On Tuesday night, Agnes and I attended a combined meeting of the local Rotary clubs to hear the members of a Rotary Exchange study team from Western Australia. It was particularly interesting for Agnes and me in that each member, apart from the team leader, was an indigenous aboriginal. We found it informative and inspirational to hear their stories concerning the history and culture of our original Australians. Some of the information was familiar to us, but we learned some new and interesting facts as well. It was also good to talk “Aussie” talk with most of the team members after the presentation. One of them had actually met a good friend of ours! Small world! There are a lot of similarities between the Australian aborigines and the Canadian First Nations people. It is very important that we thank God for the first inhabitants of our countries and reach out in love and understanding!
Partners in Mission
Thank you for your response thus far to our annual Partners in Mission Appeal. At the moment our total stands at just over $14,000. Remember that our goal for this year is $22,000 to support those in other parts of the world who have so very little. It is important that every Cascade member and adherent contributes to this appeal. There is still time to do this. You can contribute on Sunday if you missed last week, or drop by the office next week to make your donation. Please see the ushers or go to the kiosk for an offering envelope. I must mention that the Sunday morning congregation at the Centre of Hope has contributed $1,576 toward this total! Yes, the homeless and poor of our community have made a great contribution!
Mayor’s Breakfast
The Salvation Army was well represented at the inaugural Mayor’s Breakfast at which Mayor George Peary outlined “the state of our city”! It was an inspirational event, and one left feeling very proud of our City of Abbotsford, its recent achievements, and the strong hope for the future. We had booked a table for eight, and Mayor George was encouraged by the support and attendance of Salvation Army members.
Emergency Services
The emergency services team, of which I am a member, was called to a large fire just off Sumas Way late on Wednesday evening. This was my first experience of this type of ministry since coming here, and I was really impressed with the attitude of our team members as we prepared food and drink for the weary firefighters from Abbotsford. The firefighters were very grateful. I can’t help but be proud of the magnificent way in which this church serves the people of Abbotsford.
On Sunday we will continue to RUN THE RACE and we will be RUNNING FREE IN THE SPIRIT (Pentecost!)
See you Sunday!
Ross Hailes
