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Families

Global Health
Children from The United Methodist Church’s Chikwizo Primary School in the Mutoko Mudzi District of Zimbabwe line up to get polio vaccinations at Chikwizo rural health clinic, as part of the government’s campaign to eradicate the killer disease in children under 10 years old. The church’s health facilities vaccinated thousands of children against the disease in February. Chikwizo is one of five clinics under the church’s Nyadire Mission Hospital to be upgraded with support from The Nyadire Connection over the past decade. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

Partnerships strengthen Zimbabwe health facilities

United Methodist hospitals and clinics thrive with support from partners enabling reconstruction of old structures to new state-of-the-art facilities.
Mission and Ministry
Patricia and Ray Kaukonde join hands with Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa to celebrate the dedication of Donzwe United Methodist Church near Mudzi, Zimbabwe, in December 2024. Ray Kaukonde fulfilled his dying mother’s wish by completing construction of the church that was started in 1977 by his grandfather. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Man blesses many by fulfilling mother’s dying wish

Ray Kaukonde’s late mother’s will instructed his family to continue supporting the welfare of United Methodist pastors. He’s done that and more, including helping to build two new sanctuaries.
Faith Stories
Susie and Ed Keefer pose with Miriam, age 4, in Kinshasa, Congo, in 2013. Shortly afterward, Miriam went home with the Keefers to the United States. The matching outfits were a gift from Dr. Rebecca Yohadi. Photo courtesy of Susie Keefer.

From mission volunteer to adoptive mom

When Susie Keefer traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010, little did she know it would be the first of many mission journeys.
Global Health
The Iliff School of Theology in Denver is offering a Foundations of Death Care course that is the beginning of a new certificate program to help caretakers better comfort dying people and their loved ones. It’s billed as the first such offering at a seminary. Iliff is one of the 13 United Methodist theological schools in the U.S. Photo by truthseeker08, courtesy of Pixabay.

Death doula helps navigate end-of-life care

A new Iliff School of Theology course aims to “change the narrative around death” by giving pastors and others the foundation they need to support the dying and their families.

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