Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Back home
Hi all! We are back home from our whirlwind southern Ontario tour. We had a great few days, and sang and told stories to more than 600 people! We keep receiving such warm welcomes and affirmations. It is very humbling.
World AIDS Day is in two days...December 1st. We started this work 8 years ago, and perhaps we were naiive, but I honestly don't think that Darryl and I thought that we would still be singing and raising awareness, and money through cd sales 8 years later. But AIDS has not gone away. Sadly, tragically, it has only become more urgent. 33 million people living with the virus. 16 million orphans from AIDS. Statistics say that very time one person receives potentially life saving antiretroviral therapy, another two people are infected with HIV. And resources are drying up. Governments, organizations and individual donors are losing interest and moving onto other issues. People are suffering... specifically grandmothers, mothers, wives, young women, children...the most vulnerable. They are the ones who are feeling the weight of the crisis.
With the cd project, we are close to having raised $700,000 for MCC's work with AIDS just through cd sales. It is so exciting! But there is no room for us to stop. The work has to continue. MCC has felt the impact of the economic recession, as have so many others, and as a result, program budgets are being cut. Partners that we have supported for years are now receiving tens of thousands of dollars less. This cannot be acceptable. We have to keep reminding people how important this work is. AIDS, food and water security, peace work...it is all connected.
World AIDS Day is in two days...December 1st. We started this work 8 years ago, and perhaps we were naiive, but I honestly don't think that Darryl and I thought that we would still be singing and raising awareness, and money through cd sales 8 years later. But AIDS has not gone away. Sadly, tragically, it has only become more urgent. 33 million people living with the virus. 16 million orphans from AIDS. Statistics say that very time one person receives potentially life saving antiretroviral therapy, another two people are infected with HIV. And resources are drying up. Governments, organizations and individual donors are losing interest and moving onto other issues. People are suffering... specifically grandmothers, mothers, wives, young women, children...the most vulnerable. They are the ones who are feeling the weight of the crisis.
With the cd project, we are close to having raised $700,000 for MCC's work with AIDS just through cd sales. It is so exciting! But there is no room for us to stop. The work has to continue. MCC has felt the impact of the economic recession, as have so many others, and as a result, program budgets are being cut. Partners that we have supported for years are now receiving tens of thousands of dollars less. This cannot be acceptable. We have to keep reminding people how important this work is. AIDS, food and water security, peace work...it is all connected.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Hello from Ontario!
Hi all! We are writing to you from Vineland, ON. It's day 2 of our four day tour in southern Ontario, and we are having a great time! Yesterday we sang/spoke at 5 events at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, beginning with chapel at 9:20 with 300 students, and then speaking to 3 classes throughout the day, ending with a concert in the evening. Fun day! This evening we were at Vineland United Mennonite Church for a fundraiser, and sang/spoke to 120 folks, sold lots of cds, and raised money for AIDS work. It has been a good two days! Tomorrow morning we are back at the Vineland church for the worship service, and then we are off to Leamington for an evening concert.
People have been so gracious, warm and affirming, and we have been told over and over to not stop what we are doing to promote the crisis of AIDS, and the work that MCC partners are doing with AIDS. 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, 15 million orphans, and generations lost to AIDS. Poverty, desperation, hunger, violence, lack of access to basic resources like food, water, education, war, rape as a tool of war...that is AIDS. Every time we view the video on the Take Your Place dvd and see the people that we met in places like Najile, and remember their stories, their kindness and hospitality, their struggles, we are reminded why it is so important to keep doing what we do.
People have been so gracious, warm and affirming, and we have been told over and over to not stop what we are doing to promote the crisis of AIDS, and the work that MCC partners are doing with AIDS. 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, 15 million orphans, and generations lost to AIDS. Poverty, desperation, hunger, violence, lack of access to basic resources like food, water, education, war, rape as a tool of war...that is AIDS. Every time we view the video on the Take Your Place dvd and see the people that we met in places like Najile, and remember their stories, their kindness and hospitality, their struggles, we are reminded why it is so important to keep doing what we do.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Off to Ontario!
