Partnerships

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:27. NIV

We as the body of Christ are called to work together to fulfill the work of the Kingdom. We all have our unique gifts and talents, but when we come together we are able to achieve the work much more efficiently and effectively. It is important for us to come together and fill a void where others are not able to fill. This is the beauty of our partnerships. Western PA has many partnerships, locally, regionally and internationally. During this pandemic it has been great to see how our partnerships have remained connected and be there for each other.

"So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 1 Corinthians 12: 25 NIV

Encounter with Christ for Latin America (Encounter)- Guatemala

WPAUMC Encounter sent funds to Guatemala so that our missionary Rich Mrozcka could rewire the large dormitory and complete other electrical work at the church camp in Lemoa. After the wiring is completed, he and his team will install the dormitory ceiling and work on the painting. Rich is assisted by two men from the community (who will receive desperately needed pay) and by Lulu's son Edwin. It is a great blessing that Rich, who is an electrician, can supervise this project. He found a lot of faulty wiring that is a fire hazard and has been working on this for the past couple of weeks. This work includes:

Replacing the 12 breaker panel box with a new 32 breaker panel box.
Replacing all receptacles and lighting outlets, and installing 8 new shower heads to provide hot water because the old showers heads were not safe. These are shown in the pictures below.
Running all new lines in a new conduit.
The existing electrical lines in the church will be run in new conduit and will also be tied into the new breaker panel.
Lines from at least one other out-building will be tied into the new breaker panel.

The People in Guatemala are grateful as this will ensure the dormitory is safe and ready for anyone needing to use the camp. For more work done by our missionaries, take a look at the their latest newsletter.

Christ UMC Bethel Park and Daily Bread

Huge thank you to Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park for providing Sunday dinner at Daily Bread! A wonderful spaghetti feast was lovingly prepared and served to many grateful friends!

Daily Bread (also known as the Northside Congregate Feeding Program) located in Pittsburgh’s Northside, serves meals to those without a home or who are under-employed. We serve meals three times a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 am and Sundays at 4 pm. The program communicates with other feeding programs on the Northside to ensure that a hot meal is available every day of the week. Food is served out of the kitchen of the former New Hope Methodist Church.

Anyone who is interested in participating in this program can easily do so by checking the feeding schedule on the calendar and calling the office at (412) 231-4900. We look for volunteers that are 14 years of age and older.

The Nyadire Connection (TNC)

TNC has just completed the March food distribution. The negotiation, purchase, transport, organization of bundles, and distribution of such volumes of food requires the volunteer time of many at Nyadire.

After months of drought, the photos also show wet ground from recent rains with the promise of an upcoming abundant harvest! To donated visit the TNC webpage. Or you can send a check made out to "The Nyadire Connection" ( please put "Nyadire Hunger Relief" in the memo line to: Christ UMC Church. Attn- Richard Dickey, TNC. 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102

Visit TNC's Facebook page for more pictures and videos.

Nicaragua

Western PA has sent money to missionaries working in Nicaragua to assist in the aftermath of hurricanes late last year. They have been able to to collaboratively work with Ronnie and Anti Hopkins. Although not Global Board of Global Ministry missionaries, they are people that have built a strong connection with the Western PA Nicaragua partnership.

Below is a letter of thanks from these missionaries.

Dear Western PA Conference,

Thank you so much for providing the funds to concrete 9 floors in the community of Mira Luz. These homes were flooded during the hurricanes.

The homes are very simple structures of tin, plastic and some concrete. Often the children sleep on the floor on matts. They get sick from the wetness in the rainy season and the dust in the dry season. Now they have a clean, dry place to live.

We were able to coordinate this effort with Juan, one of our youth leaders, who directs a TPC program every year. For three days Nicaraguan youth come together to help work on home repairs. They also donate clothes and have nightly worship times. This year the youth helped with the concrete floors in Mira Luz and afterwards they provided a signed Bible for each home.

Thank you, Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, for making this possible.

Blessings,
Ronnie and Angi Hopkins
Facebook

Zimbabwe Partnership

Greensburg District and The Harare West District

On February 17, the Harare West District began to distribute to people in four high priority categories: child-headed families, retired pastors and widows, elderly people within circuits, and vulnerable children.

Greensburg DS Rev. Pat Nelson, Conference Missional Engagement Coordinator Sandra Matoushaya, and new Zimbabwe Partnership Chair Michael Beightley joined Rev. Kenneth Shamu namai, Rev. Miriam Kanjanda, Rev. Kelvin Mwandira, and Mbuya Tabitha Katsande over Zoom to begin the distribution.

Retired Rev. Shamu, who is 104 (!) years old, thanked the Greensburg and Harare West Districts on behalf of the retirees. You can watch portions of the distribution on our conference YouTube page.

