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On  the Labrador!

Excerpts from Newsletter of June 2004

So what’s happening in Labrador this summer?  My new boss, the Rev.Will Sibert, Executive Director of the Board of World Mission, will be coming to Labrador in late July for meetings.  There will be many weddings, but even though I am doing the pre-marital counseling, my students will be doing the actual weddings.  We now have five students licensed to perform weddings in the province.  There are also eight approved to serve Holy Communion in the various communities, and the chapel servants in each community do most for the baptisms.  So things are moving along, I’d say.  I’m still working on details of our training program.

We are working out the details of all of our work crews scheduled to come to Labrador this summer.  We have one crew coming (led by Dave Palmer, Lake Mills Moravian) to Happy Valley to jack up & stabilize the sagging church building there.  They will also work on conducting a VBS.  A second crew, will move on to Makkovik to help them with their renovations for the Moravian manse (parsonage).

It can get very hot here in August, in the 90’s at times, but the next day it can just as easily be near freezing again if the east wind blows the arctic air from the Labrador current toward land.

Things in church here begin to slow down between Pentecost to Advent.  I will do some catching up & preparing for next year’s programming & needs.  I used to get a little discouraged during this time because church attendance drops so drastically, but now I realize it is a cultural thing; hunting, fishing, gathering away from the communities, of days gone by, but the mindset is still there.  Now they do it more for enjoyment than out of necessity. 

Debbie is working hard with the women & children’s ministries.  She is using the Liz Curtis Higgs study entitled “Bad Girls of the Bible”.  The local women love it.  Lives are being touched and transformed by the power of God’s Word.  I believe that Debbie’s ministry, in many ways has been more effective in Labrador than my own.  She has been a faithful source of inspiration to me & to my work.  It has not been easy for Debbie here, picking up the pieces & holding things together while I charge through my work, not to mention the many cross-cultural & social challenges she faces.  I simply could not be doing what I am doing without her by my side. It would be my dream to be thought of in terms of Sam & Debbie; team of missionaries to Labrador.

I was just told that a polar bear was spotted swimming in the harbor, but I missed seeing him.  I will sign off for now.  Blessings. 

Aksunai!  (Be strong!) John, Debbie, and Sam Propsom

Hurricane  Relief  to  our Brothers  &  Sisters

Our bothers & sisters at Palm Beach Moravian, as well as those inland in Longwood at this printing may be affected by Hurricane Francis.  Ofreciano Julias, pastor at Palm Beach, reports they are securing the church & its properties at this time.  Willie Israel, pastor at Rolling Hills reports they’ve experienced strong winds, downed trees, & loss of power for some days after hurricane Charlie. 

Many have asked about donations & money, & volunteer opportunities.  BEHM has close contacts with Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR).  We are prepared to receive donations which will be disbursed first for relief to Moravians, & then to others through LDR.  Checks can be made payable to the Board of Evangelism & Home Missions, noted specifically as “Disaster Response” and sent to the address below.  We are ready to coordinate volunteer efforts with LDR of NC. Volunteers are often needed some weeks after the storm.  Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to contact our office.

The Rev. David Guthrie, Executive Director

Bd. of Evangelism & Home Missions

Moravian Church in America, Southern Province

459 S. Church St.

Winston-Salem, NC 27101-5314

336-725-6413                    336-723-1029 fax

dguthrie@mcsp.org