A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the 50th anniversary of Valleyview Mennonite Church here in London. What was special about the celebration, aside from the fact that it was celebrating 50 years of service, was that Valleyview was started by the same group of people, by the same church, that started Mission Services of London. In reflecting on our common roots, I made the following comments:
We need to be grateful for those who have gone before us.
We need to learn from the past. We look back with gratitude, finding inspiration in order to become involved in our community and to be a community for those who come through our doors.
We need to look to the future and realize that we do not operate alone.
As much as Mission Services of London and Valleyview come from a similar background, we recognize that many people were involved in our creation and many people are involved in the work we do today.
Mission Services of London has provided services to Londoners for 61 years, but we have never done it alone, and we do not act alone today. All of us, including you the reader, contribute in caring for those less fortunate than ourselves. It is because of this caring that all of us make London a better place to live.