Covered with tarpaulin, to provide comfortable seating and relaxation, the dusty land area at Zion Methodist Church at North Hill was the venue for a mass gathering for ‘Children’s Lord’s Day’ on Sunday, June 9.
The young people, drawn from the six churches comprising the Anguilla Methodist Circuit, were engaged in an assortment of Biblical quizzes and popular songs. They were led by the President of the Children’s Commission, Mrs. Elvarie Vanterpool and Rev. Wilmoth Hodge.
Following those sessions, Mrs. Yolande Hodge-Richardson, a Methodist Church leader and a representative of the Anguilla Progressive Association of New York (APANY), told the children and their parents about a quantity of gifts to be presented to them later.
“Today, I make a presentation of toys to you on ‘Children’s Lord’s Day,”’ she said. These toys were sent to me by APANY. They received the toys soon after Hurricane Irma but it took some time for them to come to Anguilla. You are very lucky because you have a Methodist Minister who looks out for you.
“I took the toys to the Red Cross but the folks there said they don’t distribute toys. I was at a loss what to do until I told Rev. Dr. Wycherley Gumbs that I have the toys to distribute but I don’t have anywhere to store them. He gave me permission to store them in the Church Hall and then I told him I have to arrange a day to present them to the Methodist children. It was then that he asked me: why not on ‘Children’s Lord’s Day?” So here am I today, with The Anguillian newspaper making this presentation of gifts for you to enjoy.”
Mrs. Hodge-Richardson continued: “APANY has been doing quite a lot of work in Anguilla over the years. Perhaps some of your older relatives have received scholarships from APANY to go to college – whether in the United States of America or here in Anguilla. If you know anybody who would like to get some assistance to study, whether in Anguilla or overseas, you can contact me and I will be able to get in touch with APANY.
“Not too long ago, the President of APANY [Mr. Carlson Lloyd-Connor], made a presentation of 10,000 US dollars to assist with the Bethel Church.
“Next year, July, members of APANY will be coming to Anguilla with nationals from Nevis and St. Kitts to celebrate a reunion with a different organisation called ‘ANSWER.’ This means ‘Anguilla, Nevis and St. Kitts.’ They didn’t want to say St. Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla because that has political connotations. So they turned it around, calling themselves Anguilla, Nevis and St. Kitts Association. Every two years they have a reunion. APANY is going to sponsor that event next year but wants to have it in Anguilla and not in New York. That is going to be a big thing for Anguilla when it comes off from July 10 -12, 2020.”
She added: “You are not getting your gifts right now, but later on. It is just for me to get The Anguillian newspaper to cover this presentation for the record.”
Meanwhile, Rev. Dr. Wycherley Gumbs commented: “This is ‘Children’s Lord’s Day’ and we are glad to see so many children – over 100 and more – including parents and organisers. This is an annual affair and it is really hard work, but it is promising to see the youngsters, their parents and leaders coming out.”
