Our Global Mission Fellows in Seattle

Our Global Mission Fellows in Seattle
By the Rev. Patricia Simpson

Global Mission Fellows assigned to the Seattle Area are sharing a townhouse together in the Rainier Valley, very near Valley & Mountain Fellowship. A fourth person will be joining them in mid-September as an intern in the Conference’s new “Creating a Culture of Call” program.

The house was rented by the Seattle District with the cost of rent and utilities being shared by the employers. It was furnished by the combined efforts of previous US-2s, UMW (especially the District Board, Trinity and Kent), and Mary’s Place. Some individuals donated furniture, bedding, kitchen gear, etc. Trinity UMW took responsibility for stocking the cupboards with several pounds of staple food items.

Our two Seattle Global Mission Fellows and Gretchen Brown, and Alan Allis arrived on September 18. After a couple of days of rest, had a three-day orientation to their new neighborhood and city. Events included:

-Introduction to Hillman City and Rainier Valley neighborhood
-Drive around to their work sites
-Intro to the transit system, including ferry, light rail and bus
-Meeting with the leader of their twice-monthly Covenant Group, to begin talking about their Rule of Life.
-Hike in the old growth forest at Seward Park
-Visiting tourist sites with former US-2s Tara Miller and Liz McDaniel
-Potluck with program alumni and other former missionaries. Two GMFs from Tacoma Community House came up for the gathering, one continuing and one new.

They have already started reaching out to their neighbors in the townhouse complex with home-baked cookies.

If you would like to establish a Covenant Relationship with Global Mission Fellows in the Pacific Northwest, download the Covenant Relationship form at umcmission.org. Send a check to the Conference office with the missionary name and code. Provide a copy of the Covenant Relationship form to Global Ministries and to Joan Hackett, Conference Secretary on Global Ministries.