Summer of Service: 2016 Intern Rives Worsham

In 2012, UMVIM, SEJ rolled out an internship program for college students who display strong leadership skills and value the importance of mission work. We believe that empowering the next generation of the UMC is one of the best ways to keep our mission going strong for years to come. We were so fortunate to welcome Rives Worsham as our intern for 2016. Continue reading below to learn the valuable roles Rives played across the UMC connection, and how this experience has helped shape him as a leader.

UMVIM, SEJ HQ in Birmingham, Alabama
All of our interns kick off their summer at our office in Birmingham. They get to know our staff, our structure, and our mission, while also going through UMVIM team leader training and ERT Disaster Response training.

"It was interesting to learn about the structure of the entire United Methodist Church. I knew very little about the structure of the church when I got there, but by the time I left, I felt capable of having legitimate conversations about it. I also loved receiving all of the UMVIM and ERT training. It made me feel like I would be able to help others whenever and wherever I am needed."

Domestic Placement: Obion County, Tennessee
Our interns spend the next couple weeks of their summer in their domestic placements, usually within the Southeastern Jurisdiction. Rives served alongside ReelFoot Rural Ministries in Obion, Tennessee.

"I was really surprised by how much I fell in love with the small community. One of the biggest things I learned there was that there is plenty of work to be done here at home, you don’t have to travel abroad to find people in need. Obion County seemed to be overlooked and forgotten by the rest of the county, but they were such a welcoming community and they just needed a little help. RRM was awesome because they are involved in so much. I was able to work with elderly citizens, do construction in the community, supply food to those in need, pick up furniture for the thrift shop, do manual labor around the property, and work some with youth groups who volunteered there. I saw God in the staff who worked constantly to help those who seemed to have been forgotten by everyone else, and I hope that I can work with them again in the future."

International Placement: San Isidro, Costa Rica
Rives' final stop saw his return to Costa Rica to work again with Costa Rica Mission Projects. Rives traveled there in 2013 with his youth group, and enjoyed getting his hands dirty once again!

"This was an amazing experience for me. A big thing I took away from this part of the internship is that the body of Christ doesn’t just live in America. We have brothers and sisters in Christ taking communion with us and worshiping with us all over the world. Short-term mission teams are meant to connect us with our Christian family, they aren’t just about the work. It is important for Christians to send out mission teams not just to do labor but to live out what it means to be part of an international body of Christ. I really enjoyed the work I did there, from making sidewalks to building bathrooms, but what I enjoyed the most was the lasting friendships I made with the people down there."


Looking Ahead
Rives just began his sophomore year at Virginia Military Institute, and continues to play soccer for them. He has already been able to take his experiences from the summer and have meaningful conversations with people back home, and has plans to be an UMVIM team leader in the future, and possibly even more.

"My new knowledge about the church also opens up a variety of paths from long term missionary to pastor. I feel like a lot of doors were opened for me and I look forward to exploring a lot of different paths over the next few years. It was definitely a life changing experience."

Please join our staff as we continue to pray for Rives, that the Lord will continue to make his path straight and clear. We know this young man has an incredibly bright future serving Christ and the world around him.

Carlton Complex Fire Recovery - Pacific Northwest Conference

Below is an email from Jim Truitt, the Disaster Response Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Conference. He is currently seeking volunteers to help with the needs below:

 

In 2014 we suffered our states largest wildfire in history. 256,000+ acres were burned and over 300 homes were lost. 45 of those homes had no insurance and the Long Term Recovery Group has laid out a three year plan to rebuild the homes. We did not get a FEMA declaration so the materials have to be provided through donations and grants. UMCOR gave us a $270,000 grant for materials and we have pledged $237,000 so far.  We are partnering with multiple faith-based groups and  we are on track to complete the houses in phase one by next spring. We need skilled volunteers to help us finish the task.

Now, this year we suffered wildfires in the same general area that covered three times as much acreage. We don’t know yet how many homes were lost. We’ve heard estimates in the 200 range. The State and Federal agencies were in the field last week and will be again this week doing a preliminary damage assessment (PDA). We won’t know until the PDA is complete how many additional houses we will have to build but our guesstimate is in the neighborhood of 30. We also don’t know if we will get a Presidential declaration for Individual Assistance. Regardless, we are going to need financial assistance and volunteers to help us rebuild. 

We would really appreciate your help spreading the word. Anyone that’s interested can contact me (umvimdisasterresponse@comcast.net) or Ronda Cordill, r_cordill@hotmail.com for additional information. 

If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Thanks again for your support.

