Category Archives: Mission and Outreach

Scholarship Student Graduation

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Congratulations to Jocelyn Herrera, one of our scholarship students in Belize, who has graduated from Eden SDA High School!

Jocelyn attended elementary at St. Hilda's Anglican School. She is interested in furthering her education beyond high school, and has also previously expressed interest in becoming a business secretary. Please pray that, with God's help, Jocelyn will find her path. Read previous letters from Jocelyn to the Cathedral's Belize Mission Committee here, here, and here. You can watch her graduation ceremony on YouTube. Jocelyn's name is announced at the 47 minute mark.

This year, the Belize Missions Committee has used contributions from the Cathedral congregation to provide scholarships to four students enrolled in high school. In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of high school tuition. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education.

Currently, four students attending high school benefit from Cathedral scholarships. $4000 was sent in August 2020 -- $1000 each, which helps to cover the cost of tuition, books and other required materials. The 2020-2021 scholarship students are: Jocelyn Herrera, Grade 12; Jenniah Tillett, Grade 11; Gian Myvette, Grade 10; and Edvin Perez, Grade 9.

This past year has been a challenging one for students across the globe, and we pray that our sponsored students will be guided by the Holy Spirit in their lives and in their studies.

Donations towards the Cathedral's efforts in Belize are always appreciated, and are especially welcome after this year of pandemic in which the Missions Committee has not been able to hold a fundraiser. You may donate and receive a charitable tax receipt by using an offering envelope marked "Belize" or by making an online donation. Funds will be used to support St. Hilda's Anglican School (elementary) and the high school scholarship program.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

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InterVarsity in New Brunswick (May 2021)
 
Games Night Set Up We hosted virtual games nights over the winter term in addition to meeting for Bible study
 
Gathering Around Scripture
This term we studied the Gospel of Luke. Our hope was to draw on our 12 Neighbours study from last term and continue to think about what it means to love our neighbours. There was a bit of dread in the air as we anticipated hosting everything online for the winter term, but we were pleasantly surprised.  People showed up! They wanted to engage with Scripture with their friends, and they found our Bible study a good place to do so. I think attendance was more consistent than it’s ever been.

 

 
One of our “picnics” held online, the first half of May was cold and rainy here!
Picnics in The Park

We are thankful for the warm weather and will be taking advantage of it this summer by hosting weekly, socially distanced “picnics in the park”. We’ll be gathering in Queen’s Square Park at 6pm on Thursday evenings all summer with our packed dinners to sit on the grass together, six feet apart. If weather or pandemic restrictions require it, we’ll meet online to eat together.  Feel free to share this information with any students in the Fredericton area who may want to join us.
 
 
Thank You
 
This August will be my final month as a campus minister with InterVarsity. I want to thank all of you who have prayed and donated during the past four years. This work is not something that any one person can do alone and I am very grateful for your many contributions to it. I’m sad to be leaving and also excited for the next adventure, I’ll be heading back to school in the fall to study law at UNB.  My colleague Patrick will continue to serve students in New Brunswick.  InterVarsity’s Atlantic Director, Jamie Macarthur, is looking for staff and/or volunteers to serve the work in New Brunswick and across the Atlantic region.  If you have any questions about InterVarsity’s future in New Brunswick, or just want to say hello, please reach out to Jamie!

 

 Krystal, myself, and Emma as students at a retreat in 2014.
 
Join Us for a Reunion

We are hosting a reunion for all staff, students, volunteers and friends who have ever been involved with InterVarsity in New Brunswick. We’re going to meet for one hour over zoom on Sunday, May 30th from 7pm to 8pm to catch up and reminisce. InterVarsity’s Atlantic Director Jamie, and President Nigel, will both be joining us.  Come meet them! You should have already received an invitation to this from us, but if you’re looking for the zoom link just respond to this email.
 
 
Fundraising Update
I will be raising support for InterVarsity in New Brunswick this summer. As an Atlantic Team, we have set collective goals around raising funds and finding volunteers before the end of August.  I hope to connect with you in the coming months!
 
Donate
 
Prayer Requests
We’re still living in a pandemic. Please pray that students will recharge this summer after another challenging online term. Pray for health and safety this summer, and that universities will be able to re-open fully in the fall.
Pray for connections this summer. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and we’re meeting outside! Please pray that friendships will form and that students will experience community in meaningful ways.

Missions Committee provides support throughout the pandemic

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“Serving God in mission, sharing Jesus with the world” is the mission statement of the Christ Church Cathedral Missions Committee.

The committee works together with the Cathedral congregation to reflect the teachings of Jesus and the heartbeat of Christian history. The committee's goals are to: raise awareness about mission work, prayerfully and financially support missionary efforts, and encourage action by the congregation.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee has been conducting business virtually, primarily through email, and has been able to continue communications and support for several long-standing mission partners.

