient teams that help in the relief phase of a disaster, e.g., debris removal, installing tarps on roofs, or any jobs requested by the community experiencing a disaster. To sign up, contact Betsy Keyack, bkeyack@att.net

2) UMVIM Team Leader Training, May 8, 2010, First UMC Loveland, CO, 9 am to Noon. To sign up, contact Betsy Keyack, bkeyack@att.net

3) HAITI - plans are underway for hosting volunteer teams. The first teams from the Rocky Mountain Conference will be led by Rev. Jon Laughlin, pastorjon@bresnan.net. Dates are still TBD. Contact Jon to see what openings he has. In the near future, team leaders to Haiti must have prior experience in Haiti. Please also send your name to Betsy Keyack if you are interested in serving in Haiti so she can connect you with a future team.

4) UMVIM Leadership Team - we have some terrific people who have signed up for our new UMVIM Leadership Team, starting July 1, 2010. If you might want to join our team, contact Betsy Keyack and she will send you a job description for the team.

OTHER TRAININGS OUTSIDE THE WESTERN JURISDICTION BUT OPEN TO ALL

INDIANA - April 10, 2010: Early Response Team Training, Mexico New Life UMC. 8:30 - 4:30. Cost: $25, includes snacks, lunch and materials. Contact: Gary Peterson, 260 437-1310 or Bonnie Albert, Indiana UMVIM Coordinator, 219-464-1447. Trainer is Rick Hill, UMCOR consultant.

WEST OHIO, Saturday, May 15, 2010, Early Response Team Training - This class, limited to 35 students, will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Maumee United Methodist Church, 405 Sackett St, Maumee, OH 43537. Coffee and donuts available at 8:30 a.m. If you are interested in attending this class, please send registration information & $25.00 check to Julie Bassett, West Ohio Conference UMC, 32 Wesley Blvd., Worthington, OH 43085-3585, 1-800-437-0028.

· Registration Information needed: Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone, email.
· Checks payable to: West Ohio Annual Conference - UMC (ERT in memo line).

May 15, 2010 - Chain Saw Training Course - Starts 9:00 AM, Pine Lake UM Camp. Limited to 10-15 beginners or experienced cutters with emphasis on safety and working with basic hazards evaluation. Anyone using a chain saw as a volunteer for UMVIM must have certified training! Taught by Nathan Stanford, an Independent

Chain Saw Safety Trainer. Course will cover:
1. Personal protective equipment
2. Equipment inspection / safe handling of equipment
3. Chain sharpening
4. Basic hazard evaluation / storm damage
5. Tree felling evaluation
6. Working with trees and branches under spring pressureBring: helmet, ear and eye protection.

Also bring work boots, gloves, chaps and chain saw if you have them. Dress for the weather. You will receive a wallet card for participating or attending a basic chain saw safety course.

Cost: $35.00, includes lunch.
Register by May 7, 2010. Please send your name, address, Phone, email address, and money (Check made out to VIM Camps.) to: Chuck Wedemeyer, 8389 N. Ivy St., Brown Deer, WI 53223, 414-354-8285,

WEST MICHIGAN - May 22, 2010: Lansing District Early Response Team Training - Crossroads UMC (Williamston) is hosting Early Response Team training for the Lansing District. Below are links to the conference website. For more information, please contact Jeremy Wicks, West Michigan Conference ERT Trainer, 517-980-6855. Registration is limited.

West Michigan: TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES OR EARLY RESPONSE TEAM information.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS - April 3, 2010: Conference Office in Elgin, IL. Starts 9:00 AM, promptly. Contact Jane Dunn, 630-605-1020Conference trainer for information.

MICHIGAN Area Festival of Opportunities - April 10, 2010: Brighton, MI. Contact: John Walls, Detroit Conference UMVIM Coordinator, 734-282-5930,

ILLINOIS GREAT RIVERS - April 10, 2010: This training is to prepare teams to go to Haiti when the time is right! Training will be in Springfield at the Conference Center. Contact: Christy Blickensderfer, Conference office, 217-529-2473, to register. Deadline: Wed. March 31st. Cost: $20.00 per person covers lunch and materials.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEAM TO HONDURAS

Photo: Street in capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, courtesy bbc.co.uk.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEAM TO HONDURAS

4 team members slots available for a VIM work trip to Honduras.
The dates of the trip are June 5 through June 13, 2010. The trip will be to La Ceibita, a small town in the northern part of the country.

