Welcome

      All are welcome. If you look at that simple sentence, it doesn't seem that there is much there but the two important words in this phrase say a lot. Welcome is a word that we use so much---on our doormats, over our front doors, even to acknowledge thanks--- "you're welcome". But if you have ever felt not welcome, you know the weight it carries, the gift that it bestows. It says come as you are, our door is open, be yourself, stay for a while. It is the very definition of hospitality.

     To me the most important word is "all". There is no disclaimer, no fine print, no additional clauses to decipher. Everyone regardless of race, age, culture, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, previous religious affiliation or socioeconomic status is welcome here. That truly covers all of us. And for those who have not felt welcome in a church this is a magnificent blessing of gigantic proportions. Here and everywhere, God sees us, knows us, loves us and wants us to feel at home, welcome. And here, we are.

Bus

     Today our daughter and I endeavored to educate ourselves about the transit system in our area. As a person with a disability, our daughter is able to book rides on HandyDART but her previous experiences with this mode of travel had their ups and downs. Among its shortcomings is that it has to be booked well in advance, it is frequently a taxi and not a bus, and therefore does not feel as safe, and you must allow a half an hour window timewise either way so arriving precisely on time is not always an option; there is a lot of waiting involved. We found that this is also true when using the standard transit offered here. We made it to our destination which was her soon-to-be new home address but we did not have as much luck with the return trip. Unfortunately, there is a rather complicated issue with certain buses changing their route number mid-trip. This experience made us both realize how spoilt we are to have access to a vehicle to go wherever we want to go, whenever we want to go there! Needless to say this will be an ongoing process. We pledged to keep trying and enjoy some bus riding and more walking this summer and see our cities of White Rock and Surrey from a slightly different perspective. Harmony's proximity to our local Dairy Queen will keep us inspired on those hot and sunny days! What could be better than a tasty ice cream treat at the end of bus ride with one of my favourite people in the whole wide world?

Harmony 3

 

Doug

      We had the honour of attending the retirement party for the former executive director of UNITI! What a wonderful event! The food was just what was promised: "Blundstones and Burgers" which with hot dogs, chips and cookies, really hit the spot. Folks met up with friends, old and new, and there was lots of conversation, smiles and laughter. I loved that the person who introduced her dad Doug, did so in such a beautiful, tender and humorous way.  Unbeknownst to me, she was the person to start this man on the path of advocacy for folks with developmental disabilities. They met when she was three years old and obviously their lives were never the same after that meeting.
     Our knowledge of Doug started when we became aware of Harmony, an inclusive and supported apartment building for folks with intellectual disabilities and others needing below market housing in our community. Our daughter was on the list to live in this building and we were disappointed that the municipal government in our area consistently voted against this project. Doug's passionate and unconditional resolve to make this building happen was unwavering. He rallied the supporters around UNITI and Harmony and with great leadership, determination and the support of staff, and many others, made it happen. Our daughter moves in there this year.

     Doug's remarks at his retirement party really hit home. He talked about "good trouble", the value of which was taught to him by his mum. He pointed out that there were representatives attending from every political party; inclusion is a non-partisan issue. He said folks with developmental disabilities are just not recipients of support, they are in relationship with all the various community and government groups and relationships are reciprocal. He talked about inclusion and that self-advocates do not want to just be invited to participate, they want to host the thing and dance with whomever they want. Yes! He is a hero to us and many like us and we will miss him more than he can know....Congratulations Doug!

Pagkakaisa

      We had the pleasure of welcoming the Himig Kabataan Cultural Society on Saturday for two concerts celebrating traditions and music from the Philipines and beyond in a day filled with joy and hope. From the very first, the choir engaged us with their rendition of "Manila", a high energy song bringing us right into present day Filipino culture. Then followed "O Canada"  and "Pambasang Awit", the  Philipine national anthem, sung by many with their hand over their heart. We were then gifted with many more songs, my favourite being one from their Vienna World Peace Choral Festival offering entitled, "Locus Iste" by Anton Bruckner which translated from the Latin means: 

"This place was made by God, 

A priceless sacrament, 

It is without reproach."

which was profoundly moving as it was being sung in my place of worship. This was followed by "Saro, Duwa, Tolo" which was a  medley of three folks songs from the Philipines which had my friend, who family is Filipino, in tears as it brought her back to her childhood, hearing these very same songs on her family's record player when she was younger.

     After the intermission we were privileged to hear the Himig Kabataan choir along with our own Church of the Holy Trinity Choir, directed by Maria Golas, singing "The Lord is My Shepherd", arranged by Howard Goodall. It was a beautiful rendition and I was very proud of our choir. It was followed by "Lead Me Lord" another poignant and beautifully sung piece composed by Arnel de Pano. The choir sang "Lupa" a heart-rending song of loss, love and unity. The set was completed by several more wonderful songs, all spectacular in their own right and each more lovely than the last, many featuring gorgeous solos by various choir members. It was such a beautiful and moving experience, a treat for the senses and one which filled our church with such joy and appreciation for life in all its many facets. 

     We wish the Himig Kabataan Cultural Society safe travels on their trip to Vienna to compete in the 15th World Peace Choral Festival and many blessings in the year to come. We hope to see them all again soon! 

Choir

     I recently attended the Youth Pop-Up Choir event at Holy Trinity. It was surprisingly fun! I say surprising because I was definitely at the upper end of the age range but it turns out that music and smiles transcend all those self-imposed limitations. Though our group was small, we were willing, and under the expert care and leadership of our Music Director Maria Golas we learned to sing two songs. The first was unknown to me  and was a Congolese folk song called "Banaha" which we learned to sing in rounds. It sounds easy but it isn't because you must keep to your own words and music without being affected by people across the room singing different words and notes. The second was "Let It Be" by Paul McCartney, which some of us learned to sing in harmony which is also not as easy as it sounds. Both were fun and challenging for different reasons but we were pretty impressed with the results and had a good time. Maria managed to fit in a few games like "Pass the beat around the room" and the word association game where you and your team have to sing a line from a song with a particular word in it. They were both very enjoyable and provoked a lot of laughter and competition from all of us. Vanessa managed to keep us all fed with snacks, drinks and pizza and Ullo provided the much needed musical accompaniment which made for a memorable and fun couple of hours. 

     I did not know what to expect but found myself having a great time and eager to do it all again. Thanks Maria, Vanessa and Ullo for a great evening! Let's do it again soon!

 

Stories

     Lately I have noticed how inspiring and interesting the stories are of our newer parishioners and how they came to be part of the congregation at the Church of the Holy Trinity. I have heard them on Stewardship Sundays and at Parish Council meetings. I have heard them at coffee hour and when greeting on Sunday mornings. What they all have in common is that moment when someone walked through our front door and decided that they were home.

     I would love to see these stories in our newsletter; they are so encouraging and instructive. They help us to welcome our new parishioners, they inspire to continue to welcome newcomers and they are indicative of what we are doing right—- sharing God’s love in a world that sorely needs it. 

     If you have a story to tell, please share it with us.  We would like to hear how you came to be part of our congregation and if you have a photo that you would like to share, please do! We are so happy that you have joined us. Thank you!