The Messenger August 13, 1993

The Messenger

EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONEERENCE CONFERENCE

VOL. 31 NO. 14

aug AUG.. 13/9C 13/93

CHRISTIAN CAMPING

Panic or Pleasure? Imagine a beach by a placid lake or a clearing in a spruce forest — perfect places for quiet meditation and worship. Without warning the quiet reverie is shattered by the screech of 60 or more youngsters alighting from the justparked bus. They scatter over the landscape and explore what is to be their “home” for the next five days. Another camp session has begun! July and August are hectic months in the camping season when thousands of young­ sters spend a week or more at one of over a hundred Bible camps in our country. Some camps offer programs throughout the year. And a host of adults devote their time and energy as camp staff to make sure each camper’s stay is a memorable one. Why bother with the expense and effort of providing the means for Christian camp­ ing? You ask, “Is it all worthwhile?” A cho­ rus of voices rings back the answer, “Yes, indeed!” Removing children and young peo­ ple from their home environments for a week and surrounding them with Christian staff committed to impacting these lives for Christ, does produce results. Many young people, when preparing for baptism, have testified of the lifechanging de­ cisions made at some Bible camp. Often through camp contacts, parents and other family members are reached for Christ as well. A typical camp begins around noon on Monday and concludes Saturday morning or after lunch. Fees start at about $70, which often cover only about half of the actual cost. Donations from churches and individu­ als make up the balance. Camps are grouped by age, beginning at 8 or 9. Up to half of the campers may come from un­ churched homes.

(Continuted on page 6)

What characterizes good camping? Top to bottom; 1. Sieeping accommodations in cabins or tents (Carberry); 2. Chapei services with lively singing (Beaver Creek) and 3. An interesting speaker (Bill Penner at Longbow Lake); 4. A variety of recrea­ tion (paddle boats at Longbow Lake); 5. Bible les­ sons and outdoor activities (Carberry); 6. Skill development, such as horsemanship (Beaver Creek). And don’t forget lots of good food, a friend­ ly staff, some cash and prayer support.

CONVENTION MESSAGES - 2 of 4

The Effective Small Church

II

Creating Enthusiasm by Al Friesen

M

y message is based on Philippians 4, which I believe lays a solid foundation for creating enthusiasm in our churches. Paul seemed to be a very, very enthusiastic person. In this chapter he writes about three areas of peace: peace with others (vv. 1-3), peace with self (vv. 4-9) and peace with cir­ cumstances (vv. 10-19). I’d like to add one more: peace with God. The effective small church has many people who are at peace with God, at peace with self, at peace with others and at peace with circumstances. That doesn’t mean that everything is going according to plan. No, but it does mean that we have a certain flexibility. With this kind of peace recipe, enthusiasm comes more readily. Without it, I think it’s difficult to have enthusiasm. Some years ago H. H. Barber, pastor of Calvary Temple for more than forty years, one of the largest churches in Winnipeg, told me, “We don’t need too many more large churches in Winni­ peg, but we need a host of small ones who are willing to be count­ ed, willing to preach the total Word of God. “In our church, at best 25*% of our adults can actually do some­ thing besides keeping a bench warm and giving some money. In a small church, 350 and less, 75'% can easily be employed very use­ fully in the church program.” As you participate, enthusiasm builds up. We need to be able to contribute and be counted, and I think that is what we need to reach for, if we want enthusiasm. I asked the people in our church to give me some words of wis­ dom about creating enthusiasm in a small church. Here are a few replies: “Our emphasis to strive for a lifestyle that epitomizes Scrip­ tural teaching encourages enthusiasm, whereas do’s and don’ts stifle enthusiasm.” An older person in the church wrote: “I have been very blessed in this church by the numbers of very active, enthusiastic and open young people in our church family.” A young mother wrote: “Enthusiasm can be built quite easily in a small church, where everybody knows everyone else. Just one person on fire for God can spread enthusiasm among the whole body.” So there are all kinds of reasons to be enthusiastic for the Word, for God’s people and for Him. Hebrews 10:25 tells us that we need to keep on meeting so that we can build one another up. PEACE WITH OTHERS (1-3) All of life has to do with relationships and that’s where en­ thusiasm can be built. Some relationships take years to build and others you can build in five minutes. Maintaining peace with others involves the blessings of unity and enjoying one another. We are a joy to each other (v. 1). Paul absolutely loves his peo­ ple, and I imagine that many of them must be young Christians. Joy is rooted in our relationship with the Lord first, which is reflect­ ed in our relationship with one another. How many relationships do we hold today out of duty? Most duty-filled relationships tend, somehow, to be dead-end streets. For a relationship to grow and have meaning, it needs to be recipro­ cal. I have found out that, in building a relationship, 1 need to allow the other person to do me a favour. Not that 1 beg for it, but if I let them do something for me, our relationship will grow. Paul also mentions that we need to be in harmony (v. 2). We are known for our love for each other. Years ago the Lord nudged

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me to invite Spence, an agnostic fellow-teacher, to a men’s break­ fast at the Aberdeen church. I was reluctant because he was never ready by 8:30 when 1 stopped to give him a ride to school. How would he ever make it at 6:00 on a Saturday morning? When I finally called him, Spence said, “I’d be honoured to come.” And that was the only time he was ever ready for me. I explained what was going to happen, and told him, “After breakfast as soon as you want to go, I’m ready to go.” We were the last ones out. On the way home Spence said, “Al, now I understand why you don’t need alcohol, drugs, or big parties. I’ve never felt so much support for someone anywhere, ever.” Our love to one another is the loudest testimony God’s people can be as a family to the outside world. We need to teach and emphasize unity in all our church projects. Jesus said that Christians would be recognized by their fruit. And Paul listed the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self­ control (Galatians 5:22, 23). I always add forgiveness, because the New Testament is full of forgiveness. Those are the characteristics of the fruit that all of us are privileged to exemplify, to one another first, and then to the out­ side world together. That’s the core area of my belief system. And so, when little peripheral gray-area issues come up, we never per­ mit a core-area issue to slip, for the sake of some gray-area issue. When my dad was on his deathbed, he said, “Al, if I could re­ live my whole life I would make one dramatic change. I would not be so concerned about people’s outward appearance and those kinds of things. I would rather show love and forgiveness.” Paul also talks to us about this business of helping one another as we struggle through life (Phil. 4:3). “How are you?” “I am fine,” are communications that seem a little less deep than we some­ times want them to be. I think we need to practice getting a feel for what it means to shake someone’s hand. And I think we need to look people in the eye and find out if there is something that requires us to call a per­ son in the middle of the week, to say, “When I asked you, how are things going, you hesitated. Can 1 pray for something in your life?” If we all made one such call every week, can you imagine the kind of enthusiasm we’d create? Sometimes we need to know what a person needs to just help them along. This is especially true for new members from non­ Christian backgrounds who have a long way to catch up on the things we take for granted. PEACE WITH SELF (vv. 4-9) How do you feel when you look into the mirror after a day’s work? We tend to compare ourselves with other people, you know, especially people who are not quite as successful as we are, be­ cause it makes us look better. We camouflage ourselves so well. But one measure we need to use is Jesus. How did Jesus oper­ ate? A husband, for example, should be to his wife what Christ is to the church. Christ never forced the hand of His bride. And a husband shouldn’t either. Being a wife to such a husband would be no sweat. When Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say,

THE MESSENGER

rejoice” (v. 4), he doesn’t expect us to forget our struggles. But to face them with enthusiasm or vigour isn’t always possible either, it seems. And yet the Lord has strength for us. Paul also talks in these verses about being unselfish and con­ siderate. In I Corinthians 10:13 he says, “There hath no tempta­ tion taken you but such as is common to man.” There is someone in your church who has struggled with something similar to your struggle. Find that person and encourage one another. Years ago we were sometimes totally peeved and unforgiving of people who weren’t dressed or hair-styled the way we wanted them to be. Today, some of us may be struggling with the kind of music that our young people have. The question is, “Who is the weaker brother in the church? And who is the stronger brother?” It always makes sense to me that the older brothers and sisters are the stronger ones, and that our youth and young adults are the ones that we really need to admonish and cater to, not just reprimand. They have so much to give to the church. They supply the energy and we give the guidance. And if I sacrifice forgiveness for some of these peripheral things, I am tragically going aside from where God wants me to go. I can remember the first brotherhood meeting that I went to. I was so excited about finding out how pillars in the church make decisions. At that meeting an older pillar from the church walked out, angry and totally fed up with someone else. I was ready to throw my Christian life overboard. But my dear father noticed, and took me for a long walk that night. He said, “Don’t build on people. People will disappoint you and you will disappoint others. Build on Jesus.” Verse 6 says that we need to pray about everything. That’s a pretty all-inclusive kind of statement. We don’t pray for God’s sake, but we pray for our needs, to build ourselves up. In response to our prayer the peace of God guards our hearts and minds (v. 7). Last winter a 15-year-old fellow in our church called me aside and said, “Two of my friends that I thought were walking with the Lord are going wayward. I need someone to pray with.” He prayed and he wept, he was so serious. And those two guys came back to the Lord. How do we think about others? Verse 8 has the full-fledged recipe, with eight ingredients: “Whatsoever is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute or report, if there is any excel­ lence, if there is anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on those things.” If only such stories were floating around behind all the people’s backs in the church, can you imagine the buildup that would bring? If every rumour were positive, it would be totally overwhelming. I know what it does to me when someone hands me a little note and simply thanks me for something very specifically.

PEACE WITH CIRCUMSTANCES (vv. 10-19) Paul had learned to be content with much and with little. Materi­ ally, socially, emotionally and every way, he had learned to be content. When we moved from Aberdeen to Fort Garry sixteen years ago, I thought we couldn’t do without all those dear old friends. But the Lord replenished that need with many more friends. Later, when our children were teenagers and we were thinking of starting a work in St. Vital, a real fear went through me. What are we doing, leaving a secure place with a growing family like this? Again the Lord provided more than we could ever have wished for. He is so good. And I feel so much support from our church family, it’s unbelievable. Paul also says that we need to support our leaders, and be mis­ sion minded in doing it. In our church I see all kinds of relation­ ships going, and we need to encourage that. Our College and Career members each pick a youth and do something with them every month. I think one-on-one discipleship programs are the way to go in our churches today, to really build some depth. Paul says, “Be content with what you have” (v. 11). When we AUGUST 13, 1993

Start a church or do some work, let’s be content. When a new per­ son comes into the church, allow that newcomer to become part of your family. See that other families, individuals, single parents and their children become involved in family activities. That is part of the mandate we have for dealing with the fatherless or the motherless. God wants to use us to supply their needs. A single mother told me recently, “You know, I’ve got my tenyear-old so woven into the fabric of the church, he wouldn’t even consider anything but being vibrant in the church.” And I agree, when I look at him, that’s exactly the way it works. One day, when our son Donovan was eight years old, he knocked at the bathroom door at six o’clock on a Saturday morning, “Dad, I’d like to come with you to the men’s breakfast.” “Oh, Donovan, they will all be adults ...” “But some of them are close friends of mine.” When he named those five close friends I recognized that they were young men in the church. They would never walk by Donovan without talking or interacting with him, the only boy his age in the church. We need to weave our children, our families, into the fabric of the church. We need to take ownership for certain things, and that builds enthusiasm. For example, we need to be very, very clear that SBC is our college and that we want our young people to taste that college. I met a discouraged deacon in a country church a couple of years ago. Their church had split down the middle, just after complet­ ing a big, new building. And he didn’t know what to do. I said, “If each family would simply win one other family’s friendship in the first year, you would double your church in one year. And then if you’d take another year to disciple that family, so that they could do the same, yours would be the fastest growing church in America today.” CONCLUSION There are many ways to be involved in church work. Whether you belong to one of our larger churches or smaller churches, look around for individuals whom you can encourage. We all have a place to fill, something to contribute. Let me also put in a plug for two different methods of start­ ing churches in Canada or anywhere else. One, send a pastoral cou­ ple out, equipped with the right tools (coveralls, work gloves, hip waders, etc.). Pay these young pastors a full salary, but then al­ low them to earn that salary, because otherwise they wonder, what’ll I do here with all my time? I’ve 24 hours every day, seven days a week. A young man, sent out to collect overdue leases from farmers in the Interlake area of Manitoba, took with him a set of work clothes and tools. He then took time to help each farmer with fenc­ ing or whatever job they were doing. The farmers paid their bills and he made a lot of friends. I think we need to have that approach and simply win people. Another method I am dreaming about is to round up five house­ holds, young couples and/or individuals that have gone to Bible college or have experience in church work, and ask, “Would you be willing to move to Edmonton (or some other place) and work there for the next five or ten years? The project we have in mind is to meet every week, build each other up, and to each befriend one other household. Treat them as your closest friends and try to cause growth in God’s kingdom.” It would be amazing to see what God could do through us, if we would open up in new creative ways to Him. The foregoing article is considerably condensed from the message given by Rev. Al Friesen at the Annual Convention in July. The full text may be requestedfrom the Conference Office, or it may be ordered on cassette tape ($3.00 + postage). Those who have already received the cassette may have noticed that the last part of the message is missing. Ifyou return the tape we will replace it with one that is complete, without charge.

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VISION

YOUTH

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Living and Sharing the Good News I Thess. 1.4.5

EMC Student-led Prayer Initiative Planned

Christian youth across Canada will answer an early wake-up call on Wednesday, September 15,1993, as they encircle their flagpoles at 7:00 a.m. for See You At The Pole national day of prayer. Over two million students in North America are expected to gather simulataneously at a suitable location to get serious with God in prayer! “Youth today are keenly aware of the spiritual battles happening within their friends at school. Not only are youth praying, they are also trusting God to answer their prayers. Teens are setting the pace for generations to come!” reports Leyton Erickson, Youth Leader for the Baptist General Conference of Canada.

Experience Winnipeg through a service assignment Consider an opportunity to serve as: • Caseworker, John Howard Society • Mail Clerk, MCC Canada • Administrative Assistant, Pregnancy Distress Service • Assistant Director of Personnel Services, MCC Canada • Caseworker, Mediation Services

For more information on these or other service opportunities across North America contact:

o

Mennonite Central Committee Canada

MCC Canada Personnel Services 134 Plaza Drive Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9 Telephone: (204) 261-6381

See You At the Pole is a student-led prayer initiative in which youth gather to pray at their high school flag poles for 15 to 30 minutes about their school, community and national concerns. The idea was started in 1989 in Texas with a few students. Last year, it had grown to cover one million high school students across the United States and Canada. Students with their creativity tend to naturally spark ongoing prayer and outreach initiatives that embrace their school and community. Clayton Rowe, representing the Free Methodist Church in Cana­ da, declared, “What a witness! Students and teachers, hand in hand, gathered around their flag pole asking God to use them to powerful­ ly change their campus.” Youth can be actively involved through simply following the instruc­ tions provided in a straightforward brochure that is being distributed throughout the country by denominations and youth ministries. Ad­ ditional information is available from Don Moore at Vision 2000, phone (519) 725-2000.

