One Down, More to Go

The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

We had great excitement on Sunday morning as our mission team reported on their trip to the Dominican Republic and their work with House Upon the Rock. 

They served us a typical DR mission lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches plus lots and lots of tropical fruit, some sweets we'd never seen before and bags of snacks beloved of teenagers. Not the usual SPPC after church lunch.

A slide show followed, some of which I've included here. 

The medical clinic is a major part of the mission. Those full shelves on the bottom of this photo show the meds our team brought with them, especially vitamins and pain killers. Living in our rich country, it is hard to imagine the amount of malnutrition in Pedregal, but it is endemic, so all those bottles of vitamins are much needed.

Oddly, the team, this time, was made up of family groups -- mother and son, grandmother and grandson, father and daughter . . . That turned out to be an unexpected blessing as it drew family members closer together. 

One of the benefits of returning to the same place over a number of years is the opportunity to see the results of your work. Our group got to see the completed houses that they had begun in 2013. They got to meet the grown up children they had played with 10 years ago. They got to see changed lives, as folk who had shunned the church now came to Christ because of the interaction with our mission team and others.

This house for Anthony and Rosa is a case in point. You can see in 2015 that they were living in a leaky shed. the picture at right shows Rosa standing by the door of their clean, dry, cement block house.

The mission team on this trip was made up of 14 members from two different churches, SPPC and Saanichton Bible Fellowship. These two congregations are not alike, yet the Holy Spirit moved within them. They came together as one with a single purpose, built relationships in the DR and at home, and felt God's blessing upon them. 

They also brought home grateful hearts for the congregations that had supported them with prayer and donations. 

Those congregations are  grateful to the missionaries for sharing their excitement, their joy, and their stories of life and work in the mission field with House Upon the Rock.

****************

Even as one mission ends, needs around the world remain. One place of desperate need is the Ukraine. As the war drags on, the number of those who have lost everything grows. The Compassionate Resource Warehouse, is one of the organizations that we support in filling those needs. They have sent out a new request.

 If you can help with any of the items listed here, please bring them to the church for drop off.  If you are coming mid-week, check with the office, 250 656-2241, before you arrive to be sure the doors are unlocked. Once we have collected a load, it will be delivered to the CRW.

    COMPASSIONATE RESOURCE WAREHOUSE UPDATE

CRW is working on loads for MOLDOVA, POLAND & UKRAINE

CRW will be loading out 2 container loads in the next while for MOLDOVA, POLAND & UKRAINE

These loads are targeted at children who are living in orphanages, group homes, safe homes, and families who are experiencing difficulty in providing for their families.

There are homes for children with special needs; children who have experienced trauma; children who have been trafficked, children who are internally displaced and or refugees.

We are especially in need of

1. hygiene: toothbrush/paste, wrapped soap, lotions, hair combs and brushes, etc

2. art supplies: paints/brushes, art paper, glue sticks, scissors, beads, colouring books, etc

3. non-word games- checkers, matching, dominoes, etc

4. 1st aid supplies

5. outdoor play- balls, skipping ropes, Frisbees, etc

6. child clothing and shoes

7. infant and child dishes, cups, bowls, plates, bottles etc

8. child re-useable diapers

9. 1st aid supplies

10. coloured face cloths and towels

We are looking to load out one in mid-May and one in later May/early June.

Thank you in advance for partnering with us in sending much needed supplies and a box full of "care, concern, and hope" to those who will receive our gifts.

Thank you to all who have given to the Compassionate Warehouse before and who continue to support this vital work. Christ called upon His followers to "feed my lambs." 

At his coronation this weekend, the new king, Charles III, took the gospel message for his pledge to his realm, "I come not to be served, but to serve."

Each of us, to the best of our own abilities, can serve in God's kingdom here on earth, and feed His lambs.

Welcome New Members

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

The past week has been a busy one at SPPC. We began with holy communion last Sunday, and a return to passing the elements among the congregation. One more step in our return to "normal." 

We also received new members into the congregation. Welcome to Carla, Neill, Elizabeth and Brian. 

On Wednesday morning the Bible Study group watched the first half of the movie, "Ben-Hur." It's an oldie but has stood up remarkably well considering the developments in video technology since 1959. We'll watch the last half this Wednesday. Feel free to come along at 10:00 am to enjoy the film and discussion. 

Friendship Coffee met on Thursday morning. There were a couple of special guests from the Ukraine. As war drags on in that country our hearts ache for the suffering of the people there. We pray for an end to violence and, on Thursday, accepted monetary gifts as well.

Thursday evening the choir held their last rehearsal before the summer break and then adjourned for a choir dinner at Mary's Bleue Moon Restaurant. It was a noisy affair, but everyone was well fed. 

Congratulations to Peter. Once again, he is a provincial champion, this time in baseball. 

After the pandemic shut-down, it lifts the spirits to see sports and social events returning to the calendar. We also rejoice that our church has been able to hold in-person services these last few months--and to have many visitors coming to the door. 

Last night I looked out at a perfect crescent moon hanging low over Bazan Bay while the last purple streaks of the sunset limned the islands. I caught my breath at the beauty of God's handiwork. Amid the horrors and distresses appearing daily on our news screens, let us never forget to give thanks For the Beauty of the Earth.

Happy Summer!

Full on Smiles

 Link to this week's live-streamed worship service is here

After so many weeks of trying to interpret an eyebrow waggle, it was a delight to see so many smiles at church Sunday morning. Let's hope the case numbers continue to subside and our hard-pressed health care system can cope, even as the mask requirements ease.

