Our Missionary – Helen Sheperd’s December Newsletter

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son , … John 3:16
God sent his Son, Jesus, to Earth to teach us about hope, peace, love, and mercy. Have we learned this, yet?
Do our lives reflect these things?
This year I am thinking about the need for more humility and compassion in the world, as well as hope, peace, love, and mercy. What are you pondering this Advent season?

Dear Friends,
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. May you know the joy of the celebration of his birth more this year than ever before. In this world of conflict, may you be reassured of God’s uncon-ditional love for you. May hope, peace, joy, and love fill your hearts and lives this Advent season and in the coming year.
Grace Hospice::
Having student nurses with us at Grace Hospice daily, without a break, for two months, we now have some time to focus on other things in our hospice team, and be even more intent about improving our individual care of patients and their families. The students opened my eyes a couple of times to some really key issues of individual patients , which resulted in making a huge difference in their care. After this practice period was concluded I met the Mongolian teacher who is teaching the hospice classes at the nursing college. In addition to talking about the specifics of grading and the like, we talked of frustrations, and even had a few laughs together. Dr. D., a pediatric physician by training and is a fine person, compassionate and truly interested in the students. What a privilege it is to be part of the ―hospice team‖ of teachers offering education al experiences for the students.
With no students to teach each day , there is now time to get acquainted with new hospice home care patients by personally visiting in their homes. Today in the bitter cold my translator, our new mission intern, and I ventured out to meet a thirteen old girl with bone cancer. My translator and I are not adept at finding addresses (that is an understatement of the truth), but today we found our way to this young girl’s home. I really wanted to see how things were with her and her parents. It was a powerful experience, one which certainly touched my heart and humbled me beyond belief. H.E. was lying in her bed and experiencing significant shortness of breath ,as well as profound weakness, so there was not a lot of talking, as it was just too hard for her to communicate verbally.—She had to concentrate on breathing. She and her little sister and parents moved to the City from the countryside in May just to get her some treatment. After a diagnosis of bone cancer of her leg the tumor grew rapidly and she rapidly lost strength and became bedbound. The tumor in her thigh is huge, now. When she is struggling to breathe, her father ( and only her father) holds her to his chest to ease her discomfort., which has been profound especially due to the spread of cancer to her lungs. After praying with H.E. and talking with-her parents about her care and if she wanted to remain at home I was changed by this encounter. How could our hearts have not been softened by such an intense experience—so devastating to this loving family. How could we leave with concern for ourselves and our discomforts and our worries? As I went to bed it was with her on my mind. All I could do was lift her up in conversation with God.– Praying for peace and comfort for her and her family.
Just two months ago we lost a 21 year old patient with the same kind of disease, bone cancer with lung metastasis. What a lovely young woman. She is gone and her family is struggling to stay together. And, now a 17 year old boy with bone cancer has been referred for Hospice care. I haven’t met him yet, but he is next on my list of people to visit. Mainly, I want to know that this family is getting enough support.
We are still looking for a nurse and doctor to hire and train for hospice work.—But, no one has applied.
We are in desperate need of a couple of new nurses and two new doctors. The problem in recruiting is not just the fact that we can’t compete with some well-funded ,new, private hospitals, but it is also that we are holding out for new staff who really have hospice enthusiasm, compassion, and are Christians. (This has been an especially difficult year with three new staff members who did not have these three characteristics.) We are increasing the salaries, and that is actually the easy part, but finding compassionate, hospice-hearted, young doctors and nurses will take a miracle, perhaps only achieved through the prayers of many. I would like to hire some of the nursing students who are practicing at Grace Hospice. Please pray for us. If we don’t find some staff soon , I can envision closing our Hospice soon. That is how critical it is that we find some new staff.
OTHER MISSION NEWS:
The newly organized music program is going well with lessons on the horsehead fiddle and soon on the yattig instrument. Informally, we also have guitar, drum, and piano les-sons as young people desire. I am hopeful that with all of the energy Dr. S.T. Kimbrough is pouring into this program that some day, soon, we will in fact have some traditional instrumental music in the worship service.
Bible Study:
The short range goal for Bible study is that those who call themselves Christians will know what we celebrate on December 25th, and will say ―Christmas,‖ ―the birth of Jesus‖ or something similar AND NOT say that we are celebrating the ―new year‖.
Advent Activities:
Nothing really new this year, but still Advent is a time of excitement with the preparation of gifts; staff party; visiting patients to pray with them, sing carols, and give each one a gift; and of course Christmas cookies to bake; and sharing the reason for this joyful season.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
We give thanks for all of the donations we have received to continue God’s work here in Mongolia under the GBGM of the UMC. Thank you for your part in this UMC mission. if you feel so led by God. any gifts would be greatly appreciated .
If you wish to send a donation through the Advance, 100% of it will be sent to Grace Hospice if you write ―GBGM Advance #14928A ― on it. OR If you wish to make a donation for the express purpose of maintaining the six churches and two mission centers and their programs, please make your donation to: #00209A – ―Mongolia Mission Initiative.‖ And, if you wish to contribute to my salary support, please use this number: #11810Z– ―Helen Sheperd‖
Please mail donations to this address: Advance GCFA; P.O. Box 9068, GPO; New York, NY 10087-9068, U.S.A.
PRAYER SUPPORT:
1– Batkhuu , our former treasurer, and his family
2– Grace Hospice—need a new doctor and nurse
3– Grace Hospice staff to have the stamina to make it through another long, cold winter of home visits .
4– God’s guidance in future planning for Grace Hospice and the UMC mission in Mongolia.
5– The Mongolian government– that a major change will happen with bribes no longer necessary.
6– All of those people who are without shelter and food this winter.
Peace and Joy to you,
Helen
Helen Sheperd, CPO Box 1242; Ulaanbaatar 13, Mongolia
helensheperd@yahoo.com

Missions Alive! At GUM Church

…a blog specifically designed to keep our GUM community informed about our efforts and achievements.

