SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — On June 30, 2025, a centennial celebration was held at Lee Sam Bong Hall at Ewha Womans University to honor the 100th anniversary of Methodist mission work in Korea.

The commemoration highlighted the century-long legacy of three foundational legal bodies that significantly shaped Methodist mission in Korea. In 1924, the American Methodist Korean Women’s Mission Foundation was established to support women-led mission initiatives. This was followed by the founding of the Foundation of Southern Methodist Church in Korea in 1925, which expanded the institutional and property base of mission work. In 1926, the Foundation of Methodist World Mission-Korea was formed to unify and strengthen the growing infrastructure of Methodist mission. These three organizations were instrumental in establishing more than 400 churches, schools, hospitals and social service centers across Korea, and later played a pivotal role in the formation of the Korean Methodist Church in 1930.

Methodist mission in Korea began in 1883 with the first donations toward missionary efforts, which led to the arrival of the first missionaries in 1885. Over the past 140 years, more than 700 missionaries have served in Korea, contributing to spiritual, educational and social development across the country.

Distinguished international guests attended the celebration, including Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, executive secretary of the UMC Council of Bishops; Jana Jones, president of United Women in Faith; and Sally Vonner, general secretary/CEO of United Women in Faith. Their presence symbolized the enduring partnership between the Korean Methodist Church and The United Methodist Church community.

This historic event celebrated the legacy of past mission efforts and reaffirmed a shared commitment to future ministry and collaboration.

The Rev. Paul Kong is the Asia Pacific Region Representative for Global Ministries.  

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Life is undeniably tough for migrant workers in Taiwan, where we work as Global Missionaries with migrant workers, especially with people from the Philippines, where we come from as well. Families back home often make the painful decision to let their loved ones leave in search of decent work and the hope of a better, more abundant life. This pursuit often comes at a high cost: creating absentee parents, spouses and children. To sustain daily needs and chase a brighter future, many are forced into long-term separations, not just for months, but for years.

We encounter both men and women who have left families to work overseas. Our ministry, called TAHANAN, meaning “Home,” is a place of comfort and a supportive community. They find us through fellow workers and by other means. One woman was new to working abroad and had difficulty adjusting to life as a Filipino Migrant Worker. Although our place is primarily a provider of social or emotional services, our ministry offers something just as essential – what we call “spiritual upliftment.” We believe in helping migrant workers rediscover their God-given identity and integrity.

As this woman stayed with us, we discerned she had challenges within her marriage. Her husband, left behind in the Philippines, had become increasingly controlling. Fearing that his wife might fall in love with someone else, he forbade her from making friends or joining community gatherings. He instructed her to go straight to her dormitory after work, with no social interaction. Each time she needed to go out, he demanded she ask his permission.

To make matters worse, her husband maintained the illusion that she was living comfortably abroad. He had no idea of the harsh reality she faced with loneliness, exhaustion and the emotional weight of her situation. She struggled to work and even sleep, feeling suffocated and emotionally strangled. She longed to return home, to escape this burden and the growing homesickness, but she was trapped by debts and the ongoing needs of her children in the Philippines. She knew she must stay for several more years, not just to pay off loans, but to support her family’s basic needs. Many are caught in this kind of trap.

Migrant workers often anticipate that separation may negatively affect their families. According to FilipinoTimes.net, “Families of the majority of those who go abroad for work are affected. Family breakdown is one of the social costs of migration. There are those who, according to their spouses, no longer provide financial support.” This reality is evident in our mission, where we have heard the regrets, longings and emotional struggles of many migrant workers who come to us for help.

TAHANAN exists to address these challenges. We offer a home and a sense of family, giving migrants a safe space where they can belong, even temporarily. Through intensive spiritual and emotional counseling, seminars and community support, we help migrant workers navigate the pressures and struggles they face, especially in matters concerning their families.

We also strive to connect with their families back home, assuring them that their loved ones are being cared for and encouraged to grow emotionally and spiritually. We hope churches and even the government will create and support more programs that care for the families of migrant workers, so that the sacrifices of these modern-day heroes are not wasted.

