A Week of Wonders

From Joe Culp

I must say my week of working at Bridge Street United Church's Hometown Nazareth Vacation Bible School was one of the most full experiences of our lifetime. I look back at the week the Kids were really having themselves a blast through song, Music, stories and Craft Creations.   One of the best thing I saw was  everybody making up Bagged Lunches to help feed hungry people at Gleaners Food Bank and as a Volunteer at our St. Matthews Food Distribution Centre I wanna compliment them on a job well done!

 I know for a fact that our Food Bank Customers down at Gleaners Warehouse would appreciate a great meal as so many just can't afford to get out to get food in the house...as they say "There's nothing Worse than Having Food in the House" which is true indeed!!!

Now my side...one of the best thing I ever experienced at VBS is having not one...not two but 3 Jobs to do and that really made me feel like I had plenty to do there that week.  .my 3 jobs involved 1)Science Assistant in the morning in which both to our surprise that Mike Roberts and I made the Wednesday Belleville Paper!   The Children just adored the kinds of experiments we were doing that any kid could do without using Dangerous Chemicals and Bunsen Burners. Instead we used Milk, Dish Soap and Food Colouring on Monday's and Citrus Fruit on Tuesday that included Lime, Lemon and Orange We put them both in water to see which one's would Sink and which one's would Float although I won't spill the Beans on that one until someone comes up and asks me.
 
2) Helping with Great Activities at both The St. Thomas Anglican Church Parking Lot and the Nicholson Field where the former BCI(Belleville Collegiate Institute) once sat and From Monday's to Wednesday’s and Friday's I was Randy Reid's assistant. The kids sure had a Blast on the kind of Activities we did including Hockey on Monday at St. Thomas and Water Balloon and Sponge Toss on Wednesday's.  Later that same day the youngsters were treated to a waterslide and they enjoyed that a lot!!! And on Tuesday's and Friday's at the Northeast and Southeast Nicholson Field I had to run back and forth from one field to another to keep track of the activities. 

Thursday we didn't do activities as kids visited both the Bridge Street Retirement Residences and Quinte Living Centre so I got to stay at the Church and Chat with those I haven't yet met and give my reflections on how much I was really enjoying my helping out at Hometown Nazareth.  Of course Randy Reid and I go a long ways back...Randy was my former School Teacher at Bayside Public and who knew that one day I would wind up going from his Student to assistant eh?!!! And I ask myself how good does that get eh?!!!

Another great task I had was having to be the Front Door Man Warming up Hearts and welcoming not only the Youngsters In to Hometown Nazareth but the Parents as well and I had the Huge responsibility to remind them to make sure the kids were taking to their Groups and signed in and to make sure no Kid walked out.  That task was courtesy of the Reverend Dr. Bill Smith Minister at Bridge Street  

Unfortunately like all great things our Program like all the other VBS and otherwise has come to an end but as I always say their is plenty of Opportunities to look forward too down the road and as I say in our Minutes of Missions ending "MANY HANDS MAKE MANY MISSIONS" and I do strongly encourage anyone out there to Please do get involved cause we can't do it without your Help and it's more than just 2 Hands to complete a mission!!!

 And in the end I want to say "You know what this combined Vacation Bible School along with College Hill, Bridge street and us at St. Matthews was one of the greatest experience of my lifetime but the only problem is I'D LIKE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN"!!! Thanks be to God Amen!!!

A Steaming Cup of Justice

Towards the end of Sept., my Dad and Stepmom came out for a visit.  We went up to Tweed and had a look around, taking in the Lakeside Park and the United and Catholic churches."  (I know, I know but Dad's a preacher, I'm a preacher's kid and my Stepmom's the daughter of missionaries so what do you expect? ) Then it was time for a coffee.  The local coffee shop on the main street is a pretty hip place- the store window is tastefully filled with ecclectic objects from Afirca and other coffee growing parts of the world, there are plants and magazines, and computers for internet access.  

The shop offers organic and fair trade coffees and teas- and they are robust and delicious.  Fair Trade means the owners make a committment to giving farmers a decent gauranteed price for the coffee they grow, rather than leaving them at the mercy of commodity prices. This married couple relocated from Toronto eight years ago, and love living and working in this new and very different part of the world. 

My Stepmom is a friendly and curious person and has the gift of being able to talk to anyone.  She asks about some slips of paper with names on them which are taped to the wall behind the counter.  The owner smiles and says "Oh, those are our wall coffees".  "What's a wall coffee?" we ask.

"Well, a lot of people who come in here are on social assistance or disability and sometimes they don't have the money to pay for coffee.  So when that happens we just write it down on a piece of paper and we stick it up on the wall to keep track, and then when their checks come in at the end of the month they pay up.  People will come in and say 'I'll have a wall coffee', and we just right it down and up it goes."

"Isn't that great!"  Says my Stepmom.  "And do people pay what they owe?"  The owner nods and looked very serious "Everbody always pays- we've never had any problems at all.  Come the end of the month, everyone's caught up."

We thank her, not only for the wonderful coffee, but for the story of the wall coffees as well.  And I realise that this coffee shop is serving up justice, for far away farmers and local customers alike, one warm mug at a time. 

