House Blessing!

BIG BIG THANK YOUs TO everyone who helped us with our two moves!!!!


All the hardworking helping hands, the material support and kind wishes are just overwhelming to our family.

We are so glad to be a part of the wonderful thing that is the Saint Herman's community.


We invite all members and friends of the parish to join us next Sunday to bless our house
and celebrate with us at a Saint Nicholas Day dinner.



Sunday December 6th

4 pm

9626-148th St. unit 313

guest parking underground or on 148th Street.

A change in the moving schedule

Thanks everyone who has offered to help out the Farleys and Gascoignes with our double move this coming weekend!

In case anyone didn't get the news of the change via Facebook or e-mail--


A change for the better is that we get possession of our new condo on Thursday. So this means we can move our stuff out to make room for the Gascoignes to move their stuff in.

We still begin the procedure on FRIDAY at 5 PM, but instead of beginning at the church trailer we begin at our house, 9642-139 Street. The rest will follow on as it goes!

Time-Sensitive local items for St. Hermanites

Attention, Saint Hermanites --

Just re-posting three time-sensitive local items that have unfortunately been bumped down:


First, Fr. Lawrence is speaking tonight at the UBC Holy Cross Chaplaincy. 7 PM at St. Mark's Chapel UBC

The chaplaincy folk would love to have our support tonight and on the other scheduled occasions when local clergy will be speaking there. You can get the full schedule and information from Fr. Justin's post and the Holy Cross site.

Second, a reminder that there is a Festal Liturgy early at 9 AM this Sat. Nov. 21 for the Entrance of the Theotokos to the Temple.


Third, as our plea for moving help was only up briefly and everyone may not have seen it, the Gascoignes and Farleys will both be moving not this weekend but the next, Friday Nov. 27- Saturday Nov. 28. With a double move, any help you can give us at any point of this process would be very much appreciated. Details in the moving post here.

Thank you!

Egeria Orthodox Home Exchange is live!

Hello friends!

It's been a long time since I posted here. Life has been very full for the last two years, to say the least! Your community has been in our thoughts and prayers, and we enjoy getting visitors from the Mainland on the rare occasions when y'all are able to cross the waters! Anyone for Habit? Mole? Pagliacci's?

One of the projects I have been working on has finally come to a sort of fruition today - Egeria Orthodox Home and Hospitality Exchange is live and ready for visitors and membership registration!

For those who may not have heard yet, Egeria is a member-based service website matching Orthodox Christians and their friends for home and hospitality exchange worldwide. It is also a place to find Orthodox B&Bs around the world, or even to create your own B&B listing! So you can sit at home and make money off your Spare Oom. Yup.

On the site there is an extensive FAQ page to answer questions, plus lots of other travel tips and ideas. For a limited time only, we are offering one-year memberships for one penny! Sign up now; we will go to our regular prices soon!

To view the site itself, please visit EGERIAexchange.com

Thanks for reading. Happy travels!

Matushka Jenny Hainsworth
Egeria Orthodox Home Exchange, proprietor

Double Move-- we need help!

Dear Sprucies,

most of you will have heard about our upcoming move Friday November 27th-Sat. November 28th.


Because we are moving not one but TWO households in the 23 hour period Friday 5 pm to Sat. 4 pm, (yes, we are now wondering if we are all crazy!) we really need some extra hands!

The van will load at the Gascoigne caravan by the church late Friday afternoon, and unload in the Farleys' current garage and kitchen as soon as can be managed.

Reloading of the van with Farleys' household effects will begin Friday evening if at all possible, continue early Saturday morning, and be complete (God willing!) by noon, when we get the key to our new condo just a mile from what will then become our former residence and the new Gascoigne residence. We need to complete all the unloading and exchange the washer/dryer sets with the Gascoignes by 3pm Saturday so Greg can return the rental truck. WHEW!

I am especially concerned that we get a bit of muscle on Saturday to keep Fr. Lawrence from doing something to injure himself moving furniture. I hear he will be blessing the people doing this hard labour to have some meatless pizza and beer when the day is over....but if anyone participating prefers to keep the fast more strictly, we will order some sushi as well.

There -will- be vespers on Saturday the 28th, thanks to Fr. John Bingham's kindly serving. Choir might be a little thin, though, so if you attend, please be understanding! :-)

If you can help at any phase of this operation, please do call Fr. Lawrence on the church phone, or e-mail matdonna at shaw dot ca Any kind of help at all will be much appreciated by our two families!

Festal Liturgy Saturday Nov. 21st 9AM

Nativity of the Theotokos



note the early 9AM hour.

fish permitted at brunch afterward.


This is one of our rare chances for a Saturday Festal Liturgy.


Great way to start the day before you go out to (shudder!) start the Christmas shopping! :-)

Missionary Speaker James Hargrave to Speak next Sunday November 15th

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is sending out missionary speakers to raise awareness, and one of these is Mr. James Hargrave, missionary to Tanzania.

He will be at St. Herman's next Sunday, November 15th, and will be talking to us about Orthodox Mission at lunch hour after liturgy.*

But if you can't be there, Mr. Hargrave will also be speaking at the Holy Cross Chaplaincy at UBC Fri. Nov. 13, 7 pm. Details at the Chaplaincy website.

And there is one other chance to hear him-- after Vespers Sat. Nov. 14th at St. John's in Vancouver.


* don't forget, next Sunday is the first day of Advent. Fish is allowed, but please no meat, eggs or cheese at the post-liturgy lunch at church.

Annual Advent Quiet Day for women of St. Herman's and friends

Date:	Saturday, 12 December 2009
Time:	11:00 - 17:00
Location:	Theresia L's house on the mountain

Beginning with an akathist, then a day of sitting about the fire, chatting, knitting, taking a walk outside.

An oasis of relaxation and feminine fellowship in the middle of the pre-Christmas rush.

Leave the kids with dad to catch up on their Christmas shopping!

The day will linger till time to leave for vespers or thereabouts.

Bring some Advent-friendly food to share (fish is allowed).

Write on the wall of the Facebook Event or comment on Spruce Island if you want to car pool with others in your area.

Ladies & friends of the parish

Calling all lovely ladies to

Amy L's house on

Friday, November 6th at 7:00pm.

Leave the kids at home with the men and come out to a (much needed, I'm sure) fun night out!!! No real agenda, just a group of awesome... ladies having fun and getting out of the house.

I live in Chilliwack and can email you directions if you need them. Please bring an appy or dish to share. I'll have some goodies out and a pretty good share of drinks (alcoholic and non alike), coffee, tea, etc.

PLEASE try to come out - it has been waaaaaaay too long since us ladies had our "breakfast" night out! :)

- Amy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Addendum from Mat. Donna: Macrina & I are both hoping to car pool from Langley. Deanna C from St. John's plans to join us, and she has a mini-van with room for several more passengers. If you are looking to car pool, please add a comment!