Notices:

Busy week at SPPC coming.

• On Wednesday Bible Study resumes at 10:00 am and 7:00 pm. Are you ready to talk 'fasting?' Are you ready to do it?
• Thursday, 10:00 am, Friendship Coffee. Come meet your old friends and make new ones. This is a great way to meet and mingle.
• Annual Congregational Meeting, Sunday, March 20 following the worship service. There will be a light lunch too. Actually, this is a double annual meeting as there was none in 2020.

Compassionate Resource Warehouse

For years SPPC has worked with the Compassionate Resource Warehouse, collecting and creating goods for distribution to those in need. For you knitters in the crowd, the Friendship Coffee time was often a time to knit cotton squares that could be disinfected by sunshine. Our congregation sent hundreds and hundreds of those items to hospitals in third world countries.

Then COVID came along and everything shut down.

Now, with the war in Ukraine, the CRW partnering with ICROSS Canada is packing a container for a field hospital on the border of Poland and Ukraine.  They are also setting up a house that medical or counselling teams can us as a home base.

Here's how SPPC is helping. We are receiving and delivering

donations of: 

• $$$ Monetary donations to assist with shipping costs and purchase of a 40' HC container. https://www.crwarehouse.ca/donate
• First aid supplies - bandages, tensors, gauze, gloves
• First aid; braces, supports, slings
• Baby items -- diaper cream, baby lotion, bowls, cups, spoons, diapers
• Toddler - diapers and pull-ups, bowls, plates, cups and cutlery
• Child and adult -- new shoes
• Receiving blankets, twin blankets
• Towels -- bath, hand and face cloths
• New tea towels and dish washing cloths
• Folding tables
• Team House dishes, utensils, cutlery, cups for 16, pots
• Thermos and hot carafes
• New drinking bottles and travel mugs
• Women menstrual pads
• Hygiene - toothpaste, toothbrushes, wrapped soap, lotion
• New combs and brushes
• Trauma counselling supplies - drawing paper, construction paper, beads, sidewalk chalk, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, hand puppets
• Small stuffed toys - beanie baby size
• Reading glasses all strengths
• While boards, bulletin boards, chalk boards
• Coloured 8x11 paper, 3 hole
• New cloth shopping bags for distribution
• Feeding Centres: large pots, cutlery, cups, large cooking utensils

No Clothing Donations at this time.

Please prepare a written list itemizing everything you are donating and attach it to the container, box or bag, and bring it to the church on:

Tues:   Mar 22 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Thurs: Mar 24 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The images on the nightly news are so heartbreaking, praise God there is something we can do.

Prayer and Fasting

 Link for this week's live-streamed service is here

Lovely to see the sun this week reflected in the brilliant daffodils Dorothy brought to church on Sunday. 

Last weekend I was pruning fruit trees and got chased inside by the hail -- and a cat that was really annoyed at being out in that weather. This weekend I finished the job while enjoying the sun on my back.  Let's hope the return of better weather means a return to fewer public health restrictions. 

Also, lovely to see Gladys back at church and walking without a walker. Welcome home, Gladys. And welcome in to the newcomers who have appeared in our midst these last few weeks. There is a hymn by James Manley that starts "Come in, come in and sit down, --you are a part of the family."  Consider this your invitation to be a part of the family at Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church.

As we are now in the season of Lent our congregation has received a challenge to share. 

"Each day remove 1 item from your closet that you no longer need or wear and put it into a bag. At the end of the 40 days, donate the items to a place than can share them with someone who can really use them."

 Please don't consider this an exercise in de-cluttering, rather, give up each item with an offering of prayer that it may enrich the life of someone else.

Bible Study resumes on Wed. March 16. We will be talking about fasting. In our modern world most people undertake a fast for health reasons, but fasting in the Biblical sense is rare. Yet, this past week I caught the tale end of an announcement on the radio that used the words "fast and pray." On Ash Wednesday, various religious leaders including Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury called for all Christians to "fast and pray" for Ukraine. 

The phrase brought to mind Esther, who, at a time of great national danger, sent for "all the Jews in Susa to fast and pray." Esther 4:16 Tomorrow is International Women's Day, so it seems fitting to remember a strong woman from the Bible who found the courage to disobey the king, and with prayer and fasting, save her people.   

For all the women of Ukraine, may God hear our prayer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Prayers for Ukraine

 Link for this week's livestreamed service is here

On Wednesday we met for Bible study at SPPC. The topic of the session was prayer.

On Thursday Russia invaded the Ukraine. 

Richard J. Foster, the author of our study book, urges us to pray with compassion and imagination. He says we should try to imagine the compassion of Christ within us and then to imagine the result of our prayers. If we pray for someone who is sick, imagine that person well when we pray. If you feel moved by compassion and imagination to pray for the people of the Ukraine, please do so. If you struggle for the words, here is prayer written by Archbishop Justin Welby and Archbishop Stephen Cotterell that is being widely shared.

A Prayer for Ukraine
 
God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. 

We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. 

We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion
to guide their decisions.

Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at-risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.

Help and support are pouring in to the Ukraine. Donations to the Red Cross will be matched by the Government of Canada. The link to give is here. 

Many will take solace in "doing" something. For others the pain and the horror is overwhelming. They are desperate for comfort. There is an adage that says, "When words fail, music speaks."

On Friday, the CBC played The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom - . You can listen to that beautiful and heartfelt music here along with Frescoes of Kiev. It will take some time, but is manna for the soul.

May we all know peace in the coming days.