COMING EVENTS September 7 and 8 Registration Steinbach Bible College Steinbach. Manitoba Phone: (204) 326-6451 September 15 "See You at the Pole" Day of national prayer by high school students across North America Phone; (519) 725-2000 September 17-18 MCC B.C. Relief Sale Clearbrook. B.C. Phone: (604) 850-6639 September 18 MCC Manitoba Relief Sale Morris, Man. Phone: (204) 261-6381

September 18 MCC Ontario Relief Sale Black Creek, Ont. Phone: (519) 745-8458 September 23 and 24 Pastors’ and Christian Leaders' Conference Vision for Ministry Steinbach, Man. Phone: (204) 326-9927 September 24 - 26 South-Eastern Manitoba Christian Education Convention Steinbach, Man. Phone: (204) 326-9927 September 30 - October 2 1993 Prophecy Conference Elim Chapel Winnipeg, Man. Phone: (204) 254-7843

CONTRIBUTORS: Al Friesen pastors the St. Vital EMC Church in Winnipeg, Man. Paul Schrag is the managing editor of Men­ nonite Weekly Reuieiv, Newton, Kansas. He attended the triennial General Council meet­ ing of Mennonite World Council in Zimbabwe, Africa, on behalf of Meetinghouse, an associ­ ation of Mennonite editors.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Camp Arnes, Western Canada’s largest Christian camp, requires an executive director commencing in Fall, 1993. The executive director is responsible for all aspects of the camp’s year-round ministry and operations.

The successful candidate will have: • A proven record of leadership, preferably in Christian camping and related areas • A strong commitment to the Christian faith and the desire to nurture this faith in others • Demonstrated personnel management and people skills to deal effectively at staff, camper and board levels • Experience in promotion and fund-raising activities for a charitable organization • Good administration skills. Please send written resume, including references, to: CAMP ARNES Attention: Reg Kliewer, Vice-chairman c/o 55 Vulcan Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2G 1B9 Telephone: (204) 988-5614 Fax: (204) 663-5267

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September 30 - October 3 Annual conference Canadian Revival Fellowship Prairie Bible Institute Three Hills, Alta. Phone: (306) 522-3685 October 2 Ministerial Meeting Morweena EMC Arborg, Man. Phone: (204) 326-6401 October 18-21 Billy Graham School of Evangelism Lake Louise, Alta. Phone: (612) 338-0500 October 28 - 30 MCC Canada and Alberta Annual Meetings Calgary, Alta. Phone: (204) 261-6381 or (403) 275-6935

Kent and Sandy Dueck (Fort Garry) are serving with Inner City Youth in Winnipeg, Man. Peter and Mary Thiessen (Morris) are in­ volved in support ministries to New Tribes missionaries in Mexico. Frank and Marge Kroeker, (Rosenort) work in Paraguary as church planters with the EMC Board of Missions. They are presently home on furlough.

MESSENGER SCHEDULE The next two Messengers will be printed at three-week intervals, on September 3 and 24. Material must be received at least four days before each printing date.

Ans’uzers to Camp Quiz ID; 2J; 3F; 41; 5A; 6L; 7H; 8G; 9K; lOE; IIB; 12C. THE MESSENGER is published every other week by The Evangelical Mennonite Conference Board of Church Ministries, Box 1268, Stein­ bach, Manitoba ROA 2A0. Second Class Mail; Registration Number 0591. Undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions should be mailed to the above address. The Messenger is a member of Meetinghouse and Canadian Church Press. Editor: Menno Hamm Phone: (204) 326-6401; Fax (204) 326-1613

THE MESSENGER

Mennonite World Conference

Meeting Shows Shift Away from Western Dominance by Paul Schrag, for Meetinghouse BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — The words “Mennonite World Conference” bring visions of big crowds at football stadiums every six years or so. But a much smaller meeting, held every three years, is just as important to MWC’s pur­ pose of building relationships between Men­ nonites worldwide. It’s called the MWC General Council. You might call it a miniature world conference for church leaders. The 120 people — including 65 official delegates from 38 countries — who met July 13-21, measured the impact of their meeting not in numbers but in the strength that grows in uniting behind a common goal: leading the Anabaptist people in greater faithfulness to Christ. The council spent a week building that uni­ ty through telling stories of joy and sorrow, discussing problems and issues that cross na­ tional boundaries, worshipping, listening to African music and even making a few de­ cisions. The gathering strengthened participants’ be­ lief that Mennonites around the world need to draw closer together, learn from one another and depend on each other. MWC executive secretary Larry Miller described the emerging vision for interdepen­ dent world fellowship. “After Winnipeg [the 1990 assembly], we realized we were entering into a new period in MWC history, because we had a sense that the world church was changing, particularly in a shift away from dominance of the West,” he said.

Summary Statement Delegates approved a statement an “Being Anabaptist Christians Today” that summa­ rized key ideas from their meeting. Among these were the following: • MWe churches should share spiritual gifts and resources as equals among equals. • Being Anabaptists means being brave enough to suffer for our faith. • Mennonites should encourage and train women in church leadership while recogniz­ ing that disagreement exists about ordaining women. • Challenges for Anabaptist identity vary in different cultures, forcing churches to con­ front complex issues of contextualizing the faith. Part of the complexity of contextualization is its relationship to the problem of syncretism, which means the mixing of Christian and non­ Christian beliefs and practices. Stephen Ndlovu, former Brethren in Christ bishop of Zimbabwe, spoke on the threat of syncretism. He said the danger was particu­ larly present in Africa but exists everywhere. “The desire to make Christianity truly AfriAUGUST 13, 1993

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y A young men’s group from Lobengula Brethren in Christ Church sings during the Mennonite World Conference General Council Meeting in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

can has not been matched by the desire not to tamper with the inspired, inerrant Word of God,” he said. “To stand for the uniqueness of Christ will not be popular. The challenge is to make Christianity culturally relevant while holding fast to its ever-abiding message.” Being Interdependent The call for interdependence was expressed most fully in a speech written by Mesach Krisetya of Indonesia. The paper was read to delegates in Krisetya’s absence after he went home early due to his mother’s death. It is time to move beyond old styles of mis­ sion work that perpetuate dependence, Krisetya said. “Churches which are the offspring of the work of missions are often left feeling inferi­ or, unable to meet the standards set by their parents,” he said. Now these formerly subor-

dinate people must be freed to work as equals in mission. Relationships in the world church will no longer be like those between the con­ queror and the defeated,” Krisetya said. “The 21st-century mission work will be on a church-to-church basis,” he said. “Mission in the 21st century will not depend on the presence of Western missionaries.” In the summary statement approved by delegates, a section on interdependence said: “Interdependence happens when people learn to give as well as receive, to receive as well as give.” Delegates also discussed ideas for MWC’s future, heard reports about MWC activities such as conversations that were held in recent years with the Baptist World Alliance and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and decided to change Mennonite World Fellow­ ship Sunday from Pentecost to the fourth Sun­ day in January.

Calcutta Chosen to Host MWC Assembly 13 BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — Mennonites around the world can mark their calendars now: January 7 to 12, 1997, Calcutta, India, Mennonite World Conference Assembly 13. The MWe General Council made it official July 15, formally accepting an invitation from Indian Mennonites. The council had tentatively pegged India as the 1997 site when it met three years ago in Winnipeg. The 65 Mennonite leaders from 38 coun­ tries who met July 13 to 21 agreed it was im­ portant to hold the next world assembly of the 900,000-member Anabaptist family in a de­ veloping country. They acknowledged risks in choosing Cal­ cutta because of doubts about how many North Americans and Europeans will want to go there. But council members agreed that if all MWe member Conferences are equals, it should not matter that a Calcutta meeting would draw considerably fewer people from the Western world than did Winnipeg in 1990, Strasbourg in 1984 and Wichita in 1978. Paulus Widjaja of Indonesia summarized the council’s prevailing opinion that the needs of Mennonites in the East and South should

come first this time. “Why do we always turn our face to the Western people?” he asked. “It is our task to persuade our own Asian and African people to go to the assembly, not just the North American and European people.” For the 80,000 Mennonites of India, host­ ing the assembly is an honour that recognizes their importance in the world fellowship. “We feel we are a small frog in the pond,” said Ravi Sankara Rao of India. “So having good fellowship with all Mennonites will be like coming out of the pond and into the ocean. We hope and pray that Assembly 13 will be a 21st-century Pentecost so that the church may prepare for the Second Coming and make disciples of all nations.” North Americans said the Calcutta assem­ bly’s non-Western focus was a big reason Westerners should attend. Going to Calcutta will be a unique opportunity to learn from the rest of the world, they said. “I think we will be impoverished if we cut ourselves off from that,” said Harry Heidebrecht, Mennonite Brethren representa­ tive from Clearbrook, B.C., during a North (continued on page 8)

PAGE 5

CHRISTIAN Camp activities include Bible instruction, sing­ ing, recreation, skill development and nature study, in addition to the usual eating, sleeping and grooming routines. Facilities are usually a little more primitive than at home, which is appealing. Friendship and social skills are fostered through group living and interaction. Adequate staffing is crucial to the success of the camp experience. Most camp boards and directors often go through agonizing times secur­ ing enough counsellors and other staff. While all staff positions (director, cooks, nurse, speakers, recreation leaders, etc.) are vital, the counsellor is most significant. James Crosby writes, “The counsellor is a most important link in the personnel chain, for he touches the cam­ per most often.” A component of camp ministry that is not em­ phasized enough is the prayer support. Though it is largely unseen, prayer is the means by which God’s power is activated to prepare the hearts of campers to receive the lifechanging Word. Most of the churches in our Conference are directly or indirectly involved with a Christian camp. The following “thumbnail sketches” are presented as a sampling of this ministry to disci­ ple the youth of our churches and communities.

Longbow Lake Bible Camp

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The Ridgewood EMC Church has been oper­ ating camps at this Baptist facility just east of Kenora, Ontario, for about 15 years. Several other groups also hold camps there in different weeks. The Ridgewood congregation has been in­ strumental in much of the development of the camp through the years. A new multipurpose building was completed this year. The camp, with its main building and cabins, is located on the shore of Longbow Lake. The small lake is ideaDy suited for canoeing and paddle­ boating. Motorboat rides and kneeboarding are also offered. The sandy beach makes for ideal swimming, although the water this summer was cool. Fifty or more campers attended each of the three weeks directed by John Reimer this yeeir. Transportation by church bus takes a little over two hours from Ridgewood. The camp is noted for its excellent meals lovingly prepared by the cooks and their helpers. The camp has a dish­ washer so the campers don’t have to wash the dishes here!

Beaver Creek Bible Camp This camp is a project of the four Interlake EMC churches in Manitoba: Mennville, Morweena, Fisher Branch and Riverton. Located at the mouth of Beaver Creek on Lake Winnipeg, it is about 50 km north of Riverton on PR #234. BCBC celebrated its 25th anniversary on Au­ gust 8 at the conclusion of this year’s camping Left to right, top to bottom: (Longbow Lake Bible Camp) 1. Getting settied for evening chapel; 2. En­ joying another tasty meal; 3. Having fun in the water; 4. Director John Reimer giving some instruc­ tions; 5. A cabin group poses for a picture; 6. Learn­ ing a new chorus; 7. Gliding along in a canoe is great; 8. At the cabin door. (Beaver Creek Bible Camp) 9. The main building contains the kitchen, dining hall, lounge and shower rooms; 10. Pack­ ing pizza buns for a cook-out; 11. Beaver Creek flows into Lake Winnipeg; 12. Preparing a fire for the cook-out.

CAMPING season. The commemorative year book, edited by Victoria Friesen, includes a list of 404 people who have been on staff during the years. Many of these have served numerous seasons. Roger Plett, assisted by his wife, Clarice, has been the overall director and promoter since 1986. The camp has access to a quarter mile of the shore of Lake Winnipeg with it shallow sandy beach. It offers an unusually large variety of skills: swimming, canoeing, horsemanship, archery, crafts, journalism, music, drama, map-reading and orienteering. Each camper enrolls in four of these. A Leadership Development Camp is offered for campers 15 years or older who want to develop further in Christian leadership skills. It overlaps the regular Teens camp where the schedule in­ cludes several joint activities. Five weeks of camp in addition to the LDC were quite well filled this summer.

Carberry Bible Camp This Canadian Sunday School Mission camp in the rolling Carberry hills was begun in 1962 through the vision of Abe Wiebe and others in the nearby Arizona, Manitoba, district. For many years the EMC churches at Treesbank and Mac­ Gregor have been involved with this camp, hav­ ing representatives on the camp board. Ten area churches currently participate in CBC. Over 350 campers were accommodated this year in seven weeks of camp. A unique feature of this camp is the “tent” village, low-walled cabins with a canvas roof. Each “tent” sleeps six, a coun­ sellor and five campers. The camp also has three large winterized cabins. The three story main building is also winterized. Don Hickey is the yearround director. While CBC is not on a lake, it compensates in other ways. It has developed an excellent horse­ manship program and boasts a fully modern, heated swimming pool. It is located on the Trans­ Canada Highway about one hour west of Winnipeg.

Try a Camp Quiz Here are a just a few camps which come to mind. See if you can match the camp with its af­ filiated church or organization. Answers on page 4 (no peeking). A. Blumenort 1. Jubilee B. Mennonite Brethren 2. Ketchikan Lake C. Birch River 3. Gimli D. Portage 4. Beaver Creek E. Ridgewood 5. Eagle Lake F. CSSM 6. Riverside G. Steinbach churches 7. Carberry H. MacGregor/Treesbank 8. Red Rock I. Interlake EMC 9. Beaver Lake J. Endeavour 10. Longbow Lake K. Creighton 11. Arnes L. La Crete 12. Steeprock Left to right, top to bottom: (Beaver Creek Bible Camp) 1. Director Roger Plett leads the singing in chapel; 2. Washing dishes in a group is not so bad; 3. Staff also enjoy the cook-out; 4. Laura Dueck, crafts teacher, works on a birthday “cake”; 5. Dis­ playing the “Cabin of the Day” award; 6. Shoot­ ing baskets during free time. (Carberry Bible Camp) 7. Two happy campers wait for a wagon ride; 8. Cooks are an important part of camp; 9. A group in their neat and cosy “tent”; 10. Bible lessons are more enjoyable outside; 11. Water games in the modern, heated pool; 12. The main building and chapel in a sandy hollow.

