Place of Meeting January 2014

Place of Meeting

A saviour is born Diana Gallego and Luis Mata stand in for Mary and Joseph, with Mathias Unger Alexander as Jesus, surrounded by goats and donkeys in a special outdoor nativity celebration put on by one of our congregation’s small groups.

See inside for more images of a memorable Advent season at TUMC.

Toronto United Mennonite Church

January 2014

Place of Meeting

Scene around TUMC

is the meaning of the Huron word “toronton,” from which our city gets its name. Fittingly, it can also mean “plenty” or “abundance.”

Place of Meeting is also the monthly newsletter of Toronto United Mennonite Church. May you find plenty here to enjoy and ponder. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of the congregation as a whole.

Contributions of all kinds are enthusiastically received, through the mail folder in the lobby or at dmartens@pathcom.com Next deadline Feb. 24, 2014 Have you discovered the allcolour online version of Place of Meeting, complete with live weblinks? Check this month’s issue out here: issuu.com/pomeditor/docs/ pom_jan_2014l You can also request an email subscription to the colour version in PDF form or a monthly link to the current online issue. Please send a request to dmartens@pathcom.com Editor: Doreen Martens

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TUMC’s ad hoc band gets ever more creative. On Dec. 8, it included Derek Schmucker and John Teshima on guitar, Siena Armstrong and Lori Unger on piano, Michele Rizoli on recorder and Ryan Janzen on clarinet. Right, two Wichert girls demonstrate how to bear one another’s burdens.

TUMCers in Service:

Disaster relief in the Philippines

By Herb Buckwalter On Nov. 7 and 8 Typhoon Haiyan (known as Yolanda in the Philippines) swept across the middle of the Philippine archipelago (total of 7,107 islands). It is arguably the strongest storm, 'wind-wise,' ever recorded on the planet. It affected over 16 million people; 4 million were displaced from their homes. Over 1 million homes were destroyed or damaged.

6,166 people died, 28,626 injured, and 1,785 are still missing.

In the early hours of Nov. 15, a nine-person GlobalMedic team departed Pearson.

We were paramedics, nurses, and a labour lawyer. GlobalMedic –– www. globalmedic.ca –– is a local non-government organization (NGO) started by a Toronto paramedic to provide emergency relief to those affected by natural disasters.

The team was based in Iloilo City on the island of Panay, an area not affected by the storm. Where we worked was in the north of Iloilo Province along the coast, requiring us to travel 1 1/2 to 3 hours one way to get to our 'job site.' We often had to go to a small island community by boat.

Herb, right, with the GlobalMedic team: from left, Toronto paramedic Pepito Biclar; Richard Campbell from Picton, a retired paramedic; Jane Westfall of Kitchener, a Mt. Sinai NICU nurse; Toronto labour lawyer Garth Knox; Aliye Tuzlak of the Northwest Territories, a recent paramedic college graduate; and Nathalie Meme, a Montreal public health nurse. Not included in the photo were two paramedics from Peel Region.

In the 3 weeks we were there we tested and purified water. With doctors from Singapore, we operated several medical clinics using donated medicine that we took with us from Toronto. At the Sava Hospital, 80 % damaged, we erected a 20' x 32' tent that will be used to conduct their outpatient clinics. We set up a 20' x 65' tent at an oil spill evacuation centre to house pregnant women and their families.

In smaller groups we would assess need in a community and make purchases to meet those needs. The island of Nasidman is an example of this. GlobalMedic purchased 600 sheets of corrugated metal

Some of the coastal destruction caused by the typhoon, as witnessed in Iloilo province by the GlobalMedic team.

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Disaster relief in the Philippines roofing that repaired 60 homes. A new part for their generator made it possible for the island to be one of the first to have power restored, even if only for five hours a day. (Many of us now know what it is like without power.) A new chainsaw is being used to clean up the many fallen and damaged trees. The chainsaw operator is able, free-hand, to make lumber from the fallen trees that is used to make roof supports. Damage to the flora makes for less shade for people to enjoy.

The days were long with little down time; 35 degree C temperatures with intense sunlight had us drinking a lot of water with electrolyte replacements to keep us going. We met many wonderful, friendly, and appreciative people; children were especially curious. In the end, the experience was very rewarding and unforgettable.

The need is still great. The long term recovery stage is in full swing. GlobalMedic plans to have teams in the Philippines through March.

Left, tents provide medical facilities for people affected by the typhoon; one of GlobalMedic’s special contributions to early disaster relief is portable filtration systems providing clean drinking water; Fiipino kids on the beach.

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(Former) TUMCers in service:

Bock Ki Kim & Sook Kyoung Park in Korea

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A community celebration of Advent

The always popular Christmas Coffeehouse, featuring adorable preschoolers, (top), songs and skits by various Sunday School classes, plus lots of music and delicious finger foods, offered joyous but also thoughtprovoking reflections on Advent and the meaning of Christmas on Dec. 15, especially in presentations by the youth and junior youth, in a poem recited by Jon Brandt (upper right), and songs by Diem LaFortune. Below right, kids sing out the chorus to â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Three Kingsâ&#x20AC;? while the audience sings the verses.

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A community celebration of Advent

An oh-so-busy modern woman gets the real gift of Christmas in a skit that called for audience participation to create the stable!

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A community celebration of Advent

O Tannenbaum! Flashing lights draw all eyes to recitations, top.

Good food was enjoyed by all as the TUMC strings and kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; choir performed some Christmas favourites.

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A community celebration of Advent

The junior youth (left) reminded us poignantly of the inequities in our world this Christmas by giving each of the audience members an identity (on a card, above) and asking them to stand when their attributes (income, education level, geographic region, religion etc.) were named.

The numbers of those standing at certain points were a sobering reminder of our own privilege as wellfed North American Christians able to experience a lavish Christmas and our call to work toward a more just world.

The youth offer readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theatre with its own improvised score, left. Lori Unger and Alan Armstrong perform a duet.

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Nativity by torchlight

On a blizzard-like third Sunday of Advent that kept many people at home in the morning, Dora Alexander, Lori Unger and their small group hosted a memorable outdoor nativity celebration at their farm, drawn from Dora’s memories of a Bruderhof tradition. The dark evening sky and freshly fallen snow lent a magical beauty to the story told by torch and candle light. Top, angels proclaim the birth to the shepherds at their campfire, then lead them on a long journey through woods to the manger, where donkeys and goats surround the Christ child. The wise men bring their gifts, and we all sing together, “Silent Night.”

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A beautiful Christmas Eve

Top left, instrumentalists accompany TUMC’s traditional candlelit Service of Lessons & Carols. Left, members of the Wichert, Unger-Brandt and Mata-Gallego families reprise their roles in the outdoor nativity to bring the Christmas story to life. Above, singing “Silent Night” by candlelight.

Below, kids are surprised with treat bags after the service.

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Sweet moments at TUMC Left, Geisa Roveri and Nino Rodriguez look on proudly as Pastor Marilyn blesses son Benicio at his parent/child dedication on Jan. 5. Below: the Grade 4/5 class participates in the Advent candlelighting ceremony; kids watch as characters in the Christmas story make their way to Bethlehem during childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time; the GERMS sell intricately decorated cookies in their annual fundraiser.

Tim Schmucker photo

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