World Missions
# livedifferently for the world
MYERS PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
ARMENIA MISSION By Chris Lepore
MPUMC will take a mission team July 18-30, 2020. Before joining the 2017 Armenia team from Myers Park, I had never traveled outside of my own city to do mission work. Why then did it seem so natural to travel halfway around the world and plunge into a culture I knew so little about? Why join a mission for which I had no background and knew no one associated with it? I can only answer these questions in hindsight and look back in awe at God’s plan for me and this amazing project.
The trip to Armenia was absolutely life changing. The work that Project AGAPE does there reaches into the lives of thousands of Armenians who live in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. I could tell you all about this work but I’ll instead tell you about our last night in Armenia and playing cards with our host family. They did not speak English and we did not speak Armenian. However, they taught us how to play the games they loved and we taught them ours. I cannot explain how amazing it was to communicate and learn from other people without the benefit of a shared language. It is a memory I will always cherish. On the trip home, I spoke with Nathan about a long-tern goal to join the board of Project AGAPE. Nathan thought it was a great idea and told me that he could get me in touch with a board member that he knew. Needless to say, things moved along quite a bit faster than my “long-term goal”. A week or so later, I was asked to join the board and in November I was on my way to meet the amazing people on the Project AGAPE board. Many of the folks on the board have been involved with Project AGAPE from its start, over 25 years ago now. Hearing their stories and experiences brought the history that I had only read about to life! I hope that you will join us in the Project AGAPE family. We will be travelling to Armenia in July 2020. Look for information about our kickoff event this fall when Nara Melkonyan, the country director for Project AGAPE in Armenia, joins us. www.myersparkumc.org/armenia
BRAZIL MISSION By Marsha Rexford
MPUMC hopes to take a mission team in October 2020. There are so many amazing details about our mission work in Brazil to share. We spent most of our time at a Methodist facility for Seniors in Tres Rios where we played games, enjoyed music, and learned from the wonderful residents there. We also spent time witah some inspiring young men in Rio de Jeneiro who are using music and language classes to better their situations and rise from the vicious cycle of life in the favela. Their mentor, Cristiano, provided us with a tour of a local favela to show us exactly what life was like for the people there. All the while, we were immersed in the breathtaking scenery that surrounded us during our time in this beautiful country!
The greatest part of our time in Brazil during the 2018 trip was the opportunity to be in mission with other Christians doing the work of God in their home country. These fellow missionaries shared our passion for helping others and building meaningful relationships. They saw themselves as the hands and feet of Christ, and immediately embraced us as brothers and sisters in this work. During our time with them we were able to enjoy a devotion together and to talk about our spiritual journeys. Having a translator during this period was a unique experience as I watched my words repeated in Portuguese and then saw nods of agreement from those who at first could not understand what I had said. Leaving our friends in Brazil was a difficult and emotional experience. Those we met truly inspired me to grow deeper in my faith and learn more from the experiences of my brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. I cannot wait for the opportunity to travel back there and continue our journey together. Additional thoughts by Avery Buie:
Brazil has a way of capturing your heart with its beauty, its people, and its general love of life. I experienced their joy of living the first time I went to Brazil in 2016 where I encountered happiness, love, and hope from people cast aside by society. We volunteered at Carlota, a wonderful care facility for those who are no longer wanted or cannot be cared for by their families. The work was physically hard at times, but our spirits were light and the work was done before we even knew it! Everyone says that when you go to bless others, they end up blessing you back. In Brazil I was blessed with more love, joy, and peace than I could ever imagine. It’s amazing to see God’s hand there. www.myersparkumc.org/brazil
CAMBODIA MISSION By Chris Lepore
MPUMC plans to take a mission team “approximately� September 25-October 4, 2020. Rev. Nathan Arledge and I visited Cambodia in January, 2019 to learn more about the people, the culture, and the Church there and to determine if it made sense for MPUMC to become more involved. Our experience was rich and fulfilling, and we learned a great deal.
