Ty LaValley to return to states

KOUBI, Cote d Ivoire––Ty LaValley, a scouting ministry specialist serving in this west Africa nation, announced August 27 that he and his wife Cheryl are resigning as missionaries with the General Board of Global Ministries and will soon return to the United States.

LaValley cited deteriorating health as the reason for his return.  “The conditions in the field are very austere”, LaValley said.  “The workload and lack of rations made it easy to succumb to ailments that I have been able to fight off back in the United States.”

Following 14 years of experience with scouting and ministry in the UMC, LaValley has applied to have his BSA Commission re-activated and hopes to find a position within the denomination or scouting in the U.S.

“I hope I have not let you down,” said LaValley in an email to Larry Coppock, director of scouting ministries. “I can say that we have accomplished Bishop Boni's objectives, which was collaboration and a shared Leaders' manual.”

In the resignation notice, LaValley included a series of slides showing Scouts helping to build a United Methodist Church in the small village of Koubi.  “We make bricks so we can put them together to build a temple,” said a caption to one of the photos. “We make disciples so we can come together to be the Church.”

While serving in Cote dIvoire, LaValley worked with Bishop Benjamin Boni to introduce Le Prix du Cheminement, a scouting award with three journeys: 1) a spiritual-formation journey, 2) an evangelism journey, and 3) a mission-engagement journey.

 “The youth learn about the Wesleyan perspective of the Christian faith and work together as missionaries in their own country,” said LaValley. “They distribute treated mosquito nets to combat Malaria, provide water filters for villages, and provide information about preventing the spread of Ebola.”