TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW May 15, 2009
Articles Included with this issue of THE REVIEW
1. Sally Morgenthaler, a well know leader in the ‘worship world,’ to keynote Annual Conference 2009
2. Teen promotes African jewelry as prom wear
3. Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship & McKendree Village residents assist Murfreesboro tornado victims
4. Council on Finance and Administration recommends reduction for 2010 Conference Budget
5. Tennessee Conference Women receive visit from missionary Elmira I. Sellu
6. Nomads, the little know mission workers
7. Patty Smith leads workshop on Children’s Ministry for Hispanic Incubator Group
8. Makeover revitalizes Bethlehem's Shopping Bag, article reprinted from The Tennessean
9. Blakemore UM Men share commitment to ministry with congregation
10. The Road from La Toma
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Sally Morgenthaler, a well know leader in the ‘worship world,’ to keynote Annual Conference 2009
By Cathy Farmer*
Passionate Worship will permeate Annual Conference 2009. From the opening worship service at 7pm on Sunday evening, June 14, to the closing service on Tuesday, June 16, conference members will experience new ways of worshipping that re-connect God’s work outside the building with what happens inside.
Leading the conference in three innovative worship sessions on Tuesday will be Sally Morgenthaler, a woman who has been a major influence in the worship world for fifteen years.
Sally Morgenthaler will lead three sessions on worship that “flows into the world” at Annual Conference 2009
Best known for her book, Worship Evangelism, her current work focuses on worship as “the work of the people”: do-able worship innovation and change.
Morgenthaler is also at the forefront of the worship and community connection, bringing the stories of our communities into the experience of God together. She is presently an adjunct professor at Fuller, George Fox, and Asbury seminaries, and speaks at conferences around the country.
As Ms. Morgenthaler said, “Passionate worship comes out of passionate living. New techniques and styles can be critical, but they’re only band-aids if worship has become disconnected from the lives we lead everyday.
“How do we re-connect the dots between God’s work outside the building with what we do on Sunday? How do we unleash the energy, innovation, and resources that are right under our noses? And how can we celebrate in our own, “neighborhood” voice, singing the song of grace in a way that is uniquely ours to sing?”
Those questions will be answered at Annual Conference 2009. The worship experiences are open to all who want to make the worship in their churches more relevant, more connected, and more passionate.
If you want your church to worship more passionately, plan to make the trip to Brentwood to take part in the worship sessions so that you can bring the information (and the passion) back to your local church.
*Cathy Farmer is Director of Communications for the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Teen promotes African jewelry as prom wear
By Jamey TuckerMay 1, 2009 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)
High school senior Francie Fisher is hoping to convince students around the country to start a new tradition at their senior prom.
Instead of flower corsages, Fisher wants them to buy heart-shaped beads made out of glass by Ethiopian teens. Memories of their big night would not only last in the form of beautiful jewelry, but include the knowledge they helped provide food and education for needy children.
Donning a beaded necklace, Francie Fisher pins a flower on her prom date with a glass-bead stickpin. The jewelry was made by Ethiopian children she met during a mission trip to Africa last year. A UMNS photo by Jamey Tucker.
"How awesome," she says, "You're paying $25, which is probably cheaper than a flower anyway and you keep it. You don't lose it by the end of the night or press it and keep it for what, 30 days. It's more special," Fisher said.
Fisher, who is a member of West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., said she became convinced that this idea could become a new tradition after seeing Ethiopian girls making the jewelry while on a mission trip to Africa last year. The teenagers work as part of a ministry called "Project Mercy" in the Yetebon region of Ethiopia. Fisher said.
The teenagers, mostly girls, make bracelets, necklaces and earrings in a little room.
“When I walked into the bead room for the first time, I just broke down and started crying; not out of sadness but out of so much joy." Fisher said.
During her mission trip to Africa last year, Fisher visits with Ethiopian children making glass beads. A UMNS photo courtesy of Francie Fisher.
The joy inspired her to bring their work back home. She ordered hundreds of the beaded necklaces and stickpins in a variety of colors. Ensworth School officials allowed her to set up a table during breaks where she sold the jewelry for $25 each."I designed it so that girls would buy the stickpins for the guys as an alternative to buying a flower, and the necklaces are for the girls to wear instead of corsages on their wrists," she said.
During one break at school, three high school juniors stood looking at the colorful necklaces and stickpins. "I'm wearing a navy dress, what color should I buy my date" one girl asked Fisher. "A solid red would look nice" she said.
But the humanitarian effort isn't lost in the talk about fashion and style. Fisher explains to each student where the proceeds are going, and the inspiration she found with each Ethiopian teenager.
"We've sold so much", Fisher told one student buying a stickpin, "I've made $3,200 to send back."
Helping others comes as a natural outpouring of her faith in Christ and her United Methodist Church youth group, Fisher said.
"The biggest inspiration to me was these young kids," she said. “So what I'm trying to do is to be the inspiration to everyone else who wasn't able to see what I saw.”
Fisher said with each sale, she thinks of those teenagers. Each $25 purchase goes directly to Project Mercy and "pays for a child's food, education, teacher's salary and uniform for an entire month" she said.
On prom night, her efforts paid off. At a home where nearly two dozen couples gathered for pictures before dinner, about a third of the students were wearing either a glass-beaded heart stickpin or necklace. Many of the young men used the colorful stickpins to hold their boutonniere in place on their lapel. Girls wore their necklaces either around their neck or on their arm.
Andrew Colton, a senior at Ensworth, purchased one of the small multi-colored beaded necklaces for his prom date. "When I first thought about buying beads instead of flower corsages for prom, I thought it sounded fun because it was something new and out of the ordinary,” he said. "I knew it would help the ministry in Africa and I knew my date would want one."
As photographs were being taken, Fisher walked through the crowd looking at all of the jewelry and remembered the teenagers in the small bead room in Africa.
"I think about them every day" she said. "The background on my computer is always a picture of an Ethiopian child or me with them. I just can't fathom what all goes on there. It's just ... seeing every one of these glass beads, they're all different. And they're all coming from these girls who are so gorgeous on the inside and out and are just so smart and beautiful. It's amazing."
*Tucker is a freelance producer and writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship & McKendree Village residents assist Murfreesboro tornado victims
Janet Martinez and daughter Andrea unload food for persons impacted by the Murfreesboro tornadoes.
The Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship/Crossville United Methodist Church joined in the relief efforts to aid families that have been affected by the Murfreesboro tornados. On April 28th Janet Martinez and her daughter Andrea Martinez, part of the Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship, drove from Crossville to the Tennessee Annual Conference Center In Nashville with a trunk full of food collected by the Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship.
In the midst of recovery from the Medicaid/Medicare crisis of some 18 months ago, and in the midst of the economic downturn, the residents of McKendree Village (and some staff persons as well) have collected $1551.00 for UMCOR Tornado Relief in Murfreesboro. The bulk of the donation for tornado relief came from McKendree seniors, who have weathered many storms in their long lives. “Their hearts are generous, compassionate,” notes chaplain Dr. Carmen Lile-Henly, “and full of love for their neighbors who are suffering the after-effects of the storms of Good Friday. This offering is a sign of Eastertide in our midst.”
Council on Finance and Administration recommends reduction for 2010 Conference Budget
At its regular meeting on March 9, 2009, the Conference Council on Finance and Administration approved a conference budget of $13,890,282 for the 2010 calendar year. If approved by the Tennessee Annual Conference in June, there will be a net reduction of -$450,213 from 2009, or -3.14%. Not including an increase of $709,000 for the conference’s pensions, conference programs were reduced by $1.1 million. Most of that reduction was taken from the reserves of the clergy health plan, which was slashed by -$947,000.
