Jack - Val's Mission in Guyana + Cameroon + Canada: Out with the ‘Old’

One year old Akeelah is baptized on December 27.09

2009’s Old Year’s night service at Calvary Lutheran began at precisely 11, attended by the faithful welcoming in the new year with Prayer and songs of Praise ending the service moments before midnight.

The surrounding neighbourhood blasted in the new year with steady banging of fireworks — some large enough to cause us to jump at the closeness and intensity!

The following is a letter to the editor of the Kaieteur News on Tuesday, January 05, 2010.

A visitor’s impressions of Guyana

http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2010/01/05/a-visitor%e2%80%99s-impressions-of-guyana/

My all-too-brief visit to Guyana came to an end on New Year’s Day, and I would like to share a Canadian visitor’s impressions of this fascinating country with readers.

I travelled with my Guyanese-born spouse over the Christmas period to see her homeland for the first time, meet family and friends in Georgetown and the Pomeroon River area, and generally gain a sense of the place with the possibility of more extended visits in the future.

Before leaving Canada, I had received mixed reviews of Guyana, with some of the more negative comments coming from people of Guyanese extraction now living abroad.

…

I am pleased to state that at no time did I feel the least bit vulnerable, whether it was in the midst of the crowds at Stabroek Market or Regent Street, riding the minibuses, or travelling in the interior to visit the Linden area and the majestic Kaieteur Falls.

On the contrary, I was always received with courtesy, friendliness, and respect from the many ordinary Guyanese people I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with.

I plan to take these impressions back to Canada…

Dr. Peter A. Flaherty (Toronto)

A very interesting and positive article – uplifting with nothing negative – which had us wanting to share with our family and friends that may be considering a visit with us. We know that life here in Georgetown is not all positive… like why don’t they recycle and get rid of plastic bags & styro containers? I would like to see the trenches cleaned up more often. But, really life is A- okay!

The Day of Epiphany: a Christian feast celebrated on January 6 originally and still in the Eastern Church commemorating the baptism of Christ and secondarily the marriage feast at Cana but since the 5th century in the Western Church commemorating the coming of the Magi as the occasion of the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles called also Twelfth Day.

Down came our tree and garland – a custom here that on the Twelfth Day decorations of Christmas are packed away until next year.

We decided we both needed a long walk – walks to shop are a norm for us – Robb Street, a very common one for us over this past year. Robb Street was our destination when suddenly a man confronted our space within inches from Jack’s ear – yelling ‘White Dog’!! Deafening! I have never felt so offended, even being called ‘Nazara’ in Cameroon didn’t insult me as much.

Was it the heat of the mid-day sun — an unbalanced mind — nevertheless shocking.

Two different stories — we went out again today – walking the same walk…down Robb Street – peaceful today.

PEACE – goodwill to all mankind … we prayed for this poor man.