December Response

December 1999

Emmanuel! God Is With Us!

Our theme this month is "Emmanuel! God is with Us!" We often tell stories of how United Methodist Women bring God to others. In this issue, we see how those with whom we are in mission reveal God to us.

"Emmanuel! God With Us!" by Minda Peranginangin-Tampubolon

This Bible study explores what it means to see God's love in the midst of turmoil. Written by a native of Indonesia, it will give new insights into God's love and what it can mean for us as part of the most powerful country in the world that always interrelates power, money and politics. It looks at scripture from Isaiah and analyzes what we are asked to do as Christians, then reminds us of the good news. God is patient. God is with us.

"Answered Prayers" by Lesley Crosson

This story is about a Burundian woman who is responding to a near-death experience that she had during childbirth in a foreign land. Today, she is the head of a 60-woman United Methodist Women unit in Burundi and she is determined to use her experience to reach out to women and children who have been widowed and orphaned by war. Read this article.

"From the Hill of New Spring" by Ji Hae Shin

Ji Hae Shin, an immigrant to the United States from Korea, tells how she overcame obstacles that challenged her faith-- the back-breaking labor trying to help her family survive; the hopeless feeling when she watched stores burn in Koreatown during the L.A. riots; the prejudices that formed after the L.A. violence. Then, Ms. Shin was challenged by God. Today, Ms. Shin finds God among the customers, mostly African-American, in her Chicago dry-cleaning business.

"A Voice for the Voiceless" by A. Victoria Hunter

This article is a profile of Judy Kading, a United Methodist Women who works for justice for immgrants in our nation's heartland. It describes her call to advocacy, the plight of the immigrants for whom she works, and the abuse and corruption she speaks out against.

"When Children Lead" by Lucy Burciaga

From the mouths and actions of children can come incredible stories that personify God for us. Lucy Burciaga, vice president of the Women's Division, shares stories of her grandchildren that exhibit God is with us.

"We Are Not Alone" by Lyda Pierce

United Methodist missionary Lyda Pierce shares moving experiences of how she encountered God in the women of Nicaragua during the nation's war years. The war is now over, but new challenges exist for these women and for us. The challenges for women of Nicaragua come from the debilitating foreign debt, a globalizing world community, and a political culture mired in corruption. The challenge for us comes as we look at their faces, realize we are part of the most powerful country in the world, and look for ways to recognize and empower our marginalized sisters. The article is about God with them and with us. Read this.

"Images from a Healing Nation: Children from South Africa"

This is a visual article, showing art by children who attend For Love of Children preschool in Johannesburg, South Africa. Here, seventy children, some of whom are homeless, are learning to live together and preparing for life in a nation seeking to heal from apartheid at the school, which is housed in a Methodist Church and supported by UMW's undesignated giving.

"Creating Community" by Beryl Goldberg

When homeless squatters moved into a town overnight, after the open sewer system had been cleaned up, a new challenge began. These people need land on which to live and shelter in which to exist. This is a story of providing for this need outside of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, while working alongside those who would benefit. It's an article about the gifts of being in mission with people.

"A Safe Place for Kids" by Beryl Goldberg

This is the story of Sao Gabriel Community Center in Brazil. The first of its kind in this town, it offers a safe place to leave children while parents go to work, along with tuturoing, parenting courses, vocational training and more. This is an article about meeting the needs of the community.

"Encounters with The Divine" by Darlene Slack

Fifty young adults from the United States set off for India in 1949 to prove ordinary people could become effective missionaries. In their three-year terms as teachers, secretaries, social workers, youth leaders, agricultural workers, and assistants to church leaders, these missionaries tell stories emphasizing not what they took to India, but what India gave to them. As these former missionaries celebrated their 50 year reunion, they shared their stories and encounters with God among the people of India.

"United Methodist Women Become Missioners of Hope" by Denise Johnson Stovall

A 74-year-old widow and a newly graduated college student are two United Methodist Women who were recently commissioned as Missioners of Hope to Africa. The new program was created to address the United Methodist Bishops Initiative on the Children of Africa, a theme familiar to United Methodist Women. Yet,what's unique about this program is that of the 100 Missioner of Hope, 80 are to be African. This article shares the program, the hope for it, and the stories of the two United Methodist Women who will be involved in it.

"A Dream Home" by Tequila Minsky

Out of a disaster, a dream took shape. When the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe, Japan, struck in 1995, more than 6400 people died, 44,000 were injured and 300,000 homes were destroyed. Among these were two United Methodist missionary houses. This is the story of the dream that developed after the destruction of the missionary houses. Now, a group home for adults with disabilities has opened, serving a population traditionally marginalized from society. This article tells the story.

"Cooking Up Independence" by Tequila Minsky

In Japan, there is a stigma attached to having a child or sibling with a disability. This article is about the programs of The Wakamatsu Bungo-- Young Pines-- workshop. The UMW-supported institutions not only provides employment for developmentally disabled men and women, but it educates society and families about these disabilities. This is an article about the stories of the persons of Young Pine and the cutting-edge work of the project.

Other Articles:

See also: