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By Michelle Lucas, Diocesan Financial Administrator

For the past three years Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Yellowknife has been letting our financial blessings overflow by supporting seminary student Lizzie Kankhokwe from Lilongwe, Malawi. Lizzie is a future minister attending Kapsowar School of Theology in Kapsowar, Kenya. Just imagine, a small but faithful parish in the Arctic supporting future ministers in Africa! Happily, after 3 years of hard work Lizzie and 21 other seminary students graduated on November 13, 2022. To celebrate Lizzie’s graduation, a team from Holy Trinity was invited to attend the Ceremony. With generous donations from Holy Trinity, the Rev Bryan Haigh, Delilah Doak and Michelle and David Lucas were on their way to Kenya.

After flying for 23 hours on 4 airplanes followed by a two-hour car ride we arrived in the small village of Kapsowar on November 8th. We met other Canadians who were working at the training hospital next to the school. Each morning we attended a service in the classroom where the students took turns leading the service. Delilah Doak, who is a lay leader at Holy Trinity, was asked to give a talk to all the students about her work and training, and Michelle Lucas (who is the Treasurer at Holy Trinity and the Financial Administrator for the diocese) was asked to speak about the importance of Church Finances.

We were given a tour of the Theology School where we saw the library, student’s living quarters, recreation room and kitchen. The school is trying to raise funds to include the kitchen into the school building. At the moment the kitchen is in a metal shack beside the building with a table, wood -burning fireplace and a bucket under an outdoor tap for a kitchen sink. Although the kitchen is not very well equipped, we were served many wonderful meals during our stay.

We also had the opportunity to visit both a Christian and a Public elementary school at which Rev Bryan presented a new soccer ball to each of the schools. The excitement of the children was overwhelming!

Rev. Bryan was invited to be the keynote speaker giving the graduation address to the students going into full time Christian ministry. Hundreds of people attended the outdoor Graduation. The ceremony lasted 5 hours, and many stood the whole time because there weren’t enough chairs for everyone.

The day after the ceremony we headed back to Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, joined by Lizzie as she started her way back home to Malawi. When asked what she was going to do next, she said she would take a couple of days off and then start working in Women and Children’s ministry right away.

The kindness and beauty of the people of Kapsowar and The School of Theology touch our hearts. It is easy for us to understand now why so many people want to support this wonderful school and ministry. There are so many incredible opportunites for blessings across our diocese and even around the world! As the Bible says: the one who is generous will himself be blessed!

Interested in an Arctic Mission Trip? Contact the Synod Office!