The Official (nonprofessional) Micah Corps Video!

The five Micah Corps interns had a great time this summer, and learned a lot about ourselves, as well as many justice issues. Take a look at the video to get an overview of our time this last ten weeks!

North Platte UMC

On the last leg of their journey, Micah Corps Interns, Ross Janovec and Kathryn Cunningham sat down with the Christian Education Director at North Platte First United Methodist Church, Cheri Kneifel. The interns spoke with her about her experiences with the Day Care center the church run on a year round basis, but what she talked about with the most passion was the Mayor's Youth Initiative, which was created to allocate and create services for youth in the North Platte Community.

The above video is a collection of experiences that Brian and Rachel had in the Gateway district of the Nebraska UMC. It includes music from Braden Garwood (at Kearney Faith), the immigration board game being played at Kearney First and Kearney Faith, and discussions with congregations and adult Sunday schools from First and Faith. The interns discussed a variety of issues related to immigration, including the immigrants' integral role in our communities and economy, as well as the Christian call to welcome EVERY stranger. The conversation centered on how our system of immigration is broken (forcing those to migrate without documentation in search of a better life), how many of the myths concerning taxes and benefits are simply wrong, and lastly how we as United Methodists (and as Christians!) can get involved in the effort to help and welcome the immigrant. As the Reverand Jim Wallis, from Sojourners, says, "We do face a danger from refusing to welcome the stranger among us. And that is a danger to our very own souls. This a religious matter to us...We will minister no matter what our government says. And will call upon them to the best thing and do the right thing and do it now!" Our experiences in Nebraska communities showed us that we have the passion and potential to enact change, to create a system where ALL people are treated with compassion and dignity. We thank all for their contributions and time the last couple weeks! Do Justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God!

Health Care in the Church

Some people I talked to in local churches felt like health care was a political issue which should not be discussed in the church, others felt like the church should be providing health care and government should have nothing to do with it. But most acknowledged that caring for people is something Christians are called to do, and we can build our conversation on that foundation.
In this video I am giving the sermon at the Ainsworth United Methodist Church, and talking with children at the Silver Creek Vacation Bible School.

Interviews:
Emily Spearman, from Louisville, Colorado, is a current intern of Trinity United Methodist in Grand Island. Emily is a student at Hastings College, and is called to ordained ministry.
Becky Schelm is from Johnstown. Becky lived many years without health insurance because her daughter has Type I Diabetes, a pre-existing condition. She and her first husband lived for one year in Colorado at their own expense to be near the heart doctor. I spoke with Becky and her family on their 20,000 acre ranch in the Sandhills.
Rev. Dean Joy is the pastor at the Harvard United Methodist Church and a member of the Rural Response Committee of the United Methodist Conference.
Glen Becker is a member of the Harvard United Methodist Church and interested in how the church can expand its health care ministry. He also speaks here about Medicare recipients receiving the best possible program.

After two weeks of intensive learning and preparing at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, NE, I stepped out into the Elkhorn Valley and Prairie Rivers Districts to share information and listen to stories. I was armed with pamphlets, fliers, displays, and endless statistics to prove that health care, and rural health care especially is in desperate need of a reformation, and that the church should be on the frontline of the battle. The timing couldn’t have been more appropriate as the President pushed for immediate action in Congress, and I pushed for advocacy on behalf of the almost 50 million uninsured in our nation. The church is relevant! Stand up and live your faith! As Jesus healed the sick and God loves every person, it is our part to do the same. The strong existing ministries of praying and caring for the sick in our communities is a springboard from which we can dive into changing policy that ensures adequate affordable health insurance for every person in this country. My bright-eyed and bushy-tailed epic of a failing system and government intervention was greeted with the warmest hospitality and fearful skepticism. A mindset of criticism and concern is no place to remain frozen in our actions of love. Fear of government intervention, fear of exclusive policies, doubt about effectiveness, and comfort with one’s own situation made it difficult for people to grasp the desperateness of the situation, a time where 14,000 more people lose their insurance every day. Through private conversations, group discussions, professional interviews, sermons, talking with health care professionals and children’s presentations, some opened their hearts, and others stayed in their fear. Some thought I had a hidden agenda, others received me as a prophet (a prophet unable to prophesy in her own land successfully…). At the end of our conversations, I always encouraged every person to contact their Congresspeople on this issue, whether or not their opinion aligned with mine, with the church’s, or anyone else’s. The voices of private insurance companies are being heard loud and clear, and we need to push back as constituents, voters, and tax payers, but especially as Christians who stand up for those marginalized, and without care. It is also the responsibility of each individual to let that opinion be informed and act out of care and hope, not fear. Here are some issues that I came across:

Health Care is working for me, therefore it does not need to be reformed. Many people with whom I spoke were very content with their Medicare insurance, most had a supplemental policy to cover prescriptions. Communities were very satisfied with their doctors and hospitals, and highly appreciative of their volunteer emergency services. Most that I talked to with employer provided private insurance paid well over $10,000 a year, and up to $18,000 including co-pays. While they receive the care they need, they pay very high amounts for it. This system is working for those who have good benefits and steady jobs, but the self-employed and individuals who work at small businesses which are the heart and savior of small communities suffer. They often cannot afford insurance, or if they do purchase it, pay higher costs and receive less reimbursement. This is generally referred to as “underinsurance”, and leads to medical debt, and neglect of preventive care.

Uninsured individuals don’t want insurance, or could afford it if they lived more frugally. This argument is invalid firstly to the Christian who wants to provide care for every person. Secondly, uninsured people are often families with full-time employment, some poor, but more and more frequently people who are simply not offered health care by their employer and feel they can’t afford insurance which itself costs more than the poverty line. However I agree that we must be responsible for our own health which includes limiting drinking and smoking. But I do not think that those savings will pay for a private health insurance plan. Other uninsured people do not have it because of pre-existing conditions, like diabetes or a mental health issue. The people that need good health insurance are those least likely to have access to it.

The government shouldn’t be involved in providing health care, or does not have the appropriate solutions for reform. The government is already heavily involved in providing health care to our older and poorer citizens, and many children. They also currently provide health care to government employees and veterans. These systems are certainly imperfect, but most people with whom I spoke were very content with their experiences in these programs. An extended public option would provide competition between private companies and insurance for those currently without it, without dissolving private insurance with which many people are also content. This is not the same as government controlled health care, but an extension of an existing system. Many are skeptical of this project, and I once again encourage everyone to have input before the decisions are made! Reform will be necessary in many facets of health care in order to bring down costs and cover everyone.