The Best Victoria Day Church Picnic Ever!

Dear COAH,

Thank you for coming out to the church-wide picnic last Monday. What a picnic we had! More than twice as many members came than before the pandemic. The weather was so pleasant that I wondered if it was the best Victoria Day we have ever experienced. Most of all, I was thankful that no one was injured. We prepared food for 1,200 people, but unfortunately, some did not get to eat properly because the food ran out. On the bright side, I was glad to see one hundred COAH members, forty-five Vietnamese members, and fifteen Myanmar members come. I want to express my sincere gratitude to all those who worked tirelessly in the planning, preparation, and execution of the picnic.

One concern was that the Fellowship Committee (KM) exceeded the budget by about ten thousand dollars. The deacon in charge explained that the overspending was due to outsourcing the food, doubling the number of attendees than anticipated, and purchasing more gift items. The idea of outsourcing the food was to give the folks a break who typically work very hard to prepare food when it is supposed to be a picnic for them. The idea was fantastic except for the rise in the budget. It shows how much some people sacrifice their time and energy to prepare food for church members at other events. We should not take these things for granted. For example, more than two thousand dishes were served at the last Easter Sunday lunch for a modest expense because many people (kwonsanims) came to church every day during Passion Week to prepare.  

Thank you, everyone, for making the day so memorable! Thank the Fellowship Committee for organizing a wonderful picnic and being thoughtful to those who usually prepare food. Let us also be grateful to those who always prepare food by sacrificing their time and energy so that others can enjoy it. And for those who did not get to eat at all or only a little, I apologize on the Committee's behalf.  

May the Lord bless you all!

Pastor Minho Song