Linwood House Ministries

Remembering and Honouring

On February 14th the Great Room was filled with close to 40 friends who came together to enjoy a Valentine's Tea, and honour the women being remembered in the 20th Annual Women's Memorial March through the Downtown Eastside. As candles flickered, as a smudge was offered in the First Nations tradition and as the sounds of Freedom were sung together in unity, prayers were offered up for a country, and city and a people.

Prayers for Canada

• for the thousands of missing and murdered women across our country, and for those who continue to go missing or are murdered, particularly aboriginal women
• for our leaders, and for legal/social/economic responses that will protect, empower, honor and value vulnerable women and children in our country
• that we will be a nation that does not tolerate or allow the sale of our women and children 

Prayers for our City and the Downtown Eastside

• for accountability and justice as the Commission of Inquiry prepares to convene, that it will be an agent for change
• for healing of wounds that remain in the community of the dtes
• for peace, openness and a spirit of unity among leaders, organizations, and women's groups in the dtes 

Prayers for Families of Missing and Murdered Women

• for peace and comfort
• that the story of each and every loved one will be honoured, valued and redeemed in a way that will bring hope and healing
• for every child orphaned for a loving family and community to guide them, for cycles to be broken, for lives full of purpose and influence in their generation 

The tragedy of women going missing and murdered continues today. Though we have set aside one day to honor and remember, we must work every day to confront, challenge and change this reality. Please continue to pray and do all that you can to bring about justice for women and children in Canada, and everywhere.

 

      

Leave Your Worries at the Door

Where does the time go? We started recycling used soaps, shampoos, conditioners & body gels in August 2010. At that time, we had 6 women volunteering their hours to do so. Very quickly we were able to start paying them for 4 hours a week. It's been an interesting and exciting journey.

For some, it was their very first 'real job', and for others, they were excited to be earning a paycheque again. Here we are in February 2011 now and we have added another 4 women to our workforce. Our day begins with a Circle in which we all touch base and catch up on the week's events. We leave our baggage (all our cares and worries) at the door. In fact, one of the women wants to make a mail box for the front door, in which everyone could leave their woes for God to take care of. We pray for those hands that are preparing the soaps that day, and for the bodies who will be receiving them and for lives to be saved because of them. It's interesting, because there has been the occasional day where our circle time has been overlooked, and on those days, things don't seem to run as smoothly!

One of our new team members is taking care of her granddaughter, because her granddaughter's mother is working the streets and in the midst of her addiction. We're hoping to take this girl's mother on a Journey to Linwood House someday, to commence the process toward recovery. We have various volunteers come and work with us on any given day, and we LOVE those days. The Clean Team really enjoys meeting new people, sharing stories and teaching others how to do their jobs. It makes the day go by quicker and it's much more fun! We need the volunteers to help us boost production as we now have 75 hotels on board providing soaps. On one of the days, we had 6 students from Capilano University come and help us, they then did a report at school and apparently received an "A" for their project!

A day to remember was when Brian, the Executive Director of our partner Mission Possible, brought in a poster of the children from an orphanage in Swaziland who received our very first shipment of recycled soap. We have that picture on our wall, and our woman would love to adopt each one of them! Our clean team are learning new skills to get along with each other, to work as a team. They also have brilliant ideas on how to streamline and increase production. It is wonderful to hear them dream and scheme and plan.

What an opportunity, what a pleasure, what joy to get up on a Monday morning, for ALL OF US, and know we are going to make a difference in this world.

~ Sue-Ann MacCara

Valentine's Tea at The Great Room

Valentine's Tea

February 14th, 2011
10 am 

The Great Room
108 West Hastings, 2nd Floor

We will be meeting at the Great Room for a Valentine's Tea complete with cinnamon bannock, cookies and heart treats. We will end the tea with some time for prayer and reflection together, and then we will walk up to Carnegie Centre for the beginning of the Women's Memorial March at 12 noon.

Please join us if you are able.

Facebook event here

Download a flyer here (pdf)