Pom june 2013 col

Place of Meeting

A hairy moment Quintin Fast has a moment of doubt as Ginny Lepp does the razoring honours at the annual Youth Coffeehouse on May 11. The audience had to come up with a minimum amount of cash before three brave young TUMC guys agreed to have their lovely locks shorn. All for a good cause: sending four TUMC youth to the Mennonite Church Canada Youth Assembly in Winnipeg this summer.

More photos inside.

Toronto United Mennonite Church

June 2013

Place of Meeting 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 month’s deadline: July 2, 2013 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_june_2013l

Remembering Dad

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ecently, Ginny Lepp and her brothers had a profound time of reflecting together on their memories of their Dad in healthier times, remembering “the walking years” before dementia robbed him of his ability to get around without a wheelchair. As brother Randy recalled: “My mighty and powerful father. My mentor –– my Dad. The unbeatable strong guy that little Randy looked up to. Yep –– you get it ... my view is of me at 5 or 7 years old and well –– now you see it. Tears dropping into my beard hairs are quite a reasonable response. Very human response. You see –– my image of me is a little boy standing right there beside my father's legs.”

As we anticipate Father’s Day, Ginny shares these two poems she wrote about her father.

I Dad’s long hairy legs Crossed at broad knees gently sway Relaxed comforting II The lean muscles that walked beside me can no longer support his frame The strong jaw that enjoyed thousands of meals no longer chews for pleasure The voice that responded sagely no longer recalls the words The soft eyes that knew our faces no longer recognize Yet his generous, gentle heart cannot forget the love it has known

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 A recent picture of Ginny’s Dad with two of his youngest grandchildren.

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News from the Pantojas

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Here are some tidbits from the latest prayer letter from Daniel and Joji Pantoja, who work with Peacebuilders in the Philippines and are supported in part by TUMC through Mennonite Church Canada Witness.

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PBCI Intensifies , - +. * / Arabica Coffee Training

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.Philippines is one of the 70 countries"that can ! grow * 0 3 ' -, : 1( .-2 ! * varieties 0" & ." the four of coffee, but we are not on the cof#( ! *( ! % 0 + fee map. We have a largely volcanic soil that is best " for theArabic " ' 4+" ; + 0 + + */ coffee, % / * but the small supply of "coffee 0 . that we have is largely Robusta. & * 0- " ! * # , + ! " # $% & " ' '& ' , + "% * +" 6 # " the+! context(of peace,theology, the ( ! ) " # () % ( * In - "%/ specifically in '+ ;6 * ! ! !0 " & economic-ecological transformation, Peacebuilders " ." * ' * * */ +" ! " 0 $ - * +: * * # <(PBCI) is intensifying " + % = its ' Arabica Community cofee 6 * : () & !" ' ' ! "# + training . # % & " * ! #6 * ' , =$= $ ; fair trade principles. % 5+ This month, through ! ' "/ $ & " '/ * * . three () 0+ * "& & ;"+ ,/ trainings and + +"% * 6 one$ + orientation 0 *" + were # held (;6 with %/ 290 0- ! / ' 1" -! *2 " ./ & farmer participants. $ " * ' "+ "& 3** * & *; "+ ; !" * '& ' . " * " & * " " ." ""/ " . " + & In the interior of the mountains of Bukidnon, where **+ "" 61 "/ " 0" 0 " ' *"> , !!+ ! "!? " ' 0 + ""* -/6 * ' + * 0 "+!! : * !& & banditry is supposed to be rampant, around 180 farm! " * 02 " 3 "" * ! " ! "* ers ! " ()' "! ! -0 ! & !+ +" - !' * *& !' ; !!/ " * ! * " ""/ "* gathered ! * for coffee training on 10 April 2013. A Palace, 02 April 2013 " Malacanang " + -" Manila. * / Higaonon tribal member went to the PBCI office in Our team of peace advocates had a very productive Davao City, six hours away, to invite us to their place. meeting Florencio “Butch” " 4 +" with Secretary - ' ! Abad , " + + -/ When we went there, we proved once again that be(Department of Budget and Management) and a hind the stereotypes are people who are dreaming of a brief exchange of notes with Secretary Corazon life of dignity for themselves and their families. This “Dinky” Soliman (Department of Social Welfare and photo shows one of the possible sites for the plantaDevelopment) about their respective roles in achievtion. The mountain in the background is a sacred ; ing just-peace in our beautiful land. ( 5 place for them that cannot be touched. Dominorog is 1050 meters above sea level.

We were led by Bishop Efraim Tendero (Philippine 6 ' 6 / 7 7 8 9 + !

