UMCOR Responds to Oklahoma Tornado Relief

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More Information on UMCOR's Disaster Relief to Oklahoma

Last night several tornados touched down in the DFW area, with major damage in the Central Texas Conference. Granbury and Cleburne were severely affected. Granbury neighborhoods are still in lockdown this morning with access restricted to emergency crews. Despite what you may have heard about volunteers being wanted at FUMC Granbury on the morning news today, the neighborhoods are not open right now. Associate Director Marji Bishir has been in touch with the Central Texas Conference since early this morning and we will keep you posted as needs are defined and volunteers are requested.

Click here or on the button below to follow Central Texas Conference news.

CENTRAL TEXAS CONFERENCE NEWS

As of this morning the Central Texas Conference is asking for prayers and donations. North Texans are urged to give to UMCOR US Disaster Response Advance #901670. Checks made out to your church with this designation in the memo line and placed in your church offering plate will go to UMCOR, and 100% of it will be used to help survivors.

DONATE TO HELP

"Serving With A Christian Heart"

Manos Juntas VIM Mexico is a ministry of the Methodist Church of Mexico serving as your connection to the different ministries and churches of the Northeastern area of Mexico. MJM VIM has been ministering Christian help and value to a large number of people in the Northeast region of Mexico in the State of Tamaulipas for more than 15 years. Their facilities are located in the city of Rio Bravo, just 15 minutes away from McAllen, Texas.

Director Willie Berman (Global Ministries missionary 3019612) and the dedicated staff of Manos Juntas are committed to the goals of the ministry and the people they serve. The ministry has a 60- bed dorm to house teams. Many kinds of teams are wanted: medical, construction, VBS, and others. In a recent discussion with Willie, Associate Director Marji Bishir was told that Manos Juntas has never had any conflict or troubles with cartels. US team safety is assured.

Manos Juntas is an Advance project with the General Board of Global Ministries. To learn more about Manos Juntas and how your church might send a mission team there, email manosjuntasschedule@hotmail.com or wberman@prodigy.net.mx

International Child Care is a Christian, 501(c)(3) health development organization that serves children and families through many programs in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, including Grace Children’s Hospital and several other UM Advances. ICC has a wonderful mission outreach opportunity that supports these programs while encouraging a great way to improve physical fitness!

Since 2006, the Race for Grace Cycling Team has raised funds for Grace Children’s Hospital in Haiti as well as International Child Care’s other programs for children and families in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The team participates annually in the Hotter ‘n Hell 100 which is the largest one day cycling event in the country and is held the last weekend in August in Wichita Falls, Texas. The team raises funds through sponsorships for their ride. There are multiple options of courses for both the experienced and inexperienced rider and you certainly do not have to be an athlete to participate, just an adventurous and giving spirit.

The team’s dream is to have every UM church in the North Texas Conference sponsor one or more riders! It is an event that can be physically challenging but also fun and rewarding. Team members receive support through housing options, lunch at the Race for Grace tent in Finish Line Village and a Race for Grace team jersey.

For more information, please click here or on the button below.

RACE FOR GRACE DETAILS

At this site, you will be able to learn more about the event, register, or sponsor a rider. Also, feel free to contact the International Child Care USA office at 269-382-9960. The Race for Grace is a fun way to bring health and hope to children and families in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Advance #418520

Many NTC churches buy mission team insurance through The General Board of Global Ministries. The United Methodist Volunteers In Mission office of Global Ministries recently announced that they will be discontinuing their UMVIM insurance program this fall.

Teams that are going internationally have the option of signing up for insurance through the Conference insurance plan. This coverage is free and is highly recommended—but you must sign up for it with each team that you send.

Domestic teams should consider purchasing mission team insurance policies from outside vendors. Many options are available. Contact Marji Bishir at 972-526-5000 for information.

Greetings,

The West, Texas disaster is among many in the news this week. The UMC church in West, Texas has been directly affected by the fertilizer plant explosion, and surrounding churches are opening their doors to serve in cooperation with emergency management. See the press release and the Central Texas Conference web site.
 
The Central Texas Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. Laraine Waughtal, has been actively responding since the outset, and she has requested our assistance in reminding everyone of the following:

1. Phone calls to the Conference office and to the local churches in the affected area with offers of help and expressions of concern can overwhelm critical communications. Please refer callers to the Conference web site for information about disaster response, or to the UMCOR Call Center 1-800-554-8583. 
2. Please do not deploy Early Response Teams, Care Teams, or other volunteers to the disaster affected Conference unless invited by Conference personnel. 
3. Redirect volunteer energies into building kits (especially clean up kits and health kits), fundraising, and local training and readiness activities. For example, churches can develop or revise disaster readiness and response plans, or host a Connecting Neighbors program for the local church, district or conference. 
4. Churches should have current rosters and be prepared to share their roster with emergency management in an event wherein people are unaccounted for. 
5. Churches should have a mechanism for accounting for church members and affiliates following a disaster. 