As missionaries, we witness these struggles firsthand. We are committed to walking alongside every migrant worker who comes our way because we believe each one is deeply valued by our Father in heaven. Scripture teaches us to go after the one lost sheep because we know that when separated from the flock, it becomes vulnerable to wolves and other wild animals.

TAHANAN helps migrant workers grow wholistically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally through the teachings and training we provide. In fact, there are many who return home transformed, bringing with them the values and principles they learned here, and starting anew with their families. They now pursue a truly abundant life, not just in finances, but in faith, character and purpose.

The migrant workers recognize TAHANAN as a ministry that advocates their well-being. They see it as a safe refuge, especially in times of abuse and oppression. We have built this reputation through our committed and active presence among them at TAHANAN and through community engagement.

The Rev. Richard Navarro and the Rev. Alma Jumuad Navarro are both elders in the East Mindanao Annual Conference. They have served in Taiwan as Global Missionaries since 2014. They have two children, Charis and Chadash.

Global Missionaries

Global Ministries missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Through denominational or ecumenical ministries, missionaries are called by God and sent out to serve by the church, usually placed in a new cultural context beyond their country of origin. Missionaries engage in ministry that is defined by mutuality and partnership, seeking to expand the mission of God already present and active in people and places. Explore the work of Global Ministries missionaries.

Support the ministries of missionaries working around the world, Advance # 00779Z.

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Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4

Hope is one of the cardinal Christian virtues and a gift of the Holy Spirit. If we reflect on the opening verse of this writing, we observe that God has amazing yet mysterious ways of blessing us with spiritual gifts. It is fantastic because the spiritual gift of hope brings peace even amidst utter chaos.

In my placement site in Southeast Asia, I witness the hope of the Lord in both mysterious and amazing ways. The context in which I am serving is not hospitable for Christianity. Openly professing the gospel of Christ to nonbelievers is prohibited. Most churches operate underground. Only one denomination has gained government recognition, and it also must keep operations limited. The situation is better in the capital, but serious consequences await you in the countryside if you talk about the Good News of Jesus.

I have met and heard stories of pastors who were excommunicated from their community and even jailed just for talking about God. This is the very point where I witness the hope of the Lord in my placement site. Christians here have never let go of hope, despite persecution; they continue to profess God’s word. I see how persecution has revitalized their faith rather than breaking their hope. 

As Psalm 27:10 states; “My father and mother may abandon me, but the Lord will take care of me.” Many new Christians here are banished by their families, but even such painful incidents work in building their faith in God, cultivating hope. 

The ways that I witness hope here I have never seen in countries that are free to worship God and spread the gospel. Here, I have seen the hope of God spreading inwardly and outwardly, vertically and horizontally. Personal hope helps people grow deeper in their faith and continue working for God. The hope of salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ is spread to others. The hope of freedom from sin and cleansing of the heart is passed to each other amid worldly torment. Hebrews 10:22 describes it as encouraging believers to approach God with sincere hearts and full assurance of faith, having their hearts cleansed from a guilty conscience and their bodies washed with pure water.  

Prayer: May all the missionaries and servants of God in this place become the source of hope to all the people who have met, or are yet to meet, Jesus. May we all not only receive the hope of the Lord but also reflect the Lord’s hope like sincere mirrors. Amen!

S. Gill is a Global Mission Fellow serving as an English teacher in Southeast Asia.

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Hope in the Lord!
Be strong! Let your heart take courage!
Hope in the Lord!

Psalm 27: 14

David, the author of this Psalm, knows from experience what it means to “hope in the Lord.” He was anointed king at age 16 and didn’t ascend to the throne until he was 30. In the meantime, he was hunted down in the desert by the jealous King Saul. He waited patiently for God’s promise to come true. It’s not easy to hope in God, to wait for Divine intervention. 

Waiting for God’s promise reminds me of visiting Gahambwe, Burundi, in 2020, in the Methodist District of Kiniyiya. When I arrived, I was surprised to see pregnant women, old women in tears and men collecting rocks and stones to deposit in a designated area in the bush. Though they had no money for the work, they hoped that a health clinic might be built, and they put that hope in God.