Council of Evangelical Churches) and Gus Miclat * " * *+ ! '& -) (Initiatives for International Dialogue-Mindanao ! +*' *6 ' ! % * 0 PeaceWeavers). The other team members were 1 + 2 0 * #( ' "& -, : 1( .-2 !

Karen Tanada (GZO Peace Institute), Regina Lyn3 #( ! *( ! % 0 + Getuiza Mondez (Sulong CARHRIHL-Generation Peace), Jun Aparece (Mindanao Peoples Caucus)," " ' 4+" ; + 0 + + */ and Malou Tabios Nuera (IID-MPW). The next day, * 0- " ! * # , + I had a one-on-one meeting with a key official at the& ' , + "% * +" 6 # " Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. ( '+ ;6 * "%/ ! ! !0 " & 0

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My general perspective about the peace process# in+ ' , =$= $ ; Mindanao can be summarized in two words: Critical " , + +"% *6 optimism! In Shaa Allah, a comprehensive agreement may be completed within'the ; ; ! & mutually . - agreed ' 3 * - ' "* time-frame. –– Dann Pantoja 6- '

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News from the Pantojas

6 ' Upon the invitation of an evangelical pastor who graduated from the Peace and Reconciliation training, the team held a coffee training for 60 Higaonon farmers in Manalog, Bukidnon on 11 April 2013. The team crossed twelve creeks to reach the place, which is also the last village that is reachable by road. Manalog has vast mountains full of natural resources waiting to be tapped. May the Higaonon people continue in strengthening their being so that the resources given them by the Creator will be used with stewardship. The mountains in the background of this photo are part of Manalog.

If we crossed a dozen rivers in our last coffee training, in this trip, we passed through a road that seems to be once was a river! Despite that, it was a trip that's worth all the bumps.

On 16-18 April, the team visited a possible coffee plantation "3 45 in Upi, Maguindanao through the invitation of Bai Jehan Baraguir, owner of Datu's Brew in Cotabato City. The farm. ers were family of one of the baristas in the coffee shop. The site had a lot of money lying on the ground. Coffee seedlings were robustly growing. The hills had gentle slopes. Truly, Mindanao is blessed! After the field visit, an orientation was given to the farmers at the Datu's Brew coffee shop. &

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It is not the season for coffee but the farmers of Mt. Apo have 2 lots of berries waiting to " be picked. On 19-20 April, the team went to Purok Pluto, Sitio Balutakay, Barangay Managa in Bansalan Davao del Sur, to train 50 coffee farmers. It is in 75the Mt. Apo range, a “potentially active” volcano and the Philippines’ highest peak. At noontime, the place is shrouded in fog. The soil is very rich with vegetables and flowers and coffee growing in profusion. The sad thing is that the mountain is laid bare, with the forest cover gone. The farmers are practicing non-organic farming. Because they have existing coffee trees, the team emphasized proper plantation management, improvement in quality and increase*in biodiversity.

Peace and Reconciliation and financial management trainings will be held in the next months. All the trainings are in part; nership with CatholicRelief Services and Kapwa Upliftment.

The farmers are a mixture of migrants and the BagoboTagabawa tribe.

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The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the sea and established it on the waters Psalm 24:1-2

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An evening of song and shearing The annual youth coffeehouse, held May 11, offered lots of hilarity, plenty of musical talent –– for example singing “Amazing Grace” in various genres (left) and performing as a classical balloon orchestra (below left) –– and a few gasps as three young men sacrificed their locks. All for a good cause: raising money to attend the Mennonite Church Canada Youth Assembly in Winnipeg this summer.

P hot os by Tim Schmucker

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An evening of song and shearing

Buh-bye hair! Quintin, Derek and Isaac show off their flowing locks before submitting to the clippers in the ultimate â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fun-Razorâ&#x20AC;?.

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An evening of song and shearing

At a youth coffeehouse, you can always expect lots of visual gags â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; imaginary benches, forehead-to-mouth Oreo contests and the like. ...

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An evening of song and shearing

Diem LaFortune and Alan Armstrong jam together; Michele Rizoli, Carmen Wiebe and Sarita Lepp sing; behind the curtain, puppeteers in the pit; John Teshima and friends perform (thanks!).

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An invitation to musical artists The TUMC Worship Committee invites you to consider creating an original composition or arrangement for worship

We invite you to create music for Sunday July 21st linked to our summer theme: "When in your experience has the church been Salt and Light?" or more generally to the theme of salt and light found in Matthew 5:13-16 You may also want to consider how it may fit into a worship service: Gathering or Call to Worship Praising God Call to Confession Meditation and Prayer Affirmation and Faith Benediction Please let Marie Penner know by May 31 if you wish to participate.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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