Kevin & AmandaEve Wigglesworth
Kevin and AmandaEve Wigglesworth met during the summer of 2001 at the Canada Institute of Linguistics, Langley B.C., Canada. They were married October 10th, 2004 in Calgary AB, Canada.

Where are we now?

We are currently living in Winnipeg and (very) active members of the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring Orthodox Mission. See our Summer 2007 newsletter for details about why we moved.

What are we waiting for?

• Discerning which organization we should be part of;
• The application process;
• Ensuring that there is a legal, charitable presence of that organization within Canada;
• Getting an assignment;
• Starting language and culture study.

Please continue to pray with us and we continue on the journey!

Work

AmandaEve started working in October 2007 at Hull's (Christian) Bookstore and teaching dancing (ballet, tap, jazz, and creative movement) to youngsters.

Kevin started at Genuwine Cellars in Feb 2008, designing custom wine cellars.

School

AmandaEve has completed her MA in Applied Linguistics with High Distinction! Her official convocation is in May 2008. (Unfortunately we won't be travelling to Australia for her to walk across the stage.)

Kevin is taking courses for the M.Div. program at St. Arseny Institute through the University of Winnipeg's Faculty of Theology.

Kevin briefly shares his journey to Orthodoxy

I was born into a Protestant Christian family; my dad was a minister in the United Church of Canada. Growing up in small-town Sparwood, B.C., I spent a couple years each with a Lutheran and then a Pentecostal youth group. After high school, I moved to Calgary, Alberta to attend the one-year Baptist Leadership Training School, which was followed by four years at First Baptist Church. In early 1994 I started attending Bow Valley Christian Church and when Xalt started as an off-branch of BVCC in late 1997 I joined with them. I remained with Xalt until I left Calgary in May 2002 to work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea.

I was first introduced to Eastern Orthodoxy one Sunday in July 2001 during the two-month summer training session at CanIL, where I first met AmandaEve. Upon our return there in September 2002 to study Linguistics for a year, we started attending St. Herman's Orthodox Church full time. I started studying and learning about Eastern Orthodox church history and theology. The incredible depth of Christian history within Eastern Orthodoxy compelled me to keep learning, so much so that I became a catechumen before leaving Langley in Aug. 2003. Returning to Calgary in September 2003 we began attending St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox Church, where I became Orthodox at Pascha in April 2004.

As I struggled through the theological difference between my Protestant background and Eastern Orthodoxy, I found the two articles listed here very helpful. I still feel God has called me to serve Him as a missionary full time. For a time that meant working with Wycliffe Bible Translators, where I discovered that I am better suited to supporting the work of translation with my computer and technical skills.

'It seems the major hurdle we currently face is a Canadian Orthodox Charitable organization,. Please pray that God would bring this about. In the meantime, I am thankful to be able to use skills God's given me both for employment and in service to the Church. Since becoming Orthodox, I have not ceased to want to learn more about this Church that does NOT have a 1000 year gap in its history. Although there have been (and are) many human interferences, God has maintained this precious jewel for two millinnia.

Please pray with us for God’s continued guidance as we strive to serve Him in whatever situation He places us in.

AmandaEve speaks briefly about her ministry experience, call to translation, and journey to Orthodoxy.

I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba in a Catholic family. In high school I was involved in Inter-School Christian Fellowship (a branch of InterVarsity) and the Winnipeg Council of Christian Students. I was also part of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) as a summer missionary in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the island of Mauritius. I taught a Good News
Club in Alberta while in college and interned in the Manitoba office.

After spending the summer in Mauritius with CEF, I moved to Calgary, Alberta to attend Rocky Mountain College. In 2002, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Religion in Biblical Scholarship.

In 2001, I attended the summer session at the Canada Institute of Linguistics, in Langley B.C. It was there that I discovered a passion for linguistics and the power of translation and literacy so that people can have the Bible in their own languages. It was also there that I met Kevin, who was also taking the summer courses.

I returned to CanIL to pursue graduate studies in linguistics and have recently completed an MA in Applied Linguistics through Charles Darwin University, Darwin Australia.

I discovered Eastern Orthodoxy through two of my college professors. After two years of studying about the church, I attended my first services while in Langley in 2001. Upon returning to Calgary I became involved in St Peter the Aleut Parish. I became a catechumen here, but was chrismated and received into membership while in Langley pursuing graduated studies. I became a member of the Orthodox church because finding the church was like coming home. It made sense intellectually and emotionally. It was in line with what I had been taught as a child but with even more depth. And then I was faced with the decision: based on what I knew, would I accept the Church’s authority. I knew the bigger question was if I didn’t become Orthodox, where would I go?

Since becoming Orthodox, I have been involved in two parishes as a choir director and youth leader as well as writing articles about the ministry of OCMC for our monthly church newsletter.