CFA heard that the economic crisis has decimated the conference’s Pension reserves. According to Jim Allen, conference treasurer, the conference’s pension reserves fell $17 million from $48.3 million (1/31/08) to $31.3 million (1/31/09). While still adequate to fund our obligations as they come due, we no longer enjoy the substantial cushion first created 20 years ago by the Pension Crusade.
Many churches in Tennessee and elsewhere are already experiencing dramatic reductions. CFA heard that conference apportionment receipts fell some 3.5% in 2008. Even the church is not immune to the effect of lost jobs, closed businesses, and plummeting stock and real estate values.
The Conference budget includes all amounts supported by Tennessee Conference churches’ apportionments. Programs in the southeast jurisdiction and the general (worldwide) church, which total 18% of the conference budget, are not within the conference’s discretion. The Conference budget does not include district programs, which will be set by each district at their district conference in May.
“It was a long and difficult meeting,” according to Allen. “CFA chair James L. Bass challenged the council to look under every rock and behind every door. There were no sacred cows. Every budget, every reserve, was carefully examined.”
Allen emphasized that years of conservative budgets and careful protection of reserves by the stewards of conference assets have prepared our conference for this “rainy day,” and that we still have the resources to make disciples of Jesus Christ. For example, the CFA budget anticipates 2010 salaries will be cut back to 2008 levels for 11 persons on the Extended Cabinet, but no positions were eliminated.
CFA Vice Chair Foye Webb set the tone for the meeting with a devotional and reflections. He reminded the group that God always provides enough; it is up to us to figure out how to accomplish what God wants. “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways!”
Praise God !
Tennessee Conference Women receive visit from missionary Elmira I. Sellu
Elmira I. Sellu, a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, came to Nashville in January of 2009 for Regional School of Christian Mission Study Leader Training at the Scarritt-Bennett Center. Mrs. Sellu is assigned by the Women’s Division as a Regional Missionary with Women, Children and Youth and is based Kampala, Uganda. She is also coordinator for the GBGM Leadership Development for Women’s Programs in the East Africa Annual Conference. As a Regional Missionary, Mrs. Sellu works with women and children in the East Africa Annual Conference, which comprises five countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Sudan. One of the 2009-2010 Mission Studies themes is The Beauty and Courage of Sudan: Why a Dream of Peace Is Possible – a theme for which Mrs. Sellu is uniquely qualified to provide leadership as well as be a national spokesperson.
(l to r) National Women’s Division staff person Sue C. Johnson; Joy Lewter, President of the Tennessee Conference UMC, and Elmira Sellu
Mrs. Sellu describes her work, "I work with women and children in the East Africa Annual Conference, which comprises five countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Sudan. I hold workshops/seminars on leadership development and on current issues that affect the lives of women and children, such as HIV/AIDS, women and children’s health, child survival and development, violence against women, the girl child in Africa, environmental issues and peace education. I also work in the area of poverty alleviation for women through the initiating of and the ensuring of effective management and sustainability of income generating projects. Networking and advocacy with other women’s organization are also part of what I do."
A native of Sierra Leone, Elmira and her family were forced to leave their home country during the civil unrest in 1997 and fled to neighboring Guinea. Her own experiences during that time had an impact not only on her own life, but also on the women with whom she lived. She reflects, "As a refugee I was able to mobilize women refugees in Conakry, Guinea. Small-scale business enterprises were started and that changed the lives of many women in a strange land."
While in Tennessee, and before her Scarritt-Bennett meeting started, Elmira Sellu traveled to Murfreesboro St. Marks United Methodist Church where Conference United Methodist Women’s officers were training UMW officers from the seven Annual Conference Districts. She attended the session for the training of District presidents then during lunch addressed all the Conference and District officers.
On Sunday morning of her stay in Tennessee she attended church at Belmont United Methodist Church. During the Sunday School hour, Belmont’s Iris Room was set up for Elmira to meet both local church and local UMW members. She explained her job as Regional Missionary and also took questions. During the morning worship service Elmira was introduced and she brought greetings to the worshippers.
Following the service, Elmira had Sunday dinner at the home of Sue and Herb Mather. Sue is the Belmont UMW unit vice-president, and both she and Herb have been extensively involved in Belmont’s ministry to Malawi. Also at Sunday dinner were Dot Anderson, who served with her missionary husband in Kenya and Mozambique, and Karen and Jeff Oliver who have accepted a special mission in Malawi for a year. The Olivers are extremely interested in microeconomics for women, and Elmira spent time answering questions because of her work in this area.
After the two-day training session at Scarritt-Bennett, Elmira Sulle continued to work with the Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women. A Wednesday trip to Franklin First UMC got cancelled because of icy roads – but Franklin First took up a special offering to go toward Elmira’s work. On Thursday before heading back to Africa on Friday, Elmira, the Nashville District President and Secretary and several presidents of local UMW units gathered for food and talk at the home of Sue C. Johnson, an executive with the Women’s Division, Board of Global Ministries. Each person at the meeting was asked to have a question for Elmira—the answers to which could be taken back to local circles and/or units.
When Elmira Sulle left from the Nashville airport on Friday, she left with the heartfelt gratitude of Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women and a gift of the new United Methodist Women's quadrennial handbook.
Nomads, the little know mission workers
By Joanne Giddens*
We are the little known mission workers of the church. We are called NOMADS. What do we do? We work in areas of need as we are called to do. There are about 900 of us nation wide, and we cover all the continental USA. We take our recreation vehicles and travel with the seasons to those folks who have asked for our services. Those services include all areas of home repair and restoration to bring them up to codes, we also work on the Methodist camps which allows them to have more funds for operation. We erect cabins, clean brush, redo bathrooms, put on roofs, and as always, the ever needed painting. Most of us are retired and feel that the needs are far too great for us to sit and do nothing.
Nomads replace a roof at Camp Warren Willis
Jessie’s house was in need of paint on the inside, the kitchen cabinets were falling off the wall, the plumbing was very slow, and she wanted a new room on the back as she is afraid of the neighborhood kids. Jessie is in her mid eighties and in poor health. The NOMADS did all the painting and moved all her furniture back as she had it. We put her cabinets on the wall, replaced the cabinet lining and painted that area. We also replaced the counter top which includes the kitchen sink. New faucets were also needed. . To correct the drainage problem the plumber had to work on clearing the line to the street. The fellas added the new room on the back with the safety lights and locks along with more painting. Jessie has a dog named Beau-Peep. He is all love but needed a new house so the NOMADS purchased one for him.
These are examples of the many things we do. Incidentally, while we worked, Jessie was in the hospital. She came home to her new house and thanked us and the Good Lord. She then told all her friends what NOMADS can do, so when the recreational vehicles arrive next winter, there will be many requests waiting for our services.
The church at Altona was in need of painting and window repair. They had little money but lots of love, so we redid the windows added an entry way over a handicapped ramp, removed much neglected shrubs, and, of course, painted. The church now has a new and inviting look.
Camp Warren W. Willis was in need of major up dates. They expect over 5.000 young folks this summer and the bathrooms are very out dated. They had received financing for up grades but the labor cost was too high, The NOMADS stepped in again and the bath rooms were made ready. A new roof was built over the admission offices, and a roof repair completed on another bath house. The huge recreation hall was also painted. In our six weeks in the area, we were able to save many dollars for the churches and camp. The repairs were paid for through donations or by the home owner buying the paint. The labor was free. Blessing on all who helped us and on those who offer prayers for missions.
