Page 14 - July 20 2020
P. 14
Includes process colour pages 1,4,5,7,10,11,14,15,18,20,21,24
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR
PAGE 14 MONDAY JULY 20, 2020 MONDAY JUNE 29, 2020 PAGE 15
FEATURE:
McComb family to depart on European missions trip to help refugees
"We believe that this can truly become Edson's mission and Yellowhead County's mission": Colin
by Cassie Kushniruk "We believe that this can truly become Edson's ability of our workers to get out there and help
mission and Yellowhead County's mission," said them," he said.
"Since 2015, the world has been undergoing its McComb. "So far, most of the support we've raised The McComb family is actively seeking
greatest migration crisis since WWII," said local comes from here. Gail has always insisted on the financial partners to help them get to Europe at the
Colin McComb. "Refugees, many of whom generosity and good-will of people in this area. I earliest available opportunity. "We are still
EMPL entered Europe in these last five years, are fleeing can hardly argue; during my time with the Edson crunching the numbers, but likely will need about
EMPLOYMENTOYMENT
war, famine, political and religious persecution,
Christian Ops Center I've discovered a profound
$6000-$8000/month," said McComb. "This covers
human slavery and sex-trafficking. Many of these generosity in the community as we've frequently our cost of living in the field (we'll be settling in
Riderz has three positions people are now deadlocked in Europe with fielded completely unsolicited offers to donate and among the migrant communities we'll be seeking
available! Looking for two nowhere to go but forward and few people to help to volunteer. It would be our unique pleasure to to help), as well as administration and ministry
them get there."
bring this civic kindness to foreign shores, to show
costs."
In order to help these refugees "get on a better
Mechanics for set up and install footing" and start their new lives, the McComb people around the world that Edson cares." speaking at local churches and connecting with
To raise these funds, the McComb family will be
When asked what challenges he expects to
of accessories and one parts family—including Colin, his wife, Gail, and their encounter while in Rome, McComb said, "We people on a personal basis, telling them about the
person. three daughters, August (11), Georgia (9), and could be encountering multiple cultures, multiple ministry and inviting them to partner. "People can
Elizabeth (4)— will be joining a group of
different fields, and multiple different
donate however much they want, however often
Please send resumes to missionaries in Europe to share the gospel and languages…and they're all colliding with the local they want. However, monthly contributions are
tracy@riderz.ca. address challenges faced by refugees in their Italian culture. What I expect to find is a lot of especially appreciated because that's what's
people very culturally disoriented. I can't help
respective communities.
ultimately needed for us to get there," McComb
"Many [refugees] were subject to a level of them with the Italian culture because I don't know said.
brutality you and I can't even imagine, both at anything about it either, but it's not like we're Currently, the McCombs are climbing towards
home and later, in transit, as they fell into the stepping into a situation where we have all the the 15% funding mark, thanks to donations from
hands of human smugglers, better classified as answers to their problems, because we don't; it's the community and fundraisers earlier this year.
It’s all about the ride kidnappers," said McComb. "Often, they lack the more like stepping into the problem and saying In September, the McComb family hopes to host
(780) 723-5775 www.riderz.ca necessities of life, let alone the job training, we'd like to help pull some weight here." a viewing of the film Jesus in Athens, which is a Event Reminder
!
McComb noted that there is currently no
language lessons, schooling, transportation and
story of the ways Christians are serving migrants
community contacts they need to start new lives. tentative date for their departure as they will need and how Muslims are encountering the love of
Their ethnic and linguistic backgrounds are to obtain 100% of their funding first. "Before God.
incredibly diverse, their cultures wildly different, COVID hit, we were thinking it would be nice to Those who wish to donate to the McComb May 9: For mental health week, join
their settings as unique and grand as their be gone by Christmas, but I'm not sure that's going family's mission trip can do so online at the Town of Edson for Darkness to
geographic disparities, and their challenges to happen now because [COVID] has certainly sim.ca/colingail-mccomb. "We would very much Light – Mental Health Awareness. Join
innumerable." slowed down our fundraising prospects," said appreciate if they would reach out to us first so we the community and place luminaries or
Enter How will they Hear, a partnership of eight McComb. "The marker isn't a timeline or a date; can buy them a cup of coffee and share this a simple candle outside your home to
different Christian ministries partnering throughout it's that we're 100% funded and ready to go." ministry opportunity with them in person," said u n i t e f o r a l i g h t a t d a w n
Europe to step into this crisis with the love of Jesus "If it weren't for COVID, I maybe would be McComb. "We're not just seeking dollars; we're
and some much-needed humanitarian aid. "Our thinking about booking that exploratory trip in seeking partners – people who will be with us in (approximately 5:10 am).
