Advocate Spring 2020

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Being the hands and feet of Jesus STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION | FUNDRAISING | VIDEO SHOWCASE

A DVOCATE Upper New York

Vol. 12, Issue 2

Being the hands and feet of Jesus TABLE of

CONTENTS

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Being the hands and feet of Jesus CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES | COOPERATIVE PARISHES | RESOURCES

On the cover DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

For the past 15 years, a team of up to 20 volunteers traveled to the Dominican Republic, working on numerous projects in the village of Los Alcarizzos, which is a very impoverished area outside of Santo Domingo. Learn how much they accomplished over the years on page 30.

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LIFE-LONG MISSION

UNY Volunteer in Mission Coordinators, Donna and Roger Cullen dedicate their lives to working alongside many who help those in need. Read about their experiences of healing and the life-changing stories of those whose relationships preceded transformation.

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Hands-on at the HUB

Mission Central, located in Mechanicsburg, PA, provides resources for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and more. Mission Central has dozens of HUBS in the Northeast, each encouraged to determine the scope of its individual ministry. Find out what happens in the UNY Mission Central HUB.

All photos appearing in the Advocate, a publication of the Upper New York Conference, have been printed with permission.

Follow us online: www.unyumc.org, www.facebook.com/uppernewyork, www.twitter.com/uppernewyork, www.instagram.com/uppernewyork 2 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

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COVERING THE GLOBE

Local church fundraising is a Natural disasters can happen major part of Disaster Recovery anywhere. United Methodists Team efforts. There are many have a long history of respondfundraising possibilities that vary ing to communities in the midst from church to church. The Ham- of disaster; but how far are they mondsport First UMC volunteers willing to travel? the possibilities have successfully raised funds seem limitless. Read about these in unique ways. Here, they offer life-changing stories of mission helpful tips to get started. from around the globe.

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RED BIRD MISSION

Red Bird Mission was established in 1921 in Beverly, Kentucky as a workcamp. Since then, it has offered many more amenities to help the people of Appalachia. Learn how the Upper New York Conference has been involved with Red Bird for so many years.

Office: 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088. Telephone: (855) 424-7878. The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate is a publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church, whose mission is to be God’s love with all our neighbors in all places. It is published two times a year. Materials in the Advocate may not be reproduced unless the item is accompanied by a copyright notation. Periodicals postage paid at Utica, NewYork 13504; USPS 14025. Postmaster: send address changes to Upper New York United Methodist Advocate, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088. We reserve the right to edit or decline any items submitted for publication.

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“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

-Isaiah 61.1-2a

T

he fourth chapter of the Gospel of Luke records for us the day when Jesus arrived in Nazareth, entered the synagogue and read those words from Isaiah 61. As he closed the book and began to sit down, he proclaimed – “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

With the reading of Isaiah’s words, the public ministry of Jesus was announced. It was that ministry, that mission, that Jesus invited those first disciples to join. It is that ministry and mission that Jesus invites us to join today!

The ministry of Jesus that we are invited to participate in has always been urgent. We live in a world that is desperate for the grace of God through Jesus Christ! We and those who surround us yearn for the significance, hope, and life that can only be found in the God who created us.

In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are living days unlike most have ever experienced. What we have depended upon and understood previously has been stripped away or dramatically altered. Our ability to be in control, to manage our “own destiny” has been compromised and interrupted. In the midst of a global pandemic, amid our independent spirits being tested, perhaps we have realized in a new way, a deeper way the utter dependence we are meant to have on our God. 4 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

Maybe, as the world has been turned upside down, our spirits have turned upward toward the truth of who we are and to whom we belong. We are looking for hope, peace, assurance, and healing. As we search, God whispers into our hearts, minds, and spirits the truth of who God is, of who we are and the offer of life that comes in the person named Jesus.

I have said at other times that God never wastes a moment and I believe that is true now. Perhaps there has never been a time in recent history where people are more open, more willing to hear the good news of the Gospel. Maybe none of us have ever seen a time where we ourselves, and those around us are as desperate for God as we find ourselves in these days. Could it be that we are experiencing a time where the world is open to the ministry and mission of the Church of Jesus Christ, in a way we have not experienced before?

This I know! - God is already at work within our lives and the lives of those around us.

The ministry of Jesus is active, and God is already doing what is beyond anyone’s imagination. For those of us who already trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we must believe anew the truth we know, so that we can in a new and renewed way say yes to the invitation of our God to join in the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ.

Through the Spirit of God, at work in Jesus, He was anointed! Through the Spirit of God at work in those of us who have said yes to Jesus, we are anointed! Anointed to share Jesus who brings good news to the afflicted, binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims lib-

erty to captives, gives freedom to prisoners and proclaims the year of the Lord! We have been invited and called!

Jesus stated it another way in Matthew 28: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This edition of the Advocate highlights some of the ways in which we have responded to the invitation to join in the ministry and mission of Jesus. There is much to celebrate as you read through these pages. Over the last few weeks, there has been much to celebrate as we discover new ways of being in ministry and mission with one another and the world. Yet, our response to the invitation is still being written.

as a way in which to offer Jesus to the world around you? How will you respond even deeper to the invitation to join in the ministry and mission of Jesus!

We are being called to be faithful, to do whatever it takes, to be bold and courageous.

We are called to remember that nothing we do, nothing we create, nothing we offer to the world will matter if its sole purpose is not to offer Jesus – because He is the only one who brings the life we and others are looking for. It is in Jesus, not anything or anyone else that the words of Isaiah are fulfilled.

May we fully receive the ministry of Jesus within our own lives. Let us fully participate in offering the ministry of Jesus to the world around us. There has never been a better time than NOW to say yes to joining Jesus in the ministry of changing lives and changing the world!

What are we willing to risk for the sake of others knowing the life God offers? What might God be stirring within your imagination

VISIT US ON THE WEB

WWW.UNYUMC.ORG unyumc.org 5

Finding in mission

By Roger and Donna Cullen, UNY VIM Co-Coordinators James 2:15-17: Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

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e are often asked why we travel to help with rebuilding projects. Donations are helpful, even critical to support the work, but people need the Church’s ministry of presence to believe we actually care. Money alone doesn’t get that message across. We must walk alongside for a while, help carry the load, listen to the cares and concerns, and encourage, in order to bring hope and healing. We have to risk our comfort, find and nourish our passion for changing injustice, alleviating poverty and disease, and healing broken lives. Our time and our God-given talent help others see and feel God’s grace in daily lives.

Authentic Christians not only need to donate funds, but we also need to work alongside those in need. Relationships precede transformation. Until people know and trust us, they aren’t ready to listen.

Serving as the hands and feet of Christ to those in need leads to a recognition that God is already there; we are simply a witness to God’s grace for all. Responding to disasters is a special case. In disasters, the urgent needs of survivors can overwhelm the affected community spiritually and emotionally as well as physically. Early response is intense, often chaotic and confusing, and also affirming.

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Those who respond are similarly affected and learn firsthand what it means to be in “ministry with.” We learn to share, listen, and love those who aren’t like us, cannot repay us, and might not be able to thank us.

We are all familiar with scenes of destruction and devastation in the evening news. Life for the survivors evolves into desperation as emergency activity transitions into interminable recovery. UMCOR and Volunteers in Mission help return families to hopefulness with solid material help and a ministry of presence. UMCOR Early Response Teams replace trained emergency responders, and then Volunteers in Mission rebuilding teams begin working with survivors until their new normal is achieved.

Mission efforts focused on alleviating poverty and disease, building community resources and infrastructure, or changing unjust systems, are especially dependent on authentic and long-term relationships to make lasting transformations. Individual volunteers and teams are most effective working within such stable partnerships between churches and local groups. Selecting which partnerships to work with requires prayer and discernment, and benefits from longer commitment.