*Joanne Giddens a NOMAD from First United Methodist Church Franklin, Tn.
Patty Smith leads workshop on Children’s Ministry for Hispanic Incubator Group
Patty Smith, Tennessee Conference Director of Children’s Ministries, leading a workshop on Children’s Ministries at the Hispanic Tennessee Incubator Covenant Group. Patty. Patty, who is fluent in Spanish, connected with the Hispanic pastors and spouses and introduce them to three hands-on prayer stations that use the senses to connect people to God’s word. With Patty in the photo are Pastor Eliud and Janet Martinez, Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship at Crossville.
Makeover revitalizes Bethlehem's Shopping Bag
By Ms. Cheap*, The Tennessean, April 11, 2009. Copyrighted 2009 by The Tennessean and used here by permission.
Bethlehem Center's Shopping Bag Thrift Shop has made a comeback, and the brand-spanking-new space, with nice racks, nice lighting and even nice dressing rooms, is a sharp contrast to the dank and dreary old space it occupied for years next door.
At first glance, it may seem puzzling in these dire economic times to see Bethlehem Center spending serious dollars on a retail shop. But the time was right because of a federal community service grant through Tennessee State University, which not only paid for the renovation of the space but also created a wonderful partnership where more than 100 TSU students took on marketing roles as well as retail, fashion and merchandising jobs to get the shop back up and running.
Bethlehem Center Director Joyce Searcy said the funding was a blessing, and the overriding hope is that the shop will generate much-needed money for her center's programs, which include child care, youth development and community outreach in the shop's neighborhood.
''We are thrilled to have the Shopping Bag open again. It is especially exciting to have collaborated with TSU students who were able to apply classroom theory to the real world,'' Searcy said, adding she hopes the shop "will save families money and generate income for Bethlehem Center's programs that are changing lives.''
Board members such as Kathy Pascal and President Gayle Kidig are clearly proud of the new shop and believe it will flourish in this economic climate.
"In today's economy, thrift stores are doing well. People are shopping thrift who never would have before,'' said Paschal, who said early shoppers have been enthusiastic about the reopening.
This time around the shop handles clothes, shoes and accessories only — no more household items or books. That was disappointing to me because I adore used housewares and books, but I understand the decision given the limited amount of space they have.
To give you an idea of what you'll find, I bought a cute pink Liz Claiborne vest (with a lime green lining) for $3. I saw a nice-looking tux for $35, lots of sportcoats for $15 or so and a rack of ladies shoes for $3 and $4 a pair. I saw brands such as Talbot's, DKNY and Lauren, as well as Mossimo and Sears lines. There is some maternity wear and lots of children's clothes, and a case of jewelry and accessories.
The Shopping Bag has a wonderfully rich history, having been founded in 1981 by a group of United Methodist women who collected clothes and household items in a home and eventually opened up shop in the Bethlehem Center basement. The shop, which at one time generated close to $80,000 for center programs, closed last year after declining sales and loss of volunteer support. But now, with Bethlehem Center being pressed to offer more and more services, the shop is back with high hopes.
There are lots of ways you can get involved. They need donations (they're picky and want your clothing items clean and on hangers); they need volunteers to work in the shop — on the floor with customers and in the back sorting and pricing; and yes sirree, they need shoppers. So get over there and check it out.
The Shopping Bag, at 1417 Charlotte Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the time being, with the goal eventually to be open six days a week.
Stay cheap!
*Ms. Cheap is also known as Mary Hance. Her Ms. Cheap columns appear on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. She is the author of Ms. Cheap’s Guide to Getting More for Less.
Blakemore UM Men share commitment to ministry with congregation
The BUMMS (Blakemore United Methodist Men) sing out on Oh Glory, How Happy I Am
On May 3rd, the United Methodist Men of Blakemore United Methodist Church participated in a brief service of commitment during the congregation’s 10:30 a.m. worship service. They then performed the musical number Oh Glory, How Happy I Am, accompanied by three members of the Blakemore Boys Blue Grass performance group. The song had been shared regularly during the United Methodist Men’s Retreat at Beersheba Springs in April.
The Rev. Mark Forrester, United Methodist campus minister at Vanderbilt, exhorts local Nashville churches to reach out and form bonds with Wesley Foundations and campus ministries at local colleges and universities.
During a breakfast meeting prior to the May 3rd worship service, the Blakemore United Methodist Men heard from the Rev. Mark Forrester, who is in United Methodist Campus Ministry at Vanderbilt University. Forrester presented ways in which United Methodist Men’s groups can interact with and support students involved in campus ministries.
The Road from La Toma
By David Harrison, Winter Springs, Florida, March 2009
To get to the village of La Toma, take the Pan American Highway out of Guatemala City. After about three hours, weave through the narrow, busy streets of San Bernadino and San Antonio, to a fork in the paved country road. Bear left at the fork onto a hand-made cobblestone street, always under construction by the townspeople, which turns into a dirt road after a half-mile or so. From there you’re on foot, turning right at the Iglesia Evangelica Nac. Metodista el Rey de Gloria church, following the narrow path past homes consisting of wood and sheet-metal and dirt floors and laughing children, across a foot-bridge crossing a dirty river that serves as the village’s water source. Duck under the clothes line draped with second-hand but always-clean shirts, pass into the clearing through a hole in the fence, and you’ll see the futbol field where the La Toma boys take turns with a pick ax trying to make it level.
That’s the road in. The road out is tougher. Much tougher.
In January I was privileged to participate in a mission trip to the Pacific region of Guatemala, to a village called La Toma. Our team consisted of 32 Christians from all walks of life, coming from congregations in Tennessee and Florida. Our work was coordinated by the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM). While this was my first experience of this sort, many on our team were veterans of numerous projects in multiple Central American countries. I met most of my fellow missionaries the day I got to Guatemala City. When I returned to Orlando two weeks later, each member of this group had touched me in a personal way, unintentionally and without their knowledge.
Dave Harrison and his new friends.
I was prepared for the physical part of this trip: the travel, the food, the work. I didn’t know quite how to prepare for the spiritual aspect. It was spiritual growth that I sought most of all, but I really didn’t know where to start. I shouldn’t have worried. I had come to the right place with the right people. They had the map. My spiritual journey was paved with conversations with these servant leaders. Their voices served as stepping stones on my Christian pathway. These were casual but vital conversations with new friends; conversations that defined my experience in La Toma and the lessons I’m still learning.
“He’s always speaking; we’re just not always listening.”
Norris Allen is a retired teacher and contractor from Dickson, Tennessee, who, along with his wife Fran serve as the conscience, coach, quarterback, counsel, and cook for the group. They have been doing this for 30 years. They know the drill. Norris was recovering from recent surgery, but his strong will and Christian spirit were an inspiration.
Dave Harrison and Norris Allen with Sylvia and family in front of her new home.
Norris got me off on the right foot the first night in Guatemala as he prepared us mentally and spiritually for the work before us. In addition to the work at hand, Norris urged us to attend to the spiritual reasons we all made the trip. “Listen to God,” Norris advised. “He’s always speaking, but we’re not always listening.” Having been through a period recently when I wasn’t sure what God was trying to tell me, or if he was talking to me at all, Norris’s words made me realize that it wasn’t Him, it was me. He was speaking to me; I just hadn’t been listening hard enough. During the next two weeks, I listened closely as God spoke to me through my new friends. The experience of listening, really listening, was profound.
Here is some of what I heard.
“This is Christian love in action.”
Norris went over the details of our work. We would be building two homes, the first two in a planned 23 home community sponsored by VIM. We would also have a medical team charged with staffing a community clinic for the next two weeks. In giving us an overview of the poverty of the area, he briefed us on a longer term project to dig a deep well to provide clean water to 500 families. The people in and around La Toma had signed a petition committing to provide labor for the project. The petition contained more thumbprints than signatures.
Norris advised us that the living conditions of these folks was not a choice they made, reminding us that “but for the Grace of God…this could be any of us.” The work of VIM and of our team of volunteers would not solve any of the challenges faced by these families during our two week stint. But our work and the work of others like us – over time – could help break the cycle. As Norris said, “This is Christian love in action.”
“We all drink from wells we didn’t dig.”
Reid Walker is a retired hardware store owner from Dickson and serves as Norris’s confidante and sounding board. Reid was part of the original group that blazed this trail for the rest of us. Because Reid, his wife Shirley, and others like them learned on the job over the years, these trips are now easy by comparison. All we have to do is show up.
It was clear from Reid’s example that the two weeks in Guatemala were part of a much bigger picture, not so much an event as the next step in an ongoing process. He and Norris and Fran and Shirley focus on this work throughout the year. The details mattered to Reid: directing Sunday School offerings to scholarships for La Toma girls, taking occasional trips to Guatemala with Norris to plan projects or negotiate a land purchase, reviewing designs for homes to maximize living space while minimizing cost. Reid was one that I sought out. He knew things that I needed to know. If Reid was talking, I was listening.
In a conversation on one of our first evenings, I asked Reid why he devoted so much of his time to this work. “We all drink from wells we didn’t dig,” was his response. This statement hit me hard, and provided important perspective while in Guatemala and since returning home. Clearly there are those close to us who have helped us in ways we know and in way’s we don’t. But there are also folks we don’t know and who didn’t know us who paved the way for the charmed life we lead. It is our responsibility to return the favor, to pay it forward. C.S. Lewis said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” As Christians we try to make it better for those who follow. But we’re not usually around for the payoff. One of the great gifts of an experience like this is that you can get a sense of accomplishment, a sense that you’re making a difference, even though it is a tiny dent in the larger need.
Reid put this in perspective, too: “You get a lot more out of this than you put into it.” It’s true. We worked hard. Our team built two homes, taught English and Bible verses to children, distributed more than 500 pairs of eyeglasses, and administered medication to the sick. But for whatever we gave, we got back many times over.
“All blood runs red.”
Celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday in Guatemala the day before the inauguration of President Obama was an experience that caused many of us to thank God for allowing us to be Americans at this point in history. I think being in a foreign country at this time of hope and anticipation made me appreciate my responsibility as an American and our place in the world with a renewed sense of urgency. Jerry Smith, an attorney from Dickson, led us in devotion that morning. Jerry is a gifted Sunday School teacher, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to share these historic days with his teaching.
Emotions got the best of many of us as Jerry reflected on the road forged by Dr. King and how his brave voice provided light for our nation to find its way. Jerry reminded us of Peter’s teachings in Acts. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. All blood runs red.
The next day in front of two million people on the Mall in Washington, plus a worldwide television audience including Jerry and Eric Thomas from our group, who snuck off the job site and were able to find a TV in La Toma, President Obama paraphrased Scripture when he said “The time has come to… carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation; the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”
The President also carried this message on behalf of all Americans: “To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow, to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds…we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders.”
I didn’t hear the President speak these words. I was laying concrete block for a 760 square foot home in Guatemala at the time. But I’m glad our crew of novice carpenters and masons, teachers, cooks, and healthcare providers were putting this vision to work as the world heard this charge.
“You hear a lot more laughing than crying.”
I spent a lot of time with Phil Harpel, a banker from Clarksville, Tennessee. Phil was quick with a joke and went out of his way to keep everyone from taking things too seriously. He also quietly reached out to the children at the job site, slipping one a pair of cheap sunglasses, giving another an old pair of work gloves…rich rewards for these kids.
One day Phil and I were walking from the bus to the job site, down a narrow path that takes you to within a few feet of the homes of La Toma. As we heard children playing through one of the glassless windows, Phil said, “You know, you hear a lot more laughing than crying.” At lunch that day we walked down to the river where the women do the laundry. There were two boys, eleven or twelve, swimming in the river. Using large plastic jugs as flotation devices, they were shooting the rapids, skillfully avoiding the sharp rocks. They were having the time of their lives, not a care in the world. Mugging for our cameras added to the joy. As we walked back to the job site, I asked our group, “Now, what exactly are we saving them from?” I don’t know much about construction, but I know kids. Those boys were happy.
These people of Mayan descent are poor. They have no indoor plumbing and no access to clean water. The men earn four dollars a day for cutting and loading 2000 pounds of sugar cane. The girls become adults the moment a younger sibling is born. There is no adolescence, no middle age. They go from young to old in the blink of an eye. But they are rich in other ways. Faith, family, and friends are important to them. Their sense of community is to be admired. Their work ethic is unsurpassed. They live lives of dignity.
What are we saving them from? I knew the answer to my question. That day swimming in the river is as good as it will likely get for those boys. In just a year or two they will climb onto a flatbed at 3 a.m. headed for the cane field or the rubber plantation. They may learn to read and write; they may not.
The centuries-long institutional oppression of the Mayan people offers little hope that the next generation will fare better than the last. At a minimum, our work in La Toma and our interaction with its people may offer a little hope. If we’re persistent, and can match our resources with their spirit and work ethic, perhaps we can help to break the cycle. As Jerry offered in his MLK devotional, “We will never see the fruit from the seeds we’ve sown. We’re not supposed to.” I think Jerry had it right.
“It’s not about the two weeks. It’s about the other fifty.”
Eric Thomas works for American Airlines in Nashville. He is a skilled carpenter and a veteran missionary to Central America, including several projects in La Toma. He has grown close with a couple of La Toma families who treat him as one of their own. He and his wife are raising five kids in Tennessee, but they have made the commitment to provide financial support through VIM to families in this village so their children can continue their education. Eric came to Guatemala on his own last summer to learn Spanish. This work has gotten under his skin.
Eric was patient with me as I peppered him with questions about life in La Toma and the future these children could expect. He could tell it was getting under my skin, too.
On one of our many bus rides, I was asking Eric what happens when we leave. I was concerned that we might not finish the two homes we had started in the time we had left. Eric assured me that the people of La Toma would finish the work. He reminded me that we’re doing this work with them, not for them. When I probed about his relationship with local families, he said, “It’s not about the two weeks a year we’re here; it’s about the other fifty.” His point was that our presence can help raise expectations with regard to education and quality of life. While our example can be a catalyst for construction, education, and healthcare projects, ultimately it’s the local citizenry that will determine the sustainability of these efforts. Our financial support may provide a seed of hope for a high school diploma or even a college education that wouldn’t otherwise exist. But after a couple of weeks we get on a plane and return to our lives. The families in La Toma will take it from there.
It’s not about the two weeks; it’s about the other fifty. Eric’s point cuts another way. Two weeks with Christian role models. Two weeks of witnessing Christian love in action. It’s a gift I’m blessed to have received. It carries with it an important responsibility. The spirit of giving, of selflessness, of community, of service that defined our experience in La Toma shouldn’t end with a two-week mission trip. It should be a way of life. Reid told me, “You come down here thinking you’re going to change the world, but you’re the one who changes.” I hope he’s right.
