Merry Christmas Happy New Year- 2016 Dear Friends: Thinking of you at this special time of year and wanted to share with you some of the events of this past year and hopes for the future year. Time does fly by when you are happy and busy! It seems it has been a busy time this month and even earlier. I wanted to keep in touch this did not arrive before Christmas and hope you get it by new years! It is much faster when so many of us keep in touch through email. I still enjoy sending a few cards to others as well. In last Christmas’ newsletter I shared with you about my visit to Taiwan for a celebration at Changhua Christian Hospital. Then I was privileged to be invited to the 150th Anniversary of the Presbyterial Church in Taiwan last April. Many of the missionaries returned for the celebration in the Taipei (north) on Easter Sunday. It was a very special time for all of us to share. There were over 10,000 people from the Presbyteries in the north as well as many guests. There were about 20former missionaries and guests from partner churches that joined in these celebrations and activities planned for that time. Then there were 3-4 other similar celebrations in the east, middle and south over the year with the final one in the south -Tainan in October. Other missionaries and guests attended those. We also attended the General Assembly the following week at Mackay Memorial Hospital. I had a terrible cold so was not able to attend all the session but it was a most moving and challenging assembly. Many of the ministers that I knew earlier have retired and instead the newer generation was actively involved in the decision making and challenges before them. I did not visit Changhua in April as only in Taiwan for about 10 days. I enjoyed visits with other Taipei friends I had not seen for a few years. But many friends and especially the directors and supervisors of the nurses came to Taipei to visit me instead. A few of the previous nurses (older) live in Taipei now so they kept in touch especially when I had the cold. Wilma Welsh and I traveled together and shared the hotel room and she was not well- so we were a great pair! But would not have missed it as it was a very special time for all of us. Our moderator Rev. Dr Stephen Farris and his wife, International Ministries Glynis Williams, Mary Beth and Paul McLean, all attended so there were 7 of us there representing Canada. Our CNOB Synodical WMS met shortly after I returned home and since I am president I had a lot of responsibilities but it went well with our theme “ Abundant Living- Abundance for All” and speaker and bible study leader Rev. Kristine O’Brien was most challenging in reaching out to people today. Our WMS Council for all of Canada was held the first weekend of May at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre and the theme was “Seize the Hope”. Many important decisions were made and the speakers were most thought provoking and challenging. As well as being Synodical President and member of WMS Council I am the pianist for these meetings. I am also on the Planning Team for the next 3rd National Women’s Gathering in May 2017 and responsible for the Ecumenical and Overseas Partner Visitors. Our teams work really begins this June in order to get all the invitations, documents etc in place in order for the guests to arrive safely and in time. It was a wonderful experience at the previous two gatherings with over 600 women from across Canada. So praying this one will be as spiritually uplifting and challenging time for those who attend. I am still busy at home…..both in the church and community. I am most thankful our new minister Neil Ellis has fit into our church community as well and we continue to grow both spiritually and in new members and some previous ones joining us again. I continue as clerk of session but hope to turn this over to a new person in the next few months. I lead the Pastoral Care Team and that involves visitation to the hospital, nursing homes and in homes. There are several on the team and we just delivered 30 poinsettias to them. I have known many of these members for several years and Neil is getting to know them as well. We also have a “Young at Heart Group” that meets every Friday so I lead that as it is under Pastoral Care. I enjoy choir and we are presenting “Were you there on that First Christmas Night” on Christmas Sunday. Richard is helping out as well. Our church has joined with the other churches in Cobourg to bring Syrian Refugees to our area. At first there were 5 families and now there are to be 7 at this time. It is called “Better together refugee sponsorship” program. We have two members on one of the core groups and others to help in the future as needed. We expect them to arrive early in the New Year. The response has been great and the great concern is to find suitable/affordable housing. Cobourg is a senior’s community and many condos but not enough affordable housing even for our own people in the area. So we are praying his will all work out well together in the near future. I am still WMS representative to Presbytery and alternative representative for our church. Our Presbyterial also meets 3-4 times a year and I helped organize a special workshop with Tori Smit last October on “Will our faith have children”. It was a very successful day and now we hope some of the ideas are being used in our churches. I have not been leading church services as often lately but have been doing one a month for one of the churches without a minister. I enjoy getting to know some of the people in other churches and keep them in my prayers. Our family continues with the same or similar health concerns. Richard continues to keep busy and so as much as his health allows and works outside for us and a few friends and the church. He continues with his visits both for his heart condition and the follow up for his cancer. He still enjoys choirs, UEL, Genealogy and member of the Historical and on Cobourg’s Heritage Committee and relied on a great deal for his knowledge of the history of Cobourg, buildings, etc. He has a slight accident in Nov. He was okay but now needs a new van to meet his various needs- so still looking. His three dogs Mandy, Sam and Brutus died in the past year – we remember them and sorry but that will the last of those kinds of family friends for him. I had my cataracts done recently (Aug & Oct) so I can see better! Now on to dental work! My knees continue to ache and other places from time to time. It would help if I lost some weight- so my goal for 2016 and always! My one knee gave me serious pain just the week before Christmas so it was difficult to do all the things I had planned especially with the Christmas services and the choir’s cantata (I had to sit for most of it). But now some better – so hope that continues! John is about the same and still waiting (patiently?) for his condo to be built. Still a few health concerns. Jonathan is busy with his work and home most weekends. David, Marlene & family, Jason, Shandelle, Cole and Jordan are busy. We are most excited as Jordan- 6 years old, has a Christmas project to collect Socks for the homeless- her goal was 100 and by Dec 22 she had 2287 pairs she shared with places in Mississauga and over 200 to two places here in Cobourg. She made the front page of our local newspaper. Andrew is at home for awhile. Our family Christmas was here on Sat. Dec 19th and everyone had a great time. Then Christmas Day our siblings and other older friends joined us. We had three pot luck dinners here earlier in December and a few close friends coming on New Years Eve & New Years Day. Appreciate all your cards and letter and emails with all your news and thankful we do find time to be in touch at least once a year. Keep you in my prayers and appreciate all your prayers for us as well. May God continue to bless us with his love and care in the coming year and help us to continue to serve Him and others in the various ways of service. PEACE, LOVE AND JOY TO ALL & PRAY FOR PEACE IN OUR WORLD! Love Joy *Ms Joy Randall
Former PCC missionary Changhua Christian Hospital |