HOW CAN THE CHURCH FATHER OUR CHILDREN? Approximately 70 percent of couples divorcing have children under the age of 18. Most of these children will live with their mothers. About 65 percent of divorced fathers do not provide financial support to their families. For many boys in single family homes, models of what it means to be a Christian man must be found in the church, or not found at all. Five men shared creative ways in which the church family can begin to deal with the problem. From Brian Dill, pastor, Louisville, Kentucky No one progam can do the whole job, but progams are impor­ tant. They help remind the church of the need for role models and they demonstrate to the kids and their parents that the church cares. 1 suggest something as simple as holding a regular men-andboys get-together. Activities could be varied: outings, work ex­ periences, sports, service projects. Keep the emphasis on fun, spontaneity, and togetherness. No spectators, just participants. The same concept will work for girls. Many desperately need a father model. From John Hoover, teacher. Marietta, Georgia Start an integenerational men-and-kids class as a regular elec­ tive in the Sunday school. Children rotate in from their age-level classes for one quarter a year. Build the lessons around biographical studies of male models from Scripture — Timothy, David, Joseph. Don’t forget a posi­ tive husband model — Aquila. A single Christian man was concerned about all the boys hanging around during the summer, so he started a neigh­ borhood softball league. In order to play, the boys had to at­ tend Sunday school. The man's boss, also a Christian, bought uniforms and equipment. By the end of the summer, almost (Caiculla, continued)

American caucus session. “They have a lot to inspire us with.”

Something Different Calcutta participants can expect something radically different from previous assemblies, said MWC executive secretary Larry Miller of Strasbourg, France. To provide interaction with Indian Mennonite churches, the assem­ bly would include visits to congregations in different parts of India. These would occur be­ fore or after the main Calcutta meeting. The assembly will take place at St. Thomas School, which is sponsored by the Church of North India. Lodging would be in dormitories, which are large halls rather than individual rooms, and many visitors would also stay in hotels. An idea that is being worked on is for MWC visitors to do painting or other service projects at the school rather than pay rent. The January meeting date departs from the summer conference tradition North Americans are used to. The date was chosen based on when the local weather is best, the timing of Indian school and religious holidays and preferences of people in various parts of the world. The date may seem less attractive in the West, but it might offer a good opportunity for college students, since it occurs during the January interterm used by some North Ameri­ can Mennonite colleges. PAGE 8

100 boys were regulars. From Roger Wagner, pastor. Oil City, Pennsylvania Focus on the needs of the single parent. In a regular, suppor­ tive group of peers, single parents find encouragement and prac­ tical direction. They realize they don’t have to face all responsibilities alone. Married parents learn to extend their “fa­ mily” boundaries. From Worth Green, pastor, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Sunday schools are no longer unusual if they have men in the preschool departments. Good! Our boys and girls pick up the mes­ sage long before they are able to articulate it: Men and women are both responsible for our spiritual growth. One man broke the ice at our church and that freed up the others to admit that they really wanted to work with our kinder­ garten class. Charles Vitel, pastor, Elgin, Illinois Churches should make full use of the outreach club programs that are available. Men need to be involved, and they will when they better understand their function as role models. The pastor is the key to this process. He can build up a core of concerned adults — able and willing to help young people. Then, when he observes a need, he can alert an adult who might have something in common with a particular child. A teenager was suspended from school, and needed help to keep up. The pastor asked a man in the church to volunteer to tutor the boy. A friendship is now developing, and the boy is observing something completely new to him — the rela­ tionship between a Christian husband and wife. A service of David C. Cook Pubiishing Co., Eigin, Iliinois.

This fits in with the opinion of North Ameri­ can council members that Calcutta might cap­ ture the imagination of young adults. “We have an opportunity here to create new interest among a new generation,” said Harvey Sider, Brethren in Christ representative from Grant­ ham, PA. MWC officials can only guess how many people will come to Calcutta. Indian Men­ nonite leaders estimate 3,000 of their mem­ bers would attend. They said they hope 2,000 foreign visitors would come. Foreign atten­ dance of only 500 would be a disappointment.

Why Calcutta? MWC officials chose Calcutta over Hyder­ abad, which has a concentration of Mennonite Brethren churches. However, violence be­ tween Hindus and Muslims sometimes breaks out in the Hyderabad area, and the city has no Mennonite office to help with the planning. In Calcutta, Mennonite Central Committee and the Mennonite Christian Service Fellow­ ship of India share an office in a building where MWC will open an office, probably early in 1995. Miller admits that Calcutta, whose popula­ tion of more than 11 million places it among the world’s ten largest cities, has some draw­ backs. In a report to the council, he wrote: “Those who will be in India for the first time will have a more difficult time adjusting to Cal­ cutta than to Hyderabad. Indeed, while Hyder -

abad has its share of poverty, dirt, crowds and traffic jams, Calcutta seems to have more of each.” One MWC member conference, the India United Missionary Church, with several hundred members, is located in Calcutta. That’s a fairly small number of local people to draw on for volunteer help. Factors in favour of Calcutta include its cen­ tral location for Indian attenders, good access by air for foreign visitors and its stable so­ ciopolitical situation.

A Different Focus Miller hopes Calcutta will focus on interac­ tion between people more than previous as­ semblies have. He wrote to the council: “My impression is that assemblies have become more selfcontained events attended primarily by in­ terested individuals than forums where churches have opportunity to give and receive cross-cultural counsel on issues vital to their own existence or mission. More priority and time should be given to forums of exchange between delegates of member churches.” That, Miller believes, would make Assem­ bly 13 an event of more long-term impact. It might even become, as Ravi Sankara Rao hopes, a Mennonite Pentecost for the 21st century. Paul Schrag, for Meetinghouse

THE MESSENGER

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Missions

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SAL/SEMILLA Holds First Graduation On July 11, 1993, the Latin American Anabaptist Seminary (SAL/SEMILLA) held its first graduation. Eight students received B.A. degrees (3) or diplomas (5) in Bible and The­ ology. These eight represented five Central American countries (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama). They re­ late to five national Conferences which have ties to four North American bodies: Conser­ vative Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Conference (Canada), Lancaster Conference and the Mennonite Brethren. Amzie Yoder, former Director of the Semi­ nary, was the keynote speaker. The program, held in Guatemala City, at Iglesia Evangelica Menonita Casa Horeb, had many highlights. But there was also a sad note. Due to an un­ justified action by Guatemalan immigration authorities, the Panamanians were not allowed to enter the country and, therefore, received their diplomas in absentia. [The case is cur­ rently before immigration authorities and the

Panamanian government.] In spite of this problem, the graduation was a time to praise the Lord for the years of hard work represent­ ed in this first graduating class. The Latin American Anabaptist Seminary is the inter-Anabaptist seminary for all of Cen­ tral America. Its offices are in Guatemala City, but it teaches courses in every Central Ameri­ can country. The students are all cunent pas­ tors and leaders who could not attend a traditional seminary, but who wish to be more effective in ministry. The program is funded through scholarships provided by North American mission agencies, by private dona­ tions and through funds generated by the pro­ gram itself. SAL/SEMILLA also publishes Anabaptist books and materials in Spanish (Ediciones SEMILLA) and has a Spanish language and service program, CASAS (Central American Study and Service). Additionally, the seminary works with several of the Anabap-

MEXICO

During this time of waiting and praying, we received word that the Cases’ house had been vandalized and that many things had been taken. We didn’t know what to make of this. Did this mean that the people didn’t want them there or was it just the Enemy roaring like a lion, trying to deceive us all? Instead of things getting better, the situa­ tion worsened, or so it seemed to us. In our own minds we couldn’t understand what all this meant but we continued to ask God to lead very specifically regarding His will for the Cases. Another message via radio, through one of the Mexican believers, informed us that the house had been robbed again and this time it was totally empty. Shortly after this, the Cases and their new co-workers, Bryan and Brenda Burton, made a special trip out to the tribe, hoping to find out whether or not it would be possible to return. When they got there, they found out that one of their Tepehuan neighbours had stored most of their belongings at his house so that it would all be safe. Not only was this an encouraging moment, it also showed that these people cared and were their friends. The enemy of our souls had definitely magnified certain situations by his deceitful lies and yet God chose to use that incident to show that

He was in control and we could trust Him. Due to other projects going on in Baborigame at that time, we were able to be there with the Cases, as well as spend time with other friends. The people seemed pleased that the Cases were back and we heard only good reports. It looked as if our prayers were being answered. The local authorities also welcomed the missionaries back and the local people seem to have more respect for the new police and the law. This was another sign that the work would go on and progress as it had be­ fore. Despite the adversaries that the Cases faced, the Lord has seen fit for them to return, with the Burton family as their co-workers. Continue to pray 1) that the doors among the Tepehuan people would remain open to evangelize and teach the gospel, 2) for divine protection as the two families live out in the tribe, 3) for God’s grace during loneliness as both families will be leaving their kids in the dorm, 4) for the salvation of the mestizo man, presently living elsewhere, who murdered Chi­ co, and 5) for many souls to accept the gospel and for a desire to grow in knowledge and grace and to share it with others. Peter and Mary Thiessen

Teachers Urgently Needed

TOUR CANCELLED

The elemental schools at Camp 67 and Camp 77 in Mexico each require a teacher for the upper grades. Instruction is in the German language. These schools are part of the EMC ministries in Mexico. Interested persons contact: EMC Board of Missions Box 1268 Steinbach, MB ROA ZAO Phone: (204) 326-6401

The Tri-Conference 1993 Mission Tour has been cancelled due to lack of response.

A Great Adversary Open Doors “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (I Cor. 16:9). In February 1993 it seemed that the work in Baborigame with the Tepehuan tribe had come to a complete standstill. It all happened one morning when Kevin Case, one of our missionaries, witnessed the murder of his Tepehuan Indian neighbour, Chico. The two of them had been on their way to pick up some firewood when this took place. Since Kevin was the only witness to the killing, he had to notify the family and the local authorities. Much violence had been going on there due to the fact that there was very little law en­ forcement; therefore, the people lived in con­ stant fear. After Kevin communicated this incident via the radio, another missionary and I (Peter) flew out there to be with them. It was decided that Kevin and Wendy, with their two girls, should come out of the tribe to recuperate from this trauma and also to wait and see if a new group of police would be sent out to enforce the law and to provide protection for the people. It was a very discouraging time for the Cases, but they knew they had no other choice. Kevin, who speaks the Tepehuan language fluently, had started teaching Chico and some other families and now it seemed like a hope­ less cause. To think of the possibility of them not being able to finish the work seemed so wrong and unfair. We went to the Lord of the harvest to pray very earnestly for the doors to remain open in spite of the adversaries we were facing. AUGUST 13, 1993

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Jose Francisco Cano graduated with a Bachelor of Bible and Theological Studies. He comes from La Paz, Carazo in Nicaragua and has been a prominent leader in the Fraternity of Mennonite Churches (EMC) in Nicaragua. At present he pastors a church in Granada and is co­ director of the Saturday Mennonite Bible Insti­ tute. He and his wife, Ofelia, have two adoles­ cent children.

tist/Mennonite Bible institutes in Central America, providing resources and technical support.

As of July 27 the planning committee had received only three reservations for the tour to Bolivia and Paraguay. Conse­ quently it was decided to cancel the tour for this fall.

PAGE 9

WINNIPEG

Life in the Balance Offering Living Water I, like many people in ministry, periodically find myself asking the questions, “Is it worth it? Are we making a difference?” As perplex­ ing as these questions are, I believe they must be asked; I ask them weekly. Friday night always takes me by surprise. After a busy week of running around after kids, doing administration and being sure to spend the time with my wife, Sandy, and new daughter, Jillian, the idea of an evening with a group of screaming 13- to 15-year-olds often catches me off guard. In the frenzy of lastminute details, the question grips me: “If we cancelled this Friday night activity, would it really matter? After all, it’s not like I don’t have my hours in for the week.” This Friday was like the others. I pulled into the developments on Dufferin to find a group of kids in front of the Friendship Center ready to go. I walked around the square, cold govern­ ment housing, rapping on doors, asking for kids who might be interested in an evening away from it all. I consciously make myself smaller — too bold and you ask for trouble; too meek and it’s guaranteed. This helps me understand in a small way how the kids learn to hide their fears. Mine are kept at bay be­ cause of the prayers of my wife and my hope that the love of Christ, which I feel for the kids, will overpower the anger they feel. Alex is just another one of the kids whom I ask the routine question, “Do you want to come out to our activity tonight?” His “no” an­ swer sort of surprises me; Alex is a regular but I respect his right to choose. That night we went to Norquay School and

j

*. Kent Dueck and some of the youth he works with.

had a rousing game of floor hockey. As a wind-up we all waited with parched throats around a pail of Gatorade as I read the story of the woman at the well to whom Christ offered living water. The idea sank in; after all, these kids know more about thirst than I do. I told them about Christ, who can quench the inner thirst they feel. As 1 drove home, 1 noticed some figures slinking around a back street alley; 1 decided to approach them. It was Alex and some kids from a gang. By the sheepish look on Alex’s face and the look of fear from his friends, I could tell I had just prevented a crime. His friends scattered in different directions, leav­ ing only Alex and me. Alex was my answer — it is worth it; we are making a difference.

Sharon Anderson from the Union Gospel Mission’s Christian Youth Center and I have been working together on an outreach to the developments. Networking with people like Sharon is an excellent way to increase the im­ pact of both of our ministries. We have made some new contacts and have brought two groups of youth together that would normal­ ly not have been cohesive. Our prayer for the first six months has been for peace and that there would be no fights. We had only one minor incident so we thank God for His answer! Please pray for us at ICYA as we seek to bring living water to a dry and thirsty land. Kent Dueck

z Prayer Promoters Available The EMC Board of Missions believes that prayer is essential in the mission efforts of the Conference. Christ, by His example and in His teaching, emphasized that prayer is the essence of the effective ministry of the church locally and worldwide. Recognizing the importance of prayer, the Board of Missions organized the EMC Prayer Corps a number of years ago and more recently started publishing a monthly Prayer Calendar. The Board of Missions has now taken a further step, in that it has commis­ sioned Gladwin and Jean Plett to a ministry that will promote prayer in the churches, cell groups and individuals. The Pletts are prepared to come to your church for a week, a weekend, or a day to encourage prayer through worship, teach­ ing and prayer. They would also like to meet with members of the EMC Prayer Corps in groups and individually. The format and material covered would depend on the wishes of the church or group and the time available for such an event. The format and discussion topics could include: • The Biblical perspective on the need and importance of prayer. • The greatness of God — How do praise, thanksgiving and worship give us a better understanding of God? • Intercessory prayer — God’s way of changing things. • Creative prayer — Meaningful participation in group prayer.

Gladwin and Jean Plett have been missionaries with the EMC Board of Missions for many years. They placed an emphasis on prayer throughout these years of ministry in the West Indies, Canada and Germany. Their present ministry focusing on prayer is enriched by their ex­ perience. The Pletts are in semiretirement and are not finan­ cially supported by the Board of Missions. Because they have a limited income, it is ex­ pected that churches who in­ Gladwin and Jean Plett vite them will be responsible to provide honorariums and pay travel costs to the Pletts. Smaller churches in outlying areas, who find it difficult to provide neces­ sary finances, may request a subsidy from the Board of Missions. This will need to be ananged in advance. If you would like Gladwin and Jean Plett to come to your church or group, contact them at 268 Edison Avenue, Winnipeg, Manito­ ba R2G 1B2. Phone: (204) 338-0559.