Perhaps it’s not about finding a way out of La Toma, but about making sure you carry its spirit with you
1. Sally Morgenthaler, a well know leader in the ‘worship world,’ to keynote Annual Conference 2009
2. Teen promotes African jewelry as prom wear
3. Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship & McKendree Village residents assist Murfreesboro tornado victims
4. Council on Finance and Administration recommends reduction for 2010 Conference Budget
5. Tennessee Conference Women receive visit from missionary Elmira I. Sellu
6. Nomads, the little know mission workers
7. Patty Smith leads workshop on Children’s Ministry for Hispanic Incubator Group
8. Makeover revitalizes Bethlehem's Shopping Bag, article reprinted from The Tennessean
9. Blakemore UM Men share commitment to ministry with congregation
10. The Road from La Toma
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Sally Morgenthaler, a well know leader in the ‘worship world,’ to keynote Annual Conference 2009
By Cathy Farmer*
Passionate Worship will permeate Annual Conference 2009. From the opening worship service at 7pm on Sunday evening, June 14, to the closing service on Tuesday, June 16, conference members will experience new ways of worshipping that re-connect God’s work outside the building with what happens inside.
Leading the conference in three innovative worship sessions on Tuesday will be Sally Morgenthaler, a woman who has been a major influence in the worship world for fifteen years.
Sally Morgenthaler will lead three sessions on worship that “flows into the world” at Annual Conference 2009Best known for her book, Worship Evangelism, her current work focuses on worship as “the work of the people”: do-able worship innovation and change.
Morgenthaler is also at the forefront of the worship and community connection, bringing the stories of our communities into the experience of God together. She is presently an adjunct professor at Fuller, George Fox, and Asbury seminaries, and speaks at conferences around the country.
As Ms. Morgenthaler said, “Passionate worship comes out of passionate living. New techniques and styles can be critical, but they’re only band-aids if worship has become disconnected from the lives we lead everyday.
“How do we re-connect the dots between God’s work outside the building with what we do on Sunday? How do we unleash the energy, innovation, and resources that are right under our noses? And how can we celebrate in our own, “neighborhood” voice, singing the song of grace in a way that is uniquely ours to sing?”
Those questions will be answered at Annual Conference 2009. The worship experiences are open to all who want to make the worship in their churches more relevant, more connected, and more passionate.
If you want your church to worship more passionately, plan to make the trip to Brentwood to take part in the worship sessions so that you can bring the information (and the passion) back to your local church.
*Cathy Farmer is Director of Communications for the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Teen promotes African jewelry as prom wear
By Jamey TuckerMay 1, 2009 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)
High school senior Francie Fisher is hoping to convince students around the country to start a new tradition at their senior prom.
Instead of flower corsages, Fisher wants them to buy heart-shaped beads made out of glass by Ethiopian teens. Memories of their big night would not only last in the form of beautiful jewelry, but include the knowledge they helped provide food and education for needy children.
Donning a beaded necklace, Francie Fisher pins a flower on her prom date with a glass-bead stickpin. The jewelry was made by Ethiopian children she met during a mission trip to Africa last year. A UMNS photo by Jamey Tucker."How awesome," she says, "You're paying $25, which is probably cheaper than a flower anyway and you keep it. You don't lose it by the end of the night or press it and keep it for what, 30 days. It's more special," Fisher said.
Fisher, who is a member of West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., said she became convinced that this idea could become a new tradition after seeing Ethiopian girls making the jewelry while on a mission trip to Africa last year. The teenagers work as part of a ministry called "Project Mercy" in the Yetebon region of Ethiopia. Fisher said.
The teenagers, mostly girls, make bracelets, necklaces and earrings in a little room.
“When I walked into the bead room for the first time, I just broke down and started crying; not out of sadness but out of so much joy." Fisher said.
During her mission trip to Africa last year, Fisher visits with Ethiopian children making glass beads. A UMNS photo courtesy of Francie Fisher.The joy inspired her to bring their work back home. She ordered hundreds of the beaded necklaces and stickpins in a variety of colors. Ensworth School officials allowed her to set up a table during breaks where she sold the jewelry for $25 each."I designed it so that girls would buy the stickpins for the guys as an alternative to buying a flower, and the necklaces are for the girls to wear instead of corsages on their wrists," she said.
During one break at school, three high school juniors stood looking at the colorful necklaces and stickpins. "I'm wearing a navy dress, what color should I buy my date" one girl asked Fisher. "A solid red would look nice" she said.
But the humanitarian effort isn't lost in the talk about fashion and style. Fisher explains to each student where the proceeds are going, and the inspiration she found with each Ethiopian teenager.
"We've sold so much", Fisher told one student buying a stickpin, "I've made $3,200 to send back."
Helping others comes as a natural outpouring of her faith in Christ and her United Methodist Church youth group, Fisher said.
"The biggest inspiration to me was these young kids," she said. “So what I'm trying to do is to be the inspiration to everyone else who wasn't able to see what I saw.”
Fisher said with each sale, she thinks of those teenagers. Each $25 purchase goes directly to Project Mercy and "pays for a child's food, education, teacher's salary and uniform for an entire month" she said.
On prom night, her efforts paid off. At a home where nearly two dozen couples gathered for pictures before dinner, about a third of the students were wearing either a glass-beaded heart stickpin or necklace. Many of the young men used the colorful stickpins to hold their boutonniere in place on their lapel. Girls wore their necklaces either around their neck or on their arm.
Andrew Colton, a senior at Ensworth, purchased one of the small multi-colored beaded necklaces for his prom date. "When I first thought about buying beads instead of flower corsages for prom, I thought it sounded fun because it was something new and out of the ordinary,” he said. "I knew it would help the ministry in Africa and I knew my date would want one."
As photographs were being taken, Fisher walked through the crowd looking at all of the jewelry and remembered the teenagers in the small bead room in Africa.
"I think about them every day" she said. "The background on my computer is always a picture of an Ethiopian child or me with them. I just can't fathom what all goes on there. It's just ... seeing every one of these glass beads, they're all different. And they're all coming from these girls who are so gorgeous on the inside and out and are just so smart and beautiful. It's amazing."
*Tucker is a freelance producer and writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship & McKendree Village residents assist Murfreesboro tornado victims
Janet Martinez and daughter Andrea unload food for persons impacted by the Murfreesboro tornadoes.The Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship/Crossville United Methodist Church joined in the relief efforts to aid families that have been affected by the Murfreesboro tornados. On April 28th Janet Martinez and her daughter Andrea Martinez, part of the Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship, drove from Crossville to the Tennessee Annual Conference Center In Nashville with a trunk full of food collected by the Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship.
In the midst of recovery from the Medicaid/Medicare crisis of some 18 months ago, and in the midst of the economic downturn, the residents of McKendree Village (and some staff persons as well) have collected $1551.00 for UMCOR Tornado Relief in Murfreesboro. The bulk of the donation for tornado relief came from McKendree seniors, who have weathered many storms in their long lives. “Their hearts are generous, compassionate,” notes chaplain Dr. Carmen Lile-Henly, “and full of love for their neighbors who are suffering the after-effects of the storms of Good Friday. This offering is a sign of Eastertide in our midst.”
Council on Finance and Administration recommends reduction for 2010 Conference Budget
At its regular meeting on March 9, 2009, the Conference Council on Finance and Administration approved a conference budget of $13,890,282 for the 2010 calendar year. If approved by the Tennessee Annual Conference in June, there will be a net reduction of -$450,213 from 2009, or -3.14%. Not including an increase of $709,000 for the conference’s pensions, conference programs were reduced by $1.1 million. Most of that reduction was taken from the reserves of the clergy health plan, which was slashed by -$947,000.
