Conference Team Returns from Haiti; Second Team Leaves in August
Written: 5/27/2010
(Susan Hunt) The group of 5 gathered at Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery on May 11 at noon to head to Haiti. This was our first conference UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers In Mission) team to work with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), UMVIM and the United Methodist Church in Haiti after the devastating earthquake on January 12. Our conference team was one of the first 5 teams to go to Haiti in the new system coordinated through UMVIM. Working with the Methodist Church of Haiti will ensure the work we do there will be meaningful and helpful, and the work teams do is what the Haitians have decided they need the most.
The team returned on May 19 with many pictures and stories of the devastation, but with great respect and love for the people there. Rev. Michael Lawler reflected, “It’s the worst destruction I’ve seen anywhere, and I was in two wars. I think the people of Haiti are very resilient, and they’re trying to bring normalcy to the chaos they find themselves in. But it will truly be a long time before they’re back on their own feet. They will need our help to make that happen. When we asked them what they needed most, they answered ‘work.’ If they can go back to work, they can care for their families. I think that says a lot about their spirit. They’re not looking for handouts; they are looking for a way out of their situation.”
UMCOR is employing two Haitians for every American team member who serves there. The people they employ are assisting teams as cooks and interpreters, and also working as carpenters, painters, de-construction workers, and more. Plus, UMCOR is matching the project funds brought by each team ($3,500 per team). Funds are used for building materials and to hire laborers.
The people of Haiti are very grateful for the teams who are coming to help because our teams show them they are not forgotten or in this alone. It shows we care because we’re there, and that brings them hope. The UMVIM motto – Christian Love in Action – is lived out through our teams.
The media has already moved on to other matters so we rarely hear about Haiti in the news anymore, but the situation in Haiti is as dire as ever. The immediate needs for trauma care are not as prevalent. However, the current health issues are still serious and revolve around diseases such as malaria and typhoid as well as other healthcare problems such as diabetes and malnutrition. The unsanitary conditions and destruction are everywhere; the need for teams will continue for many years to come.
We are currently scheduling a second team to travel to Haiti August 17-25. If you are interested in participating with this team, contact Glenn Glover, Conference UMVIM Coordinator, at umvim@awfumc.org, or 334-703-1115. There is space on this team for 12 people. The goal is to have as many potential team leaders on this team who will lead future teams to Haiti. Rev. Lawler is already tentatively scheduling a team for January 2011.
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