\. PAGE 10

THE MESSENGER

PARAGUAY

“ZP-50” Radio Project — Dead or Alive? When Radio ZP-30, the Voice of the Paraguayan ChacQ went on the air in 1975, it was “wishful thinking” that it would also reach German-speaking Mennonites in East Paraguay and Bolivia. With its 10-kw signal on medium wave, this was, because of the long distance, not very realistic. However, under favourable atmospheric conditions, some of its “sky-wave” signals can be (and are) picked up at certain hours of the day. In 1981 special attempts, initiated by Radio ZP-30, were made to extend its coverage into East Paraguay with a dependable signal, or to set up another station in that area. The project did not succeed and came to a halt in 1984. The vision of a Christian radio station for East Paraguay lived on, however, but various attempts were also unsuccessful. In 1989 the Gemeinde Kommitee (an all-Mennonite Ministerial Council of Paraguay) approached our EMC Board of Missions and officially re­ quested that this project be picked up once more. In September of 1990, believing “the time had come,” we were sent back to Paraguay with the hopes of getting this project off the ground shortly. The project was referred to as “Radio ZP-50” and I was assigned to be the project manager. An agreement was made be­ tween the Gemeinde Kommitee and EMC, out­ lining this joint venture on a 40-60% financial support basis, respectively. The project was directed by a field “Radio Board” with five representatives from the Paraguayan consti­ tuency, and five from the EMC. The plan was to set up a 10-kw AM radio station in East Paraguay capable of reaching the entire eastern half of the country with the gospel message. On October 16, 1991, a formal application for a license was made to ANTELCO (Paraguay’s D.O.C.). The initial response seemed very positive, but we were soon in­ formed that new communication laws permit­ ted licenses only on the basis of ANTELCO’s

putting out a “tender” for a radio station in a particular location. Our chances of ever get­ ting a license were limited as apparently there were enough AM stations in East Paraguay. However, PM stations were springing up all over, captivating local listeners. Sorry as we felt, we had to face the question: Was our ob­ jective to build an AM radio station in East Paraguay, or was it to proclaim the gospel? Obviously it was the latter, so maybe an al­ ternative approach was needed. Benny and Esther Goertzen had also been sent to East Paraguay in 1990 for radio minis­ try: program production, airing programs on local stations, training speakers and develop­ ing a follow-up program — all in preparation for our own radio station. The alternative we chose was to air more programs on commer­ cial stations, being “faithful in the little,” before we could be entrusted with “the greater.” In May 1992 our EMC Missions Auxiliary met our need for studio space and production facilities by purchasing a convenient property and buildings in downtown Caaguazu. At the same time, this gave us a much more practi­ cal location for our bookstore and the film and video ministry. These three EMC mission ministries were amalgamated as Ministerio Buenas Nueuas (MBN or Good News Minis­ tries), administered by the Caaguazu mission­ ary staff. Churches, groups and missions from the supporting constituency of East Paraguay (partners in our joint radio project) began to participate more and more Their financial sup­ port, identification with the aired programs and involvement in follow-up work (especially the enthusiastic groups from Bergthal and Som­ merfeld) were as exciting as the overwhelm­ ing response from the many listeners to our radio broadcasts. Broadcasting the “seed of the Word” was rewarding and gratifying. On July 9, 1992, after much deliberation and prayer, the Radio Board decided to dis-

band the project for the radio station for East Paraguay, on the following basis: 1. It was unlikely that a license would ever be granted to us under ANTELCO’s “by tender” law. 2. With numerous EM stations developing in East Paraguay, AM radio listeners to largecoverage stations had dwindled. 3. Gospel programs aired on commercial sta­ tions proved to be very effective. Short pro­ grams caught the unbeliever while listening to “his own” station. 4. MBN was requested to inform, challenge and motivate churches in East Paraguay to get more involved in radio evangelism. 5. Radio ZP-30 was officially requested to go on shortwave (already in their plans) to meet the need among the Low German-speaking Mennonites in East Paraguay, Bolivia, Argen­ tina and elsewhere. The “ZP-50” radio project was declared offi­ cially dead! Building or buying an AM station in East Paraguay was considered not feasible, and would not be pursued any further at this point. On the other hand, it did not rule out future installations of Christian EM stations in strategic locations. Today MBN airs more than 90 gospel pro­ grams per week on nine commercial stations in East Paraguay, at a cost of $2000 per month for air time. The EMC Board of Mis­ sions supports up to 38% of these costs, while Sommerfeld and Bergthal cover 30%, and the balance comes from other sources. There has also been significant financial and material help from Sommerfeld and Bergthal to develop men’s quarters and recording studios in Caaguazu, although more is left to be done. Yes, “ZP-50” is dead, but its spirit is alive and well! Its ministry is presently carried on by MBN and our Caaguazu missionary staff. Can we, or are we willing to, “unleash” the churches of East Paraguay, guiding and lead­ ing them in “this work” which the Lord has un­ doubtedly begun and intends to finish (John 9:4; Philippians 1:6)? Frank Froeker (From a report to the Board of Missions)

Messenger News SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC ENJOYED

Grande Prairie, Alta.: Our church had the rewarding experience of hosting an excit­ ing Region 1 conference at the end of April. It was great to fellowship again with our sis­ ter churches, sharing each other’s joys and struggles, and being wonderfully encouraged and inspired by the messages on servitude so eloquently delivered by Dr. Harvey Plett. Sunday school classes drew to a close for the summer and the Christian Education Committee did an excellent job of showing ap­ preciation to the teachers by planning a bar­ becue for them. Thank you also to the families who helped make it an especially relaxing evening by babysitting for the teachers. AUGUST 13, 1993

June 20 was a warm day to be enjoyed by the whole church family at the annual Sun­ day school picnic. The outing was filled with activities, beginning with an outdoor service at Pipestone Creek Park, followed by a scrumptious picnic lunch and many interest­ ing games and relays. Of course the afternoon wouldn’t have been complete without an oc­ casional waterfight, sending many scrambling for whatever was available — balloons, squirt guns, and good old buckets — to fill with the cool, wet stuff. An entertaining evening was recently en­ joyed by ladies only. It gave the women of our church a warm, casual opportunity to invite

friends out for supper and fellowship, laying aside for just an evening all thoughts of jobs, housework, children and other daily respon­ sibilities. Great fun! When can we do it again? With the summer holidays comes a lower church attendance, and we are so thankful for those who give just that much more of them­ selves to fill in where needed to ensure a wor­ shipful weekly service. Our prayers are also with all those who are travelling. The calendar is already full of upcoming events, and 1 look forward to sharing them with you. Have a great summer! Audrey Friesen

PAGE 11

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I Baptism at the Steinbach EFC. Left to right: Elisa Olfert, Melissa Barkman, Jennifer Rempel, Carmela Komelson, Heather Friesen, Cori Reimer, Patty Plett, Harry and Mary Friesen (pastoral couple).

NEW MEMBERS ACCEPTED Steinbach EFC (Man.): Our church is con­ tinuing to experience growth in numbers. Not only does our church have baby announce­ ments in almost every Messenger, we also have had the thrill of baptizing seven young ladies and accepting several others into mem­ bership in recent months. I’m sure the baptism this spring was a high­ light for each of the participants, as well as for the rest of us. Of special significance was

New members at the Steinbach EFC: Curt Reimer, Rueben and Betty Reimer (shown with Harry and Mary Friesen).

the parents’ involvement as each baptismal candidate had her parents join her for the dedicatory prayer. Fellow parents will identi­ fy with the joy experienced when our children continue to take concrete steps to follow in the ways of God. Baptized were Elisa Olfert (parents: Lester and Darlene), Melissa Bark­ man (Leroy and Emily), Jennifer Rempel (Nor­ man and Emily), Carmela Komelson (Rick and Roseann), Heather Friesen (James and Ber­ tha), Cori Reimer (Bruce and Cathy), and Pat­

■L

ty Plett (Abe and Tina). Joining through transfer of membership on the same occasion were Curt Reimer and Rueben and Betty Reimer. Since that time three others, John and Esther Petkau and Cindy Ganz (whose picture unfortunately I do not have), have become part of our number. We pray that as a church family we will all continue to spur each other on to good works and faithfulness to the cause of Christ. Fran Harms

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I If Parent/child dedication at the Rosenort Fellowship Chapel. Left to right: Cam and Pam Cornelsen with Brock, Pastor Michael Derksen, Rhonda and Kirk Karlowsky with Ryan, Lyle and Elaine Koop with Michelle.

NEW LIFE CELEBRATED Rosenort Fellowship (Man.): About 2000 years ago, the morning we call Easter morning, began with the quiet footsteps of two women going to the tomb of a friend. Instead of a quiet and sombre time of applying em­ balming materials to the body, they found an empty tomb and a heavenly messenger. They rushed to tell the other disciples, who greeted the news with some disdain, explaining the event as the hallucinations of two women overcome with loss. However, two disciples rushed to the tomb. “It is true," they exclaimed, “the body is not there! Could it be that He has risen?” On Easter Sunday morning, with the help of the people of God, these scenes were replayed to help the Easter event come alive

PAGE 12

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A baptismal service and membership reception took place at the Rosenort Fellowship Chapel on June 13. Left to right: Pastor Michael Derksen, Elaine Koop, Andrea Braun, Alex Toews, Amy Brandt, Mar­ garet Derksen.

again. The church moved from brightness, which symbolized the ministry of Jesus, to ab­ solute darkness, which pointed to how the dis­ ciples must have felt on seeing Jesus die. Then Peter met Jesus again and brought the serv­ ice to a triumphant conclusion with the song “He’s Alive — Pm Forgiven.” This was our third tenebrae service and each time it is our pray­ er that our hearts will be touched afresh by the drama, the tragedy and the victory of the Easter story. On March 28 we celebrated new life with three couples publicly declaring their intent to raise their babies in a godly way. It was a time of celebration and a time to express mutual support for one another. June 13 marked another celebration of new life as three candidates, Amy Brandt, Andrea Braun and Alex Toews, publicly professed

their faith in Christ and were baptized. Elaine Koop was accepted by membership transfer. We celebrated these professions of faith and have been blessed by the presence of these young people in our midst. At our June membership meeting the church strongly endorsed the ministry of Ken and Yolanda Quiring as our youth pastoral couple and extended a second three-year term to them. They have served faithfully, with en­ thusiasm and dedication, and we look forward to them continuing in our midst. The church is busy preparing for our 25th anniversary this October, which will include a celebration weekend, as well as a 25th an­ niversary book. We look forward to renewing acquaintances of days gone by and making new friends during this time. Michael Derksen

THE MESSENGER

De Goode Norecht Hosts Public Meeting

Left to right, top to bottom: 1. John Reimer chaired the meeting; 2. An appreciative audience; 3. Menno Kroeker explained how De Goode Norecht began; 4. The radio trio, Elizabeth Reimer, Susie Thiessen and Mary Reimer, are often joined by other family members; 5. Frank Kroeker spoke of outreach in Paraguay; 6. Cornie Loewen is the radio speaker; 7. Alvina Friesen (modelling a hat worn by some Mennonite women in Mexico) related the program’s ministry in that country; 8. Coffee, cookies and squares were served after the meeting.

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In spite of the rain on July 27, an audience of about 100 gathered at the Steinbach Bible College to meet the Board and staff of De Goode Norecht (The Good News). This gospel pro­ gram in the Low German language began about six years ago in the Morris-Rosenort area of Manitoba (Region 6). It came about through favourable response to Cornie Loewen’s burden for the many Mennonite people who are not fluent in English and his vision for a radio ministry to them in Low German. Local EMC pastors became the original Board of Directors. Board member Menno Kroeker, reviewing the background and development of the program, said it was agreed that the “pro­ gram should emphasize evangelism and discipleship by means of Biblical content simply expressed.” Costs would be shared by the churches of Region 6, assisted by a subsidy from the Board of Missions. Money would not be requested on the program. Airing of the program, which started with two stations in Manitoba, has increased to three stations in this province, one in Ontario, one in Mexico and three in Paraguay. Listener sup­ port has increased to the point where it pays for the purchase of air time. Production and staff costs remain the responsibility of Region 6 churches. “Support is welcomed and received with thanks for this worthy work to meet a great need,” Menno con­ cluded. In Mexico De Goode Norecht is aired on station XEER, Alvira Friesen reported. Although her work as a missionary in Mexico is mainly among Spanish-speaking people, Alvira indicated a good listener response among the Mennonites. “From 30 to 50 letters are received during letter month, from people that do not official­ ly have radios,” she said. She feels the radio ministry is very worth­ while in Mexico. Frank Kroeker is amazed at the pace of change. “When I was

AUGUST 13, 1993

baptized I got rid of my radio, which was considered evil at that time,” he said. “I never thought I would some day be so involved in radio ministry.” Frank helped to bring Radio ZP-30 in the Paraguayan Chaco into being. While his recent efforts to obtain a license for a radio station in East Paraguay have been unsuccessful, the gospel is getting out through time purchased on commercial stations in the region. Currently 90 programs are being aired each week on nine sta­ tions. The three releases of De Goode Norecht are supported from Paraguay. Missionaries Revita Kroeker and Esther Goertzen are kept busy answering the many letters received in response to the broadcasts. Many of the listeners are not open to personal visits and the pro­ gram is their source of spiritual nourishment. Cornie Loewen is the radio speaker and coordinator. His con­ cern is for a pure Low German from which “English, Spanish and even High German expressions are eliminated.” He stated that we do not need to be ashamed of Low German; the English lan­ guage grew out of it. Listening to him, it is obvious that he does his work thoroughly and well. “In every program we include the gospel message — a com­ pleted salvation offered free for all through the death and resur­ rection of Christ,” he said. “I am not bothered by outward appearances, but am concerned when the inner life remains dead.” The informative evening included singing led by Johnny Loe­ wen, and special music by the Reimer sisters who also sing on the broadcast. John Reimer ably chaired the meeting, which con­ cluded with interaction over coffee and dessert. The Board was pleased with the response to the meeting and plans to host simi­ lar meetings in other places.

PAGE 13

BAPTISM Rosenort, Man.: Our choir, under the direc­ tion of Colin Reimer, presented an Easter Ccintata, “Beyond the Cross,” on Easter morning. Deeper life meetings, with Mel Koop as speak­ er, began that evening and continued for sever­ al days. Prayer meetings followed the services. We also had a visitation program to non­ resident members one evening. On Friday our senior youth presented the program they had performed so many times on their tour of Saskatchewan, Alberta and northern Manito­ ba. The songs and skits, especially the one portraying the death of Christ, were very ef­ fective. The final two services of our meetings were held on Sunday, April 18. Thank you, Mel, for allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through you! Justina Brandt, Mary Loewen and Dora Friesen have all returned home from Mexico, their chosen field of service. Welcome, and may God make you a blessing wherever He now plants you! Wayne Herrod spoke to us on the topic of prayer on April 25, causing us to desire a deeper prayer life. Prayer is our most strateg­ ic weapon against Satan and the practical ex­ pression of our faith. But it is not enough to pray; pray till it is enough! Pentecost was preceded by a ten-day prayer meeting, not a ten-minute one! In our communion service that evening, Wayne spoke on Christ’s death on our behalf. Thank you!