Let us continue to work together to bring Glory and Honor to our Lord.

UMCOR

UMCOR is in prayer for the many U.S. states that are experiencing the dangerous and deadly effects of a string of winter storms. For those enduring widespread blackouts in sub-freezing temperatures, the touching down of multiple tornadoes, and decreased water supply, we offer prayers for safety and protection.

Emergency personnel are leading ongoing rescue and relief efforts. UMC churches are actively being used as warming shelters and community members are being relocated as needed. UMCOR is actively connecting with Conference Disaster Response Coordinators in the affected areas and is ready to respond once the situation evolves.

SUPPORT THE WORK OF DISASTER RELIEF AND RESPONSE IN THE U.S. Donate

Puerto Rico

Last night, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico / ReHace hosted a Zoom call to talk about volunteering in Puerto Rico. As a result of the uncertainty they will start accepting volunteers January 2021. They will only allow three teams of 8 per week, whereby each team will be split into two work teams. These teams will be placed in the three municipalities, Patillas, Arecibo and Metro San Juan. Teams are encourage to to start signing up for dates for 2021, as they will fill up fast. Intent to serve form.

The Methodist Church or Puerto Rico/ ReHace, will continue to have Zoom calls to keep everyone updates. These Zoom calls are recorded and will be shared as soon as they are available. For more information contact Tymera Jackson tjackson@nyac.com

UMVIM

Virtual Mission Journeys

• Peru: March 6, 10 and 13, 2021

Be prepared to discover the way God is moving in Peru and how God is inviting you and others to be a part of this movement. Come and build relationships, wonder, ask questions, and meet brothers and sisters eager to learn about you! Register.

To view past Virtual Mission Journeys visit the UMVIM page.

• Virtual Border Education Tour: Five local non-profit organizations based in Tucson, AZ are joining forces to create positive change. They strive to promote more humane immigration policies by exposing people to the realities of border issues through educational tours. Tours will be on Zoom, Thursdays, 11:30am- 12:30pm MST

February 25, 2021: Pima County Medical Examiner
March 4, 2021: Colibri Center for Human Rights

Suggested donation $100. For more information see Flyer.

Updated Guidelines

United Methodist Volunteers (UMVIM) has updated the Guidelines for US Project Sites and Team Leaders during COVID-19. As you continue to make plans for upcoming Missions, be sure to be mindful of these guidelines. More...

Global Ministries

Global Mission Fellows US-2 program- One more day left to apply.

The Global Mission Fellows (GMF) program is an outstanding opportunity for young adults, ages 20-30, to answer God's call to serve in mission. Our final deadline, to serve within the United States, is February 24, 2021. Join us in sharing this opportunity with young adults wanting to put their faith into action. For more information visit the GMF page.

Mark your dates for the March #StillinMission

#StillInMission Episode 28, March 4, 2021 @ 1:00 PM EST. Learn a little about the missionaries by clicking their names.
- Anaclet Ndayikunda is serving as a Social Educator with the Methodist Foundation for Social & Cultural Action in Brazil.
- Tendai Manyeza is serving as a Medical Doctor at United Methodist Church General Hospital in Zimbabwe.
- Kenneth Nkando is serving as the Mission Financial Officer and VIM Coordinator with the East Angola Annual Conference.
- Nan McCurdy is serving as the Director of Training, Promotion, and Interpretation with Give Ye Them to Eat in Mexico.

Registration is required. Register. Want to hear recordings of previous meetings? Visit the Vimeo Channel.

Mission Discovery

The Mission Volunteer office of Global Ministries is offering virtual mission discovery events in 2021 for anyone interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities in the U.S. and around the world.

Volunteers join in God’s mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. “Even in a virtual environment, this dedicated time will equip participants to have a better understanding of the volunteer network offered through Global Ministries,” says Una Jones, director of Mission Volunteers for Global Ministries.

During the virtual discovery events, participants will receive an overview of the basics of volunteer service, learn about different ways in which they may serve and engage in conversation with the Mission Volunteer and United Methodist Volunteers in Mission(UMVIM) staff.

The two-hour events will be offered four distinct times so participants may attend when the time best aligns with their schedule. The events are scheduled for:

Tuesday, March 2, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EST

Thursday, March 4, 5-7 p.m. EST

Thursday, June 3, 3-5 p.m. EDT

Saturday, June 5, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT

Visit this page to register to attend a mission discovery event. If you have questions or would like more information, please email mv@umcmission.org.

Early Response Team (ERT) Recertification

This is a four hour course that is required for those already who have already been certified as Early Response Team member and need to be re-certified. If you received your ERT training prior to 2017 then you are out of compliance with the 3 year UMCOR standard.

April 17, 2020, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

Three P's in Mission. The Players, Payers and the Prayers.