Future Medical Student Learns from Local Doctor in Sierra Leone

"The people of Rotifunk taught me more about faith, humility, endurance, and love than I could've ever imagined possible in such a short amount of time."  

- Heidi O' Dell

An aspiring medical student, Heidi O'Dell, was a member of a North Carolina Conference team to Rotifunk, Sierra Leone, in May.  She shares her experience learning from a local doctor who exemplifies what it means to be in ministry: 

I’m not sure that I could ever find the words to accurately describe how much this experience meant to me. The people of Rotifunk taught me more about faith, humility, endurance, and love than I could’ve ever imagined possible in such a short amount of time. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before going on this mission trip, but it definitely exceeded any expectation I could’ve had. 

One of the most impactful experiences for me were the Outreach Clinics. It was special to get to actually interact with the people in the villages and see their need and be able to help them and give them more information about the hospital.  I also got to practice some medical techniques of my own which will be beneficial to me in my future. We had a lot of success with the clinics and I feel that, with time, they could be even more successful. 

Playing with the kids was also a highlight of the trip for me. I wasn’t sure how well playing limbo or with the rubber ball would go over given that we weren’t really able to explain what they were supposed to do, but the kids caught on quickly and seemed to really enjoy it. 

Another thing that stood out to me was how hardworking Dr. Asante, Lumeh and Arthur were. You can tell they really appreciate their jobs and want the absolute best for their patients. They all knew off the top of their heads each patient's’ status and that was impressive to me, as I don’t know if that would be the case in American hospitals. I also appreciated how Dr. Asante and Arthur allowed us to watch a surgery, and explained what he was doing throughout. I learned a lot about the kind of doctor I want to be from them. 

No matter how big of an impact we may have made on the people of Rotifunk and the surrounding villages, they made an even bigger impact on me. The happiness and love they exude is unparalleled. I hope that I am able to take what I learned from them and apply it in my life back here in the States. I also hope that I can one day be even half the source of Jesus’ light and love that they are. I am forever grateful for and humbled by this experience, and I pray that I am able to return someday. 

Introducing the UMVIM, SEJ 2018 Summer Interns

The staff and board of UMVIM, SEJ  are excited to welcome Kennedy Martin and Michael Parisher as our 2018 Summer Interns. Through this program, these two emerging leaders in the United Methodist Church will have the opportunity to cultivate leadership skills, vocational discernment, and explore their calls to ministry through immersive mission service. Get to know this year’s interns by reading below!

Kennedy Martin

Kennedy Martin
North Alabama Annual Conference

For Birmingham-Southern College sophomore Kennedy Martin, a life of mission is essential to the imitation of Christ. “The word ‘Christian’ means little Christ,” Martin explains. “This means studying Jesus’ ways and trying to live that out as best as possible..I think what he did every day was be in community with people, truly listen to them, and THEN take action.”

Studying religious studies and poverty studies, Martin is passionate about the church’s role in addressing the needs of communities at home and around the world. After undergrad, Martin plans on pursuing a dual graduate degree in divinity and social work. “I want to work with people holistically. Social work would give me a further understanding of poverty needs while church work can equip me to contribute to people’s spiritual needs.”

Initially, Martin's view of mission work was one of skepticism, perceiving that mission work consisted of privileged individuals coming into communities that they knew nothing about in order to criticize their way of life. It wasn't until she saw the example of her own loved ones that she began to see a place for herself in the mission work of the church.

"My brother and his now girlfriend started traveling the globe and doing mission work," says Martin. "Along with physical things such as construction work, they would actually take the time to sit down with locals and have conversations about their faith and search for the comparisons between their respective faiths."

This example of relational mission pushed Martin to explore mission on her own accord. From the West End neighborhood of her native Birmingham to Panama City, Martin has seen how mission work can be productive and empowering when done right. Martin gives an example of when she was on her church's team that served with UMC missionary Rhett Thompson in Panama. "(Thompson) knew the ins and outs of the community, and they loved and trusted him." she says. "Seeing him just be a part of the community rather than trying to 'save them' and ditch out was an inspiration."

She also takes the time to consider how mission efforts can be imperfect. She learned that recently when engaging with locals in her neighborhood during a toy give-away for children in need. A mother in the neighborhood explained how it wasn't toys that her family needed, it was money to pay the electric bill so that her kids could have electricity. "No one asked me what I needed, they assumed what I needed," Martin recalls the mother saying. Martin believes that this can be a common mistake that mission teams make. "Going in trying to fix everything without knowing the people is the biggest mistake."

This model of mission reflects what she believes it means to spread the love of Christ. She elaborates: "I think people see God's love through autnethicity and a genuine desire for relationship. The purpose of mission work is to go out and love your brothers and sisters- and to me that's evangelism in and of itself. It doesn't always need a whole lot of words."

Martin will get the opportunity to immerse herself into mission this summer by serving with Reelfoot Rural Ministries in northwest Tennessee and with Global Ministries missionaries Gordon and Ardell Graner in the Dominican Republic.

As she further discerns her calling in ministry and missions, Martin looks forward to learning how to love one another better through her experiences of working along side her brothers and sisters in Christ



Michael Parisher

Michael Parisher
North Carolina Annual Conference

Michael Parisher, a rising senior at North Carolina State, views mission as the focal point of what the church does in the world. "For the Church to live out what it should be doing in following Jesus, it should be going!" explains Parisher. "Whether it be local, international, or down the road, Jesus called us to 'go and make disciples of all nations.'"