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Baptism at the Rosenort EMC. Back row (left to right): Menno and Dorothy Kroeker (pastoral couple), Lynea Simonsen, Desiree Goossen, Natasha Klassen, Angeline Brandt, Cynthia Loewen, Annie and Benny Friesen (assistant pastoral couple). Front: Amos and Wendy Fehr (youth pastoral couple), Joel Dueck, Trevor Reimer.

Variety Night, May 2, included an illustrat­ ed report on a trip to Karaganda, Kazakstan, by Peter Kroeker. What it lacked in beautiful scenery was more than compensated for by the beauty of human hearts devoted to the service of their King. Three-hour prayer meet­ ings are held regularly and outreach is alive and well. The Billy Graham Crusade in Ger­ many was also seen on a huge screen in Karaganda via satellite. The annual roadside cleanathon, involving all junior and senior youth, was a great suc­ cess this year, providing funds for various youth projects. High school “grads” from our congregation

Brigade men’s choir, directed by Ben B. Dueck, at the CSB anniver­ sary. Mr. Dueck was associated with Brigade in its earlier years.

were Cassandra Kornelsen, Cynthia Loewen, Marcia Dueck, Nicole Friesen and Tanya Dueck. University grads are David Kroeker and Darren Reimer, while Karla Dueck, Patricia Loewen, Chuck Brandt and Dorothy Kroeker graduated from Bible schools. Receiving baptism on June 6 were Lynea Simonsen, Trevor Reimer, Cynthia Loewen, Natasha Klassen, Desiree Goossen, Joel Dueck and Angeline Brandt, with Pastor Men­ no Kroeker officiating. John Reimer brought the message, stressing the importance of the step they were taking, which was really “mak­ ing a public statement of their faith in Christ.” Leui Dueck

Second from left is Herald of Christ award winner, Dale Friesen, and second from right is Ron Koop, also a Herald of Christ winner.

CSB 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED

Steinbach, Man.: Sunday, July 25, marked the celebration of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Christian Service Brigade in our church. The entire morning service em­ phasized this event. Two Heralds of Christ award winners of other years. Dale Friesen and Ron Koop, were present to give their tes­ timonies. Other Brigade leadership people, as well as a Brigade men’s choir, took part. The message was given by John Dyck, who, together with his wife, Erna, and family are serving the Lord in Germany. John was one of the first group when CSB began in our church. The morning service was followed by a fel­ lowship lunch. On display were old Brigade photos, as well as slides. Daue Schellenberg PAGE 14

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I J Adolf Koop, the only one who has been con­ sistently with the Brigade program for its en­ tire 25-year history in the Steinbach EMC.

John and Erna Dyck (seated) of Germany, with Clarence Kroeker (Steinbach EMC)

THE MESSENGER

Blumenort, Man.: We, the Blume­ nort church, welcome our new pastoral couple, Melvin and Eva Penner. Pastor Penner served as Assistant Pastor for a number of years, as well as interim pas­ tor since Walter and Margaret Reimer took on the pastorate in the Killarney Mennonite Church.

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Baptized at the Blumenort church on December 13, 1992, were Jerry Penner, Cameron Plett and Rob Reimer (shown with Pastor Melvin Penner).

Baptism at the Blumenort EMC on April 18. Back: Pastor Melvin Penner, Lydell Brandt, Robert Reim­ er. Front: Mandie Reimer, Crystal Wiebe, Sonya Kretchmer.

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Fireside sing-along at the Kola church Sunday school picnic, with Leonard Koop leading the singing.

NEW PASTOR WELCOMED

Kola, Man.: It is with joy and thankfulness to God that we make the announcement of a new pastor for our church. Henry and Doris Plett spent several days in Kola, meeting with the church and candidating. After this the con­ gregation voted on June 1 in favour of accept­ ing them as our pastoral couple. By the end of June they had made the move from Three Hills, Alberta, to Kola, and on July 1, Henry officially began his duties as pastor. Since Henry just graduated from Prairie Bible Insti­ tute this spring, this is their first assignment and we covet your prayers for them and for us as a church, that together we could work

in harmony and experience growth. The idea of another deacon election had been brought up some time ago and this too came to a culmination on June 11 when the congregation voted for Comie and Faith Mar­ tens and Leo and Laura Reimer to serve as our new deacon couples. The other two cou­ ples presently serving as deacons are Abe and Norma Martens and Elmer and Betty Sie­ mens. Ordination details will follow in a later issue. Our annual Sunday school picnic took place on the weekend of June 12-13 at Kenosee Lake Bible Camp in Saskatchewan. Those who were willing and able to, travelled the 45-60 minutes to the camp on Saturday al-

The adults trying their skill at “walking in har­ mony” at the Kola Sunday school picnic, ready. Besides doing some clean-up in prepa­ ration for summer camp, there was also time for swimming, volleyball, basketball and visit­ ing. Leonard Koop, with his guitar, led the fire­ side sing-along after the evening’s wiener roast. The sunshine and warm weather was greatly enjoyed and appreciated while it lasted. Rain fell once again most of Sunday and our ac­ tivities had to take place in the spacious din­ ing hall. The new indoor swimming pool could be used and enjoyed in spite of the rain. Af­ ter a tasty faspa and clean-up, people headed for home, concluding another satisfying Sun­ day school picnic. Florence Penner

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The children are finding it a challenge to walk “in step” together.

AUGUST 13, 1993

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The Primary and Junior departments presenting their part in the Sun­ day morning service at the Sunday school picnic.

PAGE 15

» Friendship Circle farewell for Randy and Gloria at the bowling lanes.

Marlene Friesen presenting Randy and Gloria with a farewell gift,

FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS FOREVER . . . Swift Current, Sask.: Almost every day we receive more mail than we know what to do with. Flyers, newspapers, bills (lots of bills!) and letters . . . Once in a long, long while a letter arrives which will change the direction of our lives forever. Late last fall Randy and Gloria Fehr received just such a letter. It was an unexpected letter, but it would have a profound impact not only on their lives, but also the lives of family, friends, and church family in Swift Current. Ultimately, it would impact a community hundreds and hundreds of miles away. Randy and Gloria shared the contents of the letter with family and a few close friends. Prayerfully, its contents were considered. A

NEW PASTOR INSTALLED Burns Lake, B.C.: Greetings from Burns Lake on a beautiful sunny morning! Pastor Ed Peters and a few young people went to the Abundant Springs youth confer­ ence in May. They had some car trouble but otherwise enjoyed a weekend of many bless­ ings, a new experience for these young people. The ladies’ retreat at Ootsa Lake Bible Camp took place May 28-30. Many ladies from different churches attended and the fel­ lowship was great. Our special speaker was Ella Sailor of Ontario, speaking on the theme “Beauty for Ashes.” Our Sunday school picnic was held on June 27 at the Francois Lake School grounds, but because of rain we switched to the gym at the church. The activities included games for the little children, a volleyball game for the older ones and a good lunch of hotdogs and good­ ies. We had a relaxed time of fellowship. A very special service took place on June 6 — an installation service for Pastor Ed and Ruth Ann Peters, who moved here from Vanderhoof, where they served as youth pastor. Our speaker for the afternoon was LeRoy Barkman, the pastor of the Vanderhoof EMC. Many of Ed and Ruth Ann’s friends from Van­ derhoof came to share in the afternoon. Pas­ tors from different churches here in Burns Lake were present and shared a word of tes­ timony and encouragement. A time of fellow­ ship and refreshments was enjoyed after the service. Ed and Ruth Ann are a wonderful cou­ ple and we trust the Lord will continue to make them a great blessing as He already has. We thank God for answering our prayers. Susan Unruh

PAGE 16

few weeks later they flew to Aylmer to candi­ date for the position of youth pastor at the Mt. Salem church. Upon their return, they were faced with wait­ ing, both on the Lord and the process of work­ ing out the details. As a self-employed trucker and farmer, the process would have its “ups and downs”; however, saying good-bye was one step closer. The weeks between receiving the letter, the time a decision was made and details com­ plete, were filled with both excitement and ap­ prehension by all concerned. After months of waiting, praying, planning and waiting some more, the time came when, although somewhat reluctantly, we bade a fond farewell to Randy, Gloria, Tiffany and Brittany. On May 29 the Friendship Circle spent an evening bowling and a hearty time of laugh­ ing, teasing and “remembering when ...” at the coffee shop. As a small token of our friend­ ship we presented them with a stained glass sun-catcher. We trust it will remind them of fond memories spent with us. On May 30 an afternoon commissioning service was held for Randy and Gloria, under the direction of Pastor John Taylor, assisted by Cam Rempel. Rand and Gloria were presented with an in-depth study Bible on be­ half of the congregation. The Mt. Salem congregation is indeeed for­ tunate. They have acquired a family with many Christlike qualities. Randy grew up in Swift Current with his par­ ents, John and Betty, and brothers Darcy, Greg, Gord, and sister Kim. Sharing has long been a part of his life as he shared parents, siblings and home with a long list of foster sib­ lings. After graduating from high school, he attended Steinbach Bible College, where his circle of friends widened and his faith deep­ ened. However, his energy level remained un­ changed - SUPERCHARGED! Gloria called several places home, includ­ ing Pelly, Saskatchewan, and the mission field in Paraguay with parents, Ernest and Elsie Funk, and sisters Grace and Gladys. Gloria also attended S.B.C. and later completed a hairdressing course in Winnipeg, where she worked until their marriage on July 4, 1987. Upon moving to Swift Current, Gloria was welcomed with open arms and become a treasure to family and friends. Gloria has many wonderful attributes . . . gentleness, sensitiv­ ity, wisdom and a willing heart and hands to

serve. She is a talented harpist, whose music soothes your soul. Her tenderness, sincerity and trustworthiness are qualities to be sought after. Randy is also a valued and gifted member of the body of Christ. His exuberance, en­ thusiasm, energy, love of life and willingness to share the gospel are characteristics of his Christian life. The Lord has been preparing Randy and Gloria for the challenges they will face in Mt. Salem. They served for several years as youth leaders, taking up the post soon after their marriage. That in itself is commendable! Gloria served as librarian, pianist, assisted with chil­ dren’s ministries, attended Bible study and Sunday school regularly and was always there when an extra set of hands was needed. Since Rand’s work as a truck driver kept him on the road several days of the week, Gloria’s efforts required determination with two small children. Randy provided superb leadership as a song leader and worship leader. During the past year he provided challenging and entertaining leadership as a Sunday school teacher for the Friendship Circle class. We will cherish our memories together. Good-bye is never easy. However, I’ve been reminded of the words of a song performed by a ladies’ group during the commissioning service: “Friends are friends forever, together in the Lord." To say that we’ll miss them is an understatement. However, even though we’re separated by hundreds of miles, with Christ as our bond, we know that we remain friends together in Him. Cindi^ Penner

Randy and Gloria Fehr with their daughters Brittany and Tiffany.

THE MESSENGER

COMMISSIONING SERVICE HELD

J A commissioning service took place at the La Crete church on June 13 for Simon and Susie Froese and Betty and George Remple.

La Crete, Alta.: We were blessed in a refreshing way on the morning of Ascension Day. The complete church service was presented in the Low German language. Pas­ tor Fast’s greeting and opening remarks brought quick smiles to our faces, but as the message progressed our hearts were drawn in worship to God through the expressive Low German language. One young person’s com­ ment may have been true for many; “I may have gotten more from this service than I sometimes do because I really had to pay at­ tention to follow the message!" Among the highlights of the summer sea-

son is the annual church picnic. June 6 saw many people out at the Hillcrest School in Blumenort to enjoy the fellowship and fun of the picnic. A wonderful opportunity for the church family to get to know each other bet­ ter. On June 13 our church held a commission­ ing service for our new deacon couples, Simon and Susie Froese and George and Betty Rem­ ple. It was a joy to hear both couples express their sincere desire to be obedient to God and allow Him to use their talents and abilities to serve in the position of leadership. May God bless you richly! Frieda Boehlig

HOW DO WE RELATE? Landmark, Man.: To get 13-year-old Bob­ by off to church isn’t easy for Dave and Dora Neufeld. It’s hard getting him out of bed. He won’t talk to them about the services and he has few friends his age. But the Neufeld fami­ ly believes in worshipping God, and on Sun­ day morning that means an all-out effort. Bobby has spastic cerebral palsy. The percentage of Canadian handicapped people runs at three to four percent* and, while our church sadly doesn’t reflect that ra­ tio, Dora said the church family has been sup­ portive. In our old church building, stairs were a constant problem — one step up into the en­ trance, three risers into the foyer, two more steps into the sanctuary, and the flight of stairs into the basement was a work-out. But with the difficulty came the love. Neu­ felds received much assistance and they were overwhelmed to find that Bobby’s condition provided the primary push for building our new church entirely on one level.

Andrew Neufeld and Bobby Goertzen enjoy­ ing Sunday School.

Sabrina Chan Chung Chi (shown here with Pastor Edwin and Lillian Plett) was baptized June 27. Sabrina grew up in Hong Kong and graduated from SBC this spring.

Encouragement has also come along other avenues. In 1989 Sandra Penner approached Dave and Dora about Bobby and Sunday school. “He has as much right to attend as anyone else does,” Sandra insisted, and promptly offered to be Bobby’s aid. In 1991 Andrew Goertzen took over. Through the use of Bobby’s picture board and, more recently, his amazing Dynavox, their communication is good. “We’re ever so pleased,” Dora said. How should we relate to Bobby? Han-

dicapped people are as special as we are. “Treat Bobby as normal,” Dora said, “and don’t be afraid of him.” We don’t want sympathy, she added, in reference to themselves as parents, we want understanding. “But,” Dora conceded, ” I can’t expect you to reach out to me in a way you don’t understand. You can only reach out in a way you can see.” Jolyn Braun Focus on the Family, Canadian

Keith and Geneva Siemens with Shelby and Pastor Jim Meece. A parentfehild dedication service took place on May 2 in the Alliance church in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Pastor Jim Meece challenged everyone on the impor­ tance of bringing up our children for the Lord. Keith and Geneva responded with a reading and duet as to their responsibility to their daugh­ ter Shelby.

