Moderator

The Rev. Kathy Fraser welcomes me to North Caradoc-St. Andrew's Church. Their new glass doors clearly say, "Welcome!"

I just learned from Colin Carmichael, Associate Secretary for Communications, that September 13^th is “National Celiac Awareness Day.” In an email I received from him earlier today, he wished me a Happy National Celiac Awareness Day and provided me the following link to information about the day’s focus: http://www.celiaccentral.org/News/News-Feeds/Celiac-in-the-News/Celiac-in-the-News/161/vobId__3693/.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that there is now a day set aside for celiacs. I think most of the readers of this blog know that I am celiac, which means that I have an intolerance to gluten which is found in wheat, barley and rye. In the September issue of the Record, you will find a letter to the editor from Ramona Brown Monsour, which she entitled “Food-Friendly Churches.” Thanks, Ramona, for alerting Record readers to the ways that churches can make themselves more welcoming to people with gluten sensitivities.

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The Four Amigos: Ken, Barb, Shirley, Herb

Well, Shirley and I are back home in Guelph, still feeling a bit exhausted from our trip but filled with many wonderful memories.  Our flights back (we had a brief layover in the Atlanta airport) went well as did our various checkpoints through customs and security (whew!).

I’ll continue to post stories and reflections from our trip in the days ahead, but I did want to first say a big “Muchas gracias!” — especially to Ken Kim and Barb Summers.  They both made the trip an experience of a lifetime.

First a heartfelt thank you to Ken Kim, Director of PWS&D.  Ken, you truly went beyond the call of duty both before and during the trip.  Ken was the trip planner, the tour guide, the translator, the driver for the Guatemalan leg of the trip (and believe me driving in Guatemala is an adventure in itself), the negotiator (when haggling with street vendors or ordering meals in a restaurant or figuring out exchange rates), the banker (whenever we needed a little extra money, Ken was there to provide the loan in whatever currency was needed), a nurse maid (when I spent two days in bed except for frequent trips to the washroom), and a good friend – all this while Ken’s father was undergoing major surgery in Canada.  Muchas gracias, amigo! Read the rest of this entry →

Antigua and the Agua Volcano

So, dear reader, you may wonder what has happened to the moderator and his party over the last couple of weeks.  Is he alive?  Has he been kidnapped?  Did he and his party go over a mountain on a bus?  Has he simply decided to remain in Central America rather than returning to the responsibilities of life in Canada?  What has happened to the moderator!  After all, I had promised to give regular updates of our trip, and it is now over a week since my last blog.

Well, the good news is that we are all still alive and are now enjoying one day of R&R in Antigua before we fly out of Guatemala City tomorrow to return to Canada.  Ken Kim has just left to fly to Baltimore for a meeting tomorrow of  the North American members of the ACT Alliance (ACT is an alliance of 100 churches and church-related organisations that work together in humanitarian assistance and development), leaving the three of us (Barb Summers, the Communications Coordinator for PWS&D, my wife Shirley and me) to explore the city on our own.
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Dateline: Sunday, August 15th. We attended 10:30 a.m. worship service in the Filadelfia Baptist Church in Masaya, a town about a thirty minute drive from Managua. I brought greetings from The Presbyterian Church in Canada (I even managed a few sentences in Spanish with coaching from Ken Kim and a couple of hours of rehearsal). After a lively worship service, we decided to visit the Masaya Volcano on the outskirts of town. The Masaya Volcano is still active, so we were looking forward to seeing it belch smoke. Read the rest of this entry →

We were picked up at the hotel shortly after breakfast for a short drive to the INPHRU Centre. INPHRU is a short form for “The Institute for Human Promotion,” a long time mission partner of PWS&D. The vision for INPHRU, which its name connotes, is to work with vulnerable children and young people to help them to determine their own future according to their own hopes and needs. The institute began in August 1966 and was the first NGO ever created in Nicaragua. When we arrived at the centre’s gate (there is a locked gate at the entry to most homes and businesses), the driver honked a couple of times and a man suddenly appeared to open the gate for us. Inside we found an excellent facility, immaculately maintained. We gathered in a boardroom for an orientation session from the staff, who used a PowerPoint presentation to orient us on how INPHRU is organized and the various programs supported by INPHRU. One of the programs is the Casa de las Ninas or “Home for Girls.” It provides counseling, training, and legal advocacy for girls who have been sexually and/or physically abused. When it is necessary for a girl’s safety, Casa de las Ninas also provides safe shelter. The time when the girls actually live at the shelter is usually short (about six to eight weeks), after which the girls return home or are placed in a foster home. Each girl who enters the program must sign a covenant saying that she understands the process she will be going through and freely accepts the terms. Read the rest of this entry →

After an excellent breakfast buffet at the hotel that included my first taste of pitaya fruit (a bright red fruit with black seeds), Jose arrived at 8:50 in a CEPAD truck to take the four of us to the CEPAD training centre in Managua. The Director of CEPAD, Damaris Albuquerque, and the rest of CEPAD’s staff and board members were all waiting for us in one of the staff rooms for our orientation to their work and a quick overview of Nicaraguan history and culture. Read the rest of this entry →

Shirley and I arrived in the Atlanta airport, and after checking the flight information on the large screen learned that the flight to Managua was flying out of Gate T08 (at the opposite end of the Atlanta airport). After twenty minutes, which included a few missed turns, a trip on three escalators, two conveyor belts, a train and one elevator, we found our way to the departure gate. Standing in line at the healthy choice food line opposite our departure gate was Barb Summers picking out some salad and vegetables. After sitting down together, we immediately heard a partially audible announcement with the words “Managua, Nicaragua” in it. Barb went up the desk at the departure gate to learn that our flight had been changed to Gate E15 (at the opposite end of the airport, of course). Barb stuffed her salad and vegetables in her brief case (fortunately they were in Styrofoam containers), and off we went for another twenty minute trek on three escalators, two conveyor belts and a train (no elevator this time). Ah! Don’t you just love air travel! When we arrived at the E section of the airport, there was another food court (this one with its very own piano player!). Shirley and I grabbed something to eat while Barb pulled out her salad and vegetables. After gulping down a few quick bites, we headed to our gate. Fortunately, this time there was no change in the departure gate. Read the rest of this entry →

In my last blog post, I introduced you to Peter McLean and “Peter’s Great Canadian Cycling Adventure. “ Well, now my wife Shirley and I are embarking on our own adventure – not to Canada but to Nicaragua and Guatemala. Each moderator makes o international trip during his/her moderatorial year to visit our church’s mission partners and to return to Canada with stories to tell and a broader understanding of the international mission work of the church. Read the rest of this entry →

The following is the Moderator’s travel schedule for August and September, 2010. If you would like to invite the Moderator to your special service or event, please contact Terrie-Lee Hamilton in the General Assembly Office:

• August 10-26
  International Trip to Nicaragua & Guatemala
• September 12
  Knox, Komoka, ON – Anniversary Service
  Almanarah, London, ON – Building Dedication
• September 17-19
  AMS Annual Meeting, St. Andrew’s, St. John’s, NL
• Septemeber 19
  St. Andrew’s, St. John’s, NL – Preaching

A quick note to let you know that this Sunday, June 20^th (tomorrow) I will be preaching at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Trinity is a new church plant, supported through grants from Canada Ministries, and led by Rev. Matt Brough.