DISCOVER... MI SS I ON
LOCAL CHURCH NEWS
Discover...Mission: expanding horizons in 2025-2026 BY CURT FRANKLIN IGRC Coordinator of Mission and Outreach United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) is deadline of Sept. 1. Zimbabwe: African horizons August 2026 will bring an opportunity to serve in Zimbabwe, offering participants a chance to experience
Bloomington Wesley mission journeys to Guatemala
How to get involved For those interested in the Peru journey, team leader Jody Pratt can be contacted at prattgji09@gmail.com . Additional information about all Discover...Mission journeys is available at https://www.umvim.org/ discovermission Support the Mission To support the work of Discover... Mission through the North Central Jurisdiction, contributions can be made through Advance #901375 . These donations help make these transformative experiences possible and support the ongoing work of UMVIM in developing meaningful mission partnerships across the globe. Through these upcoming journeys, Discover...Mission continues its tradition of creating meaningful cross- cultural experiences that transform both volunteers and the communities they serve. Whether in the urban centers of Peru, the communities of Zimbabwe, or the diverse landscapes of Costa Rica, each journey offers unique opportunities for growth, service, and understanding.
BY SUSAN DEASON Bloomington Wesley UMC
BLOOMINGTON – Nine members of Bloomington Wesley UMC travelled to Guatemala for our church’s first international mission trip since COVID. Thanks to UMVIM’s mission database and assistance in planning, we were able to team up with the Organization for the Development of Indigenous Maya in San Juan and San Pablo La Laguna, Guatemala ( Advance #30220390 ). The purpose of this journey was to share our physical, spiritual and financial gifts with ODIM and the San Juan and San Pablo people; to understand the people, culture and beauty of another part of the world that God has created, and to share Christ’s love by our caring actions and interactions. Our group flew from Bloomington to Atlanta Ga. While we were in the airport, we met several other groups who were also traveling to Guatemala
launching an exciting series of mission journeys for 2025- 2026, offering transformative opportunities to serve and learn alongside international partners. These carefully crafted experiences go beyond traditional mission trips, fostering deep cultural exchange and meaningful partnerships with host communities. Peru: A New Year's journey of service Dec. 30, 2025 – Jan. 10, 2026 will see volunteers traveling to the vibrant regions of Lima and Callao, Peru. This mission journey will focus on three key areas: youth engagement, light construction projects, and healthcare initiatives. Building on UMVIM's decade-long partnership with the Peruvian Iglesia Metodista, participants will work directly with local communities to address their specific needs and priorities. The Peru journey comes with a cost of $1,600 plus airfare, and scholarships are available for qualifying persons. Interested participants should note the application
the rich cultural heritage of southern Africa while engaging in meaningful mission work. This journey represents UMVIM's commitment to fostering global
connections and understanding. Costa Rica: future horizons
Plans are currently in development for a future mission journey to Costa Rica, adding to the diverse range of opportunities for young adults to serve and learn in different cultural contexts. More than just a mission trip Discover...Mission journeys are uniquely designed to create genuine partnerships between volunteers and host communities. These experiences emphasize cultural immersion, spiritual growth, and sustainable service that responds to locally identified needs.
water filtration systems for families in need. Thanks to the generosity of our Wesley Church family, 16 stoves and water filters were purchased and 12 were installed during the mission (the other four to be installed by another team). In many of the homes in the low-income areas of San Juan and San Pablo, families do their cooking over an open fire on the dirt or concrete floor of their home, and there is little venting of the smoke other than through windows or doors, or gaps in the walls. Safe stoves contain the flame in a small fire box, and the smoke is vented with a chimney through the roof. The installation process involves finding or creating a level space for the stove, the stacking of cinder blocks for a base, and assembly of the stove parts made of clay and concrete. The stove requires 70 percent less wood than an open fire, and once it is hot, it stays hot for long periods of time due to the clay components inside.
