Letters and Photos

Letters

June 2006

Here is a blurb that some people might be remotely interested in. 32 years ago, our youngest daughter Kerry was baptized in Thamesville. Two of her Godparents were The Most Rev. Robert Okine and his wife Juliana Okine. Robert became after his studies in London, the Bishop of the Diocese of Koforidua Ghana and also the Archbishop of the whole of West Africa. Robert has been here to visit a couple of times, but Kerry has never met her Godmother Juliana. Well, Juliana is coming to Toronto in August to attend an AIDS Conference and she will be spending a few days here in Brampton with us, at which time we hope that Kerry will get a chance to meet her Godmother from so far away.

Just a little info for the oldtimers that remember so far back. Again your website is great. Keep up the good work.

Beth and Bill Craven.

RE: The Gebremedhin Family (letter to the editor, Thamesville Herald, November 2005)

It has been a little over three weeks since our Ethiopian/Eritrean family from a refugee camp in the Sudan arrived in Thamesville.

It seems like such a short time compared to all they have accomplished. They are settled in their apartment on London Road. They have mastered things that we take for granted; how to cross a street safely, how to operate a washer and dryer, etc. They enjoy meeting people in our community and always do so with a smile and a handshake.

Their English is improving, thanks to one of our angels, Janice Adams from Kent Bridge.

Janice has been giving them many hours of her time and has also made the transition to the High School in Ridgetown, where Janice is a teacher, easier for Rezene.

Another one of our angels, Patti Myers, has kept a close eye on Nagassi, who has some health problems. Patti has taken the family for visits to a Medical Clinic in Chatham and is also there whenever we call her for help.

Then there is Ada Ure, who has been at the apartment nearly every day, checking to see if they need anything, helping with their English, and driving them wherever they need to go. She has become a very important part of their family. Sponsoring a refugee family was so important to Ada that she agreed to spearhead the project, and only those who have taken on that job know how much time that involves. She has been tireless in her endeavours.

There are also many other angels in the community; Mohammed, a Sudanese, who leases the Petro Line gas station, has helped us with translations and has also become a good friend to the family - someone to whom they can converse quite easily, Gloria Myers who drives the school bus that Rezene rides on and made sure he felt comfortable his first and subsequent days on the bus and all the students who welcomed him warmly, Carey Schepens and all the tellers at the Bank of Montreal, who have been so patient with us, all the people who have donated items to make their apartment more livable and have donated clothing for the family, anyone who has driven them to an appointment and of course every one who has generously welcomed them with a smile and a handshake.

Woldeab, Melete and Nagassi have been attending St Paul's Catholic, since that is comparable to the Coptic Orthodox Church of which Woldeab is a priest. They were able to go to Windsor on November 5 to attend a celebration in a Coptic Orthodox Church and Woldeab took part in the service. As Woldeab's oldest son, Birhane, remarked with pride to my husband at the service, "My dad is a very important man".

We have learned that Woldeab and Melete had to leave two daughters and their families in the refugee camp in Sudan. Apparently there are five grandchildren. Birhane, the oldest son wants to learn English so that he can get his driver's license and then take the course to operate trucks, as he had driven trucks in Sudan. Rezene wants to go to College. They are all eager to learn English well.

My husband, John and Alf Nichols took Birhane and Rezene to their first hockey game on Friday night in Dresden. They enjoyed the game and Rezene got very excited a couple of times. He had played soccer in Sudan.

There are many things that we do not know about their life in Africa. As their English or our Arabic improves, we will be able to ask them questions about that. John and I have already tried to explain what Hallowe'en and Remembrance Day is all about. Believe me when I say that it was easier to explain Remembrance Day!! I am anxious to find out what their first impressions of Canada were. While Ada was driving them here from Windsor, I was wishing that I knew what they were thinking as they looked out the windows of the van. Someday soon, I will be able to ask them that question and they will be able to understand and answer me.

Submitted by Lynda Van Will

Dear Lawrene

We are glad to get mail from Thamesville.

Your website is excellllllllllllllllent!!!!

Why not have the url at the bottom of your letter (perhaps in a "signature")?

Love in Jesus,

Bill (see contact info in letter below)

To: Marney Nichols of St Stephens (shared with the webmaster)

Hi Marney - I just stumbled across the Parish website. Great photo of you with the bishop. Also, probably one of the best parish websites I have seen and obviously someone is current in keeping it up.