Hi everyone! Darryl and I are sitting at the Winnipeg airport waiting for our flight to Toronto, ready to hit the ground running in southern Ontario! Abe Janzen, Exec. Dir. of MCC Alberta, will join us a few hours later. We sing at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate tomorrow morning during their chapel, and Abe will tell stories from his recent trip to Nepal, visiting MCC AIDS partners there. We also will be speaking to three or four classes during the day, and a concert tomorrow evening at Rockway. Should be fun!
More later, with pics and no doubt pithy and witty blog entries.
Kim
More later, with pics and no doubt pithy and witty blog entries.
Kim
Friday, November 5, 2010
MEDA Convention
Just home from a very fine evening at the MEDA Convention in Calgary. This evening Darryl and I led two songs and sang one song on our own to a crowd of about 400 people at the Westin Hotel in downtown Calgary. Tomorrow morning we are back there for a 75 minute sing-a-long session. And back again on Saturday and Sunday. Darryl has far more experience leading singing than I do, so this feels like a bit of a stretch for me. But people were very gracious, and seemed to enjoy the music this evening. Hopefully that will be the case over the next few days as well!
If you don't know about MEDA, check out their website: www.meda.org They are doing some amazing work!
Kim
If you don't know about MEDA, check out their website: www.meda.org They are doing some amazing work!
Kim
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Ok, the clever man comment...
Well, I was asked to sing "With My Own Two Hands" this evening at the Stephen Lewis event. I haven't been that nervous in quite a long time. It was a total honour to share the stage with Mr. Lewis. I had hoped to impress him by using some big words. In the end, just before I sang the song, all I could come up with, in front of everyone, was "It's just really cool to sing at the same event that you are speaking at." Wow. And then, to top it all off, as Abe was taking a picture of me with Mr. Lewis, Mr. Lewis said to me, "You're comments were very clever". And, yes, like a twit, I said, "You're pretty clever too." Sheesh. Oh well. He seemed to take it all in stride. What a total thrill this evening was for me, and I think for everyone that was there. Here are a few pics (we were asked not to take pictures during the event itself, so the pictures were taken after the evening was over).
Friday, October 22, 2010
A clever man, with an amazing vocabulary!
Hi everyone. Just home from a really inspiring evening listening to Stephen Lewis talk about AIDS in Africa, the Grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren and other orphans, and the fatigue of donor nations, both in the private and government sectors, in giving to the crisis of AIDS.
Mr. Lewis spoke for almost an hour to more than 500 people, and highlighted 6 important points from the most recent International AIDS Conference in Vienna this past July.
1. Treatment as prevention - putting people on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) before they exhibit full-blown symptoms of AIDS lowers the viral load to almost undetcable levels which means that someone who is HIV+ and on ARVs is unlikely to pass on the virus if they have unprotected sex. Treatment is prevention.
2. Microbicide for females. It has been shown that male circumcision either as an infant or an adult reduces the chances of infection by up to 60%. A microbicide for women, which is applied to the vaginal area 12 hours before sexual intercourse and 12 hours after, reduces the rate of infection by up to 54%. A vaginal ring is being developed that can be inserted and will release the microbicide over a period of three months. Around the world women do not have the power to refuse sex. And sexual violence, particularly as a weapon of war, is sadly more and more common. The ring will prevent infection for young girls and women. 75-80% of young girls who are HIV+ were infected through sexual violence.
3. 2010 was named as the Year of Universal Access to Treatment, Prevention and Care. Sadly, promises from G8 countries were not met. More than $20 billion was promised, which would have given the Global Fund the money and resources to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Currently 5.2 million HIV+ people are receiving treatment. At least another 10 million people require treatment. The world raised only 11.7 billion dollars. A death sentence to millions of people who will now not receive treatment. The main reason? The recession. And yet trillions of dollars are spent on bank bailouts, encouraging economic growth, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
4. The rate of HIV infection is soaring worldwide. The reality of poverty, hunger, injustice, stigma and inequality create desperate situations for many, many people. Young girls who have children due to sexual violence are faced with watching their babies die, or selling their bodies for sex so that they can feed their children. In Uganda, there is a bill before parliament, not yet passed, that would sentence practicing homosexuals to death. And if you if you fail to report such behaviours to the authorities, you could be sentenced to five years in prison. This means parents will report their own children. Right wing conservative churches in the US are supporting this legislation.