Hope Restored . Faith Renewed

Stories of transformation Joe’s story

S

uperstorm Sandy flooded Joe’s mother’s home halfway up the first-floor walls, stranding her in the bedrooms while the waters receded. Lacking significant resources for repairs and DIY skills, Joe tried to make repairs himself on nights and weekends. Tapped out financially and physically, Joe’s prayers felt useless. He felt that his life choices had placed him, as he put it, “on the left side of God.” When the Volunteers in Mission teams arrived, they were in Joe’s words “an amazing, unexpected answer to prayer.” Two weeks later the walls were back up and painted. Joe prepared his sisters to tentatively step inside the house where they grew up. Once inside they wept; they had

not expected to see the house rebuilt. The assigned structural repairs were done, true enough. The Volunteers in Mission team accomplished more, however than reconstruction. While some were busy with hammers and paintbrushes, John was connecting with Joe. Those two shared similar life experiences that made connection possible and opened a space for God to enter. Joe’s faith in God’s answer to prayer and reinstatement to the right side of God complete.

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Hope Restored . Faith Renewed

Stories of transformation

Amy’s story A

my’s husband, Jim, had cancer when the West Virginia flash flood hit. It was no time to call for help to move Jim out of the house before the family had to leave. Amy couldn’t bear to leave Jim to drown alone. She quickly packed the essential valuables and documents in a backpack for the children to take up the hill to dry ground. That traumatic fearful night ended with the family reunited. However, saturated insulation hung underneath their mobile home, growing mold. As our Early Response Team removed saturated insulation, Amy shared her story of terror that night, her fears of never seeing her children again, and her discouragement with the home’s damage. As her connection to the team strengthened, Amy shared her disappointment over a long-broken relationship with her sister, who lived next door.

The team finished Amy’s house and began the tear-out process at her sister’s. When the team returned the next day to finish, the sisters were sitting together on the porch, reconnecting.

We were sent to do a mundane project of insulation tear-out.

We witnessed God’s work of reconciliation.

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Hope Restored . Faith Renewed

Stories of transformation

Louise’s story S

isters Doris and Louise live in adjacent North Carolina houses. When the tornado hit, Doris’s house was untouched. Louise hid in a closet as the tornado swirled. The trees that once provided shade from the North Carolina sun now lay on the roof and blocked access. Louise was unable to make herself enter the house after narrowly escaping death inside. Her fear separated her from cherished family pictures and most of her possessions.

The sisters’ church sent the Early Response Team from Maryland and Upper New York to clear the property and provide access to the house. As we went to work dragging downed trees to the road by tractor, one team member sat on the porch listening to the family’s story of the storm, and Louise’s close call.

Tree removal work wore on for days. Meals were shared, and hope grew. Life stories connected. The house began to reappear.

One afternoon, the team members looked up to see Louise standing outside her damaged home. The eyes that had been clouded with grief sparkled through her tears - God had sent the help she needed.

The Difference between ERTs and VIMs in Disaster Relief

ERT (Early Response Teams) and VIM (Volunteers in Mission) are both involved in disaster relief. Here are some of the key differences:

ERTs:

• ERTs are called upon immediately after a disaster.

• They listen to the needs of disaster survivors.

• Examples of tasks they might do is muck out basements, tarp roofs, remove damaged household items, and clean and/or remove wet sheetrock.

• ERTs must be at least 18 and take an ERT training (typically, 4 hours), after which they earn an ERT badge.

• ERT badges are valid for 3 years.

VIMs:

• VIMS do a lot of mission work and repairing and rebuilding after disasters is one of them.

• They work in disaster areas after the ERTs have done the initial work.

• Examples of tasks in areas affected by disaster may include rebuilding and painting walls, fixing porches and decks, adding new insulation, fixing roofs, and building relationships with residents.

• Often, no experience is necessary for VIM work—you learn as you go.

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ands-on volunteer ministry, as experienced in the story of the ministry of Mission Central, is a powerful means to understand and fulfill the directives of Jesus.

Those interested, are seeing the possibilities for service that they can create by being affiliated with Mission Central, which has the capacity to facilitate the “how to” of their service and can act as the receiving and distribution center for the results of their labors.

These distribution centers are called HUBS and Mission Central has dozens of HUBS 10 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

throughout the Northeast United States. The HUBs also share Mission Central’s vision that hands on mission can be the most powerful tool for sharing the Gospel by illustrating who volunteers are called to be and by living out our faith in ways that are visible to others. Each HUB agrees to be ecumenical in its outreach and volunteer recruitment, agrees to work with persons of all ages and backgrounds, and agrees to make local mission a first priority in their collection and distribution of materials.

Upper New York Mission Central HUB Donations

How does a HUB work?

Each HUB is encouraged to determine the scope of its individual ministry, based on the facility space they have, the number of volunteers available, and the interests and service focus that is most important to that HUB location. Every HUB shares the common value of fellowship, service to God, and service to others as their primary focus. At the Upper New York Mission Central HUB, all of this is carefully considered to offer the very best to those in need.

Outreach and relief

Some HUBs collect items and materials used at Mission Central (for example: household items, toys, educational items – whatever is needed at the time) and facilitate shipping them to Mission Central for inclusion into larger shipments for use outside of the HUB’s immediate area.

HUBs learn what is happening locally in their area and seek to find out how they can help fulfill basic human needs…many times in support of other ministries and outreach projects in their area. At the UNY HUB, one example of a local project is ramp-building.

Kit assembly

Volunteers

HUBs have volunteer work hours where people can come individually or in groups to complete the hands-on work that is needed.

Most HUBs collect and assemble UMCOR Kits that are used for response to disaster and in support of mission work, locally, nationally and internationally. Thousands of UMCOR kits have been assembled at the UNY HUB.

Distribution

HUBs may also serve as a holding center for emergency relief supplies used for immediate distribution during times of natural disaster. At those times, HUBs will also act as receiving points for shipment from Mission Central for use in the HUB’s immediate area.

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Learning what mission means from

Grandma Ruffo

By Carmen Vianese, Chair of Finance for GBGM and UMCOR

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Editor’s Note: Carmen Vianese has been engaged in impressive mission work in Africa. Carmen’s passion for mission stems from her Granma Ruffo, whose mission work took place in her own backyard in Western New York State.

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y first example of ministry “where you are” was my Grandma Ruffo. She immigrated to the US from Sicily with her husband in the early 1900s. She brought her meager belongings, which included her Bible, precious family photo albums, and a few pieces of the family silverware. After their journey through Ellis Island, they traveled across New York State to rural Western New York to settle in the small but booming town of Mt. Morris.

warm meal with coffee or milk. I remember asking her who the men were that knocked on the side kitchen door, and she told me that they were God’s children sent to be fed.

These memories are my first impressions of what mission and ministry look like, and they shaped my understanding. Throughout my childhood and early adult life, I was surrounded by a family and a faith community that demonstrated what discipleship looked like and felt like on a personal level. I have come to believe that mission and ministry are simply part of my faith DNA.

My life has been blessed with opportunities that continue to foster my mission-minded connection. I have learned from adults with special needs and abilities to understand God in the purest of ways. I have walked with women in both the DRC and Malawi, who have built up small community co-ops that not only feed the people in their village, but also the orphaned children in the next village.

I have been the voice for those that didn’t have a chance to speak, and I have stood in solidarity with those who were marginalized and discarded due to injustice and prejudice.

It was there she built a home for her family, worked in the canning factory, and taught herself to not just speak English, but to read and to write too. She wanted to ensure that her children and grandchildren would have the full and abundant life that they came to America for.

My grandma did all this while living out her commitment to serve God. As a strong woman of faith, she made it her calling to feed the homeless and the transient that passed by her door. Her house was just a few yards from the railroad tracks, and those who rode the rails came to know that the light on her side porch was for them; all they needed to do was to knock.

