HMONG UNITED METHODIST ASSOCIATION                                                                                                                                                                                                               MAY 2016 NEWSLETTER  

Hello Sisters in Christ,  

It's always a blessing to be able to speak to all of you. I pray God's love and peace be with you as you read this letter. As your 
Nomination Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to share the five HUMWA positions up for re-election this year. Sisters in Christ who will be holding these positions will need to be a United Methodist member who has already been baptized. Furthermore, she must be present at the election in order to be nominated and elected for service.

The following HUMWA positions will be a two year term held from 2017 through 2018:
1. Vice President
2. Treasurer
3. Nomination Chair
4. Fundraiser Coordinator
5. Membership Outreach and Nurturing Coordinator

I know that God has great plans for all of us and for HUMWA so let us open our hearts and allow God to work through us to magnify His kingdom. I encourage everyone to attend our 2016 HUMWA Election and wholeheartedly accept his calling.

 ​I pray our Lord Jesus will continue to bless all of us with courage, strength, and wisdom to do His work and to be a shining light to others! Until we meet again, may God's love and peace be with all of you!

Sister in Christ,
Niam Koua Vang
HUMWA Nomination Chair

 Hello to all my sisters in Christ,

I hope that everyone is having a great 2016 so far. I can’t believed that half the year is almost over when it just seems like a few weeks ago that we celebrated the New Year. I hope that we all will take the time to slow down in our busy lives and spend time praising our Lord, and enjoying time with our families and friends.

Praise to God for blessing me with the privilege to visit all our Hmong United Methodist congregations. It has been a great beginning year for HUMWA, and I just wanted to update everyone on all of HUMWA’s visits to all our sisters and brothers in Christ.

February 26-28
Sherman UMC in Madison, WI.
Christway UMC in Milwaukee, WI
New Hope Hmong Ministry in Milwaukee, WI
Agape Hmong Ministry in Milwaukee, WI

March 25 -27
Trinity UMC Hmong Ministry in Sacramento, CA
Marysville UMC Hmong Ministry in Marysville, CA
First UMC Hmong Ministry in Oroville in Oroville, CA
Memorial UMC Christ Ministry in Clovis, CA
Merced UMC Hmong Ministry in Merced, CA

Thank you all so much for welcoming HUMWA, your wonderful hospitality, and all the delicious food. Truly enjoyed all the laughter, fellowship, and friendships we have made with each and every one of you.
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All those that HUMWA has not visited this year yet, I will be in touch to schedule a visit in the next few weeks. Take care everyone and remember to always give PRAISE TO GOD for each day and everything we are blessed with.

Blessings,
Niam Soua Yang Vang
Membership Outreach and Nurturing 

​

Dear Sisters in Christ,

Our God is an awesome God!!! An infinite God, who can enter into history at any moment in our lives. God loves us so much that He willingly died, so that you and I can live. God wants a personal relationship with you. Are you willing to accept His invitation to carry His cross and follow Him?

During this time same time last year, I remember it like yesterday. My stomach was starting to turn, and I was so scared. The day prior to elections last year, I was contemplating if I should stay or leave the room. I wanted to be Jonah and not have to listen to God. I wanted the easy way out. It would have been so much easier to just walk out because I knew that my name couldn’t be nominated if I wasn’t present during the election.

But deep in my heart, I knew that would be wrong. If I did that, I would be running away from the God that I believed in and the foundation in which my faith was grounded. As I sat quietly, I remembered the word from Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I stayed and was elected as the President of HUMWA for 2016-2017.

The journey hasn’t been easy but nothing is impossible with God. During my first church visitation as HUMWA President, my two daughters were involved in a hit and car accident. The vehicle that hit them left the scene. My daughter’s car was totaled, but what saved their lives was God’s divine intervention. When my daughter lost control of her car, God’s hands took over. The car went under the cemetery fence, knocking down three head stones, but this also saved their lives. They were inches away from what would have been the car wrapping around two trees. I knew in my heart and in my soul, that no matter where I am, I God will always be in the center of it all.

