Getting Back to a “New Normal”
Image: Jurisdiction Coordinator meeting in Puerto Rico
At the beginning of 2020 started out looking like it was going to be one of the busiest years for teams from the Western Jurisdiction to serve globally. Then the Pandemic happened, and teams stopped serving except in their communities. Churches found that you can still be in mission while providing food to those in need, helping shut ins get the care they needed and providing emotional support in so many creative ways in their community! Now in 2024, we are seeing more teams going out nationally and globally much like we did in early 2020. Currently we have teams in Guam (who will finish their work mid-February), two teams going to Guatemala and the Philippines each and Mission Volunteers David and Shari Nelson serving in Ecuador. In March we have a team going to Costa Rica, one team to Kyrgyzstan as well as teams in the planning stages for Mexico.
At the end of January, the Annual Conference UMVIM Coordinators (ACC) met in person in Phoenix AZ. We welcomed Rev Sue King and Rev Nancy Boswell as Co AC Coordinators. Other new ACCs who attended were Lori Staats from Alaska and Ray Spooner from Desert Southwest with continuing ACCs Louise Kienzle (OR-ID) and Steve Elliot and Jorge Domingues (Cal/Nev) and Susan Harriss attending virtually. During the meeting, the ACCs worked with SAWS (Servants at Work, Inc.) building a ramp for a gentleman in a wheelchair so he could get into his house. The rest of the 2-day training was focused on learning their new job descriptions and how to train new team leaders in their conference. After the Board of Directors’ meeting, Rev Khalif Smith (DSW Conference DCM) lead us in a spirit-filled sending communion service.
During the first week of February, Ronda Cordill, UMVIM WJ Coordinator traveled to Puerto Rico (PR) to meet with the Bishop Rev. Dr. Lizzette Gabriel Montalvo of the Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico and with representatives of the Rehace Program which provides services to the most vulnerable communities in PR for more than 20 years through the Methodist Church. Volunteers in Mission have worked with Rehace after Hurricane Marie devastated the island to assist with home rebuilds and food assistance. With a new Bishop and Director for Rehace, the program is expanding to provide even more comprehensive programs in more than 25 communities and will be needing more volunteers, not just to assist with rebuilding of homes but with health, including mental health, education, and food safety programs. More information will be available through the spring on our website umvimwj.com.
Global Ministries is doing a Mission Volunteer Training in Tucson in March. Three Annual Conference Coordinators will be attending the training with nine other potential Mission Volunteers. After the training, Ronda will be traveling to Hanover, MA to be one of the trainers for the Northeast Jurisdiction UMVIM Academy. Follow us here on the website or through the UMVIM WJ newsletter.
