The Messenger March 22, 1995

The Messenger EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE

VOL. 33 NO. fi6

MAR. 22/QF 22/95

Nicaragua Work Project February 9 to 24, 1995 The team consisted of seven members: Ernie Koop (leader). Bob Giesbrecht, Scott Warkentin, Doug Koop (all from Steinbach EFC), Wally Bartel (Pleasant Val­ ley), Lome Loewen (Braeside) and Menno Hamm (Steinbach EMC).

We were seven. All from different walks of life, spanning at least four decades in age and from four congregations. We came together with a common purpose, to help our fellow Christians in Nicaragua and to learn through our experience with them. Our projects consisted of building two latrines (outhouses) and paint­ ing the roof of the chapel, including the metal trusses and bracing at the campground. In Managua we undertook the task of replacing the corrugated metal roof of the Fraternity office building, as well as repairing damaged ceiling plywood, trimming doors and painting metal bars and doors. We enjoyed working together and especially enjoyed the active par­ ticipation of some of our Nicaraguan brethren. Salvador, Noel and Francisco painted and assisted us in every way at the campground. Roger and Pablo also helped us get whatever was lacking in materi­ als for our labours. We trust that our time will have been profitable, that the new roof won’t leak and that our bond with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua has been strengthened. — Ernie Koop

The following is excerpted from a letter addressed to Lester Olfert:

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“We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to express our appreciation and thanks to you and to the Canadian brethren who came to help us with the repairs for the campgrounds and the office of our Fraternity. “We appreciate the support and interest that you have demonstrated in helping us according to your ability: in your prayers, as well as physically and economically, demonstrating in this way the tremen­ dous love that you have for our Fraternity here in Nicaragua. “It was a privilege to work together, shoulder to shoulder as one family in Christ. We hope that our brothers will soon return to visit us here. “We are including a list of all the names and signatures of each committee, expressing in this way our sincere gratitude to each one of the brethren who came to Nicaragua, as well as to the mission and to the conference in Canada that in one way or another partici­ pated in this project. Our sincere thanks to Brother Ernie Koop, who gave himself wholeheartedly to cooperate and to direct the work, as well as to visit the churches and the outreach points, sharing in that way with each one of us the love of Christ. In the precious name of Jesus, whose name is above all names.” The Fraternity of Euangelical Mennonite Churches of Nicaragua Left to right, top to bottom; 1. Getting ready to leave the office build­ ing in Managua; 2. Wally repairing the ceiling in the office; 3. Doug with two young friends at the convention; 4. Replacing the roof of the Fraternity office building; 5. Menno with Arnulfo’s father, sam­ pling coconut milk; 6. Ernie painting metal trusses in the chapel; 7. Pablo, Marlon, Ramon, Jose, Roger and Arnulfo, representing the National Council, came to say goodbye.

‘ *Good Christians Don f Need Psychiatry by Patricia Roop Robinson “Good Christians don’t need psychiatry. ” The first time I heard these words I was 27 years old. The speaker was the pastor. I was on my first weekend pass from a psychiatric centre where I was undergoing treatment for clinically overt depression. was already full of pessimism, hopelessness and freefloating anxiety and guilt. I couldn’t sleep. The last thing I needed was to be told I wasn’t a good Christian. The absurdity of the pastor’s statement hit me like a bullet. I fled to the safety of the hospital, where his words became my grist for many therapy sessions. My church had failed me in my greatest hour of need. My struggle with depression, obsessive preoccupation with theological questions and suicidal thoughts began at age 16. What should have been the most carefree days of my life became my most tormented. Ironically, I was a child of the church, the place to which the sick and weary are invited to come for healing. My parents and generations before them had their roots in the church. Church activities were as much a part of my life as eating and breathing. During the fifties, the times of my teens, churches in my denomination still held week-long evangelistic meetings. During these endurance contests, it was common for preachers to “scare the hell” from our bodies so we would be free to fully accept faith in Christ and be prepared for heaven. I felt betrayed by the idea that our God was a wrathful God, waiting to strike me down should I deviate a hair from the rules prescribed by the church fathers. I had been taught to believe in a loving God, not an angry, vengeful God. But the God the preachers

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“Outwardly I appeared fine .... Inwardly I was very distressed and depressed.” thundered about was a punitive God who created hell just for sinners like me. I was confused and deeply disturbed by this paradox. Where was truth? This perplexity became a primary contributor to my depression. So 1 asked questions — unwelcome questions. The answers I received from pastors were stamped out with cookie cutters: “Pray more!” “Things will get better when you go to college.” “It’s just a stage you’re going through.” None of the male ministers (there were no female ministers) I approached heard my cry for help. I asked questions they could not answer. I left feeling unheard. Nothing changed. PAGE 2

Though discouraged, I continued the search for help for my troubling questions about God. Deep within me I heard “the still small voice of God” urging me on. It told me that life had to be better than this.

inally, one man recognized my pain and confusion. And he too was a pastor. He saw my overt signs of stress. He listened. And he acted. He recommended psychiatric treatment. Further, because my family had no experience with psychiatrists, he helped me find one. With much trepidation I saw my first therapist as an outpatient. I talked. He listened. With him I felt comforted, knowing I had a safe place to unburden myself. Yet I realized he had no real knowledge of the religious concerns that represented a good part of the reason for my emotional problems. Real help would have to come from elsewhere. During this period I kept my therapy a secret from the church community. I didn’t want anyone to know what was happening. Outwardly I appeared fine. I was active in many musical groups, both at school and at church. I was a good student academically, and popular socially. Inwardly I was very distressed and depressed. Fortunately, during this time I had one friend from my church and school who gave me constant support. She did not understand what was happening to me, but then I didn’t either. With her friendship, with medications, electro-convulsive and talk therapy, I managed to graduate from high school and go on to our church college. Many ministers had assured me that college would be the place to find answers to my questions. Instead my symptoms only escalated with the increased financial and scholastic pressures. The “perfection” requirement spelled out in both my church and family dynamics was fine-tuned here by college rules: “Good girls act in highly restrictive ways or else.” It’s hard to be the freespirited coed depicted in college recruitment materials as you walk across campus with a raincoat covering both ankles. Carrying eighteen credit hours, with no idea how the next year was to be financed, with commitments to several musical groups on campus, and with the knowledge that I still had questions pastors could not, or would not, answer, I once again succumbed to depression. Even then I did not totally understand that mental illness is every bit as real as pneumonia or cancer and can recur if the same conditions that precipitated its first occurrence fall together again. This time the depression was so overpowering that I required hospitalization. I was unable to function. My family had great difficulty accepting that this was happening to them. For them, having an emotionally or mentally ill child was like telling the world they had failed as parents. They felt burdened by the stigma. No

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THE MESSENGER

“I did not totally understand that mental illness is every bit as real as pneumonia or cancer and can recur if the same conditions that precipitated its first occurrence fall together again.” hell I had been threatened with from any pulpit could equal the one in which I was then living. I felt safe in the first psychiatric centre I was admitted to. At least from myself. There was nothing I could kill myself with. But unfortunately, patients were only maintained, not treated here. I was lucky if my psychiatrist met with me for 15 minutes in the bathroom, the only private place.

