Message from South Sudan

Dear Friends,

His name is John and he is sixteen years old. He accepted Jesus as his Lord when he was fourteen years old. His family wanted to send him to a witch doctor but he refused to go and deny Jesus, so his family abandoned him and put him out on the streets. He came to the church and was given a place to live, school fees for an education, and food to eat. He is now a leader in the church youth group, in the youth choir, and helps to lead worship. He works to clean up the church compound and helps the church women when they are cooking for groups at the church. When we first met John he would not smile, but just look at him now.  

(Photos courtesy of Libby and Fred Dearing)

Thanks to your gifts, John’s life has been transformed and renewed. 

  

Grace and Peace, Fred and Libby     

Libby and Fred Dearing are from Mafair United Methodist Church in Kingsport, Tennessee, part of the Holston Conference. Fred is serving as the district superintendent and Libby is advocating to build a United Methodist children’s home in Yei, South Sudan. They are Individual Volunteers. To find out how and when you can to train to become an Individual Volunteer, link to http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mv/programs/individualvolunteer/orientation/

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission teams have been traveling and are continuing to travel to South Sudan to serve with the Dearings. If you are interested in leading a team, please email the office at  sejinfo@umvim.org.

Fleeces for Bolivian Church Women

In pink with the blue stole, Justina inspects fleeces and barters with vendors.
(Photo by Deborah Rissing)

I couldn’t help thinking of the nursery rhyme, Baa, baa, black sheep, as we shopped last week for sheep, alpaca, and llama fleeces. Instead of three bags full, we bought nine whole alpaca fleeces and two complete sheep skins for a total of about $40 US dollars.

It’s shearing time here. Once a year, farmers shear their wooly animals, and take the bales of fleece to a huge market at Kasani, a small border town that straddles Peru and Bolivia. We could have walked the eight kilometers (about four miles) from our home, but because of the massive crowds and the bulky wool, we took a minibus both ways – for about 60 cents round trip!

Textile lovers that we are, we were thrilled to learn of this market and to be able to shop there with an expert in natural fibers. Justina, Pastor Juan Paz’s wife, who taught us a lot about shopping for alpaca and sheep’s wool.

There were literally acres of alpaca, llama, and sheep fleeces and hides. They were sold raw, fresh off the animal, burs, grass bits, and dirt intact. The price per pound hinged on quality – length of fibers, and absence of knots and tangles -- and ranged from $3 to $5. By the way, the kinkier wool from the two sheep fleeces we bought, one black and one white, will be blended with the alpaca fibers during spinning to add strength.

We bought all this alpaca and wool for the women of the five Bolivian churches we serve. They’ll clean the fleeces by hand, spin it into yarn, then crochet or knit scarves, hats, stoles, slippers, leg warmers, baby clothes, hacky sack balls … for you!

When we return to the States, from November 20th to December 27th, we’ll be selling all sorts of natural-fiber, hand-made, wearable art. (To learn more, read Debbie's Blog published at her home church, the First United Methodist Church in Downers Grove in Illinois. Watch for more details in her posts there.)

Money raised in this effort will go toward the church goal of raising 20 percent, or $5,000, to help build a residential center for abandanados, extremely poor people abandoned by their families; usually these are seniors too old to work, but often children are abandoned.

This post was written by Deborah Rissing (photo courtesy of D. Rissing) and Jeffrey Wasilevich, long term Individual Volunteers, who began their two years of volunteer servie earlier in 2011. They work with Mision Fronteras in the Lake Titicaca region of Peru and Bolivia. 


To view a short video of their work, link through YouTube at Mision Fronteras.


Find out how you can serve as an Individual Volunteer through the General Board of Global Ministries.

Give to Individual Volunteers Making A Difference.

Become an Individual Volunteer

The following reflection is written by Marnilyn Grant, a participant in the recent training that occurred at the Mt. Sequoyah Retreat Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Marnilyn attends Murphy First United Methodist Church in Murphy, North Carolina which is part of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference. Marnilyn is the fourth person from the left in the back row of this photo of volunteers and training staff. (Photo by Debbie Vest) 

If you are thinking about volunteering as an individual to serve those in need, the General Board of Global Ministries provides one of the best avenues for putting faith into action. I say this wholeheartedly because it has been my good fortune to pursue this avenue.