MRS. ELISABETH PLETT 1902-1993 “...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” (Heb. 12:1-2). Our mother has ar­ rived on heaven’s shore. She has gone through her last storm, with her eyes always on Jesus, who directed her to the shore. Even though the waves were high and sometimes almost seemed to flood the boat, her Saviour pointed her to the heavenly lighthouse and safely brought her into the harbour to see what she believed. She has entered the pearly gates, met her Redeem­ er, and been reunited with Dad, family and friends. Mother was born on November 24, 1902, to Isaac J. and Elisabeth Loewen and breathed

AUGUST 13, 1993

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her last breath on June 20,1993, shortly be­ fore 5 p.m., reaching the age of 90 years. She accepted the Lord as her Saviour in her teens and confirmed her faith in Jesus by water baptism, at which time she became a member of the Blumenort E. M. Church. On December 18,1921, she married Dad, with Rev. Peter Kroeker officiating. Their mar­ riage was blessed with ten children, three of whom passed away in infancy. For almost 68 years they travelled life’s seas together, some­ times on calm waters and sometimes on dark stormy waves, but Jesus was always with them, guiding them on to the Light on the shore. Mother’s father passed away when she was twelve. This started a chain of events, which often made life very difficult for her. When her mother remarried, she had to leave home and stay with her uncles and aunts. Numerous sur­ geries, combined with three nervous break­ downs, forced her to cast herself on her God for daily strength. (continued on page 18)

PAGE 17

(Mrs Elisabeth Plett, continued)

The woman described in Proverbs 31 would fit Mother well. She worked from morning till late at night, mending, sewing, knitting and making meals. Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were very special. She had an individual concern for and interest in each one. Just a week ago she was able to recall the names of all her 49 great-grandchildren. Gardening was always a delight and a clean garden was important to her. She used to get up at 5:00 in the morning to avoid the heat of the day and hoe the garden. Digging pota­ toes was her job till five years ago. Mother was not a person involved in a lot of public ministry but she was very much in­ volved in ministering to others. One summer she baked about 30 saskatoon pies and took them to the sick and needy. She knitted dozens of slippers, which she gave away, on occasion kneeling down and slipping them on the feet of the guests. Hundreds of snowflakes have been crochet­ ed and given to friends and family. Whenever she would hear of a person going through spe­ cial struggles, she would write a short letter of encouragement, together with a little poem entitled Siehe dafuer ist Gerade der Heiland da (That’s What the Saviour is There For). Even as late as last Saturday, when she was flat in bed with a broken hip, she made the comment, Eck uoa nu noch fehl daule aun di kranke denke (1 will think much more now about those who are sick). Attending church was very important; her last time there was June 8. She always had her eyes open for friends. At Golden Age func­ tions, funerals or weddings she would walk from friend to friend, greeting them and shar­ ing a few words. Maybe the thing that we will remember lon­ gest is her fear of and reverence for God. When Betty would pray with Mom before retir­ ing, she would get out of bed with great difficulty and kneel by the bed to pray. Her God was worthy of this effort: Feah mean Gott nicht knei? Daut kaun ech (Not kneel be­ fore my God? 1 can do that). In November she was diagnosed as having bone cancer. She fell and broke her hip on Wednesday, June 15, and was taken to the hospital the next day, where an X-ray also showed a touch of pneumonia. We rejoice with her now, knowing she has met her Heal­ er, Saviour and Friend. She is free from her emotional struggles, free from bone cancer, no broken hip to keep her from walking around freely. She often said, Dort uau ue alia en di shoenste jugend sene (There we will all enjoy youthfulness). This is now her experience. We are grieving because we will miss her presence in the home but we have the full assurance that we will meet her again in a new and glori­ ous body. Left to mourn her passing are Margaret and Bill Buhler, John and Annie Plett, Helen and Dave Reimer, Mary Doerksen, Betty and Ben Loewen, Adina and Alvin Brandt and David and Bertha Plett; 28 grandchildren and 49 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by

PAGE 18

Dad on October 24,1989; three children, one son-in-law, two grandchildren and one great­ grandchild. We want to take this opportunity to thank all those who have visited Mother and prayed for her, as well as the doctors and hospital staff for their services during her short hospi­ tal stay. The Family

ROSE-ALMA BERGERON 1917 - 1993 “Do not let your hearts be troubled ... In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would haue told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you . . . I will come back and take you to be with me...” (John 13 14:1-4). On Tuesday even­ S’. ing, April 13, Mom’s “place” was ready. Thus ended 6 V2 years of life after strokes which left her paralyzed and with no speech. Rose was born at Maria, County of Bonaventure, Quebec, on April 27,1917. She was the tenth child of Ulfranc and Marie-Jane Loubert. Soon after her first birthday her father died suddenly. Her mother married Jos. Au­ det, a widower, 11 years later. The three of them came to Saskatchewan in 1930. On October 5, 1937, Mom wed our dad, Rosairio Bergeron (who was a widower) in VaiMarie, Sask. As well as working for the P.F.R.A., Daddy grew a big garden and Mom did much canning in the fall. Her homemade bread, pies, cookies, etc., were delicious and plentiful for her family, friends, neighbours and church functions. She also cooked meals and packed lunches for oil pipeline workers in town and for hunters who came every fall to hunt white-tailed antelope south of town. Over many years she babysat many children and raised three wee ones for the Chinese cou­ ple who had the restaurant in Vai-Marie. Mom was a pal to a young girl in Girls’ Club, and had many friends, young and old, in town. Although Mom only learned to crochet in 1969, she made up for lost time and supplied her children, grandchildren and friends with many beautiful handmade gifts. In 1968, when Daddy had a stroke and never came home again. Mom found it hard to adjust to living alone. Dad was in the Palisser Centre in Swift Current, Sask., until his death on May 23, 1977. Mom was not blessed with the best of health, but carried on the best she could. She had a hip problem all her life. In 1969 she had a hip replacement, but after 19 months in the hospital, the surgery was a failure. She deve­ loped diabetes in the 1970s and on October 30, 1986, had her first stroke. On May 1, 1987, Mom had a massive stroke which left her incapacitated until her death. She is survived by five children: Angie and Keith Moline (Calgary, Alta.), Emile (Otterburn Park, Quebec), Gerry (Shaunavon, Sask.), J. P. and Marie (Mankota, Sask.), and Noella

and Syd Petersen (Martensville, Sask.); seven grandchildren: Vicky-Lynn and Kelly (Calgary), Claude (Ste. Julie, Quebec), Shane and Melis­ sa (Shaunavon, Sask.), Jason and Shawn (Mankota, Sask.); one brother, Raoul Loubert, and his family (Maria, Co. Bon., Quebec); one sister-in-law, Bertha Loubert (St. Jacques, Quebec); also many nieces and nephews in eastern Canada. Also surviving are Dad’s daughter-in-law, Agnes Burns (Wynyard, Sask.), and her children: Dan (Wynyard), Blaine and Michele and baby Morgan (Wa­ trous, Sask.), and Shelley (Saskatoon, Sask.); Mom’s stepbrother, Emilien Audet (Pierrefonds, Quebec). Mom was predeceased by her parents, her stepfather, six brothers, two sisters and one granddaughter (Sue-Anne Nancy) and her stepson, Jimmy Burns. We as a family express our sincere thanks to relatives, friends, neighbours and church fa­ mily for all expressions of sympathy, dona­ tions of food, phone calls, visits, flowers, cards and telegrams, and for all who came from near and far to attend the funeral service in VaiMarie, Sask., on April 17, 1993. Many thanks to Dr. Berry and staff of Mankota Nursing Home for the wonderful care, compassion and patience extended to our Mom while a patient there. Many thanks to Lemieux’s Funeral Home of Pontiex, Sask., for their able support. Many thanks to the C.W.L. in Vai-Marie for the special cake and lunch after the graveside service.

TINA DUECK 1929-1993 Tina Janzen Dueck was bom February 21, 1929, near Giroux, Manitoba. She was the se­ cond child of John F. and Getruda (nee Penner) Janzen. Her siblings included Sara and Aaron Reimer (Blumenort), Thelma and Abe Penner (Blumenort), Minnie Janzen (Blumenort), Linda and Ernie Pen­ ner (Steinbach), Alvin and Bernadette Janzen (Blumenort), Cornie and Carol Janzen (Blumenort), Annie and Joe Plett (Winnipeg), and Irene Janzen (Blumenort). Mom died on July 13, 1993. On December 9, 1945, at the age of 16, Mom was baptized and received into member­ ship in the Blumenort EMC Church. Mom’s spiritual life was quiet and personal and her faith was expressed more through actions than words. She constantly battled to become a better person and felt remorse when she be­ lieved she had not done the best thing. In her last years, she talked more openly about her faith and encountered a new closeness with Jesus. As a young woman. Mom was employed at the P.J. Loewen grocery store. She often recounted those days with pride, for she was an extremely competent worker. In the summer of 1949, a young man, hav-

THE MESSENGER

9

ingjust completed a year at Bible school, came to work at the store. Mom, who believed she would never get married because of her red hair, freckles and bunion, must have been pleasantly surprised when the young man asked her to go for a drive in the country. A winter of letter writing and the presentation of a beautiful watch as an engagement present, led to their wedding on May 7,1950. The first years of marriage were financially difficult for Mom and Dad. The first home they owned was a small two-room house built by Dad. Mom was very resourceful, even mak­ ing some of our clothes out of secondhand clothes. Mom also spent much time canning and freezing vegetables and fruit. Despite this practical exterior. Mom also was a dreamer, with a rich inner life. Mom loved to read, a love she passed on to all her children and even her grandchildren. She would get caught up in a book and often the storyline would be related to us in great de­ tail. Mom loved poetry and her favourite type of novel depicted the life stories of pioneers. Perhaps she related to the difficult lives of these people and to the joy they obtained from seeing their hard work come to fruition. Mom served as the church librarian for many years and also spent numerous hours reading books for the Blumenort School library. Mom also had a great love for music. She enjoyed singing in harmony and encouraged us children to sing, to play piano, or other mu­ sical instruments. Nature was very important to Mom. She loved to plant flowers and spent hours water­ ing, weeding and caring for them. Many of her children’s weddings were blessed with beau­ tiful flowers from her garden. She often took her children for nature walks to the nearby gravel pit, pointing out flowers and berry bush­ es. She took great pride in caring for her yard; her home was her empire. The beautiful yard that remains is a monument to this. Later in life, when it became physically too difficult to undertake the tasks of gardening, she began watching birds eating from the feeders set up outside the dining room window. Mom took great delight in God’s creation. In 1956 the family set off to Mexico for the first of two missionary terms. Despite facing many fears. Mom’s willingness to serve in this way illustrated her concern and generosity towards others. In later years, when her chil­ dren would come to visit, she would always generously provide vegetables and fruit from her garden. The Steinbach Bible College was also the beneficiary of many gifts of tomatoes and potatoes. On November 12, 1971, Mom swallowed a soup bone and this event radically changed her life, as well that of her family. After four surgeries, including reconstruction surgery of the esophagus, and three months in the hospi­ tal, Mom finally came home, weak, frail, but determined. Eating was a difficult ordeal and her breathing became more laboured with the years. She found it extremely trying to be re­ strained in this manner. Her fighting, competi­ tive spirit enabled her to keep going. Dad inAUGUST 13, 1993

dicated that after this event, he felt Mom had been on loan to him. The presence of family was very important to her during this time. Mom leaves to mourn her husband, John R. Dueck (Blumenort); seven children and their spouses, Marcella and Stephen Parr (Ndola, Zambia), Marilyn and Jim Heinrichs (Stein­ bach), Cathy and Bruce Reimer (Steinbach), Grace and Terry Klassen (Ottawa), John and Josephine Dueck (Calgary), David and Shei­ la Mitchell-Dueck (Winnipeg), and Conrad and Ruth Barber-Dueck (Ottawa); and eight grand­ children, Corinna Reimer, Julia Reimer, Jane Heinrichs, Rachel Reimer, Lisa Klassen, Janelle Dueck, Jeffrey Klassen, and Simon Barber-Dueck. She was predeceased by her parents and one grandson, Darren Reimer. Although spread out across the world, the family remains close. Family holidays, while the children were still living at home, became the focal point of much reminiscing. These were special times of family bonding. Mom took great pride in her children. She instilled in us a sense of self-respect and personal moti­ vation. She was fiercely protective of her chil­ dren and, although she encouraged us to explore the world, she did so with much grief and fear. Her fighting spirit and her determi­ nation to finish the job became a model to her family. This example continued to the end. Mom’s first priority was to raise her family, es­ pecially after her accident. With the last of us leaving the house, this job was complete. Mom, euen though much of your life was difficult, you haue taught us to loue each other, to loue nature, to learn, to fight, and to finish the job. You haue fought the good fight and finished the course. Go in peace.

HELEN HIEBERT DUECK 1916-1993 Lovingly attended by her family, Helen H.Dueck, age 76 years, passed away peace­ fully at the Bethesda Hospital in Steinbach, Man., on June 24, 1993. Feeling their loss, but grateful for many precious memories, are her husband, Peter H. Dueck; four daughters, Lorna and Albert Hiebert, Louella and Den­ nis Friesen and Patricia Dueck (all of Kleefeld), Sandra and Paul Neu­ feld (Steinbach), and one son, Ron and Wen­ dy Dueck (Kleefeld); eight grandchildren, Rhonda and Jim Friesen, Jonathan Hiebert, Naomi and Nathan Dueck, Kerri, Joelle and Andrew Friesen, Jason Dueck; one great­ grandchild, Matthew Friesen, and a special niece, Terri Hiebert. She is also survived by four brothers, Abe, Peter, Cliff and Ben. She was predeceased by daughter Joanne; her parents, Jacob J. and Susanna Hiebert; one sister, Katherine Kornelsen; and four brothers, Jacob, Peter, William and David. Mother led a full life, devoting most of her time and energies to meeting the needs of others. In addition to her tireless efforts in

homemaking, she served for 25 years on the hospital auxiliary committees, both locally and provincially, and was very much involved in the life of the Kleefeld E. M. Church, includ­ ing cradle roll co-founder, Sunday school teacher and sewing circle. Mother enjoyed nothing better than hosting the family for Sun­ day dinner, playing a good (and usually vic­ torious) game of Scrabble, or chatting on the phone with a friend. Her love and self-sacrifice were demonstrated in her care for her children, grandchildren and foster children. The funeral service was held Monday, June 28, at the Kleefeld E. M. Church, with John Koop officiating. Helen’s grandchildren were the pallbearers. Interment followed the serv­ ice at the church cemetery. God Understands After today — tomorrow. After the clouds — the sun. There’ll be no pain nor sorrow Nor any crying done. God understands our suffering. He’ll wipe away all tears; Soon will He come to take us. So why be anxious, dear one. When He with strength surrounds, When He with loue and mercy And euery grace abounds. — Poem by John R. Dick (brother to Peter H. Dueck) THANK YOU We would like to extend a special thank you for all the prayer support we have received, especially to all the friends and acquaintances in High Level and La Crete. With all your pray­ ers and support, we have been able to accept and cope with the loss of our stillborn daugh­ ter, Samara Penner. Along with the acceptance, we found com­ plete trust and the love of God in a whole new way, which has helped us to grow in our Chris­ tian walk. For this reason, if for no other, we can be truly thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for our loss. The following poem has been very comfort­ ing for us, and we thought that by sharing it, we may be able to bring comfort to someone else. Martin and Judy Penner High Leuel, Alta.