Less than .4% of Cambodians profess the Christian Faith, yet it is a place with a growing Christian community. We visited several Methodist churches, primarily in the Capital, Phnom Penh, but also in smaller communities around the country. Perhaps one of most meaningful places was the province of Mondulkiri where a new Methodist church was under construction. In July, this church was finally dedicated and it is the only church in the province! They now have a place to worship and a full-time pastor who, along with his family of four, will soon move from a one room shelter into the rectory. When the upper floor of the church is completed, it will provide space for both Christian education and skills training that will help secure the future for people in the area. MPUMC is already helping by providing funding for an ESL teacher, along with Khmer language bibles and hymnals. We will travel to Cambodia in September of 2020 to share the love of Christ by being with the people in Mondulkiri, to help complete the building project (upper floor of the church), and also to assist in teaching the English language. Should you choose to join us, you will find a beautiful people with a rich, yet troubled past, and a civilization dating back over a thousand years. You will also find a wonderful opportunity to serve Christ as you serve others. www.myersparkumc.org/cambodia
COSTA RICA MISSION By Pedro Salazar
MPUMC will take a mission team April 13-18, 2020. Ready to help continue a great tradition of service and collaboration with an outstanding organization in Costa Rica? If so, make sure to join the MPUMC Costa Rica team and Acts One Eight Missions (formerly known as Costa Rica Mission Projects or CRMP) for a future mission trip!
The CRMP, led by Will and Yolanda Bailey, works to establish mutually beneficial, long-lasting relationships between churches in the USA and churches in Costa Rica. Since 2003, CRMP has coordinated building projects, Vacation Bible School, evangelism, and mission trips to serve in Costa Rica. CRMP has built sanctuaries, Sunday school buildings, church kitchens, parsonages, and a camp in over a dozen different communities.
Will and Yolanda believe that they have been called to provide opportunities for churches in Costa Rica and other countries to serve one another. They want us to explore what it means for us to be part of a body that extends far beyond the walls of our church. They hope to help foster fruitful relationships between the congregations who participate in this ministry. But wait -- if you join, what will you do? You will actively participate in the construction of a site that is determined by the CRMP. For several years, MPUMC has sent mission teams to engage in projects to help the Methodist church in Southwest Costa Rica. We have participated in building two parsonages, two Sunday school classroom buildings, a home for the District Superintendent and the rebuilding of a Methodist camp near Rio Claro.
This a well-established program and an excellent opportunity for members of MPUMC to make a difference! www.myersparkumc.org/costarica
HAITI MISSION By Steve Breckenridge
Though a mission trip is not planned for 2020, read further to learn more about our mission partner, OFCB Ministries in Bayonnais, Haiti. Our brothers and sisters in the beautiful but remote region of Bayonnais continue to build towards a brighter future. Over 25 years, OFCB Ministries has grown from a vision and one open air classroom to a school providing K-13 education to 2,500 students, a medical clinic, an agriculture program, a community bank, vocational training programs, and economic development initiatives, all anchored by a church and commitment to serving God and community. The unpaved ten mile road through the valley to the village of Cathor where OFCB facilities are located is an arduous one hour passage in the best of conditions, and virtually impassable during adverse weather.
This isolation from services and markets results in a closed economy, perpetuating the impoverishment associated with the dominant subsistence farming way of life. Access to medical care is restricted. The school’s teachers who live in a nearby city cannot reach their students when OFCB’s buses can’t navigate the road. But today in Bayonnais tremendous progress is being made. Equipment and materials have been procured to maintain the road, and critically, a bridge has been constructed over the Bayonnais river. Most often, the river is knee deep where the road crosses, but in heavy rains the water rises quickly. Vehicles cannot pass, and drownings are not uncommon. Since the Haitian government provides no funding for infrastructure, the new bridge at “La Couleuvre” was built this summer under OFCB’s leadership, assisted by U.S. partners. A substantial portion of the funds and virtually all of the labor was contributed by Bayonnais residents. With work underway to construct a second bridge and stabilize the roadbed, our friends in Bayonnais will finally have a road that connects to considerably greater opportunity, empowerment, and sustainability. www.myersparkumc.org/mission/haiti
MEXICO-COLLEGE MISSION By Mabry Sumner
MPUMC will take a college mission team May 24-30, 2020. Last year I was fortunate enough to go on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico with MPUMC. Starting from our alarms waking us up to head to the airport, to when we arrived back in Charlotte, we were in a service-over-self mentality, and we were encouraged to bring that back home with us. We were there with an organization called Faith Ministry, which is a Christian nonprofit that provides goods and services to its community. Its main idea is that one house at a time can make a difference. They run a medical clinic, operate churches, sponsor children, and provide love and community to those around them.
The purpose of this trip was to go and build three-12x24 houses, and pour roofs on top of houses that other teams had previously built. We were split up into teams, and each team build a house over the four workdays. On several days, all of the work teams would come together to pour the roofs. Each team got to spend time with their families during the day. The families showed tremendous love for the work that was being done for them.