Parisher aspires to respond to this call through his own career. A Business Administration major, he anticipates taking six months off after graduation to explore his call to missions before he attends divinity school in Fall of 2019.

Parisher grew up serving with his local church, but his first international experience was in Costa Rica during high school. This trip was the beginning of a relationship that would mold Parisher's calling to serve as he felt God pulling on his heart to return.

"As my language skills improved, I was able to build relationships. This drove me to continue going because I actually got to understand and learn people's stories and (see) how we truly connected through the universal Church and the body of Christ," said Parisher.

Due to this experience, Parisher is very quick to stress what makes mission work transformative: relationships. Specifically, relationships where visitors and locals partner in the work that is being done. "The biggest mistake a team can make is expecting that they are the only ones that will be helping," he explains. "They too are a part of the Body of Christ and they have much to give to you as well. You have to view it as a two way street of relationship, instead of one way where we are just there to get tasks done our way."

Sharing ourselves with one another drives Parisher's view of what evangelism can look like in a mission setting. "I don't think (the Good News) comes through by telling the world what we are against, but by showing love." Parisher says. "We can tell the world who we are until we are blue in the face, but the world won't see it until we show them Jesus' love by serving and being on mission."

Parisher looks forward to growing his perspective on missions this summer. He will be serving with Reelfoot Rural Ministries in northwest Tennesse and with Global Ministries Missionary Doug Williams in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

An aspiring missionary himself, Parisher looks forward to the growth that will come from this experience. "This is a great opportunity to see a lot of the aspects of mission, specifically with what the UMC offers," he said. "I look forward to diving deeper into what missions is and what elements of it I've not yet been exposed to."

Join us in praying for these two emerging leaders of the United Methodist Church! Interested in supporting UMVIM's efforts to equip a new generation of mission leaders? Click here to donate today!

From the Director's Desk: Empowering Local Communities

I received an email last week that raised some great questions:

Rev. Matt Lacey
UMVIM, SEJ Executive Director

Dear Rev. Lacey,
I live in North Carolina and attend Wesleyan Chapel UMC.  Our church is starting to think about a foreign volunteer opportunity.  The organization we were working with in Honduras is changing their focus.  They are realizing that by saving projects for volunteer groups to do, many capable people from the local area went without work.  They are moving more toward hiring local people to do the work – while donations continue to come from donors in the USA and Canada.

My question is this: How does UMVIM work with the local people?  When volunteer groups go into countries to start or to complete projects, how are the local people included?  If we go to do a project, are we taking work away from those who desperately need work? If local residents are involved, are they considered the experts in building practices in their country, or are we Americans seen as the experts and things are done our American way?

Many times we go to serve with great love and a desire to serve. We want to do good things. But in our desire to help, we can end up crippling the very people we desire to serve. I would never want to do that.

Sincerely,
Valerie Moon

——————————————

These are important questions that any short-term missioner should take into consideration.

First, let’s look at the question of how UMVIM teams are to interact with local people: 

One of my mentors told me about a mission team he led to Chile.  Part of the team’s work was to build a church in a high-altitude hamlet.  As they were pouring the foundation for the church, my friend shrugged off some construction advice from the locals. He assured them he had done this type of work before. By the end of their stay, they completed the work that needed to be done and soon headed home.

A decade later my friend had the privilege of going back to that community and worshipping at the very church he had worked on all those years ago.  It was a beautiful building—aside from one side of the structure which was sagging and uneven.  He realized that was his work, and he recalled the advice he ignored from a local construction coordinator.

When we go out to serve, we do not go to impose our selves, our culture, or Christ.

We go to share our selves: our ideas and experiences of Christ we have discovered in our own lives in hopes of learning something new.

This means that we listen more than we speak, and trust those we are seeking to be in ministry with as the experts. We do not have every answer, nor do we claim our way as the only way.

Next, let’s discuss the importance of UMVIM’s work empowering local communities rather than creating an economic burden: 

Members of the United Methodist Church should be proud that UMVIM, Global Ministries, and UMCOR place a strong emphasis on empowering local communities to take a lead role in developing and promoting volunteer projects.

Often that means hiring local workers, such as construction experts and coordinators for food, transportation, translation, housing, and volunteers to receive and resource mission teams that come to work with them.

I still wrestle and struggle with the efficiency of sending funding to employ local community members rather than for a mission team to spend thousands on airline tickets and other accommodations.  And frankly, some studies have shown that simply giving money can have extremely positive results.

I do know, however, that I would never be in ministry today without being part of a team that went to serve with a community halfway around the world. I would never have been given the opportunity to wrestle with these questions or enrich my understanding of God in the ways I do now.  (See my last post about voluntourism).

Part of our role at UMVIM, SEJ is to wrestle with questions like these with members of United Methodist Churches in the Southeast Jurisdiction.  We may not have the answers to those questions, but I hope together we can explore together what those questions mean for us, God, and all of our sisters and brothers around the world.

Have questions or thoughts about the work of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission? Feel free to email sejinfo@umvim.org to add your voice to the conversation!

Domestic Insurance is Back!

UMVIM, SEJ exists to provide volunteer teams with all of the resources they need to interact as servants of Christ through short-term mission service. This includes ensuring that volunteers who serve throughout the 50 states have all the coverage they may need in case of an unexpected issue. This new coverage provides an expansive list of benefits for teams traveling throughout the country, such as accident and sickness coverage, emergency medical evacuation, roadside assistance, remote physician consultation through telemedicine, trip interruption and cancellation, and more!