Grandma Ruffo offered them a basin bath for their hands and face, and she fed them a

All this is to say that mission ministry is more than just a calling. It is a desire that swells from deep within us. In Africa, there is a term for this feeling, Ubuntu, or “I am what I am because of who we all are in God.” Though she never heard that term nor traveled to Africa, my Grandma Ruffo understood that feeling. It inspired her generous spirit decades ago, just as it inspires me today. unyumc.org 13

Getting involved locally and internationally

me

What mission work means

to

By Walt Mathias, Honeoye Falls UMC

O

utreach is a critical component to being an active, engaged Christian. Most of us really enjoy and make a difference by working on the church’s rummage sale, chicken BBQ, or a mission opportunity. My “thing” is construction and rebuilding, typically after a natural disaster. I have done this locally, within New York State, within the USA, and internationally. All geographies offer the opportunity to be the “hands and feet of Christ.”

My most frequent mission opportunity is local. I can serve often at minimal cost and I can show my neighbors on a weekly basis, what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.

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International trips enable me to show the greater world another view of what it means to me to be a Christian and an American.

Both labels are met with suspicion in many parts of the world. I do not actively preach my values and life choices but seek to demonstrate what it means to me to live and serve as a Christian. I always strive to use my God-given talents to show an example. Often the people we help are extremely grateful for what is done and when they are not, I pray

that their hearts have been softened by our example. Judgement is not a productive or appropriate action. I participate because I wish to serve. I participate because I wish to be the “hands and feet of Christ” with all the humility I can muster.

An international mission trip also gives me the opportunity to explore other parts of the world. Understanding the challenges, differences, and similarities expands my worldview. On my trip to Siapan, it was interesting to explore the South Pacific Ocean culture and come to a new understanding of that region in World-War 2 including the multitude of cultural changes wrought by that conflict. It is great to meet new people, the residents we are helping. It is also great to meet new likeminded people who are serving on the mission team. Often the 10 to 20 team members are from many different areas of the USA, uniting for a common good.

Another side of serving on an international team is the group coordinating the mission lodging and project are often not a Methodist group (UMVIM) but some other Protestant group. Being open to “another way” often makes me proud of the UMVIM structure and lets me observe how differences of approach yield better (or weaker) results.

In the end, the goal is to strive to be the “hands and feet of Christ.” Please join me on a mission activity! The great way to start is to help locally as that can be arranged for any week. A local experience lets one sample the experience one day at a time. If it is something that really gets you going, a one-to-twoweek trip opportunity adds more richness to the experience. Who knows? You may find out that this is a great way to share your Christan life. unyumc.org 15

Disaster Recovery Mission Team fundraising

By Diane Albright, VIM Disaster Recovery Team’s Coordinator, Hammondsport First UMC

A

s teams begin preparations and execution of Disaster Recovery Mission Trips, there are many aspects to be considered. Foremost is the call to “...serve one another in love,” Galatians 3:15. Jesus came to serve and not be served. Mission team members feel honored to be able to serve as He requested, being able to be the “hands and feet of God.” These verses also reinforce the importance of serving others: James 2:8 “Love your neighbor as yourself,” James 2:14 “..what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions?” and Peter 4:11 “Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength that God supplies.”

Acknowledging these wonderful “commandments” to serve, the practicality of funding the endeavor is a major concern and is one of the first steps to consider when planning a Disaster Recovery Mission Trip.

The suggestions included here are based on experiences sponsored by the Hammondsport First United Methodist Church Volunteers In Missions (VIM) Disaster Recovery Mission Team trips and/or gifts to Gulfport, Mississippi (2008), Dulac, Louisiana (2009), Gowanda/Silver Creek, New York (2010), Hightstown, New Jersey (2011), Middleburg, New York (2012), Red Hook, New Jersey (2013), Penn Yan, New York (2014), and Dolgeville, New York (2020).

Each trip is unique due to the need, facilities provided, transportation requirements, make-up of volunteers, etc.

These variables need to be assessed by the coordinator as arrangements 16 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

are being made although it is usually impossible to forsee all the variables ahead of time.

In many situations, team members are assessed a basic daily rate to participate in the recovery effort. This would be used for meals, housing, and transportation. Other times, food and/or lodging are provided by local churches or agencies. Local fundraisers can be held to provide basic funding for those team members unable to meet their basic costs and to provide funding to purchase needed supplies or materials for on-site individual recovery needs.

Just a “tear out” and “rebuild” are unbelievable gifts to a devastated homeowner, but Recovery Teams are often able to provide new appliances or other special individual gifts that are greatly appreciated as well. Tears of joy and thankfulness are a lifelong memory for those privileged enough to provide for a homeowner’s special needs.

Local church fundraising is usually a major part of Disaster Recovery Team efforts. There are so many fundraising possibilities and they vary from church to church. Over the years, the Hammondsport First United Methodist Church Volunteers in Missions teams have raised funds through: church dinners, free-will offerings, leaf raking, returnable bottle and cans collection, Fall flower sales, “Christmas in the Park” Hot Dog and Baked Goods sales, etc.

knowing their donation will help others.

• Keep congregation informed as to how the funds are being used.

• While “in the field,” keep sponsoring home church(es) apprised of team’s activities so that they can continue to feel a part of the recovery efforts.

• Report the reactions from affected recipients.

• If reasonable, continue to communicate with affected persons or families after returning home and report to congregation.

• On a regular basis, provide continued financial help for Disaster Recovery through donations to UMCOR, particularly at times when a team is not being sponsored by your local church.

Whether providing for one special need for an individual or a major recovery effort in a church or home, the fundraising strategies involved will be greatly appreciated – the “hands and feet of God”- “serving one another in love!”

From past experience, here are some suggestions that have proved to be helpful:

• Establish predictable fundraising activities that the local congregation can look forward to sponsoring and supporting each year. Our “Christmas in the Park” Hot Dog & Baked Sale has been our most successful fundraiser. Congregation and community members look forward to this yearly opportunity to help with Disaster Relief in the USA, an opportunity to “make a difference.”

• Undertake fundraising activities that give church and community members a chance to feel that they are a real part of the Disaster Recovery Team even though they can not physically participate. Leaf raking activities are often at the home of senior citizens who can not complete the work themselves. They are thankful for the help and feel pride in

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Upper New York

Video Showcase

Three men on a mission

Walt Mathais (a member of Honeoye Falls UMC), Leon Perkins (a member of Rush UMC), and Peter Baldwin (a member of Ionia UMC) have been on mission trips across the globe.

These three retired Methodist men also do mission work as their “day job.” Their wives say they go on play dates as they spend most weekdays in an urban Rochester neighborhood, rehabbing houses for refugees from Burma, Nepal, Somalia, https://vimeo.com/313211765 Ethiopia, Togo, South Sudan, and several other countries.

This video showcases the strong bond and beautiful work that these men, from three different churches, accomplish—highlighting the strength of the United Methodist Connection.

ERT work after the Mohawk District’s 2019 Flooding

Halloween 2019 marked a heartbreaking flood in the Mohawk District to an area that seems to always be overcoming the last flood as they are once again flooded. In this video, Ray Howland, a member of Morris UMC, who is Early Response trained (ERT) and a Volunteer in Mission (VIM), mucks out a house three weeks after the flood as part of the ERT work. Ray explains how rewarding it is to be an ERT. https://vimeo.com/377586811

Community meal at North Main Street UMC

Several churches throughout Upper New York offer community meals, feeding the hungry physically and spiritually. North Main Street UMC is one of them. In this video, church member Nancy Marsh, who started the weekly meal, describes the four-course meals that are offered every week and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into offering meals from the https://vimeo.com/198866143 fundraising to the meal preparation.

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Thaddeus Pinckney helping with disaster relief work in Puerto Rico In 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria. Thaddeus Pinckney, a member of Rotterdam UMC, visited United Methodist churches in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. The UNY Conference Communications team created videos chronicling all three days Thaddeus spent in the U.S. territory vising churches and the relief efforts that will continue for years to come.

