Malaria kills a child in Africa every 45 seconds!  In the U.S., malaria was eliminated in the 1950's, but Africa was left behind.

Engage your church/youth group/United Methodist Women and Men in the effort to eradicate malaria.  Take an offering, host a house party, do whatever you can to raise funds to support the efforts of Imagine No Malaria.  Bring your offering to Annual Conference to help transform the world!

$10 provides a bed net to help prevent malaria, as well as education on its use.

Read more: www.imaginenomalaria.org.   Twitter follow: @nomalaria or #worldmalariaday. 

A UMNS Commentary by Dulce Urizar: A story of the Latino ministry at Lehman UMC in Hatboro.

It was 9 p.m. on October 10, 2010. I was in my living room when suddenly, I heard noises coming from my son Mike's room. I encountered a horrible surprise. Mike was choking on his own vomit. He was purple, and for a moment, he stopped breathing.

Terribly scared, I moved Mike’s head to the side so he could breathe. A couple of seconds later, he came out of whatever he was going through. He told me his head hurt. I took him to the emergency room, but the staff told me very little. A month later, Mike had a similar episode.

At age 3, Mike was diagnosed as autistic. A couple of weeks ago, the neurologist told me more sad news; Mike is also epileptic. Mike, now 8, attends a school where he receives therapy. With much work, he is trying hard to adapt to a world that cannot fully understand him.

by Bishop Peggy Johnson

The Spirit of God unites people and religion divides people.  This statement sums up what is happening in the world today when religion goes painfully wrong and people get hurt.  How sad that Rev. Terry Jones decided to burn the Koran causing riots and death to innocent people from the UN.  How sad that the Westboro Baptist church hurts so many people during their funeral protests.  They do this as a way of making a statement against gay people in this country.  When beliefs are such that the people holding those beliefs justify hurt and destruction then things have gone far from the holy intent of religion.  We shake our heads in disgust and disbelief.

Bishop Peggy Johnson preached at Christ the King Deaf Church on Sunday, February 27, in West Chester, PA.  

Bishop Johnson was welcomed by Rev. Beth Lockard, who has known Bishop Johnson through Deaf camp in the summer at Camp Innabah.