We are doing ok here… Hope you are all well.

Bill Craven, Priest in Charge
Trinity Anglican Church, Campbell's Cross
http://ca.geocities.com/billcraven@rogers.com/

As an outsider that observes, might I add my compliment that your website is very informative, being both comprehensive and simple. And I review many church websites as part of my work, to know more and keep in touch with the Christian community in SW Ontario, and this site is a very good one. Keep up the good work.

As to a title for the webmaster, some churches and other ministries have their website maintained by a "web-minister", and this term might be taken on by you.

Ken DeVries, Publisher, The Shepherd's Guide (in SW Ontario)
PO Box 22056, RPO Elmwood Square, St. Thomas, ON N5R 6A1
(519) 633-0123 FAX 633-4702 1-888-276-5225 SW-ON @ShepherdsGuide.ca (close the space when you write)
Stay informed with the Christian Events Calendar at www.calendar.skynet.ca!

Photos looked fine to me. You do a great job on the website. It boggles my mind that someone can actually put all that together!! How about "Webspinner"?

Pat Highgate (Parish of the Transfiguration Treasurer)

… I finally have written something for the Church of the Advent History for the website. Hope it is not too long! I could write for hours on the subject but that is not appropriate.

Thanks for all your work in maintaining the website.

Allen Ure CGA for Ure Accounting Services Inc, Kiwanis TAG Team, Kiwanis Club of Ridgetown (and he’s heading up the parish Three Cantors project)

Hi Lawrene:
This is a reply I received from the Rector who was here in Thamesville/Dresden before Rev. Sylvia Doran. Rev. John Lombard and his wife Bev are now training missionaries in British Columbia. This might be news for the web-page. John was spotted by a couple of our parishioners on T.V. the other night.
Marney Nichols (Chapel Treasurer, Parish of the Transfiguration)

From: nicholsphoto
To: John & Bev Lombard
Hi Bev and John:
It doesn't matter how far away you go -- we as well as others saw John on T.V. the other night. The scan was way too quick but it was him alright.
This is so cool!
Marney

From: Bev Lombard
To: nicholsphoto
Hi Marney
Yes, that was John in the front row! We wondered how many people would see him and recognize him!! We are planning a trip to Ontario May 19 - June 15. We will be in the Toronto area for the first two weeks - then move down to the Waterford
area for the third week. We are HOPING to make a trip for a day or two to the Chatham area in that week. So maybe we can pop in for a coffee if things work out. The last week we will be in Hamilton for the yearly WEC Field conference.
Blessings
Beverly Lombard (Registrar, Gateway Training: Get There! Stay There! Be Effective!)

Regarding our refugee program – a letter from an Iraqi-Canadian sister of refugees

Thank you very much for the email, I was waiting to hear from you, can you please pass my thanks … my family is blessed to have such a kind warm hearts in this big cruel world...
[Name withheld until her family members make it safely into Damascus]

Great work on the website. I really enjoy your sense of humour- particularly the quote at the beginning of the Florence page! You have a real knack for making things interesting and informative.
Jenny Lee (Dulce Jubilo Soprano, Parish of the Transfiguration)

You do a great job. Thanks for the updates! Did you know I also met Eric Idle last year? [Webmaster note: oops, and now you know who is being talked about on the Did You Know page…] He's … still very funny. And congratulations on your new rector - I think he's great.

Heather+ (The Reverend Heather Robinson, Rector of St James, Brantford)

I noticed on the webpage you put quotes on...(this is one of my favourite pastimes is collecting quotes that move me...) I put some of my favourites on this page for you in case you want to change the quote from time to time.....another source for quotes...)

Mary Kalp

(PS again I am really impressed with the site! It is wonderful to be able to bookmark it and feel connected. Thanks again)

Hello there, thanks for the addition. Just a note to tell you that I think that our Web page is one of the best maintained ever, not just in church world.

Michelle Collins-Wongkee (the Reverend, Priest-in-Charge, Parish of the Transfiguration)

Love and appreciate all the work you do on the web site.

Betty Ure (Chapel Co-chair, Parish of the Transfiguration)

Just browsed through the web pages, awesome, I'm sure it takes lots of time…

Myrna Yakubovich (Lay Reader, Parish of the Transfiguration)

I checked out your website again and this time perused (surfed?) all the embedded links. I'm more impressed than I was last night! That is a tremendous amount of work you've done. Where on God's Anglican earth did you find the time to do such a nice job? …Amazing! Well, kudos on a neat website. Thanks also for several good laughs...

