 By Gwyn Beer, Canada West Mission Centre Co-President Shirley Smith was invited to come visit Bob and Bev Riley. Originally planned as a weekend visit, Shirley saw the opportunity to reach out to church members in other areas.
In Chilliwack, Shirley stayed for a longer visit with Bob & Bev Riley, Rick & Pat James, Shonnet & Lawrence Allen, and Janine McCully. Shirley shared her desire for the Chilliwack congregation, a higher level of outreach mission. Shirley had a desire to meet with members of the Vancouver congregation to discuss mission. However, Vancouver is currently going through a discernment process, and only a few visits happened. A ferry ride got me and Shirley to the Victoria church. It has been sold and possession is June 1st, and the congregation has been dissolved. Shirley and I met with Carl and Shirley Bolger, and they told us of all the work that has happened to get the Victoria church ready for the new owners. The congregation was delighted to sell the property to a business that is closely oriented to our mission initiatives. The building will be used by Lifetime Network! We joined the Victoria congregation in worship, on Sunday May 12, for their last communion service in the building. Shirley gave an inspiring message to those in attendance about the future of the church, with dedicated saints and their stories. Fellowship over a lunch happened and Shirley went to visit family for the afternoon and evening. The congregation held a final service of remembering and sharing on May 26. We were given beds, and so much hospitality, with the Nepomuceno-Donohue family. Dana, John, Georgia, Sydney, Frankie and James were asked by Debra to house all 3 of us for 2 nights. Add Fiona the French bulldog, and 2 leopard cats, and the house was a full, warm, loving place. Shirley, Debra and I were treated royally, and much fun and fellowship happened. Shirley and I travelled up island and met with Sally Glaiser, who orchestrated an outside visit with Charlotte and Carmen Dobbs. Our time together was very special for me, as Charlotte (nee Harper) and I had grown up together through church family affiliations. Shirley talked with Sally about mission and was filled in on the congregation's plans to stay connected through a series of gatherings. The first will be a gathering at Sally’s home in late June. The Victoria group, while no longer a formal congregation, will allow an organic flow to future gatherings. Shirley reconnected with Don and Evelyn Jenkins, and I made connections with my Alberta relatives we had in common. Shirley spent the night with Ed and Audrey Salahub, who are now in Nanaimo after a move from Meadow Ridge. We travelled next to Campbell River to meet with Darlene Zimmerman. The connection to Darlene came when she responded to the Seventy letter that Shirley and Linda had created and we mailed out. We spent time with Darlene admiring her artwork. I thanked her for her support of World Accord for years by donating paintings that were auctioned off. I am a proud owner of one painting from a World Accord auction at Samish. We left Darlene, and returned to Nanaimo to a motel for the night as we had an early ferry ride out of Dukes Point. Shirley and I joined a CWM advisory meeting at 6 pm. I gave my report and left Shirley online. I went and met my school friend Janet Miller, for a long overdue visit. Shirley and I got up early to make a ferry ride to the mainland. From the ferry terminal, we went to the Abbotsford Airport where I left Shirley for her flight home. Thank you, Shirley, for a trip that reached out to many of our members on Vancouver Island. Comments are closed.
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