5. Sexual violence - Transmission of the virus is 2 to 3 times more likely if the perpetrators are more HIV+ and also because the sexual violence is so brutal that there is direct blood contact. Over the past decade more than 600,000 women in Congo have been raped as a strategy of war. Worldwide, 150 million girls have suffered sexual violence.
6. Pediatric AIDS. A single dose of the drug Nevirapine, given to a mother during child birth, will reduce the chance that her baby will be infected by 50%. A 50/50 chance. It has been discovered that Nevirapine actually reduces the effect of ARVs down the road for the women that take Nevirapine during child birth. So, their babies will have a 50/50 chance of not being infected with the virus during child birth, but the mothers will die because Nevirapine reduces the effectiveness of ARVs they are taking. In North America, people who are HIV+ are generally put on a triple full course of ARVs. If women are taking the triple full course, and give birth, the mother to child transmission of the virus is reduced by 99%.
An amazing evening. A bit discouraging. Enlightening. Completely inspiring. 500 people attended. I think it's safe to say that all of us walked away feeling more passionate about working to address the crisis of AIDS worldwide.
Mr. Lewis spoke for almost an hour to more than 500 people, and highlighted 6 important points from the most recent International AIDS Conference in Vienna this past July.
1. Treatment as prevention - putting people on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) before they exhibit full-blown symptoms of AIDS lowers the viral load to almost undetcable levels which means that someone who is HIV+ and on ARVs is unlikely to pass on the virus if they have unprotected sex. Treatment is prevention.
2. Microbicide for females. It has been shown that male circumcision either as an infant or an adult reduces the chances of infection by up to 60%. A microbicide for women, which is applied to the vaginal area 12 hours before sexual intercourse and 12 hours after, reduces the rate of infection by up to 54%. A vaginal ring is being developed that can be inserted and will release the microbicide over a period of three months. Around the world women do not have the power to refuse sex. And sexual violence, particularly as a weapon of war, is sadly more and more common. The ring will prevent infection for young girls and women. 75-80% of young girls who are HIV+ were infected through sexual violence.
3. 2010 was named as the Year of Universal Access to Treatment, Prevention and Care. Sadly, promises from G8 countries were not met. More than $20 billion was promised, which would have given the Global Fund the money and resources to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Currently 5.2 million HIV+ people are receiving treatment. At least another 10 million people require treatment. The world raised only 11.7 billion dollars. A death sentence to millions of people who will now not receive treatment. The main reason? The recession. And yet trillions of dollars are spent on bank bailouts, encouraging economic growth, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
4. The rate of HIV infection is soaring worldwide. The reality of poverty, hunger, injustice, stigma and inequality create desperate situations for many, many people. Young girls who have children due to sexual violence are faced with watching their babies die, or selling their bodies for sex so that they can feed their children. In Uganda, there is a bill before parliament, not yet passed, that would sentence practicing homosexuals to death. And if you if you fail to report such behaviours to the authorities, you could be sentenced to five years in prison. This means parents will report their own children. Right wing conservative churches in the US are supporting this legislation.
5. Sexual violence - Transmission of the virus is 2 to 3 times more likely if the perpetrators are more HIV+ and also because the sexual violence is so brutal that there is direct blood contact. Over the past decade more than 600,000 women in Congo have been raped as a strategy of war. Worldwide, 150 million girls have suffered sexual violence.
6. Pediatric AIDS. A single dose of the drug Nevirapine, given to a mother during child birth, will reduce the chance that her baby will be infected by 50%. A 50/50 chance. It has been discovered that Nevirapine actually reduces the effect of ARVs down the road for the women that take Nevirapine during child birth. So, their babies will have a 50/50 chance of not being infected with the virus during child birth, but the mothers will die because Nevirapine reduces the effectiveness of ARVs they are taking. In North America, people who are HIV+ are generally put on a triple full course of ARVs. If women are taking the triple full course, and give birth, the mother to child transmission of the virus is reduced by 99%.
