SHARE Magazine Fall 2010

Mission in Challenging Times

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Rev. Jeremy Basset loading a shipment of UMCOR disaster relief kits donated by Oklahoma Conference United Methodists this spring.

Serving God’s Mission in Challenging Times
This edition of SHARE continues the premise of every other edition, namely, that ordinary Christians can do extraordinary things when they commit to participating in God’s mission in the world. You will once again read of teams going to serve God in seemingly forgotten parts of the world and discovering that God has not forgotten those they have come to serve. However, we want to make clear in this edition of SHARE another aspect of this missional work; it is not always cheap, safe, or easy! We are living through an economic downturn that has forced all of us to rethink our priorities. Yet, how amazing it has been to see churches still committed to serving others and to raising the support for the projects they desire to serve. These churches—and many individuals within them—have learned that God’s mission must continue in the face of financial challenges. We are also living through some troubling times in Haiti, Mexico and other places we serve. Earthquakes, floods, drug-fueled violence, terrorist attacks happen unexpectedly and sometimes with consequences for people who are serving faithfully in mission. While, of course, we will always do our absolute best to ensure the safety of all our teams, we all understand that there is indeed risk involved in serving—and it has always been so. The faithful continuation of mission teams has been an enormous boost to those we go to serve. They see our coming as an affirmation that they have, indeed, not been forgotten. Christians who stay the course in mission show more about who our God is than the tasks they have gone to perform.
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Some teams continue to travel to very remote places, some arriving at their destinations up to two days after starting out from home. In that time they might have traveled by plane, train and bus to get where they needed to be. Some have sat in the back of a truck while traveling over terrible roads for long periods of time. Many of our teams stay in very basic places of accommodation and put up with being deprived of things that we take for granted here at home such as: running (and hot) water, indoor toilets, electricity, air-conditioning, and mattresses. Our teams do all this because the cause of Christ is the focus, not their own ease, comfort or safety. This is the sole reason that OKVIM continues to work in challenging times. We can’t make this happen just from our conference office, for OKVIM only becomes a ministry when individuals and local churches take up the challenge to be servants of God’s mission. So, thank you people of God, for your faithfulness to this task, and for the hope you bring to countless numbers as you follow the footsteps of Jesus to the margins of our world. Thank you for the witness you are to Jesus, the true and lasting hope of our world. Whatever the circumstances might be, what a joy it is to serve with you in your unconditional commitment to being used for this “Kingdom Cause.” Yours for the joy of serving God’s mission,

Jeremy

SHARE is published twice a year by Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission

Design and layout by the Oklahoma Conference Department of Communications

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Volunteers In Mission

1501 N.W. 24th St. • Oklahoma City, OK 73106 (405)530-2029 • (800)231-4166 • FAX: (405)530-2048 [email protected] • http://www.okvim.org Copyright © 2010

Mission in Challenging Times
To Russia…with LOVE .............................................................................4 Where did you see God today?........................................................... 6 When the body is broken ..................................................................... 8 Tent ministry redefined .................................................................10-12 Bolivia Partnership .............................................................................. 13 MUSH in Chincha Alta .......................................................................... 14 Mexico–Why we continue to Go! .......................................................16 A woman’s touch ...................................................................................18 Mission-minded college students warm ice storm’s chill .........19 Youth experience God’s promise.....................................................20 Your gifts .........................................................................................21-22

Front Cover – Zimbabwe family in a tabacco barn. Photo by Erica Hintergardt, photojournalist. See related story on page 6

From left: Bethany Farley, Chris Massey, Kathy Caldron, and Nancy Van Antwerp and the United Methodist Women at Voronezh.

To Russia…with LYVE
By Chris Massey

There were four of us from Oklahoma who stepped off the plane after a 6,000-mile flight to the other side of the globe. We hardly knew each other, but were about to become very close as our life-changing adventure began. We had been invited to attend the 2010 Annual Conference of the United Methodist Women at Camp Chrystal near Voronezh. (Voronezh is a large city

in southwestern Russia. It is located either side of the Voronezh River.) Our mission, as we understood it, was to encourage those women in their faith. Our team felt a strong sense that God had called each of us to share his love in another country, and so we knew we were going to Russia with love. We landed in Moscow, did all the “tourista stops” and saw all the obligatory sites, stayed a few days in the

Mission in Challenging Times
seminary, and then traveled on an overnight sleeper train to Voronezh, about 300 miles south of Moscow. From Voronezh, we took a van to Camp Chrystal and this is where we were blessed to see God’s hand in one of his most beautiful creations. The camp is in a forest reserve. The trees are tall and beautiful and after all the concrete of Moscow, this was a “slice of heaven.” There is a river only a three or four minute walk away that would become our cooling off spot several times a day during our stay. On the first day of the Conference, as the women began to arrive, the love began to flow…and not just from us, but from them. As we were introduced to each woman, even their names were full of love: Irina, Natalia, Elena, Tatiana, Zhanna, and Tamara, just to name a few. They were so welcoming to us and so appreciative that we had come so far. However, many of them had traveled long hours on buses or trains to get to the camp. For the next three days, there would be much worship, singing, testimonies, crafts, and sharing. We shared ideas about our UMW projects, our services to the poor and the homeless, and ways our units could raise money for more missions. In a country where it is not always convenient to be a Christian, these women are doing amazing things to provide for the less fortunate in their communities. Our team participated by leading the Bible studies and fun non-verbal activities which promoted lots of laughter, hugs, and bonding. Natalia and Elena shared the translating for us, and Pastor Irina, who in a former life taught English, was there to fill in the gaps. There were many songs with actions, silly dances (even the Russian hand jive), and of course, the river! Four or five times a day, whenever there was a break, people would disappear into their rooms and emerge with swimsuits, flip-flops and towels. Off to the “reeva” we would go to swim, splash and perform water ballets. Hugs were abundant, because we all know that when language barriers come up, hugs

SHARE • FALL 2010

always come through. When translators were not around, we communicated with signs and pointing. I taught them the American Sign Language sign for “I love you,” which came in “handy.” Worship was very intense; there was much reading from the Bible, and scriptures were deeply studied during our Bible lessons. Songs had all been memorized and were sung with eyes closed and hands up. Friday, the last day of the Conference, came all too soon. We shared a candlelight service of encouragement and an emotional time of gifting. Each of our units at home had sent gifts for these women they already knew they would love, and our team members received large bars of chocolate. Chocolate is always a good gift! We ended the Conference with a communion service, breaking sourdough bread and sharing “the cup” of apple juice. And then, one by one, group by group, our new friends—our sisters in Christ—began boarding buses for their long trips home. More hugging, some tears, and then in the blink of an eye, it was over!

