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April 27, 2004
Midwest: Painful Path of Twisters
The tornadoes that tore through several towns in rural Illinois last week caused loss of lives as well as structural damage. "You can replace the buildings," a Federal Emergency Management official said, "but you can't replace the people who are lost. It's painful for everyone," he told a news reporter. Your prayers and gifts to UMCOR Advance #901670, Domestic Disaster Response, mean that vulnerable persons not eligible for FEMA benefits will be able to receive assistance.
Liberia: Ganta Hospital Reopens
Health services such as eye exams, prenatal and maternity care, and emergency surgery are once again available to people in the northeastern region of Liberia with the reopening of the Ganta United Methodist Hospital on April 14. A story in an email from United Methodist missionaries Herbert and Mary Zigbuo illustrates the great need for a well-equipped facility. Just days before the reopening ceremonies, a maternity patient was weak and in pain, struggling to give birth to twins. She needed emergency surgery. The nearest hospital was a two-hour drive away in a four-wheel-drive vehicle doubling as an ambulance. As patient, doctor, missionaries, and anesthetist made the jolting ride over the rough roads, workers at the distant hospital raced to round up blood donors, awake the scrub nurse and lab technician from their sleep, and prepare for surgery. Though one of the twins died, the mother lived, "only by the grace of God," wrote Herbert and Mary. Your support in prayers, materials and funds enables the continuing ministry of Ganta Hospital. Give generously to UMCOR Advance #150385, Ganta Hospital Emergency.
Sudan: International Peacekeeping Urged
In response to the events in the bleak savannahs of Darfur, on the border between Sudan and Chad, the head of the church's mission agency is calling for an international peacekeeping action. This week, R. Randy Day, the chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries, challenged United Methodists worldwide to call for a halt "to a grave humanitarian crisis caused by bitter political, economic, and inter-ethnic conflict." In addition to contacting United Nations officials to encourage international peace efforts, you can support relief efforts of UMCOR through donations to Advance #184385, Sudan Emergency.
Three New Resources: DVD, Print, Electronic
Works of recovery and life-changing ministry supported by your donations become real in three new UMCOR resources produced to help you animate your church's mission focus and encourage giving to UMCOR:
UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.
And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.
