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UMMA UpDate

UMMA UpDate Issue 6

September 2017

A newsletter of the
United Methodist Missionary Association

From the UMMA Chairperson

     After almost two years as the UMMA Chairperson, I’m finally writing a personal note for the newsletter (how embarrassing). Your officers and I have been busy none the less! The Steering Committee has been meeting regularly (almost monthly) by Skype and we have continued to have conversations with the Rev. Dr. Judy Chung and others in Executive Leadership on a variety of topics. Much of our discussion has flowed around the theme of missionary care, both what is working and where there are gaps. We continue to follow up on the concern for SSN/Medicare equivalents for missionaries without US Social Security numbers, as well as continued difficulties in understanding and accessing information about various benefits (pay stubs, retirement planning, medical reimbursements without zip-code, etc.). Please let me or your Steering Committee Representative know your experiences and challenges so that I can include these stories in our dialogue.
     In recent months, the Steering Committee has also been sharing our experiences with itineration. I am in the process of compiling tips and best practices and would love to include your experiences.
     I am so excited that the Regional Gatherings for this quadrennium have kicked off in Latin America this summer. I am hopeful that we can build on the energy and sharing in these times together to continue regional conversations. I hope to support your Steering Committee Representatives to follow up on this in the months (and years) ahead as we seek to take advantage of improved technology to build a supportive missionary community; one that encourages us to accompany each other on the journey through vital conversations about the theology and process of mission service.
     Here in Nepal where I serve, we have had one of the worst monsoon seasons in recent history, with extensive flooding in the Terrai (lowlands) that has caused saddening loss of life and destruction of homes and properties. This is just two years after the devastating earthquake that shook the country. While these are localized tragedies that quickly disappear from the international news, I am encouraged and sustained by the knowledge that we are part of a connectional church that continues to be present throughout the world both in times of joy and tragedy. Thank you for BEING present in the corner of the world where God and the church has called you and for simultaneously BEING connectional with who we are as a global church connected in mission.
Your sister in Christ,
Katherine Parker

News from Global Ministries' Headquarters

Amy Valdez Barker
     Rev. Valdez Barker, PhD is the new Executive Director, serving the Global Mission Connections Unit of the General Board of Global Ministries.  Prior to this role, she served as the Executive Secretary and Chief Connectional Ministries Officer of The Connectional Table of The United Methodist Church. She has also served as the Project Manager for Vital Congregations.
     Rev. Valdez Barker has held diverse and expanding ministerial roles throughout The United Methodist Church since 1988 and she brings a wealth of international relations, strategic planning, and cultural awareness to the executive leadership team of Global Ministries.

Global Mission Connections is responsible for the new regional offices that reflect Global Ministries’ recognition of a multi-centered world. Presently there are three regional offices:  Latin America and The Caribbean Regional Office in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Asia Regional Office in Seoul, South Korea; The U. S. Office in Atlanta, Georgia.  There are plans for an Africa Regional Office in a French speaking area of Africa.  The regional offices provide avenues for dialogue between Global Ministries and its partners around the world.

Upcoming UMMA Events

                SAVE THE DATES

2018 UMMA Gathering - Saturday April 14, 2018
The 2018 UMMA Annual Gathering (business meeting) is tentatively scheduled for Saturday April 14, 2018, 1- 5 pm in Atlanta, GA and via Skype.

2019 UMMA Gathering - Saturday, April 7, 2019
The 2019 UMMA Gathering is tentatively scheduled for Saturday April 7, 2019, 1-5 pm in Atlanta, GA and via Skype.

Commissioning and Welcomes

Global Mission Fellows Commissioned
     This year, a total of 64 individuals were selected to become United Methodist young adult missionaries. They represent 22 countries, which is the program’s most diverse class to date.  Forty-five of these young people will serve in 27 countries and were commissioned on August 2nd in a celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.  
     The Atlanta class is broken into 2 tracks; 10 will serve for two years in the United States in the Global Mission Fellows US-2 track and the remaining 35 will serve two years in the Global Mission Fellows International track.   For a list of the missionaries, their countries of origin and the countries where they will be serving click here.  
     Another 19 individuals (18 as Global MIssion Fellows and 1 long term Global MIsisonary) were unable to get visas to enter the USA so they went to training and were commissioned August 30th in Seoul, South Korea.  For more information and a list of the missionaries  click here.
     Global Mission Fellows, aged 20 to 30, from all over the world, engage in mission around the world. They devote two years to immerse themselves in a new community that links their faith to justice making. Areas of focus include: peace education, conflict resolution, environmental justice, economic development, indigenous rights, and women’s and children’s rights.
In this Issue
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<<First Name>>,  We're happy to share this newsletter with you. Would you consider supporting our community by becoming an active (dues paying) member