Jim Truitt
UMVIM Disaster Response Coordinator
PNW Conference United Methodist ChurchFacebook.com/umvim.pnwumc
@PNWERT

A Summertime Stretch for Your UMVIM Dollar

For many of us, midsummer is a time for relaxation, travel, and reflection. Will you take a few minutes to travel with us in your imagination to just two places, and, in these minutes, reflect on your contribution to UMVIM?  First Stop: Belize Belize, on the eastern coast of Central America, is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and west by Guatemala, and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. Lisa Williams, who was first engaged in mission work while living in the Kentucky Conference - is now the UMVIM coordinator for Belize. Would you believe that, with your contribution, Lisa - an amazing "mission multi-tasker" - does all of the following? - Gets to know the needs of local communities.These needs are ever-changing. Belize has the lowest population density in Central America, but the country's population growth rate is the second highest in the region. - Places volunteer teams into the types of jobs that best utilize their skills. - Meets with local village children to have Sunday School on Saturday mornings. - Facilitates a weekly women's Bible Study. Lisa's husband, Jamie, is the presbyter of the Corozal Methodist Circuit. He has three churches, and serves as chaplain for two primary schools with more than 700 children in attendance. Before we leave Belize, take a moment to reflect on how many lives there will be touched by your contribution. Second Stop: Florida, USA A popular U.S. vacation state with theme parks and beautiful beaches, Florida is also in the throes of flood recovery. Did you know that 15,000 families in the state registered for federal assistance when floods struck in spring 2014?  "These communities have a good roster of volunteers for the fall, but often struggle during the summer", said Amelia Fletcher, Disaster Response Coordinator for the United Methodist Alabama-West Florida Conference. Part of the reason is the high cost of staying on site, she said. "Unless people stay in a church setting, hotels are very high during the peak vacation season. Even campgrounds charge the most during the summer." Your contribution to UMVIM helps people learn about the “less visible” disaster recoveries happening in Florida and around the world, as well as the need for long- and short-term volunteer teams to assist in disaster response.

UMVIM stretches your dollar by placing teams in local church settings - and training both teams and church leaders to accommodate each other's needs. Take a moment to reflect on the less visible disasters around you. Then consider a contribution to UMVIM to help keep people informed about the needs. You can help keep our teams going, no matter the location or the time of year. Please prayerfully consider a generous donation to Advance #901875, or mail your check to: UMVIM, SEJ, 100 Centerview Drive, Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35216. Grace and peace, Paulette West UMVIM, SEJ Executive Director

Don't Try to Change Lives

By Gabe Barrett, Executive Director of M25 Mission Camps

When I was living in Los Angeles, there was a moment when my entire perspective on missions changed. I was working in a homeless shelter, and I had been to Skid Row which is basically the mecca of homelessness in our country. I had met people in heartbreaking situations. I had smelled the rundown hotels and sidewalks where they slept. I had seen people passed out in the gutter. I had heard story after gut wrenching story of pain and loss and brokenness.

And I've got to be honest, the weight of those burdens was killing me.

A friend took me up to a high hill close to his house, and we looked out over the city. I could see the Hollywood sign. I could see the ocean and the beaches. I could see the airplanes as they circled the area and came in to land. I could see Santa Monica to Inglewood to Compton to Long Beach to everything in between. And I thought about how many millions and millions of people were in just the area I could see.

I wondered how many of them were struggling with some terrible situation. I wondered how many of them were hurting. I wondered how many of them were broken. I wondered how many of them were in desperate need of Jesus. And then I wondered how someone like me could ever hope to make an impact. Even if I spent the rest of my life devoted to the city, how many people would I ever be able to talk to? How many lives could I change compared to how many were in dire need?

I remember feeling very. very. small.

But then it happened. As I looked out over the city of Angels, a quiet voice sounded in the back of my head. 

"Just change a day," it said. "I'll change lives. You just change someone's day."

My burden was immediately lifted. It wasn't up to me to change someone's life. 

That's God's business. 

He was calling me to change a person's day. To make them laugh. To encourage them. To inspire them. And to do everything in my power to help make today better than the yesterday. God would take care of the rest. And it occurred to me that if enough people changed enough days, some absolutely amazing things would happen.

So, when M25 Mission Camp was founded and I was made the director, we started on a journey to change as many days as possible in the city of Atlanta. Whether we’re at a shelter, soup kitchen, or under a bridge, we just try to make somebody’s day a little better.

A while back, I was with a group of high school students downtown. We were making pancakes and inviting all of our residentially challenged friends in to join us for brunch. 