Check back often for ongoing updates and become a part of our daily endeavor to become better disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!

Coming Event

Christmas Eve Mission Giving

On Christmas Eve the money received will go to
Hunger Relief Agencies in West Michigan.

Hygiene Kits

GUM will begin collecting items for Hygiene Kits on October 30.
Below is a list of the items needed.  You may put together one whole kit, purchase
a few items, or purchase a number of just one item.

Containers will be in the narthex.  There will be a running total to check out to see how we are doing.
OUR GOAL IS 1,000 KITS OR MORE!

12 oz. – 16 oz. bottle of shampoo
3 oz. – 6.4 oz. size bar of soap
washcloth
4 oz. – 6 oz. toothpaste (can removed from boxes – be sure that the date of expiration is several months awayy)
6″ toothbrush (individually wrap, if possible)
comb (unbreakable)
2 oz. – 6 oz. hand sanitizer
2.5 oz. – 5.3 oz. normal size “stick” deodorant (no spray)
A heavy duty one-gallon sealable plastic bag to store all of the items.

UMCOR- United Methodist Committee On Relief

2011 has been a year with many disasters throughout the world – earthquakes, a tsunami, volcanoes, floods and tornadoes.
Over 200 tornadoes swirled destruction through eight southern states – Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

The goal of UMCOR in a disaster, whether in the United States or internationally, is to provide immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation for the entire person and community.
Due to the many disasters in this country and abroad, the need is great and a gift of money allows UMCOR to respond in the most, effective, timely manner.
For International Disaster Response, mark your gift – Advance #982450-8
For Domestic Disaster Response, mark your gift – Advance #901670-1

Designated Giving: McCurdy School

McCurdy School: A Light in the Valley
(A GUMC Funded Mission)  

McCurdy School, A United Methodist Women national mission institution, provides a safe and caring educational environment for students in the Espanola area, one of the poorest communities in New Mexico.  The school has been serving the area for nearly a century.
The school contains 40 buildings spread over 44 acres and a maintenance staff of three.  Hundreds of volunteers help each year to keep McCurdy School running.

Currently, there are 270 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.
Twenty percent of the population surrounding Espanola live in poverty and many more close to the line.
Many challenges face this community – the county has the highest rate of drug fatalities in the country.  Other problems include teen pregnancy, broken homes, parents who do not know English and so are unable to help their children with their homework.
McCurdy’s formula in facing the communities problems is simple: Small class sizes, teachers who care, a safe school environment and financial assistance.
The school’s record speaks for itself.  They have almost no drop outs and 95 percent of the students go on to higher education.
McCurdy is a Christian school and provides religious education classes but it does not try to force any point of view on anyone.
Enrollment is down and outside support has dropped due to the economy.
Pray for the teachers and the school that God will provide its needs.

Tents for Haiti

22 tents bound for Haiti

In response to the earthquake in Haiti, the Easter offering was used to purchase 21 Coleman tents for earthquake survivors. The tents were purchased from Walmart, and Walmart donated an additional tent to bring the total to 22.

After several weeks of waiting for the tents to arrive at Walmart, we are happy to report that 22 tents have been shipped to Haiti! Tents were shipped through Rays of Hope for Haiti and they will be delivered to the Methodist Church of Haiti for disbursement. Doug Porritt from Rays of Hope for Haiti reported that there are still people on waiting lists for tents who are currently living under sheets and tarps.

Keeping the Legacy Alive – United Methodist Community House

Keeping the Legacy Alive – United Methodist Community House

Special Sunday Offering – Sunday, June 27, 2010

The West Michigan Annual Conference body passed a motion to ask for a special offering to be collected by all of the churches in the West Michigan Conference on June 27, 2010, for the United Methodist Community House (UMCH).

United Methodist women started this program 108 years ago. It has been a critical part of the lives of people in inner-city Grand Rapids’ neighborhoods, some of whom now sit on its Board of Directors. While individuals are being forced to do less with less, UMCH is challenged to do more with less. They are seeing more families struggling to afford quality childcare; more youth challenged to succeed in school and life; more women caught in the vicious cycle of prostitution and substance abuse; more families seeking something better for their children; and, more seniors who have no one to turn to for needed support. Unfortunately, UMCH is presently $200,000 in debt and struggling to keep valuable programs and staff operational.  Unless something is done, we may not be able to continue this legacy of The United Methodist Church.

The Methodist needs as much help as you can give, NOW! A new Chief Executive Officer, Richard Clanton, who is skilled in raising money and running nonprofit businesses, has been hired and a new business plan is being developed. Therefore, it appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel; however, we have to first get through the tunnel. United Methodist Community House is truly a “Lifeline for a Lifetime” and is committed to the clients it serves. For many, the UMCH is the only consistent and positive aspect of their life. It is at “The Methodist” that they know they will be treated with dignity and respect while receiving the quality services they need.

We need your prayers. We need your support.

Please help as much as you can and remember…every dollar makes a difference and will change lives. Please help keep the United Methodist Legacy Alive!

United Methodist Community House, 904 Sheldon Avenue SE, Grand Rapids MI 49507

Phone: (616) 452-3226 EXT. 3048     Fax: (616) 452-0939 Website: www.umchousegr.org

Missions ALIVE! at GUM Church…

…a blog specifically designed to keep our GUM community informed about our efforts and achievements.

Check back often for ongoing updates and become a part of our daily endeavor to become better disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!