Karen Barnaby: At Home
Karen is a born and bred Torontonian. Like most war babies, Karen’s mom was a stay-at-home mom. Her dad was a pharmacist. Karen was the youngest of two children. She and her family lived with two aunts and her grandfather close to the shores of Lake Ontario in a village called Long Branch, Toronto’s west end TTC streetcar’s final destination.
After graduation from Ewart College, Karen married John Barnaby and settled down in Mississauga. They raised 4 sons and over the years shared their home with four British Bulldogs.
Karen will admit to being a really good cook, a not-so-good housekeeper, and a lame gardener, but her home and her church are her most comfortable places and sources of strength for her life’s journey.
Life with the World Day of Prayer:
Karen’s earliest memories of WDP were those of change to a once-a-year lunchtime routine. On this one day after a hurried lunch, it seemed moms, hers included, would walk with their kids back to school and then on to the church for the WDP service.
This ritual of mom going to a service in March planted a seed in Karen’s soul that began to blossom when her youngest child became an all-day student. Karen began attending her WDP service. Her home church was one of 4 churches that alternated hosting the annual service. Karen became a faithful attendee. When called upon, Karen took over the Presbyterian church representative position with the Lakeshore/Port Credit group for the next 20 years.
For years as editor of the local church newsletter, Karen would write a WICC column keeping the congregation informed of WICC’s work both in Canada and Internationally. She emphasized the grant distribution within Canada. Times changed, and Karen moved on to a new congregation and here Karen would become the Glendale WDP rep.
Attending World Day of Prayer on the Road:
As her boys became more independent, Karen the widow, began to travel. If not hosting the WDP prayer service, Karen would often choose early March for a vacation. Part of her planning process was to find the church on her route that was hosting the WDP service. One of her first insights into WDP was seeing that the service could be at any time during the day. It was not just an afternoon service. On one trip she attended WDP services 3 times. The first one began with breakfast followed by the service, then it was on to an early afternoon service and ending the day with a dinner and evening service. Same service, 2 different states and three different hymns and presentations.
On a trip to Alaska, Karen arrived at the designated starting post – a parking lot. The taxi approached the cluster of cars and 5 dog sleds. Being a dog lover and in Alaska to see the start of the Iditarod race, the dog sled ride to and from the host church was the highlight of the day. and a WDP memory that will last forever.
Karen, WICC Board Member:
Karen sees herself as God’s WICC encourager. If you’re on Karen’s mailing list you’ll often find cards of encouragement, jokes, Bible verses, etc. popping up in your e-mail just as a reminder that God loves you and appreciates the work you do for Him. Karen is looking forward to her first year on the WICC Board by serving as a member of the World Day of Prayer and Fellowship of the Least Coin teams, and working hand in hand with God and the other board members to navigate the WICC path God has asked her to walk.