With UMVIM domestic coverage, team members and their families can have a peace of mind knowing that they will not be responsible for medical costs that may incur from a medical decision made by the team leader. For instance, if a team member is taken to the emergency room out of an abundance of caution, family members will not have to worry about incurring costs from the hospital or copay under this plan

Domestic insurance covers additional items that some international plans do not as well as the costs of out-of-network medical care in the United States. Though this results in a slightly higher rate than an UMVIM international plan, it provides substantial protection to mission team members, leaders, churches, and families.

If you are planning on leading a volunteer team to serve in the United States, check out the three domestic coverage options that UMVIM has to offer by clicking here. To order this insurance, contact UMVIM by emailing sejinfo@umvim.org or by calling 205-453-9480

From The Director's Desk: Mission Voluntourism

Mission Voluntourism: Yes, it is Still Worth Going.

Rev. Matt Lacey
UMVIM, SEJ Executive Director

Voluntourism is a word that has been getting some buzz in the last several years. If you
haven’t heard it before, type it into your favorite search engine. Some use it as a pejorative to describe Christians who go on “mission” trips as an excuse to add another stamp in their passport.

I have been guilty of that, as well as thinking that travel makes you a more interesting person. Critics of the term—and some critics of mission trips in general—have rightly pointed out that sometimes the most economically effective way to help a community in need would be to take all that money you pour into a plane ticket, visas, travel adapters, etc. and instead use it to make a long term impact: pay for community based medical staff, make a donation to an already established and trusted NGO, or designate it for training for community members. Economically speaking, they are correct. Most of the time the expense of getting on a plane, getting a visa, and making a mission trip t-shirt with your church’s logo on it pales in comparison to the cost of community-based sustainable aid.

I have led mission teams that seemed more interested in taking photos than serving with those
they came to visit. I’ve seen team members rushed to foreign clinics and given treatment for
dehydration while a pregnant woman who was afraid she would lose her baby continue to wait
in line. We should never prioritize our experience at the expense of another person.
All of us do need to ask: why are we going and what do we hope to get out of it?

My very first international mission trip was when I was 20. My primary motivators were the
romanticism of a foreign country, the great photos I would take, and the cute girls on the team I
wanted to talk to. Oh, and because I wanted to evangelize. I went for almost all the wrong
reasons.

God took my flawed and arrogant motivations and turned them into something else: a life-
changing experience. Some of us go on mission trips expecting to “save souls,” and in reality the only soul that gets saved is our own. I know from experience.

God really messed up my life because of that trip. I started understanding a little more of what
it meant to serve (I still haven’t fully figured it out). After returning home, I started noticing
needs and opportunities all around me that I hadn’t seen—or that I ignored—before. I started
reading scripture in a different way, and I started to feel God calling me to do more.
Mission trips may not be economically effective, but it was effective in how I started
understanding the message of Jesus. Much like farm land that has to be scorched in order to
set the stage for future growth, God sees right through our misguided intentions and
completely destroys them in order to make way for growth in one’s faith journey.

Yes, mission trips are still worth going on, because no matter where we go or why we go, we
will eventually see God in a new way, and learn that the trip really isn’t about us but instead
about how we see and interact with the rest of God’s children. However, we should not learn
that lesson at the expense of those we are serving with.

To all the friends I have met all over the world during a mission journey: thank you for putting
up with my arrogant intentions and expectations in order to let God work in my life.

May we all go forth and serve one another by listening more than we talk, learning more than
we teach, and seeing God in each and every person we meet.

UMCOR Shares Process for Volunteering in Puerto Rico

Below you will find a letter regarding volunteering in Puerto Rico from Cathy Earl, the Director of Disaster Response and US Partner Relations with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

UMCOR Shares Process for Volunteering for Puerto Rico


Thank you for your interest in volunteering for UMCOR’s efforts to support its partner, the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, as they work to rebuild after Hurricane Maria.

UMCOR has received a formal invitation from Bishop Hector Ortiz of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico (MCPR) requesting volunteers to support reconstruction following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

We know that many have been anxiously awaiting this invitation and we anticipate an outstanding response on the part of volunteers. UMCOR affirms Bishop Ortiz’s request that volunteers refrain from making formal travel plans or deploying without invitation.

At the invitation of UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response leadership, UMVIM-NCJ has cooperatively engaged in supporting UMCOR’s partnership with the MCPR to collaborate, establish, and implement a centralized volunteer coordination mechanism for Puerto Rico.

UMVIM-NCJ is pleased to announce that Jason Frazer has stepped into the new position as Puerto Rico Volunteer Coordinator – Mainland. Jason’s expertise in disaster response provides an easy stepping stone for team leaders seeking to serve to Puerto Rico. The uniqueness of the recovery efforts requires an additional awareness of the way God moves through us in the most challenging of places.

Letty Damian, who speaks both English and Spanish, will serve as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator. Jason and Letty will work collaboratively with UMCOR, UMVIM, and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico’s (MCPR) Volunteer Coordinator.

If you are interested in scheduling a volunteer team to Puerto Rico to help with their reconstruction efforts, please visit the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uw_ov_1_-kt0kfrrTvGt8xMUPdSpnCTU-nehC0Mxqtw/viewform?ts=5a4e2489&edit_requested=true

(UMCOR Early Response Teams will signal their availability through their conference disaster response coordinators. A list of which can be found by clicking here.)