Day 1: https://vimeo.com/250322733 Day 2: https://vimeo.com/251355588 Day 3: https://vimeo.com/251869151

The Awads and their schools in Israel and Palestine:

https://vimeo.com/139707602

In this video, Alex and Brenda Awad describe their experience being missionaries in Israel and Palestine, where they have worked for a Bible college founded by Alex’s brother, for three decades. The Awads discuss how passionate they are about their work in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, and Jordan and how United Methodist Conferences meeting their General Church apportionments make their work possible.

Seneca Street UMC outreach in one of Buffalo’s poorest neighborhoods

Seneca Street UMC in Buffalo faced a dwindling population in their church after industries left the neighborhood. The population decreased from 120 to 12 and they did something to drastically change that. Through neighborhood outreach, Seneca Street has a bustling afterschool program with over 50 kids each day, a community meal with over 75 people, and so much https://vimeo.com/136627834 more such as job training and a coat ministry in the winter.

The Southern Sudan Health Project:

The Southern Sudan Health Project, a project started in 2008, resulted from collaboration between United Methodist Churches in Central New York and the Lost Boys. The Lost Boys are a group of refugees from Southern Sudan, many who were granted help to resettle in the United States between 2000 and 2001. The project is mainly about health education ranging from personal hygiene to treating minor health https://vimeo.com/218017261 conditions that can become major if not addressed right away.

United Methodists from the UNY Conference along with the Lost Boys coordinated with village councils in South Sudan to train people in the community to become health educators.

The United Methodists from the UNY return frequently, which has helped develop trust from the communities they are helping.

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Five days of medical mission in Panama

International mission work

and so much accomplished

By Dr. Sylvia Reimer, Northern Flow UMVIM representative

B

uenos dias, sen o ᷈ ra, como esta usted? And so begins another morning at the clinic in Santa Carolina, Veraquas, Panama. Located on the Pacific coast about 230 miles from Panama City, Santa Carolina is home to some of the best surfing in the country. The entire income of the town is based on tourism, and that for strong young surfers who care more about the quality of waves than the quality of accommodations. The area is very poor and access to health care is limited. There is an almost new, modern hospital nearby, but most people can’t afford to go there.

In June of 2019, my husband Marvin and I joined a medical UMVIM team from the Louisiana Annual Conference with 12 other volunteers from South Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, and Louisiana. Many of us had worked together before – in Panama, Kenya, Cambodia, or India. Perhaps because of that, the team came together very quickly, led by Beverly Dinnel, a surgical nurse from Baton Rouge and an experienced team leader. We were three physicians, a nurse practitioner, three nurses, and seven non-medical people who did everything else needed to make a clinic function.

Our hosts were David and Cindy Ceballos, a couple of former GBGM missionaries. David retired from GBGM in 2018, and seeing a continuing need, they then set up a project called Mis-

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sion Panama, helping UMVIM teams work effectively in that country. They host construction, VBS, sewing, and medical teams. Cindy, a nurse herself, has formed very strong connections with local medical officials to address what the Panamanians see as most needed resources. This allows her to obtain permission for U.S. providers to see patients legally and to set up follow-up consultation and/or treatment as needed. She also employs them to access pharmaceuticals and serve as translators. David, an ordained Elder, coordinates construction teams and serves as spiritual director for all the teams who come.

Our team held clinics for five days, two in the new hospital and three in a local school – it was a school vacation week. We saw a total of almost 1,000 patients, pretty evenly divided among men, women, and children. As an example of Cindy’s cooperation with the local medical community, the health department set up an immunization clinic the first day we were there, pro-

viding immunizations, health assessment, and teaching – at no cost to the patients.

One expressed unmet need was for Pap smears for local women; the Department of Health advertised the service, provided all the materials needed, arranged for care and transportation of the specimens, and then informed women of the results and arranged for follow-up as needed. Those who came for Pap smears (45 women) also received information on feminine hygiene (and supplies), contraception, and treatment of gynecologic illness.

As is usual on such missions, most of the patients wanted care for acute illness such as respiratory, ear, or gastrointestinal issues, pain medication for arthritis, or refills of chronic disease medicines. Most of these could be handled on the spot; others were given referrals.

In these cases, arrangements were sometimes made for transportation and for a very few, methods of payment assured. Vision screening was done, and if “readers” were helpful, they were provided. Instruction was given in dental hygiene and toothbrushes provided. Everyone received education about their illness, how to prevent recurrences, nutritional information and encouragement. They were invited, but not required, to spend time with a local pastor for prayer or counseling. Perhaps most important, they experienced the love of Jesus being poured out by people who care about them and their well-being.

There is much discussion nowadays about the need for (or usefulness of) short-term medical missions. By some, such missions are seen as encouraging dependency, minimizing selfesteem, downplaying local resources; at best

“band-aids” and at worst toxic. While I agree that these are dangers, a well-planned mission under the guidance of a well-trained leader is aware of these pitfalls and plans carefully to avoid them. I also believe that sometimes band-aids are useful! Use of locals in the planning minimizes many of these dangers, as does arrangement for follow-up care and encouragement in use of local resources.

Another criticism sometimes leveled is that such teams come together only for the benefit of the team members, not to benefit the recipients. While I certainly agree that such teams should not be formed simply to provide an experience of travel or to provide a “feel good” time for members, I think it is short sighted to neglect the very real spiritual benefits that come along: daily devotional times, both personal and group; worship in a different language and culture; dependency on each other and the people among whom we work; and yes, gratification seeing a child treated for an ear infection, a young woman provided with sanitary materials so that she can attend school (as well as materials to make more pads for herself), or an older man provided with reading glasses all contribute to spiritual growth for team members. Shared, these also provide spiritual development for the home churches represented by these folks. Such teams do play a role in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!

Marvin and I have been participants in such teams since 1991 and plan to continue as long as our health permits. I’d love to plan on a team from UNY in 2021 – contact me if you’d like to investigate this possibility.

unyumc.org 21

Families in mission

By Don and Glenda Schuessler, Gouverneur First UMC

W

hen I was five years old, I began helping my grandmother return books to the Christian Science Reading Room in Silver Spring, Maryland. I would ride in the front seat of her car—five-year-olds could do that back then. We’d hop out to knock on doors to receive books from home after home, and then carry them into the Reading Room. I was so proud of my role! Grandma trusted me; I saved her from having to get in and out of her car; and it was important work I grew up with the understanding that I was very blessed. Oh, we didn’t have much money. But we did have love and family and opportunity. And along with all those things came a responsibility to share and contribute and serve. My parents always expected us to be at the head of the line volunteering to help. I remember spending hours picking up rocks off new baseball fields to make them playable. I remember going door-to-door selling donuts to raise money for camping equipment for my Boy Scout troop. I remember raking leaves, shoveling snow, carrying groceries, opening doors, and helping out whenever it was needed.

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Don, Glenda, and Katie Schuessler.

As our children arrived, Glenda and I wanted them, too, to recognize what a privilege and opportunity it was to give and serve. We wanted them to learn how serving could enrich their lives and help bring about the Kingdom of God … for them and others … right then and there. And so, right from the get-go, we began to include and nurture our kids in a life of mission.

Betsy traveled with us as a one-year-old to serve for a month in the Delta Region of Mississippi. We participated in work projects around our church and our community … with the kids. We traveled to Aldersgate for workdays and summer camp and Family Life Weekends. At church, we made apple pies to support camping scholarships, helped with VBS, sang in choirs, helped lead wor-

ship, and organized community outreach. We traveled with the youth group to Washington, DC and Boston to serve the homeless and addicted and otherwise downtrodden. We helped with Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis Weekends.

We also began international mission work.