Annual financial assistance of $1500 was provided to support the stipend for Canon Paul Jeffries at Bishop McAllister College in Uganda as well as $1500 for Reverends Kara and Nelson Mejia and their Honduras Mission Fund.

A $350 donation supported the mobile medical clinic in Ho, Ghana - a campaign initiated by the Diocese of Fredericton.

$250 was donated in response to an urgent appeal by PWRDF for financial assistance in August 2020 to assist with humanitarian needs following the Beirut explosion.

The Cathedral Missions Committee has remained in touch with members of the Refugee Family Sponsorship Team. In October, members of the committee assisted others in helping the Weah-Gmah family move to their new home.

A related committee under the Bishop and Chapter responsibility of Mission/Outreach maintains communication with St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize.

Like so many others across the globe, our mission partners faced unforeseen challenges over this past year. School closures threatened to jeopardize the entire ministry at Bishop McAllister College. A shut down of the tourism economy in Roatan placed Rev’s Nelson and Kara in the position of needing to feed regular meals to over 200 residents in their community. When both of these partners reached out, the Cathedral offered additional assistance of $250 each and shared their messaging with the congregation via the missions web page and corresponding links on the Cathedral website and Facebook pages.

The committee posts online updates to keep the congregation informed of ongoing developments with our mission partners and continues to ask for prayerful support. In the year ahead, it is hoped that guest speakers can be invited back to the Cathedral.

The Missions Committee welcomes new members and is happy to answer questions. Contact the Cathedral Office or communicate directly with committee members Brad McKnight, Sam Mayo, John DosSantos or Kurt Schmidt.

Details from the Missions Committee update in the Christ Church Cathedral Annual Report for 2020.

COVID-19 Vaccine: Why not pay it forward?

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by Ann Deveau

As the pandemic has dragged on, disrupting all our lives, I've been waiting impatiently to get my first shot of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19.

Suddenly, the words of my late father penetrate my whiny muttering. Dad would often say: “There's always someone worse off than yourself.”

A bit red-faced, I ponder that bit of wisdom.

More advice floats to the surface.

My best friend, Deb, died of ovarian cancer this spring, still smiling and reminding people to “Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.”

My face gets redder.

After all, because I'm lucky enough to live in a relatively prosperous place like Canada with a good health-care system and with a government that bought zillions of doses in advance, it's certain that I will get vaccinated if I wish to do so. I enjoy privilege and security.

But, if I happened to live in a crowded slum in India, a remote village in Tanzania, or the high mountains of Bolivia, what would be the chances of my family getting the vaccine any time soon? Slim to none, possibly. And that's quite simply wrong.

I decided to take the advice of my wise Dad and my kind friend; be grateful for what you have and share it with someone who needs it. As soon as I get my jab, I'll pay it forward by donating to the Vaccine Equity Fund at the Primate's World Relief and Development Agency (PWRDF).

Canada's Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, has written that seeking vaccine equity is not optional. She noted that our baptismal promises command us to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Archbishop Nicholls was also motivated by the words of her Anglican colleague, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of South Africa. “Everyone deserves more than the crumbs under the table when others are eating a full loaf of bread,” he pointed out.

Our Primate urged Anglicans to speak up for countries often left with “crumbs.”

For example, we can urge our members of Parliament to donate our excess vaccine to less fortunate nations because vaccine inequity threatens everyone while the virus rages. We can ask our prime minister to support a temporary suspension of trade restrictions, which control the price of vaccine, so that production can reach into heavily populated areas.

Aside from advocacy, the Primate suggested something tangible. When Anglicans receive their vaccines, they can contribute to the Vaccine Equity Fund at PWRDF. Each gift will support PWRDF partners in the most vulnerable parts of the world as they prepare for vaccination roll-out, including work already under way to supply PPE, thermometers, sanitation and hand-washing facilities, and accurate public health information.

If you visit the link to donate, you'll see that you can choose an amount  which matches your personal budget. You can also dedicate your contribution to someone special, and PWRDF will notify them about your generosity.

It's going to be difficult for PWRDF to send e-mails to my father and my friend, but I won't let that little problem stop me from paying it forward and helping a vulnerable person  somewhere get vaccinated against this deadly virus.

What will you do?

 

 

Mobile Medical Clinic Goal Reached!

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Bishop Mathias, in red at centre, with Robert Griffin and representatives of the Ho Teaching Hospital. A partnership with the hospital will see them staff the mobile medical clinic.

The Diocese of Fredericton's fundraising campaign for a Mobile Medical Clinic in our Companion Diocese of Ho, Ghana has reached its goal! $100,000 has been raised in the Diocese, and the rest of the $268,000 project cost has come from Rotary.

