This week in good news (Feb. 7-13)

News of reopenings, lifelong love, and people spreading positivity invaded our timelines this week.

Manitoba churches grateful for reopening possibility

Churches in Manitoba are looking forward to the possibility of reopening their doors for in-person services, even at a very low capacity.

The Lead Pastor for Steinbach Evangelical Mennonite Church is calling it welcome news.

Garry Koop is referring to the province's announcement on Thursday that it is considering allowing churches to reopen at 10 per cent capacity, or 50 people, whichever is lower.

Faith-based organization responsible for 23,000 Bibles sent across North Korean border in 2020

23,000 Bibles made their way across the North Korea border last year.

Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) Korea says these were the Bibles they sent, according to Mission News Network.

Eric Foley, CEO and co-founder of the organization, says they hope to increase that amount by 30 per cent in 2021, as the Lord allows.

Tom Brady 'blessed' to be part of Super Bowl-winning team

Tampa Bay Buccaneers players are sharing how they feel about playing in the Super Bowl and their big win.

In a conversation with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians, Tom Brady shared how he feels about winning the Super Bowl.

Indigenous health leader finding positives during health crisis

People north of the 53rd parallel know they have a health advocate in their corner.

The Northern Health Region's Chief Indigenous Health Officer is hoping to continue the relationships built and nurtured during the pandemic well after it is over. Charlene Lafreniere has found that there are challenges when it comes to Indigenous health care and is using her role to address them.

Meet Jet: The talking, laughing, painting crow

Imagine you are walking past a tree and notice a crow perched peacefully on a low-hanging branch. You and the bird lock eyes. Then, the creature cocks its head to the side ever so slightly. “Hello,” it says. “Who’s out there?”

That is what Alex Cupeiro experiences nearly every day she volunteers at Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Ile des Chenes. Jet is a bird who lives at the centre and passes the time by playing, sorting colours, and learning English.

Local author encourages people to create lasting future change

An author from Winnipeg is embracing change himself, the theme of his book, by releasing a book during a global pandemic.

Dr. Dele Ola is the Director of the Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing at Red River College in Winnipeg.

This book is his first published work, Be a Change Agent: Leadership in a Time of Exponential Change.

Winnipeggers spending cold nights warming hearts of people on street

Temperatures may be dipping but one group of volunteers are making sure people are not left out in the cold.

Encounter Life Ministries's pastor, Marty McLean, says two of their church members, David and Belinda Harper, have been spending their nights giving warm clothing, hot meals, and other much-needed supports.

"They came to us one evening and were mentions they would like to do more. I encouraged them and said 'hey David you have to let people know." McLean says.

PRAISE: Mountains moved as toddler 'allergic to food' starting to feed

After spending 48 days straight in the Children's Hospital, the Thiessen's are taking a moment to rejoice as their daughter is finally showing signs of getting better.

"This weekend just felt like, suddenly there was hope for us going home at some point, and finally seeing some sort of improvement," says Cari Thiessen, Hallie's mom.

Christians navigate ministry in Myanmar after coup

Following last week’s coup by the military, thousands of people in Myanmar have taken to the streets in massive protests and a nation-wide strike. Citizens, ranging from celebrity athletes to Buddhist monks, have demanded a return to democracy. The demonstrations have been relatively peaceful, with only a few injuries so far.

Military officials in Myanmar tried to justify the coup, claiming fraud in the November elections. However, an election committee looked into the matter and found no systemic voter fraud or errors. The military party suffered badly in the elections.

Josh Wilson releases new single, message of God being 'Undeniable'

Christian artist Josh Wilson is releasing a new single based on a Scripture in the book of Romans.

"'Undeniable' is decades in the making. I’m a pastor’s kid, I was raised in the church, and I believed in Jesus from an early age. Despite being a Christian for most of my life, there have been many days I’ve struggled with doubt and fear, wondering where God is in certain situations and whether or not He really has a plan," says Wilson on his Facebook page, announcing his new single.

Province 'moving forward' with province-wide reopenings

There will be some changes to the proposed public health orders, set to take effect Friday morning.

Starting late this week, several changes to the Public Health Orders were announced.

Museums, filmmaking, other cultural activities, set to resume

Some cultural facilities will be permitted to reopen this week, on a limited basis.

Museums, art galleries and libraries will be allowed to reopen on Friday. The facilities will follow a 25 per cent capacity maximum.

Physical distancing measures must be in place. Each patron group must provide contact tracing information.

Two-time Grammy-nominated artist announces audition for American Idol

Jamie Grace is hoping a golden ticket will shoot her further into singer/songwriter stardom.

American Idol has just started taking auditions to find the next singing sensation for their 19th season. It's the same show that saw artists like Danny Gokey audition before he made it in the CCM world.

"I auditioned for American Idol," posts Christian singer Jamie Grace on Facebook, February 2, 2021.

Caring for the sick an 'essential mission of the Church': Pope Francis

In his first address at St. Peter's Square since COVID restrictions have begun to slowly ease in the Vatican and Italy, the Pope calls on the Church to participate in the healing work of Jesus.

The Pope reflected on the Gospel of Mark this past Sunday, which recounts the story of Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law in 1:29-31, the Vatican News reports.

The story tells of Jesus going to Peter's house where the mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. Jesus touches her and she is immediately healed, gets up and begins to wait on Jesus. Her service of others and not thinking of herself, the Pope says, “is significant, it is a sign of true 'health.'"

PRAY: Family grateful for support as 6-year-old undergoes brain surgery

A Manitoba family is asking for continued prayers as their daughter recovers from brain surgery, and as they await the results of a biopsy of the tumour that was removed.