We flew with grandparents to the Dominican Republic to serve there through the Sisters of Schoenstatt. Betsy and mom organized the pharmacy; Dad cared for sick children; Grandma and Grandpa sorted eyeglasses and worked on their gardens; Don and Katie walked into town to feed children off the street and nine-year-old Joe served as the nun’s “Boy Friday” for a week. His favorite job was burning wastepaper! As the kids were growing up, we actively sought out places where we could serve with the kids. For all of us, being in mission wasn’t something we did apart from the rest of our lives; it was central to our living out of our understanding of the truth of God's love for each one of us. The work the kids did was important work.

Our kids are now grown, and they hear God call to their hearts to serve in their own churches and communities. We continue to listen for God's summons and have had the opportunity to provide medical and dental care, eyeglasses, medications, limb prostheses, and the love of Jesus in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America … as well as into the state prison in Gouverneur, NY. And our “kids” still sometimes go with us,

not because their parents are bringing them, but because they want to be part of the effort. We’re now looking forward to including our grandchildren in upcoming mission work.

Betsy Schuessler distributing reading glasses to residents of Pasaje, Ecuador.

When we respond to the love of Jesus by living a life of mission, we experience the reality Jesus wanted for us, of finding that in the challenges of being in mission His burden is light. And we find joy. Joy in the journey.

Joy in serving. Joy in sensing our God's pleasure at our saying, “Yes” when called. Joy in recognizing that the God of the Universe, of all that is, has ever been, and ever will be, wants to work with and through me. Wow! Then the King will say to those at His right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me,” Matthew 25:34-36.

Go for it. Do it now. Make being in mission part of the life of your family and look to see your kids becoming the sheep God wants them to be. There’s important work for them to do.

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&

Rush UMC Musa, weNkosi

By Erma Perkins Perkins

Before

After 24 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

O

n May 13, 2014, three couples from Rush UMC plus seven more people boarded South African Airways for the 15-hour flight to South Africa.

Lifetime Care Hospice of Rochester has been partnered with Zululand Hospice Association (ZHA) since 2003. On a visit in 2010, the staff introduced us to Musa weNkosi, a home for AIDS orphans. The name is isiZulu for “God’s mercy.”

On the 2013 trip, Elaine who established the orphanage with her husband, Dr. Gavin Charlton, shared her dream of converting an abandoned chicken house to a central kitchen and dining area. Each of the four houses had a kitchen, but space was needed for more bedrooms. A central kitchen would provide a greater feeling of family for the children and make shopping and meal preparation easier. Over the next year plans were made, funds were raised, and a team was formed.

We arrived on the May 14, 2014, settled into Raptors Rest B&B, and crawled into bed for the first time in 40 hours. The next day the Kesslers, Proks, and Leon Perkins started work on the chicken house. Conversation was in British accented English, U.S. English, German, and isiZulu. The rest of the team visited patients with ZHA staff.

All of us worked at the orphanage on Saturday. The children helped with painting and rolling glaze for the windows.

Many of the children have heart-breaking histories. One of the boys would spit in the food of his neighbor so he could have more to eat.

He has become “the most respectful young man here.” Sabelo, an eight-year-old had no schooling until he arrived at the orphanage. During the Christmas holiday, he went home to his father. A couple days later he showed up at Musa weNkosi having walked

the 12 miles from home because he had not had anything to eat. A teenager said he’s glad he was from a bad family so he could learn about God at the orphanage.

We enjoyed a safari on our last day in the KwaZulu Natal. We saw giraffes, zebras, and an inyala and an elephant enjoying lunch.

Near the end of the day we experienced a rhino jam—five rhinos facing off and not allowing any vehicles to get by.

We returned to Johannesburg. The team toured Soweto and the Apartheid Museum.

Leon said his eyes were opened. Hearing about conditions does not have the impact of being exposed to the realities of people’s experiences.

We have a sponsor for each of the children. Rush UMC MC takes up a monthly offering for the orphanage. We make about $2,000 at a Bake Sale on Election Day.

These quotes by Trevor Hudson ring true for those of us who took part in this mission: “Compassion flows from our becoming more aware of the human needs around us. Real awareness far exceeds the capacity of either information or rational analysis to effect lasting inner change.”

“When painful realities assume a human face to whom we can put a name and to whose story we can listen, a meeting of human hearts takes place. Such heart encounters possess the power to uncover the more compassionate dimensions of our natures.”

"We would come as pilgrims, not as tourists; as learners, not as teachers; as receivers, not as givers; as listeners, not as talkers. They do not so much need the skills of our hands or the knowledge of our minds as they do the compassion of our hearts." A Mile in My Shoes

One of the ways that Rush UMC raised funds for this mission trip is through an “African Market,” where they sell baskets, bowls, toys, and decorative items handmade in Africa. unyumc.org 25

Mission work in

Costa Rica

By the Rev. Beth Bouwens, Retired elder of the UNY Conference

C

osta Rica is often thought of as a vacation destination. However, I find it to be a place where I can serve with others to show the love of Jesus and help alleviate the extreme poverty in the country. Twenty percent of the population live in poverty, with an average income of $155 a month. One in four children live below the poverty line. Adequate health and education are challenges for many.

In April, 2019, I led a VIM (Volunteer in Mission) team to Costa Rica with the McGraw UMC to serve with Rice and Beans Ministries.

The base camp is just outside of San Jose— in the community of Alajuela. We were met at the airport by some of the staff and escorted to our living space for the week. Soon we gathered for a deliciously cooked meal and met the people we would work closely with for the week. Sunday morning, we had the experience of lively worship with the folks at Iglesia del Nazareno De Poás. I always wish my Spanish was better!

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Monday morning and each day, we started with devotions before we went for breakfast.

We began work on the construction project, preparing a dormitory for the mission to use to host future teams. On other trips, I have helped with building projects at area churches or repairing a home in the community. Some days we join students in area schools to teach VBS activities with music, stories, and crafts.

Each afternoon, our team packed food bags to deliver door-to-door in the neighborhoods. It is amazing that two pounds of rice, two pounds of beans, two gallons of powdered milk, and one pound of cornmeal feeds a family of four for one week. Currently Rice and Beans Ministries serves over 80 communities with food and prayer. The director, Fred Curry, would be the first to say—“It’s not about the food, it’s about the relationship.”

One of the team members, Renee Lobell, shares, “The work we did in the short time we were there, had a huge impact on the lives we touched as well as those of us on the team. I enjoyed giving out the food the most because it was something we could witness up close and personally. Praying with the families, all in our own spoken language yet together, hand in hand, reminded me that we are all one in the eyes of God. We hugged; we laughed; we cried; we prayed; and in my heart I know we left the families with so much more than just a

forever be grateful for the opportunity.”

Serving on a mission teams stretches one in different ways. I find that in serving with others my heart overflows with joy. When we say ”YES” to God we invite God to work in our lives in deeper ways. In our serving, we find out about ourselves.

bag of food with some pretty decorations. We helped them see a glimpse of God in our actions and our smiles. I hope they never forget our visit, as I know I will never forget each of them.”

Another afternoon, we went to a sugar cane plantation to deliver food and pray and met Nicaraguan migrants who had come to work the harvest. The workers earn in three months, what takes a year of work in Nicaragua.

Bettyann Miller, a team member who has served on several teams to Nicaragua remembers our visit, “It broke my heart when they asked for prayers for their families back home, for safe travels back home and safety once they reached there. One of the young men gently gripped my hand to pray and I could feel a huge cut across his palm (it felt like a machete cut that was just healing). I've been praying since, that he and his family are okay.”

At the end of the day, we take time to process our thoughts, feelings, and reflect on the question, “Where have you seen Jesus today?”

