Pressed Down & Shaken Together MANS 2020 Appeal for Student Aid Yields Surprises

BY LYNN McDOWELL

There’s no question that these are unprecedented times for all of us. A year ago when COVID sent many of us home to work remotely, I thought I’d be back at my desk by September. Instead, news casts feature reports of a bad economy and new COVID variants.

Perhaps I can be forgiven, then, for my surprise at the response of Alberta Adventists to the call to help MANS keep all its students and continue accepting new ones as they flock in unprecedented numbers to MANS after September 30. Almost $45,000 was raised by the November-December appeal, which was matched by two generous donors—two angels, in my opinion—for a total of nearly $90,000.

But that’s not the end of the story.

The Third Angel

A third donor who received the appeal letter was troubled by the lack of education funding for several students (for various government policy reasons). After the MANS appeal accounting was done, the concerned donor came forward with more questions.

We may feel pressed down and collectively shaken by our times, but God has turned the “pressing” and “shaking” we feel into something amazing: People who didn’t know Adventists before the Bridge Campaign to build a high school came forward in response to the 2020 Appeal. They helped in significant ways because of the caring spirit they see modeled by the Church at MANS.

In February, after considering:

1. all that has been accomplished at MANS; 2. constituency support; 3. the Conference’s prudent management; and 4. the Church’s acceptance of students despite the government’s position,

this third, concerned donor gave enough to cover the 2020-2021 academic year deficit that COVID and government policy had created.

What can we say to such generosity? “Thank you” is a start.

Thank you to all who looked beyond the discouraging newscasts and responded. Thank you to all who see the promise in students like Eileen Firingstoney and hear, “What you’ve done for them, you’ve done to Me.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Shortly after the MANS 2020 Appeal in which Eileen Firingstoney’s story appeared (see Dec. 2020 AAN), Eileen was featured along with two other MANS welders in the Winter 2020- 2021 issue of WELD, the official magazine of the CWB Group, the organization that certifies all of Canada’s structural welders.

By Lynn McDowell, JD, CSPG Director of Planned Giving | Philanthropy Alberta Conference (403) 342-5044, ext. 233

MANS Appeal 2020 Donors

With His blessing poured out as in Malachi 3:10 — pressed down and shaken together — we receive the gifts of many extraordinary people with humble gratitude.