Thank you again for helping UMCOR and the people of The United Methodist Church support our neighbors in Puerto Rico.

Stay updated as more information comes at UMCOR's Puerto Rico Volunteers page.

#KingdomConnection: International Leaders

Giving Tuesday 2017 is TODAY, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!                                                                                                Our next #KingdomConnection is Wil Bailey, a missionary who works full time with Costa Rica Mission Projects. Bailey is originally from the North Carolina conference. He has been involved in mission work in Costa Rica since participating in an UMVIM trip at 15 years old. As an international leader, Bailey speaks firsthand to the important work that UMVIM teams partake in when committing to building missional relationships around the world.

What motivations do you think are important for mission teams to have?

Wil: We talk a lot about Acts 1:8 which say’s to be Christ’s “witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.” Jesus chose that as his last words to his disciples before he left the Earth. Considering this, I assume he probably chose those words pretty carefully. After 3 years with the disciples and everything they’ve been through, that is what he wanted to make sure was heard before he left: that the church has to be present wherever we can be! 

Sometimes that means in your back yard or church, like Jerusalem was, or it could mean “to the ends of the Earth,” whether that be Costa Rica, Africa, or Asia or wherever else. I think what’s important about that message is that we can’t choose to overlook Jerusalem because it’s not as exciting as the ends of the earth, but we can’t neglect the ends of the earth because of the more local needs in Jerusalem.  You have to have balance. I hope coming to Costa Rica is a part of a broad spectrum of missions that resembles the call of Acts 1:8. I hope what motivates the people that come here is the undeniable urge to be obedient to the call to be Christ’s witnesses throughout the world. 

What does a good relationship between an UMVIM team and your project look like?

Wil: One of the most important things for this ministry to be successful is the relationship building aspect of missions. We believe that we are one body, one church, and that we’ve been bound to one another through the sacraments. While teams are here, we hope that communion happens in all kinds of ways as well as hopefully being able to celebrate that sacrament with local churches here. That relationship building key goes much deeper when we have churches that make a long term commitment to the Methodist church of Costa Rica.                                                                                                                                                      That doesn’t mean that you can’t experience what’s beautiful about this if you don’t come year after year. There are some churches whose vision for foreign missions is to go somewhere different every year to experience the church in as many different places as possible, and I can see some value in that. There are some churches who do a rotation between a foreign trip, a domestic trip, and a local outreach trip, so we’ll see them once every three years and kids get to come at least once while in high school, and I can see value in that too. 

But I can say that the churches we have the deepest relationships with are the ones that come every year. They get to know, not just me and my family, but the Costa Ricans that work here. Through these relationships, you realize that in spite of all the differences in our lives, what is most important to me is also what is most important to you. The same God that abides in me, abides in you. We all share that.

What do you think it is that makes relationship building so dynamic on a mission trip?

Wil: There are a lot of things in our daily lives that keep us from seeing and serving the people around us in the way that we were created to. When you come on a trip like this and you can leave most of the distractions at home, you really live into it from the moment that you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed at night. It’s overwhelming when you feel the peace of of realizing that THIS is what I was created for- to serve selflessly and also to let myself be served. That’s a super important of the puzzle- when people realize that they’re not coming to just do stuff for everybody else, but rather to serve and be served. The disciples had to get to the point where they allowed Jesus to wash their feet and humble themselves to admit that they needed that in their lives. 

There are things that Costa Ricans have in their life that we, as Americans, need in our lives! It’s a difficult thing for us to admit coming from a “do it yourself” culture. If we can get over that and realize we don’t have all the answers and that we don’t do everything right. There are things that are missing in our lives that our brothers and sisters in other countries have in spades, and LOVE to share with us. 

Long term relationships are reinforced by the ways teams are able to SHARE on a spiritual level with the people of Costa Rica.

Tell us about how teams from Costa Rica have also come to serve in the United States

Wil: I had noticed one Sunday sitting in church in Costa Rica that, for most of their lives, many of the kids in the church had grown up with mission teams coming to work at THEIR church. I realized that if we aren’t careful, then we’ll be leaving a skewed idea of mission being something done AT them. 

There was a team from First United Methodist Church in Blue Springs, Missouri that was here that week. I said to their leaders, "How cool would it be if we could take a group of youth from THIS church and give them an opportunity to GO and serve in the States?"

Well, six months later, Hurricane Katrina hit the United States. 

A few months after that, FUMC Blue Springs sent me an email saying that they would send us a check for as many plane tickets as we could get to meet them in Biloxi. So we took a group of youth from Costa Rica to serve with FUMC Blue Springs in Biloxi for a week doing hurricane relief work and it was amazing. We realized immediately that we HAVE to be doing this more often simply because the call of Acts 1:8 means the exact same thing to Costa Ricans as it does to us. So we have made an effort ever since then to continue bringing teams to the United States from Costa Rica. 

What have the trips the USA revealed about how the two cultures perceive each other?

Wil: After partaking in a worship service in Costa Rica, visiting teams will discuss how even though it was two and a half hours long, it didn’t really seem that long. They talk about how there was a freedom of the Holy Spirit that was different than what they were accustomed to in the United States. 

When we took the Costa Rican team to the States, they said, “That was amazing! They’re so efficient! They got everything into an orderly 55 minute service and knew exactly what to do and where they were supposed to be!” 

Those two impressions show me this: That we are all just doing fine. 