Kuv xaav nqua hu peb cov namtsev suavdlawg kuas tsi txhob ntshai. Yog has tas Vaajtswv yuav xaiv peb lug ua Vaajtswv teg dlejnum, ca le zoo sab hlo lug txhais. Yaam kws Vaajtswv npaaj tau rua peb lawm, Vaajtswv yeej yuav pub tswvyim hab kev txawj ntse rua peb. Has Nwg yuav put in place cov namtsev kws yuav paab tau peb ua Vaajtswv teg dlejnum kuas taav moog raws le Vaajtswv lub homphaj. Sisters, we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us! {Philippians 4:13}

Meeting all of you has been a joyful experiences for me, there are no words that I could find to describe the emotions I’ve felt. Your smiles, your hospitality, and your eagerness to hear and see what KHN is doing has truly encouraged me as Thawj Tsaavxwm. Kuv xaav ua peb cov namtsev hab txiv tsev txhua tug tsaug. Thov Vaajtswv foom koob moov rua peb txhua tug.

Your sister in Christ, 

Nam Song Yang Vang​​
Thawj Tsaavxwm (HUMWA)

Hello sisters in Christ,

I can't believe how fast the year has gone by.  We are half way through the year. God is great! HE always loves and comforts us through the good and bad times in our lives.   

I know lots of thing have happened these past few months; through those times, GOD is with us always. HE wiped our tears and helped us endure the pain of loss and give us strength to care for the sickness of our love ones. HE blesses and brings our families happiness and great accomplishments.

GOD love us with all his heart and loves us more than any other of his creation. HE gives us knowledge, wisdom, and courage to become who we are; capable of doing so amazing things in life. God walked, watched, and protected us from harm every day; no matter what we are doing- care for our family, work, school, travel, and doing his work.

Although we may differ in looks, personality, role and occupation but we all share the same work of GOD and strive for the same purpose. God is the light that brightens our lives; we must praise and thank HIM for whatever he has given us, through talking and walking with him every moment. 
  
There's times, some of our sisters are distances, feels isolated, and lost hope due to  unexpected circumstances in their lives and don't talked about it. Lets open our hearts to comforts and reached out them in the time of needs; keep them in our prayers, help to gain strength, have hope, and faith in God.  

​Your sisters in Christ,

Nam Sydang Yang
Communications Coordinator

​                                                                                             Wheelock UMC

January 29-31, we began the year helping each other's at Mr. and Mrs. Nou Cha’s mother’s funeral.  It was a moment of grievance and mourning; however with the love of our Savior, he had given the family strength to endure the pain. 

 February 6, we gathered at church for an all-day fasting to praise god for a successful 2015 year. Prayers of strength, courage and wisdom were asked for our two pastors and all leaders to lead our ministry to continue to lead us into a fruitful year. Asked Him to bless everyone with good health, heal those who are sick and those who suffering from difficult time in their lives.  

February 14, celebrated Valentine Day, a day of love. God has given love to all his children in the world. The celebration was not all about love for couples, it was also about recognizing love from your parents, sibling, children, aunts, uncles and etc.

3/27, Easter Sunday, we make lunch for the congregation to gather and celebrate the day to remember our savior Jesus Christ rising from death. 

Sunday 4/17, held a pho fundraiser, at church to help the our nam tsev with costs to travel to HUMWA Revival in May. The pho fundraiser was a great success with many thanks to Mrs. And Mr. Kong Her for their generosity in matching.

5/11-5/13 Nam tsev and youth helped fundraise for church by doing a rummage and eggrolls sale in Woodbury, MN; this fundraiser was a success! 

Up coming activities

Eggrolls fundraiser 6-9-16, Retreat sometime late summer.

Nam Tsuhua Yang
Thawj nam tsev, WUMC