This community lacks pure water, so they drink polluted river run-off, which causes disease – malaria because of breeding mosquitoes, and cholera. They told me for a long time that their community was suffering, that women and young children were dying because there was no health center near this community.

Seeing these mothers and grandmothers, and even physically handicapped people, holding these stones to deposit them, I began to shed tears. I wondered what could be done and from whom the solution would come. Being a missionary in Africa isn’t easy. People you meet think you can solve their problem in the blink of an eye.

I asked them to hope in God, who hears the prayers of those who call, as we took the information to Global Health at Global Ministries. The day after I returned to Bujumbura, I prayed that God would grant the prayer made by this community. I even wrote this prayer for Gahambwe in my journal on my life as a Global Missionary.

We continued to pray, waiting for the Lord to intervene. And even when the health coordinator of the UMC of Burundi and I were working on the project, we prayed that we’d get there.

Today in 2025, we declare that God has truly been manifested. With the support of Global Ministries through its Global Health unit, this desert scrubland has become a fully equipped health center, with a community well alongside, giving a whole community hope for life. The UMC in Burundi also contributed to this work to build one of the units on the campus. This work is in the image of Jesus, who is the light that makes the darkness disappear. A miraculous development is taking place in Gahambwe.

Let us put our trust in Christ because Christ is worth the wait. I have seen ways that God uses the very time of waiting to refresh, renew and teach us. And then God’s miraculous intervention is accomplished for our joy and happiness.

Let us pray together: Lord Jesus, teach us to hope in you and wait wisely for your intervention in our lives.

Patrick Abro is a missionary from Côte d’Ivoire who serves with the United Methodist Burundi Annual Conference as a health operations manager.

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I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

 Psalm 27:13

My first few years in  Central America it was common to see women carrying jugs of water on their heads. Usually, they were carrying the water that their households needed for the day. Just a few years ago many Central American families lived without close access to water.

Today it is not very common in Central America to see anyone carrying water. This makes the reality of inadequate water access much more hidden. In many communities running water may be available only a few days a week. And when it is available the demand is so high that it only runs at a trickle. While families have running water on their property, they still must complete basic chores like laundry washing at the river because water is scarce.

With this context in mind, the concept of living water that Jesus offered to the Samaritan woman at the well, and continues to offer to anyone who is thirsty today, has a greater significance. It is often in the dry spells of life that a need is more recognizable. Give thanks to God for any need that you may have today. Many times, we as humans are ashamed of our needs, thinking that need represents weakness, shortcomings or failure. Without need we never long for a Savior. Need is not something to avoid, rather it is something to be embraced. Give thanks to God for any need that you may have today and take time to reflect upon how that need may represent an opportunity to grow in your faith and trust in Jesus.

Imagine the One, who is and was and is to come, sitting on a humble donkey, entering Jerusalem with full knowledge of each of the events that would occur in the upcoming days, eventually leading to him laying down his very life for the sake of others. It is incredible to have a creator who loves his creation enough to step down from his throne and take on the very life of that creation. I am moved by the extreme level of humility that Jesus took on to have a living relationship with me. I am even more humbled when I realize that I am called to follow his example.

In following Jesus’ example of a humble servant, we are called to lay down anything that may hinder us from connecting to him. What looks like a blessing in the physical or material world may be a hindrance. What looks like suffering or need may be a blessing.

Where many see suffering and lack, Jesus sees blessing. What many see as abundance and “at your fingertips” access and luxurious comfort, may be a stumbling block.

Prayer: Holy God, Lord of Heaven and Earth, Savior of the world, thank you for coming as a humble servant. Thank you for creating us with an eternal need for You. Help us today to see need in a new light, as an opportunity to trust in you. Help us not to try to erase need from the world, but to embrace it by finding ways to live in community with those in need, together pointing each other to you. Amen.

About this reflection

Ellyn Benson Dubberly is a Global Missionary serving as a leadership development coordinator in Central America with the Evangelical Methodist Church in Central America.

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ATLANTA – Eighteen global missionaries and five young adult Global Mission Fellows (GMFs) were commissioned – blessed and sent forth into mission service – on January 26 at Wanyange Central United Methodist Church in Jinga, Uganda. Together, they will serve across 15 countries, including Argentina, Cambodia, Switzerland and…Uganda. Their types of mission service range from pastor and professor to agriculturalist and doctor.

