Blogs

Six options for Primetimers in the 65+ crowd in 2012...

 On Monday, December 19, many of the volunteers who have visited the United Methodist Mission at Nyadire awoke to the news that Sister Rut Lindgren, who founded the Home of Hope orphanage and was a mainstay of the mission community, had collapsed and died that morning. Rut raised hundreds of orphans in her own home, made the lives of thousands of orphans better, and was a constant advocate for those who had the least.  Reports of Rut’s death come by email and Facebook messages – a woman who was important because of the great good she did. Her death also brings anxiety.

 An extraordinary volunteer is waging a battle with cancer. Many in Western PA know Dorie Heckman through her advocacy for Prison Outreach Ministry. Diane Miller visited Dorie in the Hamot Hospital on December 15 and reports on her amazingly positive attitude and spirit. 

 Last week Tina Whitehead of Oakmont UMC and Jan Ogden of Indiana Grace UMC, both now volunteering in Israel/Palestine, connected for two days with 150 WPA travelers on the Lands of the Bible cruise led by Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton.

 Tina Whitehead experienced wonderful hospitality inPalestine from a former University of Pittsburgh law student now practicing in Nablus. He spoke to her Sunday School class at Oakmont UMC last spring.

Tina had a unique experience Sunday as she joined a large family celebrating the release of a blind Palestinian who had been in prison 26 years

Read what it’s like to be living in Jerusalem during the three weeks of the Jewish High Holy Days.

 For a message to pastors and church leaders at IGNITE on Oct. 11, Bishop Bickerton reflected on some wisdom offered by the late Apple computer co-founder Steven Jobs and its application in the life of the church.

 Diane Miller read an Kyria post on 10 Non-Obnoxious Ways to Share Your Faith at Work and developed her own version for mission volunteers. Here are 10 Non-Obnoxious Ways to Share Your Faith as a Volunteer in Mission. 

 Eleven volunteers from six churches traveled to the Montoursville-Lewisburg area Sept. 29-Oct. 2 to help in strom and flood clean-up. Western PA Conference Volunteers in Mission Coordinator Diane Miller and Erie-Meadville District Disaster Respose Coordinator Rick Gilson led the team. Diane writes about their experiences and emphasizes the need for more volunteers before winter sets in.

Tina is back in Jerusalem when the world is listening to speeches encouraging or discouraging Palestine’s efforts to be recognized by the UN as a State.

 Sixteen volunteers from nine Western PA area churches went to Joplin, Missouri August 8 to help in tornado recovery, in a sense repaying the volunteers from Joplin's First United Methodist Church who were in Pittsburgh last summer volunteering with UM Church Union and Pittsburgh projects. The Western PA Volunteers in Mission team was organized by the Rev. Larry Homitsky, pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh and president of Church Union, and Dave Sevick, Calvary's mission chairperson. They hosted the Joplin team last summer. When the tornado devastated Jopline last Spring, Homitsky immediately contacted First church to see how their new friends were affected. He committed then to bring a mission team as soon as the area was ready to host recovery volunteers. See photos. 

 A Conference-sponsored Volunteers in Mission Team led by Rebekah Swineford and Diane Miller left Pittsburgh July 18 and arrived safely in Nicaragua. Various team members are reporting on their progress. Team member Michael Airgood posts videos on YouTube for almost every day. 

After 33 retired United Methodist bishops issued a call to end the denomination's ban on gay clergy, Bishop Bickerton expresses concern that such statements may inadvertently divide and wound the church that the bishops are called to strengthen and unify. He says he is committed to lead with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to faithfully administer the Discipline of the church. He also commits to pray for the church and invites others to do the same.  

 Tina Whitehead is back in Jerusalem and her work at Sabeel. She notes that the people's protests in Egypt will have a significant impact for all of the Middle East. 

On Wednesday, Dec.8,  the headquarters of Haiti's ruling party was set afire in the capital and demonstrators took to the streets to dispute election results. See NPR story. A Volunteers in Mission Team from Western PA whose members planned to stay in Port au Prince before flying home are instead remaining at a Methodist guest house outside the city. Team leaders Diane Miller and Jim Bickford sent this update. They ask for prayers for the people of Haiti. UPDATE: The team hoped to be able to leave the airport for home Friday, Dec. 10.

Debbie Hills, a deacon from the Erie=Meadville District, is in Honduras to work at a rehabilitation center her mission teams have helped to build over the years. She relates her most recent experience.

 Western Pennsylvania Conference Missionary Tina Whitehead describes daily life in Palestine and her treatment at a Muslim Hospital. 

 Diane Miller suggests sharing some time with children during the holiday season, but not merely showering them with gifts. Take time to tell them about children in other lands who have so little. Consider helping a child you love pack a backpack of supplies for an orphan in Zimbabwe. Sponsor and build a relationship with a child there.