To try and impose what people love about worship in the States on the churches in Costa Rica would be a disaster. Likewise, for mission teams who come to Costa Rica to try and impose what they love about worship in Costa Rica on their home churches, could also be a disaster. There are things that we can glean from both cultures to enhance our worship, but there are some round pegs in square holes too. I hope that the leaders strive to explain what’s good and right about what’s happening on BOTH sides 

#KingdomConnection: Congregants

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!                                                                                                                    UMVIM's #KingdomConnection enables congregants from local churches to fulfill Christ's call to serve as his witnesses to the ends of the Earth. One congregant who has gotten the chance to serve is SarahBeth Morris of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. Alongside her husband Alex, SarahBeth has served on St. Luke's annual trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Through their work in Honduras, they have gotten the chance to make a tangible impact on the local community of Tegucigalpa while also furthering their joint walk with Christ by starting off their new marriage with a dedication to service. Read below for more of what she has to say!

Under the leadership of Team Leader Hunter Upchurch, St. Luke's has partnered in mission with the people of Honduras for more than 8 years doing construction work on churches and community centers, building stoves, running VBS, and partaking in fellowship with hospitalized children. St. Luke's looks forward to returning to Tegucigalpa in the summer of 2018 to continue work on the Methodist Church of Honduras' Central Office. St. Luke's' long-term commitment to the Methodist Church of Honduras exemplifies "Christian Love in Action" that results in effective, relational missions. 

What was the value of partaking in mission work with your local church family?

Members of St. Luke's Working on a Missions Center in Honduras

SarahBeth: The value has been huge for me. Adults that I've grown up seeing in church became my friends on a work site. People in the church that I had not had the chance to interact on a personal level with whether due to age difference or what have you, became my friends. We came from such different backgrounds but we were all working toward a common goal bonding us together. This made seeing them back home at church on Sunday even more special. Having the same experience with my husband, someone I'm already so close to, just really strengthened our bond as well. It truly helped start our marriage off on a great foot. Bonding together to further His kingdom made me fall that much more in love with him.

What was the impact that your team made on the locals of Honduras?

St. Luke's Focuses on Construction to Help Empower the Church in Honduras

SarahBeth: I pray we impacted the locals as much as they impacted us. They are the most generous and kind people. They are so loving and thankful for every little thing we do. I think the greatest impact our group made this past year was when we visited a local children's hospital with care packages for patients. The kids lit up at the gift bags and the parents were truly grateful for the prayers. Tearful, meaningful prayers were had in each room we visited. The families truly believed in the power of prayer and you could tell it meant the world to them.

What's the connection between your church and the project site?

SarahBeth: Our church has been working specifically on the mission team center in Tegucigalpa for multiple years now. Our church has been diligent in furthering the progress on this specific project and the progress has been beautiful over the past couple of years.

How did you see God at work while on your mission?

Members of St. Luke's Have Made a Long-Term Commitment to Honduras

SarahBeth: You can see God at work through the smiles on the people's faces, on the progress of a building meant to further His kingdom, in the heartfelt hugs you get coming and going. Specifically the hospital visit for me and the prayer with the patients and their families. God is moving in big ways through the Honduran people and through our church. No matter the nationality you can feel truth in the fact that we are all his children united in the bond of Christ.

Tell us about how the leadership of your trained Team Leader (Hunter Upchurch) impacted your team's ability to serve?

SarahBeth: Hunter is an amazing leader. He is well experienced with this trip and his organizational skills keep us all at ease. We always know the plan and feel led in the direction that God has intended for us. He keeps us thoroughly prepared before hand with team training meetings letting everyone know what to expect. To have a leader who can speak Spanish is also a great blessing. We were provided with great translators but it's also very nice to have Hunter make that connection with the Honduran people on behalf of our group.

Thanks to St. Luke's- Jackson, MS For Their Service!

#KingdomConnection: UMVIM Team Leaders

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!

UMVIM's #KingdomConnection connects the local church to mission opportunities by training Team Leaders to lead teams from their local churches. One of those team leaders is Leigh Randall from Advent United Methodist Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Randall is the Director of Student Ministries at Advent UMC, as well as the Staff Liaison for Missions. Every year, she leads both a team of graduating Seniors and a team of adults from her congregation to serve with Mission Guatemala. The mobilization of congregants, as well as the long-term relationship the church has built with an international project, exemplifies how a local church can make a substantial impact through short-term mission. 

Read below to see what Leigh has to say about missions in the #UMC.

How has your Team Leader training helped strengthen the mission work of your teams?

Leigh: My Team Leader training set the foundation for the many missions that I have led. The training was thorough and allowed the guidelines for leading international missions as well as domestic missions to be taught in an environment that was very supportive.

How has the connection of the United Methodist church helped your efforts in mission?

Leigh: The connection with the United Methodist Church has provided the bridge to an amazing organization called Mission Guatemala. Through this connection, we were not only introduced to the amazing ministry of Mission Guatemala, but we have partners with them for 7 missions since 2013 and have 2 missions planned for 2018. My home church, Advent UMC, developed a deeper partnership with Mission Guatemala by supporting yearly the Becas con Miśion Scholarship program.

Share a brief story about the impact of teams that you have led onto the mission field.

Leigh: Our connection with Mission Guatemala began as a mission opportunity for graduating seniors. It has grown to an additional mission with our adults each year. Not only is amazing mission and ministry occurring while we are serving in Guatemala, but it is incredible to see how the Holy Spirit uses experiences gained from the mission to expand the vision and heart of the graduating Seniors as well as the adults! For the graduating seniors, it helps set the trajectory of their lives, helping them see the world as being much larger as they begin the next chapter of their lives. Through the experiences, the Holy Spirit has called a number of our students into Global Health initiatives, pastoral leadership and immigrant care opportunities to name a few. For the adults, the experiences have provided a renewed passion for servant leadership in local missions and beyond!