CFA heard that the economic crisis has decimated the conference’s Pension reserves. According to Jim Allen, conference treasurer, the conference’s pension reserves fell $17 million from $48.3 million (1/31/08) to $31.3 million (1/31/09). While still adequate to fund our obligations as they come due, we no longer enjoy the substantial cushion first created 20 years ago by the Pension Crusade.
Many churches in Tennessee and elsewhere are already experiencing dramatic reductions. CFA heard that conference apportionment receipts fell some 3.5% in 2008. Even the church is not immune to the effect of lost jobs, closed businesses, and plummeting stock and real estate values.
The Conference budget includes all amounts supported by Tennessee Conference churches’ apportionments. Programs in the southeast jurisdiction and the general (worldwide) church, which total 18% of the conference budget, are not within the conference’s discretion. The Conference budget does not include district programs, which will be set by each district at their district conference in May.
“It was a long and difficult meeting,” according to Allen. “CFA chair James L. Bass challenged the council to look under every rock and behind every door. There were no sacred cows. Every budget, every reserve, was carefully examined.”
Allen emphasized that years of conservative budgets and careful protection of reserves by the stewards of conference assets have prepared our conference for this “rainy day,” and that we still have the resources to make disciples of Jesus Christ. For example, the CFA budget anticipates 2010 salaries will be cut back to 2008 levels for 11 persons on the Extended Cabinet, but no positions were eliminated.
CFA Vice Chair Foye Webb set the tone for the meeting with a devotional and reflections. He reminded the group that God always provides enough; it is up to us to figure out how to accomplish what God wants. “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways!”
Praise God !
Tennessee Conference Women receive visit from missionary Elmira I. Sellu
Elmira I. Sellu, a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, came to Nashville in January of 2009 for Regional School of Christian Mission Study Leader Training at the Scarritt-Bennett Center. Mrs. Sellu is assigned by the Women’s Division as a Regional Missionary with Women, Children and Youth and is based Kampala, Uganda. She is also coordinator for the GBGM Leadership Development for Women’s Programs in the East Africa Annual Conference. As a Regional Missionary, Mrs. Sellu works with women and children in the East Africa Annual Conference, which comprises five countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Sudan. One of the 2009-2010 Mission Studies themes is The Beauty and Courage of Sudan: Why a Dream of Peace Is Possible – a theme for which Mrs. Sellu is uniquely qualified to provide leadership as well as be a national spokesperson.
(l to r) National Women’s Division staff person Sue C. Johnson; Joy Lewter, President of the Tennessee Conference UMC, and Elmira SelluMrs. Sellu describes her work, "I work with women and children in the East Africa Annual Conference, which comprises five countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Sudan. I hold workshops/seminars on leadership development and on current issues that affect the lives of women and children, such as HIV/AIDS, women and children’s health, child survival and development, violence against women, the girl child in Africa, environmental issues and peace education. I also work in the area of poverty alleviation for women through the initiating of and the ensuring of effective management and sustainability of income generating projects. Networking and advocacy with other women’s organization are also part of what I do."
A native of Sierra Leone, Elmira and her family were forced to leave their home country during the civil unrest in 1997 and fled to neighboring Guinea. Her own experiences during that time had an impact not only on her own life, but also on the women with whom she lived. She reflects, "As a refugee I was able to mobilize women refugees in Conakry, Guinea. Small-scale business enterprises were started and that changed the lives of many women in a strange land."
While in Tennessee, and before her Scarritt-Bennett meeting started, Elmira Sellu traveled to Murfreesboro St. Marks United Methodist Church where Conference United Methodist Women’s officers were training UMW officers from the seven Annual Conference Districts. She attended the session for the training of District presidents then during lunch addressed all the Conference and District officers.
On Sunday morning of her stay in Tennessee she attended church at Belmont United Methodist Church. During the Sunday School hour, Belmont’s Iris Room was set up for Elmira to meet both local church and local UMW members. She explained her job as Regional Missionary and also took questions. During the morning worship service Elmira was introduced and she brought greetings to the worshippers.
Following the service, Elmira had Sunday dinner at the home of Sue and Herb Mather. Sue is the Belmont UMW unit vice-president, and both she and Herb have been extensively involved in Belmont’s ministry to Malawi. Also at Sunday dinner were Dot Anderson, who served with her missionary husband in Kenya and Mozambique, and Karen and Jeff Oliver who have accepted a special mission in Malawi for a year. The Olivers are extremely interested in microeconomics for women, and Elmira spent time answering questions because of her work in this area.
After the two-day training session at Scarritt-Bennett, Elmira Sulle continued to work with the Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women. A Wednesday trip to Franklin First UMC got cancelled because of icy roads – but Franklin First took up a special offering to go toward Elmira’s work. On Thursday before heading back to Africa on Friday, Elmira, the Nashville District President and Secretary and several presidents of local UMW units gathered for food and talk at the home of Sue C. Johnson, an executive with the Women’s Division, Board of Global Ministries. Each person at the meeting was asked to have a question for Elmira—the answers to which could be taken back to local circles and/or units.
When Elmira Sulle left from the Nashville airport on Friday, she left with the heartfelt gratitude of Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women and a gift of the new United Methodist Women's quadrennial handbook.
Nomads, the little know mission workers
By Joanne Giddens*
We are the little known mission workers of the church. We are called NOMADS. What do we do? We work in areas of need as we are called to do. There are about 900 of us nation wide, and we cover all the continental USA. We take our recreation vehicles and travel with the seasons to those folks who have asked for our services. Those services include all areas of home repair and restoration to bring them up to codes, we also work on the Methodist camps which allows them to have more funds for operation. We erect cabins, clean brush, redo bathrooms, put on roofs, and as always, the ever needed painting. Most of us are retired and feel that the needs are far too great for us to sit and do nothing.
Nomads replace a roof at Camp Warren WillisJessie’s house was in need of paint on the inside, the kitchen cabinets were falling off the wall, the plumbing was very slow, and she wanted a new room on the back as she is afraid of the neighborhood kids. Jessie is in her mid eighties and in poor health. The NOMADS did all the painting and moved all her furniture back as she had it. We put her cabinets on the wall, replaced the cabinet lining and painted that area. We also replaced the counter top which includes the kitchen sink. New faucets were also needed. . To correct the drainage problem the plumber had to work on clearing the line to the street. The fellas added the new room on the back with the safety lights and locks along with more painting. Jessie has a dog named Beau-Peep. He is all love but needed a new house so the NOMADS purchased one for him.
These are examples of the many things we do. Incidentally, while we worked, Jessie was in the hospital. She came home to her new house and thanked us and the Good Lord. She then told all her friends what NOMADS can do, so when the recreational vehicles arrive next winter, there will be many requests waiting for our services.
The church at Altona was in need of painting and window repair. They had little money but lots of love, so we redid the windows added an entry way over a handicapped ramp, removed much neglected shrubs, and, of course, painted. The church now has a new and inviting look.
Camp Warren W. Willis was in need of major up dates. They expect over 5.000 young folks this summer and the bathrooms are very out dated. They had received financing for up grades but the labor cost was too high, The NOMADS stepped in again and the bath rooms were made ready. A new roof was built over the admission offices, and a roof repair completed on another bath house. The huge recreation hall was also painted. In our six weeks in the area, we were able to save many dollars for the churches and camp. The repairs were paid for through donations or by the home owner buying the paint. The labor was free. Blessing on all who helped us and on those who offer prayers for missions.
