Mission Volunteer Opportunities

If you are being called to serve in mission service beyond a week or ten days, the Mission Volunteer Program sponsored by Global Ministries provides opportunities for individuals and couples to serve from two months to two years in a variety of ministries around the world. Here are some examples:

In Honduras there are ministries that need volunteers to serve as youth leaders, to coordinate team projects, and to minister to children with disabilities.

In Africa, a volunteer is needed at the Malawi United Methodist Church Conference Offices. The position is for an international financial management consultant. This is a partnership with the Church of the Resurrection. The main responsibility is to develop and implement a financial accounting management system.

Our missionary in Chile is seeking a volunteer to serve as a gardener and groundskeeper.

The McCurdey School in Espanola, New Mexico has ongoing needs for directors.

In Haiti there is a need for a couple to serve as volunteers-in-mission team coordinators.

To respond to these volunteer requests and others, become a Mission Volunteer. Apply now at www.missionvolunteers.org in time for our October 21-24 training event. For more information, please contact Malcolm Frazier at mfrazier@umcmission.org or call 212 870-3659.

{Guest Blogger} Malinda Nichols of UMVIM, SEJ

Zack and Malinda Nichols, CRMP 2012

When my husband became the director of our church’s youth ministry in 2009, we had some big plans. (I say “we” because anyone married to someone in ministry knows that when your spouse is the pastor of anything, you’re right there with ‘em.) We wanted to have an awesome back-to-school outreach event each September. We wanted to play the “dumb youth group games” that we loved so much from our high school days. We wanted to create a safe place for the 7th-12th graders in our community to hear the Gospel and know they are cared about and prayed for. But one thing that was particularly strong in our hearts was to give our students the opportunity to go on mission journeys. We came up with a structure of rotating through local, regional, and international service so every student had the chance to engage in each type of mission at least twice while in the ministry, our prayer being that it will help them understand the community, country, and world where they live and spark a desire to be. To go. (Why do we say "journey" and not "trip" by the way? Because a trip is one week. A journey encompasses the process before, during, and after you travel.)

Years before joining the UMVIM staff, I went through UMVIM team leader training and started to learn the difference between a “service project” and true, sustainable missions. We had some growing pains in those early years, engaging a couple times in projects that didn’t seem to have the healthy mission model we wanted our students to see and understand. It’s not about parachuting in with Chacos on our feet and fixing other people's problems, then kicking back in the Eno and congratulating ourselves on a job well done. Not even kinda. I’ll never forget the mission where we worked all week on a house while the homeowners sat there and watched us and never took any action to be part of the repairs themselves, though they were perfectly able to do so. No bueno.  

We decided our youth’s first international mission journey (and our church’s first international mission journey at that) would be to Costa Rica to serve with Wil Bailey and Costa Rica Mission Projects, and it was a game-changer for the way we saw and understood Christian mission.

I hope you’ll take the time to click over the CRMP’s website and learn more about them and what they do. In short, Wil and his wife Yolanda have been serving communities in the Zona Sur for more than a decade, building whatever these congregations need to thrive, and helping meet the needs the people convey they have. Furthermore, they make sure that the congregations are part of these building projects, giving them pride and ownership over them. My team from Church at Cahaba Bend, and the hundreds of teams before and after us, are brought in to be the church right alongside them, and give a helping hand to see these projects to completion. There is this misconception sometimes that we are "bringing Jesus" to these other parts of the world. Do I even have to say this?...Jesus is THERE already. 

Additionally, Wil and the CRMP employees raise funds and hop on a plane every chance they get to come Stateside and serve here in America. In fact, the first time I met Wil, Hugo, Hugito, Catalina, Pedro, and Pastor William, they were here in Alabama after a series of tornadoes left more damage than a single community could manage alone. Healthy mission model? They’re doing it right.

Catalina and me in 2012 and 2015, so grateful for this wonderful friend!

Our most recent trip to the Zona Sur, in June of this year, had us working at the CRMP Missions & Ministry Center, a walled complex that serves a variety of needs. It’s the home base for visiting UMVIM teams, and I’ll tell you from personal experience that the food is great, the beds are comfy, and the showers are hot. Does the local pastor's wife make fresh donuts for you? Yeah, she does. Did I gain 4 pounds while we were there? Yeah, I did.

Our 2015 Team

But the M&MC is providing so much more: we spent the week floating concrete in apartments where missionaries can live while going through cultural training. We water-sealed doors on a house where women from more remote parts of Costa Rica can stay while they find employment and provide for their families. There’s a childcare center being built where sweet kiddos can be in a safe, nurturing environment while their parents work.

Additionally, and even more importantly, we had the opportunity break bread with the people around us, go to church with them, pray with them, sing songs with their children, eat meals with them, and take communion with our brothers and sisters. CRMP emphasizes relationship-building, and being in a covenant partnership with them means that we are working on relationships with the people of the Zona Sur alongside Wil and the CRMP staff. They are always on our hearts and in our prayers, and our commitment is there beyond the weeks when we have a team physically in Costa Rica.  

Adding "Can sing Father Abraham in two languages" to our resumés.

 

Our students, they make me proud, and can clap cheer with the best of them.

Our church drummer Taylor, my husband Zack, and Wil during Sunday worship.

Final worship service with Wil, the CRMP staff, and all of the volunteers for the week.

A church trip in the 9th grade is what made me love mission service, but UMVIM Team Leader Training is what sparked my passion for effective Christian service. I had this great job in magazine publishing once upon a time, but what I do now spreads so far and means so much than my previous career ever did. Our staff is small, but it is dedicated. We are here to help every team leader know how to lead their teams on spiritual, practical, and relational levels. We also are happy to walk volunteers through their Missioner Profiles, brainstorm with you on what kind of Mission Opportunity is best for your church, and more. We are passionate about equipping others and are here to serve you...so you can be a servant!  

