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.

{Guest Blogger} Ken & Christy Lowe, Grace UMC

On July 14, 2015, the mission team from Grace UMC landed on the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas. First stop was the Mission House in the small, quaint town of Tarpum Bay. After dropping off our over-stuffed bags we drove 30 miles south to the isolated settlement of Deep Creek.

We couldn’t wait to meet with John Pinder, who oversees the church building project, and to see the progress they have made during the year since we were last here. This is the third year we have helped with the construction of the Deep Creek Methodist Church. Our first year here we helped fill in the foundation and pour the concrete floor. Last year we worked on the roof and this year our goal was to purchase and install 21 windows and lay about 400 block on the gable ends of the church.

We consider our mission 50% construction and 50% bonding with and drawing the community to the church. Two other ministries we have, besides construction, are the tennis shoe ministry and the church carnival, held on Saturday.

We distributed the 100 pairs of tennis shoes that Grace Church members graciously donated. Driving through the community with our guide, Rema, it was fun to see some of the same children and adults we met last year. Twin boys who received their first pair of shoes last year, got a new pair this year. They are now active toddlers, full of smiles and laughter. Many people were still wearing the shoes they received last year and were so happy to replace their worn ones for a fresh, new pair. It is hard to describe the appreciation expressed by moms and children for the gift of new shoes.

This was the second year we held a church carnival. Word spread quickly that fun, games, prizes, food, and music were part of the event at the church site. Our games were simple: pin the steeple on the church, fishing, bean bag toss, face painting, and the most challenging – drum stick toss. The most popular activity was the cross painting. Team member Jerry Hancock made at least 100 hand held wooden crosses to be painted and decorated. About 150 people of all ages attended and all had a great time.

We invited the Island School to join us. They offer a high school program for students from around the world to study marine ecology for a semester along with research scientists. The school is self-sufficient and also offers summer camps for local kids. They also provide jobs for many in the nearby settlements. One of their goals is to encourage harvesting of lion fish, which are an invasive species in the Bahamas and US waters, so the students and their instructors provided delicious lion fish fritters for everyone at the carnival! Everyone who came was invited to church the next day.

On Monday we were back to work, shoveling, and sifting sand to make mortar, and carrying block to lay them. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted and ready for a swim.

After two days of peanut butter and honey sandwiches (our lunch staple for the past sixteen years on mission trips), our Bahamian friends asked the local women to provide lunch and what a treat for all of us! They are all great cooks and each meal was delicious!

Over the last three years of Americans and Bahamians working together in the community, the trust, respect and love of Christ has become so strong. As Scripture says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name I will be there also (Matthew 18:20). Truly, the great love of Christ is the motivational force that keeps us coming back in mission.

Wednesday morning came too quickly. Walking to our thirteen passenger plane brought tears to everyone’s eyes. It was hard to believe that we were going home so soon. But we all hope to return next year and continue the work we had begun. With the grace of God and through the generosity of our church family, Grace United Methodist Church, we will see the Deep Creek Methodist Church open its doors to that community in praise of God.

We love to hear your UMVIM stories! If you are interested in writing a Guest Blog for UMVIM, SEJ, please contact Malinda (malinda_nichols@umvim.org). 

{Guest Blogger} A Unique UMVIM Trip That Empowers Women in Honduras

By Kathy Waller, Brunswick, GA
 
For some reason, it has taken a little longer for me to process our recent trip to Honduras. Perhaps it's because over the past year, this trip was ever changing and continued to be so until the very end, making it impossible to do things independent of God. I speak the truth when I say I found myself leaning on God's grace throughout the entire endeavor, and He carried me as I knew He would. I would also like to clear my conscience and admit that I cannot sew and up until a few months ago, I had absolutely no desire to learn. I consider my meager attempt at sewing a God driven skill that I am working to conquer...and I humbly admit I have a long way to go. Not only does God call on those that have no idea what they are doing, but He has a sense of humor about it. Thus the "Rags to Riches Menstrual  Mission" was born.