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hen 1 first understood that treatment was not forthcoming, I panicked. Either I must escape or I would remain in the hospital for the rest of my life. Even God seemed to have abandoned me. Yet, still I prayed. The words of the hymn, “Help us to help each other. Lord,” echoed in my head at night when sleep would not come. One morning I looked for other patients to be with to gain strength through helping and sharing if I could not get it from the professional staff. Strangely, the greatest help I received was from a housekeeper who, against all orders, permitted me to help her make beds and clean other patients’ rooms. “I’ve seen ’em all, honey,” she said to me over and over. “And you’re one’s gonna make it.” She taught me that a patient has to “work” to defeat mental illness. The therapist can point out the path and make resources available. The patient, however, must walk the path to health and take the first, second, third and all the next steps toward the light. Eventually I was transferred to an institution where therapy was an integral part of the treatment. My

ilt<l with Jonathan Toews

In My Country . . . Moving to a new country seems to strip you of your ability to be objective — either that or it exposes you to the extent of your biases. This loss of objectivity, it seems to me, is largely due to the removal of what is familiar, comfortable, understood. Change is always disconcerting and when confronted with something new, it is natur­ al to refer back to what is known and un­ derstood from experience. Whether it is food or etiquette, traffic rules or customer service, doesn’t seem to matter, it is all too easy to point a critical finger rather than adapt. From what I have observed, this loss of objectivity or, to put it another way, this arrival of bias, is particularly evident in March 22, 1995

primary therapist understood and was sympathetic toward my underlying religious problems. He helped me sort out the negative from the positive and interpret confusing Scripture passages that dealt with what I understood as a need to be perfect before an avenging God. Most importantly, he helped me understand why I chose to hear these issues more than others in my church and found love messages inconsistent with authoritarian action that squelched doubts and questions. My healing did not come in one fell swoop. Indeed it may still be going on as I learn old lessons anew from my work as a counsellor. Healing is a process with no one magical moment. But as I look back on the process, I see it has been a true miracle in that I met the right person at the right time and read the right book at the right time. The healing process confirmed for me the truth in Scripture: “Seek and you shall find.” Every day I become more sure that all healing methods come from God. The drug that stabilizes a patient’s condition or the flashing insight the therapist receives about a patient’s problem are both signs of God’s love. I resist anyone who chooses to create confusion where only light should prevail. Today, the God I believe in and communicate with is a loving God. Patricia Roop Robinson is a nationally and state certified professional counsellor, an ordained minister with a master’s degree in pastoral counselling. She works as a chaplain and therapist in a psychiatric centre.

statements that are prefaced with “In my country....” I heard statements of that nature often while in China and was myself guilty of such prqudice Although it is inevitable that comparisons will be made, the spirit with which newcomers, like myself, interact with their new surroundings to a large ex­ tent determines how they will experience and remember their new home and how they will be remembered; for the Christian, how you respond will also be a measure of the effectiveness of your presence Aspects of Chinese society were very un­ settling — the pollution, the apparent dis­ regard for the powerless and underprivileged, the corruption, and the pervasive control of the communist system — and needed to be addressed. It was also true, however, that many of the things that troubled me were simply cultural, under­ stood by the Chinese but misunderstood by me, the foreigner. To the extent that 1 allowed my reactions to the disturbing aspects of Chinese society, both real and perceived, to be influenced by my own cul­ tural biases was the extent to which I could allow myself to feel at home. I could not

expect things in China to be like they were in my country. Service given in the name of Christ must be done with the humble admission that personal biases, cultural or otherwise, will often cause one to judge without under­ standing. As one who professed faith in the God that breaks down and removes barri­ ers, it was important that I not get caught in the China vs. Canada comparison game. Paul’s interaction with the people in Athens is an encouragement to me in that regard. It is apparent that Paul was bothered by some of what he saw in Athens; it is also evident that he took the time to understand before he responded, and when he did speak out, he did so in a spirit of concern for their spiritual well being, affirming their history but challenging their assumptions and world-view. My two years in China have taught me to do the same. Jonathan and Liana Toews (Calgary) taught En­ glish at a teachers college in China for two years. They now Hue in MacKenzie, B.C.. where Jona­ than is teaching in the high school.

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Filling a gap in the Christian men's movement: Men's conference focuses on identity, anger WINNIPEG, Man. — Caught between the ex­ cesses of Robert Bly’s Iron John and the gender stereotyping of the modern Christian men’s movement, many men are looking for another option. It is exactly this gap that Jake Bergman, rural coordinator of Voices for Non­ violence, is hoping to fill. “We wanted to put on a conference for Christian men that presented them with a bib­ lically based gender-equal identity out of which

Brazilian MB Groups to Merge CAMPO LARGO, Brazil — The Brazilian Convention of Mennonite Brethren Churches has moved to merge with its sister conference, the Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Brazil in March of this year. The Portuguese-speaking Convention grew out of MB mission work from North AmeriLa Crete Christian Fellowship (EMC) La Crete, Alberta

is inviting applications for the position of

SENIOR PASTOR with duties to commence September 1, 1995

Please contact: Isaac Dyck Phone: (403) 928-3749

they could work to resolve their anger,” said Bergman. Conference speakers are David Schroeder, recently retired professor at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, and David Rice-Lampert, who is with Probation Services in Winnipeg. The April 7 and 8 conference, sponsored by Voices for Non-Violence, will be held at the Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg.

ca, which began near Curitiba in 1946. It for­ mally organized in 1966, and by 1995 it had grown to 18 churches, with approximately 2300 members. The March merger will unite these churches with 19 German-speaking congregations in the Association, churches begun by German im­ migrants around sixty years ago. They will form a new body known as the Brazilian Con­ vention of Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Churches. Increasingly, the German-speaking churches offer Portuguese services, usually on Sunday evenings. Such Portuguese worship groups tend to grow rapidly, sometimes surpassing the relatively stable host congregation. In March, Mennonite Brethren Missions/Services (MBM/S) Director Harold Ens will attend the merger ceremonies in Curitiba. “We believe,” he said, “that this new, united conference, with its vision for mission, will en­ joy greater growth as a result of working as one. MBM/S looks forward to a new partner­ ship for a new era in Brazil.”