Doctors discovered the tumour, which was the size of a lemon, on February 1 after Elizabeth Wilson had been struggling with bouts of nausea and dizzy spells. She was immediately admitted into hospital, and underwent surgery on Tuesday, February 9.

Amy Grant performs for first time since open heart surgery

Six-time Grammy-award winner, Amy Grant gets nostalgic as she performs a song from 30 years ago on Good Morning America.

Grant performed 'Every Heartbeat' on the morning talk show on February 10, a song that comes from her album Heart in Motion.

The album is celebrating 30 years this year and also has the well-known tune by Grant, 'Baby, Baby'.

Literacy and physical activity come together in story walk

A Winnipeg park is offering fitness and family fun with an entire storybook staked alongside its path.

Katherine Pulak is the Wiggle Giggle Munch Facilitator at Wolseley Family Place. Pulak also works for Communities 4 Families, and they partnered together to create this fun in the park.

"It's a book that's been dismantled and put onto stakes so that people walking through the park can participate in the story in a very physical way," says Pulak.

Cuff 'em! Canadian Pastor hits Guinness World Records

After collecting thousands of cuff links over seven years, a pastor from Ontario is thrilled to receive his world record certificate.

Carl Moulton is the Pastor of Faith Wesleyan Church in Orangeville, Ont.

On the morning of February 10, Moulton received his official Guinness World Record certificate, indicating that his 1,925 pairs of cufflinks means he has the most pairs of cuff links in the world.

Health expert says share the love - but at a distance

Showing appreciation for loved ones is looking different this Valentine's Day.

Manitoba's Deputy Chief Public Health Officer is anticipating the common practice of handing out Valentine's Day cards at schools to continue this year and is offering advice on how to do it safely.

"One suggestion is that students provide their cards to the teacher and the teacher does the distribution so lots of people are not handling cards at once," Dr. Jazz Atwal says.

Who was St. Valentine? A history professor tells us the fascinating tale

Valentine’s Day is almost here, a time when couples use gifts and acts of kindness to show their love for one another. But, who was Valentine and why do we celebrate the day in the way that we do. Wait, was Valentine even a real person?!

Dr. Patricia Janzen Loewen, assistant professor of history at Providence University College is helping us to understand the origins of Valentine's Day and why we celebrate it.

Dr. Janzen Loewen says there are a lot of legends on St. Valentine, but it's hard to find any factual evidence. She says all of the legends seem to end with Saint Valentine being sentenced to death by an emperor for helping people out.

French nun beats COVID, turning 117

A woman who survived two world wars, the Spanish flu, and the latest pandemic is celebrating her birthday by attending mass.

Sister André, also known as Lucile Randon, is celebrating her birthday at her Sainte-Catherine Labouré nursing home in Toulon, France.

“I understood that Sister André was a bit like an Olympic flame on a ’round the world tour that people want to grab hold of because we all need a bit of hope at the moment,” David Tavella, spokesman for the Sainte Catherine Labouré retirement home tells the Associated Press.

Province angling for people to 'try their luck' this weekend

The province is looking to help people get "hooked" on fishing by letting people fish without a licence at its parks this weekend.

Along with free entry to provincial parks for the month of February, those angling for fish will not need a licence from February 13 to 15.

Local worship artist celebrating Black History Month

Winnipeg worship singer, Carine Bado, opens up about the importance of Black History Month.

"Black History Month is a time, first of all, of celebration for the Black community in North America. For the successes and milestones made," says Bado.

She was born on the Ivory Coast but has lived in Canada for over ten years. For the first couple of years in a new country, she attended a french-language church - her native language. Then she started attending Springs Church where she sang in the choir and then the vocal team.

'Now is the best time': Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival returns online

Winnipeg's most popular film festival is returning for 2021 adapting to the pandemic in hopes of encouraging viewers.

"It's been a very challenging year, and in some cases, it's been a very sad year, as well," the Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival's creator and director, Paul Boge, says in an online video.

In 2020, the festival's 10th year, the festival saw what Boge called "staggering" attendance numbers. The festival set a record with 5,875 attendees coming through the doors to take in a number of movies.

'We are rejoicing that God has worked through your prayers': Timothy Keller gives positive news in cancer update

Pastor, author, and theologian Timothy Keller says that while he still has cancer, recent scans have shown "a significant decrease in size and number of tumours."

Keller first announced he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2020, saying at the time he wasn't sick and was without symptoms. "It was what doctors call an 'incidental pickup,' otherwise known as providential intervention," Keller said in his announcement.

The Color releases first single off upcoming album

A Manitoba band brings 'colorful' tones with their new single spreading the simple message that you are loved.

"We're releasing our first single off this album. It's called 'After My Heart' and it's a little bit different than the stuff we released in the past," says Jordan Janzen, lead singer of The Color.

The video premiere happens on February 12 in Canada at 8:00 pm CST on YouTube. The video was recorded during the band's time of quarantine.

Family healing after horrific skiing accident, sharing hope

A year after a youth trip went wrong, the family of a teen girl seriously injured while skiing says they are thankful for the support they have received along the way.

Fourteen-year-old Callie Wiebe and her church's youth group went skiing on January 31, 2020. What Callie and her sister thought would be a fun day turned into something out of every parent's horror movie. Callie had hit a tree, severely injuring herself.

WATCH: The Color releases music video for new single

After an exciting premiere Friday night, a Manitoba band has visually shared a brand-new single from their upcoming album.

'After My Heart' is a song Jordan Janzen says is a little different than some of their previous releases.

The Color's lead singer says their latest video for the song was recorded while the band was in quarantine.