Quite a while ago I developed a burning desire to serve others. Through the Individual Volunteer Program I am finally finding fulfillment.

The training for becoming an Individual Volunteer covers an array of topics critical to preparing volunteers for challenges that will be varied and unfamiliar. The training leaders are those who have given their lives to serving others and developing cross-cultural understanding. Based on their cumulative experiences of leading and participating in mission work, the training team’s curriculum included theology, self-care, health and safety issues, community-based paradigms of service, the fundamentals of fund raising, international travel, and the responsibilities of an individual volunteer.

The intercultural understanding I gained and the guidelines for engaging in ministry with the poor were among the highlights for me.

As individuals and as representatives of the General Board of Global Ministries, we are all answering the call to “love your neighbor” and to “love the Lord your God.” The training guided us on how to practically and theologically apply this. We were given opportunities to express our faith through theological discussion of scriptures that pertain to mission, and we did role plays in a series of skits that were aimed to get us thinking about the best way to handle challenging issues of relationships. All of the skits were based on actual occurrences.

The training participants will serve impoverished areas in the global community, including the United States, serving for periods of a few months to two years. We vary in age, background and interests. My intelligence and compassion were validated and encouraged to expand. I feel ready to act now, and more humble than ever. The training was essential. I thank the training staff for their modeling of hospitality to me and all the others. The journey has begun as an individual volunteer!

The Individual Volunteer Program offers individuals and couples the opportunity to serve at placement sites in the global community, including the United States. In preparation for the work, volunteers attend a training event that includes theological grounding, spiritual enrichment, and practical “nuts and bolts” information. The training also serves as an occasion for discernment, as participants prayerfully consider how God’s call on their lives will be expressed. 


To find out more about upcoming dates to train to become an Individual Volunteer, link to http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mv/programs/individualvolunteer/orientation/

South Sudan: The Birth of a New Nation

The flag of South Sudan
Photo: Libby Dearing

Hello All:

What a wonderful time to be in South Sudan!!! We were privileged to be a witness to the birth of a new nation yesterday. Through Elias, a friend and UMCOR employee, we received invitations to attend the ceremony in Yei. We were seated under the shed (built new after being torn down by a storm) just behind the dignitaries who attended. We felt honored to be included. Many speeches were given, and we heard a lot about responsibility, respect, hard work, and struggle. One guy said, "Now is not the time to sit." There was a parade with many schools, women's groups, tribal dancers, and others participating.

Ceremonies in South Sudan
Photo: Libby Dearing

Even the local Muslims marched. The banners were handmade and held high with pride. People had come from everywhere and you could feel the excitement in the air. It was very moving when they took down the flag of Sudan and raised the flag of South Sudan. They even sacrificed two goats at the base of the flag. I wasn't particularly fond of that part, but it is part of their culture. Later, in his speech, Bishop Elias Taban said it isn't necessary to do that anymore because the blood of Jesus Christ is enough.

We returned home and soon received a call from Elias saying the tribal dancers were fantastic and he was coming to pick us up. He took us back to Freedom Square, where there was a sea of people as far as you could see. There were many circles with dust rising from each one. Soon the pastor from Yei UMC, Amos Taban, came and led us through the crowd. He took us to each group and cleared the crowd so we could be right at the edge to see. Several people kept trying to get us to join the dance, but Amos was pretty protective and said no. It was the most exciting thing we have seen in a while. At the end, we joined the gospel program where our children at Yei UMC were performing. They made us proud.

Just when we thought we were finished for the day, we received an invitation to dinner at UNMIS (United Nations Missions In Sudan). We had roasted goat (that was delicious), chicken, and rice. The coordinator of the event said they would now be changing their name to UNMISS (United Nations of South Sudan). We met people from Nepal, Wales, Russia, Holland, Pakistan, and Canada. Of course, many Sudanese were there. It was amazing to be in the presence of people from so many different places.

By the end of the day we were exhausted but so thrilled to have been a part of a truly historic event. It has made us appreciate the founding of our nation and realize what our ancestors went through to give us the freedom we enjoy today.

May each of you experience the freedom you have through Jesus Christ,

Fred and Libby

Fred and Libby Dearing are an Individual Volunteer couple. They are from the Holston Annual Conference and are assigned by Global Ministries to serve in Yei, South Sudan.