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MENNONITE

FOUNDATION OF CANADA

BUILDING LOANS Pay as you go may be a good philosophy to live by. But sometimes borrowed hinds can help to provide better facilities for more efficient progams for people. People providing funds for church building through Mennonite Foundation of Canada is a good form of modem mutual aid.

ASK US ABOUT: • Loans for church / school buildings ■ Mortgage loans for pastors’ homes • Low interest rates • Generous repayment privileges • Guaranteed five-year rates

MENNONITE FOUNDATION OFFICES: Winnipeg 4-117 Victor Lewis Dnue. Winnipeg R3P 1J6 Tel. (204) 488-1985 Fax 488-1986 Kitchener 50 Kent Avenue, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 3R1 Tel. (519) 745-7821 Fax 745-0064 Clearbrook 303-32025 Dahlstrom Ave.. Abbotsford. B C V2T 2K7 Td. (604) 850 9613 Fax 850-9372 MFC Is a stewardship serve* asency sponsored by EvengeHcel Mennonite Mission Conf^ence, EvangcUcal Mennonite Conferenc*. Northwest Mennordt* Confercree, Conference of Mennortites In Canada, and Mennonite Conference of Eastern Cartada.

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YOUTH PASTOR The Evangelical Mennonite Church of Swift Current invites applications for the position of youth pastor. Please send resume to: Pastoral Search Committee Myles and Cindy Penner Box 1165 Swift Current, Sask. S9H 3X3

For more information please contact Myles and Cindy Penner, phone (306) 773-8073.

MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (Alberta) invites applications, before May 31,1995, for the position of Executive Direc­ tor. Duties include program leadership and supervision, communication with the consti­ tuency, staff supervision and office adminis­ tration. Starting date is negotiable but preferably no later than January 1, 1996. Please send applications, including resumes and salary expectations, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent directly to M. Hunsberger, Personnel Committee, 8613 34 Ave. NW, Calgary, Alberta T3B 1R5 (tele­ phone: 403-286-4613; e-mail: hunsberg@acs. ucalgary.ca).

Missionaries Still Captive in Colombia Despite pleas made by Colombian President Samper, five American missionaries, five other Americans, and a thousand Colombians are still being held captive by guerrillas. The Catholic Church, the Red Cross, and other hu­ man rights organizations have all been work­ ing for their release. One of the American missionaries has been held captive for two years. (The Church Around the World) GERMAN HYMNAL WANTED

The Camp 67 EMC congregation in Mexi­ co is looking for 25-50 used copies of the Gesangbuch, published by the Mennonite Brethren. If you have some, please contact: Lester Olfert Phone: (204) 326-6401 Fax: (204) 326-1613

AUDIO TAPES AVAILABLE Of the panel discussion. Thinking and liv­ ing Christianly at University, are availa­ ble for loan or purchase.” Borrow — no charge, for three weeks Purchase — $5.00 per set Mailing (borrow or purchase) — $1.00 No charge if picked up

Evangelical Mennonite Conference Box 1268, Steinbach, MB ROA 2A0 Phone: (204) 326-6401

COVER: The Nicaragua Work Team shares its experiences with Messenger readers.

THE MESSENGER is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. Its purpose is to inform, instruct and inspire: inform con­ cerning events and activities in the denomina­ tion; instruct in godliness and victorious living; inspire to earnestly contend for the faith. Let­ ters, articles photos and poems are welcomed. Unpublished material is not returned except by request. The views and opinions expressed by the writers are their own, and do not necessari­ ly represent the position of the Conference. Subscriptions: $7.00 per year. Members pay through their church. Manitoba residents add 7V„ PST, total: $7.49. All correspondence should be addressed to The Messenger, Box 1268, Steinbach, Manitoba, ROA 2A0. THE MESSENGER is published twice a month (once a month in July and August) by The Evangelical Mennonite Conference Board of Church Ministries, 440 Main Street, Box 1268, Steinbach, Manitoba, ROA ZAO. Second Class Mail; Registration Number 0591. Undelivered copies, change of address and new subscrip­ tions should be mailed to the above address. The Messenger is a member of Meetinghouse and Canadian Church Press. Editor: Menno Hamm Assistant: Martha Kroeker Phone: (204) 326-6401: Fax: (204) 326-1613

THE MESSENGER

SEVENTH NATIONAL

EMC Youth Conference May 19 to 22, 1995 Briercrest Bible College Campus Caronport, Saskatchewan

RAY

SEMINARS AND LEADERS

Save Souls or Save Trees?

Do we as Christians have environmental responsibilities? Is the “Green Movement” not a New Age plot? Is there REALLY an environmental crisis? What does the Bible say on this topic? What can/should we DO? Come to this seminar for answers to these ?? and more! Stan Plett is President of Steinbach Bible College.

God’s Direction and Guidance * 1

????? Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? How do I get there? What should I do with

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my life? Is there hope for the future? Spoken words, visual images and practical exercises will be used to begin finding answers to some of these questions for ourselves.

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The Christian Athlete...Getting a Grip on Competition Aspiring young athletes today are bombarded with slogans like Kick Butt, Just Do It, and Los­ ing is Not An Option. Winning by intimidation leads players to curse, slam the ball, or throw a punch — actions not only tolerated, but ac­ cepted in competition. With such ungodly values shown In sports today, should a Christian even compete in athletics at all? Gib Hinz stands seven feet tali, has played professional basketball in Australia, the U.S. and France. He is the Resident Dean and Sr. Boys basketball coach at Caronport High School.