The worship service centered upon the theme of being called to mission, with scripture readings from Isaiah 6:1-8 and Matthew 28:18-20. Isaiah’s response, “Here am I, Lord. Send me,” served as a reminder of the importance of recommitting oneself to join in God’s mission.

Bishop Daniel Wandabula of the East Africa Episcopal Area delivered a sermon entitled “Living Out the Gospel, Transforming the World.” He reminded the congregation that God’s call upon our lives has the potential to change the world. “Missionary service is not a personal choice; it is a divine summons. Our missionaries and GMFs are not simply following a desire from within themselves. But they are answering a clear call from God to go and make disciples.”

After they were commissioned by Bishop Wandabula with the words “I commission you to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the world,” each candidate was presented with an anchor cross. The newly commissioned missionaries recited Wesley’s Covenant Prayer together, pledging their trust in God and service to the global church.

“Every time we worship in these commissioning services around the world, we are reminded what a great connection we have as The United Methodist Church,” said Global Ministries General Secretary Roland Fernandes. “And though we are different in so many ways, we are one in Jesus.” Fernandes also remarked on the renewed and strengthened relationship between Global Ministries and the East Africa Episcopal Area and shared his great hopes for the future of The United Methodist Church in the region.

As the service concluded, the congregation joined in a final blessing, offering encouragement and prayer over the group as they go forth to serve. Newly commissioned missionary Alejandro Alfaro-Santiz, who will serve in Argentina with his whole family, said he is excited to “…share God’s love through our actions and prayers and service in our daily lives.”

Sara Logeman is the senior manager of content and marketing for Global Ministries.

—–

Global Missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Through denominational or ecumenical ministries, missionaries bear witness to God’s presence all around the world. They are called by God and sent out to serve by the church, usually placed in a new cultural context beyond their country of origin. Missionaries engage in ministry that is defined by mutuality and partnership, seeking to expand the mission of God already present and active in people and places. Explore and support the work of Global Ministries missionaries.

Global Mission Fellows (GMFs) are young adults, ages 20–30, who are committed to serve in social justice ministries for two years. They enter new communities, understanding their challenges and assets through relationships and with the long-term goal to overcome systemic oppression. Fellows partner with community organizations to address a variety of issues, including migration/immigration, education, public health and poverty. Learn more about applying to become a GMF and support current fellows.

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“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

Mark 10:17b and 21

MADRID – As a global missionary with Global Ministries, I had the privilege of preaching at the Spanish Evangelical Church (IEE) in Madrid this fall. For decades, the Evangelical Protestant Church has been a marginalized voice, striving to remain steadfast in its mission to offer hope and comfort in a society that has often viewed it with suspicion or disdain.

Despite cultural and political pressures, it has sought to be a beacon of light for those most in need, including migrants and those displaced by the forces of capitalism and gentrification. Its commitment to social justice and caring for the marginalized reflects a gospel interpretation that challenges the power structures and inequalities permeating the country. My sermon was guided by the lectionary in Cycle B, focusing on passages from the Gospel of Mark. This provided an opportunity to reflect on the call for justice, compassion, and the radical hospitality that Christ embodies.

In our time together, we spoke of the urgent need to open the doors of this country, Spain, as a truly welcoming home for all, advocating for the end of violence and discrimination. We encouraged the congregation to embody the love and mercy of God in a world increasingly torn by hatred, division and the harmful rhetoric that fuels them. This world is not unlike the one baby Jesus experienced, as his family forcibly fled their country as refugees to escape the threat of death to the child. 

Today, across the globe, we are witnessing a dangerous rise in hate speech and divisive ideologies that seek to marginalize and oppress. From social media to political platforms, inflammatory language has become commonplace, even in the words of medium-quality comedians, contributing to an atmosphere of fear and hostility that threatens the communities. In this climate, the message of the Gospel is more relevant than ever: we are called to be agents of peace, to seek equity and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. And, because of the political situations unfolding in powerful nations after elections, the Christian community founded on the Gospel of Jesus is called to resist.

