Stories and Photos from Around the World

Church Members Serve through Volunteers in Mission

They came from all over Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. They ministered to sick people, gleaned potato fields for food banks, played with orphans, repaired and built homes, churches and a medical clinic, readied Buckhorn Camp for the season and served in many other ways. They fostered relationships with people in 19 US states and 7 international countries. They came in teams from individual churches and multiple churches – about 60 congregations were represented. There were volunteers of all ages, from grade school to senior citizens.

These were the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) teams of 2007!  There were reported 90 UMVIM teams from the Rocky Mountain Conference last year, with a total of 1464 team members. These groups served for 6772 work days! Value of monetary and in-kind donations to the ministries served was $263, 586. Including the team member costs, total monetary investment in UMVIM was $1,188,118!

The team members returned from their mission trips with changed lives and stories to tell. A team from Utah who went to McCurdy School in Espanola, New Mexico, got the school ready for the upcoming academic year. They were impressed by both the quality of education and the hope the school provides to many less fortunate children. All the team members felt they had made a difference in the lives of young people.

There were three medical teams from the RMC in 2007. They were all a tremendous blessing. A Conference-wide team went on a medical mission to Cambodia. Led by June Essing, RMC UMVIM Coordinator for Health Care Volunteers (marv4june@aol.com), the team worked in 6 villages and saw 1620 patients, who were diagnosed with a variety of illnesses. The dentists saw over 280 patients, many requiring multiple extractions. Village people were measured and fitted with prescription eyeglasses. The physical therapist helped children who were unable to walk. One patient, Chan, was very sick due to a snake bite. Due to the team’s efforts, he is now hospitalized and on medication. Chan expressed his appreciation as follows: “I am very thankful and grateful to the Rocky Mountain team for their great help to me and my family. Please kindly continue to help the poor Cambodians who cannot meet their basic needs. Now, I understand how God’s love gives me new hope in life.” 

Jeanette Augenstein from Colorado Springs returned to Uruguay to teach quilting techniques and be in fellowship with other United Methodist women. She reported, “We strengthened the relationships more and made even more new friends…We come from the same Methodist faith that helps us know the unconditional love of our God and the Wesleyan roots to ‘do all we can, as long as we can, for as many as we can!’”

There were 21 teams who went to the Gulf Coast to help with the long term hurricane recovery effort, in addition to many groups who traveled to Holly, Colorado and Greensburg, Kansas to help with tornado recovery. In September, we led a team from four United Methodist churches to DuLac Louisiana to help a wonderful family repair their home damaged by Hurricane Rita. We learned much about the Houma Native Americans, learned some construction skills and shared life and food with the neighborhood people. One night we participated in the blessing of a newly-rebuilt house. The homeowners were thrilled that Bishop Warner Brown was on our team and that they had a Bishop to offer the special prayer!

In 2007, there were mission teams hosted by churches in the Rocky Mountain Conference, too. For example, a team of youth from Louisiana came to Monte Vista UMC, restored the 75-year-old church doors and enjoyed worship, music, food and fellowship with the San Luis Valley UMC congregations.

The UMVIM program is a great way to put our faith into action – the very heart of our Christian calling. There are hundreds of projects in the Rocky Mountain Conference, the USA and around the world, at which you can serve for 1 day to 1 week or more. The UMVIM program offers comprehensive team leader training, host site support and projects that have been established as invitational, valid and priority for the United Methodist Church. We also provide small scholarships to people who would like to serve but need financial help. The benefits of a mission experience can be enormous, especially the relationships, the learning and the simple pleasures of serving.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to take an UMVIM mission trip! If you are already planning a trip for 2008, please let us know. We can advertise your trip if needed, share your stories when you return and include your trip in our annual data.

A Volunteer in Mission team member from Utah reflected “The feeling of satisfaction and doing God’s work was uplifting both spiritually and physically. I can’t remember three days of my life better spent. I encourage everyone to treat yourself to a glorious experience with God and your fellow Christians.” Another team leader who went to Guatemala to help build a medical clinic summed it up as follows: “We all experienced God’s blessing – it is not possible to out-give the Master Giver.”