Media Madness After six years as Youth Pastor at Braeside EMC in Winnipeg, Gari Brandt is cur' rently Residence Director at the Swift Current Bible Institute, Swift Current, Sask., a position he shares with his wife, Cyndy.

Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Identity The purpose of this workshop Is to put a face to the struggle of homosexuality and bring some understanding of its roots. It will also address how we can facilitate an atmosphere in which someone will be freer to share their struggle and find help. Change Is possible for those who desire it. Tye Gamey is the executive director of New Direction for Life Ministries of Cana' da, based in Winnipeg.

How to Get Along With Yourself Growing up in a family with ten kids and ministering to teens with broken lives has caused me to ask, “Who am I? What can I do to make a difference? And how DO they get the caramilk into a Caramilk bar?” Are these ques­ tions similar to those you ask? Come to this seminar to find out how you can get along with yourself. Sherryl Koop works with hurting teens through Youth For Christ in Winnipeg.

COMING EVENTS

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April 1 - 6 "The Christian response to cult and occult influences” Speaker: Ron Carlson Grant Memorial Baptist Church Winnipeg, Man.

Phone: (204) 477-5320

7-8 1i:i*~April Conference for Men

/n Search of a Gentler Spirit

March 22, 1995

Fort Garry M.B. Church Winnipeg, Man. Phone:(204)269-8655 April 30 Grand Opening & Dedication: Come and celebrate with its Swan City Christian Fellowship Grande Prairie, Alta. Phone: (403) 532-2660 May 4-6 Writers' Conference God Uses Ink Briercrest Schools

Flicking on the TV, dishing out another $3 at Blockbuster, or blowing your paycheque at Sam the Record Man is much more than simply spending a few bucks for fresh entertainment. It’s time to “think clearly” rather than “inhale” the messages and philosophies coming at us through music, video, movie and magazine — the so-called cornerstones of today’s teen cul­ ture. A prerequisite to attending this seminar is honesty. After live years as Youth Pastor at Steinbach EMC, Merlin Bartel is currently ad­ ministrator for Youth Quake and coach of the Briercrest Bible College Clippers volleyball team.

Living in a Violent World-Fight or Flight Many feel the daily impact of vio­ lence in their lives, whether in the family, school or on the street. Should we be the quiet in the land, or carry a big stick? Are there other options? Explore some very practi­ cal, not necessarily easy, ap­ proaches to dealing with violence in our lives and our world. John Schellenberg is Youth Ministries Coordinator at Steinbach Bible College; Charity teaches English as a Second Language in the Steinbach area. The Schellen' bergs have four teens and attend the Steinbach EMC.

Caronport, Sask. Phone: (306) 756-3358 May 19-22 Abundant Springs ’95 National Youth Convention The Ray of Hope Speaker: Mark Vincent Briercrest Schools Caronport, Sask. Phone: (204) 355-4511

Juno 17 EMC Mixed Sto-Pitch Tournament Steinbach, Man. Phone: (204) 326-6573 dune 30 - July 2 Annual EMC Convention Theme: Peace Speaker: John B. Toews Calgary, Alberta Phone: (204) 326-6401 or (403) 273-6222

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Giving Soars, But Media-Driven Dollars Raise Questions for MCC By Paul Schrafi FRESNO, Calif. — Record-breaking income and a 75th anniversary might seem reason enough for a lot of self-congratulation. But that's not Mennonite Central Committee’s style, as its annual meeting February 17-18 at Bethany Mennonite Church showed. Instead, MCC board members focused their attention more on an inevitable reality of the work MCC does: Future challenges loom larg­ er than past successes. “1 feel uncomfortable saying we had a good year because of Rwanda,” said board mem­ ber Melvin Thomas of Lancaster, Pa. “There are incredible needs around the world that are not going to generate the response that Rwan­ da is getting, and 1 beg that we not forget that.” Rwanda’s refugee crisis did make 1994 an extraordinary year for MCC. Contributions had been lagging until the plight of Rwandan refugees captured the world’s attention. Then a potentially lean year turned into a record-breaker. With $1.6 million of contribuThe MCC binational board consists of 36 elected representatives from MCC’s 17 member conferences, MCC Canada, MCC regional and provincial offices, and members-at-large. The board names a 12-person executive committee to maintain oversight be­ tween annual meetings.

tions for Rwanda. MCC income soared to $38.8 million. Material aid shipments were the largest since World War II. Not expecting to duplicate that, the board approved a 1995 budget of $37.7 million. The budget is based on projected contributions of $15.4 million, 10 percent less than the $17 million received in 1994. While grateful for the constituency’s gener­ ous response to the needs of Rwandans, board members and staff were concerned that giving for relief is increasingly influenced by secular media coverage. “Significant budget

MCC board members review the past year and make plans for the next at Bethany Mennonite Brethren Church, Fresno, California.

growth depends less on our activities than on other events, largely media-driven,” said Ber­ ry Friesen, director of administration and resources. The irony is that MCC’s most unique projects, which work at the root causes of hu­ man suffering, occur outside the media spot­ light. For example, MCC peacemaking efforts in Somalia bore fruit after Somalia faded from public awareness. Reconciliation work in Rwanda began to bring Hutus and Tutsis together this winter. Board members agreed that MCC has a role to play in emergency relief, even though long­ term development is its greater strength. “We don’t need to respond in the mainstream way,” said Karen Klassen Harder, General Confer ence Mennonite Church representative from North Newton, Kan. “We can be creative.” This annual meeting marked MCC’s 75th anniversary year. Long-time MCC worker Peter Dyck — whose life was saved by MCC’s first relief project in 1920 — spoke at the meet­ ing’s public program at Fresno Pacific College. He challenged the audience to live in the “as if’ mode — as if the kingdom of God had al­ ready come.

Mixed Slo-pitch Tournament Who? All those who are members of or regularly attend an EMC church (age 18 - ?) What? A mixed slo-pitch tournament When? Saturday, June 17, 1995 Where? A.D. Penner Park, Steinbach, Man. Why? To enjoy a day of sun, fun and fellowship with other EMCers. This tournament is being planned to give us an opportunity to get together with other members of the E. M. Con­ ference for a relaxing day of friendly competition. So get some friends together and make a team (more than one team per church is allowed). Bring the family and make a day of it.