Team member Renee Lobell said, “I saw Jesus work each day from the morning devotional, through the labors of our love on the dorms, in the time with the families, to the evening closing prayers. I saw God's love in Fred, the director, and his team as they worked through the details and activity of each day with such love and gratitude in hopes of making our experience the best it could be. I saw God in the beauty of the area we stayed, even though there were many areas where people were hurting and struggling to survive. I will forever cherish and hold tightly to the memories and the emotions I felt during this mission trip. I will

“Participating in the Rice and Beans mission trip was a great opportunity for me.” shared Cathy Captuo, a team member. “I learned a lot about Costa Rica, the people living there, and their culture. But most importantly, I learned about myself, my faith, and putting my faith in action. This experience changed me. I began to reevaluate my life; my blessings, my possessions, my sacrifices, my faith journey. and my service to others…Mission trips are a great way to serve others, but you will gain way more than you gave.”

Rice and Beans Ministries’ mission is to build relationships with the local communities and is a great way to bring people to Christ. By including the local congregation in construction projects, they form long-lasting relationships with these families.

They have reached an understanding that a major part of what feeds poverty is illiteracy.

To break the cycle of poverty, the ministry connects with area schools to provide school supplies and uniforms for over 5,000 students annually.

Please pray for Rice and Beans Ministries and the lives they touch. Check out their website at www.rabmin.org.

unyumc.org 27

Letters from India Mission of Peace:

Radical hospitality

By Leah Stucke, 12th Grade, East Aurora UMC

R

adical Hospitality. If there is one phrase that can describe India it is radical hospitality. Before I left, I was told, by someone who has been to India many times, that the people in India are the nicest people in the world. I was unsure what that really meant or if it was true for the morning of the first day in India. I learned what it meant on Day One. We visited Centenary Methodist Church and attended one of their youth gatherings.

During worship, they called each of us up to the front by name and presented us with a rose, a symbol meaning home. We all expected receiving the rose and being recognized was the end of their hospitality and we were already overjoyed to be given anything at all. But later in the worship service, they again called us up by name to give us a plaque. To finish, they fed us a home-cooked meal.

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Going on the Mission of Peace (MOP), we all expected to be welcomed into churches but the level of appreciation and hospitality we received was out of this world. Through MOP, we hope to spread shalom, create peace, expand our interfaith knowledge, and create interfaith relationships. The people of India had the same idea.

Being welcomed with their radical hospitality shaped our experience in India. Every place we went, church we visited, and person we met greeted us with radical hospitality.

From receiving gifts during church, to having authentic conversations with people, to some of the highest up and most important religious leaders of religions that are not our own, spend time to meet with us, to sign books for each one of us and to eat dinner with each one of us showed how hospitable these people really are.

India took MOP in and let the people here and the people on this trip be the hands and feet of God. God is everywhere in the world if you look. No matter where you are, what your history is, what religion you follow, you are a child of God and God is present in all situations and experiences.

sounds in India

The

By Sam Lasher, 11th Grade, Cobleskill UMC

W

hile on the Mission of Peace to India I heard many sounds. The beep beep beep of the cars, mopeds, and trucks. The whoosh of the airplane taking off. The voices of thousands of languages and dialects. The barking of the dogs. The banging of a hammer, the cutting of a saw, the crushing of a bulldozer, the pouring of the concert for the new infrastructure. The chanting of the Muslims praying, the reciting of the Qu'ran, the praise of the Christian youth singing, and the chanting of the hymns. The sound of the chimes we created in the worship center at the Henry Martin Institute. The sound of the host asking if we wanted tea or coffee or Coke. The sound of "friends" followed by the wisdom of one great man. The sound of the nurses and Ranjan taking my temperature as I lay shivering in a hospital clinic for a slum in India. This is a sound I never expected to hear. As I lay there, something hit me. The sounds, the children were playing and learning and laughing and meeting with our group. The sounds of lunch being prepared and served for children who might only get lunch a few days a week.

What I take from these sounds that I heard while in India is many things. I learned there

really are many people in India and they all live close together...densely populated.

There is immense traffic, all the time. There is incredible diversity in its people. It is also a poor country, although it is motivated to grow its industries and infrastructure to move people out of poverty and make life better.

Everyone is always doing something. India is also deeply religious and these faiths generally live together in harmony, no matter what the politicians say.

One of the biggest things I learned about India that is having a huge impact on me is their radical hospitality. It is incredible that we got tea wherever we went and we were thanked for coming when they invited us into their church, or home, or Islamic center, or temple. I am truly blown away and every time that someone offered me tea or gave me flowers or a book, I saw the face of God. India is an amazing place with amazing people and sounds. When we sing "I saw India awaking up" we should really sing "I heard India awaking up."

unyumc.org 29

Fifteen years of

mission work

in the

Dominican

Republic

By Diane Diane Saxton, Mission Coordinator at Fleming Federated Church

F

or the past 15 years, we have taken a team of up to 20 people to the Dominican Republic, working on numerous projects in the village of Los Alcarizzos, which is a very impoverished area outside of Santo Domingo. We have done everything from pouring sidewalks, building basketball courts, pouring concrete floors to replace dirt floors, and more. Our main project has been working on every aspect of The Lighthouse School which is now one of the top Christian schools in the country. Along with classrooms, we have helped build the vocational school, cafeteria, and dorm rooms where teams stay while doing mission work.

In the past few years, a new project has been started in an even more impoverished area, Villa Altagracia. Land was purchased that will become the second Lighthouse School. Last year we were able to complete the building that will house a water purification plant. This plant will produce 25,000 gallons of clean water per day for the residents of this community.

30 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

During our time in Dominican Republic, we have also built two homes for two displaced families.

When asked, "What was one of the most touching points of any of these mission trips for me?” Pastor Kevin Grish said: “There have been so many and each year brings something more to the table. When I went on my first trip, I thought it would be a ‘one and only.’ God doesn't quite work that way. I found such a peace when I was there and the girls that I took were so transformed by what they experienced they just wanted to go back again. I guess what touches me the most is how easily the teens (and adults) are engulfed by the surroundings, how friendly they become with the locals especially our translators, construction helpers, cooks, etc.

There is no divide between ‘us and them.’ It’s just a bunch of people working for one purpose and that’s to be God's hands and feet.

When we built the two houses, we not only completed the project, but also, we moved the families out of their shacks and into their new homes. Handing the keys to the new homeowners was especially touching to me.”

Pastor Grish pointed to a team journal and here are some of the entries that sum up what others have experienced: "It's my third year here and this trip and these people have become more a part of my summer and my life each year."

Jacob Morgan (2011) "During this past week, I've learned that even strangers can make you feel like part of the family. Being able to work together as a team and make a difference in someone else's life is a feeling I will never forget."

Lezlie Balk (2012) "It certainly is an eye opener to get out into a local community and see how others who are less fortunate that us live, or merely survive.

The journey and accomplishments of this Lighthouse program and what they do for the community is very very impressive."

Stu Hoskins (2014) "How exciting to see the bricks and cement we've carried all week become a beautiful house. Even more rewarding is to watch as it becomes a home for four beautiful people who love the same God we do."

Jennie Walczyk (2015) "I can't remember how many times I've been here. Every time I think it will be my last. I come broken, tired, and empty, but by the grace of God I go home full, recharged, and whole again."

Colleen Saxton (2019) "I am happy especially to have met our little Melina (sponsor child), just five years old and starting her journey at the Lighthouse School. I pray that God will continue to bless her and her family and that she would grow strong in her faith, knowledge and love for her classmates and community. May we continue to provide that connection that will show her there are people in a far-off country that care so much about her future."

Kelli Morgan (2019)

Speaking of Sponsor children, Manoash Cervin said: “Many of us have sponsored children to go to The Lighthouse School. Being able to meet those kids and support them in every way has been an awesome experience. My husband and I are currently sponsoring two kids as well as helping support one of our translators go to college. It has been so great to be a part of this young man's education. He is a great kid and will go far with his Electrical Engineering degree he will receive by the end of this year. This is from a letter he wrote to us, ‘Thank you for all you guys have been doing for me during these years. Thank you for giving me the amazing opportunity to study at the University because not many people get the chance to go to University as they cannot afford it. I appreciate everything you have done for me.’”