Press Release Central Texas Conference web site
Larraine will keep us posted primarily via the conference web site. In the meantime, she has expressed appreciation for your prayers, and she is comforted knowing that many of you understand the demands of these early days and will help manage the expectations of the volunteers and others seeking to help and express care.

As I draft this, many other Conferences are preparing for or responding to recent flooding, tornadoes, and human-caused disasters. It is good to know the United Methodist Church is present and prepared to offer hope and healing.

Thank you, and keep in touch.
Cathy

Catherine G. Earl, MSW
Disaster Response US, Latin America, Caribbean
United Methodist Committee on Relief
100 Maryland Ave. NE, Suite 315
Washington DC 20002
Office: (202) 548-4002
Mobile: (202) 680-8824
cearl@umcor.org

About once a year we have a missionary come visit our conference. Rev. Joel Ncahoruri, who currently serves as the treasurer of the Cameroon Mission Initiative, will be in North Texas from May 20-24 to share information about the United Methodist presence in Cameroon.

If you'd like to have him visit your church during this period, please contact Serena Eckert, Conference Secretary of Global Ministries.

Volunteer Opportunity for Small Groups

Sometimes it can be hard to find a place for a small group to serve. Here is a new one our Center just found out about. Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity is looking for groups to serve at their ReStores, open seven days a week in Dallas and Garland. They provide a great volunteer opportunity for those who would like to be up and moving but not outdoors. The ReStore is a retail home improvement outlet store that stocks gently used home decorating and improvement products at discounts of 50-75% off retail prices and volunteers assist with all aspects of retail operations, with the exception of check out. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Three-hour shifts available. Reservations are required, so sign up here.

Sign up to serve at ReStores

There are also ReStores in Plano, McKinney, Denton, and Greenville. For information on volunteering there, contact those affiliates. Interested in doing a big project with Habitat? Visit the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity website for more information.

Using an innovative and distinctive empowerment model, ZOE is helping tens of thousands of African orphans and vulnerable children living in desperate conditions pull themselves and their siblings permanently out of the cycle of poverty. With proven success in four countries, ZOE is poised and ready to help many, many more children in need.

The ZOE empowerment model was developed by a team of Rwandans, in conversation with the orphans themselves. Employing all indigenous staff, and enlisting strong support from pastors, leaders, and government officials in the community, ZOE brings 50 - 100 children together to form mutually supportive and self-governing Working Groups. Throughout a three year commitment, ZOE provides guidance and resources as these Working Groups hold regular meetings to identify their needs, create goals and devise the best approach to make their dreams a reality.

After three years or less these children, who were at the very bottom of society, have diversified and growing businesses, an understanding of God’s love for them, crops for self-sustenance and profit, siblings re-enrolled in school, vocational skills, knowledge of their legal rights, improved health and hygiene, safe housing, a supportive community, and the dignity of being able to provide for themselves and their siblings. One graduate of the program summarized his transformation, “We used to be a problem in this community, and now we are a solution!”

ZOE has many ways for churches and individuals to engage in this work: VBS mission moments; Hope Walk where American youth interact via video conference with African youth; ZOE’s alternative giving program; and ZOE’s most robust connection called Hope Companions where Working Group(s) are partnered with Western sponsors during their three year journey. The partnership commitment is $7,500 per year for three years. ZOE provides an interactive blog for group updates, mission trip options, and ideas for engaging the entire congregation.

Churches across the NTC have partnered with ZOE in powerful ways! You can learn more about ZOE by visiting www.zoehelps.org. For information about partnering with a group of orphans, contact Gaston Warner at 919-414-4167.

ZOE is a United Methodist mission and GBGM Advance Special #982023.

Amigos Days is a hands-on ministry of the United Methodist Church and People Helping People (a City of Dallas Housing Revitalization Program). We partner with inner-city Methodist Host Churches to repair and restore homes to make a positive difference in their neighborhoods.

Amigos Days for 2013 are April 12 & 13 and April 19 & 20. Here is a list of who is participating this year.

Host Congregations:

Oak Cliff UMC, Pleasant Mound-Urban Park UMC and Warren UMC

Continuing Partner Congregations:

We appreciate all the churches continuing their partnership with us in this program.

Lovers Lane, FUMC Duncanville, Trinity Duncanville, Cedar Hill, The Colony, Frisco, FUMC Plano, Greenland Hills, Lakewood, Arapaho, Trietsch, Ridgewood Park, Schreiber, Cochran Chapel, Cambodian Fellowship of Carrollton, University Park, Vista Ridge, Heath, FUMC Richardson, FUMC Mesquite, Casa Linda, Sachse and Cornerstone

New Partner Congregations:

Here are two new congregations that have joined for 2013!

Wylie United Methodist Church, Melissa United Methodist Church

Zone Leaders:

Rick Hansen (Oak Cliff), John Buehner (Pleasant Mound/Urban Park), Gary Meyer (Warren)

Total Home Count: 14

For questions about Amigos Days, please contact Ann Meyer, NTCUMC Amigos Days Coordinator, at 213-683-5409.