Urban Bridge church was one of many that responded to the devastating fire in Slave Lake, Alberta. The following is an update from our Denomination district office:

Four months have passed since the Town of Slave Lake was devastated by the wildfires that swept through the town and forced the evacuation of the 7,000+ residents. During that time, individuals and churches throughout Alberta & the NWT have helped in some way to bring about relief and assistance on the road to restoration.
Please take a moment to read this letter and update from Pastor Rodney Fortin. Let me express my heartfelt thanks to the many people and churches of our District that participated in one way or another during this disaster. It has been a wonderful expression of community and compassion in action. May God bless and direct you in continuing to respond to the needs of those you seek to reach and minister to.

Rev. Ken Solbrekken
District Superintendent

· Fleece blanket

Here is another video update from our team serving in Rwanda. The team got back safe and sound on Saturday, October 10.

Hi All
We spent part of the day with leaders of HIV-Aids support groups which were initiated by the Mercy ministry of Christian Life Assembly of Kigali  the local church we are working with.  I am humbled. Rwanda continues to have a strong stigma against those who suffer with the disease and it takes a highly committed church to be upfront about this and a brave person to attend let alone lead a neighbourhood group. They were singing when we arrived. If I had a coffee in my hand I could have  been convinced that I was in Heaven.

The group leaders  were upbeat and feeling good about their situation which they attribute to a couple of things: group support and faith in Christ. Their faith is simple: Before they committed to following Christ they were despondent and now they are not. I think we in the west may be making Christianity  too complicated.

Yesterday we visited the group home that Urban Bridge funding initiated and supports – powerful . Wait till you see the video and photos Jordan captured!

Here is a 6 minute video from our team currently serving in Rwanda!

For the past 2 years Urban Bridge Church has taken one Sunday away from our regular service to participate in something we care a great deal about: The AIDS Walk for Life.

This year Urban Bridge Church will once again be sponsoring the event as a community, but we wanted to go above that and participate in raising funds as individuals from Urban Bridge Church.

If you are interested in joining the Urban Bridge Church team (there is still time) in raising individual pledges, or you would like to sponsor our team, please click here

There are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the event, and if you would like to do so please contact Pascal at pascalbelzile@gmail.com

Even if you can’t volunteer or sponsor us, please join us in the Walk for Life on September 20, 2009 at 11am. The 5km event begins at Churchill Square.

Stories of Mercy

Here is a thank you from Taanis, a resident of Kairos House for whom the Urban Bridge community purchased a set of new dentures to help restore “her smile”.

Click here to read the thank you letter in PDF format.

Click here to read more about Kairos House and our involvement there.

Esther, who attends UBC, is off putting her nursing skills to work on a Mercy Ship. Here is her latest update…

“Hard to believe that I’ve been here for almost a month! I know I know.. everyone told me that time would fly by… It’s going really great. Meeting some amazing people and patients. Seeing God’s healing hand on physical and spiritual lives. The people here are so hungry for God’s presence and truth in their lives, it’s refreshing to see! And I’m even getting my African dance on… ha ha.
God Bless,
Esti”

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

The following story is taken from “CLA Mercy Ministry Update, Volume 1″;

“With financial support from Urban Bridge Church, we managed to set up our third mercy home in January this year. The new mercy home is home to Cyurinyana and her family of 9. Cyurinyana who was (still is) part of the HIV.AIDS support group, is a typical example of the destitute people who are the main beneficiaries of CLA Mercy Homes. When we decided to take her on she was very sick and unable to do anything for herself and the children. The entire family of nine was living in a one-room shack provided to her by a well wisher in the neighborhood. It’s unbelievable how nine people could fit in so tiny a room, together with all their belongings – plus it was leaky!

A combination of malnutrition and the use of strong ARV’s had very much weakened Cyurinyana and she was probably 99% of he time bed-ridden. She was extremely skinny – bonny to be more accurate and you wouldn’t expect her to live another day!

Within weeks of moving into the mercy home, her life completely turned around. She is no longer sickly, has gained some weight and is now strong enough to take care of her children.

All the children (those who had dropped out of school and those who had not yet started school due to lack of means) have all been helped to start schooling through the Mercy Ministry Education sponsorship Program.”

Esther Blumer is leaving soon to serve on a Mercy Ship in Africa, an amazing ministry that provides medical care. To learn more see
http://www.mercyships.org/home

To make a donation sponsoring Esther, use this link: https://secure.mercyships.org/webinfo/staffsupport
Though it says to use the last name, there is an error. If you want to choose to sponsor Esther, select “Esther Blumer”—using her first name and then follow instructions to make a donation.