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March 10, 2015 
Article headings are links

Click on the headings of each of the stories in this issue to read more and get more information. 

 

Every year, retired United Methodist Bishop Woodie White gets to see the story of the civil rights movement through fresh eyes: those of his students.

 

This year, White and his students, along with other United Methodists, joined an estimated crowd of 80,000 who packed Selma, Alabama, March 7-8 for a weekend of events marking the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," including a speech by President Barack Obama and the annual march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. 

 

Schools Reopen as Ebola Cases Decline

 

Students at J.J. Roberts United Methodist School, one of 60 schools the denomination operates in Liberia, were eager to return to classes after schools closed in late July because of Ebola.

 

"When you sit home for too long, catching up with courses can be very difficult, therefore it was important for schools to reopen because we were at home for seven months,"  said Alfred Morris, a 10th grader, after students returned to school on March 2.

 

Ebola still casts a shadow over schools, where students worry about physical contact and principals struggle to meet government mandates about hand-washing and safety.

Iowa Conference News

 

Bishop Julius C. Trimble and Conference Secretary Patty LaGree offer a welcome and introduction to the 2015 session of the Iowa Annual Conference. Watch!

April 21-24, 2015 at Honey Creek Resort State Park

It is a lamentable fact that we live in a nation at war. More and more of our congregations are home to Veterans and their families. Many come home with invisible wounds called Moral Injury and Moral Trauma caused from what they have seen, lived through, or acted upon. 


 
Our School will focus on understanding Moral Injury and Moral Trauma, mostly in the experience of the military, but also beyond. We will hear from Veterans in our own Conference, as well as the leading experts in the field of Pastoral Counseling. Register!

 

A Marshalltown woman faced a family crisis a few years ago when doctors explained that her 5-year-old had a life expectancy of only six years. She had a full-time job on the production line of the local Swift plant, so she had a steady income to care for family needs. But, the father who was the primary caregiver for their house-bound child, did not have documents to stay in the country.   

Rosa Mendoza, the executive director of the Diversity Service Center of Iowa (DSCI), was able to help the family navigate this problem with professionalism and grace. 
Events
The final advanced class being offered this winter is on Saturday and Sunday, March 14-15 at the Cornell College Campus. This class is open to all clergy, laity or anyone interested.  If you are interested in attending Register Here and download the pre-class assignment.

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