God has been so good and faithful in providing us with awesome teams, funds, and willing hearts to be able to do this mission in the Dominican Republic.

unyumc.org 31

National mission work

Upper New York’s involvement in

32 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

Redbird Overview

By David Alexander, Endwell UMC

Editor’s Note: Dave Alexander coordinates the shoebox ministry in UNY every fall. He recruits collection sites and personally collects hundreds of shoeboxes and other donations like school supplies, gently-used clothing and new bedding. He delivers them to Red Bird Mission with the help of other volunteers.

O

n my fourth trip to the Red Bird Mission in Beverly, KY, I have witnessed the staff at the mission working to provide many services to the people in this area.

They provide medical and dental care, provide opportunities for residents in Alexander. the area to perform work at the mission and have a community store where the people can buy clothes at a very reduced cost. They have a school were the children can attend to get their education; they also provide housing for some of the children that live in the mountains who can't make it to the school daily.

During the last two trips, our team witnessed the staff at the mission distributing the shoe boxes as they were unloaded from our truck. They provided the people in the area a chance to get necessary hygiene supplies that they desperately need; they also get new blankets and sheets for their homes.

The staff at the mission have told us that if weren’t for the churches in the Upper New York Conference collecting shoeboxes, blanket, sheets, and school supplies, they would not be able to provide this service to the people in the area. unyumc.org 33

Red Bird Mission More than shoeboxes

By Judy and David Mott, Aloquin-Flint UMC

R

ed Bird Mission was established in 1921 in Beverly, Kentucky, located in the southeastern part of the state, nestled in the hollers of the Appalachian Mountains, through the Daniel Boone Forest.

Red Bird Mission is primarily a workcamp but has many more amenities to help the people of Appalachia. There is an international accredited Christian school, built in the shape of a cross. There are boys’ and girls’ dorms for those who do not live nearby.

The school enrolls 240 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. They have a very high percentage of students graduating and going to college.

There is a medical and dental clinic for the residents to use as a reduced rate, a senior center where fellowship happens and where a Meals on Wheels program is located; there is a food pantry once a month and a craft store where Appalachian crafts are sold. There is a store that looks like a miniWalmart where goods are sold based on a family’s income. There is a Christmas store, 34 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

where your shoeboxes are distributed at no cost to the residents. Recently, a water kiosk was added so that residents can buy a clean gallon of water for only $.25. There is a volunteer fire department on site and a mini lumberyard. There are senior apartments and houses for those that have lost their homes due to fire or other reasons.

For the workcamp, volunteers arrive on Sunday night with a meal and orientation, fellowship and an early bedtime. We have done many different projects, some of which were: shingling a roof; fixing of building windows, doors, floors, or ceilings; painting; installing steps or ramps; adding kitchen counters; and more.

Monday morning, we get started with a great breakfast, prayer, and devotions. Then, it is off to meet your crew leader for the week, and off to your project. All Red Bird vans are filled with the supplies you need and ready to go. You then meet the homeowner and check out your project. The most important part of the project is to let the homeowner know that we are the hands and feet of God to give them a hand and not a hand-out.

Tuesday morning begins the same, but your job may change. Sometimes your job may be to just talk or read the Bible with the homeowner. Most are widows or disabled. Coal mining was the main employment for many years and many men passed away from black-lung disease, leaving their family to take care of themselves.

They call Wednesday your day off.

You can stay and work on your project or travel 35 miles over the mountains to do some siteseeing. We have really enjoyed Cumberland Gap, about an hour-and-a-half drive away.

Thursday starts with more wonderful food, prayer, and devotions. When you get to your project, you may notice that your homeowner seems different.

Sometimes they have a huge smile, give you a big hug, and offer you coffee and something to eat even though they do not have a lot. You have already changed their lives. After a delicious dinner, we share talent night with some who are very talented and some who are not so talented. It’s a lot of fun.

Every night, we have bonfires, hot chocolate, and marshmallows with new friends from all over the country.

Friday is your last day to work on your project and say goodbye to homeowners. We generally give them a prayer shawl, hugs, and prayers.

When we get back to campus, we fill the vans for the next week’s projects.

We head to bed early and are up early Saturday morning for our journey home.

There is a cost to volunteer at Red Bird, but it is absorbed by the joy we receive from the grateful homeowners.

You can help either by joining a mission group or praying for the people of Appalachia and the volunteers that go there to help.

Reflecting on mission work with Red Bird Mission

By Lance Stetton

C

hronic poverty, lack of jobs, poor housing, and rugged mountainous terrain provide obstacles to a fuller life for the residents in the southeastern corner of Kentucky. Red Bird Mission and Clinic strives to meet these needs through ministry in five areas: Education, Health and Wellness, Community Outreach, Economic Opportunity, and Community Housing Improvement.

The Education ministries are carried out through a PreK-12 school. These education ministries provide the opportunity for the children and youth of this community to get a quality education in a loving Christian environment empowering these young people with tools that will help them escape this cycle of poverty in which they are exposed to and live in daily.

Health and Wellness ministries are provided through medical and dental clinics offering quality health and dental care in an area that is chronically underserved. In addition to inclinic visits, providers travel to the homes of our patients to provide care to those that are home-bound.

The other three areas of ministries provide a wide variety of services to the residents of this area. Volunteers in Mission help with the refurbishment of homes; low-cost clothing and furniture is provided through the community store and local crafter’s wares are marketed to a wide area through the craft marketing ministry. A wide variety of ministries to families, older adults, women, and youth make their lives fuller and help them receive the assistance they need to make their lives a bit more livable.

unyumc.org 35

My journey

in missional work

By The Rev. Jeff Childs, Retired elder of the UNY Conference

As a boy growing up in my hometown Methodist Church in Titusville, PA, I remember fondly going to the church for a potluck dinner and a program put on by missionaries with slides of faraway places and stories of their mission work there. Seeds were sown that would later grow into my own missionary journey. I participated in my first workcamp week as a teenager helping with various projects to prepare the local church camp for the summer camping season.

My first experience of going on a mission trip was as a pastor serving a church in northern Minnesota in the early 90s. Flooding had come that spring down in Iowa along the Ottuma and Mississippi Rivers. With two others from the congregation, we drove down in response to a call for volunteers. Back then 36 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

we were known as STVIM (Short-Term Volunteers in Mission). It is now known as VIM or in some cases UMVIM noting our denomination. During that trip, we cleaned up debris from the flooding but also helped with the door-to-door assessment of the homes affected and the individual needs for the recovery efforts to follow.

It was not until I moved to the then NCNY Conference in 2002 that opportunities for regular mission trips began. While serving

at Rome UMC I had the opportunity to make my first trip to Costa Rica with the people of the Whitesboro UMC. We worked on building walls and painting rooms of their churchsponsored school buildings. I led my first VIM team to Punta Gorde, Florida in 2005 after Hurricane Charlie. I remember flying into Ft. Myers and looking down at all the swimming pools, only to notice as we got closer they were blue tarps on nearly every home.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans the following year, I quickly made plans to go that next winter. This was the worst devastation I have ever seen. Our team took most of the week to completely gut a house down to the studs and exterior siding. A ceiling fan hung down, drooping like the pedals of a wilted flower, and the inside of the bathroom door was covered in technicolor swatches of molds. The following year I took a team to Gulfport, Mississippi. Though the local leaders expected it would take 20 years to clean up I only went for two as other opportunities knocked.

As we worked on bringing parts of the four conferences together to form the UNY Conference, I was blessed to travel with a team from the Wyoming Conference to Haiti.

Though it was November, I found the tropical weather overwhelming. It was great to be able to swim in the ocean each late afternoon after a day of work.