2017 Rates for Membership Dues
Full Membership
  • $36 per person
  • for current and retired missionaries
Affiliate Membership
  • $25 per person
  • for non-missionaries, supporters or low-cost participation
  • No vote
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  • $540 ($36*15 years)
  • $360 ($36*10) if over 75 years
  • $375 ($25*15) for affiliate lifetime
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Reunions and Event Notices

200th UMC Mission Celebration Conference - April 8-10, 2019 
     Over the next two years, Methodists around the world will celebrate the bicentennial of Methodist mission, which marks the 1818 founding of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society and the 1819 founding of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, forerunner of The United Methodist Church. 2019 will further mark the 150th anniversary of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, also of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
     This will be a celebratory time not only for honoring mission in the life of the church, but also for reflecting on the practice of mission within local churches, annual conferences, and throughout the Methodist family.
    For the celebrations over the next two years, there will be two key components.
          - One component will be the collection of stories of Methodists from around the world in mission. To submit a story of a Methodist in mission visit methodistmission200.org starting on September 1, 2017. These stories can be shared as written text, audio compilations, or short videos. Our goal is to collect and share these stories each month as we lead up to the bicentennial celebration in 2019. Collecting and celebrating these stories will be an important means of understanding the many faces of Methodist mission.
          - The bicentennial will also include a world conference of mission leaders and mission scholars. Sponsored by Global Ministries, in collaboration with Candler School of Theology of Emory University, the conference will be called “Answering the Call: Hearing God's Voice in Methodist Mission Past, Present, and Future.” It will be held at the Emory University Conference Center Hotel, April 8-10, 2019. More information will be available at methodistmission200.org.

Community News

Some Illnesses Can Lie Dormant for Years
Claudia Webster, retired missionary, shares that she was recently diagnosed with TB traced to exposure during her missionary service in the Philippines in the 60s.  The TB has been long dormant. She is seeking to share stories with others who may have personal experiences with similar late diagnosis. If you would like to join this conversation concerning dormant illnesses email Claudia Webster

Note from the Editor:
     I asked Carla Warnock, Wellness Coordinator, for her thoughts.

     “As modern medicine has evolved so has the preventive education and screening of the Global Ministries missionaries for place of assignment illnesses. When the Missionary Wellness Program partnered with Emory in 1994, Dr. Phyllis Kozarsky, a specialist in international health and ill- nesses, began educating the Wellness coordinators and the missionar- ies. Over time we have witnessed a significant reduction in all parasitic- type infections. However, we have also noticed an increase in insect- borne viral infections such as Dengue. Protection against exposure is still the most effective preventive tool we have.
      With respect to tuberculosis, the skin test has been the most common evaluator in the 1900s. If a person tested positive, then only a chest x- ray was used to make sure that there was no lung TB. TB affects other parts of the body, but only when the illness becomes active, would the diagnosis be made. However, with the advent of Interferon–Gamma Re- lease Assays (IGRAs) we are able by blood test to determine if a person is infected with M. tuberculosis by measuring the immune response to TB proteins in whole blood. There are 2 U.S. Food and Drug Administra- tion (FDA) approved IGRAs commercially available in the United States: QuantiFERON®-TB Gold-in-Tube test (QFT-GIT) and the T-SPOT® TB test. Just this month at Emory have we determined that we will use this blood test with the missionaries coming through Emory for their preven- tive medical exams. And, we will be encouraging others to do the same wherever they are. This test tells us if a person has been exposed to TB and has the bacteria hiding in their body ready to cause an active infec- tion somewhere and sometime in the future when the person’s’ immune system is weakened. If the person is healthy enough and has adequate medical care available, then the medicines used to treat TB can be used to kill the bacteria and rid the body of this potential future infection.”
     If you have a missionary illness situation you would like to review with the Wellness Team, write Carla Warnock wellness@umcmission.org.

Resource Sharing
     Have you created resource material, published a book or writtten an article you would like to share with the community?  Perhaps you have read a book on mission that you think is a valuable resource.  If you want to share a resource email the editors with the information.  It is important that you review books you suggest or provide a link for the resource material.  Suggested resources will be shared as space allows.

From your Regional Steering Committee

Reflections on the Missionary Gathering in Panama
          by Belinda Forbes, Steering Committee representative for the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico

     The Latin America/Caribbean (LAC) missionary gathering in Panama was a wonderful, important time of fellowship and included a great variety of activities that allowed us to get to know and reconnect with our missionary colleagues in the region.  We also had opportunities to  learn about the ongoing transitions at Global Ministries and opt for some informative communications workshops.   It was great to have time to enjoy the sites of Panama with our families.
     The worship times were as diverse as our missionary community, Bible studies and reflective processes were thought-provoking and topical for our regional context and the excursions helped build community and provided a break from our normally very busy lives. The local Panama missionaries lent a hand with logistics and orientation. Panama was a superb choice for this event, both for ease of travel and for the interesting sites to see.
     The children’s program was excellent; our sixteen year-old daughter Kiara had a great time with other “MKs” and the organizers provided fun and creative activities.