An amazing evening. A bit discouraging. Enlightening. Completely inspiring. 500 people attended. I think it's safe to say that all of us walked away feeling more passionate about working to address the crisis of AIDS worldwide.
Stephen Lewis event
Hi everyone! Well, I am gearing up for this evening. Six MCC Alberta staff are going to hear Stephen Lewis speak at a Grandmothers to Grandmothers (a program of the Stephen Lewis Foundation) event. I'm excited to hear Mr. Lewis speak! A few days ago I received a call from one of the organisers asking me to sing a song at the event. Foolishly, I said "Sure!" Now I'm getting seriously nervous. Where are you Darryl??
Anyway, I will haul my guitar, my voice, and a dictionary to the event (Stephen Lewis has the most amazing vocabulary!), and I know I will come away inspired and energised by the evening. If you are not familiar with the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, check it out online.
We'll take some pictures of the evening and post them this evening.
Kim
Anyway, I will haul my guitar, my voice, and a dictionary to the event (Stephen Lewis has the most amazing vocabulary!), and I know I will come away inspired and energised by the evening. If you are not familiar with the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, check it out online.
We'll take some pictures of the evening and post them this evening.
Kim
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sweet Interlude
We enjoyed singing at Sweet Interlude, a fundraiser at Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary. The highlight for us was definitely singing four songs with the students:
- With my own two hands
- Glory Bound
- Take your place (at the table)
- The House
Here's a rough video of us singing Take your place (at the table), with them. Stick it out until the end... you can finally hear them singing. Up on the stage, it was awesome.
Take Your Place with Menno Simons singers from darryl on Vimeo.
- With my own two hands
- Glory Bound
- Take your place (at the table)
- The House
Here's a rough video of us singing Take your place (at the table), with them. Stick it out until the end... you can finally hear them singing. Up on the stage, it was awesome.
Take Your Place with Menno Simons singers from darryl on Vimeo.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Joseph and Elizabeth Kiranto welcome their new baby, Joel!
Joseph welcomes Joel home from the hospital. Three days old.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Abbotsford, Brandon and Edmonton
Hi everyone! It's been a while since we have written on this blog. Sorry about that! We have really enjoyed our concerts over the past month, but we are behind in our updates! Over the past few weeks we have visited Abbotsford, BC, Brandon, MB, and Edmonton, AB. The folks that planned the events in each place were wonderful and welcoming, and created really great spaces and events for us to sing at. I hope to add more details, along with some pictures, in the next few days!
Kim
Kim
Friday, September 3, 2010
Next stop, BC
So, we're singing at a few events in BC next weekend related to their MCC Relief Sale. Check the schedule on the official take your place site. The link is to your left.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Hurtin' 4 Haiti
Sunday, July 25/10. Five runners arrive in Calgary, after 9 days of running from Winnipeg to Calgary. The group, Bill, James, Donovan, Chantal, Wade, Neil and Flavio (massage therapist extraordinaire), ran for Haiti. What began as a small idea soon grew to inspiration and then one idea fed another, and within a very short period of time, a concrete plan was born! Five runners would make the trek from Winnipeg to Calgary, averaging 25 to 30 kms/day each, running, in relay form. And today they arrived in Calgary. What an accomplishment! Me, Abe Janzen and Adam Beriault met them at Foothills Mennonite Church where some of them will stay for the night. They will head back to Winnipeg tomorrow morning. We are so grateful for their determination and commitment to help the people of Haiti. Although this is not specifically about AIDS, it is about a country in desperate need of help, with multiple layers...economic, housing, water, food, medical. It is all related, and MCC is so grateful for their effort!Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
A great three days in Seattle and Portland
What a great weekend! Friday night at Seattle Mennonite, Saturday evening at the Hess Yoder place, Sunday morning at Lebanon Mennonite, and Sunday evening at Albany Mennonite. We had the privilege of singing to more than 400 people, meeting really amazing folks, listening to Abe Janzen (MCCA Executive Director) inspire and challenge the crowds (and us) to respond to the crisis of AIDS.
