Canada

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas - Psalm 65:5

Ontario to see higher numbers of economic immigrants under federal agreement

Ontario is set to double the number of economic immigrants it welcomes to the province under an agreement with the federal government to boost the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.

December 9th, I took a circuitous route to the airport making some last minute pick ups. It was the usual dark and cold of winter in the B.C. interior. I traced my way through the lamp lit roads of the city following Siri’s voice directing me towards a friend’s parents’ house where I would dig a plastic bag out of a storage box. I hoped the neighbours wouldn’t be concerned given the late hour.  All day I’d been sending a flurry of texts trying to arrange a collection of winter coats of various sizes and ensuring the final set up of the apartment was finished.

John Klein-Geltink is a long term coach for deacons and passionate foodie—as in food banks. In his work with Operation Sharing in Woodstock Ontario John has helped switch from food donations to food gift cards. This approach gives more agency to people involved and John talks about how he can see the fruit of this change from his long involvement.

As I’ve said before on this blog, I’m a person with spastic cerebral palsy and other disabilities. That means that – like all people, let alone other folks with disabilities! – I require access to affordable housing. On one hand, I can happily report that as I write these words, I sit at my own kitchen table, in an apartment where I live by myself. Sometimes, I need a little help getting my groceries, but I can come and go when I please, and I don’t live with too many insects!

Think of your grandma, mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter and reflect on how special these loved ones are to you.  What was the first memory that came to mind?  Was it sitting at the table enjoying a special meal, was it walking on the beach or in the forest, was it listening to stories of days gone by, or sitting quietly just enjoying each other’s company?

The first time I sat in a Cree circle I was just fifteen years old. The Cree Elder did not present a ‘woe is me’ argument against white people for his young audience, rather, he spoke of the equality of all the nations as depicted on the medicine wheel. The medicine wheel portrays four colors: red, yellow, black (sometimes depicted as blue or green depending on the beliefs of the nation), and white that represent the equality of the four nations of the global population of humankind.

As part of DARC (Decolonization and Anti-racism Collective, the new name for the Canadian Advisory Committee on Antiracism), I was asked to talk with BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) people to hear their honest experiences with the CRCNA. I was honoured to talk with a brilliant woman who is a Doctor in Education and a Professor at the University of Alberta.

You are mightier than all the breakers pounding on the seashores of the world! - Psalm 93:4

Earthquake death toll tops 41,000 in Turkey and Syria 

In the continuing aftermath of the earthquake, 100 people have been arrested in Turkey amidst a collapsed building probe.  We pray for justice, healing and also a solid rebuilding.

A couple of weeks ago at a community collaborative meeting, I had the privilege of listening to and learning from a few survivors of human trafficking about ethical storytelling. This is a topic I am very passionate about because as I conduct anti-human trafficking work, I strive to advocate in a way that does not re-victimize, exploit, or harm survivors, but honours and uplifts them.

When you became a deacon, did you know what you signed up for? Most new deacons hear the Deacon’s mandate read at their ordination and then sit at their first meeting thinking – what now? My job at Diaconal Ministries is to help deacons understand their calling and discover ways to work out their leadership role. The Deacon’s mandate can be broken into 4 ministry areas: Stewardship, Benevolence, Justice and Community.