#KingdomConnection: International Leaders

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!

UMVIM's #KingdomConnection is purposed to connect the local church to on-going projects around the world. Projects are sustained by individuals who have answered the call to serve long-term internationally. One of these people is Brian Dubberly, the VIM Coordinator in El Salvador. Dubberly works with Salvadoran Mission Projects (SMP), a mission site that receives many UMVIM teams every year. Dubberly attests to the impact that UMVIM teams, and specifically their trained leadership, have on the work of the Methodist Church in El Salvador. Read below for more!

What work does your ministry do and how do UMVIM teams assist with that work?

Brian:  I serve as the VIM coordinator for the all of the Methodist churches in El Salvador. The programs that UMVIM teams help with are church construction, home building, medical and dental work, children's Bible school and a food bag/home visit ministry. These ministries are our focus, but we are open to other ideas as long as the team has a plan and it falls in lines with the church's goals and visions. We have had teams do targeted Bible studies for women and girls, Sewing classes, swimming lessons, and a variety of other forms of service. The Methodist church here also has a school with grades Kindergarten-6th grade and we plan on expanding a new grade each year.  In the last four years, enrollment has grown from 18 students the first year to just over 250 students this year.  Sometimes, UMVIM teams will help in English class or visit a short while to play with the children.

What differences do you see in teams whose leaders have been trained by UMVIM?

Brian: The big difference I notice with trained leaders is a sense of awareness that makes for productive mission work. Trained leaders seem to notice, without me mentioning it, when team members are struggling with group life, or when there needs to be a change in what the group is doing. That realize when it is appropriate to help or when it's best to just stand back and allow things to happen. There are almost always a lot of chiefs and very few Indians in groups that do not have a trained team leader.  Having a trained team leader typically leads to everyone having a better experience with less stress all around.

Share a brief story about the impact of volunteers!

Brian:  All UMVIM teams make some sort of impact on the people, communities and the church in which they are serving.  We try hard to have a ministry that is a give and take on both sides, thus cultivating open arms and not open hands.  While teams come here to work and serve in El Salvador it is also important that they stay open to the idea to being served. The people here are willing to give as well as being served.  We are all brothers and sisters of a loving God and one family in Christ, so it only makes sense that we work for a common goal. 

An example that comes to mind is a group that came a couple years ago to build a home for a family.  This was a family that had a small piece of property, but no resources to build. They had just recently been evicted from a family home.  The four of them were living in a shack made of bamboo and heavy black plastic.  When a team arrived to build this particular home, I think they were pleasantly surprised to find the family work right beside them, digging, sifting sand, and tying rebar.  In addition to literally being in the trenches with the group, the family would supply everyone with a mid-morning snack of fresh fruit and juice.  As is the custom, at around 2 in the afternoon the family would prepare coffee and sweet bread.  This was a way of not only creating a time of fellowship, it was a way in which the family could serve those who came so far to serve them.  While on the first day it may have been a little uncomfortable, by the end of the week everyone in the group was looking forward to being served by the family. For us that is mission, sharing the love of Christ through our deeds and actions. It's not just believing the gospel, it's living it out. Sometimes that means letting our guard down to allow the Master to wash our feet. 

#KingdomConnection: UMVIM Team Leaders

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!

One of UMVIM's most important functions is training individuals to lead mission teams of their own. This training is available for congregants and clergy alike! One person whose service has benefited from UMVIM Team Leader Training is Glenn Glover, a congregant at Auburn UMC in Auburn, AL! He has led multiple teams from his local congregation to Nicaragua.  Read below to check out how UMVIM has helped him find a #KingdomConnection to training and mission opportunity. Also, learn about his experiences with a student led team from the Auburn University Wesley Foundation!

1)  How has your team leader training impacted your mission work throughout the years?

Glenn: The Team Leader Training has made many positive impacts on my work and hopefully the mission experience of those on teams that I have led. Training provides many guidelines regarding logistics and how to develop a team to the point that their work is effective. The Training has encouraged me to be much more open minded and less ethnocentric, especially when I’m in the mission field. It reminds me that I am there to support the ministry with which I am serving. I am there to do what THEY need done and not what WE want to do. Too often, we go with an expectation of what we think constitutes a successful trip. I’ve learned from the UMVIM training to be open-minded and to support whatever those in the local community think is best. They have their reasons, and they know more than we do about what needs to be done. The UMVIM Team Leader training helps you recognize these truths.

2) What brought you to working with the Auburn Wesley Foundation’s Tanzania team?

Missioners From Auburn University's Wesley Foundation Teaching English

Glenn: David Goolsby (Auburn Wesley Foundation Director) has the philosophy that Wesley mission teams should be student led to build leadership skills and empower a new generation of missioners. These teams are theirs, not his. 

David was scheduled to go on the Tanzania trip, but had heart surgery one month before the trip.  Patricia Stevenson, Auburn Wesley’s Administrative Director, called me while David was on the operating table to ask if I could accompany the team as an experienced missioner.  I met with the team of students and immediately knew I would go with them if they would accept me!  Since it was their team, it was their decision if I joined the team.  I served as more of a guide, and not as a leader. I was there as support, giving suggestions and stepping in if significant situations arose. They were a GREAT team and had great leadership, though, that needed little help!