Each concert had a group of volunteers who organized and advertised the events. Bob and Barb Buxman (MCC West Coast) worked for months prior, both with the committee's and with raising funds, and attended each of the events, representing MCC, giving greetings, selling cds, doing so much in front and behind the scenes. By the end of the weekend, more than $53,000 was raised for the Generations program!
One of my favourite moments at each of the concerts was the offering time. Just in front of the stage were large baskets, and people were invited to come forward (some people even danced forward!) and give their offerings as Darryl and I sang a song. This is a common practice in many churches around the world, but not so common in Mennonite churches. We experienced this in Kenya, and were inspired by the public show of commitment and accountability of giving. In North America, we tend to view our giving as private and personal. In Kenya, what we saw was a public commitment to sharing what was available with the church community. Everyone gave something. The amount didn't matter. Giving mattered. This is what we saw this weekend, and it was overwhelming to watch.
Thanks, Bob and Barb, the committee's, our hosts, and all the good people who came to listen and give!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Seattle Mennonite Church
Hi everyone! Day two of our West Coast tour is over. Last night we were hosted by Seattle Mennonite Church, and enjoyed time with folks there. Darryl and I sang for about 45 minutes, we showed some video footage of recording music in Najile, as well as video footage of the work that Joseph does with the Generations Program (included in the cd package). Abe Janzen (MCCA Executive Director), shared compelling stats about HIV/AIDS, and shared stories from his travels to visit MCC partners working with HIV/AIDS in Congo, Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya.
Seattle Mennonite runs a Community Ministries Program that reaches out to the homeless in Seattle, welcoming them into their church community, and offering supports and connecting people to various programs and services. We had some good visits with really wonderful people that we normally would not see at our concerts. We were blessed to be there.
We travelled from Seattle, WA, to Portland, OR, today. About a 3 hour drive. And this evening we were hosted at the Hess Yoder home, about 40 minutes outside of Portland, on a beautiful piece of land over looking the valley, with an astounding view of Mt. Hood. There were just over 100 people in attendance, and we all enjoyed a great meal, lots of visiting, some music and stories, all outside. A very warm reception! Thank you to the folks from Portland Mennonite Church for your planning and work!
Tomorrow morning we are on the road by 8 am to travel to Lebanon Mennonite Church. Abe will bring the sermon and Darryl and I will sing a few songs. We hope to do some touring a bit in the afternoon, and then tomorrow evening we are in Albany for our final performance.
Seattle Mennonite runs a Community Ministries Program that reaches out to the homeless in Seattle, welcoming them into their church community, and offering supports and connecting people to various programs and services. We had some good visits with really wonderful people that we normally would not see at our concerts. We were blessed to be there.
We travelled from Seattle, WA, to Portland, OR, today. About a 3 hour drive. And this evening we were hosted at the Hess Yoder home, about 40 minutes outside of Portland, on a beautiful piece of land over looking the valley, with an astounding view of Mt. Hood. There were just over 100 people in attendance, and we all enjoyed a great meal, lots of visiting, some music and stories, all outside. A very warm reception! Thank you to the folks from Portland Mennonite Church for your planning and work!
Tomorrow morning we are on the road by 8 am to travel to Lebanon Mennonite Church. Abe will bring the sermon and Darryl and I will sing a few songs. We hope to do some touring a bit in the afternoon, and then tomorrow evening we are in Albany for our final performance.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Off to Pacific Region
Well, our next concerts are in Seattle, Portland area, and Albany area. We're really looking forward to our time there. For specific event locations and times, please visit our "official" Take Your Place site linked there on the left.
In Kenyan news, our good friend Joseph had another transportation incident. He was thrown from the back of a truck and sustained a few minor fractures. Apparently he is now recovering and in good spirits.
