Missions Updates: February 2022
Thank you for partnering with us in supporting three ministries in 2021! As we go into 2022, we plan to give updates about our missions partners to our community every couple of months, including prayer points and ways to be involved. Thoughts or questions? Get in touch with us at m2m@tablechurch.ca.
Street Hope, Victoria
Praise:
The weather has been cold and wet over the last few months, so although tough on those living on the streets, we are grateful that it hasn’t rained on Tuesday nights when we have been out. This makes it significantly easier - it is hard to keep supplies in the wagons dry when it is raining, and dry socks are a much-appreciated part of our inventory. There have been nights when it was raining almost right up until we arrived on Pandora, and then appeared to miraculously stop.
The new coordinator, who is immigrating from the UK, completed an important part of the process, and her husband has recently got a new job in which he can work from Canada. They both had COVID over Christmas, like so many others, but had no adverse effects.
We have not seen a big impact of COVID on the street population.
We saw one of our friends recently for the first time in a while. We had been told that he had had an overdose, so we were glad to see him alive and seeming healthy.
Petition:
Pray for the timely completion of the immigration process for the new coordinator and for her and her husband as they prepare to move and look for accommodation in a notoriously difficult housing market.
Mark, a long time friend of Street Hope is beginning a 3 month job training program and asked for prayer. Pray that he will be able to manage the demands of the program and that it will be a positive experience.
Ways to be involved:
Donate towards Easter bags with treats and a poem/card
Bake cookies (bag them in ziplock baggies 3-4/bag)
Commit to volunteering on Tuesday evenings (regularly or on-call to fill in when the team is short-handed)
Liz Snell, L’Abri, Canada
L'Abri has been hit hard by the Omicron surge, with Canadians finding it very hard to travel. They've started out the term with just their helper from last term, who has returned to spend spring with them. They're thankful for his presence; he's very handy and is fixing everything! A few short-term guests have signed up for this term, and some full-term ones for summer. L'Abri continues to welcome people to their Friday talks and gives thanks for a supportive local community.
Financially, they continue to stay afloat despite few students, but it does create pressure. Pray with them for wisdom in how to spread the word about L'Abri to other people, especially locals, without the use of advertising, which is against L'Abri's founding faith principles. Pray for encouragement despite two years of low student numbers and uncertainty. Also pray for a worker to replace Liz, who will be leaving in the fall to pursue her MA in counselling.
Prayer Requests:
For encouragement to keep persevering despite low numbers or no students, as Covid keeps us roadblocked
For wisdom in how to get the word out (without advertising) to people who might benefit, especially locals
And for provision for another worker, hopefully by Fall.
Ways to be involved:
Take part in L’Abri’s Friday night lecture series. You can find out more on their website - https://www.canadianlabri.org/resources
Tell your friends and family about L’Abri’s ministry
Abundant Grace of God Maternity Centre, and the Macad Family, Philippines
Clinic update: The clinic is getting busier all the time and staff are getting fewer. The clinic has lost 3 midwives recently for various reasons and another will be going on maternity leave in March. Remaining staff have been stretched thin and there is the worry of people experiencing burn out. Georgia is going to have to talk to her staff about limiting the number of patients the clinic enrolls, which is a hard topic to discuss as no one ever wants to turn anyone away.
Thankfully, clinic staff have been healthy and they haven’t had to close since September last year. Meanwhile, the local government hospital has stopped taking patients unless they are critical because most of the staff are positive for COVID. Omicron has been hitting the province hard.
The Macad Family
Family update: The Macad boys seem to be adjusting well to life in Canada and are enjoying basketball and even school a little! They have been talking about missing the Philippines lately for the first time, though (the cold, rainy days make them wish they could be outside playing in the sun!). Achao is still waiting to hear about a new application for a work permit and is studying for his drivers knowledge test. The transition to Canada has probably been the most difficult for him, but he keeps going. Georgia is loving her master’s course and says it is exactly what she was needing for this time. The content and conversations are challenging, but it seems like God has been preparing her for this for some time and she is excited to see where she might be led through all of it – perhaps in less of a leadership role and in more of a consulting/advocacy role in the clinic.
Prayer requests:
Comfort for the midwife who suffered her third miscarriage last year. Strength as she starts back to work next month.
A safe and good birth at the clinic for staff midwife Melody who is due in March
Wisdom in making big decisions regarding limiting patient numbers
Good health and protection for all of the remaining staff
Praise God that our missionary midwife Julie (from Abbotsford) has finally been given a travel ban exemption document and will be going to help at the clinic by March
Ways to be involved:
The clinic needs a new Doppler (a machine used to monitor the baby’s heartbeat during labour) which costs about $700. Stay tuned for an upcoming initiative to help provide this clinic with needed medical equipment!