Praying Standing Up

From Cathy Russell


Friday Oct 7 12:15-12:45pm


John, Ruby the dog and I arrive at Kingston City Hall at about 12:10.  We are met by four others.  The provincial election was just yesterday which may explain the small turn out today. We are told that last week, on the eve of the vote, there were well over 100 on the hall steps, many of them holding or wearing signs calling on politicians of all stripes and at all levels to take growing poverty seriously. I know that the Anglican Bishop and former rector of Christ Church Belleville, Michael Oulton has stood here himself.

The fact that these loyal few have still turned up today demonstrates that this vigil is no passing fad.  In fact, this silent half hour vigil has been taking place on the steps of Kingston's City Hall every Friday since 1995- that's 16 years!  The vigil was begun and continues to be supported by the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul.

All of us choose a sign from the large number printed with slogans and covered with plastic to protect them from the elements. 

We gather in a small circle and offer the words of a prayer printed on small paper flyers. The flyers also ask questions like "Should Canadians working full time for a full year be living in poverty?  Millions do."

After the prayer, we stand and face the street.  Two of the group hand out the flyers to anyone who will take one.  Lots of people stare- it's a beautiful day and the end of the late summer tourist season.  Some people walk by and avoid eye contact.  Some people stop to chat and to share their own disastisfaction with the growing gap between rich and poor.  One of these is a man in a wheelchair who collects disability.  He is also a local published author. 

 As I stand with this small group I feel a warm sense of peace in my heart.  It is good to be here with these faithful souls, to be witnesses for social justice in this moment.  John and I are here somewhat by chance, but their level of commitment in this one simple peaceful act of solidarity makes these folks heroes in my eyes.


I look out at the sparkling water, and I am reassured that God does work all manner of things for good, and that even if I am not around to see it, God's purposes of right relationship cannot be undermined forever.

Below are the words of the prayer offered at the beginning of every Firday vigil for 16 years.

We long for a world
that respects all humanity
and all the earth,
And so we stand in silent,
non-violent solidarity
with those affected
by government and corporations
that put profits before huan kind
and indeed before all Creation.

Together in this vigil,
we bring before us
injustices affecting our world
In gentle awareness
we present these concerns
to the Divine Light
which permeates the universe.

Thus, we stand in hope.

Unto Us A Son is Born!

From Margaret Rice

September 16^th 1955. 

It was a nice sunny afternoon, I was cycling home from visiting my Mother. My thoughts were on my friend who was expecting her baby that day. Suddenly the thought flew into my head., ‘My baby has been born’.  We were in the process of applying to adopt a baby, but we had not been accepted at that time.

I got home to find a message in my door to say the friend’s baby daughter had arrived, her name was to be Lynne and I was asked if I would be Godmother.

With all the red tape involved in adoption, it seemed to be such a long waiting time.  It was not until February of 1956 that we heard there was a baby boy for us- about five months old.  We had to go to the east coast of England to see him. It was icy cold, ice formed on the edge of the beach were the tide came up.. We were allowed to take the  baby for a walk along the sea front. As he was sickly, and being treated with antibiotics, we were not able to take him home just yet.  

Two weeks later…Mothering Sunday (UK version of Mothers Day) in the Church calendar…we were able to bring him home.  The day was nice and sunny, so different from our first visit.

Now that I have had surgery, my son is taking care of me until I am fit enough to look after myself.

And the wonderful message I received 56 years ago about the birth of my baby turned out to be right.  My son’s birthday is 15^th September 1955.

A Godsome Sign

From Sandy Darlow

In 1999, after a job loss due to lay-off, my husband, Lance, decided to obtain his AZ license to drive transport truck internationally throughout Canada and the U.S.  Except for an occasional short trip during his 17 year career with the Canadian Armed Forces, he had never been away from home for extended periods of time and the thought of him being gone for two to four weeks at a time filled me with anxiety. 

One afternoon, while he was gone from home, I was feeling particularly anxious about his absence and decided I should sit down and talk to God about it.  I asked God, in my prayers, to please give me a sign that my husband was okay and that He was watching over him. 

Later, that evening, I was collecting clothing items for the Diabetes Association and after getting them ready I started towards the door to take them out to the front step for pick up the next morning.  As I began to open the door I saw a sparrow sitting on the front step.  I expected it to be startled and fly away, but it didn’t.  I opened the door all the way and stepped down.  The bird didn’t move.  I thought maybe it was injured or resting. 

When it still didn’t move as I walked right up to it I decided to bend down and extend my hand, palm facing up.  To my surprise the bird jumped into my hand and looked directly at me.  At that instant I recalled the prayer I had offered up to God earlier in the day and the words, “I am your sign” echoed in my head.  I brought the bird up to eye level and said, “Thank you God”, and the bird flew away.  I felt the burdensome worry lifted from me and replaced with a feeling of peace.  The proof was in the pudding, or in this case, my hand.  God had sent me a wonderful little messenger to tell me He had heard me.  For years afterwards whenever I was feeling anxious or unsettled I would think about that moment when God extended His awesome grace to me.  Thank You God!