A tall, older man named Clark came in, and two of the students found out it was his birthday. So they ran into the kitchen, made a big stack of pancakes, and scrounged around for some birthday candles. The students lit the candles and brought the pancakes out to Clark. There were about seventy people in the room, and everyone stopped and sang "happy birthday."

Tears streamed down Clark's face. He blew out the candles and everyone clapped. 

A while later, when Clark got up to leave, I stopped him at the door and asked him how old he was that day. He said 60. 

Then I asked, "When's the last time someone sang you happy birthday?” 

He thought for a little bit and said, "I think I was 15 the last time someone did that for me."

45 years.

It had been 45 years since someone had said, "Clark, it's your day. And since it's your day, we're gonna light some candles and sing you happy birthday."

45 years.

Did those birthday pancakes change Clark's life? Probably not. Did they change Clark's day?

Absolutely.

And it all started with two high school students seeing an opportunity to love someone. That’s what M25 Mission Camp is all about.

M25 is a mission-based camp program for youth and young adults based in Atlanta, GA. At the core of M25 is realizing that service is not about pity or obligation. It’s about compassion, love, and pursuing Jesus. Check out their website for more information on camps, as well as short-term staff opportunities. 

Photos courtesy of M25.

Individual Volunteer Opportunities

One of the practical ways of engaging in mission is through a short-term mission experience. If you would like to serve for a longer period, the Individual Volunteer Program sponsored by Global Ministries can help you accomplish that. The program offers opportunities for individuals and couples to serve in mission from two months to two years in a variety of placements around the world.

One placement site that is in need of a volunteer is Open Doors, Inc., a Church World Service agency that provides support for incoming refugees who were forced to leave their home countries. It is located in Sacramento, California.

Another placement site is Colegio Metodista Piracicabano in Brazil. They are seeking an English teacher for primary and secondary schools. The volunteer will assist in teaching, as well as promote and design cultural workshops. 

If you perhaps called to the Middle East, there is an urgent need at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Mafraq, Jordan for volunteer school teachers. The students are children of Syrian refugees.

To learn more about these volunteer opportunities and many more, or to apply, please visit www.individualvolunteers.info. The next training will be held May 13-16, 2015 in Nashville, TN. Please contact Malcom Frazier at mfrazier@umcmission.org or call 212-870-3659.

{Mission Highlight} Urban Mission Opportunities Within the Southeastern Jurisdiction

The following mission opportunities across the Southeastern Jurisdiction specifically serve urban neighborhoods and communities. As with most mission opportunities on our SEJ Project List, teams with all levels of skills and abilities are necessary to help carry out the good work of each of these initiatives. Read on to learn a little more about these six projects, and then check out the Mission Highlights section for other Mission Opportunities we have featured. All UMVIM Mission Opportunities can be found by clicking here. 

Rebuilding Together*Tri-Cities; Petersburg, Virginia

Two full decades ago this ministry started small, in fact the organization began as just a one-time "Christmas in April" event. That day in April, 1994 breathed life into a full-fledged neighborhood revitalization ministry in the areas in and around Petersburg, Virginia. They serve the city's low-income homeowners by providing repair and preservation to keep their homes safe, dry and warm. Small teams and volunteers are encouraged to sign up for Rebuilding Days to assist in repairs ranging from major to minor.

Government Street UMC; Mobile, Alabama

A thriving "bee hive" in inner-city Mobile is a congregation with a heart of service. They engage in the surrounding areas with sustainable programs such as growing community gardens, hosting disaster response teams, serving meals and putting on backyard Bible clubs. UMVIM teams with carpentry, plumbing or electrical skills are welcome to work with more advanced repair projects, and they can host larger teams of up to 30 members. 

Dumas Wesley Center; Mobile, Alabama

One of the oldest projects on the SEJ Mission Opportunity List is this 112-year old Center serving the Crichton area of Mobile, Alabama. Their mission is to educate, empower and enrich the community around them. They strive to meet immediate needs, promote healthy families, and strengthen each person they serve. Specifically, their programs encompass everything from educational opportunities, food and clothing initiatives, elderly/senior care and support, and home repairs. Dumas accepts UMVIM teams of up to 10 to assist with a variety of these ministries, however they request adult teams only.

Service Over Self; Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is home to rock-n-roll, great BBQ, the blues...and SOS, a ministry of Christ United Methodist Church. Since 1986 they have been working with low-income homeowners in the Binghampton and Orange Mound neighborhoods, meeting basic needs, developing the communities, and providing a loving Christian presence. Their holistic mission model stresses that sharing the Gospel is done by both word and deed, and volunteering with SOS means you'll be repairing homes and enriching lives. SOS can accommodate large teams, and the tuition for their summer/spring break work camps covers lodging, supplies, programs, and almost all meals. 

