St.. Vincent Mission - February 2012

This coming February 2012, at the request of the Caribbean Salvation Army Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, the St. Vincent government and the Salvation Army in St. Vincent, a group of approximately 40 volunteers from The Salvation Army in Canada will travel there to construct a 2400 square foot home for children in Buccament. A local architect, is preparing the plans for the St. Vincent government approval, and we will be purchasing building materials and food for our team in St. Vincent, renting accommodation and transportation as well as hiring some local construction workers to assist us in the building.

This project is entirely funded by the team members, who pay all expenses of the mission. Needless to say, this is a sacrificial offering, and one that involves a lot of hard work, but brings much satisfaction to know that vulnerable children will be given a good home.

19 Days and Counting

Time is flying by and in 19 days our first group of volunteers will be leaving to literally lay the foundations for our project this year.

Check back here as we will attempt to update the site regularly with updates on the project.

Another Year, Another Mission - St. Vincent 2012

Our planned mission destination for 2012 is St. Vincent in the Grenadine island chain. The project will be to build a Children's Home. Due to the size of the project, we anticipate that this will be a 4 week project, with shorter options available for those that cannot commit to the entire 4 week period.

The information meeting will be held Saturday October 22, 2011 at the Salvation Army, North York Temple (25 Centre Ave, North York, ON). Please come to learn about the work we have been asked to do, have any of your questions answered, and meet many of the team members. If you cannot physically attend, we are working out the details so that you can attend via Skype. Please let us know if you are interested in this option.

As we will need to have applications submitted ASAP for planning purposes, if you can't make the meeting, but are interested, please let us know by email and we will send you as much information as possible by reply.

Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Laurie

2011 Mission to Suriname

It's that time of year again.....Mission planning has begun!

We have been asked by The Caribbean Territory if we would consider a mission to Suriname to repair and renovate a Salvation Army Senior Citizens' home in Paramaribo. Joel will be there October 4 to 9, to assess the work and check out the availability of materials etc., as he usually does.

An INFORMATION MEETING will then be held on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23rd, from
1:30 to 4:30, at NORTH YORK TEMPLE, 25 Centre Avenue, North York for those who have an interest in participating in the 2011 Mission.

Although mission dates are not yet firm, it is expected that we will try to get flights for Saturday or Sunday, January 23 or 24 and return Saturday or Sunday February 5 or 6, 2011.

VISAS are required to enter Suriname, and The Salvation Army in Suriname has been given permission to make the applications for us there. We will need to send them required information. This process must begin without delay.

IF after prayerful consideration you want to be a part of this mission, we will need you to bring to the Information Meeting October 23rd the following data which will be then be forwarded to Suriname:
• Passport Information- a photocopy of the main page showing your picture, passport number,and issue and expiry date. PLEASE NOTE: Passports must be valid for 6 months from the date of intended travel.
• Three recent passport size photos for Suriname government use.
• Your completed Suriname Visa Information form, which is attached above.
• Your Suriname Mission Team Application form, which will be emailed asap.
• Your deposit cheque in the amount of $750.00. The full cost of the mission will be announced at the meeting. It is hoped that we will be to keep this to the same amount as the 2010 mission, $1500.00, plus travel insurance and other personal expenses. The cost will largely depend on the cost of the airfare, which is considerable for this destination. We hope to be accommodated at a Salvation Army facility in Suriname, where we will be able, as usual, to do our own cooking.

Because of the time required for the Visa process we will not have the luxury of procrastination in making a decision to participate. As much as we usually try to accommodate 'last minute' people, we regret that it will not be possible for Suriname.

Please RSVP asap to let us know if you will be attending on October 23, and if affirmative, we will e mail the Team Application form, which also needs to be completed and brought to the meeting.

Please pass this information along to others you know who may have a heart for this type of ministry, and have skills that would be useful in the completion of this hands on work project.

We hope to hear from you very soon!

And the location is...

For those interested in our upcoming mission trip... a decision has finally been made. Upon request of the Canadian Territory, we will be supporting the Salvation Army's work in Holguin Cuba. A fact-finding trip will be held in September, and we anticipate the mission dates will be in early February 2010.

Start booking your vacation time off now!

Another adventure anyone?

This year we have been asked to go to two different locations (one by the Salvation Army in Canada, the other by the Salvation Army in the Caribbean). We are thoughtfully considering both requests. Both locations have unique challenges, so please keep the mission and those responsible for making the decision in your prayers.

In the meantime, I'm planning a trip to Uganda and the Watoto Children's Village. This too is a building project and I'm looking forward to seeing how different groups do things... perhaps I'll come back with a few suggestions for Joel, Bob & Terry!

The ongoing impact of a mission trip...

Over the years a number of participants have continued their "mission quest" even after their return home. Some have started small mission groups of their own, and others are working locally to support the needs of Canadian youth.

Sharon is one participant who has always had a missions mind - both here and abroad. Please consider supporting her efforts if you are in the Toronto area on May 9th when her group, Cooper Coin Arts, presents their second annual "Break the Chains" fashion show to support efforts addressing human trafficking.

The details are:
Location: The Sanctuary (25 Charles St East - one block south east of Yonge & Bloor) map
Date/Time: Saturday May 9th (4-7pm art show, 7pm fashion/talent show)
Cost: $10
Website: www.coppercoinarts.com

See you there!