The work activities will be a vision clinic plus performing several health related activities (glucose screening, blood pressure screening and dental health care training). If we have individuals that would prefer to work in construction, put on a Bible School, teach sewing or any other activity we can accommodate most other desires to help the people there.

This mission trip will cost a 'fully tax deductible' $1,200; this covers all expenses including airfare from Knoxville, TN. For more information contact Bob Schultz, First United Methodist Church Oak Ridge, at maxbob@peoplepc.com or call at 865-482-0080.

RX Consultation May 7-9, 2010 : President of Haiti Methodist Church Guest Speaker

You are invited to our next educational and inspirational consultation for medical UMVIM teams. The consultation will be held at Walnut Hills United Methodist Church, 12321 HickmanUrbandale, IA 50323.

The overall theme is Community Based Primary Health Care (CBPHC) - How you can take some teaching tools and techniques with you into your medical mission field and leave them for the empowerment of the local leaders.

Workshops and talks on topics for UMVIM teams include incorporating spiritual formation into team dynamics, learning about diseases of poverty, tips for CBPHC, packing tips, medical professionals as Individual Volunteers, how solar ovens work as self-help tools, medical teams gear up to serve in Colombia, Nigeria, Haiti and elsewhere, Safe Sanctuary concerns and many other opportunities to learn and share your work in mission!

Special breakout workshops:
Friday - all day, Haiti information meeting with Rev. Gesner Paul, President, Eglise Methodiste d'Haiti)

Saturday - a session for Parish Nurses

Saturday - UMVIM Team Leadership Training

Please click on the the link below to register!
Register Now!

FUTURE TEAMS & INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER NEWS

Photo: Children in Mexico, courtesy umcor.org.

FUTURE TEAMS

Individual Volunteer to Hope School – Bethlehem, Palestine: March through June, Yvonne Turner of Grass Valley - Sierra Pines UMC will be serving as a teacher at the Hope School in Bethlehem.

Medical Team to Guatemala: March 6 - 16
Roland Nyegaard leads a large team of medical professionals to Guatemala. He will serve with Gay Goss, Richard Anderson, Jon Chan, Marianne Hallum, Lynn Hansen, Patricia Logan, Seang Seng of Modesto - First UMC, Nancy Fisher of Centenary UMC, James Hoyt of Calvary Chapel, Shari Lowe of Raiseda - 7th Day Adventist, Julia Parish of San Francisco - St. Mary the Virgin, Cynthia Barton of Ripon Grace, Kelly Brown, Jim Brown, Elizabeth Dixon, William Dixon, Susan Hoyt, Elise Palitz, John Pfeffer, Carol Shakespeare, Jennifer Zimmerman and William WIlson.

Hurricane Recovery Team to Dulac, Louisiana: March 13 - 19
Darlene Luster picks up the leadership torch from Richard Drath and leads a team back to Dulac, Louisiana. She will serve with Nancy Wong, David Roundtree, Sue Roberts, Jay Earl, Marilyn Hewitt, Elizabeth Morse, Katy Simon, Jim Roberts, Becky Earl, Jeff Spalin and Katie Salo of Reno - First UMC, Michael Clymer, Richard Schendel, Georgia Clymer, Susan Doctor, Patrick Leamy, Mary Law, Nicole Schober, Brenton King and Joyce Garcia of Reno - St. Paul's UMC, Kathy Fraker of Fallon - Epworth UMC, Sherri Rice and Patty Bengtsor.

Los Gatos UMC / International Team to Colonet, Mexico: March 20 - 26
Pete Taylor leads a Los Gatos UMC Team back to Colonet to continue their partnership there. He will serve with Marna Taylor, Nicholas Taylor, Eric Hardt, Alex Hardt, Karen Sanders, Alex Noe, Ray Owen, Michael Baldwin, Andrew Neish, Brian Stansbury and Maurice VanGalder of Los Gatos UMC.

Multi-Church / Hurricane Recovery Team to Slidell, Louisiana: March 27 – April 3
Joe Hoffman leads teams of volunteers from four congregations. Jerry Adams, Warren Adams, Debbie Dillon-Adams, Sally Flores, Aeredin Harris, Cameron Hobbs, Haley Hobbs, Shannon James, Barbie Swain, Carl Swain and Kristen Swain of the Pioneer UMC and the Auburn Community Parish (made up of Dutch Flat UMC, Colfax UMC and Placer Hills Community UMCs).

UMVIM TEAMS TO HAITI-STATEMENT FROM UMVIM JURISDICTIONAL COORDINATORS

Photo: Building damaged in earthquake, Port Au Prince, Haiti, Courtesy, cnn.com.