for various missions. We flew into the Guatemala City airport and then traveled by van (about 3 hours) to Antigua. On Sunday morning, we took the van to San Juan La Laguna which was our home base. We would then travel to the next turn over, San Pablo, for training and education for the week. Poverty affects 97 percent of the population in San Pablo and 76 percent in San Juan. San Pablo has an adult population that is majority illiterate. Much of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition. Contaminated water in both communities is a huge problem. And in the department of Sololá, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses are the leading causes of death. The work focus for going to ODIM was to build safe stoves and deliver
(Editor’s note: Sarah Metz was a recipient of the Directors Scholarship and served with a Discover…Mission team to Liberia in July 2023.) BY SARAH METZ Mt. Vernon: Gay Street UMC, East Ohio Conference In May 2023, I was presented with a Journey to Liberia: Ganta Hospital
Within the walls of the pharmacy, I learned Pharmacist Barr’s methodology behind stocking, inventory, and common medication administration in Ganta. He was also beyond gracious enough to teach me the administrative side of pharmacy, which I did not even have experience in within the States. Pharmacist Barr’s techniques proved his excellence as a pharmacist, and I was very impressed with the love he pours into his unit. My participation in the emergency department was overwhelming. After not having much hands-on clinical experience, I was guided in the right directions by Nurse Grace. The staff of the ER were knowledgeable about
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surreal opportunity to travel to Liberia in Africa to participate in a medical mission trip. We arrived in Ganta, at Ganta United Methodist Hospital, to a home of welcoming arms and excited staff. As a pharmacy student, I was able to practice hands-on clinical skills that would not be routinely done within the States, and it was rewarding to have so many wonderful mentors along the way to teach me their ways and techniques. Individuals studying pharmacy in Liberia are sparse, and the staff was beyond surprised, and
Administrative council and committee members were installed during worship services at both Bradley Wesley and Kankakee St. Mark UMC’s. This special moment reminded the churches that, just as every part of the body is vital, every member of the Church is essential in fulfilling God’s mission.
common disease states in the country, and were more than willing to explain methods of treatment within the hospital. Although there were plenty of differences in care between the States and Liberia, the staff in the ER are very willing to educate their patients, and even visitors like myself, in the importance of adequate healthcare. In the OB GYN/Labor
thankful for me to be there. I walked into the doors of the hospital with expectations of learning more than my brain and my heart could handle, and that was beyond achieved. Although I spent time in every single unit, and every unit impacted my heart, there were three units that really impacted myself as a student.
Photos courtesy of Enrico Esguerra
BY CAREY SMITH Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens SPRINGFIELD – In October 2024, we broke ground for our concrete contractor to pour the 16' x 27' pad that will hold the six accessible beds, picnic table, bench, and tool shed. They also constructed a 50' walkway from our front gate to the pad and poured a small walkway to the public sidewalk directly outside the fence. Our fencing contractor put in an easy sliding gate over the small walkway, giving folks easy and direct access to the garden. Most recently, a landscaping company donated labor and materials for a beautiful brick walkway through the front gate. It runs from the public sidewalk outside the garden to the 50' concrete sidewalk, which connects to the concrete pad. Our garden volunteers put down cardboard and mulch between the 50' sidewalk and our front fence with plans to install a pollinator pocket garden this spring. They did the same around the concrete pad and the fence nearest it. We're hoping this will help keep weeds down as well as create a more beautiful atmosphere and nurture the pollinators in our garden. Thanks to the United Methodist Foundation for its generosity in helping us to attain the grant for our accessible garden. I think we are building something beneficial and needed in our community, and we couldn't have done it without the funding and the Foundation's help in accessing that funding. UM Foundation assists in making community garden accessible for all
and Delivery units, I met too many beautiful babies to count. I admire each staff member and their love for their patients and their babies. The nurses took care of each patient as their own children and family. I found it so easy to connect with these patients and provide care solely because of our common relationship with Christ. Even in the States, it is difficult to develop a stable patient-provider relationship. Ganta United Methodist Hospital taught me more about your healthcare than a classroom could ever provide, from language barriers, health literacy, fear of new people, and differences in access to care. Everyone was extremely
Photos courtesy of Mattoon First UMC
In the spirit of the Christmas season, the Mattoon First UMC endowment committee has disbursed $10,000 in financial gifts to the following organizations: $1,500 to New Life Car Care, $1,500 to the Mattoon Schools Children's Assistance Fund, $1,500 to the Mattoon Rotary Club for their ramp ministry, $1,500 to the Mattoon Community Food Center, $2,000 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and $2,000 to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center. Pictured in the photos includes (LEFT) Amy Agapito, Pat Eastin, Tracey Perry, & Jordan Coleman from the Mattoon School's Children's Assistance Fund, (ABOVE ) Dan Craw of New Life Car Care, and (ABOVE RIGHT) Josh Zappa of Mattoon Community Food Center.
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4 | MARCH 2025 | THE CURRENT
THE CURRENT | MARCH 2025 | 5
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