Urban Ministry; Birmingham, Alabama 

Urban Ministry is located in the heart of Birmingham's West End community and their initiatives are felt across the city: their community gardens service local farmers markets and restaurants and teaches healthy eating habits to the locals, their food pantry and kitchen meet the most basic of needs, Urban Kids provides after-school and summer programs for the local children, and Church Without Walls was established to be a church for and among the impoverished. The Joe Rush Center offers summer mission camps and year-round complete mission experiences (including weekends, mid-week, and alternative spring break) tailored for your group of adults, college students, senior high or junior high.

Community Enabler Developer; Anniston, Alabama

Community Enabler has gone through several transitions over their storied 42-year history, but the heart of their organization remains the same, "enabling the community to become sensitized to the needs of the poor and to participate in public and private advocacy for the disadvantaged." Executive Director Maudine Holloway enthusiastically declares that "anything we can do to help [a person in the community], we will," which sometimes means even partnering with other non-profits in their city. Last year they served over 6,000 low or no-income people across Calhoun County, and their dedication to their community recently earned them the United Way National Award of Excellence. Opportunities for small groups to serve here are year-round and based on current needs, which could include home repair, yard work, or preparing holiday food baskets.  

All of these wonderful mission organizations depend on UMVIM teams and volunteers to help them carry out their good work. UMVIM, SEJ is here to serve you by offering resources such as Team Leading Training, developed over the last 3 decades of our organization's work in the short-term mission field. We also offer incredible team health insurance coverage for a nominal price. Let us empower you to make the most of your mission opportunity for your team and those you are serving. Check out our website for more info on how to get started, or call our office and talk to anyone on our staff to learn more.

Summer of Service

As the fall season begins, many volunteers are taking time to reflect on their summer of service.

Bill Seib, a resident of Virginia Beach, traveled to the small Alaskan village of Galena with an UMVIM team. He lived in a military-style tent for two weeks while he helped residents rebuild their homes, which were damaged when the Yukon River spilled over its banks last year. Accessible only by airplane, the remoteness of Galena made Seib and the other volunteers – many of them retired construction contractors – think about how sometimes, making do with “less” can result in more time to build one's relationship with God. “The hardest part is being away from your family for two weeks,” said Seib. 

Seib has been on many UMVIM mission trips, and each one has brought vastly different experiences and reflections. “Whatever my summer holds, UMVIM gives me a chance to go out and be a blessing.”

With your gift to support United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, you empower thousands of volunteers and help to transform lives through God’s love and grace.

While some volunteers can reflect on many different mission trips, some young people are just beginning their foray into a world of service with UMVIM. This past summer, mission trips changed the views of many young people – their stance on God, their career path and their philosophy of life.

Glenn Miller, youth pastor at Northside United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, traveled with a group of 16 youth and young adults to work at the Bahamas Methodist Habitat, a non-profit outreach ministry of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church that focuses on being a catalyst through disaster response and the promotion of community within the Bahamas. Miller strongly encourages the young people around him to take a mission trip before the age of 20, either internationally or to a place within the U.S. that is vastly different from where they live. “Over the years, I have taken kids on mission trips, and many of them now have interesting careers, or they live abroad and they have served other people in great ways. It's cool when they call and thank me for taking them on their first mission trip.”

The voices of youth are full of passion when they reflect on what their UMVIM-related summer activities mean to them. Laura Kigweba was 19 when she first heard about UMVIM. “I sensed then I was seeing an organization that is committed to making change in the world.”

Another young person, Kylie Foley, plans to be doing some kind of mission service for the rest of her life. Yet her mission trips also made her think about her daily life as a Christian. “...I also found out what I want to do for each day, which is to be a Christian. This is perhaps the most overwhelming and simplest realization I’ve ever had in my life, and has overhauled my limited view on what it meant to be involved with missions.”

Photos courtesy of ODIM, Genna Mansperger, Harold Powers, and Susan Kim

For thousands of volunteers, the summer offered an experience that was life-changing, spirit-changing and God-driven. Help even more volunteers embark on that journey of life and spirit by considering a donation to the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeast Jurisdiction. 

 A donation can be made online through the Advance to #901875 at umcmission.org/give, or by mailing a check to UMVIM, SEJ, 100 Centerview Drive, Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35216.

We are so grateful for your continued prayers and support, without which this ministry simply wouldn’t be possible.


Grace and peace,

Paulette West
Executive Director
UMVIM, SEJ