While in Reynosa you truly are introduced to the world that is outside of the Charlotte bubble. You are surrounded by poverty but you are overcome with love. The people of Reynosa are very thankful for their families and the love of God and others. They are surrounded by poverty but all they do is love one another from the kindness in their hearts, and it is truly a beautiful thing to see. One thing that is super awesome is that we had church all day, every day. Church in Reynosa isn’t always singing songs and hearing a message or devotion, even though we do still do that. It’s about being kind and having God’s light shine through you so that you are able to better yourself and serve others. Even though only three houses don’t make a huge impact in a town full of poverty, it encouraged us to have a more Christ-like and more of a service-over-self mentality. Our lives were changed for the better when they crossed the border into Mexico with a hard week ahead. I don’t think anyone would change a thing about that incredibly impactful and spiritual week that they had in Reynosa with God’s light shining through them. www.myersparkumc.org/college-mexico
MEXICO MISSION PARTNER PUERTO RICO MISSION by Chesson Grant By Susan Francis Few high school experiences can compare to the MPUMC Youth Ministry mission trip to Mexico. I am beyond grateful that Check back for dates a future Puerto Rico mission trip. across the border at McAllen, Texas, to Reynosa, Mexico I was able to travel withof a group of 37 high schoolers and adults to work with the Faith Ministries organization. Faith Ministries is a Christian nonprofit that serves in Reynosa by building Generally, when we talk about Worldmedical Missions at MPUMC, a passport is required. Our may be just across our houses, operating churches, providing help, and meeting many other needs of theefforts community. During the week, each of our teams of worked families whose we were constructing. borders orthree thousands milesalongside away, butthe weFaith alsoMinistries recognizecrew thatand we the have a mission to houses bring worlds closer together.In total, throughout our five work days, we built three 12 by 24 foot cinder block homes for families in need. In July 2018, only 10 months after Hurricane Maria (the deadly Category 5 storm that devastated the island of As soonRico), as wewe arrived atin the airport,discovery we were asked transition into theNCmindset of “service over self,” which meant, Puerto joined disaster effortstowith the Western Conference and the Methodist Church of no complaining! Despite the extreme temperatures (including highs reaching 108 degrees), strenuous work, and dirty Puerto Rico. We had the privilege of working with three generations of a family whose lives were changed forever. conditions, our group was able to continue that attitude and be joyful the entire week. I believe that we were all our “best We were there to helpbecause rebuildofathe home a concrete roof oneinhad once They stoodhad – all thatnothing was left, were selves” in Mexico simply love with of Christ exemplified bywhere the people Reynosa. nearly material cinderblock columns that were once its foundation. to give, yet they were constantly seeking to serve us. From giving us tips on mixing cement, to preparing lunch for us on the job site, the locals did everything with a huge smile. This proved to me how contagious God’s love can be. As we got to know our family, they shared stories of the experience of living through Hurricane Maria. They Also significant to me werewhen the worship servicesfrom we shared at Faith Ministries withonly the locals. Despite our manytheir differences, described the moments they emerged the grandparents’ house, feet away from where house including the fact that our communication was limited (only a few of us spoke Spanish), we effortlessly praised God together no longer stood. They saw an unrecognizable landscape – one void of color, missing was the lush green that had as one. Webefore sang songs in both and English, and the Faith Ministries shared a message, which translated only days covered thisSpanish lush tropical island. They saw houses, orpastor their foundations, on the side was of the nearby for us. It was incredible how, in that chapel, we were united through Christ. hill that they had never seen before. There was an eerie quietness and a night so black - void of lights except for the stars in the sky. It was the stars that reminded them to The night we crossed the border back into Texas, some look up to of theour heavens. members team visited Catholic Charities Refugee Services Center, where hundreds of refugees from various Icountries left Charlotte that I in was going to witness and waitedthinking to be processed order to seek legal asylum share my God with them, instead they taught me about in the US. The number of families in the facility was shocking, and faces were heart didthey everything faiththe – anxious an unconditional faith breaking. in a GodWe that knew we could to bring some peace and show them that God was would take care of them. They welcomed strangers and with them during theirto difficult time.treated A few other girlsfamily and I opened their hearts us. They us like braided of brothers children, and which seemed insignificant to becausethe we hair are all sisters in Christ. us, yet it put a huge smile on their faces. Other members of our group helped prepare meals and organize supplies of the There areMy still so many unmet Puerto Rico, lives ministry. time at theneeds refugee centerinwas extremely eye are still being rebuilt. We hope to return soon to opening as to how much I take my home for granted.continue rebuilding churches and helping those who are still struggling. While our work was seemingly small in the realm of an entire town full of poverty, we helped changed the lives of three families. Consider joining a church mission trip for a service www.myersparkumc.org/puerto-rico over self, life changing experience, where you will grow in your love of Christ while sharing it with others. www.myersparkumc.org/serve
ZOE KENYA MISSION By Susan Shirer
MPUMC will take two mission trips to ZOE-Kenya in 2020: January 21-30 and July 14-23 Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stated, “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.” I believe this quote perfectly describes the children I met through ZOE-Kenya and sheds light on the dynamics of the Project ZOE community.