Thank you to all who contributed. The clinic is on schedule to be in Ghana before the year is out, and any further funds donated will be used to purchase more equipment and supplies.

Read the details on the Diocese website: Ho mobile medical clinic soon to be a reality.

 

Commitment to Education in Belize

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Christ Church Cathedral has a special relationship with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s Anglican School, an elementary school in the rural village of Georgeville. Two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8. Cathedral teams have travelled to Belize five times: in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have gone on a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work through organizational support, donations and prayers.

As part of the Cathedral's ongoing financial commitment to St. Hilda's, in 2020 we sent the school $1000 in August and $1000 in December to contribute to ongoing needs for the students and teachers. Although we were unable to do any fundraising in 2020 due to COVID-19, enough funds were available from efforts in 2019 to continue our support for the school.

The money sent to St. Hilda's was helpful in preparing for opening of the school with the restrictions and regulations of COVID-19. They used the funds to purchase cleaning and sanitation supplies, as well as garbage bins, masks, and gloves for teachers. Teachers were also given a stipend to assist with  classroom preparation and arrangements for physical distancing.

According to Ms. Jane, principal of St. Hilda’s, the school typically holds fundraising events throughout the year to help with supplies, but has been unable to do so since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We communicate with Ms. Jane on a regular basis, who recently shared, "I continue to express sincere gratitude to our Friends of St. Hilda’s family. You all have truly blessed us. I keep seeing God working through your sponsorship. When we were at our lowest, that’s when the funds came through. We are truly thankful. Prayers for you all during this time. God’s continued blessing on your ministry."

In addition to support of the elementary school, the Cathedral supports scholarships for selected St. Hilda's graduates. In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of high school. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line. In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed St. Hilda’s students to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education.

Currently, four students attending high school benefit from Cathedral scholarships. $4000 was sent in August 2020 -- $1000 each to four students, which helps to cover the cost of tuition, books and other required materials. The 2020-2021 scholarship students are Edvin Perez Grade 9, Gian Myvette Grade 10, Jenniah Tillett Grade 11, and Joselyn Herrera Grade 12.

Our congregation continues to support and pray for the students and teachers at St. Hilda’s school, past and present.

Read more posts about Belize missions.

Update from St Hilda’s Anglican School in Belize

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The following is a letter sent March 11/21 by Ms. Jane Martinez, Principal at St. Hilda’s Anglican School, to Kelley Hall of the Belize Mission Committee.

Good Afternoon Kelley,

I pray all is well with you and your family. I wanted to send you an update so that you know what is going on at St. Hilda’s Anglican. Due to the Covid19 situation, we are only at school Monday and Tuesday. We are still doing distance learning. Teachers print packages every week for students and they also do online sessions twice a week. It has been truly challenging because both teachers and students have to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning. My staff has been very vigilant in this exercise and I must commend their efforts. 
It is being said that the vaccine will be given to teachers soon and classes will resume in April. I’m not sure if that will work out. Some people are hesitant about getting the vaccine because much controversy surrounding it. There has been no Education or information given to the public and people are hesitant. 
The high school students have gotten some reports so I will forward that to you as well.  I’m still waiting for two more students to send theirs. They have also been doing online learning and receiving packages. 
I am including pictures of some repairs that we were able to get done in one classroom as well as the signs that we set up. I also bought folders for teachers to create a portfolio with lessons and packages that are sent out.  Overall,  I must say that we are blessed because we have all been able to cope and have stayed healthy. 
I continue to express sincere gratitude to our Friends of St. Hilda’s family. You all have truly blessed us. I keep seeing God working through your sponsorship. When we were at our lowest, that’s when the funds came through. We are truly thankful. Prayers for you all during this time. God’s continued blessing on your ministry. 
Blessings, 
Jane

News from St. Hilda’s Anglican School in Belize

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I pray that this email reaches you in good health. It has been some time since I contacted you but We have been keeping you all in prayer just as I know you have done for us. Our little Belize is battling the pandemic. 

In August we were out of school for two weeks because one of our staff members had to get swabbed because she was displaying symptoms. We waited for almost two weeks for her results. Thankfully, the test came back negative. We have to be at school everyday but the students are at home. Some teachers are doing online classes via Google Classroom or WhatsApp. We also prepare learning packages each week for all students.

It has been a very difficult time trying to cope with everything that is happening and staying focused. The funds that you sent were very helpful in preparing for the reopening. Registration has been very slow and we usually get our funds from fundraising activities but unfortunately, we can’t do anything at this time. We were able to purchase cleaning and sanitation supplies as well as garbage bins, masks and gloves for teachers. Teachers were also given a stipend to assist with preparation of classrooms. We had to arrange our furniture to cater for social distancing.