Mike Maroney (Minister of First Presbyterian Church, Chatham)

...looks great! Love the mast head!

Valerie Saunders (Parish Co-ordinator)

This in answer to “what should the webmaster be called?”…

I really enjoy your Website - you are doing a great job. You could be called the "Spiderlady" (you are always working on a web and there was a Spiderman (Harry??) or how about "Webdirector" (Master is a very powerful word, but you are doing a masterful job). "Webmaster" seems to be the term that is used pretty well exclusively for the job you are doing although it hasn't made my latest copy of Funk & Wagnells yet. Another thought just came to mind - "Webwizard". - All the best for now –

Jack Beedle (the Reverend, retired, now of St Jude’s, London)

After adding Hazel to the list…

HELLO! THANKS for the E-Mail! I was thrilled to get it today. It is very exciting to feel the joy expressed in it. I am so happy with the news and all the great information. What a wonderful resource. God Bless and Thanks again!

Hazel McDonald

…It looks great as usual. Thanks for all your time and efforts to make us modern!
Shirley Sewell (Organist, Chair of the Selection Committee, Parish of the Transfiguration)

What a great job you are doing. Keep up the good work and keep me on the list because I like to keep up-to-date on my community of friends.

Jack Beedle (the Reverend, retired, now of St Jude’s, London)

Is your letter not here? It might have been lost in the worm purge (ew!) of the webmaster’s computer. Sorry about that. Resend if you’d like to see something here. Thanks for writing!

Photos

2005’s silent auction, the second annual, at the Florence Community Centre was a wonderful success despite the late April snow. Many thanks to David McCaughrin for the photos.

Meet and Greet – David McCaughrin sent over these photos of the April 2 Meet and Greet of the Demitroffs to the parish, a potluck held in Dresden. The weather was foul and knocked out the lights but dishes were done by candlelight and a good time was had by all.

Good Friday, 2005 (photos above by Nichols Photography, text by Marney Nichols)

The sanctuary was filled to capacity on Good Friday, March 25^th, when St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Thamesville opened its doors to all the chapels of the Parish of the Transfiguration as well as to the community.

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Bruce Howe was in attendance and gave the homily and during the service was assisted by the Rev. Michelle Collins-Wongkee and the Rev. Stephen Demitroff. Several members of the congregation took part in the reading of the Gospel.

The music was under the capable direction of our organist Mrs. Kay Heil and, as is our tradition, a solo “Were You There” was sung by Chris Heil. The trio of Lawrene Denkers, Heather Morwood and Jennifer Lee was an added enjoyment.

The altar was turned to display the crosses and tomb made by our own Carol Sykes. The Parish of the Transfiguration layreaders brought the black draped cross to the altar.

A time of refreshments and fellowship followed the service.

Highgate’s A Night at the Oscars held on March 19, 2005, included great food, delightful entertainment, and clever decorating, and a good time was had by all.

The Highgate Legion hall was filled with Transfiguration parishioners and past and present members of the local community, and the kitchen was hopping with good cooks and attentive (and nicely dressed) wait staff.

Thanks to Mike Wongkee and Michelle Collins-Wongkee for the fine photography.

The Croak-eh 2005 tournament, a Highgate/Dresden July challenge, was photographed by Pat Highgate. On top are the winners, in the middle are the ref, looks like, and organizers, and on the bottom are the participants.

The Florence/Aughrim BAC Turkey Supper collage, November 17, 2004.

(Photos thanks to our Priest-in-Charge. She calls the one at bottom right, “Stealing Sheep.”)

On September 5, 2004, two of Florence’s young parishioners were baptized. Pictured here at the after-service party in the hall are Laurie and Jan Dowthwaite with their goddaugher, Yehesica; Colleen and Ron Bilton with their godson, Ever; and celebrant, the Rev’d Michelle Collins-Wongkee, Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of the Transfiguration.

(This photo courtesy of David McCaughrin, Dresden)

Collect for the Parish of the Transfiguration

We ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of glory, may give us a spirit of wisdom

and revelation as we come to know him,

so that, with the eyes of our hearts enlightened,

we may know what is the hope

to which He has called us. Amen.

Thanks to the people of the parish who on – what? two days notice? - went to work scrubbing the Florence Rectory before the arrival from Colombia of the refugee family. And cheerfully! Look at their smiles!

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