Betsy Keyack, bkeyack@att.net

Ann Fort, annfort8269@comcast.net

Co-coordinators, UM Volunteers in Mission, Rocky Mountain Conference

WUMMP Mission Trip to Guatemala

August 18-26, 2007

by Ginny Hmalmarson

Purpose and Task

A group of fifteen persons from (UTAH) Wasatch United Methodist Mission Partners (WUMMP) took a mission trip to Guatemala during August 18-26, 2007.  The task was to help build a clinic for Salud y Paz and the Guatemala Methodist Church in Cunen, Guatemala.  The purpose was to share Christ’s love with the kind and faithful people of Guatemala.

Helped Build a Clinic

We were the fourth team to work on the new clinic, the first in Cunen, a town of 16,000 people.  The previous teams built the foundation and walls.  Our task was to build the forms for the concrete roof.  We cut and ripped planks, installed posts and framing.  We cut, bent and wired rebar together.  On Tuesday Hurricane Dean passed over the Yucatan peninsula to our north.  Since we were on the south side the winds and rain were light.  We had rain on four of five days which slowed the work but not our spirits.  A hail storm chased us inside the adjacent church building with a metal roof that provided shelter but a deafening racket.  Our Guatemalan construction leaders, pastor Alejandro, Aurelio and the pastor’s grandson, also Alejandro, were very patient with us.  Tying rebar together and making it tight without breaking the wire takes a good touch.  After breaking several wires Larry looked at the younger Alejandro and said, “Somos payasos” – we are clowns.  He grinned but Larry noticed he did not dispute the statement.  In spite of our lack of skill and the heavy rains we accomplished a great deal, gracias a Dios (thanks be to God).  Even those who did nothing but haul lumber and supplies all day played an important role allowing those on the roof to work without climbing up and down, a team effort that the Guatemalans greatly appreciated.  The Holy Spirit had a great deal to do with this indeed.

Geronimo prepares for a medical team

On Thursday Pastor Geronimo visited Cunen to prepare for a medical team coming two weeks later.  He and Pastor Alejandro made all the arrangements, planning to convert some of the hotel rooms to be examination rooms.  They also visited a nearby town that would also be visited by the team.  It is easy to see why the visiting teams always have such good experiences since so much preparation occurs in advance.

Thursday Worship

After a quick shower and supper we returned to the church and worshipped with the congregation giving thanks and glory to God.  Three pastors led the service – Alejandro, Geronimo and Brian.  Pastor Alejandro, 78 years old and unfazed even though earlier in the day had dug a deep foundation for a column in the mud and rain, praised God for answering prayer and for being so faithful.  Pastor Brian taught us that this was the most important church we have attended – it is THE church, the Body of Christ, against which the gates of hell cannot stand.

Good byes

The work ended at 4 PM on Friday when the power saw finally burned out due to the heavy use all week.  We visited with Alejandro and Aurelio about the work and the teams.  On Saturday morning we prepared to leave.  Pastor Alejandro accompanied us on the bus to a village.  He blessed all of us, promised his prayers and then gave a special blessing to our driver, Layo, for safe travel.  We said good bye.  We dropped Megan at a bus station to travel to Quetzaltenango.

We were each changed in some way most of all that the relationship and difference in purpose and task was now very clear.  New leaders sprang up from the group – Jessica and Liz plan to lead teams next year.  We all experienced God’s blessing – it is not possible to out give the Master Giver.

Team Travels to New Orleans

We were in New Orleans May 18-25, staying at the Wesley Foundation Center at Tulane University.  Our pastor, Rev. Dee Dee Azhikakath, split us up into three work teams.  The first two days we were all sent to the same work site.  We worked on this older woman's house, gutting it.  The third day of work, Wednesday, my work team stayed on at this ladies house, to finish what we could while the other two work teams went on to different work sites.  Thursday and Friday my team went to another house and did some painting outside around some windows, and a little bit inside the kitchen.  Because of rain and too much moisture we weren't able to paint the awning around the house like hoped for. 

