A Moment for Mission
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff —they comfort me." —Psalm 23:4, NRSV
Migrant families from Venezuela are finding safety and hope at Nacional Casa de la Esperanza (National House of Hope) in Lima, Peru. United Methodists—through their generous gifts on UMCOR Sunday—enrich the United Methodist Committee on Relief as it assists the Methodist Church of Peru project.
"We have had two months of progress, mainly dedicated to implementing and refreshing the physical environment of the church to provide a place worthy of welcome to families, but above all, to create solidarity and coexistence," Carmen Mollo Gutiérrez, coordinator, said last autumn.
They began by hosting four families, but that quickly grew to eight families.
"I have come to notice the urgency of supporting women more strongly, since the crisis situation that they live in as migrants is affecting them much more," Gutiérrez explained. Often, survivors of family violence have nowhere to go. "We have provided protection in the case of a mother with her two girls who were violated by her partner," she added.
These families, she continued, "come to our country with the hope of restarting their lives with great faith and much inner strength. Sharing life with migrant families has changed our lives. To a certain extent, we are blessed by them because through them God speaks to us, teaches us to love and to be supportive."
United Methodist sharing through the UMCOR Sunday offering (March 22) helps to ensure that UMCOR can respond to need around the world.
—Adapted from "Letter from a Partner: Methodist Church of Peru," Oct. 23, 2019, UMCOR website
Offertory Prayer
Loving God, be with us as we walk with your children through the darkest valley of their lives. Comfort them and give them courage. In your name, we pray. Amen.
From Discipleship Ministries: Fourth Sunday in Lent – Good and Faithful God: We bring our tithes and offerings to you this morning as part of our act of praise. The psalmist reminds us that you have filled our cup to overflowing, and we are convicted by the image that perhaps we have only offered to you what spills out of our full cup. In your grace and love, let us see it instead that your love and blessing will not be contained in any vessel, but will always overflow to reach and bless others. May we not only see it this way, but may we live it in lives of generosity. In the name of Christ who gave all and held nothing back. Amen. (Psalm 23)
Newsletter Nugget
United Methodist women in Côte d'Ivoire have seen their dream of opening a food-processing plant become a reality. The women will be making a traditional Ivorian dish made from cassava semolina (flour).
"This is an opportunity to produce attiéké—in quantity and quality—a highly valued local commodity," said Bishop Benjamin Boni, Côte d'Ivoire Episcopal Area.
A new green building houses the semi-mechanized production unit. The plant is a tangible result of the conference's focus on the theme "Church and Food Security: You Give Them Something to Eat."
The total cost of the project was $350,000, with $150,000 coming from districts and individuals. In addition to a $200,000 grant, UMCOR ensured that the project was community-driven.
"In recent years, the agency has invested more than $779,000 in a variety of humanitarian- assistance projects to improve the lives of women and children in Côte d'Ivoire," said Lorrie King, UMCOR's director of Sustainable Development.
Through your generous giving on UMCOR Sunday, lives are changed. Thank you!
—Adapted from "Traditional Ivorian Dish Cooking Up Profits for Women," Isaac Broune, UM News, Jan. 15, 2020. Used by permission.