Mission Volunteers, General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church 

Haiti Response Plan

Volume 2, Number 10

March 3, 2011

In This Issue
A life-altering event
Connecting teams & individuals for mission
More inspirational stories and reflections
A life-altering event
   Heather and child  

Heather Lane was part of an UMVIM team from Upper NY Conference that worked in Arcahaie in October 2010. The team's primary task was to make church benches, but for many, including Heather, highlights of the trip centered on the relationships team members formed with the community and especially the children.

 

"Working with the children there was so much fun," she said. "Seeing their eyes light up with joy was worth the whole trip. (You could give them the best day) with 5 or 6 colored pencils and a coloring page - a simple act that meant so much.

 

"We live a life of such excess," Heather continued. "We have so many things that we take for granted, so many simple things that I realized for other people are not so simple.

 

"I wish everyone could experience what the ten of us experienced because it is a life-altering event. I left Haiti humbled and heartbroken and void. There is so much left to do there, they need so much more."

 

Photo courtesy Heather Lane.

 
 

 


UMVIM Connection

 UMVIM logo
Jurisdictional & Conference Coordinators 


 






Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List

Please pray for the people of Haiti and the UMVIM teams who are traveling to work alongside the Methodist Church of Haiti in rebuilding. 

 

We give thanks for all the volunteers in mission who are called and sent.

Greetings!
Thank you for subscribing to the bi-weekly newsletter of the Haiti Response Plan, a program of the Mission Volunteers unit of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church.

We have passed the one year anniversary of the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The entire UMVIM community and the staff of the Haiti Response Plan remain committed to working with the Eglise Methodiste d'Haiti (EMH, the Methodist Church of Haiti) to host volunteer teams to address the humanitarian needs and priority projects of the EMH. 

Connecting teams & individuals for mission 

Annotated map, February 2011Susan Meister, the US-based Calendaring Coordinator for the Haiti Response Plan, reports that spaces are available for UMVIM teams in August, September, late November and December, 2011.  In addition, teams are scheduling into 2012.

 

Team leaders can contact Susan with some suggested dates and she will work with them to get on the schedule. Team leaders must have Haiti experience and be UMVIM team leader trained. Trips are from 7-9 days in length and can arrive/depart any day of the week except Sunday.

 

Please note that the Haiti Response Plan will not be accepting teams between December 17, 2011 and January 3, 2012.

 

In addition, Susan continues to receive emails from individuals who wish to join up with already-scheduled teams. One person contacting Susan is from Ireland, who would like to join up with a team in the fall or winter of 2011. Team leaders who have open spaces on their teams (teams are a maximum of ten) are urged to be in touch with Susan.

More inspirational stories and reflections

Linda and Jameson at Cabaret
Linda & Jameson at Cabaret

Through the generosity of United Methodists, giving soared in 2010, including nearly $44M for relief and rehabilitation in Haiti. The Haiti Response Plan operates from a part of these funds, through a grant from UMCOR.

 

Bishop Bruce Ough, president of the General Board of Global Ministries, visited Haiti in January 2011. "Even in the midst of massive destruction and a non-functioning government in Haiti, God is speaking a word of resurrection.  Even in the midst of chaos and grinding poverty in Haiti, God is speaking a word of hope," he wrote. Read more of Bishop Ough's comments at the West Ohio Conference web site.

 

Two UMVIM teams who served in Haiti in February have published wonderful blogs on their experiences. Check out the reflections and photos for Foundry UMC, Baltimore-Washington Conference, team leader Jana Meyer, and for a team from Yellowstone Conference, team leader Don Skillman.

 

And there's more!  Joan Snyder-Butz provided a link to a video loaded with photos from her UMVIM trip last summer, on a team led by Jerry Fenner, Minnesota Conference.

 

Team members are encouraged to send photos and reflections to Susan Meister, US-based Calendaring Coordinator, to share throughout the UMVIM connection. Many are participating in the Haiti Response Plan Facebook page.

 

Linda Peterson traveled to Haiti in early February 2011 with a Haiti Partnership UMVIM team, Upper NY Conference, team leaders Roger Richards and Barb Gay. She and Jameson took a short break from their work at Cabaret for the photo.

Web resources for ministry

The best way to keep in touch with time-sensitive information related to the Haiti Response Plan is to be our friend on Facebook. It's also the place to find pictures of project progress and to share reflections on your UMVIM experience!  Just go to the main web site, www.umvimhaiti.org, to connect.

 

Team leaders and members can use the Haiti Response Plan web site to find resources to plan their UMVIM trip. Others who are interested in following our ministry can access news, project status, volunteer testimonies, and more.

 

Find archive copies of this newsletter on the Newsletter page.

 

Please send suggestions for the web site and newsletter or general comments on the Haiti Response Plan to Susan Meister, US-based Calendaring Coordinator, at [email protected].

 

Find us on Facebook

 

Matching 

Grants Available 


Teams who raise $3500 in project funds are eligible for a matching grant of $3500. For more information on how to apply for matching funds, contact Susan Meister, US-based Calendaring Coordinator.