3) Where did you see God work through your team’s work?

Glenn: I saw God working daily through this team!  We worked in two communities in the country teaching how to build rocket stoves, bible school education, and laying block for a new church building, among other things. When we arrived in Tarime, we worked with a church whose building was essentially a pole shed made from salvaged materials. However, there was an influx of “street kids” who had left or been kicked out of their homes for various reasons and had come to Tarime, homeless, with no support, and little prospect for work.  Mwita, one of the leaders at the church, recognized a need and an opportunity as these young people began sleeping in the church building soon after it was built. The church started a ministry with these young people that focused on developing their faith, vocational skills, leadership, and other vital aspects of life.

When our team arrived, the students were asked to work with these young people by teaching them English! Thankfully we had brought several pages of Swahili-English word translation! The students did not hesitate. They developed a curriculum on the spot and jumped right in with 12-15 young men! During the English classes and other times, they got the chance to talk with these kids about their lives, their pasts, the opportunities ahead of them, and also had the chance to talk about faith! There were constant “God moments”, and this unexpected opportunity to serve and build relationships with kids in the area was one that we will always remember.

4)  From your perspective, what would you say the importance of global mission work is for the United Methodist Church?

Glenn: The physical aspects of global mission work are vital, whether it be medical, Bible school, disaster response, and all other important ministries. However, I think the most important ministry is the “ministry of presence.” I don’t know how many times I have been somewhere where people would come and hug you, shake your hand and simply say “Thank you for coming!” Missions truly is about making impacts that are both tangible and relational. Serving side by side with brothers and sisters across the world is important to both them and us. We laugh with them, cry with them, support them, and let each other know that we are important to each other and important to God. To me, the most important aspects of mission ministry in the UMC is support and love. 

#KingdomConnection: UMVIM Team Leaders

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!

One of UMVIM's most important functions is training individuals to lead mission teams of their own. This training is available for congregants and clergy alike! One person whose service has benefited from UMVIM Team Leader Training is Rev. Amanda Gordon of the Mississippi Annual Conference! Read below to check out how UMVIM has helped her find a #KingdomConnection to training and mission opportunity. 

How has your Team Leader training helped strengthen the mission work of your teams?

Sunday Worship in El Salvador

Amanda: Prior to Team Leader Training, I had not taken into consideration the imporantance of intentional spiritual preparation for the team.  It's easy for pre-trip meetings to focus on logistics of the trips and fundraising with a prayer likely being the only spiritual aspect of the meeting.  Since going through Team Leader Training, I have used the UMVIM resource, "Preparing for the Journey," and pre-trip meetings are about half logistics and half Bible Study.  I have had numerous team members share how important they feel these pre-trip meetings are for spiritual preparation and team building.  These times also allow for lots of conversation around focusing on building relationships while on the trip as opposed to "getting the job done" which is something that UMVIM stresses.  I think the mission work is strengthened because my teams have an idea of the bigger picture of why we are doing what we are doing.

How has the connection of the United Methodist church helped your efforts in mission?

Volunteers Outside a Methodist Church in El Salvador That They Helped Build

Amanda: For the last four years, I have had the privilege of leading a district-wide UMVIM trip to El Salvador to work with Salvadoran Misssion Projects (SMP), a ministry of the Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador.  When I was exploring possible mission trip opportunities for a district-wide trip, I contacted Paulette West who was Executive Director of UMVIM SEJ at the time.  She suggested a few places and shared some helpful information.  Without that initial connection, I may have never become familiar with SMP.  My teams and I also appreciate knowing that we are working with a ministry where the work is ongoing all year; we go and serve alongside the Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador for a week, but the clergy and laity who live there are working to grow disciples year round.  And, while we only serve for that week, we pray for them and they pray for us while we are apart; it's hard to put into words, but you really can "feel" a connection!  

Ultimately, I am thankful that when working with an UMVIM approved ministry, you are working with a ministry that is Methodist in doctrine and practice.  I addressed El Salvador above, but I have also led domestic and other international UMVIM trips.  As a United Methodist Pastor, it is very important to me that any mission trips taken by our church are under the umbrella of UMVIM.

Share a brief story about the impact of teams that you have led onto the mission field.

Mission Trip to North Dakota led by Rev. Gordon

Amanda: I have had the tremendous blessing of leading some people on their first international mission trip and some people on their first mission trip ever.  I have seen countless people's eyes opened to the fact that God and the church is bigger than they had originally realized; sometimes it takes getting away from home to see this.  To me the biggest impact has been seeing people go on a mission trip and then come home more aware of the ways they can serve locally.  In my local church, the folks who have gone on mission trips are now more involved in local missions and Bible Studies and service to the local church than they had been prior to the trip.  Their hearts also seem more open to reaching out and welcoming all people into the body of Christ. 

#KingdomConnection: Emerging Generation

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!

UMVIM's theme for this year's Giving Tuesday is #KingdomConnection. Through this, we will tell the stories of United Methodists who have been empowered to Live, Learn, and Love through connecting to mission opportunities throughout the Kingdom of God. 

UMVIM is passionate about connecting the emerging generation to a life of mission service! One young adult who has been enabled to serve through the UMC's #KingdomConnection is Allen Doyle, senior at Birmingham-Southern College and UMVIM, SEJ's 2017 Summer Intern. Through his internship, he went through UMVIM Team Leader Training and got the chance to serve with the North Carolina Annual Conference's Disaster Recovery program and Bahamas Methodist Habitat. Check out what he has to say about his experiences below! 