*Joanne Giddens a NOMAD from First United Methodist Church Franklin, Tn.
Patty Smith leads workshop on Children’s Ministry for Hispanic Incubator Group
Patty Smith, Tennessee Conference Director of Children’s Ministries, leading a workshop on Children’s Ministries at the Hispanic Tennessee Incubator Covenant Group. Patty. Patty, who is fluent in Spanish, connected with the Hispanic pastors and spouses and introduce them to three hands-on prayer stations that use the senses to connect people to God’s word. With Patty in the photo are Pastor Eliud and Janet Martinez, Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship at Crossville.Makeover revitalizes Bethlehem's Shopping Bag
By Ms. Cheap*, The Tennessean, April 11, 2009. Copyrighted 2009 by The Tennessean and used here by permission.
Bethlehem Center's Shopping Bag Thrift Shop has made a comeback, and the brand-spanking-new space, with nice racks, nice lighting and even nice dressing rooms, is a sharp contrast to the dank and dreary old space it occupied for years next door.
At first glance, it may seem puzzling in these dire economic times to see Bethlehem Center spending serious dollars on a retail shop. But the time was right because of a federal community service grant through Tennessee State University, which not only paid for the renovation of the space but also created a wonderful partnership where more than 100 TSU students took on marketing roles as well as retail, fashion and merchandising jobs to get the shop back up and running.
Bethlehem Center Director Joyce Searcy said the funding was a blessing, and the overriding hope is that the shop will generate much-needed money for her center's programs, which include child care, youth development and community outreach in the shop's neighborhood.
''We are thrilled to have the Shopping Bag open again. It is especially exciting to have collaborated with TSU students who were able to apply classroom theory to the real world,'' Searcy said, adding she hopes the shop "will save families money and generate income for Bethlehem Center's programs that are changing lives.''
Board members such as Kathy Pascal and President Gayle Kidig are clearly proud of the new shop and believe it will flourish in this economic climate.
"In today's economy, thrift stores are doing well. People are shopping thrift who never would have before,'' said Paschal, who said early shoppers have been enthusiastic about the reopening.
This time around the shop handles clothes, shoes and accessories only — no more household items or books. That was disappointing to me because I adore used housewares and books, but I understand the decision given the limited amount of space they have.
To give you an idea of what you'll find, I bought a cute pink Liz Claiborne vest (with a lime green lining) for $3. I saw a nice-looking tux for $35, lots of sportcoats for $15 or so and a rack of ladies shoes for $3 and $4 a pair. I saw brands such as Talbot's, DKNY and Lauren, as well as Mossimo and Sears lines. There is some maternity wear and lots of children's clothes, and a case of jewelry and accessories.
The Shopping Bag has a wonderfully rich history, having been founded in 1981 by a group of United Methodist women who collected clothes and household items in a home and eventually opened up shop in the Bethlehem Center basement. The shop, which at one time generated close to $80,000 for center programs, closed last year after declining sales and loss of volunteer support. But now, with Bethlehem Center being pressed to offer more and more services, the shop is back with high hopes.
There are lots of ways you can get involved. They need donations (they're picky and want your clothing items clean and on hangers); they need volunteers to work in the shop — on the floor with customers and in the back sorting and pricing; and yes sirree, they need shoppers. So get over there and check it out.
The Shopping Bag, at 1417 Charlotte Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the time being, with the goal eventually to be open six days a week.
Stay cheap!
*Ms. Cheap is also known as Mary Hance. Her Ms. Cheap columns appear on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. She is the author of Ms. Cheap’s Guide to Getting More for Less.
Blakemore UM Men share commitment to ministry with congregation
The BUMMS (Blakemore United Methodist Men) sing out on Oh Glory, How Happy I AmOn May 3rd, the United Methodist Men of Blakemore United Methodist Church participated in a brief service of commitment during the congregation’s 10:30 a.m. worship service. They then performed the musical number Oh Glory, How Happy I Am, accompanied by three members of the Blakemore Boys Blue Grass performance group. The song had been shared regularly during the United Methodist Men’s Retreat at Beersheba Springs in April.
The Rev. Mark Forrester, United Methodist campus minister at Vanderbilt, exhorts local Nashville churches to reach out and form bonds with Wesley Foundations and campus ministries at local colleges and universities.During a breakfast meeting prior to the May 3rd worship service, the Blakemore United Methodist Men heard from the Rev. Mark Forrester, who is in United Methodist Campus Ministry at Vanderbilt University. Forrester presented ways in which United Methodist Men’s groups can interact with and support students involved in campus ministries.
The Road from La Toma
By David Harrison, Winter Springs, Florida, March 2009
To get to the village of La Toma, take the Pan American Highway out of Guatemala City. After about three hours, weave through the narrow, busy streets of San Bernadino and San Antonio, to a fork in the paved country road. Bear left at the fork onto a hand-made cobblestone street, always under construction by the townspeople, which turns into a dirt road after a half-mile or so. From there you’re on foot, turning right at the Iglesia Evangelica Nac. Metodista el Rey de Gloria church, following the narrow path past homes consisting of wood and sheet-metal and dirt floors and laughing children, across a foot-bridge crossing a dirty river that serves as the village’s water source. Duck under the clothes line draped with second-hand but always-clean shirts, pass into the clearing through a hole in the fence, and you’ll see the futbol field where the La Toma boys take turns with a pick ax trying to make it level.
That’s the road in. The road out is tougher. Much tougher.
In January I was privileged to participate in a mission trip to the Pacific region of Guatemala, to a village called La Toma. Our team consisted of 32 Christians from all walks of life, coming from congregations in Tennessee and Florida. Our work was coordinated by the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM). While this was my first experience of this sort, many on our team were veterans of numerous projects in multiple Central American countries. I met most of my fellow missionaries the day I got to Guatemala City. When I returned to Orlando two weeks later, each member of this group had touched me in a personal way, unintentionally and without their knowledge.
Dave Harrison and his new friends.I was prepared for the physical part of this trip: the travel, the food, the work. I didn’t know quite how to prepare for the spiritual aspect. It was spiritual growth that I sought most of all, but I really didn’t know where to start. I shouldn’t have worried. I had come to the right place with the right people. They had the map. My spiritual journey was paved with conversations with these servant leaders. Their voices served as stepping stones on my Christian pathway. These were casual but vital conversations with new friends; conversations that defined my experience in La Toma and the lessons I’m still learning.
“He’s always speaking; we’re just not always listening.”
Norris Allen is a retired teacher and contractor from Dickson, Tennessee, who, along with his wife Fran serve as the conscience, coach, quarterback, counsel, and cook for the group. They have been doing this for 30 years. They know the drill. Norris was recovering from recent surgery, but his strong will and Christian spirit were an inspiration.
Dave Harrison and Norris Allen with Sylvia and family in front of her new home.Norris got me off on the right foot the first night in Guatemala as he prepared us mentally and spiritually for the work before us. In addition to the work at hand, Norris urged us to attend to the spiritual reasons we all made the trip. “Listen to God,” Norris advised. “He’s always speaking, but we’re not always listening.” Having been through a period recently when I wasn’t sure what God was trying to tell me, or if he was talking to me at all, Norris’s words made me realize that it wasn’t Him, it was me. He was speaking to me; I just hadn’t been listening hard enough. During the next two weeks, I listened closely as God spoke to me through my new friends. The experience of listening, really listening, was profound.
Here is some of what I heard.
“This is Christian love in action.”
