Minute for Mission
The following was written by Ashley Keeping, one of two United Church young adults selected to attend the 2024 Minority Youth Forum in Miyakojima, Japan, hosted by the Center for Minority Issues and Mission. The Youth Forum is an ecumenical initiative of churches in Japan, supported by The United Church of Canada and Mission and Service. Our generosity through Mission and Service helps programs that inspire peace and learning.
“Just like Miyako residents, I live on an island and can relate to their everyday lives on their island, as it was small and humble just like here in Newfoundland. There was one prominent difference. The majority of the residents are seeking peace from their own government, something we don’t have to worry about here in Canada. God called upon me to see how the people of Miyako Island are living, and to share with everyone their struggle for peace.”
“The Minority Youth Forum program brought together young adults from Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. The Youth Forum experience showed me how powerful it is to bring youth together to share our culture, to share our faith, and to share our stories. To be able to have discussions with youth from other cultures about how we can change the world gives me so much hope for our future.”
“This trip filled my heart with joy, hope, and love for the wonderful people that I can now forever call friends. It also taught me that you need to find, keep, and treasure peace, as well as pursue it for the rest of your time, and that I will do. Thank you, Miyako, for everything you taught me.” – Ashley Keeping
– Thank you –
Refugee Project
Nov 17, 2022
As we watch with disbelief a war waging in the Ukraine and over 600,000 being displaced in under one week fleeing the bombs, we appreciate the greater need that exists to welcome refugees. Our faith calls us to respond and through this ministry, we try to answer this call. Our Lenten Project for this year was our St. Paul’s Refugee Campaign, to raise funds for our work with refugees. As you know, we are working with St. Mark’s Anglican/Lutheran Church to sponsor a family from Syria who just last week arrived here in Canada. We are also working with a local Afghani family in co–sponsoring six members of their family who have fled Afghanistan and the have now arrived. With the invasion of Ukraine, we know that there are now many more refugees who have fled their homes and we have no idea if they will be able to safely return to their own country or not.
To donate to our Refugee fund, please make your cheque payable to St. Paul’s United Church and clearly mark on the memo line of the cheque that is for the Refugee Fund. If you are making an e–transfer or donation online through our website, then please indicate that it is for this fund. Thank you
Scott Warnock, Executive Director of the Huronia Community Foundation, presents a cheque for $2,000 to Ken Woods, of St. Paul’s Refugee Committee.
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St. Paul’s United Church in Midland is in the process of sponsoring a family from Afganistan, and is also assisting St. Mark’s Anglican – Lutheran church as they are sponsoring a family from Syria.
St. Paul’s has a long history of sponsoring refugees going back to the 70s with the sponsorship of a family fleeing Vietnam after the war.
All funds raised will be used to cover the costs of supporting the refugee families once they arrive in Canada, for the sponsorship period of 12 months.
Refugee Programs
We asked Rev Martin Giebel, from St. Mark’s, for an update on the Ismail and Maghrebi families which is included here.
The Ismail family (from Syria): all the children are in school, enjoying it and making progress both in English and academically. The father is employed. Regarding the son who is still in Germany, his application is now at the Vienna visa office – it’s progressing.
The Maghrebi family (from the Ukraine): everyone doing well. They are now in their own apartment.
The Maghrebi family are in touch with the Ismail family and Rev. Martin visits both regularly. The two mothers, Jihan and Svitlana, are forming a friendship even though both hardly speak any English – they ‘understand’ each other.
Everyone takes ESL lessons. Rev Martin is trying to establish in-person ESL in Midland.
We have a Travel Date for the family from Afghanistan; for now, it is for late October (no names and dates are included for their safety). We are making efforts to bring them to Canada as soon as possible as the situation where they are is very dangerous; we are very concerned.
We are all grateful for the safe arrival of all refugees; please pray for those who are still waiting to travel to Canada, and safety.
This family has arrived and more information will be forth coming.