Noting that there seems to be at least one major storm near or far each year, I was able to help locally in Owego and Binghamton after Hurricane Lee. I have driven to New Jersey following Super Storm Sandy to help with their cleanup efforts. The last couple years I have been blessed to take teams to help in Houston and the panhandle of Florida who are still recovering from past hurricanes.

The advantages in those areas were snowbirds able to help work or host.

Last year as I prepared to retire from pastoral ministry, I saw opportunities to participate in two trainings. One was to become an Early Response Team member and after the Halloween storm of 2019 in the Utica area, I was able to go and help there as an ERT.

The other opportunity I had was to be trained and certified by GBGM as a Mission Volunteer. It is a newer program of the General Board of Global Ministries asking people to serve as long-term volunteers for a period of two months to two years at one of their missions. And just as I retired last July, there was an opening for a missioner to be a host (and handyperson) at a UMC camp just north of Anchorage, Alaska. You can see pictures and read my blog about that incredible experience at https://northernhigh-lights.blogspot. com/. unyumc.org 37

Local mission work

Early Response Team in the Mohawk District

By Mary Lou Buck

te: Mary Lou Buck is a very active member of o n ’s r Upper New York’s Early Response Team. o t i d E In this article, written in present tense, Mary Lou

38 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

relives the ERT process that was used in cleaning up communities in the Mohawk District that were impacted by a strong storm and resulting flooding on Halloween night in 2019. This article is a great “big picture” of the process that Early Response Team members use when volunteering in areas impacted by natural disasters.

T

he Sauquoit Creek became a monster on Halloween night. Looking around, we see some homes have tape around them.

On closer inspection, I realize that part of the foundations were washed away. Homes with a big red X on them have been condemned.

Some houses have piles of possessions and appliances at the curb. One homeowner was walking down the street. We stopped to talk to him, and I was surprised that he had remembered my name from two years ago when I had worked at his home after flooding. Since his mobile home was washed off its foundation this year, he could not work on his home so he was helping his neighbors.

After the initial impression, we go into houses to help homeowners clean up. We see that the water in some basements came as high as the joists for the first floor. A few had their main floor flooded. We take possessions to the curb, shovel mud to remove it, and remove wet drywall and flooring. Another important job is listening to the homeowners tell the story of their experience, which helps in their healing from this disaster. It was a joy to be able to give them a donated prayer shawl.

We met homeowners as we began the cleanup process. One gentleman, with health concerns, had a hard time talking because he was shivering so much. He tried to keep his pipes from freezing with a space heater and needed his basement emptied so that his furnace could be replaced. The temperature that day was 9 degrees.

An elderly lady who had a finished basement needed us to remove the walls, floor, and ceiling because the water had damaged it all. She had been assured that the flood mitigation projects in her area would prevent flooding. She will not be finishing her basement again.

One homeowner was so surprised to learn that most of the people on the team were older than he was. He was very protective of the senior citizen ladies on the team, and he made sure that he carried the heavy buckets of mud up the stairs for us.

Many of the small communities, that were hit by this flood event, contain poor areas with no flood insurance and very limited finances for recovery, and they absolutely needed our help.

In this one event, there were 800 homes damaged, with 230 homes sustaining major damage. Seventy homes were destroyed or condemned. One-hundred-sixty homes needed to be cleaned out and debris removed and three-hundred homes had gas and electric turned off and needed furnaces and hot water heaters serviced or replaced. Since it was extremely cold, it was important to complete this work as quickly as possible.

We helped homeowners of various religious beliefs. The work was very rewarding because we knew we were being God’s hands and feet as we witnessed to the homeowners in both word and deed. Homeowners mentioned how grateful they were, and they were impressed that we were willing to get dirty and work for free as we demonstrated Christian love. We felt inadequate, however, because the laborers were few, and we could not help everyone who had been impacted.

Even though I just met some of the team members, we all worked well together and everyone helped to accomplish work that needed to be done. Training is available for anyone who would like to join a team. Being on an Early Response Team is a privilege because we feel blessed every time we serve.

To learn how you can get involved visit: https://www.unyumc.org/mission/vim

unyumc.org 39

Bringing Christian retreats to senior citizens

By Pastor Sue Acker, Hannibal UMC

I enjoy going on a well-run Christian retreat; many people do. I have been a participant, a team member, and even served on teams in prison. It seemed that everyone could go on a Christian retreat except for people in a nursing home or assisted living.

They may have special needs to consider but should that stop them from being able to participate in the Spiritual blessings of a two-day retreat program? With that in mind several of us sat down to adapt a program to the needs and capability of persons in a nursing home.

The program is simply called “A Senior Christian Retreat.� The two main needs that we saw represented by our target audience were; 1. to know that they still have value in God's economy and 2. to be reassured of their salvation and eternal life.

We schedule three-hour-and-a-half sessions per day, usually during the normally scheduled activity time. We have 10 talks, two per session with conversations lead by a table leader after each talk. Also scheduled is plenty of singing of traditional hymns. The people respond wonderfully to the familiar 40 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 2

songs that they have sung all their lives. To make them feel special, we include handouts for every talk so the they can read about it again, and we give out little agape gifts that they enjoy and can take back to their rooms.

Last year when we did the retreat, one lady was there at every session; she sang and sang every song and seldom needed to look at her book for the words. She was filled with joy as her love for God swelled to overflowing. She got to see him face-to-face less than 48 hours later, and she was so ready.

A team consists of about 16-18 members and the table seating is about three wheelchairs to each table leader.

We hope that many see the need for this new work and make it their mission to take senior retreats to many nursing homes. We will be happy to share the manual with all who would like to use it and spend time with you to help you get it off to a good start in your area. Contact pastorsueacker@gmail.com.

Getting started:

How to get involved in mission work

By Shannon Hodson

A

s Walt Mathia stated in his article on pages 14-15, consider getting started with mission on a local-level. Here are some ways to get involved locally and beyond:

Local mission: Contact you District Office

If your church doesn’t currently have a mission project, contact your District Superintendent office to see what churches near you may have mission projects that could use your help.

Start your own

Start a mission project at your church.

Perhaps a story in this issue of the Advocate may have sparked your interest—start a similar mission at your church!

Get Certified

Become part of an Early Response Team for natural disasters; there are often local opportunities in the aftermath of floods. Visit http://bit.ly/UNYERTtraining to learn about upcoming trainings.

Mission Central HUB

Volunteer at the Mission Central HUB in Liverpool. If Liverpool is too far for you, explore the idea of HUB-ON-THE-ROAD. This is where your church can plan a date to put together cleaning kits, school kits, or hygiene kits for UMCOR and have them brought to Mission Central HUB in Liverpool, NY. You can even partner with other churches or organizations in your area to make the project more affordable. Visit http://www.unyumc.org/ mission/hub-on-the-road to learn more.

Explore the web

Visit the Conference website (http://bit.ly/ongoingmission) to learn about ongoing mission projects you may want to become involved with.

Get on the list

Email news@unyumc.org to sign up to be on the Volunteers list that the Conference uses to reach volunteers about mission projects they may be interested in. Please put “Interested in volunteering” in your subject line.

international mission trips: Check the Weekly Digest

Upcoming mission trips are often announced in the UNY Conference’s e-newsletter, the Weekly Digest; visit https://www. unyumc.org/news/weekly-digest to subscribe to the Weekly Digest.

Visit the VIM website

You can also visit the Northeastern Jurisdiction Volunteer in Mission website (https:// umvimncj.org) to find dozens of mission opportunities throughout the globe. Their website has both United States and international opportunities as well as information on training to become a Volunteer in Mission trainer. unyumc.org 41

7481 Henry Clay Blvd.

Liverpool, NY 13088

What can you fit in your bucket?

find out at www.unyumc.org/mission/mission-central WWW.UNYUMC.ORG