Lastnames/Names

1. Anonymous Anonymous 2. Adams Gordon and Joan 3. Affum Ekua 4. Allison Stan and Janice 5. Ambrose Arlene 6. Arndt Arthur and Arlene 7. Bader Belinda 8. Bell Candace 9. Bissell Ronald and Anne 10. Boakye-Yiadom Casey and Amoa 11. Boakye-Yiadom Noah and Gifty 12. Bodnaruk Dave and Darlene 13. Boller Trevor and Tracey 14. Bourdeau Guy and Marie 15. Boyd Bruce and Loma 16. Bramble Ian and Lauren 17. Braun Dennis and Dianne 18. Brown Sharron and Glen 19. Brown Amaryllis 20. Brown Hilda 21. Brown Glen and Sharron 22. Cherepuschak Ken and Fay 23. Chernipeski Randy and Maureen 24. Chimwaso Shenda 25. Chin Desiree 26. Chipeur Dr. Gerald and Barbara 27. Chipeur Ed and Wanda 28. Cocjin Nancy 29. Cooper Des and Trudy 30. Cooper Mervin 31. Crabbe Ruth 32. Creary Everald 33. Dawkins Elroy and Alemensh 34. Diaz Violie 35. Dooks Lori 36. Down Alison 37. Dreger Kelly and Jim 38. Dubuc Marjorie 39. Duffy Thelma 40. Ellison Ralph and Sharon 41. Ferreira Jomar 42. Fink Gerry and Doreene 43. Fitch J D Victor and Gem 44. Fowler Allen and Airlie 45. Friesen Sandra 46. Ganson Mindi 47. Geates Mildred and Glenn 48. Gerow Earl 49. Gittens Dex 50. Glatt Gary and Patsy 51. Glover Mark and Corene 52. Goulet Bonnie and Gerald 53. Gover Leanne 54. Greenslade William and Daphne 55. Gustavsen Verne and Becky 56. Hayter Sparkle 57. Heintz Marlene 58. Horaska Olga 59. Howlett Michael and Kelly 60. Huff Ann 61. Hussell Gordon and Marieann 62. Hymanyk Roy and Lois 63. Kandt Randy and Marty 64. Kapiniak Greg 65. Kay Zelma 66. Kay Warren and Cheryl 67. Kim Keumhee and Jonghun 68. Kinch Sharon 69. Kitler Ively 70. Knox Judy and Ed 71. Koester Eric and Rebecca 72. Komor Helga 73. Lachance Terry and Colleen 74. Lachance Clayton 75. Lakusta Marion 76. Lakusta Diana and Lawrence 77. Latoski David and Marilyn 78. Leavitt Bernice and Keith 79. Letniak Ronald and Connie 80. Leung Henry and Karen 81. Leung John 82. LeVos Ernest and Carey 83. Lewis Delano and Dadria 84. Litke Barry and Darlene 85. Litke Reginald and Margaret 86. Luceno Lyneth and Billy 87. Macoy Felicinta 88. Mageto Nicholas Shem and Amanda 89. Markosky Wendy 90. Marshall Dwight 91. Martin Ina and Basil 92. Masson Andrew and Charlene 93. McCann Ed 94. McLeod Alexander 95. McPherson Ken and Roxanne 96. Medavarapu Sudha 97. Mejia Ruth Alicia 98. Merritt Terry and Linda 99. Mills James and Annette 100. Mullings Melanie 101. Murphy Shannon 102. Mykietyshyn Maria 103. Navarro Ronniel and Cinderella 104. Nickel Jenny 105. Orzame Melma 106. Page Mavis 107. Palinka Bob and Lisa 108. Park Jason 109. Paul Lynn and Fred 110. Peer Sherry and Ami 111. Piersanti William 112. Poni Florence 113. Ptarmigan Foundation 114. Quines Ritchie and Nanette 115. Rajah Candi and Eric 116. Ramsay James and Cheryl 117. Rebsomen Jean-Marc and Sonja 118. Reimche Alma c/o Marty 119. Richardson Carol 120. Richter Steven 121. Richter Keith and Lorraine 122. Riffin Ruth 123. Roflo Rowena 124. Rosenberger Peter and Kathryn 125. Ruiz Margarita 126. Ruiz Katelyn and Moises 127. Samuels Keith and Mishka 128. Samuels Hopston 129. Sanchez Andre 130. Sandboe Gordon and Kristine 131. Saruk Iris 132. Saruk Elvin and Grace Fedak 133. Sayler Candace 134. Schafer Dave and Shirley 135. Schafer Wayne and Pamela 136. Schafer Stephanie and Todd 137. Schafer Curt and Eli 138. Schafer Richard 139. Schmidt Brian and Gerrie 140. Schmidt Lovella 141. Schulze Edwin and Maija 142. Shoop Phyllis 143. Sibanda Sophie and Paul 144. Sibanda Margaret and Alex 145. Sibanda Belinda 146. Simanton Gordon and Linda 147. Smith Howard and Carrol 148. Smith Patricia 149. Sorokan Lorraine 150. Stanway John 151. Stearns Elvina and Melvin 152. Steinke Wentland Gladys 153. Subigca Vivien 154. Symanczyk Renee 155. Taylor Rhett and Lalitha 156. Tetz James and Shirley 157. Thomas Tamara 158. Thomas June 159. Thompson Vivian 160. Thorarinson Christina 161. Thorarinson Larus, Eugene, John, and Deborah 162. TNT Global Accounting Corp. 163. Trutwein Georgia 164. Tym Elizabeth 165. Van Abs Esther 166. Van Der Gaast Calvin and Lindsay 167. Van Rensburg Brent and Tamara 168. Van Schaik Tillie 169. Van Scheik Joyce 170. Vassilev Galina 171. Vehlow Evelyn 172. Waller Jack 173. Waller Christina 174. Watkins Paul 175. Weidell Larry and Marla 176. Welch May 177. White David 178. Whitehead Gerald and Virginia 179. Whyne-Thomas Othelia 180. Whyte Tashawna 181. Wiebe Ken and Vera 182. Wile Blake 183. Wilkins Roger and Marie 184. Willing Robert and Sandra 185. Wilson Helen Louise 186. Wilson Tracey 187. Wilton Dwayne and Rosalin - Easy Save Appliances 188. Wilton Larry and Gail 189. Windels Jerry and Jeannie 190. Wortman Frederik and Margaret 191. Zazelenchuk Sandra 192. Ziegenhagel Gary and Wauneita