In Kenyan news, our good friend Joseph had another transportation incident. He was thrown from the back of a truck and sustained a few minor fractures. Apparently he is now recovering and in good spirits.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Auctioning off the Oringa that Joseph gave to me
The first auction item was a beaded meeting stick, or Oringa, that Joseph gave to me at the end of his year in Alberta. I spoke with Joseph on Thursday to get more details on what kind of symbolism the Oringa has among the Massai. He told me that the Oringa is a stick that has been beaded from the bottom to the top, with colourful glass beads, and is used in community gatherings and celebrations as a symbol of peace. The Oringa is never to be used in a meeting where conflict or violence may occur. If the Oringa is used for violence, then the glass beads will break. And when violence happens in a community, then the community begins to break. The chief holds the Oringa and greets and addresses the crowd, and the Oringa is a respected symbol of peace. The Oringa fetched $900 in the auction!
Some photos from the bike-a-thon and Relief Sale
Three generations of riders from the Schellenberg family, and Cindy...honourary Schellenberg!
Adam, Cindy and John
1451 kms were cycled by John and Adam, 90 of those with Cindy Klassen and about 60 others. A total of $181,000 raised for Cycle South for AIDS, and an additional $20, 130 raised through the bike-a-thon...grand total of $201,130 for MCC's Generations Program! What an amazing thing to be a part of and to celebrate!
Cycle South for AIDS, Cindy Klassen and the Coaldale Relief Sale
The perfect storm! After yesterday's stormy ride from Nanton to Lethbridge in up to 70 plus km winds and rain, today's ride from Lethbridge to Coaldale (11 km), and the following bike-a-thon routes of 10 km, 45 km, and 90 km, was a breeze! Add to that an Olympic gold medalist by the name of Cindy Klassen, an incredible Relief Sale with amazing auction items, food, and people, and today was the perfect storm! Cindy arrived in Coaldale around 11:00 am, to the delight of volunteers, MCCA staff, media and onlookers. Shaw TV, Global TV, and the Lethbridge Herald were all there, and interviewed Adam, John and Cindy. And then the pictures began with Cindy...over and over and over...and she is such a kind and gracious person and obliged anyone that approached her. She brought so much energy and excitement to the bike-a-thon and the sale. There were 62 riders today, and a total of $20,103 was raised! Add this to the $181,000 for Cycle South, and we are now at $201,130 for the Generations Program! Amazing!
So, this part of the journey comes to a close. It's kind of sad in a way. It has been a lot of fun being a part of the support driving team for Adam and John. Watching their determination riding through terrible head winds, rain, hills...up and down, and down and up...has been nothing short of inspiring. Their efforts have raised the profile of the crisis of AIDS, and MCC's work with partners worldwide. We are all so proud of them. It has been a privilege to be a part of this.
A heads up...there is talk that Cycle South for AIDS will be repeated next year, only it may become Cycle East for AIDS, from Alberta to Manitoba...and if we can work it around Cindy Klassen's schedule, then she will be joining the riders! Stay tuned! And thank you to everyone for reading the blog, for supporting Cycle South with good wishes, prayers, and donations. The money raised will make a huge difference in the lives of so many affected by AIDS. Our hope and prayer is that we will all take our place and do what we can, where we can, with what we have.
Kim
So, this part of the journey comes to a close. It's kind of sad in a way. It has been a lot of fun being a part of the support driving team for Adam and John. Watching their determination riding through terrible head winds, rain, hills...up and down, and down and up...has been nothing short of inspiring. Their efforts have raised the profile of the crisis of AIDS, and MCC's work with partners worldwide. We are all so proud of them. It has been a privilege to be a part of this.
A heads up...there is talk that Cycle South for AIDS will be repeated next year, only it may become Cycle East for AIDS, from Alberta to Manitoba...and if we can work it around Cindy Klassen's schedule, then she will be joining the riders! Stay tuned! And thank you to everyone for reading the blog, for supporting Cycle South with good wishes, prayers, and donations. The money raised will make a huge difference in the lives of so many affected by AIDS. Our hope and prayer is that we will all take our place and do what we can, where we can, with what we have.