Hugs were abundant, because we all know that when language barriers come up hugs always come through.
But wait! There was one more opportunity to spread some love. Part of our mission included participation in a workday at the camp, and a few of the women stayed behind to help as well. Saturday would find us stripping wallpaper, pasting walls and hanging new paper in one of the cabins. An exhausting, but fun day ended with even more sharing of God’s love with our fellow UMW. On Sunday, it was back to Voronezh to worship at Pastor Irina’s Church of the Resurrection, some sightseeing in the city, turbo souvenir shopping, and even an early supper at a McDonald’s. Before we knew it, it was time to take the train back to Moscow. People from the church came to help with our bags and to see us off. Our parting memory will always be of sweet Natalia jumping up and down on the platform so we could see her out our window giving us the “I love you” sign. The next few days became a blur as we prepared for our trek back to the U.S. But what was chrystal clear were the memories of our mission at that camp. Most missioners know that those who go “out” to give of themselves find that they are the ones who have received. And, so it was for our team who left Oklahoma with missioners’ hearts to go to Russia with love found ourselves on the receiving end and returned from Russia with love.

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Where did you see God today?
By Erica Hintergardt

photos by Erica Hintergardt

It was an overcast winter July afternoon in Zimbabwe when we drove a little over four miles over the dirt tire track paths that took us to visit the homes of some of the kids from Clare School. This is the elementary school where our mission team was working. The headmaster wanted to show us how far the kids would walk each day to and from school, many barefoot and in clothes of rags. He wanted to show us how important education is to the families in this area. There were four of us from the Oklahoma mission team piled in a pickup with three local men from the school and our host Farri from Zoe Ministries.

As we pulled up to the village of thatched, circular huts and tobacco fields the chief greeted us with a welcoming smile and his family showed us around. He took us for tours of the income base for this farming family: the tobacco storage shed, the drying shed and his home. His wife, teenage son and toddler proudly posed for photos. His wife welcomed us into her kitchen. The kitchen was a windowless, round thatched roof hut made of mud with a cook fire burning in the center and a pot of porridge cooking for the afternoon meal. She motioned for Anne and me to sit with her on the grass mat on the floor in front of the cooking fire and for the men to take

their seat on a bench near the wall. It is custom for the women to sit on the floor and serve the men. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the kitchen I took in the beauty of the small details. A shelf molded into the mud wall, chipped dishes lined up with the glory of fine china. A bag of maize, a hen roosting on a nest and a pile of blankets. That pile of blankets was a baby safely sleeping in the dark shadows of the cooking hut seemingly unaware of the visitors and commotion of daily life. This is when I was humbled by God’s love. We had come with nothing, showed up unannounced and were welcomed with open arms. Just imagine if a group of strangers showed up at your front door with cameras snapping and asked to look around your house? Why is it that we amass a life of things, yet are not willing to open our homes or our lives to others? Is it because of our ego, fear, or greed? I really don’t know the answer, but in the simple grace of hospitality shown to us by the people of Zimbabwe, I saw God. Zimbabwe is a country is ravaged by an economic and food crisis that some say is the worst since their Independence in 1984 and perpetuated by government price control and land confiscations. Locals call it the “conflict” and there is more talk about hunger and need for jobs than politics. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has left many children orphaned or living in child-headed households. The Clare Elementary School, near Mutare, is isolated miles from any town. It was situated off the main highway surrounded by small villages of thatched roof huts and rocky-stacked mountain vistas. Our mission project was to extend a gravity flow water line and help dig the foundation for a piggery. We worked side-by-side with the local men and women digging with hand picks and shovels. Laughter and dance filled our days. We worked in teams and spending our time, when not digging, in the classrooms with the children. Oh, the children! My heart lights up at the thought of them. They are the joy of their country. They are the future. There are 600 kids at the school and for many

of these children, school is where they will get their only meal of the day. Their teachers are dedicated and work without books or proper classrooms for that matter. Zimbabwe opened my heart and mind even more to why God is always with us even when we are not looking for him. As I look back on our work in mission tears of joy stream down my face and laughter rings through my memories of evenings sitting around the fire asking “where did you see God today?” When I think of mission I think of groups going to some foreign land and helping others by giving to them. I finally see that mission is more about relationship in learning from each other, your team members and the community we get to work with and for a brief moment become a part of more than the money or gifts. It is a lesson to take home. I never thought of myself as a missionary. I’m just a thirty-something woman making a living doing what I love, shooting video in San Francisco. I never thought of my trips to Africa as missions. I don’t fit the mold of what even I thought a missionary was, but I am a child of God and he has found a purpose for my life through working with others. In working with others I found true love through selfless giving. Without even knowing it I had answered God’s call to follow him and see. I urge you to take a leap of faith and step out of your comfort zone and experience the humbling nature of mission. It may be in your own backyard, or on the other side of the globe.
Zoe Ministries–http://www.zoeministry.org

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Erica Hintergardt with the children of Clare Elementary School in Zimbabwe.

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When the body is broken
By Holly McCray

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“We thank you. You have kept us in your prayers, and we are grateful. You have sent donations through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). You have expressed selfless interest in volunteering to come to Haiti to help ... “Teams of Volunteers In Mission (VIM) will be integral in the long-term recovery. In the short-term, immediate needs are being addressed by UMCOR and a host of national and international relief organizations and technical specialists. The participation of volunteers is welcome after this initial emergency phase is complete. The Methodist Church in Haiti will work closely with UMCOR and VIM to identify rehabilitation projects which match the needs prioritized in the country ...”—from a Jan. 28 letter by Rev. Gesner Paul,
Visit our web site at http://www.okvim.org

president of The Methodist Church in Haiti. The quake struck Haiti on Jan. 12, killing some 212,000 people, according to official estimates reported one month later. Oklahoma United Methodists were among those quickly rallying aid. reprinted with permission from the “Contact” February 2010

Oklahoma Conference Mission Moments
¡ By the end of January 2010, Oklahoma churches had collected and sent $128,000 to the Conference Treasurer’s Office, designated for UMCOR’s work in Haiti. Within 10 days, worldwide donations online to UMCOR had surpassed $2 million

January

Mission in Challenging Times
When the Body is broken continued

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¡ On Jan. 19 at the Orders Meeting in Oklahoma City, clergymen and women from across the state gave more than $5,000 in a special offering.

January

¡ VIM announced that UMCOR School and Layette Kits for Haiti would be collected during the Annual Conference, May 30-June 2 in Tulsa.

March

¡ By Feb. 5, about 5,000 emergency health kits for Haiti had been prepared and delivered by churches to the United Methodist Ministry Center in Oklahoma City. ¡ That same day, a VIM team from Tulsa-St. Matthew’s arrived to truck the supplies to an UMCOR distribution depot in Louisiana. ¡ Oklahoma VIM began signing up volunteers for future mission teams to Haiti and encouraged attendance at Team Leader Training on Feb. 27.