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For more information, call Al Riediger at (204) 326-6573, or write to Box 1661, Steinbach. MB ROA 2A0.

Deadline for entries is April 30. Maxi­ mum cost per team is $50. Price may be lower depending on the number of teams entered.

“Some will say it is unrealistic or crazy,” he said. “It’ll get you into trouble.... It can get you killed. [MCC’s founders] were already in the ‘as if mode. The workers today arc doing it because they are in the ‘as if’ mode. “Keep on passing it on. Tell it to the children.” Paul Schrag is managing editor of Mennonite Weekly Reuiew, Newton. Kan. A Meetinghouse report.

Excerpts from MCC's report of the binational annual meeting: More disasters “Man-made disasters caused by strife, violence and war arc now the major causes of hunger, suffering and migration,” report­ ed Hershey Leaman, MCC food and dis­ aster response coordinator. Leaman estimated some 300 million people arc cur­ rently affected by disasters; this number is expected to rise in the future. He noted that more MCC resources are going to assist disaster victims. In 1994 the food shared by MCC increased by 28 per­ cent over the previous year. Board mem­ bers agreed MCC should respond in times of disaster. Fewer MCC workers Dwight McFadden, MCC personnel director, noted that MCC overseas person­ nel has declined by 25 percent over the past eight years. Board members cited high education and experience requirements as hindrances to generalists desiring to serve with MCC. While finding personnel for three-year as­ signments has become more difficult, more constituency interest is being expressed in shorter people-to-people projects. Youth request short-term mission opportunities. Two part-time consultants, hired by MCC, will bring recommendations for facilitating such requests to the 1996 MCC annual meeting, to be held in Calgary, Alta. THE MESSENGER

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Kathy Kathler and Tony Driedger

A "New" Home For Choice Books WINNIPEG, Man. - Hey! This really is the NEW HOME for Choice Books, manager Tony Driedger realized as he stepped inside — the smell of fresh paint still lingering and boxes waiting to be unpacked. The days be­ fore December 7, 1994, had been long and tiring. The well-organized move under his direction from MCC Place, 134 Plaza Dr. to the London Squcire Mall, 5-933 McLeod Ave. in North Kildonan, had gone well. But it had been more work than anticipated. Mennonite Central Committee needed more warehouse room, so Choice Books was gra­ ciously asked to relocate, having been at this

place since it was built in 1986. The sever­ ance was made in a very good Christian man­ ner. A timely “farewell coffee” was held in Driedger’s honour. Contrary perhaps to the thinking of many. Choice Books is not an integral part of MCC Manitoba (MCCM), but is an organization all its own. MCCM has given generously to this book ministry in the past, and also assisted in providing Voluntary Service personnel, etc., when needed. No doubt it will continue doing this. To be sure, the success of this operation was due to the VOLUNTEERS. They cleaned and painted, packed the books and transferred them and the office equipment, racks and shelves to the new warehouse, and even dis­ mantled the old office walls. May the Lord richly bless them all. Nevertheless, two continuing volunteers are truly a godsend; namely, Mrs. Kathy Kathler, who has offered her office expertise since 1992, and the area supervisor, Tony Driedger. Having experience and dedicated interest, he was asked in September 1994 to manage the book ministry in central Canada. Reasons to rejoice are that the rack volunteers are being cheered on, and inspirational books are again being sold at the airport, bus depot, Eaton’s and in other locations in Winnipeg and vari­ ous Manitoba centres. Are you interested in having a part in this exciting outreach? Write to Choice Books, 5-933 McLeod Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2G 0Y4, or phone (204) 661-0157.

SURVEY COMING The next issue of The Mes­ senger will include a Survey Form to be completed by all EMC members and adher­ ents. We urge you to respond as soon as you receive the survey. — Conference Assessment Committee

Eden Foundation Concerts WINKLER, Man. - The EDEN FOUNDA­ TION is pleased to announce the inaugura­ tion of an annual fundraising concert in partnership with the FAITH & LIFE MALE CHOIR. The first of these annual spring concerts will feature this well-known and loved choir under the direction of the exceptional musical team, George and Esther Wiebe. Each concert will also introduce feature artists in addition to the choir. This will provide opportunity for “up and coming” artists to receive the kind of exposure which can help launch musical careers. This year’s dates and venues are: Saturday, April 8, in the Winkler Bergthaler Church, Winkler, Man., at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 9, in the Bethel Mennonite Church, Win­ nipeg, Man., at 3:30 p.m.

Missions CENTRAL ASIA

Switching To Jesus An Incredible Power She walked over to a small Rolodex of pho­ tos I had sitting on the china cabinet. “What is that?” she inquired. “Oh, those are photographs of my friends and members of my family,” I responded, not sure whether I should tell her that I turned to a different photo every day, and then prayed specifically for the ones in the photo. This was Guljemal’s first visit to my home. It was near the beginning of my time in Central Asia. I was one of the first foreigners who had ever lived in this former Soviet republic. I’d had a lot of harassment from the police and, although I had been very open about my Christian faith, I was very discerning about each situation, es­ pecially in those first few months. She turned to me after contemplating the photo file some more. “There is incredible power coming from those photos. I feel it.” Guljemal had shared with me her recent turn­ ing to an eastern religion. It blended in so well with the folk religion practiced by most of the people in her country, but now she had a modern name for her faith. She was heavily into discerning the spirit world and was always sensing energy from one source or another.

March 22, 1995

“There is incredible power coming from those photos. What does that mean?” I knew God was giving me an opportunity. “Guljemal, those are family and friends whom I pray for every day. I pray to Jesus. I talk to Him about many things relating to my family and friends.” That sparked Guljemal’s interest in learning about this Jesus, whose power was felt com­ ing from a file of photographs. She became my teacher in learning the local language and I was her English teacher. After an hour of lan­ guage lesson in my flat, our conversation al­ ways turned to questions and answers relating to her faith and to mine. She began asking me to pray for things in her life. I did, and then sometimes forgot I had prayed about certain things.