Kim
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Menno Simons Christian School and MCCA Cycle South for AIDS
Day 10 was awesome! John, Adam, Abe and I (along with Iliana Friesen, Pholani Dlamini, Hun Ryu and Michael Harms...MCCA staff and IVEPers), met at Menno Simons school at 8:30 this morning. There was a 45 minute chapel with the junior high students and staff, focused entirely on MCC's work with HIV/AIDS, and the Cycle South for AIDS with John and Adam. Abe interviewed John and Adam, and Pholani (IVEPer at MCCA) for the students. We watched a really powerful 30 minute documentary called "Living With Slim," which focuses on 7 children/youth from different countries in Africa, who are all HIV+. Very compelling movie, and it gave the kids and staff a real sense of the urgency of raising awareness and money for HIV/AIDS. After the chapel we posed for some shots with the whole group, donned our helmets and set off on a 40 km ride on beautiful Calgary bike trails. A few delays along the way...rain, a minor bike accident, and a flat tire for Adam (first one in over 1000 kms)...thanks Anne and Iliana for saving the day!! We ended at Fish Creek Park in south Calgary, enjoyed a hot dog roast together, and then John and Adam continued on for an additional 76 kms, ending in Nanton, AB.
Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day for John and Adam. Both are very happy to NOT ride their bikes tomorrow. Thursday morning we drive out to Nanton, and then they hit the road one last time for Coaldale, about 135 kms.
The goal of raising $170,000 for MCC's Generations Program has been surpassed and is now over $176,000 and counting. A big, big shout out to Kennedy Krahn, a student at Menno Simons, who has been raising money and awareness for the Generations Program for the past few years! Today she presented us with yet another great donation...her savings from her piggy bank...$40.38...thank you Kennedy!!! Every single donation counts and makes a difference in people's lives around the world!
Kim
Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day for John and Adam. Both are very happy to NOT ride their bikes tomorrow. Thursday morning we drive out to Nanton, and then they hit the road one last time for Coaldale, about 135 kms.
The goal of raising $170,000 for MCC's Generations Program has been surpassed and is now over $176,000 and counting. A big, big shout out to Kennedy Krahn, a student at Menno Simons, who has been raising money and awareness for the Generations Program for the past few years! Today she presented us with yet another great donation...her savings from her piggy bank...$40.38...thank you Kennedy!!! Every single donation counts and makes a difference in people's lives around the world!
Kim
The Water Valley Hitching Post News
Hi all,
A good day behind the wheel and on the bike. John and Adam rode hard, lots and lots of hills, but good humour, Mars Bars, Winegums and other treats saved the day! My neice, Heather Schellenberg, and I, spent the day in the van supporting. Adam and John began their ride just north of Water Valley today. They were met at the General Store in Water Valley by a reporter from the Hitching Post News, who interviewed them and took some great photos...thankyou! And then on to Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary, where they were greeted by Menno students, and encouraged by the 1097 kms ridden so far! Only 2 more riding days until they reach Coaldale, and then a 90 km ride with Cindy Klassen and 40 or so others on Friday, and Cycle South for AIDS will be complete. To date, $175,000 plus has been raised through Cycle South for AIDS for MCC's Generations Program. Amazing. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to this very worthy cause!!
I will download pictures from today tomorrow...does that make sense??
Kim
A good day behind the wheel and on the bike. John and Adam rode hard, lots and lots of hills, but good humour, Mars Bars, Winegums and other treats saved the day! My neice, Heather Schellenberg, and I, spent the day in the van supporting. Adam and John began their ride just north of Water Valley today. They were met at the General Store in Water Valley by a reporter from the Hitching Post News, who interviewed them and took some great photos...thankyou! And then on to Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary, where they were greeted by Menno students, and encouraged by the 1097 kms ridden so far! Only 2 more riding days until they reach Coaldale, and then a 90 km ride with Cindy Klassen and 40 or so others on Friday, and Cycle South for AIDS will be complete. To date, $175,000 plus has been raised through Cycle South for AIDS for MCC's Generations Program. Amazing. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to this very worthy cause!!
I will download pictures from today tomorrow...does that make sense??