February

¡ The first UMCOR sanctioned VIM team goes to Haiti. The team consisted of conference and jurisdictional VIM coordinators. ¡ May 1, the bishop announced the Oklahoma Conference donated $613,509.43 for Haiti disaster response, according to Advance records. More than 2,200 UMCOR kits were collected during Annual Conference.

May

¡ The first Oklahoma VIM team will leave for Haiti in November.

November

School Children collect UMCOR kits for OKVIM
I am Starla Smith and I am the second and third grade elementary music teacher at Clara Reynolds Elementary School in Harrah, Oklahoma. When we heard of the devastion in Haiti, we knew that we had to help. We felt that the students would understand the concept of helping if they could bring tangible items for the relief. After some investigation, I found the Health Kits on the UMCOR Volunteers In Mission page of the Oklahoma United Methodist Web site. Our students have been collecting items for over two and a half weeks, and I am pleased to report that we have completed a total of 58 Health Kits for relief in Haiti, We are also sending our left-over items and $60 for the shipping of the kits. We are thankful for organizations like yours that allow us to help others in need.
Very truly yours, Starla Smith Mary Alice Young sorts health kits for Haiti. Dear UMCOR, February 8, 2010

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Haiti

Tent ministry redefined
By Jim Jones

I am in the midst of taking care of some details for my return mission to Haiti on November 1-8, 2010. I will be leading the first VIM team from Oklahoma to Haiti. My first trip took place in May as a member of one of the first UMCOR sanctioned Volunteers In Mission (VIM) teams into Haiti following the earthquake of January 12, 2010. I had the privilege of being on this team as a fill-in replacement for Jeremy Basset, who is the director of Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission. The plan was for this team to consist of Conference and Jurisdictional VIM coordinators, but because of the short timeframe (from UMCOR’s “okay” to being on the ground was just three weeks), Jeremy was not able to go and he asked me to represent him and the Oklahoma Conference. This team was made of VIM leaders from New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, and California.
It’s a God Thing

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In the mission field and in the church we often talk of “God things” and this was another example of how
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God can work when we are willing to participate. I was home on a Friday afternoon in April when the phone rang. It was Kristin in the VIM office calling for Jeremy, who was at a meeting. He was inviting me to take his place, however, there were several factors to consider. The first was that this was a great opportunity, but the team would be leaving in three weeks. The cost was $1,500 and three weeks is a short amount of time to raise the funds. Second, was that there were several people who had received the invitation, which was on a first-come, first-served basis. Whoever said yes first got the spot. Third, was that if I went I had to pledge to return to Haiti within the year to take another team of 10 to be trained as team leaders, since no one can lead a team to Haiti unless they have been there since the quake. My wife, Lou Ann, is very supportive of my involvement in VIM and mission work. She knows that it is something that feeds my soul. She had encouraged me to register initially following the earthquake when the call was put out to those who would be willing to lead teams to Haiti. I knew I had her support, but at the same time out of respect for her, I wanted to run it past her.

Mission in Challenging Times
Unfortunately, she was at school and as a teacher it is difficult to get in touch with her during class times. So I sat down and sent her an e-mail explaining the events as they were unfolding. She seldom has the opportunity to check e-mail at that time of the day, but I thought I would give it a try. At the same time, I called Kristin back and told her I wanted to go and to hold the spot for me but I needed to check with Lou Ann. For some strange reason (that God thing) Lou Ann did check her e-mail, called me on the phone and we spent a few minutes discussing the possibilities. The biggest hurdle was the cost. Yet we both agreed that it was worth taking the risk of raising the money so my call to Kristin was one filled with excitement as I confirmed my spot on the team. Then the mad dash began to take care of all the necessary details such as shots, updating my passport, and of course raising money. One of the amazing aspects of this story is that we announced it to my congregation and in two Sundays, there were enough donations to cover the cost. And even though it was during a time when the economy is tight, when many are pinching pennies to make ends meet and the church is struggling to pay all our bills, God was definitely at work.
The Journey

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handout. We didn’t want to do more damage than good and there are already too many aid workers in Haiti just giving handouts.
A Village of Tents

Whenever I hear the words tent ministry, I think back to my childhood. Growing up in a small town in Oklahoma during the 1960s-70s, it was not uncommon for a big circus-like tent to be erected on the outfield of the baseball park. One of several travelling evangelists would come and set up shop and for several days would preach the word of God to whomever showed up. As a youth I experienced living in a tent city at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Thousands of youth and adults spend 1-2 weeks living in tents as they hike the Rocky Mountains. Yet, seeing a thousand tents at Philmont doesn’t compare to witnessing what I now call a “tent nation” where seven out of ten people are living in tents.

I arrived in Port-au-Prince as a member of this team ready to work. Yet, we found that the disaster was much larger than any of us anticipated. Several team members had been coming to Haiti for twenty-plus years and were heart broken to see the devastation. On our drive from the airport and then to Mellier (pronounce mel yea), the village where we worked, it was all the same. Mellier is a small village just a few miles from the epicenter of the quake and it received much damage. Mile after mile after mile of destruction. Piles of rubble in the roadway, trash piles high, and of course, displaced people everywhere. Our work was at the Methodist Church of Haiti, which also includes a school. The week we spent working there was in debris removal. As the first team into Mellier, we were tasked with paving the way for the rebuilding effort. The work was brutal, the weather was hot, yet it was a joy to work side-by-side with the people as they gave it their all to rebuild their community. In our week in Haiti, our team hired 50 people to work with us. Some of those were laborers like us, others cooked, some cleaned our clothes, a few made palm leaf mats to go in front of our tents. Our goal was to infuse their ecomony with cash without just offering a

The need was so great, the destruction seemed insurmountable. Yet, we were reminded that we were not called to take care of the entire problem, but just to serve God in the small way that we can.
After returning from Haiti, I now have a new definition and image of tent ministry. We often talk of street people but seeing Mellier gave this a new definition as families literally pitched their tents in the medians of the roads. We watched in fear as small children would come out of a tent with cars and trucks buzzing by on both sides. It has been said that 70% of the people living in Haiti are living in tents. There are several reasons for this. Of course, the most obvious is that many buildings are damaged and unusable. But a more subtle reason is the fear of more earthquakes. For those buildings that have been inspected and deemed safe, the majority of the people are afraid to go in them. The schools at our Methodist churches are being held in tents or underneath tarps strung between trees and pillars. Haiti, which before the quake was said to be the poorest nation in the Western world, has now been transported back in time to a country were most of life takes place outside. continued on page 12

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Again, I gained a new image for tent ministry as we carried our tents, cots, and other camping equipment with us on the airplane into Port-au-Prince. So my image of a tent ministry has changed. It no longer is just the traveling evangelist in a small town in Oklahoma. My images include the companies like Coleman and others who donated thousands of tents; the airlines who waved their baggage fees and transported equipment in immediately following the quake; and UNICEF and others who have large tents that function as schools and hospitals.
There is Much Need

As I write these words, the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is being remembered on television and in the newspaper. Floods have devastated Pakistan and an earthquake has hit New Zealand. I know there is much need in the world. Those who work with VIM and other mission efforts are aware of how great that need is, yet I encourage all of us to not forget the people of Haiti. Without help Haiti will not be able to recover and even with our help it will take decades for them to get back to the pre-quake state. I have had several people ask questions about my time in Haiti. The first is was it hot? The answer is YES! The second question is was it hard work?