“Our conversation always turned to questions and answers relating to her faith and mine.” One day she came elated! “You prayed! God answered!” She and her sister had not been talking to each other, a fairly long-standing feud, I gathered. Now her sister had called her and they had been reconciled. Other prayers were answered too. As we got to know each other I began ask-

ing whether she would ever consider becom­ ing a follower of Jesus. I rarely used the term Christian, since that conjured up so many ideas of being west­ ernized. She said nQ that the Jesus Way Flo Friesen was too narrow. She found there were many “powers,” but she did think that Jesus was probably the best way. She did not think He was the only way. Our friendship developed over two years. When I spent my last week with her, we talked a lot. I gave her a little farewell gift and com­ mented that what I really would love to give her was my faith in Jesus. She looked hurt. “Oh, but you have. Miss Florence, I believe in Him so much more than I used to; I even talk to Him a lot.” I knew that she was going to believe in Him wholeheartedly some day. Con­ version from folk Islam and atheism (the strange Soviet religion) often takes a while. They’ve never heard of the Jesus Way before. In two years 1 had hardly expected her to have come this far. Yet, having come this far, it was painful to leave before she made an all-out commitment. She loved watching movies. I had given her (continued on page 8)

PAGE 7

(Central Asia, continued) the Jesus film both in English and the local language. She loved it. I also gave her some copies of classical. Two nights before I left she was at home watching Ben Hur. That day I’d had a particularly stressful day saying my good-byes to other friends, plus run­ ning from one government office to another trying to get permission to take my personal belongings out of the country. I was worn to a frazzle! My evening hostess, who was another friend who had come to know the Lord during my time there, tried to drown out her sonow at my leaving by turning up the TV at full volume, while we sat on the tea table/bed outside trying to catch a hint of a breeze in the 35°C temperatures. I had so hoped to have a good chat that last evening. The evening was spoiled. The person who promised to pick me up to take me home that night didn’t show up. So for the first time in two years I had to take a bus home at 10:30 at night, something which for security reasons I had never done before. Would you know it, the street lights were off all over the city all the way home! As I walked to the bus, I sensed an incredible spiritual oppression, not hard to feel when it’s physically dark! I prayed against the power of Satan and claimed the Lord’s

presence and victory over a rather dismal day. MEXICO I got home safely. It was 11:30 when the Interruptions — phone rang. It was Guljemal. “I just finished watching Ben Hur. I’m switching to Jesus!” At an Answer to Prayer? first I didn’t quite comprehend. The latest idi­ Renewed Vision omatic expression we had been working on in English was “to switch to.” She was jabber­ God answered my prayer this morning ing away in great excitement. Quickly I under­ through an interruption. Interruptions are al­ stood the spiritual battle which had been going ways a challenge for me. I don’t like them, es­ on all day. And I understood that she had pecially when I’m working with someone on reached another level of commitment in fol­ a project in Zapotec. lowing Jesus. She came over the next day and It was a beautiful morning. The sun was we chatted and prayed some more. She still shining brightly in a cloudless blue sky and was not willing to give up her eastern religion, was beginning to take away the chill left by though she did want to identify herself as a the night. In our office in Oaxaca City, Joan, follower of Jesus. She had been so impressed Clemente and I were sitting around the table with the love and power of Jesus in the video. revising Acts 4 in Aloapan Zapotec. Another friend has been discipling her since Time with Clemente is valuable, and even I left. Just a few weeks ago she came announc­ more so these days because just recently he ing that she had now turned to follow Jesus started working fewer hours for us so he could only! Please pray for her, and many others devote more time to the church he is pastorwho are on the conversion path. And please ing. Interruptions during our time with pray for more Christians to be willing to go Clemente are not very welcome. And yet the to Muslim/atheist background countries like phone keeps ringing — a colleague, a Zapotec those in Central Asia. friend and, as often as not, a wrong number. Flo Friesen People continue coming to the gate selling Flo Friesen (Kleefeld) is presently on a study blankets, blenders, brooms, beans, honey and leave, after having spent a few years in mis­ just about anything else you might imagine. sionary service in Central Asia. Others want to enroll you in computer courses

Left: A welcome Pepsi break while painting the chapel roof; right: Bob with Francisco, Jimmy and Marlon.

Nicaragua, what is it? Where is it? When I first decided to go to Nicaragua I knew one thing: I was looking for a change in the pace of my life and also to learn to appreciate others. I really think I got both and much more. When we walked off the airplane in Nicaragua, it was like a differ­ ent world. The first thing was the warmth of the evening air and some very happy faces as we entered the airport. It seemed like we were meeting some good old friends. I guess, through the work of the Con­ ference and prior missionaries, we were stepping into an established relationship. After a day of work at the office, we ventured out to Jinotepe and started to meet the people. Amulfo took us to town for one of very few restaurant meals and to see the markets there. Later on that evening we went to a half-night service in La Paz. We were welcomed and asked to sit right in front. The air was filled with praise and I was touched with the warmth of the worship. I could feel God at work in spite of the language barrier. The next day it was off to San Jose for a water baptism. There was rejoicing for the new Christians. The following days we did the work that had been planned for the campground. The organization left something to be desired, but we got going and worked hard to get everything done before the convention. I had the opportunity to do cement work with Jimmy and Francisco — good hard-working young guys. The delegates gathered for the convention from all the differ-

PAGE 8

ent churches and we got to meet many more new people — all with loving, caring smiles. I couldn’t get over all the greeting and impossi­ ble conversations that we just couldn’t complete. Many times we had to call on Ernie to interpret a conversation that wasn’t going anywhere. The spirit of the meeting was dampened by the accident of the young boy who lost his leg. This accident also showed me how emo­ tionally high and low these people can be. The experience of this trip was something I will never forget, be­ cause it touched me in so many ways. The E. M. Conference has done a far greater work than I had ever realized. It was my impres­ sion that God’s work is not done yet. I sensed a need to have a mis­ sionary on this field at least part-time just to be a guiding mentor to what I consider a young church with much potential. This is a great experience which I would recommend to any and every North American Christian who wants to be encouraged by the work of missions. I would like to thank the Board of Missions for making this type of experience possible. I also would like to thank Ernie for his cautious and sensitive guidance and leadership. — Bob Giesbrecht I was impressed by the beautiful people and the whole culture of Nicaragua. Their incredible hospitality was genuinely amazing. The heat, the ocean and many, many other sights and sounds gave me a feeling of unreality. I didn’t think it could be this different! — Doug Koop

Five new believers were baptized at ban Jose.

