JMJ
Feb 23,2012
At the Have A Heart Carnival on the day before Lent John and I came fourth in the Three Legged Race. Their were four teams entered. In the ladies Snowshoe Race I came second. There were two entries. Anyway St.Paul doesn’t tell us to come first but to finish the race. We do that. We are presently walking to Southend 30 miles (45km) North of us in increments. We have only 27 miles more to go.
The mission work after 16 years has really just begun. There is so much more to accomplish and so much more that is possible. This is our home and this is our work. Like the Oblates who evangelised the North we will quit when we die. There is no retirement home, Southern community or pension plan. Beside things are just getting to be Really fun.
Mission work by definition has ups and downs and is not self supporting. Vatican II did not invent lay mission activity but redefined the right and responsibility. There has always been lay mission work. St. Phillip taught the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch evangelised the original Ethiopian Christian community. Montreal began has a lay mission with a population of 60 people although they did have priests eventually. From Montreal North American was evangelised . The laity restored the Church from the Arian Heresy of the 4th Century when three- fourths of the bishops were Arians.
We have boxes of Brabant Lake Times newsletters waiting for stamps, bundles of catechism materials to go overseas waiting for postage which is $40 to $80 a package. We would like to republish our three books. Since we have no money for that we haven’t finished DINOSAURS TODAY. We have the usual post Christmas propane bill. At the house we can burn wood but we can’t do that at the school although we’d like to convert it to a wood burning system,... which requires money. And yes we still need a van. We don’t need a brand new van but one with an improved wheel base, in good working condition and decent body work. Our van is not quite a magic school bus ( we don’t practise magic)but it is a signature gospel vehicle recognisable all over the North. It needs replacing. That means a 15 passenger Ford ( or other brand) van in military green or blue with our name in French one side and English in the other. If you’ve heard this request before as in four years ago well it’s the same request and the same van that needs replacing.
It is a Christian duty to support mission work. One thing I remember from our Protestant days is people telling us if your church is in the doldrums support mission work. Your church will come alive when you help bring the gospel to others. Recently I talked to a lady who is about the same age as I am. She has no financial worries and no health problems yet I got off the phone in a fit of depression. It seemed like she had died years ago. Don’t die until you’re dead. One of the ways to accomplish that is to support those who are very much alive, very much wanting to stay on course and finish the race that has just begun and very much want to spread the Gospel in and out of the classroom.
You can give through Pay Pal,(use mission@ourladyweb.com) or by mailing cheques or money order to L’Ecole Notre Dame du Nord, Box 627, Brabant Lake , Sask. For more information you can phone us at 306-758-2041nor 306-758- 2046. God bless. Gay