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Again the answer is YES! And the third question we even asked ourselves is was it worth it? The answer is definitely YES! As our team left the village of Mellier that last day, we all suffered the same kind of sinking feeling as a level of depression took hold of our group. Here was a team of seasoned VIM veterans asking if we were really making a difference. The need was so great, the destruction seemed insurmountable. Yet, we were reminded that we were not called to take care of the entire problem, but just to serve God in the small way that we can. We left Port-au-Prince and flew out of Haiti knowing that we would return, we knew that we made a difference for a few people in Mellier. And that is all we were called to do. To touch the lives of those we could, to bring hope to a world filled with despair, to remind the people of Haiti that God had not forgotten them and was not angry with them. We were called to live in tents, to work in the midst of rubble, and to work side-by-side with a people who are ready to rebuild their lives and their country. I pray that in the future Haiti can become a strong nation and that history will look back and say that it was the people of the United States who were willing to walk and work side-by-side with the people of Haiti. We are making a difference, one crumbled cement block at a time. And I know that God is in the midst of all that we do. I can’t wait to go back and spent my time in a tent serving God’s people and making a difference in our world!

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Visit our web site at http://www.okvim.org

Mission in Challenging Times

SHARE • FALL 2010

Bolivia Partnership an ongoing mission opportunity
By David Stephenson, Bolivia/Oklahoma Liaison

Join in something bigger!
Sometimes VIM missions can be a ‘parachute’ experience for the team members and for the host churches. Teams come in, have a fantastic experience that they will always remember, and then they are gone. And that is the end.

worship, sleep, eat and work with us. They will pray and sing and dance with us. They will encounter Christ, and they will be transformed!” It’s still true today.

The Bolivian Methodist Church has said that the Oklahoma Conference has done more than any other Conference to live in solidarity and to provide what they need throughout the times of oppression, discrimination and struggle.

A mission to Bolivia is different.
There are many ways your church will be able to stay involved with Bolivia upon your return. You will become a critical part of an on-going 23-year partnership between the Evangelical Methodist Church of Bolivia and the Oklahoma Annual Conference. It was in Bolivia that the Oklahoma VIM office was founded. We’ve sent 73 teams to Bolivia in 23 years, and we have on-going work with the women and youth organizations. Bishop Hayes has been to Bolivia and is committed to support pastor’s salaries.

Conference-wide Bolivia Mission Team
We need a VIM team leader to organize a conference-wide mission to Bolivia. There are several folks in the Oklahoma Conference who would like to join a church construction team. I will help you to recruit team members from a database of nearly 1,000 Oklahoma Methodists who have been to Bolivia.
Contact David Stephenson at [email protected] for more information. http://www.boliviaoklahomapartnership.org

Volunteers In Mission changes lives.
The Bolivian president has said that the Methodist Church of Bolivia has sacrificed more than any other organization to bring democracy and human rights to the indigenous peoples. Once in a while, by the grace of God, VIM plays a small role in the transformation of a nation! In 1985, then Bolivian Bishop Eugenio Poma told the Executive Committee of the Bolivian Methodist Church, “Let’s invite North American Methodists to come to Bolivia. They will think they are coming to build our churches and our parsonages. But they will

Want to use your specialized training on a VIM mission?
The Oklahoma Conference has been asked to help remodel the John Wesley Hotel in La Paz Bolivia. The John Wesley Hotel will be used to house a small “city-college,” Methodists coming in from the campo, VIM teams, and to serve as a tourist hotel to make money for the Methodist Church, which will help to pay pastor’s salaries. We are looking for specialized persons to take a short 5-day assessment trip in early December 2010 or late January 2011, to help the Bolivian Methodist Church create a development and remodel plan for the John Wesley Hotel. We need: • an Electrical Contractor • Restaurant Owner/Manager • Plumbing Contractor • Structural Engineer • Commercial Remodeling • Mechanical and/or Electrical Contractor Engineer Contact Doug Valley at [email protected] or David Stephenson at [email protected] for more information.

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MUSH in Chincha Alta
By Howard Ryder

What? Where? A VIM mission for upper senior high youth (MUSH) in Chincha Alta, Peru. Don’t ask a tour guide because they will ask, “Where?” After “where” comes “what” as in, “What will we be doing?” Espera (WAIT)! Let me explain. I had the pleasure to be one of the “senior” leaders on a seven member team that was lead by Katy Cato, the youth director at United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, Yukon, Oklahoma. Our team flew from Oklahoma City to Lima, Peru, where we met our mission leader, Dr. John Deavers.

Senior high youth from UM Church of the Good Shepherd, in Yukon, Oklahoma spent their mission time at the Hogar De Ancianos nursing home in Chincha Alta, Peru.

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We then travelled by bus for 5 hours to Chincha Alta, a small town near the Pacific coast about 100 miles south of Lima. And, finally we arrived at our location, Hogar de Ancianos (Home of the Elders) around 6 a.m., approximately 24 hours after leaving Oklahoma City. Hogar de Ancianos was our home for 10 days and is managed by Brother Jose Ramon. Hogar de Ancianos is run by a Society of Brothers, Catholic priests and young men destined for the Brotherhood, whose mission is to take care of the elderly. How did a Methodist MUSH team get involved in a Catholic Brotherhood? That is what Brother Jose Ramon and I decided was a “GOD thing.” It is simple; we are all part of the body of Christ. Our team quickly got to work. In the next 10 days our daily activities consisted of helping attend to the thirtytwo elderly residents, attending church service, running a children’s Bible school for local kids, communing with the Brothers, and refurbishing the rooms with new porcelain tile. All the while, Dr. Deavers conducted a free medical clinic for the residents, staff, and staff family members. Also, the MUSH team had the opportunity to visit a Methodist Church camp in Tambo de Mora, a small coastal village 12 miles southeast of Chincha Alta. We spent part of the day with a children’s church school where kids play, learn, and have lunch, and for some that was their only meal of the day. What a joy for us to meet the children. What a surprise for the children to meet us, people from the United States –especially our youth. Our days were full of activities and full of rewards. As the senior leader, nicknamed Papa Peru, I had experience in laying tile and was considered a Maestro or teacher. My rewards were unbelievable: getting to know the Brothers; watching our team in action full of energy and compassion; and especially, teaching a young Brother how to install tile. Rewards for the MUSH team include: building relationships with the elderly, learning about the life of

Visit our web site at http://www.okvim.org

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some of the people in Peru, getting to know some of the Chincha Alta and Tambo de Mora children, learning Castellano (Castilian Spanish), and meeting the Society of Brotherhood. The rewards for Dr. John Deavers were to start a new medical clinic for the poor in Chincha Alta and surrounding communities, and work with fellow Christians in action. And finally the greatest reward for the whole team was to make new friends in the body of Christ. Oh, just a side note, the five young MUSH members installed new tile in five large rooms in just 10 days! Working with all of these people, for me, is a life-

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Dr. Deavers contacting locals for the new medical clinic.

long memory that is just a part of the rewards of being in mission.

Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission has three team leader training opportunities in 2011.
• March 5 • September 17 • November 5

All the trainings will take place in Oklahoma City. Cost: $50
For more information or to register contact: Kristin Terrell-Wilkes (405)530-2029; http://www.okvim.org

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Mexico

Why we continue to GO!

“During the last five years, First UMC of Quinton, Oklahoma has made four trips to Mexico. The first year that violence became an issue, feeling nervous, we made alternate plans and served in Brownsville, Texas . At the time plans were changed, we had no idea that we would be serving in an area where a hurricane had hit approximately 10 days before our arrival. Even though we felt God had pulled us in a direction where the need was greatest, we missed serving with our friends at Manos Juntas. I feel that our church has formed a strong and lasting relationship with Manos Juntas and it was our decision to return to Rio Bravo to serve for the last two summers. We stepped out in faith knowing that God’s protection was with us and also knowing that should the risk become too great, VIM from either side of the border would cancel the trip. Each trip was a great experience with absolutely no problems. We are currently scheduling and looking forward to our fifth mission in 2011.” Craig Lowrimore

“I have been going to Rio Bravo and involved with Manos Juntas since about 1997. I have never felt any fear about our safety or the safety of the hundreds of high school and college age students I have been with over the last 12-plus years. I try to make parents and others (my parents for example) aware that most of the problems in the area we go to are no more drastic or dangerous than what we experience living in the large cities in the U.S. That means we should use the same care that we would use in any area of our own home town that is in a high crime area. On our trip this March I saw more guns and violence in San Antonio on our way home than I saw in Rio Bravo. The bottom line is the people we are trying to help need our help even more now since there are less groups coming down to help.” Mike Gentry

“‘We are safer in Mexico than we are driving in Oklahoma.’ This became the quote after we returned from Nuevo Progresso last Spring. When we got back into Oklahoma we experienced the freak snow and ice storm. As we traveled west on I–40 we encountered extremely slick roads, heavy traffic, and road construction. At one point our church “First UMC of Fort Smith, van with the trailer attached lost traction, so did the 18–wheeler beside me, Arkansas by faith is choosing to continue to and so did I. The only thing that I could do was to intentionally ditch my participate in the mission work of Rio Bravo, Mexico van down an embankment with the hopes of avoiding a multi-car pile-up. This past April, 32 people from the Fort Smith area traveled by I landed in the last ditch possible, all cars and passengers were safe. charter bus to McAllen, Texas, rented vans and then were graciously We decided that we were safer in Mexico and that maybe we should escorted across the border to our place of stay in Rio Bravo by Director go back. In reality we were very safe in Nuevo Progresso. The Willie Berman. Each day of the mission, the construction team and medical people were very gracious. They took every precaution for our teams were with Manos Juntas employees that assured our safety and helped well-being and safety. We also made sure that we also took the us with the mission work. Not once did we feel in danger. We as a group also took appropriate precautions—not going out by ourselves, etc. precautions to ensure our safety by not venturing out at night and making sure There was never a moment when we that we would go in groups to places to eat or to the grocery store. Two weeks felt unsafe or in danger.” prior to our mission, the Oklahoma VIM and the Manos Juntas staffs kept us Rev. Sheila Combs–Francis informed of border crossing news and to reassure us. As a church, we have New Hope United Methodist Church scheduled a date for 2011 and are beginning to raise money for our next Enid, OK mission. Our prayer is that God will continue to open doors and borders so that God’s mission of serving the Mexican people will continue.” Rev. Janice Sudbrink RN First UMC, Fort Smith, Arkansas

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Mission in Challenging Times

SHARE • FALL 2010

A letter to VIM missioners
Our commitment to you is your (and our) safety. But we feel that this is the time when I know you as team leaders are being asked or, are concerned about the violence in Mexico—is we need you the most so we can stand up as a beacon of hope to our communities as our pastors it safe to come? Please understand that we cannot guarantee try to encourage everyone to continue to live for God and trust in him in spite of everything that is that nothing bad will happen anywhere in happening. What an example you are to us when Reynosa or in the world. In Mexico, we as you come. civilians have learned that we should be careful That’s what mission is about! where we are and at what times of day (of Teams that have visited us haven’t gone back to course, we trust in God) but we have learn to the U.S. with fears or bad experiences. We continue to be more careful when we drive, when we park, when we are visiting other people, in restaurants, pray the Lord will grant us safety wherever we go. And remember, Jesus came to earth when you etc. We are more alert of the things around us and I would think it was not safe for him to come. but, we continue to live our normal lives. In my There wasn’t even a hospital to receive a baby, case, my wife goes to work at the downtown or handsanitizer in our pockets, or a McDonalds Methodist school, our children go to all school in every city. What was the Father thinking? ( activities, inside the school or at a park or a city and there was no internet to ask the missions office for an educational tour. About a week ago, my wife and I went to deliver coordinators?) I think that the angels reported food to the people affected by the flooding in our back, area. We went to an immigrant refugee site in “SEND HIM–THEY NEED HIM!” the worst area of Reynosa next to the Red Zone, where prostitutes and drug lords do their business. When your missionaries ask you, We were pulling our trailer with the logo of the tell them to get ready. Methodist Church on it. We drove to some of the They need us. streets, places I will not go to at night, but we did not feel unsafe at any time during our visit. We talk Your Brother in Christ, Guillermo “Willie” Berman to the people, visited with the immigrants and we’re GBGM Missionary # 3019612 planning a Medical team to go there, during the day. Manos Juntas Mexico A.C. Director What people are hearing on the media is true VIM coordinator for the Eastern Conference but is out of context. They are isolated events and of The Methodist Church of Mexico. U.S. cell 956-648-8712; Mex. cell 011-52-1-899-936-8462 very few innocent people have been killed.

Dear friends,

Scott Meier, McFarlin UMC, Norman, leads a large team to Rio Bravo every year. They have a team of students and adults who would love to come a visit your church, discuss their experiences and show a video of their mission. For more information contact the VIM office.

