Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Greetings All!
I think my last email was mostly an update about living quarters, etc... so I will tell you a little more about what my actual work is like.
The actual internship is going quite well. It has been a new learning experience to write sermons every week. I've preached five times in 3 weeks, and so by the middle of October I will have doubled my lifetime preaching experience.
I am at a two point pastoral charge and until the weather gets cold, I have two preaching points. Actually - the second (and smaller) one is in a very rural area where the congregation (approximately 8 persons) is 4x the population of the town. Any time the weather is bad, there is no service there. So my first Sunday (the 11th) we'd received almost 4 1/2 inches of rain overnight, and there was no WAY my little car was gonna make it there, so they cancelled the service.
I have 3 shut ins who I visit on a regular basis - all women. They are lovely... all very busy UCW women in their younger years, and love to receive copies of the bulletin and my sermon.
My poor little car thinks she has died. She (her name is Rosebud) was exactly one month old on Saturday, and she's had her first oilchange and I think week we'll hit the 8,000 km mark. That should give you an idea of what my driving requirements are like out here.
My main responsibilities are worship planning and pastoral care for the shut-ins. I may have a baptism this year, and if my a couple of the teens want to be confirmed, we'll think of how to do some type of confirmation event/classes/? with them. I may also have a wedding. Luckily, have met the 4 funeral directors in Kindersley, and nothing has come up with that yet, although I may have a memorial in the next couple weeks. A former resident would like her ashes to come back here from BC so she can be buried with her husband.
My free time mostly consists of playing with my dog (her name is Zen... she's a 3 year old boxer/lab cross and has TONS of energy) and quilting. I've joined a women's quilting group in LaPorte, and I usually get to escape for all of Thursdays (my day off) to that little town where my cell phone doesnt' work and htere's no phone in the hall. It's a great escape.
Other news is that I will be going to Toronto on October 20 to participate in the orientation for the World Council of Churches General Assembly (which will be in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Feb. 2006). It is an eccumenical orientation with all delegates from all Canadian churches meeting together at the Anglican center in downtown Toronto. Also, today the United Church travel agent booked my tickets to Brazil. I leave Calgary at noon on February 9, 2006, and return on February 24th. It has been over a year since I was nominated and chosen to be one of the United Church delegates, and as it draws closer, it's exciting to think it will happen soon!
Please continue to keep this area (west central SK) in your prayers - the chances of having a break-even harvest get slimmer by the day.
Many blessings
I think my last email was mostly an update about living quarters, etc... so I will tell you a little more about what my actual work is like.
The actual internship is going quite well. It has been a new learning experience to write sermons every week. I've preached five times in 3 weeks, and so by the middle of October I will have doubled my lifetime preaching experience.
I am at a two point pastoral charge and until the weather gets cold, I have two preaching points. Actually - the second (and smaller) one is in a very rural area where the congregation (approximately 8 persons) is 4x the population of the town. Any time the weather is bad, there is no service there. So my first Sunday (the 11th) we'd received almost 4 1/2 inches of rain overnight, and there was no WAY my little car was gonna make it there, so they cancelled the service.
I have 3 shut ins who I visit on a regular basis - all women. They are lovely... all very busy UCW women in their younger years, and love to receive copies of the bulletin and my sermon.
My poor little car thinks she has died. She (her name is Rosebud) was exactly one month old on Saturday, and she's had her first oilchange and I think week we'll hit the 8,000 km mark. That should give you an idea of what my driving requirements are like out here.
My main responsibilities are worship planning and pastoral care for the shut-ins. I may have a baptism this year, and if my a couple of the teens want to be confirmed, we'll think of how to do some type of confirmation event/classes/? with them. I may also have a wedding. Luckily, have met the 4 funeral directors in Kindersley, and nothing has come up with that yet, although I may have a memorial in the next couple weeks. A former resident would like her ashes to come back here from BC so she can be buried with her husband.
My free time mostly consists of playing with my dog (her name is Zen... she's a 3 year old boxer/lab cross and has TONS of energy) and quilting. I've joined a women's quilting group in LaPorte, and I usually get to escape for all of Thursdays (my day off) to that little town where my cell phone doesnt' work and htere's no phone in the hall. It's a great escape.
Other news is that I will be going to Toronto on October 20 to participate in the orientation for the World Council of Churches General Assembly (which will be in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Feb. 2006). It is an eccumenical orientation with all delegates from all Canadian churches meeting together at the Anglican center in downtown Toronto. Also, today the United Church travel agent booked my tickets to Brazil. I leave Calgary at noon on February 9, 2006, and return on February 24th. It has been over a year since I was nominated and chosen to be one of the United Church delegates, and as it draws closer, it's exciting to think it will happen soon!
Please continue to keep this area (west central SK) in your prayers - the chances of having a break-even harvest get slimmer by the day.
Many blessings