Cod Needed an Angel in Heaven When Jesus lived upon the earth so many years ago, He called the little children close to Him, Because He loved them so. And with that tenderness of old. That same sweet, gentle way. He holds your little loved one Close within His arms today. And you'll find comfort in your faith That, in His arms above. The cod of little children gives Your little one His love. So think of your little darling — Lighthearted, happy and free, Playing in Cod's promised land. Where there is joy eternally.

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CORNIE FRIESEN 1919-1993 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). God in His wisdom and love took our husband, father and grandfather to his heavenly mansion pre­ pared for those who love Him. Dad was born in Morris, Manitoba, on September 12, 1919, to Jacob and Margaret Friesen, and passed away on June 1.1993, at the Carman Memorial Hospital, at the age of 73 years, 8 months and 19 days. Dad accepted Christ as his personal Saviour and was baptized upon his confession of faith on October 2, 1938, and became a member of the EMC church in Rosenort, Manitoba. On October 25, 1942, he married Kathy Friesen, and the happy couple was blessed with ten children. Dad enjoyed good health for many years, but in 1976 he had the misfor­ tune of fracturing his right shoulder. Shortly after. Mom had a recurrence of cancer and passed away a year later. After Mother went to meet her Lord, Dad was a very lonely man. Two and a half years later he married Helen Dueck, with whom he enjoyed 13 '/z years of married bliss. Among the many things Dad enjoyed were gardening, woodworking, helping out on the farm, and the art of reflexology. Our family get-togethers always consisted of singing hymns, which was a real highlight for Dad. We are thankful for the deep concern our dad had for the spiritual welfare of his children, grand­ children and community. He had a great desire to someday meet us all again in heaven. On May 13, 1993, Dad suffered a severe stroke, from which he never recovered. Through it all, he never complained, but dis­ played a cheerful disposition. Dad was predeceased by his first wife, Ka­ thy; one grandchild, Jason Klassen, the son of Marion and Dennis Klassen; his parents; one brother, Abe; and four siblings in infancy. Dad leaves to mourn his passing, his lov­ ing wife, Helen {Roseisle), Pauline and Alfred Nickel (Graysville), Rosella and Elmer Nickel (Winnipeg), James and Edna (Manitou), Alvi­ na and John Wiens (Winnipeg), Marion and Dennis Klassen (Roseisle), Gladwin and Lin­ da (Manitou), Dolores and Peter Dyck (Mia­ mi), Brian and Elaine (Roseisle), Vai and Jim Giesbrecht (Abbotsford, B.C.), Darrell and Eleanor (Roseisle). He also leaves to mourn 33 precious grandchildren; two brothers, Pete and Frank; and four sisters, Mary, Elizabeth, Helen and Agnes. We, the family, thank the Carman Memorial Hospital nursing staff for the loving care Dad received as a patient. We are also grateful for all the prayers, visits, cards and words of en­ couragement we received during the last three difficult weeks. May God bless you richly for it. The Family

PAGE 20

CORNELIUS P. DOERKSEN 1895-1993 Cornelius P. Doerksen was born February 3,1895, in Blumcnhof, Manitoba, to Gerhard and Sara D. Doerksen. He passed away peacefully on June 14, 1993, at the Resthaven Nursing Home in Steinbach, Man. Dad was a teenager when he and his fami­ ly moved to Satanta, Kansas, to take up homesteading. Dad farmed until the dust storms and depression made it impossible to carry on. Dad enjoyed carpentry and so that became his occupation. In 1926 Dad travelled back to Manitoba to marry Elisabeth Toews. They were married September 24, 1926, and enjoyed 62 years together. Life in the early years was hard and Dad worked hard to make a living. Love in the home was strong and this, along with their faith in God, carried them through the years. While in Kansas, three daughters and one son formed the family circle. In 1945 Dad and Mom moved back to Manitoba to be with their aging parents. Another daughter was added to the family circle. In the early years of their married life, both Dad and Mom accepted Jesus as their Saviour. They were baptized and became members of the Kleingemeinde church at Satanta. Dad’s faith in the Lord remained strong. He had a deep concern for his family and prayed much for them. Dad was a con­ tented man and expressed thankfulness that God was with him. Just a few weeks before he died, he said that he was so thankful that God was with him and that the staff at the Home were so good to him. Dad had a great interest in singing. When the Doerksens had a gathering, there was usually a lot of singing. We grew up with sing­ ing and Dad taught us many songs. He also enjoyed woodworking and spent happy hours with his wood and tools. Dad enjoyed his garden and in the summer it was hard to get him to leave it. Until June 1991, Dad was a reasonably healthy man. His eyesight and hearing were poor, which was a trial to him, but he managed to look after himself. Then he frac­ tured his hip and had surgery. He spent many weeks in the Steinbach Bethesda Hospital and the ETU. In March 1992 he took up residence at the Resthaven Nursing Home. His stay at the Resthaven was as comfortable as the staff could make it. We are thankful for the good care Dad received from the entire staff of the Resthaven. Dad as a father and grandfather will be missed. His grandchildren were a delight to him. Because Lonnie was the only one close by, she was able to bring extra cheer into his life. He also had the privilege of receiving a visit from his only great-grandchild shortly be­ fore he died.

Dad was predeceased by our mother in 1989. He will be missed by us as family; Alice and Linda (Winnipeg), Irwin (Los Angeles), Doris and Harvey Friesen (Calgary), Jo-Anne and Bob Kehler (Steinbach); grandchildren: Kym and Henry Thorpe, Randy, Laury and Richard Friesen (Calgary), Lonnie Kehler (Steinbach); and great-grandson, Harrison Thorpe. He is survived by three sisters, Sara Penner, Marie Toews and Margaret Bartel; and five brothers, John, Bernhard, Peter, Jacob and Diedrich. He was predeceased by two sisters and two brothers. Thank you to our friends and relatives for your prayers and acts of love. The Family

PETER BARKMAN REIMER 1923-1993 The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. . . Surely goodness and mercy go with me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23). On Sunday, July 25, 1993, our husband, father and grandfather, Peter B. Reimer, went to be with the Lord at the age of 69 years. Peter (Dad) was born the fifth of ten children on September 20,1923, to Jacob R. E. and Margaret Reimer in Kleefeld, Manito­ ba. He was baptized in the Kleefeld E. M. Church by Peter P. Reimer on June 21,1942. During World War II he was a conscientious objector and worked at a camp at Clear Lake. Later, after meeting and courting Annie Schapansky at their joint place of work at the seniors’ home in Steinbach, Dad and Mom were married on September 14, 1947. They celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary last September. They had seven children, one son and six daughters, or, as Dad liked to say, “one and a half dozen children.” The family lived and worked in Steinbach except for two winters hauling pulp at Vermil­ ion Bay in the mid 1950s. Dad and his brother Abe began the building moving business in 1953. From 1960 to 1982 Dad was on his own in the business and later with his son, Wes. After retiring from the moving business. Dad worked for a period of time as an order­ ly at the Rest Haven Nursing Home, then for a number of years at El Dad Ranch, all the while keeping busy with rental maintenance. This more relaxed lifestyle allowed him to put­ ter around with his tools and invent things, something which gave him a real sense of satisfaction, while maintaining an active church and visiting schedule. In 1961 he was ordained as a deacon in the Steinbach E. M. Church, a calling that he took very seriously and in which he continued faith­ fully until his death. Although his livelihood came from his work as a building mover, it was his faith in God, his commitment to the work of the church and his responsibilities as deacon in the church that had priority in his THE MESSENGER

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life. In September 1966 Dad had a heart attack, which dramatically influenced his family. For­ tunately he recovered well and was able to re­ sume a full, healthy life until he was diagnosed in March 1991 as having multiple myeloma, a type of bone cancer. This disease was stabi­ lized through medication and he again re­ sumed his regular activities. Singing and visiting were always important to Dad. From their first years together, our par­ ents, together with Abe Kroekers, went to sing for shut-in and elderly people. Later Albert and Elisabeth Friesen joined the singing group, which continued to serve regularly at the Rest Haven and Personal Care Home. Visiting the lonely, helping others and driving people to the doctor were all regular activities that continued to the present time. In the last number of years he was also involved with the MCC auction. Dad always loved to travel and left us chil­ dren with rich memories of family trips. In the last years he and Mom were able to do a lot of travelling and, when possible, they would visit missionaries on these trips. Dad’s adven­ turous spirit was evident in the enjoyment he had in snorkeling among the coral reefs on the coast of Brazil in 1990. (Some of us joked about Dad being very careful about where he spent his pennies but always having enough money for travel. He would probably have said that was why he could do it.) Children and grandchildren alike have many special memories of our annual family camp­ ing weekend and of Dad’s bonfires and wien­ er roasts at the shop. As many of you know, God allowed Dad to go through various difficulties over the years. He sometimes questioned how such things could happen to him when he tried so hard to live uprightly and honestly. However, it is clear that it was because of these ex­ periences that he was able to comfort and sympathize with others in their hard times. Through it all. Dad’s faith remained strong, as exemplified in the reminder he gave us just a short while ago, encouraging us to continue to look to God and not give up when things got hard. Numerous people have commented lately that he seemed to have a new lease on life, as though he were recovering his stride again. He was more spontaneous and creative, put­ ting more energy into nurturing relationships, especially with family and grandchildren. Dad has left us a rich legacy of faith and commitment, and he will be deeply missed by all of us. Nevertheless, we know our Dad has “fought the good fight, he has finished the race, he has kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Although he was taken from us so suddenly, we sense the correctness of God’s timing, realizing he spared Dad from a lengthy and difficult recovery. He will be fondly remembered by his wife, Annie, and their children and grandchildren: Irene and Gerald Brown and children, Daniel, Aaron and Miriam (Winnipeg), Wesley Reim­ er (Steinbach), Dorothy and Ed Barkman, Nalia, Vaughn and Matthew (Winnipeg), Brenda

AUGUST 13, 1993

and LaVemc Penner (Barry, Cynthia, Ryan and Trenton (Mitchell), Sharon and James’ Sagnes, Sara-Jane, Jenni-Lee and Nickolas (Steinbach), Joanne and Trevor Salisbury (Canmore, Alta.), and Jacqueline Reimer (Steinbach). He is also survived by four brothers and three sisters and their spouses and two sisters-in-law: Nettie and Henry P. D. Reimer (Belize), Jake and Annie Reimer (Mex­ ico), Elisabeth and Albert Friesen (Kleefeld), Susan Reimer (Steinbach), Mary and John P. Reimer (Belize), Abe and Betty Reimer (Arborg), Henry and Elizabeth Reimer (Mexico), Helen Reimer (Belize) and Cornie and Helen Reimer (Mexico). Dad was predeceased by his father, Jacob R. E. Reimer, in 1954; his mother, Margaret, in 1975; and two brothers, John in 1961 and Nick in 1979. We have sensed and deeply appreciate the support many of you have given us though your prayers and generous gifts of food, flow­ ers and visits. Mrs. Annie Reimer and Family

ANNIE JANZEN 1899-1993 July 5,1993, dawned in a very special way for Tante (Aunt) Anna when, shortly after 12:00 midnight, she passed away at the Bethesda Hospital. So often she had ex­ pressed a desire to move to her heavenly home; so often she’d said she hoped she would remain alert till the time of her death. So often she had hoped she would not need long periods of hospital or heavy care, and that morning those wishes were granted. She had lived in an apartment with the help of home care and spent only about 38 hours in the hospital before she died. For us as a family it did seem quite sudden. Tante Anna had always been there as far as we were concerned and even for those of us who visited her on Sunday, she didn’t seem that ill. She talked a bit with Kathi and Ger­ ald about their upcoming wedding and made a comment about how all the earth was to praise the Lord after Irma read Psalm 103. These are some of our last memories of her. We also spent time together as a family when Vida and Jim and some of their family were here for a visit in April. It turned out to be our last family gathering with her, certainly a day we will never forget. Vida’s memories go back to childhood and teenage years. Her first memory is that of Tante Anna wearing a green velvet tarn. She was very grateful for the nice clothes Tante Anna sewed and remembers how faithfully she cared for Aunt Margaret. Jim remembers how she always appreciat­ ed their coming and regretted their leaving. He says she had a servant heart, always willing to serve a meal or go the second mile. Their children’s memories cover only the last yecirs. Leslie remembers her proudly display­ ing her MCC projects, especially the scarves she knitted. She and Leslie also shared favourite dog stories. Ken appreciated how Tante Anna made a real effort to talk to him

in English and tried to get to know him. The boys and Maxine remember her interest in everything they did; even things that seemed trivial to them were exciting to her. They also remember that Tante Anna was always ready to accept them when they came for a visit and also the cards that came regularly on their birthdays, as well as at Christmas time. Irma remembers the clothes Tante Anna sewed that looked just like the ones in the Ea­ ton’s catalogue, and all without a real pattern. Also, Tante Anna’s faith and her desire to spend time in prayer were a real model to her. Emily remembers her sense of wisdom and how she was always glad to see us and asked how we were doing even when she herself was not feeling well. Kathi was happy Tante Anna never laughed when she spoke in Low German when every­ one else seemed to laugh at it. Also, Tante Anna understood what she was trying to ex­ plain. She also remembers how Tante Anna had home remedies for any aches and pains. All these memories are relatively recent. We just don’t have memories of the first 50 years of her life! We did think she adjusted reasona­ bly well to the changing times. She learned to use a microwave when she was 90 and seemed to accept that things cost lots more than they did 70 years ago. Tante Anna was born on March 4, 1899, at McTavish, Man. Her parents were John P. and Gertruda Janzen and she was the mid­ dle child of five children. When she was about seven, the family moved to Blumenhof and she lived on the family farm till she and her sisters moved to Blumenort in 1973. In spite of the support she received from family and friends, her last years were lonely. Her siblings were gone and there were very few friends in her age bracket with whom to reminisce. Also, due to her gradually deteriorating health, she was no longer able to get around independent­ ly. She often said she’d go to church again when she felt better and actually managed to go once last October. Her faith certainly helped sustain her during the last years. She memorized John 14 during the last few years and often quoted part of it to her visitors and also clung to its many promises. We will miss her but are glad that for her the earthly journey has been completed. Her immediate family includes her foster daugh­ ter, Vida, and her husband, Jim Thiessen (Burns Lake, B.C.), and their children, Leslie and Ken Dyck (Newton, Man.), Jordan (New­ ton), Carrick, Tracy and Maxine (Bums Lake); her nieces, Irma Janzen (Winnipeg, Man.), Emily Neufeld (Selkirk, Man.); and Emily’s daughter, Kathi, and her fiance, Gerald (Stein­ bach, Man.). As a family we extend sincere thanks to all the people who have supported her during the last years. Special thanks to the residents of Oakwood Place, to the Ridgewood Women’s Fellowship, to Pastor Bill and Anna Penner, to the Home Care nurses and attendants (some really became friends during the years) and to Dr. Giesbrecht. May God bless you all. The Family

PAGE 21

Weddings ENNS - WALTON: Arlyn, son of Henry and Luella Enns of La Crete, Alta., was married on July 10, 1993, to Ann Annette, daughter of Howard and May Walton of Creswell, Oregon. The wedding took place at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, with Bill Page of Creswell, Oregon, officiating. The couple is residing in Edmonton, Alta. REIMER • PLETT: Cornie, son of Abe and Helen Reimer of Osler, Sask., and Rita, daughter of Clar­ ence and Linda Plett of Blumenort, Man., were mar­ ried on June 12, 1993. The wedding took place at the Blumenort EMC, with Larry Rempel of Nipa-

win, Sask., officiating. The couple is making their home in Steinbach, Man.