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Ardmore area women gathered to help a disabled Oklahoma City man refresh his home for his family.

A woman’s touch
By Julie Myer, Ardmore First UMC

During a conversation with another woman at my church, I recognized an opportunity for Christian women to develop closer relationships while in service in our neighboring community. Christ got my attention and I began to discuss this idea with other women and they were eager to know when and how to sign up. Many relished the idea of a short and affordable mission where women can feel free to open up with other women and share their faith. Two weeks before Thanksgiving 2009, Christian women from the Ardmore area, representing three

churches, partnered with Volunteers In Mission and Rebuilding Together OKC and spent one and one-half days cleaning, organizing, painting, pulling weeds, and picking up trash at a home in the Oklahoma City area. Mission statements of the partners clearly provided a backdrop for Christ to work through us: “Sharing the love of Jesus Christ in ways that make a Christian difference,” “rebuilding lives and neighborhoods…making homes, safe, warm and dry for low income senior citizens in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.” During the planning phases of this mission, we understood that we would be placed with other women

Mission in Challenging Times
to share the joys of Christ’s love and hope and that our non-skilled abilities might be utilized in some fashion. Our job assignment was to be one of many volunteer teams that have been working with a family to modify and remodel a home, in which the homeowner and his family have experienced many life challenging struggles. The homeowner, a 64-year-old man that had both legs amputated, goes to dialysis three days per week and lives with his son who cares for him. His son is the single parent of a one-year-old daughter. Our call was this: “We think this home needs a woman’s touch and would be a ‘feel good’ project for your group.” We received a family picture and our hearts melted and jumped in excitement of Christ’s mission to come. How do 10 women clean and organize a small, crowded space? Christ is the answer. Workdays were filled with prayer, laughter, music, sharing, elbow grease, singing, praises, snacks, lunch provided by Lori Foster, who is on the Oklahoma Conference VIM staff, and abundant grace. Our team cherished off-work time for prayer, devotions, sharing thoughts of the day, and

SHARE • FALL 2010

opportunities for healing as women ministered to other women on the team. Many hearts were changed over that two-day mission to Oklahoma City. Rebuilding Together OKC has coordinated many volunteer teams to lend a helping hand to this family in the remodeling and rebuilding of their home. Lowe’s Home Improvement provided a grant to fund the renovations. Some of the projects completed include a ramp built to access the home, doorways widened for wheelchair accessibility, windows and doors replaced and a beautiful efficient handicap accessible bathroom. Many other projects will continue and the exterior of the house will be painted. We encourage other women to come together in Christ’s name to help build communities in your neighborhood and beyond.

Rebulding Together OKC: http://www.rebuildingtogetherokc.org

Mission-minded college students warm ice storm’s chill
By Elizabeth Horton-Ware

When ice brought down branches and power lines in Western Oklahoma early in 2010, many of the students attending Southwestern Oklahoma State University were affected. The worst of the storm missed Weatherford, but many of the students came from hometowns hit hard. One night in Bible study one of the students wondered aloud if our Wesley Foundation could help. The group was in consensus, they wanted to help. With the help of Richard Norman from the Oklahoma Conference Volunteers In Mission office, and contacts at Altus First UMC, we made plans to spend a Saturday helping clear downed trees and clean up yards.

Challengin gT

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n in sio

Oklahoma
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Saturday came and a small group of five gathered to make the 2 hour journey south. Once in Altus, the group met our contact at First UMC. He helped us figure out several homes where our small group could help. The morning passed as we traveled to several different houses, quickly cleaning up smaller yards, and carrying fallen branches to the curb. At each house our host for the day would say a prayer with our group and the homeowner. Lunchtime came we were all glad for the break. We were informed there was one more house to check on. A group had been there earlier in the day, but there was so much to do, more help was needed. After our break we headed out of town to a farm home. There we saw the mess that awaited us. We worked non-stop for the next 2 hours, and in the end we had to leave a mess as big as the one we had cleaned up. But as we worked, the students joked with our local host and enjoyed the hospitality of the family we were helping, including playing with a grandson who wanted to help but was too small. Saturdays are precious time for college students— sleeping in and hanging out with friends. I am blessed to serve students who want to share that precious time with others.

i

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s

Oklahoma
Youth experience God’s promise
By Josephine Deere

Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference

Oklahoma Conference Mission Moments
Gifts totaling almost $15,000 purchased 74 wheelchairs for people in Rio Bravo, Mexico. Many children contributed their coins for that VIM project.

When God called Jeremiah into service, Jeremiah’s response was, “I am only a child. I do not know how to speak.” God’s answer to him was, “don’t be afraid for I am with you and will rescue you.” The youth of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference answer the call to be God’s hands and feet in several different ways as they go into the mission field. One way of answering that call for the youth of the southwest region was to plant a community garden. With the assistance of the Oklahoma State University Extension Service, the youth were able to plant and harvest watermelon, cantaloupe, muskmelon, tomatoes, and beans. The crops harvested were given to the elderly and others who needed or wanted fresh vegetables. The youth from the northeast region have selected to be in mission with the Kansas churches of the Northeast Region. For the past four summers they have traveled to Lawrence, Topeka or to Horton, Kansas to do needed repairs at the parsonage or at the churches. At the 2009 OIMC Annual Conference, the youth from Haikey Chapel UMC was awarded the Ira Hart “Heart for Mission” award for the work

that they had done for the Clinton Church and Community Center as well as their participation in the mission projects for the Northeast Region. This summer the OIMC was blessed to host the Central Texas Youth Mission team which was composed of approximately 1,800 adults and youth. These youth worked on parsonages, churches, fellowship halls as well as individual homes throughout the OIMC. When we hear and experience the call that God extends to each of us to be in mission, to be his hands and feet, we realize that God doesn’t call just those of a certain age bracket. He calls us all— young and old. As our youth respond to ministry, whether it is hoeing a garden or painting a classroom, they know that it is God who has called them to that particular time and place. They are not afraid to answer that call as they hear the promise that God spoke not only to Jeremiah but to Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy and to Mary and others that he would be there for them and with them. Our youth continue to set an example for all of us to hear the call of mission and to be in mission.

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Mission in Challenging Times

SHARE • FALL 2010

Oklahoma Conference Mission Moments
Mike Brown and Evelyn Phyffer of OKC-Crown Heights UMC are surrounded by boxes filled with books, ready for shipment to Ganta United Methodist School, Liberia, for a new library. The book drive began in November, and the donations filled several rooms at Crown Heights. Total: 12,000 books and 1,000 periodicals, in 271 boxes. The Hobby Lobby company delivered the books, plus other school supplies, to Indiana. From there, UM-related Operation Classroom will transport them to Liberia. Phyffer has served on multiple missions to Liberia, including a team trip with Bishop Hayes. In February 2011, she and Gay Abarr of OKC-Wesley will lead a VIM construction team to Liberia.