 God's hand was there from the beginning, convincing a small group of ladies to take on a huge task of sewing a product so personal yet so necessary in a community with limited resources. Knowing that WOW, the women's group in our church, took it upon themselves to finance the sewing project made it seem more like a "sisterhood" for everyone concerned. Of course it didn't take much for the men on the team to embrace our project as they are unique in their own right and are careful not to take themselves too seriously. One fella even strapped on his tool belt and tried his hand at making a Mama cloth. (Rest assure Todd, construction is your vocation). Not only were we planning to teach the ladies how to make their own "Mama cloth" pads, but we traveled to Honduras with just shy of four hundred pads beautifully stitched for the women of Subirana by a women’s sewing small group in our church.

We were a mere party of three, no one person really proficient in sewing, and only one of us able to speak their language. We met with several shy but eager to learn women who had never touched a sewing machine, as well as several children that came along to add to the chaos. (Once again, thank you Lord for Jessica, the piped piper of children, who is fluent in Spanish.) Some of the ladies were able to catch on quickly and move on to other sewing projects. However, no matter the level of skill, I believe every woman was able to experience a sense of accomplishment for their effort. They were polite, patient, and graciously expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to learn something useful for their everyday lives. 

Quite honestly, we had no idea what to expect. It turns out, there is at least one skilled seamstress among the ladies who was happy to continue the sewing group. I pray that this ministry will allow the women to continue to grow closer in Christ and support one another just like the small groups have in our church. It was through generous donations that we were able to leave two new sewing machines, along with a surplus of fabric and notions. Our final meeting consisted of twenty-three women singing God's praises, and ever since I have been thanking God daily for allowing me to be part of the "Rags to Riches Menstrual Mission of 2015."

Did you have an awesome experience on a recent UMVIM trip you'd like to share? Follow this link to submit your story!

{Guest Blogger} Introducing Moyo

By Ben Rawlins, Moyo Staff 

When it comes to spirituality and justice, many Christians view these two parts of life and faith as opposed. I’m a contemplative, one person claims. Another says, I’m an activist. But why must we view these two beautiful and necessary aspects of the Christian life as antithetical?

At Moyo, we’re trying to re-imagine the Christian call to spirituality and justice, following in the footsteps of organizations like UMVIM that believe in strong theological thinking as the cornerstone of mission work. Moyo is an interactive website that provides experiences for visitors to confront issues of global importance, engage these issues spiritually, and discover ways to act on them in the world. Through the experience on the website, visitors can begin to integrate the “being” and “doing” of life.

 

On the website, a visitor engages with the issues through a Guided Path. The Guided Path starts with an Encounter, allowing the visitor to learn more about the issue. Then, the visitor moves to a Reflection, which provides a reflective type of experience. Lastly, the visitor moves to an Action. The Action shows different ways of engaging the issue in the world. The Guided Path offers experiences with a variety of creative content – videos, photographs, prose, and poetry. The website also has The Feed, which is a blog-like feature. On The Feed, we’ll offer diverse perspectives on current events and global issues. All together, these experiences are a tool for visitors to see contemplation and action in new ways and engage in the world with spiritually infused, justice-oriented action.

Without a doubt, UMVIM’s mission aligns with the experiences that Moyo provides. Like UMVIM, we want to see “Christian love in action” and start conversations that move people of faith to combine their spirituality with justice action. 

Our website has just recently become live, and we’re launching our first two topics: Water &Restoration of Life and Disaster & Human Dignity. Both of these topics reflect work that UMVIM does all over the world. On Moyo, we feature UMVIM on an Action as a suggested way to volunteer for disaster relief. 

How can you become involved? First, we would love for you to visit the website – feel free to send feedback to us or share with people who you believe might be interested in the mission of Moyo. We’re also looking for contributors to submit creative content to the website! Please share your voice and experiences to Moyo. You can check out our Submission Website for more information on how to do so or you can email the Moyo Team.

As stated above, Moyo is a tool that can provide new ways of thinking about spirituality and justice. We are so grateful that we can partner with groups like UMVIM who complement our mission in such important ways. Moyo is a community – we’re glad you can be a part of it. 