Births PETERS - to Ed and Ruth Ann Peters of Bums Lake, B.C., a daughter, Amanda Beth, on July 9, 1993. MINGER - to Shane and Debbie Minger of Bums Lake, B.C., a son, Kyle, on May 6, 1993. FUNK - to John and Esther Funk of Winnipeg, Man., a daughter, Megan Helen, on June 16,1993. JAMES - to David and Gloria James of Winnipeg, Man., a son, Andrew David, on June 1, 1993.

LOEWEN - to David and Rachel Loewen of Stein­ bach, Man., a daughter, Mikaela Bethany Dawn, on July 14, 1993. OLFERT - to Jeff and Kathy Olfert of Saskatoon, Sask., a son, Parker James, on July 11, 1993. REIMER - to Brian and Tricia Reimer of Lesotho, Africa, a son, Alexander Adrian, on July 28, 1993. GINTER - to Rob and Yvonne Ginter of Rosenort, Man., a daughter, Samantha Jordan, on July 27, 1993. TAG AN - to Eugene and Evelyn Tacan of Sioux Valley, Man., a son, Blake Quinton James, on July 8, 1993.

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..dS The Rosenort youth group enjoying the beautiful countryside of Prince Albert, Sask.

Rosenort Youth Group on Tour The Rosenort EMC Youth Group, under the direction of Youth Pastor Amos Fehr and five youth sponsors, headed out West during the spring school break for a music and drama tour. The group of 24 energetic members presented programs in nine churches and four schools

in Alberta, Sask., and Manitoba, The book of Jeremiah makes references to youth, reminding us not to underestimate the awesome potential that youth have to minister to others. This ten-day tour provided excellent opportunities for each of the youth members to share their faith through testimony,

Mount Salem Youth Retreat '93 Every year the youth executive puts hard work into planning a youth retreat. Their hours of planning result in a successful retreat. This year we had a Penny Drive to raise money to help cover some expenses. The two pails we had were almost filled. It was great to see peo­ ple supporting us. Our long-awaited weekend finally arrived. On May 28 all the campers gathered at the church to leave for Forest Cliff. Around 7:00, people boarded the bus, ready to experience an awesome weekend. We had all been pray­ ing for good weather and a time of spiritual renewal. God answered our prayers, for which we are very thankful. Forest Cliff is placed in a beautiful setting, right beside a lake. The campgrounds were welcome after that long bus ride. Unpacking didn’t take long and everyone filed in for the first session. Our sessions consisted of prayer, lots of singing, testimonies and words from our guest PAGE 22

speaker. Cliff Loewen came all the way from Blumenort, Manitoba, to spend the weekend with us. The singing was great. The favourite for most of us was “All Heav’n Declares.” We were accompanied by our own music group, who did a fantastic job. Maury Friesen, Abe Klassen and Abe Peters shared their testimonies with us; they were en­ couraging. It is great to see God working in and changing people’s lives. The outdoor activities were something else, especially the night games. The Menno Run and Capture the Flag were challenging, yet thrilling. Saturday afternoon was filled with ac­ tivities: Balloon Toss, Flying Dutchmen, volleyball, soccer and New Zealand baseball. Many people left camp with burned faces. The food prepared by the cooks was deli­ cious! I don’t think anyone left the table with an empty stomach. Thank you again for a job well done. Free time was spent exploring the camp-

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Rosenort EMC Senior Youth.

music and drama. This tour was made possible by our youth group’s annual cleanathon fund-raiser and by the prayerful support of parents and commu­ nity. Thank you to all of you who so graciously opened your doors to us and gave us the op­ portunity to meet you during this tour. May the Lord bless you. Amos Fehr

grounds, strolling along the beach, pho­ tographing friends and preparing for the Talent Show. The 1993 annual talent show was pulled off with success. A large number of actors, ac­ tresses, musicians and comedians provided the entertainment. Plays, skits and a musical number left our sides aching from laughter. My side almost split when Abe and Maury ate their delicious peanut butter sandwich. Most people didn’t get much sleep, but that’s what camp is all about. Most people had lots of energy, some maybe too much. (A bunch of guys serenaded Cliff, singing “You Are My Sunshine.”) New friends were made and friend­ ships were renewed. God kept his hand over us, and that’s why we had such a great time. Although there were a few drawbacks (like ice cold showers), the weekend turned out to be awesome. Without God nothing would have happened; He deserves all the credit. Well, we are already looking forward to next year! Tami Krahn

THE MESSENGER

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By the WAY By Dave Schellenberg «

K

ONE OF OUR DAUGHTERS works in Home Care, which at times takes her to Fernwood Place. She has told us how some listen when the funeral announce­ ments are aired on Radio Southern Manitoba. This comes on after the news and weather shortly after 9 a.m. I must confess that even at our house it is quite a ritual. Since this radio network is so large, I suppose it is seldom that there are no announcements. And so it was again this past week when the dear brother and fellow church member, Peter B. Reimer, was sudden­ ly called home (July 25). He was the longest-standing deacon in our church (Steinbach EMC) — more than 30 years — and he took his work seriously. The church will greatly miss him. Our con­ dolences to the family. Death is all around us. We see it on TV, read it in the newspaper, hear it on the radio, etc. Unless the Lord comes before then, we shall all experience it, and yet it seems that we never get en­ tirely used to it. Time may make the pain more bear­ able, but in our case, recently, even af­ ter 43 years ((1950), my wife and I recalled the event when our son David (1945-50) went to be with the Lord. (We did have to go and check, though, whether July 31 was the date of his death or the funeral. It was the anniver­ sary of his passing.) Paul talks about death as an enemy (I Cor. 15:26). An enemy is to be feared and so we fear death. Just recently I was made aware, in another of Paul’s writ­ ings, that maybe there is another side to this when he says, “...or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s’’ (I Cor. 3:22,23). And wouldn’t it follow that if all this is ours, maybe it is irrational to fear these things? Maybe we only need to claim our heritage. May God help us to do this. HAVE YOU EVER run across the problem, when installing drywall, that the screw nail refused to bite? Now what’s wrong? Well, the last time I took a screw nail out, I forgot to switch the drill back to the forward position; it was still in the “reverse” mode. After mak­ ing the necessary adjustment, I could again go ahead with the job. How easy it is to have our attitude set­ ting in reverse, and we run into trouble! AUGUST 13, 1993

That happened to me the other day. You know, I’m not always very sensitive to proper dress and I was just going on a small errand to the church when my wife reminded me about going in that attire! Immediately my attitude went into reverse. Why wasn’t that good enough? The result — I went into a huff. My mechanism went into uncooperative reverse. But the Holy Spirit kept reminding me that I owed my wife an apology and only after I had apologized did my con­ science again switch into forward. And I again I found that confession is good for the soul. The switch on the reversi­ ble drill I used is difficult to switch to reverse; I want mine to be too. HAVE YOU EVER wondered why Je­ sus touched people? The Gospels give us a number of occurrences of this — a man, an ear, eyes, a hand. Granted, his hand had a supernatural touch — it healed and restored. However, I believe even our touch can convey certain blessings. Maybe some­ one has at times touched you, a friend, acquaintance, etc., giving you a certain warmth. Handshakes, of course, are very ordinary. In the footwashing ceremony we touch each other’s feet; to me this is a moving act. The fact that it is programmed may make it a little more impersonal, though. But I am talking of another kind of touch, one that you may long remember afterwards. Shaking hands with someone, using both hands, comes close to what I mean. To me it signifies something, an extra warmth, a feeling of camaraderie, oneness, unity. Just think back — these touches don’t happen very often, do they? I experienced it the other day. It hap­ pened to be a touch on the shoulder, from someone sitting behind me in church. What a blessing! Turning around, I saw it was a friend of many years, who favoured me with this gesture. Maybe for him it was a little thing, but for me it Is something to be remembered — a message which spoke louder than words. In a sense, it was a healing touch. Today Jesus is not physically present to touch us. However, the touch of his followers can still bring blessings to others. Maybe we should make more use of it.

Don Thiessen Conference Pastor

Jargon Presto. Legato. Mozart. Bassoon. Stac­ cato. Adagio. Beethoven. Debussy. Haydn. Summers. Shaeffer. Langsam. Poco a poco. Con spirito. Tchaikovsky. Piano forte. Hymnology. Liber Usualis. Counter­ point. Metre. Time. Signature. Keys. Or­ chestration. Viola. Marimba. Piccolo. Conductor. Ballet. Opera. Lied. Plainchant. Jongleur. Minnesinger. Serialism. Impres­ sionism. Oratorio. Contralto. Secco recita­ tive. Sonata. Minuet. Palestrina. Hildegarde von Bingen. Rondo. DOS. Format. Disk drive. Megabytes. Shift F7. Windows. RAM. ROM. Hard disk. Colour VGA monitor. Microproces­ sor. dBase. 386SX. Megahertz. High den­ sity. Serial port. Parallel port. 2400 Baud. Software. Modem. PC. MS Works. Word Perfect. Apple. Compaq. NiMH Battery­ pack. Cursor. IBM. Floppy. Macros. Dot Matrix. Bubble jet. Networking. Tracker­ ball. Menus. Mouse. 5%. 3’/2. Sanctification. Repentance. Premillennial. Born again. Covenant. Moses. Psalm. Pastoral. Omnipotence. Transcendence. Sin. Spiritual. Revelation. Incarnation. Con­ version. Justification. Saved. Glorify. Bap­ tism. Communion. Eschatology. Tribulation. I Corinthians. Redemption. Gospel. Nehemiah. Consubstantiation.

Jargon. Each field of knowledge or en­ deavour has its own set. If you are a musi­ cian you will have recognized most or all of that first paragraph. If you are computer literate you will have identified with the lan­ guage of the second paragraph. As Christians we have our jargon. We can’t avoid it. The words we use commu­ nicate but we cannot assume that they communicate to everyone. To eliminate all jargon is not the answer; we will simply replace it with another. We must not use jargon to impress or confuse. We need to teach and teaching often involves simplify­ ing. In other words, this is an apology (I’m not saying, “Fm sorry”) for the use of words that describe best what we’re trying to say. We don’t offer an apology (say, “I’m sor­ ry”) when we talk about a cursor in “com­ puterese”; we explain if necessary. I think the best way to deal with our “jargon” is to explain it and as language changes to change our language. That’s what teach­ ing is all about; take what is difficult eind make it seem simple.

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From the Editor Guest Editorial

MWC Calcutta 1997: Giving and Receiving EVERY MENNONITE and Brethren in Christ congregation in North America should send at least one person to Mennonite World Conference Assembly 13 in Calcutta, India, in January 1997. That idea was suggested at the MWC General Council meeting in Zimbabwe in July, and it is a good one. MWC administrative services director Kathy Good estimates it would cost $3,500 to $4,000 (U.S.) for a North American to attend the assembly. This includes airfare, staying in a modest hotel, meals, registration and some additional travel in India. Additional travel is included because visits to Mennonite churches in other parts of India are expected to be an integral part of the assembly. If a congregation decides to cover someone’s cost of attending, there is plenty of time to raise the money in the next 3 years. Since fewer North Americans will be able to go to Calcutta than went to Winnipeg three years ago, congregational representatives are needed to link our members with this important event. Contributions toward assembly attendance should not focus only on getting North Americans to India. MWC executive director Larry Miller encourages congregations to support the MWC travel fund, which enables members from less wealthy countries to take part in the assembly. Congregations could set a goal to raise equal amounts for their own assembly representative and for the travel fund. North Americans and Europeans should make the extra effort to go to India because at this assembly Mennonites in the developing world will be missionaries to us. Rather than having an assembly dominated by Westerners, where Mennonites from the rest of the world see how we do a church festival, it is our turn to learn from their traditions and expressions of faith. Mennonites from many countries will have a good assembly even if few Westerners take part. It will be mostly our loss if we’re not there. Rather than dwelling on the difficulty and expense of visiting India, we should anticipate the excitement and adventure of new experiences and the inspiration we’ll give and receive through cross-cultural fellowship. North Americans have gotten used to giving to overseas causes over the years, and this of course is good. But now we must learn to be receivers too, if Mennonites around the world are to develop into an interdependent group of equals. Assembly 13 is a step toward that ideal, said film and video producer Michael

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Hostetler of Scottdale, Pa., who first suggested the goal of each North American congregation sending someone to India. “The church in other parts of the world is growing into new maturity,” he said. “We North Americans need to change our understanding of what the church is and how we relate to the international church. We often think we are the ones with something to give. But it also goes the other way, and the time has come to give and receive.” And the time has come to start thinking about Assembly 13 and praying for those who are preparing for Calcutta ’97. Ravi Sankara Rao of India hopes it will be a Mennonite Pentecost for the 21st century. Let’s help make it happen. Paul Schrag Managing editor of Mennonite Weekly Review

A Word About Bible Camps WHEN 1 WAS growing up I had no opportunity to go to a Bible camp. Later I remember taking my younger sister and two other young people from our church to Red Rock Bible Camp. Other than brief visits to a few camps through the years, that was the extent of my involvement with Christian camping. Until 1967, that is. That year I made up for all I had missed earlier. I began with a week as speaker at Camp Jubilee on Lake Manitoba for the Portage EMC Church. Before that camp was quite over I transferred to Carberry Bible Camp where I had consented to serve as director for four weeks. At that time camps began and ended on Sunday afternoon. Before one group had completely left, members of the next group began to arrive. It was exhausting; there was no time to recover a bit of energy to meet the exuberance of the new campers. The joy of seeing youngsters giving their lives to Christ and growing in the faith, kept us going. After three seasons at Carberry I relinquished my position. So, after a long drought as far as camps were concerned, I thoroughly enjoyed refreshing visits to the three camps described on pages 6 and 7. Camps offer a great opportunity to teach God’s Word freely and influence young lives in living skills. Let’s pray for and support this worthwhile ministry. Menno Hamm

THE MESSENGER

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