Photo by Amelia Ballew

YOuR GiftS making a difference
Volunteers In Missions gratefully acknowledges the generosity of all donors who have made gifts this year.
Honorariums Abair, Rita.....................................Tempe, Arizona Agee, Clifford .................................Sulphur, Okla. Anderson, Carole ...............................Tulsa, Okla. Baden, Marcia ................................ Lawton, Okla. Bagley, Amy .........................................Tulsa, Okla. Baird, Monica L ........................ Woodward, Okla. Baker, Amy ............................................. Ada, Okla. Baker, Marguerite........................ Durham, Okla. Basset, Jeremy ................Oklahoma City, Okla. Beale, Leah.........................Oklahoma City, Okla. Beck, Katherine B ............................ Jenks, Okla. Bender, Jerry...............................Chandler, Okla. Bockelman, Vernor ......................Laverne, Okla. Brown, Judy ............................... Peidmont, Okla. Browning, Sheila R. .........Oklahoma City, Okla. Brueggen, Carla ...........................Bethany, Okla. Bryant, Gwen.................................Laverne, Okla. Burdine, Shirley D...........Oklahoma City , Okla. Burkett-O’hern .................Oklahoma City, Okla. Cannon, Laveda .........................Cheyenne, Okla. Cardwell, Mattie ............................Lamont, Okla. Carlisle, Jerry H ...................Little Rock, Arkansas Carpenter, Suzanne ....................... Stillwater, Okla. Christian, Barbara ....................... Claremore, Okla. Coffman, Jim............................Oklahoma City, Okla. Cory, Sheryl............................................... Tulsa, Okla. Creach, Karen .................................. Cheyenne, Okla. Crosby, Warren M ...................Oklahoma City, Okla. Deever, Virginia ..............................Phoenix, Arizona Dollarhite, Jacqueline ...........................Idabel, Okla. Durland, Glenda ........................................ Tulsa, Okla. Eagle Truck & Equipment LLC .......Chouteau, Okla. Eden, Janet .........................................Freedom, Okla. Edwards, Jack G.................................Marion, Illinois Edwards, Teresa G..............N Richland Hills, Texas Ellington, Oleta............................................ Yale, Okla. Farley, Crystal ................................... Haworth, Okla. Farley, Robbie .................................... Haworth, Okla. Floyd, Lovie A ...........................Oklahoma City, Okla. Foster, Debra L .....................................Chanler, Okla. Fowler, Anna M. ............................................Ada, Okla. Frame, Norman............................................Ada, Okla. Franks, Martha W................................Norman, Okla. Fussell, S.D. ....................................................Tulsa, Okla. Gardenhire, Marcia L. ................................Eufala, Okla. Gibson, Connie .............................Oklahoma City, Okla. Gibson, Maureen E ........................Sand Springs, Okla. Gillenwaters, Dorothy ...........................Laverne, Okla. Griffin, Nancy ...................................................Yale, Okla. Hadfield, Phyllis J .......................Oklahoma City, Okla. Hamon, Woodrow ..................................... Buffalo, Okla. Harrison, Kathryn A............................Cheyenne, Okla. Hayes, Dorothy ................................................May, Okla. Hays, Kara Hibbitts, Glenda ...........................Oklahoma City, Okla. Hignight, Toni...........................................Kingston, Okla. Hill, Brenda K .............................................McLoud, Okla. Hogg, Sherry L...................................... Piedmont, Okla. Holcomb, Joi Del..........................................Yukon, Okla. Hollis, Debbie.............................................Sulphur, Okla. Jeffery, Clara J .......................................Norman, Okla. Jett, Ramona............................................Laverne, Okla. Job, Fern .................................................... Buffalo, Okla. Johnston, Bonnie ....................................... Moore, Okla. Jones, Lindsay J. ...............................Ponca City, Okla.
continued on page 22

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Jones, Mary .........................................Moore, Okla. Kaiser, W. Robert ............................... Yukon, Okla. Karim, Bonne B ............................... Norman, Okla. Keen, K................................................Sulphur, Okla. Keith, Greg ....................................Cheyenne, Okla. Kinberling, C.F. .................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Kuhlman, Paul R....................... Owosso, Michigan Lake, Arlyne.........................................Moore, Okla. Landry, Linda L.................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Langsont, Bob ..........................................Ada, Okla. Lashley, Sheri S ....................................Erick, Okla. Lefler, Cheryl K.....................................Tulsa, Okla. Leonard, Carolyn ............... Oklahoma City, Okla. Lockwood, Amanda ........................Wewoka, Okla. Lunsford, Patricia ......................... Guymon, Okla. Mackey, Bonita ............................... Wellsont, Okla. Maddux, Jamie .............................Cheyenne, Okla. Maddux, Linda ..............................Cheyenne, Okla. Manion, William ................................Sulphur, Okla. Mason, Harry L. ...............................Edmond, Okla. McClure, Carol .....................................Pryor, Okla. McCombs, Rachel K ........... Oklahoma City, Okla. McCoy, Carolyn Sue.......................Medford, Okla. McDaniel, Sara .........................................Ada, Okla. McKenzie, Wende .............................Sulphur, Okla. McKown, Bob ....................... Oklahoma City, Okla. McNaught, JoAnn .............................El Reno, Okla. McSpadden, R. Vance ........ Oklahoma City, Okla. McWhorter, William I. .............................Ada, Okla. Mddux, Linda .................................Cheyenne, Okla. Mead, Maytha ................................ Ardmore, Okla. Meyers, Marilyn ................................ Beaver, Okla. Milenski, Bonnie J .......................... Guymon, Okla. Miles, Larry.......................................Edmond, Okla. Miller, Mari Anne ...................................Tulsa, Okla. Minor, Doris ..................................Cheyenne, Okla. Minor, Kathryn .............................Cheyenne, Okla. Mitchell, Toni L .................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Moland, Ina Lee ...................................Moore, Okla. Muegge, Estelle Bee ....................... Lamont, Okla. Newcomb, Terry ...................................Tulsa, Okla. Nixon, Wesley .................................Freedom, Okla. Noran, Lynne M ................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Norman, Sheree L ....................... Peidmont, Okla.