THE MESSENGER

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A R A G U A

or share some bit of propaganda with you. Some are looking for work and ask to cut the grass or wash our clothes or our truck. Still others want to buy lemons or guayabas off our trees, and almost every day there are some who are looking for a hand-out — something to eat or money to buy medicine or a bus ticket. The quiet knock at the gate this morning wasn’t a salesperson or any other stranger, for that matter, but our friend Lino from the vil­ lage of Santa Ana. Lino was in the city for a few days visiting his daughter and had come to fetch something she had left at our house a couple of days before. We invited him in. It always intrigues me how Aloapan and Santa Ana Zapotecs communicate with each other. The Aloapan Zapotecs make many changes in their speech so the Santa Ana per­ son will better be able to understand them and then they throw in a liberal amount of Span­ ish to boot. That’s the way Clemente and Lino talked. Clemente showed Lino what we were do­ ing and I asked Lino if he’d like to hear a bit

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of Acts 3. “Oh, yes!” said Lino. “I can’t read our language.” “Of course you can read our language,” Clemente said. “You just need to practice. I didn’t know how to read our lan­ guage either but now I can because I’ve been working at it.” As Clemente read the account of Peter and John healing the lame man outside the tem­ ple, Lino tracked along, saying the words af­ ter Clemente. It was a little difficult because of the many words that change between the dialects — nu’s become un’s, go’s become gads and ti’s become tids, but Lino did really well. When they were done, he said, “If I came here every day for a week 1 could learn to read my language, couldn’t I?” We assured him that indeed he could. The conversation drifted to other things. Time went on. Acts 4 lay on the table, barely started. It was time for our break so we had popcorn and hot chocolate. Finally Lino took his bundle and left, saying he would be back. As we started back on Acts 4, Clemente said, “We’ve got work to do!” He wasn’t refer­ ring to finishing Acts 4, which we had started more than an hour earlier. I think he was think­ ing about the hundreds of Zapotecs just like Lino who don’t speak Spanish well — people who need the scriptures in their heart lan­ guage, people who need to be taught how to

T E A

'95

Grace Thiessen (Steinbach) is involved in Scripture translation among the Zapotec peo­ ple in Mexico.

Interested in Teaching Abroad? Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM) is recruiting a teacher to teach in a mis­ sionary children’s school in Burkina Faso. Qualifications include ■ a teacher's certificate - the ability to teach various courses at Grades 4-9 level Position begins August 1995. If interested, contact Henry Klassen Executive Secretary EMC Board of Missions Box 1268 Steinbach, Man. ROA 2A0 Phone: (204) 326-6401 FAX: (204) 326-1613

hope my slides turn out! 1 am thankful for the support of those at home, especially my wife who enabled me to go, leaving her with two small children for two weeks. Thankful for our group leader, Ernie (Ernesto) Koop; all of us would have been lost without him. Thankful for our work team, a variety of men whom I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. Thankful to God for safety, the EMC Conference for the mission outreach and to our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua for their warmth, hospi­ tality and hearts of gold! — Scott Warkentin

w o R K

read their language so that they can read the book of Acts when it’s completed. And the answer to my prayer? What I asked God this morning was to renew Clemente’s vision for the job of Bible translation among his people. Grace Thiessen

Left: Lome with a new “grandson,” Daniel; right: Scott preparing roof supports for painting.

What impressed me the most was that in spite of extreme poverty, my Christian brothers and sisters in Nicaragua shared so generous­ ly, displaying a genuine joyful attitude toward one another and to us. I was also impressed with the way families cared for each other, in particular the elderly. — Lome Loewen

“So you had a good trip?” That’s a common question I am asked after a two-week work project in Nicaragua. “It was a great ex­ perience,” I answer. It was not a post card trip, nor did I want it to be that. I believe I experienced in a smaller way what missionaries experience in a foreign field. Cultural, economic, language, political and religious differences abound in Nicaragua. Our work projects involved travelling on narrow highways as well a few miles of bumps, dirt and dust, all in the back of a Toyota pick­ up. Lome seemed to adjust to this mode of travel the best. God grant­ ed safety! We attended a number of services where I was touched especially by the enthusiasm of the singing, and by the participation of so many in the services. We saw offerings address real needs that were present­ ed to the church. God has gifted people to carry the church forward to Nicaragua. Let all of us in Canada consider how we may use all the resources God has given us to further His kingdom in all mission fields. There are needs — spiritual, financial, leadership, etc. I would be glad to share of my experience in churches or with different groups. I March 22, 1995

One of many impressions was how much people cared for each other. For example, when we gave Jimmy, the bricklayer, a stick of licorice as he left the camp, he stuck it in his pocket. “I’ll give it to my wife,” he said. 1 saw how true love gives and cares for others. - Wally Bartel

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Upper: The food line-up at the convention; lower: Ernie interprets dur­ ing a break (chapel in the background).

PAGE 9

Messenger News NEW GOALS, NEW MEMBERS

Mennville, Man.: Today I’m trekking un­ der a cloud cover. Our community seems a faraway sunny place which is reaching its warm rays toward me as I think of what to write. My report begins with checking the at­ mosphere. Besides the clouds of self-pity and the fog of feeling a bit useless, I battle the chills of let­ ting go of a large portion of care-giving duties for my parents (Frank and Margaretha Brandt) — thankful, though, for the warmhearted staff at Rest Haven Nursing Home in Steinbach, who welcomed their arrival. From experience, you may know that each one involved in moving parents to such a care facility deals with some grief — each in their own way. ‘Tread gently,’ my conscience tells me. A few harsh words to my family and we would have what parents facing a difficult move and many adjustments, don’t need — more divisions. At least the paths become clear. 'You can take the one which says you have the right to feel sorry for yourself, or the one which looks for blessings, thinks how others feel, cares about them, and forgives purposefully. “Was du thust, so bedenke das Ende, so wirst du nimmermehr Uebels thun’’ (Sirach 7:40) — found on a little card in my dad’s Bi­ ble. My translation; Think of the outcome of your actions, then you will not do evil any­ more.