Inspired by the sermons and theology of John and Charles Wesley and Latin American theology, I challenged myself and the congregation to not only proclaim love for our neighbor but to demonstrate it through concrete actions (orthopraxis). We were reminded that faith is not passive; it calls us to actively resist injustice, advocate for the voiceless, and be living witnesses of Christ’s teachings. In times of hatred, white supremacy, racism and corruption, our response as Christians must be one of courageous love, rooted in the conviction that peace and equity are not just ideals, but divine mandates.

Please join your hearts with our Spanish members and pray with me, as a whole Christian family:

Dear God: May we continue to rise to this call to resist injustice and advocate for the voiceless as living witnesses to Christ’s teaching. Beyond Christmastide and into the New Year, may we recommit ourselves to be vessels of God’s peace in a world that so desperately needs it. Amen.

Pedro Zavala, from Mexico City, Mexico, is an academic officer associate and a professor with the United Evangelical Theological Seminary in Madrid, Spain. He served as a professor and an academic dean at Seminario Metodista “Dr. Gonzalo Báez Camargo” as former GBGM National in Mission (NIM), and private educational institutions (ITESM, UCSJ, CTM). He and his spouse, Cecilia López Bátiz, are the parents of a young son, Xavier.

Global Missionaries
Global Ministries missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Through denominational or ecumenical ministries, missionaries bear witness to God’s presence all around the world. They are called by God and sent out to serve by the church, usually placed in a new cultural context beyond their country of origin. Missionaries engage in ministry that is defined by mutuality and partnership, seeking to expand the mission of God already present and active in people and places.

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ATLANTA – 140 missionaries and staff gathered for a Town Hall Zoom meeting on Nov. 13, 2024, to talk with General Secretary Roland Fernandes and to celebrate milestone years of service for some missionaries and retirement for others. By the end of 2024, six missionaries at the gathering will be retiring from service in five different countries.

Fernandes affirmed Global Ministries’ rich history in sending missionaries over more than 200 years, and that they are all part of this legacy. “I want to remind all that this is not work that you do for Global Ministries or for The United Methodist Church, but work you do for God, and God has called each of you at this time in the place that you are. We live in hope knowing that God is with us and that we have the love of God amid all that is happening.”

The Rev. Dr. Judy Chung, executive director of Missionary Service, congratulated the group of retiring missionaries and gave each a chance to speak. They come from seven different countries and retire from assignments in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central Africa, the Philippines, Zimbabwe and Liberia. 

The Rev. Dr. Ediberto Lopez Rodriguez, from Puerto Rico, served for 23 years as a missionary professor in New Testament studies with the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. He said: “I am very grateful for these decades of service to the Lord in the ministry of Global Ministries. My joy comes to fruition when I see my current pastor explaining Scripture every Sunday with competency, and I see his effectiveness as a pastor. He is one of probably 2000 students I taught. If I had the chance to have another life like this, I would come back to my teaching place, to my theological education work for Global Ministries or to whatever place the Lord may send me.”

Nan McCurdy and Miguel Mairena, who are married, retire after 36 years for McCurdy and 28 years for Mairena. Originally Nan started her missionary service in San Juan de Limay, Nicaragua, with her first husband, Phil Mitchell. They were sent by the Baltimore-Washington Conference in 1985. “Phil and I discovered that our most worthwhile work was accompanying people who were grieving and suffering,” McCurdy said. “Almost every family had lost someone at that time.” After becoming Global Ministries’ missionaries in 1988, Mitchell died from a pulmonary embolism in 1991, leaving Nan, and their two girls, ages 13 months and 3 years. When given the choice of staying in Nicaragua or returning to the U.S., McCurdy chose to stay.

“I explained that I was grieving in a country where nearly everyone was grieving, so God had placed me where I needed to be,” she said. She continued work for two years with a foundation for war victims.

McCurdy and Mairena met in Nicaragua and were married in 1995. They served together through four more missionary assignments, the last being with Give Ye Them To Eat (GYTTE) in Puebla, Mexico.