I will be sending you some pictures of the classrooms and other arrangements that were made during this time. I am also attaching receipts from students. They started their sessions on October 5th, Some of them are doing online sessions while others are receiving printed materials as well. So far they are all engaged and have started working. I will keep you updated as the time goes by. We will continue to ask God’s blessings on you all. we love you and pray the best for all our Friends of St. Hilda’s. Be safe.

Best,
Jane (Principal at St. Hilda’s)

Bishop McAllister College & Bishop McAllister Anglican Seminary, Rector’s Newsletter

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February 2021

Dear Friends,

Greetings from all of us at Bishop McAllister College and Anglican Seminary! We reopened on January 18th with just under 200 students, the finalists in their respective sections. While we continue to face a few challenges, things are actually going quite well. We have received good news this past week. The Ministry of Education has given the green light for all students to return to school. It still won’t be quite back to normal as the different classes have their returns staggered over the coming months to avoid overcrowded conditions and congestion. So over the next few months we still won’t have everyone at the same time. I believe this will work very well at least for the students. Schools have been instructed to not have exams which take up a considerable amount of time each term, but instead to concentrate on teaching new material so students catch up top where they should be in the syllabus. Teachers will need your prayers, as while this staggered format will work well for students, teachers will loose much of their normal vacation time that follows each term. While the calendar for entire year hasn’t been released I expect it will take us into early 2022 so that the students are completely back on track.

On another note we have made a little progress on the music department in 2021, due to a few donations and pledges. which is quite encouraging. We have been able to lay the foundations for the Keyboard Lab and MDD Building (Music, Dance, and Drama). The Choral Rehearsal Room has also taken another step from the first ring beam to the second ring beam . One step at a time!

March 2020

February 19th, 2021

We are excited about the progress, even these small steps. Our hope is to roof the choral rehearsal room this year if all goes well . Things are beginning to look up! “To God be the Glory!”

I can’t tell you how much we appreciate everyones support for so many years. With your help we are truly making a difference. May God continue to bless and keep you!

Paul

Rev. Canon Paul Jeffries

Rector

Bishop McAllister College & Bishop McAllister Anglican Seminary

“To God be the Glory!”

Ten Years A Missionary – David Alenskis

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February 2021

Dear friends and partners in ministry,

I want to take this time to wish you a very blessed Ash Wednesday, and to thank you for all the support that you have generously given us over the past few months! It has been a joy to know you are praying for us, and to receive your notes of encouragement since our last update in December.
This year certainly does not feel like any Lent Mary Beth and I have experienced recently: in Belize by this point in the liturgical calendar we are usually boiling from the hot season rolling into town, but at the moment we instead have sub-zero temperatures and mounds of snow where we’re hunkered down in the Midwest. As we prepare for Easter in just over forty days, we ask you to keep our family in your prayers as we seek his strength, provision and guidance in the months ahead.
Yesterday I posted an update on how we are doing, and I invite you to give it a read:
Here is a quick brief summary of what the blog post is sharing:
  1. Academics. So far I am performing very well in my doctoral program—despite having to do everything remotely—and I am enjoying the coursework I am taking. I am still on track to defend my thesis and graduate by 2024 … it will be tough to fit in everything by then, but I am highly motivated to get it done and my track record so far is encouraging. (Read more!)
  2. Family Life. Mary Beth and the boys are doing very well. Because we were unable to proceed to Canada in time for the Winter term, we have rented a small two-bedroom place a few miles from my parents’ home in Indiana, and we are enjoying being together as a family in our own space.A very big development over the last few weeks is that our parish in San Ignacio, St. Andrew’s has decided to rent out the Rectory as soon as next month, so we are shipping our belongings to our home in the States—and we will probably not be returning to Belize this summer to pack out and say goodbye. We are grieving the loss of this opportunity to take an extended time to pack out and say goodbye, but at the same time we have seen God’s hand working in amazing ways. (Read more!)
  3. Finances. Shipping our belongings from Belize to the U.S. is going to be a tremendous expense (around $7,000), right at the same time that Mary Beth and I will have to take a salary cut. Our regular/pledged giving is $3,300 below our bare-bones basic SAMS budget each month, and now that we are in 2021 we will have to lower our salaries by 30–40% beginning in March. (Read more!)To make sure that we do not have to decrease our salaries any further, we would ask you prayerfully to consider giving a one-time donation to our missionary account to help us rebuild some margin. And if the Lord is guiding you to become a pledged supporter of our ministry, we would be deeply grateful to have you on the team.
Next month will also mark ten years (!!!) since I left California to become a full-time SAMS missionary in Argentina. So much has happened since then. I want to thank each of you for first supporting me, and then Mary Beth, and now our whole family as we pursue the vision for mission and ministry that the Lord has given us. Please keep us in your prayers, and be in touch as together we move ahead in service to our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his name,
David+ and Mary Beth (and Austin and James)