Questions? Contact Jenn Bryant (jbryant@umcdiscipleship.org) or Ben Rawlins (brawlins@umcdiscipleship.org)

{Guest Blogger} UMVIM Staffer Serves in Cuba

UMVIM staff member Leslie Bethea had a unique opportunity to join with a team from the South Carolina Annual Conference on an UMVIM mission to Cuba. This 10-member team was led by former UMVIM, SEJ Executive Director Rev. Nick Elliot. Read on for a little more about Leslie’s time in this country that is still relatively uncharted for most Americans!

Leslie (middle, in the black shirt) with her fellow teammates from the South Carolina Conference.

“We arrived in Havana and took about a 2 and a half hour drive to a Methodist Church where several team members had served before. This was my first time in Cuba, and I was inspired to see how joyful the people were, and I do not mean only the ones we met at the church! The church where the team worked, ate, and slept. UMVIM always emphasizes the importance of relationship-building while serving on mission opportunities; we slept, worked, and ate our meals at the church where we served. It was the most "togetherness" I have ever experienced while serving on a team. Our interpreter, Alba, was so great that I do not think any of us missed the messages in the Bible lessons or church services in which we were a part. We also witnessed the baptism a one-year-old boy, which was incredible to experience. Please join me in prayer for our close Southern neighbors...daily!" Thank you Leslie for not only giving your time to sustainable projects in the Cuba and sharing your heart with us, but also for all you do to keep our office running smoothly!

{Guest Blogger} First UMVIM Team to the "New" Cuba!

The United Methodist Connection spreads far and wide, and even to some places that are hard to reach! UMVIM has actually had a strong presence on the isolated island of Cuba for many years. Just 90 miles away, but virtually unattainable...until now. The first UMVIM team recently returned from Cuba since the new relationship between their country and ours. This team was comprised of members from First UMC Little Rock, Pulaski Heights UMC in Little Rock, Salem UMC in Conway, Arkansas, First UMC Hamburg, and First UMC, Blytheville. We are so grateful to our friends in the South Central Jurisdiction for their service to our neighbors! And thank you so much to team member Nechi Fullerton who filled us in on all of the good work they did with their Cuban counterparts while there:

"The first UMVIM team since the new relationship between Cuba & the USA just returned from a construction mission in Havana. Also the first Cuba mission team from Arkansas and the first Cuba UMVIM of 2015, the 11 member group worked to build professor housing for the Seminario Evangélico Metodista and worshiped with our Cuban sisters and brothers in their churches. Building relationships and taking construction supplies, vitamins, medicines and other much needed items is also a part of the mission.

The seminary was established in 2006 and moved to the current Havana location in 2009 to educate pastors for the rapidly growing Methodist church. The Methodist church in Cuba was dying in the 1990s, but now continues to experience a revival growing rapidly 15% annually, from 92 churches in 1996 to 403 churches and over 700 home churches currently. With over 50,000 members and even more on attendance, it is very inspiring to witness their energy, enthusiasm and love for Jesus. They are hopeful with the new USA/Cuba relations, but find even more hope in the Lord."

Ms. Fullerton also explained to us how staying in steady communication with their partners in Cuba is extremely important to them, as it is easy for them to feel isolated and forgotten. Establishing covenant relationships--which is built not on sporadic service, but on commitment to friendship, prayers, training, and resources between sending and receiving churches--is one of the most important things we teach to team leaders; it's what differentiates a "mission trip" or "service project" from a true mission journey.

She also wanted to let us know that there is much more work to be done, and they are always needing additional teams to work alongside them. Please reach out to us at sejinfo@umvim.org if you would like more information regarding UMVIM teams to Cuba.
 

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

Red Bird Missionary Conference

"So what does it mean to be on a mission from God? It is love in motion. It is the  people of God-you and me-being the feet and hands of God, wherever He calls us  to be." - Rev. Steven Riddle, Red Bird Missionary Conference UMVIM Coordinator

The Appalachian Mountain range is one of the most breathtaking places in our  entire country. However, this beautiful scenery serves as a backdrop to one of its poorest regions. Poverty, lack of jobs and substandard housing are just some of the deep-seated problems that this rural, 

outlying region has faced for generations. Red Bird Missionary Conference is one of the three missionary conferences of the United Methodist Church, which simply means that it operates in a geographical region where local resources cannot always meet the needs of those whom it serves. It provides a Christian presence in these communities and offers a multitude of sustainable programs, services and initiatives that do not merely put a bandage over the problem, but rather seeks to address issues at their core to foster hope and promote change.