A note from Doug Wingeier,
    Steering Committee Representative for missionaries serving in the USA

It has been my privilege to serve on the UMMA Steering Committee for the past several years. While it had been some years since I was an active missionary (served in Singapore for 8 years teaching at Trinity Theological College), I had volunteered for shorter stints teaching and learning in Samoa, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Cuba, and several Central American countries, so stayed in touch with the mission experience. Being on the Steering Committee has permitted me both to stay in touch with and continue learning about developments and issues related to missionary service, and also to offer my perspectives and insights on these in both face-to-face and Skype consultations. Now that I am at the end of my term, I covet this experience for another retiree willing to do the same.

Would you be willing to serve on the UMMA Steering Committee? 
We are currently looking to fill a vacant slot representing missionaries serving in the USA. Doug Wingeier will be finishing up his second term this year, so we also need another representative from among the retirees or other missionary alumni. Please email Becky if you would be willing to volunteer or would like to nominate someone.
View the list of Steering Committee Representative

From Your Officers

Global Ministries' Board Meeting - October 12-14
Several members of the Administrative Council (Katherine Parker, Becky Harrell-Wright, Hillary Taylor, Alina Saucedo Paucera, Cathy Whitlatch, Ron Whitlatch, Kristen Schmitz, Larry Schmidtz) will be present at the October Global Ministries' Board of Director's meeting.  We appreciate the opportunity to participate, listen, and learn how Global Ministries is in mission from everywhere to everywhere.  A highlight of the Fall meeting will be the commissioning of new missionaries to service around the world.  We look forward to sharing information about the Board of Director's meeting in the next UpDate.
MIssionaires in Residence
     Larry and Kristen Schmitz, current missionaries in Residence, serve as a liaisons between the missionary community (active and alumni) and Global Ministries.  One of the many tasks for which they are responsible is organizing missionary visits.  When an active missionary visits Global Ministries’ new headquarters in Atlanta this is an opportunity for the missionary to better understand the day to day operations of Global Ministries.  More importantly both missionaries and staff have opportunities to meet, to learn how each serves and to create a visual image to accompany the email signature.  Because sharing the story and connecting the church in mission are important, a misisonary can receive assistance and feedback on their presentation plans during their time of itineration.
Larry and Kristen MIR@umcmission.org always welcome your comments, thoughts and greetings.

From Your Editors

     After more than 25 years of missionary service we (Ron and Cathy) thought it was time to retire.  We look forward to staying connected with the missionary community and with Global Ministires through our role as the editors of the UMMA UpDate.  This first attempt involved learning a lot about MailChimp and we still have so much to learn.  We will work closely with UMMA leadership as we look for ways to connect in mission and learn how God is present and active in our world.
Shalom,
—Ron and Cathy Whitlatch
UpDate Editors
Cathywhitlatch@gmail.com
Submit an article or news item

Passings Noted

Insook Matthews died on July 17 at The Bird House / Hospice Home of Johnson County in Iowa City following a long illness. 
     Insook was born on January, 4, 1929 in Hai Joo Korea (now in North Korea) and graduated from Ewha Woman's University in Seoul, Korea in 1950 with a degree in English Literature. She later earned a Masters Degree in Social Work from Scarritt College for Christian Workers in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1959, she married Gene Matthews who was serving as a missionary in Korea at the time and accompanied him to Evanston, Illinois where he studied in Seminary. In 1962 Insook and Gene returned to Korea where they served as missionaries of the United Methodist Church until retirement in 1997.  
     Gene Matthews has penned some “Memories of Insook”.  To send a note of condolence or to request a copy of “Memories of Insook” email Gene genematt@mchsi.com.  

When you receive notice of a missionary who has passed away please send this information to Cathy and Ron Whitlatch, UMMA UpDate editors -cathywhitlatch@gmail.com
The UpDate is a quarterly newsletter of the United Methodist Missionary Association

Cathy and Ron Whitlatch, Editors
cathywhitlatch@gmail.com
Submit an article or news item
"The Purpose of the United Methodist Missionary Association (UMMA) is to develop and nurture a vital connectional network among active, inactive and retired missionaries of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church for the purpose of promoting Christian mission." (UMMA Constitution)
Copyright © 2017 United Methodist Missionary Association, All rights reserved.


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