organization, SIM Canada, is one such September," McComb mentioned. "But until this spirit and in prayer, people with whom we can
organization, and it is the organization that will, in passes, we just have to sit back and wait and see." share our victories, people to go on this journey
partnership with our church, Bethel Pentecostal, McComb added that the COVID-19 pandemic with us."
launch us into Europe to help confront the has also made it difficult on refugees. "Not only The McComb family can be contacted either
enormous challenges that will frustrate these has it frozen the refugee camps and caused all through social media (MissionMcCombs) or by
impromptu communities for years—perhaps kinds of issues there, but it's also impacted the email (colin.mccomb@sim.org or
decades—to come," said McComb. gail.mccomb@sim.org).
Currently, the McComb family is looking at
being placed in Rome, Italy, where a multicultural,
multinational team works at a center for migrants
called Centro Agape. "Like many such
organizations, the center is designed around the
needs of the people it serves," said McComb. "In
this case, high on the list is the demand for English
language training."
According to McComb, these English classes
have provided a great opportunity for refugees to
start building relationships with one another.
"After all, the workers in the field are also living a
country that isn't their own, operating in a language
that isn't their first," he said.
In addition to jumping into this ESL ministry,
McComb noted that there are innumerable
opportunities available to help lend support to
refugees. "I work in Human Resources, for
example, and can help people with resumes and
interview coaching. Perhaps I can even lend a hand
connecting people with international recruiters and
resources for the next step in their journey," he
said. "Gail looks forward to continuing her work in
women's ministry, where her warm and
encouraging demeanor may help us aid women and
girls in particularly vulnerable situations, including
forced prostitution, which is unfortunately more
prevalent than people often realize."
"Our next step in this journey, God-willing, is for
me to take an exploratory trip to Rome, learn the
ministry and get a sense for where we're needed,"
McComb explained. "This is also a time when I
can lay some logistical groundwork, find some
leads on a place to live, and generally prepare for
our next step: moving the whole family over."
The McComb family plans to serve on this trip
for three years, with two and a half years in the
field and six months back home to reconnect with
their church family and financial partners before
heading back. "This isn't a partial commitment;
we're giving our lives to this," said McComb.
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR
PAGE 14 MONDAY JULY 20, 2020 MONDAY JUNE 29, 2020 PAGE 15
FEATURE:
McComb family to depart on European missions trip to help refugees
"We believe that this can truly become Edson's mission and Yellowhead County's mission": Colin
by Cassie Kushniruk "We believe that this can truly become Edson's ability of our workers to get out there and help
mission and Yellowhead County's mission," said them," he said.
"Since 2015, the world has been undergoing its McComb. "So far, most of the support we've raised The McComb family is actively seeking
greatest migration crisis since WWII," said local comes from here. Gail has always insisted on the financial partners to help them get to Europe at the
Colin McComb. "Refugees, many of whom generosity and good-will of people in this area. I earliest available opportunity. "We are still
EMPL entered Europe in these last five years, are fleeing can hardly argue; during my time with the Edson crunching the numbers, but likely will need about
EMPLOYMENTOYMENT
war, famine, political and religious persecution,
Christian Ops Center I've discovered a profound
$6000-$8000/month," said McComb. "This covers
human slavery and sex-trafficking. Many of these generosity in the community as we've frequently our cost of living in the field (we'll be settling in
Riderz has three positions people are now deadlocked in Europe with fielded completely unsolicited offers to donate and among the migrant communities we'll be seeking
available! Looking for two nowhere to go but forward and few people to help to volunteer. It would be our unique pleasure to to help), as well as administration and ministry
them get there."
bring this civic kindness to foreign shores, to show
costs."
In order to help these refugees "get on a better
Mechanics for set up and install footing" and start their new lives, the McComb people around the world that Edson cares." speaking at local churches and connecting with
To raise these funds, the McComb family will be
When asked what challenges he expects to
of accessories and one parts family—including Colin, his wife, Gail, and their encounter while in Rome, McComb said, "We people on a personal basis, telling them about the
person. three daughters, August (11), Georgia (9), and could be encountering multiple cultures, multiple ministry and inviting them to partner. "People can
Elizabeth (4)— will be joining a group of
different fields, and multiple different
donate however much they want, however often
Please send resumes to missionaries in Europe to share the gospel and languages…and they're all colliding with the local they want. However, monthly contributions are
tracy@riderz.ca. address challenges faced by refugees in their Italian culture. What I expect to find is a lot of especially appreciated because that's what's
people very culturally disoriented. I can't help
respective communities.
ultimately needed for us to get there," McComb
"Many [refugees] were subject to a level of them with the Italian culture because I don't know said.
brutality you and I can't even imagine, both at anything about it either, but it's not like we're Currently, the McCombs are climbing towards
home and later, in transit, as they fell into the stepping into a situation where we have all the the 15% funding mark, thanks to donations from
hands of human smugglers, better classified as answers to their problems, because we don't; it's the community and fundraisers earlier this year.
