CASKETS OF THE DEAD HAS BEEN DUG UP BY HEAVY RAINFALL IN ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

This morning the Island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has been devastated by heavy rainfall. Below are pictures which show the destruction to a cemetery digging up caskets of the dead which have been recently buried.

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NEW YOUTH DIRECTOR OF ONTARIO SDA CONFERENCE WITH A FRESH PERSPECTIVE!

WRITTEN BY CLAIRON HAYNES (OWNER OF THIS BLOG)

The year 2016 has seen a reshuffle of the executive body of the SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH CONFERENCES across Canada. The Ontario conference of SDA is no exception. The election of Youth Director PASTOR JOHN M. SCOTT came as no surprise to many who have known him and his ministry for Christ over the years.

Only three months in this position yet we have seen losts of hope and promises from his appointment already. A Youth Pastor in the past, one would think that no doubt he should have a fair idea as to the needs of the YOUTHS in his conference and can tailor to dress those needs. However his approach right from the onset has proven otherwise - that he is not willing to go into this game with the preconceived notion that HE HAS ALL OF THE ANSWERS TO WHAT THE YOUTHS NEED but moreso that the implimentation of the DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH to his ministry will help to gather the pertinent information that would better inform his effective planning during his tennure as Youth Director. The vehicle through which Pastor Scott has used to access this data is his #RealTalkLive tour. What better way to know the needs and concerns of the youths than to engage in a dialogue with them.

Accompanied by a team of willing individuals the #RealTalkLive kicked off its first episode on Saturday October 29, 2016 at 9PM at EAST CENTRAL ONTARIO. Youths and young adults were invited to participate in a live discussion with the hope of bringing to the fore some of the needs and concerns that they have and measures they would like to see implemented by the youth division of the conference to see those needs addressed.
PASTOR SCOTT & HIS HARD WORKING TEAM

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The power of social media helped draw persons into this experience through various video clips and pictures posted of the sessions. The feedback seen from several Facebook post indicates that this tour is exactly the FRESH BLOOD that needs to run through the veins of the youth ministry of our churches. I applaud Pastor Scott and his team for MOVING AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF DOING THINGS (assuming what the youths need and make the provisions most of which continue to handicap this ministry).

Some of the districts in Ontario that #RealTalkLive visited are as follows: 
- East Central Ontaion
- West Central Ontario
- Southern Ontario
- Western Ontario
- Metro North Central
- Metro South Central
- Metro East
- Eastern Ontario (Ottawa)
- Metro West

The tour wil culminate on December 17th at Metro West at 6:00 PM at the Mississauga SDA Church. 

The focus questions that fueled the discussions were centred around three (3) broad areas. These included:
1. Need of the youths.
2. Capacity to help fulfill these needs.
3. Solutions and guidance in terms of how to make youth a reality and even more impacting on the lives of the youths in the Ontario Conference.

YOUTHS LIVE ENGAGEMENT IN CONVERSATION

MY EXPERIENCE IN OTTAWA
I am grateful for the opportunity to visit the Ottawa SDA church to sit into one of these #RealTalkLive sessions with Pastor Scott and his team. The evening opened with a Moderator posing some questions to Pastor Scott relative to his call to Ministry and his days growing up as a youth. The youths got a first hand glipse into his past experiences and realized that their own experiences were not remote from his. This strategy helped to break the ice and established a ground of familiarity, thus setting the pace for what was to come.

The second phase slid into a group discussion. Key questions were posed by the facilitators to generate discussion. The underlying theme that was echoed was centered around the GENERATIONAL GAP that seems to exist between the mature and the youth of our churches. We got to hear how the youth felt about this. Suggestions for solutions were given to help narrow this gap. For example it was felt that no particular age group should wait on the other to make the first move toward integration. In addition it was revealed that the MAIN REASON  why youths tend to leave the church is due to the fact THAT THE ADULTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEM. This for me was REAL TALK as it sort to answer this burning question which I have had regarding why so many of our young people continue to leave the church and those who remain why they seem to lose interest in church life.

Unfortunately I had to travel back to Montreal before the session ended but based on what I was able to experience I can safely say that Pastor Scott and his team GOT MORE THAN THEY MAY HAVE ANTICIPATED relative to the needs of our young people and now they can go back to the drawing board and better tailor their programs to suit these needs.

CONTACT INFO:
For more information regarding this topic feel free to visit the ADVENTIST YOUTH ONTARIO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AdventistYouthOntario/?fref=ts

As the owner of this blog I take this opportuity to congratulate Pastor Scott and his team for the excellent work they have done with this tour. I hope that other conferences will see this as an example to better help their youths as well.

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37TH SVG INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION IN MONTREAL, CANADA

WRITTEN BY CLAIRON HAYNES

October 27, 2016 marked THIRTY-SEVEN (37) years since the Southern Caribbean Island of SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES has gain its INDEPENDENCE from mother country Britain. Free from colonial rule, this tiny island of 163 square miles (including the Grenadines) waved its flag to independence and took its first step to nationhood in 1979. 

