Mission Statement: To provide a forum for like-minded individuals for fellowship and to express Christian Faith in the community.

Cathie Kelso and Linda James were our guest speakers on Saturday September 17, 2011 at St Paul ’s United Church in Prescott . They blessed us with an inspired presentation about Our Kenyan Kids.

To quote from the website (www.ourkenyankids.com) “Our Kenyan Kids began in January 2004 when Doug Warren, pastor of Wall Street United Church in Brockville visited Kenya on vacation. A member of Wall Street United had sent $200 with him to be used for helping children as he saw fit. After meeting some locals and making some inquiries, Doug was introduced to Gladwell Ngunjiri at Nairobi Children’s Home (NCH) and asked her what she felt they needed most. Without hesitation she answered “We need more people to love the children”. So with the donated seed money, and a top up from Doug and his cousin, the first sponsored volunteer at NCH was hired.

Linda had made two trips to Kenya in2007 and 2010 while Cathie visited in 2009. They were able to share their firsthand experiences with the forty or so who were present.

We were told that Kenya is a country of many contrasts with great beauty and also enormous problems. Linda had learnt the Swahili for “Where is the bathroom?” only to discover that once she had the answer she did not want to know!

The directions to the Usueni Girls School were fairly easy to follow – drive eight hours north and when you are in the middle of nowhere, turn left!  The roads are very poor and all travellers carry two spare tires.

124 girls sleep in the same room and all their personal belongings are housed in a small trunk under their bed. The best gift for the girls we were told is underwear and sanitary towels. Without such gifts the girls miss much schooling since they would stay at home rather than be embarrassed.

Linda told us that her personal mission was to collect Canadian Tire money, and as a result she had been able to purchase solar powered calculators for all the girls.

We saw the foundations for the Doris Coons Resource Centre which will house the St John’s Ambulance in Embu.

We were introduced to a picture of Mother Margaret who has AIDS but was termed a “life force” for all the work she is doing for those suffering in the community. Christianity is alive and well in Kenya we were told with services lasting many hours and three services per Sunday!

We saw a picture of George, Peter and Earnest who had been cured of a parasite called jiggers. A daughter of a deceased doctor is a local hero helping sufferers to clear the parasites with a painful six month programme of potassium.

Our speakers were asked before their trip to Kenya “What will you teach the Kenyans? “. The responding answer was it was the other way around!

We were informed that 100% of all money raised through this charitable organization goes to ministry in Kenya since the administrative costs are covered by Fundraising Events.

The mission statement of Our Kenyan Kids is as follows:

Our Kenyan Kids supports children and youth affected by poverty and/or HIV/AIDS, in Kenya and elsewhere, by providing education, training, humanitarian aid and nurturing relationships. one child at a time”.

 The next meeting of the Seaway Ecumenical fellowship Group will be on Saturday October 22 when we welcome Ken Rundle to lead us through Fire Safety Month.

 Respectfully submitted.

Graham Cudlipp

Acting Chairman

September 18, 2011

Seaway Ecumenical Fellowship Group

Mission Statement

To provide a forum for like-minded individuals for fellowship and to express Christian faith in the community.

With much help from our many volunteers, we have been blessed with excellent speakers, good fellowship and fine sustenance.

In September Kathie Kelso and Linda James gave us an impassioned description of their orphanage project entitled Our Kenyan Kids. Many members were so impressed that they made spontaneous gifts for this very worthwhile cause.

October was fire safety month and Rev Bev introduced and thanked volunteer fireman Ken Rundle who gave us some very practical fire safety tips.

Dominic D’Arcy (aka The Singing Policeman from Ottawa ) was our special guest in November. This event had been planned for nearly a year by Janice Reynolds and his presentation was well received by a large crowd who each paid the new $6 breakfast fee.

As I write this summary Fraser Carr and friends are busy planning the December Christmas programme for December 10th.

As always we encourage more participation at all volunteer levels and especially at the Executive level.

Respectfully submitted

Graham Cudlipp

November 25, 2011

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