Team Members

Hosts

Willie Berman

Rio Bravo, MX

Willie's call to mission was inspired by the work of his parents (lay persons) as they received and worked with mission teams in the poor areas of Reynosa, Mexico. During the past few years Willie has been involved in many opportunities of ministry and mission. New ministries have been started in his local communities, Willie and his wife Veronica are the parents of two teenagers.

Becky Harrell
New Braunfels, TX

Becky is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church serving as mission advocate for the South Central Jurisdiction of the denomination. Mission advocates are missionaries assigned to assist annual conferences, districts, and local churches in the United States to understand and participate in global missions. Becky has one adult son who lives in Texas. She especially enjoys reading, music, hosting friends, fishing, and the outdoors.

Susan Hellums

McAllen, TX

I am a native of the Rio Grande Valley.  I work for the El Valle District of the Rio Texas Conference and First United Methodist Church as the Border Area Mission Coordinator.  I serve on the Methodist Border Friendship Commission which is a bilateral ministry of the border which serves the Eastern Conference of the Methodist Church of Mexico and the Rio Texas Conference of the UMC.  I am married with two daughters and one very special granddaughter.

Julian Otero- Our host at Manos Juntas

United Methodist Women’s Representative

Alicia Pitterson

New York

A native New Yorker (courtesy of the suburbs), widow and mom of adult children. I am a member of Christ United Methodist Church located in Manhattan. I love to sing (with others, please), bible study and discussion, prayer and opportunities to see how God can use a group to impact others in fruitful ways. I work with the UMW office of membership and have over 15 years of work experience that includes team support for international ministries. I have traveled internationally but this will be my first Ubuntu opportunity.

Team members

Kathy Knutsen 

Ankeny, Iowa

I do a lot of reading, traveling, biking, and follow the Iowa State Cyclones. I have two granddaughters a half hour away and they have me around their little finger.  I retired from teaching four years ago and have been doing volunteering and mission work and love it!  I meet so many great people. I tell everyone that I am growing up! 

Mary Stitt

Arlington Heights, Illinois

Arlington Heights, Illinois is a suburb about 30 miles northwest of Chicago. The last 25 years of teaching, I was the principal of a K-5 school, which was named for me when I retired. I grew up in Missouri moving around many times because my father was a Methodist clergy. Since I retired I have participated in many VIM trips all over the world.  This will be my third Ubuntu Journey.  I traveled to Cambodia in 2007 and South Korea in 2013.

Kevin Schaner

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

My church is Church of the Savior - United Methodist in the inner ring suburb of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  We are in the East Ohio Conference where Bishop Hopkins reminds us that mission work is about relationships. My collections center on Love:  vintage Valentines and miniature Nativities. I always write in green ink.

Joann Smith

Winder, GA

My husband is Gary. We have a daughter Toni (31) and son Anthony (27).

I enjoy volunteering at church, especially at our preschool, traveling and spending time with my soon-to-be "official" grandson Bradyn (almost 3).

 Debbie Vest

Lee’s Summit, Missouri

We have lived all over the United States, for many years in Overland Park, Kansas. I worked for the UMC as one of their directors for Volunteers in Mission program.  This is my second Ubuntu. I lead the 2014 Journey to Lithuania. I like to travel and am huge reader! I am married. We have two adult Children-Mike & Jen, great DIL-Kristie and one Grandson-Jackson

Iva Wenzel
Langdon, ND
Iva is a member of Langdon UMC. She has been an active volunteer in Haiti and Lithuania, including NOMAD projects in the South and Southwest. She has been a member of UMW since 1969. She loves photography, flowers and quilting. Her interest in Mexico started with the Mission U Study. She states," we need to establish more relationships with our Hispanic sisters and build bridges between our two cultures...stand in solidarity as work and live out our faiths together."