Chapel Report
Friday April 18,
2014
Grade 12 chapels
continued with Leah R. and Mackenzie N. sharing on Mon. March 31, and Logan G.
and Emma G. contributing on Wed. April 2.
On Mon. Mar. 31
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| Mackenzie |
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| Leah |
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| Emma |
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| Logan |
Faith and Life representatives attended an assembly at the Rosthern Elementary School to present a $750 cheque for the RES Breakfast Program. This money was raised as part of the ‘Have a Heart’ campaign.
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| Faith and Life committee members present RES with funds raised in their 'Have A Heart' Campaign for the local breakfast program |
For the rest of the
week chapel time focused on the ALSO sending services with the Guatemala,
Alabama, High River, and Saskatoon groups each being blessed in turn. Each group was presented with an
encouraging note written from the Wildwood Mennonite Church Youth Group. Each sending service ended with a
laying on of hands and a blessing from St. Teresa of Avila:
“Christ has no
body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes
through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which
he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the
world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his
body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
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| Sending service for the ALSO High River |
The world was our
classroom from April 3-13 as students were away on their service and learning
assignments as part of ALSO week.
Students in Saskatoon worked with Mennonite Central Committee, Habitat
for Humanity, and Elementary Schools in the city. Thank you to all the schools that hosted us, and to Habitat
for Humanity for allowing us to help provide some affordable housing right in our
own province. Students
finished the week with a retreat at Camp Kinasao where Warman Mennonite pastor
Josh Wallace led them in a post-ALSO reflection time.
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| Rachel, Abbey, Gabby, Kyle and Michael on a habitat site in Saskatoon. |
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| Toby working with one of his students. |
Students in High
River worked with Mennonite Disaster Service to assist with rebuilding after
last summer’s flood in southern Alberta.
Thanks to project directors Ike and Priscilla Epp for their mentorship
of our students! Students got full
of sawdust and drywall mud, but had a lot of laughs and memories. The days were long and the work was
difficult, but meaningful. Daily
chapels helped students focus and reflect on what they were doing and why. The flood was Canada’s most expensive
natural disaster and there is still great need in the area.
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| Joe and Manny bringing two organizations together! |
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| Simon and Ryan |
A group of 30
Students travelled over 40 hours by bus to Alabama to work with Habitat for
Humanity and the Bay Area Food Bank in an area that is still facing the direct
and indirect effects of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. A focus this year was on the conditions
that lead to homelessness, including poverty, racism, and disaster. Along with home construction the trip
included a stop at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and attendance at a
Sunday morning service at Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church, home of Billy
Morgan a client who we met on our first trip in 2008.
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| Mikayla |
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| Kylee and Janelle |
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| One of several siding crews working on all angles of the house. |
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| Kelsey and Vincent work on the ceiling. |
Another group of
students traveled to Guatemala and El Salvador and worked with Mennonite
Central Committee. Some highlights
included visiting El Mozete site of a horrific massacre of civilians during the
El Salvadoran civil war. Another
meaningful exercise was a contrast tour in Guatemala City where students were
exposed to the extremes of prejudice, poverty and wealth. Home stays in Santiago Atitlan helped
students learn the culture (and a little language!) of the Mayan people and
hear their stories. Students were
also able to see where the $3500 they raised for the community during the ‘Have
a Heart’ campaign was being spent, and got to work on the Peace Park Community
Centre for the ANADESA group!
Santiago Atitlan is also where MCC worker and former RJC student David
Epp is stationed. The trip
to Guatemala continues to forge relationships between our school, the global
church, and our brothers and sisters in Latin America.
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| Brett and Ryan |
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| Josef |
Upon return students
shared about their experiences in chapel on Tues. April 15. It is amazing to hear about all they
have learned! While on their ALSO
assignments the students complete journals, which are graded by their Christian
Ethics teachers. The ALSO program
continues to be an important part of our school community as we learn what it
is like to follow the example of Jesus and to live and serve together.
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| Laura sharing a story from Guatemala |
On Wed. April 16th
Sarah Unrau, Youth Leader at Nutana Park Mennonite Church, spoke in chapel
about the theme: “What is Love?”
She related experiences from her own life, including memories from her
time as a student at RJC.
On Thurs. April 17
the Faith and Life Committee lead the students in a Good Friday/Easter
service. Christ has risen. He has risen indeed!