Kim
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Back in the drivers seat
Adam and John reached Cremona today, with a few other riders...Jeff, Ingrid and Eli Janssen Schellenberg, Byron Thiessen, and Michael Harms. It was a shorter and slower day for them...only 84 kms as opposed to the crazy 161 kms they have done in past days. Rod Reynar and Michael Harms also handed in their keys to the support driving van, and tomorrow I am back in the drivers seat, following behind, supporting as best I can. I'm looking forward to it. Their morning faces and grunts and groans, their kind of happier faces as we pass them treats on the way, their almost ok faces at lunch, and their beaming and happy faces at the end of a long biking day. We are so proud of their determination and commitment. Only 3 more biking days until the bike-a-thon in Coaldale with Cindy Klassen, Olympic gold medalist! Should be fun!
Tomorrow Adam and John ride from Cremona to Menno Simons Christian School in southwest Calgary. They hope to arrive there just prior to the end of the school day, to greet students and get them excited for Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, some MCCA staff, Adam and John, will be participating in a chapel at Menno, talking about Cycle South, and watching a 30 minute video called "Living with Slim". It is a documentary that highlights the lives of seven children/youth in Africa who are all HIV+. It is a gripping documentary, and will hopefully give the students an idea of why this Cycle South initiative is so important. And then after chapel, we don our helmets (yes, I'm riding too...and I'm pretty sure I will collapse half way through) and off we go on a 40km ride through Calgary, on a bike path that follows the river most of the way, and ends at Lake Sikome with a weiner roast. After that, Adam and John will continue on their way for another few hours until they reach Claresholm.
All for now.
Tomorrow Adam and John ride from Cremona to Menno Simons Christian School in southwest Calgary. They hope to arrive there just prior to the end of the school day, to greet students and get them excited for Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, some MCCA staff, Adam and John, will be participating in a chapel at Menno, talking about Cycle South, and watching a 30 minute video called "Living with Slim". It is a documentary that highlights the lives of seven children/youth in Africa who are all HIV+. It is a gripping documentary, and will hopefully give the students an idea of why this Cycle South initiative is so important. And then after chapel, we don our helmets (yes, I'm riding too...and I'm pretty sure I will collapse half way through) and off we go on a 40km ride through Calgary, on a bike path that follows the river most of the way, and ends at Lake Sikome with a weiner roast. After that, Adam and John will continue on their way for another few hours until they reach Claresholm.
All for now.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Day 5...It's the end of the road for me and Anne
Hi all. Day 5 and some really big hills, or valleys, whichever. Adam and John are working hard today, slogging it up hill after hill as semis and campers and cars scream past them and us. Their determination is pretty astounding, and as their aunt (yes, I'm their aunt), I am so deeply proud of what they are doing for the Generations program, raising awareness and funds for people like Joseph, who work on the ground, caring for people so deeply impacted by AIDS. Pretty phenomenal.
Sadly, today Anne and I pass the torch (keys) to two new support drivers, Rod Reynar and Michael Harms. They will carry on with John and Adam providing good support, snacks, gatorade, and anything else they might need. We really are quite sad to be going home and leaving them. They are inspirational to be around, and a lot of fun too. Thanks John and Adam for Taking Your Place!!
Here are a few pics from day 5....plus a special shout out to John and Adam's sister, Kaelin, and my niece, who turned 25 five today. Happy Birthday, Kaelin! Thanks also to the Pomeroy Inn in Valleyview...a very generous free two night stay!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Rocky and the Muskeg Farmer Crew
Hi again everyone. For some reason Anne and I had a bit more energy this evening than John and Adam, so after supper we took a drive through Valleyview and came across a mini Calgary Stampede midway with rides and games and popcorn, etc. Lots of folks having fun, lots of screaming, laughing and yelling. As Anne and I walked around we saw a man sitting on a bench watching the fun and having a smoke. He had such a great face, we couldn't resist saying hi to him and visiting for a bit. He told us his name is Rocky. He's from Sturgeon Lake and has been working as a fire fighter since he was 15 years old. He talked about how forest fires work, how they create their own wind and turn on you when you least expect it. He was fascinating. And a kind and gentle soul. He is the head crew member of the Muskeg Farmer Crew. In the end he let us take a few pictures with him, and with another crew member, Ian. Turned into a very rich evening. Thanks Rocky and Ian.
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