Statement from the UMVIM Jurisdictional Coordinators on UMVIM Teams to Haiti

Greg Forrester, Northeast Jurisdiction, Lorna Jost, North Central Jurisdiction and Paulette West, Southeast Jurisdiction returned this past Friday, March 5th from their site visit to Haiti. A plan for United Methodist Volunteer in Mission (UMVIM) team response to the earthquake devastation in Haiti has been designed in consultation with President Gesner Paul and other leaders of the Eglise Methodiste d'Haiti (EMH). Due to the earthquake and changes in EMH leadership, a new list of priority projects and needs have been identified by the church.

Conversations with United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) have led to a formalized funded proposal for coordination of UMVIM teams to Haiti. The plan includes a US based calendaring office along with staffing in Haiti to assist in the site planning and hosting of teams. The positions of US-Haiti Coordinator, Haiti-Financial Hospitality Coordinator and Haiti-Volunteer Coordinator have been posted to the GBGM website or you can write Lorna Jost for copies. Pending approval of this proposal, we estimate some volunteers may be on the ground in Haiti by April 1st.

Teams are encouraged to form, raise funds and start considering when they would be ready to volunteer in Haiti. All UMVIM teams will be expected to work on prioritized projects as set by the EMH and are coordinated through the US-Haiti Coordinator with advisement to Annual Conference UMVIM coordinators.

Based on our observations and experience, teams serving in Haiti need to meet the following criteria:
No more than 8-12 members/team.
Team leader has prior experience in Haiti.
Team leader has UMVIM team leader training
Necessary immunizations are up to date (Cholera and tuberculosis may be needed soon - watch the CDC recommendations)
Early Response Training is not necessary but would be helpful
We suggest that team membership include skills/supplies for Vacation Bible School/education, medical, and construction/deconstruction components.

Specialized teams for pastoral care will be needed soon to work with the pastors and lay pastors in Haiti.

We look forward to serving with you in building relationships with our Haitian sisters and brothers to work with them to bring healing to their country.

In Christ's name,

Greg Forrester, NEJ
Paulette West, SEJ
Lorna Jost, NCJ
Debbie Vest, SCJ
Heather Wilson, WJ

FUTURE TEAM TO KENYA AUGUST 2010; THE HAITIAN PEOPLE COPE AFTER QUAKE;

Photo: Kenya, courtesy, aiesec.org. Volunteer at Kenya Methodist University, read more below...

FUTURE TEAM TO KENYA

Future team in August 2010: Kenya Methodist University. It will be a "connectional" trip focusing on educational issues in Kenya and exposure to the missions and ministries of the Meru Synod of the Methodist Church of Kenya. Cost is not set but no more than $4,500. For more information please contact Ronda Cordill at r_cordill@hotmail.com.

HAITI UPDATE

Haitian people continue each day to sort through what are for many just fragments of their pre-earthquake lives in cities most affected. At night many find greater security sleeping outdoors in tents or shelters away from solid structures. Two significant aftershocks (one at 4.7 Richter) jangled our nerves the second night, helping us sense why some Haitians may still be in a state of shock.

During the day, government and non-government organizations “cluster” under United Nations leadership to share information and coordinate efforts. I attended a meeting of the Relief and Agriculture Clusters with Mr. Anthony Jones, UMCOR Emergency Response Specialist, and learned that local Haitian workers are being paid to remove rubble from public places.

Canals and ditches essential for water removal and irrigation for farming during the rainy season (April) will soon receive special attention. Surveys reveal that smaller towns and rural areas have absorbed tens of thousands of internally displaced people from the most severely affected Port-au-Prince / Leogane / Petit Goave corridor. This internal displacement has put pressure on farmers to use seeds for food and even to sell equipment and animals to feed and shelter incoming families. Seeds and tools will be distributed among farmers so the farming season begins on time.

The Methodist Church of Haiti’s rescheduled annual conference moved its venue to little-affected Les Cayes. Methodists from Britain, The Caribbean and the U.S. sent representatives to show solidarity and to pledge prayers, material and financial support for Haiti’s recovery.

I was privileged to share UMCOR’s newly forged goal statement that commits resources and promises close coordination of efforts among Global Ministries units (UMCOR, Women’s Division, Mission & Evangelism) and between United Methodist Volunteers in Mission and the Methodist Church of Haiti. Our Haitian brothers and sisters are anxious to see United Methodists live fully into this new statement of commitment.

-By Rev. Dr. James L Gulley, UMCOR Consultant for Agriculture and Community Development and Haiti earthquake survivor.