Visiting the ZOE-Kenya children will give you a new perspective on life. Through the empowerment program, these children have found their way from the depths of poverty. Before ZOE, many of them would wake up and wonder whether or not they would get a meal that day; the organization has helped the children develop skills which enable them to support themselves and their siblings. By worldly standards, the children would still be considered destitute; however, they are so thankful for everything that they do have because God has answered their prayers through ZOE. From hearing their stories, one can see how the children’s life experiences and support from ZOE have shaped their hearts and filled them with compassion. Many of the children go on to support other orphans in the community with clothing or school fees -- some adopting them completely. One girl mentioned that in addition to her three siblings, she had been able to support an eight-year-old child in the community. I asked her who the child was -- a relative, neighbor, or family friend? She responded that the child was none of these, just a stranger in rags who often passed by her business that was near the road. One day she stopped the child and after inquiring about their situation, she decided to support them since she had mercifully been supported by ZOE. You could definitely tell a difference in the groups of children who were further along in the program and those that were just getting started, but you are able to truthfully tell those children you know they will be successful after hearing all of the inspiring stories of those that came before them. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this amazing experience and to have met all of these beautiful people. They truly are a testament of God’s love and grace. www.myersparkumc.org/kenya-zoe
ZOE MALAWI MISSION By Brandon Lowery
MPUMC will take a mission team September 9-17, 2020. We recently expanded our sponsorship with Zoe Empowers beyond Kenya to Malawi. This will be the first opportunity for members of MPUMC to visit ZOE-Malawi’s staff and children.
A Zoe Empowers trip will provide you with the experience of a lifetime! You will meet the in-country staff members and the incredible young people who are being empowered to move beyond charity. You will see and experience how the Zoe Empowers model is changing lives socially, economically, and spiritually. On a trip, you will visit with and learn from young people who are engaged in each stage of the Zoe Empowers program. You will have an opportunity to be a guest in their homes. You will see how the relationships they have with fellow group members are providing them with an extended family within their communities. You will witness firsthand how their group projects and businesses are helping them to thrive in the midst of adversity. And you will even get a taste of the local culture through a tourism experience to the breathtaking Lake Malawi. When traveling with Zoe Empowers, you will encounter heartache and joy, tears and laughter, desperation and dancing, sadness and singing — and you will return home with renewed hope as you are inspired by the stories of the young people who are moving from poverty to selfsustainability. www.myersparkumc.org/malawi-zoe
Jubilee Plus! Planting seeds in our community and the world… offers the members and friends of Myers Park United Methodist Church an opportunity to support outreach around the world. Since its creation in 2007, the congregation has given millions for local and world outreach, and scholarships for students pursuing a call to ministry. We are changing lives among our ministry partners working with local pastors and children in Brazil, working alongside our missionaries in Costa Rica, making an education possible for children in Haiti, building homes in Mexico, disaster recovery in Puerto Rico, empowering children in Kenya thru the work of ZOE, and so much more - all of it and more benefit from Jubilee Plus! Become a part of sharing God’s great love and #livedifferently by joining us and our mission partners, donating to Jubilee Plus and with your prayers. http://www.myersparkumc.org/jubileeplus Susan Francis
Thank you for reading these wonderful stories. I pray you allowed the stories to shed light on the beautiful relationships and purpose of why we do what we do in World Missions. It’s not about tourism, it’s not so we can feel like good rich privileged people to help those “poor” people. Our mission experiences give us the chance to #growdeeper in our faith, #worshipfully with our sisters and brothers, and to #livedifferently as we all seek to journey with all of God’s beloved children. When we do mission it’s so that we can see the way things are and the way they ought to be and close the gap. Join us, take a step of faith and ask God, where are You calling me to walk with my sisters and brothers. Grace and peace Nathan Arledge
MYERS PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1501 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207 • 704-376-8584 Go to www.myersparkumc.org/serve to learn more.