Oden, Andy ..........................................Edmond, Okla. Oklahoma Chapter ............................Edmond, Okla. C.K. of PEO Ozment, Ramolee ................. Oklahoma City, Okla. Parrott, Joanne .................................Okeene, Okla. Paul, Robin G.......................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Payne, Estelle........................ Oklahoma City, Okla. Pearce, Melissa D .............................Edmond, Okla. Peck, Rita ..............................................Hunter, Okla. Peoples, Andrea ............................ Piedmont, Okla. Peters, Dianne K............................... Norman, Okla. Porter, Dean ..........................................Moore, Okla. Powers, Samuel T. ........................ Piedmont, Okla. Pruitt, Glenda Y. ...................................Moore, Okla. Queen, Bill ................................................Tulsa, Okla. Rathburn, Macon A. ...........De Ridder, Louisianna Reeves, Sandra C. ...........................Medford, Okla. Regier, Charles R ...............................Cordell, Okla. Reich, Carol .................................. Ponca City, Okla. Reimer, Lisa I. ...................................Medford, Okla. Reynolds, Paula T ................. Oklahoma City, Okla. Reynolds, Sharla .............................. Sterling, Okla. Richards, Jack C. ..............................Edmond, Okla. Rinehart, Debbie .................................... Allen, Okla. Rowe, Rachel ...........................................Tulsa, Okla. Rudolph, Jennifer .............................Owasso, Okla. Russell, Julie ....................................Freedom, Okla. Shaum, Kay ............................ Oklahoma City, Okla. Shaw, Joy C ................................................Vici, Okla. Shaw, Linda C ......................................Lawton, Okla. Sheets, Vera M...............................Geronimo, Okla. Smith, Betty ..................................... Crowder, Okla. Smith, Charlene.................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Speir, Betty J .......................................... Allen, Okla. Stahlman, Anita ...................................... Gage, Okla. Stanley, Britt .................................. Peidmont, Okla. Stansberry, Dixie ............................Freedom, Okla. Stephenson, Rev David.........................Tulsa, Okla. Sterling, Rev Carl .......................Drummond, Okla. Stewart, Glen F .......................................Tulsa, Okla. Stigler, Lurene .................................. Norman, Okla. Stockwell, Ola Mae............................ Lamont, Okla. Strange, John A............................Blanchard, Okla. Swingle, Mrs. Clifford .............................Yale, Okla.

Taylor-Burns, Deanna ............................Tulsa, Okla. Tefft, Donna A. .......................................Hunter, Okla. Thompson, Lewis D ..................................Tulsa, Okla. Thompson, Ruth C .................. Oklahoma City, Okla. Tobey, Sonja E. ..............................Pond Creek, Okla. Trammell, Dan ......................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Trobaugh, Charlotte L........... Oklahoma City, Okla. Turner, Mildred E ......................................Tulsa, Okla. Urban, Wanda M ...................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Walker, Julia ............................ Oklahoma City, Okla. Walker, Shirley P .................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Warren, Jerrie Beth ..................................Ada, Okla. Watson, Janice .......................................Cache, Okla. Waugh, Regina...................................Cherokee, Okla. Wetekam, Sheri ...................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Whitten, Janet M. ............................Alvarado, Texas Wilkes, Rex ............................... Oklahoma City, Okla. Williamson, Tracie A ................................Tulsa, Okla. Wilson, Shena ...................................... Sentinel, Okla. Winn, Tammy..............................................Tulsa, Okla. Wittekiend, Shirley M. ........... Oklahoma City, Okla. Wood, Diane ...............................................Tulsa, Okla. Woods, Teresa K ................................ Kaw City, Okla. Yocum, N. ....................................................Tulsa, Okla. Younger, Jennifer L .................................Tulsa, Okla.

Memorials Gentry, Christabel L ..............Nashville, Tennessee Gibbens, Richard E...................................Tulsa, Okla. Glass, Paula ..........................................Edmond, Okla. Hines, Jay ..............................................Edmond, Okla. Ingram, Jolene........................ Oklahoma City, Okla. Linfante, Charis...................................Edmond, Okla. Lynch, Sydney .............................Round Rock, Texas Maloukis, Linda ....................................Edmond, Okla. Miles, Larry...........................................Edmond, Okla. Orr, Linda B ................................................Tulsa, Okla. Paul, Robin G............................ Oklahoma City, Okla. Trautman, Kathleen ............... Oklahoma City, Okla.

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Visit our web site at http://www.okvim.org

Mission in Challenging Times VIM R eSouRceS

SHARE • FALL 2010

The VIM office exists to support the local church. We have many resources available to help as you discern your call to God’s mission and put those plans into actions.

• Consultation

Jeremy Basset can work with your church to find ways of incorporating mission into the everyday life of the church. VIM staff is available for preaching, speaking at special events or teaching Sunday school and other classes.

• Preaching and Speaking Opportunities • Mission and Ministry Fairs • Print Resources

We can send you flyers and information on mission or come to your church to set up a booth. We have many books available for sale in our office. These are resources we have discovered to be very helpful as we prepare teams for mission, help them process their mission experiences and encourage them to continue in mission after their return home. Shirts, hats and other VIM items are a great way to spread the word about VIM.

• Promotional Items

Call our office to discuss how OKVIM can support your church in mission. (405)530-2029. The full selection of books and promotional items can be purchased at the VIM office or through our online store. http://www.okvim.org

VIM Staff
Rev. Jeremy Basset, Executive Director Lori Foster, Coordinator (405)530-2028 (405)530-2070; [email protected] [email protected] Gene Brantley, Associate Director (405)530-2033 [email protected] Richard Norman, Associate Director (405)530-2032 [email protected] Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission Kristin Terrell-Wilkes, Coordinator (405)530-2029; [email protected] Luisa Medina, VIM Intern (405)530-2036 [email protected] David Stephenson, Bolivia/Oklahoma Liaison (918)346-5181 [email protected]

The purpose of Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission is to share the love of Christ in ways that make a Christian difference. The task of Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission is to share our abilities in partnership with our team members and those who host our teams. As servants, we participate in accomplishing particular goals set up and in cooperation with our hosts – in their time and in their way. Copyright @2010 All rights reserved. Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church th 1501 N.W. 24 St., Oklahoma City, OK 73106 (800)231-4166; (405)530-2029; http://www.okvim.org

Our Purpose Our Task

Fill out the form below and mail to Volunteers In Mission, 1501 NW 24th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73106 to be put on our mailing list or have someone from our office contact you about missions. Name ____________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________ State ___________________ Zip __________________________________ Phone (Day)( ____ ) ___________ (Evening) ( ____ ) ______________________________________________ E-mail ____________________________________________________________________________________ Age (Circle One): Youth - 18 19-29 30-60 61 and over Church Affiliation ___________________________________________________________________________ I would like to receive VIM’s Share magazine r I would like to receive VIM’s Share E-news r I want to learn more about r Oklahoma Missions r National Missions r International Missions r Disaster Response r Being an office volunteer r Individual Volunteers

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Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church

Volunteers In Mission

1501 N.W. 24th St. • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID OKLAHOMA CITY, OK PERMIT #1045

Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by holding steady. We stand firm in all kinds of trouble, hard times and suffering. –2 Corinthians 6:4
NIRV (New International Reader’s Version)