Left to right, Corinne Arthur, Pat Knebel, Carol Barton, Itsel Wheatley, Julie Taylor and Judith McCrae represent United Methodist Women as a march for women farmworkers in New York City on March 2018. Marchers called on Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program and protect workers. Photo: Courtesy of Carol Barton
Did you know that the month of June has 30 special days? In addition to Father’s Day (June 17) and Juneteenth (June 19), National Cheese Day (June 4), National Red Rose Day (June 12) and Monkey Around Day (June 14) are among them. One that resonated with me with me is National Hug Holiday Day on the 29th. It was created to remind people to give a hug to those who could use one: the sick, the lonely, the forgotten, or someone who is experiencing a hard time. A hug is an easy way to comfort someone—and you don’t have to wait until the end of June to offer one.
Setting a goal and reaching it is satisfying. Setting a goal and exceeding it is stupendous. In “Challenge Accepted, Goal Exceeded” on pages 14 to 15, residents of United Methodist Women’s Brooks-Howell Home in Ashville, North Carolina, share their strategy for giving to the Legacy Fund—and beating their goal! What’s your Legacy Fund strategy? Discuss ways that your group can participate in sustained giving for the long run.
“Emma Cantor works across a wide stretch of the world where people speak dozens of languages.” That’s how Senior Correspondent Paul Jeffrey describes the depth and breadth of what our regional missionary in Asia does. In “Helping Women Find Power” on pages 22 to 29, Jeffrey focuses on Cantor’s outreach in Myanmar. Her mission, she says, is “finding women from the grassroots who are struggling” and helping them improve their communities.
Myanmar has been in the news for the violent attacks its military is waging on the minority Rohingya population, which has led to a mass exodus now considered a humanitarian crisis. Learn about the origins of this crisis by reading “Myanmar’s Rohingya Flee for Their Lives,” also by Jeffrey, on pages 28 to 29. Share with your church the work of United Methodist Women regional missionaries, or write to Cantor using the addresses provided in the Prayer Calendar.
United Methodist Women is among forward-thinking organizations that are advocating for a living wage where salaries are in line with the local cost of living. In “Everyone Deserves a Living Wage” on pages 30 to 32, Carol Barton makes the case for why a living wage is a sensible step in addressing income inequality. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed an easy-to-use Living Wage Calculator that estimates the cost of living in communities throughout the country: livingwage.mit.edu. Use it to see where how your area ranks.
Recently, our communications director Yvette Moore traveled to Maputo, Mozambique, then to Manila in the Philippines for international conferences sponsored by United Methodist Women. The highly anticipated events were successful in bringing women leaders together for networking. Read about both in the Moore’s articles “United Methodist Women Strategize for Mission in Asia” on pages 33 to 37 and “African Women Gather in Maputo for ‘Women Transform the World’ Conference” on pages 36 to 37. Enjoy the splendor of June.
response: the magazine of women in mission 