Besides all the work we did, we also did some socializing with some college groups from Southern Methodist University and Dickenson College.  We also took a tour to the 9th Ward to view the damage there and learn more about it.

-Grant Weins

For Youth:  Sierra Service Project

Since 1975, Sierra Service Project (SSP) has been improving living conditions for countless families and elders in need, one home at a time.  SSP is a non-profit organization providing life-changing experiences through acts of service repairing homes in Native American and urban communities and building homes in Honduras. Like UMVIM, SSP is a program of volunteer Christian service affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  Unlike UMVIM, SSP projects are specifically structured for youth and young adults.  In addition to performing concrete act of service, young people learn about their faith, explore the communities they live in and develop valuable social skills.  Youth and young adults are invited to experience the profound power of serving people who have a culture and life experience different from

their own.

Reservations

Junior high and high school age youth groups are invited to repair homes on five reservations across the Western United States.  A week on the reservation is filled with hard work, rustic conditions, exhilarating fun, and positive experiences of service and worship with new friends.  Home repair projects include roofing, building ramps and decks, interior and exterior painting, flooring, installing insulation and drywall, and more.  The week includes a comprehensive program weaved throughout the days to help youth understand their personal faith journey and motivations for serving others.  Junior and senior high youth attend separate program weeks.

South Los Angeles

For a week at a time during the summer, high school youth groups work and live in the Vermont Square community of South Los Angeles.  The home base of the project is the Vermont Square United Methodist Church.  Home repair projects and programming are similar to the reservation experience.  In addition, volunteers will have the opportunity to serve with several community organizations and learn more about the local cultures and histories.  In the past, groups have made and handed out lunches on skid row, worked with a Los Angeles neighborhood beautification team, taken an educational bus tour of the downtown area, and served with other community non-profit organizations.  Wednesday night is spent at the beach with a BBQ and worship.

Mexico

In the summer of 2008, SSP began a small pilot service program in Tijuana with the assistance of the Methodist Church of Mexico.  High school youth groups spent a week learning about the human dimensions of the US-Mexico border while helping to repair the homes of poor people.  This program follows the same model as the LA and reservation-based projects.  The 2008 project was carried out very safely with many lives affected.  SSP’s contacts in Tijuana are excited to have volunteers return this summer!

Honduras

Since 2003, SSP has sent small teams of mature youth and young adults to Honduras. This program is in cooperation with the United Methodist Church in Honduras and the General Board of Global Ministries (GBMG).  Each team of 10 individuals spends two weeks in Honduras, building homes, learning about history, culture and social conditions, and exploring the meaning of faith and justice in a country where a majority of the population lives on less than $2 per day.  SSP Honduras is a challenging experience!  Volunteers work alongside Honduran families and community members to build two simple, but safe, dry and secure brick homes.  This is a cultural immersion program which offers insight into one of the poorest countries in the Americas to young people wishing to learn more about the area and selflessly serve.

Spring Break

For the past three years, campus ministry groups and college-age individuals have gathered at the South Los Angeles site for an Alternative Spring Break.  For the spring of 2009, SSP is extending the invitation to high school youth groups, although the young adults and high school youth will attend separate weeks.  Volunteers live at Vermont Square UMC.  Work will include completely renovating a boarded-up house across the street from the church.  Participants will get the house ready to accommodate a local community service organization so the house can be a positive asset to the neighborhood.  Participants will also have similar cultural immersion opportunities as the summer program, with age appropriate discussions and programming.

To learn more about the many programs offered by Sierra Service Project, call (916) 488-6441, or visit the website at www.sierraserviceproject.org.  You can download information packets, registration forms, short video clips, and see information about next year’s projects.