It’s all about the ride kidnappers," said McComb. "Often, they lack the more like stepping into the problem and saying In September, the McComb family hopes to host
(780) 723-5775 www.riderz.ca necessities of life, let alone the job training, we'd like to help pull some weight here." a viewing of the film Jesus in Athens, which is a Event Reminder
!
McComb noted that there is currently no
language lessons, schooling, transportation and
story of the ways Christians are serving migrants
community contacts they need to start new lives. tentative date for their departure as they will need and how Muslims are encountering the love of
Their ethnic and linguistic backgrounds are to obtain 100% of their funding first. "Before God.
incredibly diverse, their cultures wildly different, COVID hit, we were thinking it would be nice to Those who wish to donate to the McComb May 9: For mental health week, join
their settings as unique and grand as their be gone by Christmas, but I'm not sure that's going family's mission trip can do so online at the Town of Edson for Darkness to
geographic disparities, and their challenges to happen now because [COVID] has certainly sim.ca/colingail-mccomb. "We would very much Light – Mental Health Awareness. Join
innumerable." slowed down our fundraising prospects," said appreciate if they would reach out to us first so we the community and place luminaries or
Enter How will they Hear, a partnership of eight McComb. "The marker isn't a timeline or a date; can buy them a cup of coffee and share this a simple candle outside your home to
different Christian ministries partnering throughout it's that we're 100% funded and ready to go." ministry opportunity with them in person," said u n i t e f o r a l i g h t a t d a w n
Europe to step into this crisis with the love of Jesus "If it weren't for COVID, I maybe would be McComb. "We're not just seeking dollars; we're
and some much-needed humanitarian aid. "Our thinking about booking that exploratory trip in seeking partners – people who will be with us in (approximately 5:10 am).
organization, SIM Canada, is one such September," McComb mentioned. "But until this spirit and in prayer, people with whom we can
organization, and it is the organization that will, in passes, we just have to sit back and wait and see." share our victories, people to go on this journey
partnership with our church, Bethel Pentecostal, McComb added that the COVID-19 pandemic with us."
launch us into Europe to help confront the has also made it difficult on refugees. "Not only The McComb family can be contacted either
enormous challenges that will frustrate these has it frozen the refugee camps and caused all through social media (MissionMcCombs) or by
impromptu communities for years—perhaps kinds of issues there, but it's also impacted the email (colin.mccomb@sim.org or
decades—to come," said McComb. gail.mccomb@sim.org).
Currently, the McComb family is looking at
being placed in Rome, Italy, where a multicultural,
multinational team works at a center for migrants
called Centro Agape. "Like many such
organizations, the center is designed around the
needs of the people it serves," said McComb. "In
this case, high on the list is the demand for English
language training."
According to McComb, these English classes
have provided a great opportunity for refugees to
start building relationships with one another.
"After all, the workers in the field are also living a
country that isn't their own, operating in a language
that isn't their first," he said.
In addition to jumping into this ESL ministry,
McComb noted that there are innumerable
opportunities available to help lend support to
refugees. "I work in Human Resources, for
example, and can help people with resumes and
interview coaching. Perhaps I can even lend a hand
connecting people with international recruiters and
resources for the next step in their journey," he
said. "Gail looks forward to continuing her work in
women's ministry, where her warm and
encouraging demeanor may help us aid women and
girls in particularly vulnerable situations, including
forced prostitution, which is unfortunately more
prevalent than people often realize."
"Our next step in this journey, God-willing, is for
me to take an exploratory trip to Rome, learn the
ministry and get a sense for where we're needed,"
McComb explained. "This is also a time when I
can lay some logistical groundwork, find some
leads on a place to live, and generally prepare for
our next step: moving the whole family over."
The McComb family plans to serve on this trip
for three years, with two and a half years in the
field and six months back home to reconnect with
their church family and financial partners before
heading back. "This isn't a partial commitment;
we're giving our lives to this," said McComb.
