Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 2015 AHMEN Annual Meeting

AHMENAnnual Meeting

Friday, October 16, 2015: Business and Brainstorming

Saturday, October 17, 2015: Unite and Collaborate Together!

River of Living Water UMC

1401 Jones Dairy Road

Jasper, Al 35501

FREE

Okay, folks, here it is. We are one week away from the time of year where all of the AHMEN teams, volunteers, project leaders, donors, sponsors, and prayer warriors are invited to get together to talk about the previous year of volunteersship and plan for the next.

Oh, what is that? You say you have been to one of these before? No biggie, you say? You think keeping up with posts on Facebook is good enough … Well, not this time!

What makes this year different?? Well, here is your “Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 2015 AHMEN Annual Meeting.”

10: Chili Cookoff

Bring a crockpot of your favorite chili recipe and enter this year's chili cookoff. If you don't cook, you can be a judge. There's nothing like a little friendly competition. Larry “Bucket” Guthrie always beats everyone at shoe box collection … Maybe this is a contest the rest of us will have a chance at winning!

9: Dr. Tom Camp has a plan!

When I asked Camp what his goal for this year's conference was, he responded, “I want to ask people a question. I want to ask 'Where do you want AHMEN to go, and what will you commit to doing to get it there?'” Camp being the pot-stirrer he is has a really neat plan to encourage us all to this end … But you have to attend to be in the know.

8: Saturday Morning Breakout Sessions

This year's format is a little different. While it is important for us all to hear what each of our peers are doing on their teams, the point of getting together is talking with one another. That's why this year we will spend Saturday morning in discussion groups. I encourage each team member to join a different topic from the following choices: Evangelism, Sponsorships, Medical Brigades, Community Involvement, and Clean Water Initiatives. The goal, however, is not to just talk about each topic. The goal of the group talk is to discuss how each member can grow AHMEN and make the organization stronger through each topic.

7: Special Group Discussion for “Young People”

“Young People” is a relative term. When I used to visit my great-grandmother in the nursing home, anyone under 85 was a “young person.” Similarly, the majority of AHMEN's current volunteers and leadership is over the age of 40, 50, & 60. We desperately need new blood in the organization. So send your Under 30 crowd to engage in a group discussion on the topics that are (and will be) important to the next generation of AHMEN members. This will be a question and answer session for new volunteers also.

6: Dynamic Speakers

Paulette West of UMVIM, SEJ      Dan Isbell of Cruzadas de Evangelio

Dr. Rev Richard Stryker of River of Living Water UMC

Water Program of Asbury UMC of Madison, Al

His Hands, International

Bill Camp of CHIMES

5: It's FREE!!

4: Unity

In order for an organization to succeed in its mission, we must unite. We must see ourselves as being different planets revolving around the same sun. The reason AHMEN exists is not just to provide tax-exemption. AHMEN functions as a network to help any and all individuals and teams who are called to work in Honduras be able to do their jobs better. Beyond your individual role as a team volunteer, what can you commit to doing to help AHMEN sustain itself and grow?

3: Collaboration

By working together, by sharing ideas with one another, we better learn how to follow our calls. If we do not take each other's experience and knowledge into account, we waste time and money. If we choose not to collaborate, we do not solve water problems, persistent medical issues, meet basic educational needs, or negotiate supply chain deficiencies. Libraries don't get stocked, and websites sit idly with out-of-date information. It is when we collaborate that we are able to improve the daily living standards of more Honduran families and shine as Jesus would have us.

2: Togetherness

Individuality and individualism are traits mythologized in the United States. Well, if you've ever worked in Honduras, you must know that it is extremely difficult to walk around with the “I'm going to solve this problem all by myself” mentality. If it weren't, the 60K+ volunteers flooding Honduran airports each year would make a lot more progress. Instead, there are over 1 million Hondurans without clean drinking water.  As a result, families gets sick.  Kids don't attend school.  The definition of crisis sinks into the culture.  Can Hondurans solve this problem alone? No. Can you? No! Join your fellow Honduras enthusiasts next weekend to talk about how we can all work together to more efficiently confront major health and education issues in Honduras.

1: The Many Parts of AHMEN's Body Will be Present

Just being in Honduras with a team energizes me. Simply being around my fellow AHMENers fills me with life. I invite you to fill your cup. We have serious work to do in Honduras to help more people live more just lives, and you will be motivated to do so simply by being surrounded by this crew's positive energy. If you haven't sent in your RSVP, please do so as soon as possible. Contact me here today!  All are invited.

Together, we are the difference.