Malinda Nichols runs Communications for UMVIM, SEJ. Holler at her here if she can help you get more team members for your next mission journey, or if you need a good recipe for strawberry cupcakes.

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

{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} Michael Franklin of AHMEN

Michael Franklin is one of the driving forces behind the Alabama-Honduran Medical Educational Network (AHMEN), a ministry that partners with volunteers and organizations to share the love of Christ in Honduras through medical relief and educational development. Michael and the Rio de Agua Viva (River of Living Water) team just returned from their most recent journey to Honduras; we love the community empowerment model of AHMEN and we invited him to share a little more about the the types of unique, sustainable service that they were part of while there. AHMEN also benefits from strong team leaders and volunteers, and Michael is one of the best UMVIM trainers out there. Read on to learn more about some of the exciting projects AHMEN is a part of in Honduras, and how to join one of their upcoming teams!

 

Teachers use homework as a teaching tool, a way for young minds to hash out any questions they have about what they are learning and why they are learning it. AHMEN's Río de Agua Viva team sent home assignments with our "students" for the very same reason. The Río team had a jam-packed schedule this year, and we did our best to follow it. Of the many different activities we planned, the following three took precedence:

Review Marketing and Pricing Techniques at Los Laureles Jewelry School

Los Laureles is the city dump community in La Ceiba, Atlántida, Honduras where the De La Montaña Al Mar Team Mothers of Limited Means started a jewelry school in 2012. The Río team works there by helping the students develop their artistry and business skills. This year's team specifically taught pricing and marketing. The first day’s lesson ended with us giving them a little bit of homework: we asked the students to bring back examples of names for their school/business reflecting why they are making jewelry. Would you believe they came back with four names that they then merged into one?! Now, the jewelry students are calling themselves “Pequeñas Bisuteras Alcansando Un Sueño , which means “Small Beads Realizing A Dream.”

Facilitate Follow-Up Interviews with the ASI-Cusuna Graduates

After completing the 3-year training, ASI graduates take an aspect of their training and replicated a training program on that subject in their home towns. So last December we asked ASI-Cusuna's local coordinator, Pastor Nahun Flores, if he would gather the graduates so they could tell us about their project ideas. Not only did they arrive ready to tell us about their project ideas, they were ready to tell us about the project they were already implementing in clean water, First Aid, HIV/AIDS, human rights, environmental preservation, and more. What's even more interesting is that each of the agents asked that we connect them with the resources they need to build a sustainable network of success for their projects!

Initiate Exploratory ASI-Raistá Workshops

An ASI-Cusuna graduate from La Moskitia approached the Río team last year with a request to replicate his entire 3-year training from Cusuna in La Moskitia. Pastor Willington Tejada said that the several communities where he is a preacher are far too remote, with too many people interested in the workshops to replicate just a single aspect of his training. With the help of Willington, Nahun, and Byron Morales, the Río team taught a 2-day lesson on Communications, Pediatric Care, “Worms & Germs” and First Aid. We also collaborated with Agua con Bendiciones (Water with Blessings) to provide a complete training whereby each agent was awarded with, and trained to use, their own Sawyer water filter. Two members of the Río team also invited the potential community agents to bring a sample from their local source to be tested. Guess who did their homework?

A completed homework assignment is a sign that a student considers education important.  More importantly, however, that the Río team's students returned to class with their homework means they want to be a part of the conversation.

Río de Agua Viva is not the answer to any Honduran community's problems. We merely share information.  AHMEN Community Empowerment Program leader Byron Morales provides motivation and examples of solutions similar groups have used to solve similar problems. Local communities provide the social capital. Separately, we can all make a dent, but together we are the difference.

We invite you to learn more about these initiatives or join our team in any capacity. Visit our site or contact me here to learn more today!

Introducing our 2015 Intern!

Meet Lindsey Brown!

Lindsey is our 2015 Summer Intern, and we are so excited to have this young woman on our team for the next couple of months. There will be no coffee-making or errand-running here...being an UMVIM intern means that she will spend her summer entrenched in what it means to inspire change in the world, to inform, connect and equip volunteers, and to interact as servants of Christ in order to transform the world through Christian love in action.

A native of Jackson, Tennessee, Lindsey is a Nursing student at Union University and will graduate next Spring. After completing school, she plans to spend a couple years practicing here in the States to prepare her for a career in the international medical mission field.

Lindsey is the perfect fit to serve as the UMVIM, SEJ intern not only for her aspirations, but also for the short-term mission experience she already has under her belt. In 2009, she went to Nicaragua and has since been back 5 more times! On her last visit, she lived there for 3 months and served as an intern at El Ayudante. She has also been to East Africa twice, working in both Kenya and Tanzania. While in Tanzania, she lived for a month with Eric and Elizabeth Soard. (Stay tuned for an upcoming Mission Highlight on the Soards!)

We have a full summer planned for Lindsey. She spent the first part of the week in Birmingham for North Alabama's Annual Conference and in Jackson for Mississippi's Annual Conference. On Sunday she’s heading to Tuskegee to serve with Alabama Rural Ministry for her domestic placement. At the end of month, she’ll join the rest of our staff and the Design Team at Lake Junaluska for Young People in Mission and be part of making that event as strong as ever. (It’s not too late to sign up for that by the way!) In July she’ll travel to Costa Rica for her international placement and work with Rice & Beans Ministries.

Please join us in praying for Lindsey, that God will use her in a mighty way and this will be a summer of education, discernment, and fruitful ministry. Stay tuned to this blog and across our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for field reports from Lindsey as she serves in her domestic and international placements. (You can also follow her on Instagram @lindseybrown33!)