Vincentians at home and in the diaspora commemorated this prestigious and historic event in various forms showing a sense of pride and patriotism for their country. SVG Organizations across Canada were among the celebrants. Here in Montreal right in my backyard the SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES ASSOCIATION OF MONTREAL INC. showed up and showed out with its sophisticated INDEPENDENCE BANQUET AND BALL held at the Scofield Hall, 90 Ave. Roosevelt, T.M.R, Montreal, Quebec on October 29.

The event was well attended. Master of Ceremony BERNARD (EB) JOHN did what he does best to keep the audience informed and entertained throughout the evening. 

MESSAGE BY THE PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT of the Association Mr. ALFRED (JACK) DEAR addressed the gathering. He expressed how proud he was to welcome them on behalf of the Executive and Members of the Association. We were reminded that Independence day is always an auspicious occasion for all of us as it still remains to date the most important day to all Vincentian citizens. The importance of remembering our forefathers who struggled and made sacrifices for us, sometimes with their lives was reinforced by Mr. Dear. In addition, he called on Vincentians to pause and focus on what has to be done to attain true independence, as that is only possible when a country meets it goal in getting rid of poverty, hunger, and unemployment. Government's need to continue to provide the necessary ingredients to stimulate the economy and promote opportunities by means of trade and industry. His lens zoomed in on the challenges facing St. Vincent and the Grenadines due to global economy, socio economic conditions and climate change. The ARGYLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT was pushed to the front as the major ECONOMIC GAME CHANGER, having huge propensity for improving transportation, promoting tourism, and expanding trade opportunities. Mr. Dear announced that the Association is celebrating 51 years of existence and that robust programs are already in place to usher in this milestone. Food supplies, clothing, books, medical supplies to the hospital, maintenance etc. were some of the assistance given to St. Vincent and the Grenadines by the Association annually as sighted by the president. The assurance was given that Education is still top of the Association's priority list. In fact bursaries to students attending CGEP and University have risen from two to four over the past three years according to Mr. Dear. In his closing remark the President stressed the importance of their ANNUAL UNITY PICNIC sponsored by  Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto as the 
seemingly only unifying force for Vincentians within the North America diaspora. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Executive and friends for helping the Association's goals and objectives to come to fruition. 

CONSUL GENERAL OF SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES TO CANADA Mr. Fitzgerald Huggins' address:
The central theme of Mr. Huggins' address was the global issue of CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR ECONOMIES especially at a time when Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is in the middle of the hurricane season. We were reminded of the fact that over the last five years the country has seen many disasters that have impacted its people negatively causing damages amounting to one third of the GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP). Homes were destroyed, infrastructure was damaged, and most importantly lives were taken. Due to the devastating impacts that climate change causes scientists have broadly categorized them into three groups:

- Erratic climate and weather extremes
- Altered ecosystems and habitats
- Risk to human health  and society

According to Mr. Huggins the beautiful beaches in the Grenadine and tourism facilities  low line areas like Calliaqua, Colonarie, Port Elizabeth, Layou, Ashton, and Chateaubelair are under serious threats from rising sea levels. Mr. Huggins felt that if  drastic measures are not adapted now to curb these then these impacts will continue to erode the gains that we have made in tourism over the past thirty-seven (37) years of Independence. 

Fulfilling its environmental and economic responsibility, the government has embarked on the geothermal  project as part of its sustainable development goal to REDUCE THE COUNTRY'S CARBON FOOTPRINT as SVG contributes to the reduction of the emission of HEAT-TRAPPING GASES from human activity especially the BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS for energy that is CAUSING OUR ATMOSPHERE TO HEAT UP. The GEOTHERMAL project is expected to supply MOST OF ITS ELECTRICITY demand when completed in 2018.

Another strength spotted from the Consul General's Independent message to Montreal Vincentians is his CALL FOR UNITY & TOGETHERNESS among Vincentians, two pertinent tenets  in NATION BUILDING.
He expressed satisfaction in seeing various groups in TORONTO working together to organize this year's Independence programs. The Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa groups also received applause for organizing the ANNUAL THOUSAND ISLAND PICNIC that brings our nationals together in one setting. "I challenge all group leaders to lead by example and unite your communities and groups. Let's work together to inspire and educate our people so that we can achieve that goal of transforming our people to enhance national pride."

Mr. Huggins concluded with a reminder of what the role of the CONSULATE GENERAL OFFICE is to Vincentian within the Canadian diaspora: to offer quality service. We were assured that as Consul General he will make sure that that objective is achieved.

SAMPLE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
Clairon Haynes (OWNER OF THIS BLOG)

OTHER GUESTS 

PRESIDENT OF OTTAWA VINCENTIAN ASSOCIATION 

FOOD SAMPLE

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