Norris went over the details of our work. We would be building two homes, the first two in a planned 23 home community sponsored by VIM. We would also have a medical team charged with staffing a community clinic for the next two weeks. In giving us an overview of the poverty of the area, he briefed us on a longer term project to dig a deep well to provide clean water to 500 families. The people in and around La Toma had signed a petition committing to provide labor for the project. The petition contained more thumbprints than signatures.
Norris advised us that the living conditions of these folks was not a choice they made, reminding us that “but for the Grace of God…this could be any of us.” The work of VIM and of our team of volunteers would not solve any of the challenges faced by these families during our two week stint. But our work and the work of others like us – over time – could help break the cycle. As Norris said, “This is Christian love in action.”
“We all drink from wells we didn’t dig.”
Reid Walker is a retired hardware store owner from Dickson and serves as Norris’s confidante and sounding board. Reid was part of the original group that blazed this trail for the rest of us. Because Reid, his wife Shirley, and others like them learned on the job over the years, these trips are now easy by comparison. All we have to do is show up.
It was clear from Reid’s example that the two weeks in Guatemala were part of a much bigger picture, not so much an event as the next step in an ongoing process. He and Norris and Fran and Shirley focus on this work throughout the year. The details mattered to Reid: directing Sunday School offerings to scholarships for La Toma girls, taking occasional trips to Guatemala with Norris to plan projects or negotiate a land purchase, reviewing designs for homes to maximize living space while minimizing cost. Reid was one that I sought out. He knew things that I needed to know. If Reid was talking, I was listening.
In a conversation on one of our first evenings, I asked Reid why he devoted so much of his time to this work. “We all drink from wells we didn’t dig,” was his response. This statement hit me hard, and provided important perspective while in Guatemala and since returning home. Clearly there are those close to us who have helped us in ways we know and in way’s we don’t. But there are also folks we don’t know and who didn’t know us who paved the way for the charmed life we lead. It is our responsibility to return the favor, to pay it forward. C.S. Lewis said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” As Christians we try to make it better for those who follow. But we’re not usually around for the payoff. One of the great gifts of an experience like this is that you can get a sense of accomplishment, a sense that you’re making a difference, even though it is a tiny dent in the larger need.
Reid put this in perspective, too: “You get a lot more out of this than you put into it.” It’s true. We worked hard. Our team built two homes, taught English and Bible verses to children, distributed more than 500 pairs of eyeglasses, and administered medication to the sick. But for whatever we gave, we got back many times over.
“All blood runs red.”
Celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday in Guatemala the day before the inauguration of President Obama was an experience that caused many of us to thank God for allowing us to be Americans at this point in history. I think being in a foreign country at this time of hope and anticipation made me appreciate my responsibility as an American and our place in the world with a renewed sense of urgency. Jerry Smith, an attorney from Dickson, led us in devotion that morning. Jerry is a gifted Sunday School teacher, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to share these historic days with his teaching.
Emotions got the best of many of us as Jerry reflected on the road forged by Dr. King and how his brave voice provided light for our nation to find its way. Jerry reminded us of Peter’s teachings in Acts. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. All blood runs red.
The next day in front of two million people on the Mall in Washington, plus a worldwide television audience including Jerry and Eric Thomas from our group, who snuck off the job site and were able to find a TV in La Toma, President Obama paraphrased Scripture when he said “The time has come to… carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation; the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”
The President also carried this message on behalf of all Americans: “To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow, to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds…we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders.”
I didn’t hear the President speak these words. I was laying concrete block for a 760 square foot home in Guatemala at the time. But I’m glad our crew of novice carpenters and masons, teachers, cooks, and healthcare providers were putting this vision to work as the world heard this charge.
“You hear a lot more laughing than crying.”
I spent a lot of time with Phil Harpel, a banker from Clarksville, Tennessee. Phil was quick with a joke and went out of his way to keep everyone from taking things too seriously. He also quietly reached out to the children at the job site, slipping one a pair of cheap sunglasses, giving another an old pair of work gloves…rich rewards for these kids.
One day Phil and I were walking from the bus to the job site, down a narrow path that takes you to within a few feet of the homes of La Toma. As we heard children playing through one of the glassless windows, Phil said, “You know, you hear a lot more laughing than crying.” At lunch that day we walked down to the river where the women do the laundry. There were two boys, eleven or twelve, swimming in the river. Using large plastic jugs as flotation devices, they were shooting the rapids, skillfully avoiding the sharp rocks. They were having the time of their lives, not a care in the world. Mugging for our cameras added to the joy. As we walked back to the job site, I asked our group, “Now, what exactly are we saving them from?” I don’t know much about construction, but I know kids. Those boys were happy.
These people of Mayan descent are poor. They have no indoor plumbing and no access to clean water. The men earn four dollars a day for cutting and loading 2000 pounds of sugar cane. The girls become adults the moment a younger sibling is born. There is no adolescence, no middle age. They go from young to old in the blink of an eye. But they are rich in other ways. Faith, family, and friends are important to them. Their sense of community is to be admired. Their work ethic is unsurpassed. They live lives of dignity.
What are we saving them from? I knew the answer to my question. That day swimming in the river is as good as it will likely get for those boys. In just a year or two they will climb onto a flatbed at 3 a.m. headed for the cane field or the rubber plantation. They may learn to read and write; they may not.
The centuries-long institutional oppression of the Mayan people offers little hope that the next generation will fare better than the last. At a minimum, our work in La Toma and our interaction with its people may offer a little hope. If we’re persistent, and can match our resources with their spirit and work ethic, perhaps we can help to break the cycle. As Jerry offered in his MLK devotional, “We will never see the fruit from the seeds we’ve sown. We’re not supposed to.” I think Jerry had it right.
“It’s not about the two weeks. It’s about the other fifty.”
Eric Thomas works for American Airlines in Nashville. He is a skilled carpenter and a veteran missionary to Central America, including several projects in La Toma. He has grown close with a couple of La Toma families who treat him as one of their own. He and his wife are raising five kids in Tennessee, but they have made the commitment to provide financial support through VIM to families in this village so their children can continue their education. Eric came to Guatemala on his own last summer to learn Spanish. This work has gotten under his skin.
Eric was patient with me as I peppered him with questions about life in La Toma and the future these children could expect. He could tell it was getting under my skin, too.
On one of our many bus rides, I was asking Eric what happens when we leave. I was concerned that we might not finish the two homes we had started in the time we had left. Eric assured me that the people of La Toma would finish the work. He reminded me that we’re doing this work with them, not for them. When I probed about his relationship with local families, he said, “It’s not about the two weeks a year we’re here; it’s about the other fifty.” His point was that our presence can help raise expectations with regard to education and quality of life. While our example can be a catalyst for construction, education, and healthcare projects, ultimately it’s the local citizenry that will determine the sustainability of these efforts. Our financial support may provide a seed of hope for a high school diploma or even a college education that wouldn’t otherwise exist. But after a couple of weeks we get on a plane and return to our lives. The families in La Toma will take it from there.
It’s not about the two weeks; it’s about the other fifty. Eric’s point cuts another way. Two weeks with Christian role models. Two weeks of witnessing Christian love in action. It’s a gift I’m blessed to have received. It carries with it an important responsibility. The spirit of giving, of selflessness, of community, of service that defined our experience in La Toma shouldn’t end with a two-week mission trip. It should be a way of life. Reid told me, “You come down here thinking you’re going to change the world, but you’re the one who changes.” I hope he’s right.
Perhaps it’s not about finding a way out of La Toma, but about making sure you carry its spirit with you
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 3:14 PM
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