Miguel Mairena grew up on an island in Big Lake, Nicaragua, and had no access to start primary school until he was 20-years-old. He values education very much. “Beginning in 1996, every time Nan and I were in the U.S., I would go to Wesley Seminary for one or two semesters. I graduated in 2007, later in Nicaragua.” He studied law on weekends in Nicaragua and now has a master’s in criminal law as well.

To GYTTE, in Mexico, Mairena gave legal advice, theological advice, but most of all, his ability to fix anything and invent solutions to problems at the 40-acre farm and training center. With his help, they now have water all the time and solar-heated showers.

Grace Musuka began her assignment in 2012, working with United Methodist Women (now United Women in Faith) in Central Africa as a Regional Missionary. Her assignment has been to empower women as peace builders, healers, economic developers in their communities and as leaders in their churches.

“I witnessed women growing spiritually, economically and in their self-esteem,” she said. “I plan to keep growing in my legacy, and my sincere appreciation goes to United Women in Faith and Global Ministries for the chance they gave me to be part of this journey. I’m retired, but I’m not tired. I’ll continue in my work.”

A second Regional Missionary, Emma Cantor, focused her work on leadership and organizational development in Asia. Leadership training encouraged women to stand up for themselves and recognize their abilities. Cantor provided literacy education that combined spiritual growth and various social issues.

She noted: “Some of these young women have become scholars and some went on to careers, so they have developed their leadership and become good decision makers. The leadership in rural areas is about economic development that has given the hope for women and young people to become effective, passionate, compassionate – to help themselves and to help their communities.”

Dr. Emmanuel Mefor is a medical doctor from Nigeria. He and his wife, Florence Mefor, a nurse midwife, have served as medical missionaries in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Dr. Mefor will be retiring from his assignment as a general practitioner with Old Mutare Hospital in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Florence Mefor continues as a missionary with Old Mutare, so they will remain in Zimbabwe for a while longer. Dr. Mefor plans to continue work on a voluntary basis.

“My 24-year journey of missionary work was neither prepared for nor premeditated,” he noted. “We Christians are all called to work daily in the vineyard of our God. To the younger and will-be missionaries; remember that there will be obstacles along your way. Prayers, integrity and passion for what you do are paramount. Being passionate about what you do is the driving force that makes you tireless.”

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries.

Global Missionaries

Global Ministries missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Through denominational or ecumenical ministries, missionaries bear witness to God’s presence all around the world. They are called by God and sent out to serve by the church, usually placed in a new cultural context beyond their country of origin. Missionaries engage in ministry that is defined by mutuality and partnership, seeking to expand the mission of God already present and active in people and places.

Explore the work of Global Ministries missionaries.

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PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – I enjoy the times I go with the staff to visit our mission sites. We know that in those special times that we bring good news, in the same way, we also receive good news. Though at times God leads us to meet people who have sad stories, the meeting often becomes the beginning of a good relationship. 

Caring for women has been a part of my ministry because women are very dear to my heart. As a missionary woman who serves as a treasurer and mission coordinator, I believe that women have this inner strength to handle any situation in life. They just need opportunities.  

We started the Women’s Livelihood Savings Cooperative program in one province in Dec. 2021 after the pandemic. With the help of our women’s coordinator, we organized two groups. At first, we sat down with them and listened to their stories and struggles.

One member told of her story when she gave birth to a special needs baby who was not accepted by her husband and his family, who said she was cursed; she and her baby were abandoned. She lost her job. It devastated her, to the point of almost committing suicide. But because she believed in Christ, she had faith that she could care for her child by herself. She opened an English school in her garage and taught children from the neighborhood. Now with the help of the Women’s Livelihood Savings Cooperative, she was able to improve her life not only financially, but emotionally, because she found good friends. In addition, her husband returned to her and his family accepted their grandchild. The Women’s Livelihood Savings Cooperative helped a lot of women financially and emotionally because they have livelihood groups that are empowering them to extend loans they can pay off with small interest rates, growing their savings and sustaining their families.