UMVIM, SEJ has been sending teams to this region for many years, and Executive Director Paulette West had the pleasure of attending their 2014 Annual Conference. In this newsletter you will learn more about the wonderful things that are happening within the Conference, and we hope that you will prayerfully consider leading a team here. 

Red Bird Mission

Red Bird Mission is one of the four mission institutions that serve within the Red Bird Missionary Conference. Since its founding in 1921, it has grown to encompass K-12 education and early childhood development, a retail industry comprised of craft and community stores, senior and elderly programs, health and wellness education, literacy opportunities, women and children ministries, community housing and more. The tasks are numerous and the need is strong, but the community is responsive and change is happening.

Henderson Settlement

Also operating within the conference is Henderson Settlement. If you have served here before, you probably have had the good fortune of working with Jerry Lambdin, the Director of Mission Outreach. Below is a short video of Jerry talking more about how Henderson came into existence nearly 100 years ago! Starting as far back as the 1960s, Henderson has been waging war on poverty, even at times working side by side with the federal government. Programs have grown over the decades to include everything from libraries and health services to youth ministries and recycling programs that both raise money and address the area's widespread litter problem. 

Stories From The Field

Judy Wilson of North Webster, Indiana has been part of UMVIM teams with her church and family for many years at Henderson Settlement, working mostly on home improvement projects. But several years ago, she and her team began meeting a need that can often be forgotten in the shuffle of hammers and paintbrushes of a typical work mission. They set up a makeshift beauty salon and began offering hair cut and manicure services to the local women, even sending with them on their way with bags of shampoos, toothbrushes and other toiletries. It seems like a simple thing, but many of these women had never been cared for in this way. Over the years her group has continued to grow this ministry and bless the local women and their families by not only providing them with a way to feel lovely and cared for, but also by nurturing these relationships and establishing long-lasting friendships. Below is a short video of Judy explaining the impact of their beauty salon ministry and what a mutual blessing it has become.

How Can YOU Get Involved?

So glad you asked! Each year, Red Bird Mission Annual Conference, Red Bird Mission, and Henderson Settlement hosts thousands of short-term volunteers. They engage with the community and serve in a number of ways, especially with necessary home repairs and improvements for those who cannot financially cover them on their own. These volunteers serve as extensions of the body of Christ by donating their resources, time and energy to the multitude of sustainable programs that institutions within Red Bird Missionary Conference have put in place. UMVIM provides Team Leader Training and extensive resources, includingteam health insurance coverage, to those who answer the call to serve in this impoverished area. If you feel called to lead a team to this challenged yet hopeful region, please find all of the opportunities within the conference on our SEJ Mission Opportunity List. You may also contact Conference UMVIM Coordinator Steven Riddle directly. 

Bonus Videos

Rev. Steven Riddle, Conference UMVIM Coordinator
Below you can watch both parts of Rev. Riddle's UMVIM presentation at this year's Red Bird Annual Conference. He also shares about the importance of short-term volunteerism and the mutual way in which it benefits both the volunteer and those they serve. 

Tim Henderson, Facilities Director

Tim grew up in New York state, where he put down roots with his career, his family and his church. For years he avoided Volunteers in Mission because he couldn't quite understand "doing work for free." With a last name of Henderson, he finally decided that was God calling him to go down to Kentucky and see what Volunteers in Mission is all about. Watch this video to hear how his time at Henderson Settlement changed the course of his life completely, and how the Lord has continued to bless his decision to follow God into the rural mission field. 

The Lambs, Individual Volunteers

Click here to watch a video from Bill and Ruth Ann Lamb of Fairborn, Ohio, two retirees who for 7 years they have spent entire seasons serving the people within the Red Bird Missionary Conference. Watch and see why they return year after year with other retirees, who have become like a second family to them.

More Videos on our YouTube Channel!UMVIM, SEJ Executive Director Paulette West had the opportunity to speak with a number of volunteers and employees who serve within the Red Bird Missionary Conference. We have uploaded her interviews on our YouTube Channel and hope you will take a few minutes to hear more from these people who have made this ministry such a huge part of their lives.