1) Tell us about the mission work that you partook in this summer.

Allen: The nature of my mission work this summer was centered around Environmental Hazards and the churches role in all phases of a disaster. UMCOR divides disaster response into 5 categories. Preparedness, Rescue, Relief, Recovery, Review. During my time in North Carolina we focused on the long term Recovery Phase of Hurricane Matthew in various communities (Princeville, Tarboro, Lumberton, Little Washington, and Fayetteville.) Most of this work involved case management and home repairs and reconstruction. In the Bahamas, my focus was entirely on the Review and Preparedness phases. I created Standard Operational Procedure for an Emergency Shelter, as well as a Disaster Response Manual for the organization.

2) How did you see the locals of Bahamas Methodist Habitat and North Carolina impacted by the work that your missions teams contributed to?

Allen: In North Carolina the impact of the volunteer work teams was immeasurable. The ability for a person to move back into their home after such a traumatic experience is so vital to their recovery process. It is also so empowering to see so much work being done in your neighborhood and community as you collectively work to create a new normal. Although there are major hesitations for a recovering community to allow large number of untrained volunteers, it creates a sense of support for persons during the loneliness created during loss. Similarly the work done in the Bahamas is so vital to the James Cistern community. The four greatest impacts to the community surrounding BMH is the jobs created for the staff, as well as the ability for Bahamian individuals to be involved with international communities. The work done by work teams is much needed in the community, and the impact that an international mission has on a person is life changing. 

3) Going off of your experience, how would you explain the value of United Methodist mission work to someone who had never been on a trip like this? How did UMVIM prepare you for your work?

Allen: Having any sort of experience in an international context is radical. It opens your mind in ways that no domestic experience. Any opportunity to go abroad is valuable and impactful. However going on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Places that exist in communities across the globe can change lives in ways that are radical in ways beyond comprehension. The connectional ministry that is the United Methodist Church and the Wesleyan Faith is broad and immense. Not only does it creates a sense of home for a traveler out of their context, it creates a commonality with persons as they attempt to work together for each other and for the kingdom of God. The Methodist church is not unique in its good works. The menagerie of faiths worldwide are all actively working for the common good. The thing that makes the Methodist Church stand out is the training, thoughtfulness, and nuance it approaches missions with. The UMVIM team leader training opened my eyes to the world of Missions and the unintended consequences that can occur on these trips. It also opened my eyes to the profound impact they can make in peoples lives. This training also allowed for me to understand the more business and leadership aspects of mission work to create and implement a meaningful trip that is a good use of money and time resources.  

#KingdomConnection: Emerging Generations

Giving Tuesday 2017 is on November 28th, and we hope that you will partner with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction to promote, encourage and enable people to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service both at home and around the world! Please give generously by clicking here!

UMVIM's theme for this year's Giving Tuesday is #KingdomConnection. Through this, we will tell the stories of United Methodists who have been empowered to Live, Learn, and Love through connecting to mission opportunities throughout the Kingdom of God. 

UMVIM is passionate about connecting the emerging generation to a life of mission service! One young adult who has found a #KingdomConnection to serve is Miles Hunt of St. Andrews UMC in Garner, North Carolina. With his church, he has had the chance to serve in Ahuachapan, El Salvador as part of a long-term commitment that the church has taken on. Miles is also familiar with the work of UMVIM, having worked with us on our youth and young adult initiatives in the past. 

Tell us about your local church's work in El Salvador.

Miles: For the past 13 years, Saint Andrew's UMC has had a missional partnership with the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en El Salvador and the Salvadoran Mission Project. Our team has two ministry focuses; construction and sewing. The first focus is construction work. Within the construction project, our team works on local home building projects within the area of Ahuachapán. While the focus is often local home construction, our team has worked on various other building projects including schools and churches. The second focus is sewing. Our team started a sewing ministry several years ago. Several dedicated team members teach a one-week sewing intensive attended by Salvadorian citizens from various parts of the country. This course allows the students to learn sewing skills to benefit their family both through material productions as well as economically from the products made and sold at market.

How did you see the locals of El Salvador impacted by the work that your team contributed to?

Miles: The locals benefit from both the construction projects as well as the sewing course. With the construction projects, families gain a home they otherwise could not have obtained. Communities acquire much needed churches and schools where families can gather to worship and where children have a safe place to learn and grow their faith. The sewing course teaches a skill. The learning of this skill can provide both material and economic relief to the sewing students family. While these two missions provide benefits to the people of El Salvador, it is imperative to note, we the missionaries are also impacted and learn from the faith and dedication of the El Salvadorian people themselves. As missionaries, in addition to working to complete a specific task, we must always be vigilant to what people can teach us about our faith.


From your experience, how would you explain the value of United Methodist mission work to someone who had never been on a trip like this?

Miles: We as Christians, and United Methodists, are obligated to serve others. Jesus even says "whatever is done to the least of these, you did for me.". As a United Methodist, one focus of our ministry as a global church is to engage in ministry with the poor. We are called, both as Christians, and United Methodists, to be in ministry to, and with, the marginalized, the least of these.   Having the opportunity to serve is a life changing experience. If you have the chance to do mission work, at home or abroad, short-term or long-term, take it. Your life will be changed. Mission work leads to several things of value: 1) it deepens your personal faith; 2) it builds relationships; 3) a difference is made.