In the same province, we missed a meeting with a health director, so we decided to visit a couple who are retired pastors. One is managing a center on her property for women with mental health problems, with 14 women and one child. She told us each person’s story, and how she started with one. She described how God whispered to her when she passed by a woman who was pregnant, who, it turns out, had been raped and was not in her right mind. The pastor returned and took her in. After that, she invited more, old and young, abandoned by families and loved ones, abused and now blessed. We started helping her and every time we visit we bring something for the women. The latest gift we gave was a deep well, one of our projects. Now they have a good supply of water for drinking and bathing. We were also blessed. And I know that these women, in whatever their situation, feel the love and the hope that God promises.

Pray with me:

Thank you, God, for leading us to people and connecting us to them. And may we both be blessed because of this chance meeting…. just like Mary when she visits Elizabeth…something jumps inside of us because we know that God is blessing us with good news for them. May you bless more people through our unexpected visits, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Helen de Leon Camarce is the country coordinator and treasurer for the UMC Mission in Cambodia. Originally from the Philippines, she served as director of the Women’s Empowerment program in Cambodia and as a leader with the Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS) of the UMC in the Philippines.

Global Missionaries

Global Ministries missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Through denominational or ecumenical ministries, missionaries bear witness to God’s presence all around the world. They are called by God and sent out to serve by the church, usually placed in a new cultural context beyond their country of origin. Missionaries engage in ministry that is defined by mutuality and partnership, seeking to expand the mission of God already present and active in people and places.

Explore the work of Global Ministries missionaries.

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But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (NRSV)

KANYAMA, ZAMBIA – After a night of deep sleep, I wake up to a calming natural white noise from a waterfall known as the Mujila Falls, which is not too far away from my house. At around the same time, the golden Zambian sun rises and peeks through the old curtains on my window which were sewn by members of a Volunteers in Mission (VIM) team that visited many years ago. Before I can gather myself together, I hear the ensemble of animal noises; ducks, layers, turkeys, pigs, cattle and goats, as if they are making a case that if we do not immediately attend to them, then we should release them to enjoy freedom in the vast untampered forest that surrounds us.

Not long after, my colleagues start to trickle in from the Kapundu and Kanyama rural wards and at 7 a.m. sharp, the farm is thriving with people going up and down our meandering dirt roads and animals being herded to pasture. It is common to see a few motorbikes and bicycles belonging to customers already waiting in line to buy reasonably priced eggs and vegetables. A stone’s throw away from the farm, two classes of about 50 young pupils each are getting ready to play and learn at our Mama Roxanne Community School and Mujila Falls Mission School.* This is how every day starts at the Mujila Falls Agriculture Center, and the work goes on until about 5 p.m. when we are all very tired and retire to our homes for yet another night of deep sleep.

It feels like a dream and indeed it is a miracle how we manage to carry out our duties seamlessly day in, day out, despite all the real and potential challenges that we may encounter. I am very grateful to many supporting churches in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. In recent years, we have focused the activities of the farm toward early childhood education, primary school education and practical training for youths and young adults.

The community is quite supportive and engaged, and we are blessed with success. This year we had the 6th graduation ceremony at Mama Roxanne Community Center. We have completed the first grade at our primary school and we are on our way to complete building a new trade school/vocational center. We have received generous support for the vocational center from Antigo UMC in Wisconsin. With the new teaching and training infrastructure we have been empowered to reach out to more lives than we have ever imagined and to be part of a more sustainable development.

This is my seventh year as a missionary, and many Christians around the world believe that the number 7 is significant and has meaning, with some alluding to an interpretation of perfectness and completeness. In the past 7 years, I have enjoyed a front seat view of a transformation of our small community.

Please pray with me with the Scripture in mind:

Dear God: We are motivated by Mathew 6:25-33, where you encourage us not to worry. I invite all to join with us, whether in Zambia or anywhere else in the world. May we stop our worry and instead, may we have the strength to step out in faith to help those in need. And all things will be given to us as well. Amen.

*Missionaries Roxanne Webster and her husband Paul Webster founded the agricultural training center that became the Mujila Falls center in Zambia. The school and community center are named in honor of Roxanne who died of cancer in 2004.

Temba Darlington Nkomozepi, from Zimbabwe, is an agriculturalist with Mujila Falls Agriculture Center in Kanyama, Zambia.

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