UMCOR DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING OPEN TO EVERYONE IN WESTERN JURISDICTION

Photo: The aftermath of a natural disaster, courtesy, gbgm-umc.org. Please read below to see how and where you can be trained to serve those in need after a natural disaster.

UMCOR DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING

The Cal-Nevada Conference will be hosting an UMCOR Disaster Preparedness and Response Training March 24-28, 2010 at Camp Lodestar, 6135 Blue Mountain Road, Wilseyville, CA 95257. This training is open to those beyond the Cal-Nevada Conference border. If you are interested in attending this training please contact Phil Bandy, the UMVIM Conference Coordinator for the Cal-Nevada Conference at philb@calnevumc.org. The training prices and registration information are as follows:

Full Conference:
Wed.-Sun. Service = $250
(Includes all meals and lodging)

Children in Trauma Class: Add $50

Chainsaw A: Add $50

Chainsaw B
(includes Sun. Lunch): Add $65

Chainsaw B Stand Alone Class
(includes Sat. Lodging & Dinner,
Sun. Breakfast & Lunch): $125

Please register online and pay by check before March 10th. Payable to: "Ca-Nev Conference" Memo line: "Dist. Training + participant’s name"

Mail to: UMVIM - Ca/Nev Conference
P.O. Box 980250,
West Sacramento, CA. 95798-0250

INFORMATION ABOUT UMCOR TRAININGS

In addition to UMVIM Team Leader training, you may want to receive other training depending on how you would like to serve on an UMVIM team. UMCOR offers several trainings each with its own emphasis. Here are some of them listed below. If you are interested in getting an UMCOR training in your annual conference please contact your UMVIM Conference Coordinator.

Basic Disaster Ministry 101
Basic Disaster Ministry is an introduction for all people interested in the unique and important role the faith community plays in disaster readiness and response in the United States. Participants learn about disasters, traditional responses to a disaster and how the faith-based response is different, how to prepare for a disaster, and ways to get involved after disaster strikes.

Early Response Team: Basic
The mission of an ER team is to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of a disaster, under very specific guidelines that enable a team to be productive and caring while causing no further harm or being a burden to the affected community. Team members are given ID badges as evidence of training. You will learn the who, what, when, where and how of doing ministry as well as hands on experience in the specific tasks that early responders are expected to accomplish.

Spiritual and Emotional Care Basic
This introduction on spiritual and emotional care needs of individuals, communities and congregations following disasters, responses to those needs, strategies for disaster responders’ self-care and training on how Care Teams fit into the overall UM disaster response structure.

Early Response Team: Train-the-Trainer
All Early Response Team classes are taught by UMCOR-trained and authorized instructors. This program prepares those Instructors for volunteer ERT training within their United Methodist Conference. Once trained, potential ERT Trainers will be evaluated in a class setting. ERT Trainers become certified after successful completion of the UMCOR ERT Trainer Evaluation.

On Site Management for ER Teams
An overview of the basic ERT and then goes into hosting/receiving ERT’s. Aimed at folks who have time and can be self-sufficient. This class introduces people to the ERT system and guidelines and enables them to set up appropriately for the incoming teams. Special emphasis is placed on permission from home owners for work to be done, coordination of teams and the tools necessary for setting up and reporting activities.

Hosting Volunteers
Volunteers play a critical role in any disaster recovery effort.
This workshop will help prepare you for providing volunteer housing, food, transportation, recreation, and affirmation.

Care Team
A more in depth look at Care Team responsibilities for volunteers planning to serve on a "Care Team" specifically.

Conference Disaster Response Training
The members of the Conference Disaster Response Committee are responsible for developing and implementing the Conference’s disaster response plan. This course will prepare the Committee for this important task, and also covers the roles of the Disaster Response Committee members in all phases of disaster.

Chainsaw
We will provide hands on, supervised safe practices to help chainsaw operators understand the way to approach debris removal that disasters create and the ability to recognize when they are over their head.
Students must provide saws, safety equipment, sharpening tools, fuel, and oil.

Children In Trauma - (Church of the Brethren)
Designed for people who have a heart and passion to help children after a disaster. Participants are trained to recognize and understand the fears and other emotions children experience during and following a disaster and how play and art can start the healing process. Once training is completed, participants have the opportunity to become certified by providing references, criminal and sexual background checks. CDS volunteers provide a calm, safe and reassuring presence in the midst of chaos, by setting up and operating child care centers in disaster locations. Workshop is open to

anyone over the age of 18.