« • « •

Lately we have been given a series of mes­ sages on our church’s purpose statement — refreshing! If visualized, the feeling in our con­ gregation since then would compare some­ what with a calf let out of the barn in spring (or don’t farmers have them cooped up that way anymore?) — a goal; a renewed desire to reach beyond ourselves, first to the church body, then out to our neighbours; exploring ways of using our individual gifts and talents to share the love of Christ. ‘Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me ... ’ With renewed energy also come new people. Cindy Friesen and Kelly Klassen are not new to our commu­ nity, nor new to their faith. Both of them shared in the Sunday service how they accept­ ed the Lord at an early age. The newness came in the form of them receiving water bap­ tism and joining our church. In the recent past I have noted the baptis­ mal candidates have understood and ap­ preciated the importance we place on immediately joining a body of believers upon their baptism. Personally, I would have been lost in the shuffle with no one feeling respon­ sible to care about me, if it hadn’t been for offi­ cially having a place to call home, a place of acceptance. Jolene Barkman chose that same Sunday PAGE 10

morning, September 25, to have her member­ ship transferred from the Morris Fellowship Chapel. She also told of having asked Jesus to take His place in her life while still young. Isn’t it amazing grace when there are tempta­ tions all around and those still in their tender years turn to Christ, never dipping into a life of sin and rebellion! As the three younger members before her, Mrs. Tina Reimer also made mention of her desire to share her abilities with us, in the func­ tioning of our church. She was accepted as a member on December 18. Hearing Mrs. Reimer speak of her commitment to continue serving the Lord, so soon after the loss of her husband, Henry, was a very touching ex­ perience for our church. Shortly after his pass­ ing, Mrs. Reimer moved into the Appledale Apartments. Since then I have become more aware of her example of serving the Lord by serving her ‘neighbours.’ Through MDS, people from further away can also become neighbours we care about. Barry and Jolene Barkman took a working holiday in Texas in January to help repair flood-damaged homes. Their experience had been a rewarding one as their hearts embraced the hurting folks who had lost all their pos­ sessions. These thoughts fell on open ears as my father-in-law, Pete Dueck, again went out with MDS, this time to Texas. From there he went to California to work on another phase of a repair project he was with the year be­ fore last. Now for our neighbours abroad. Our care groups were given a list of missionaries we could pray for on January 31. In our group the children stayed to pray with the adults.

YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES La Crete, Alta.: We deeply appreciate all the time and effort each of the missionaries put into making our missionary conference a great success. We all enjoyed the puppet show put on by Arlyn and Ann van Enns; it was a special treat for the children. The game of “Jeopardy” on Friday evening was exciting and competitive. It made us aware of how much or how little we knew about the prolitics, religion, culture and food of the different areas the mission­ aries represented. After a delicious breakfast on Saturday we had the opportunity to participate in an infor­ mal question-and-answer session. The infor­ mation we received gave us a better understanding of our missionaries and their work. The potluck on Sunday was a great time to fellowship and enjoy the variety of food. For the evening service Ken and Vai took us to Paraguay via slides and informed us about their work in that area. Thank you for coming to La Crete and ministering to us: Lester Olfert (EMC Foreign

First we talked about the different missionaries and asked the children to think with us about areas that would need prayer for each one. The adults were drawn to the childlike sim­ plicity of the children’s prayers. Extra special thoughts and wishes were sent heavenward by the children (and all of us) for our own church’s missionaries: Mary Brandt, Cathy Thiessen, Henry and Florence Goertzen and their family, Bram Siemens, Dwight and Lor­ na Plett and Dolores Barkman.

» The curtain is closing on another day as Fm working on the last lines of this chat. Today I walked in sunshine. Was it that I took heed of the little advices I’d been given over the years on how to quit thinking of just me and my needs? Maybe the one filling my mind with thoughts of others has helped. Or could it be giving it time — with the morning often comes new light. I do know that God was in the mood change! Lord, in the light of the reward we are look­ ingforward to, help us to put down the shov­ els we use to dig leaky cisterns; Cisterns of building a reputation, cisterns of a partying spirit, cisterns of business, cisterns of blame and unforgiveness (found in Jeremiah 2). Guide us back to You, our first loue and the devotion of our youth. Give us the grace to walk in the Son’s light. In the way of encouragement — Our church’s prayers are with those groups who do not have a strong leadership team. We are grateful for our blessings. Laura Dueck

Secretary), “In Jerusalem”; Peter and Anne Wiebe (Taber, Alta.), “In All Judea”; Arlyn and Ann van Enns (Fort Chipewyan, Alta.), “In Samaria”; and Ken and Vai Zacharias (Paraguay), “To the Ends of the Earth.” Our goal this year was to raise $4000 for the Saturday Bible Institute in Nicaragua. However, the special project brought in $6500. This will help the EMC church in Nicaragua for the Saturday Bible Institute and also provide a motorcycle to give the leaders better access to new churches. We live in a land of plenty compared to some of our fel­ low believers in other countries. The winter carnival was a great success; however, not everyone was there to enjoy it. The snowshoe race was quite a challenge, es­ pecially for those of us who don’t do this on a daily basis. Rolling a large inner tube in soft deep snow, playing baseball with a soft sponge ball, and trying to get four people to ski in rhythm was enough exercise to make anyone hungry. Adults and children alike enjoyed the visit and food near the fire. Hot dogs and hot chocolate can be quite a treat on a cold winter day. L. Koop THE MESSENGER

Wilbert and Hilda Friesen (pastor couple) with Abe and Mary Neu­ feld and Nettie and Ben Sawatsky, who were accepted into the mem­ bership of the Mount Salem church on January 15

Mount Salem EMC Sunday School Christmas program. (The back­ ground was done by the youth group.)

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LADIES ENJOY VALENTINE’S EVENING

joy their incredible God-given talent and Eduard’s testimony. The Ladies’ Fellowship had a Valentine evening at the church on February 9, with about two dozen ladies in attendance. It was a fun-filled evening. Most of the ladies brought a wedding picture and a few shared stories of how they met their spouse. We’re planning a craft and bake sale for the end of April. The Lord has done a wonderful work in 1994 and my prayer is that we will remain faithful in the new year and let God work the miracles in our lives that we know He is capa­ ble of. Lisa Klassen

Mount Salem, Ont.: Greetings to all Mes­ senger readers! I’m pleased to announce that fve been elected as the new Messenger report­ er for the Mount Salem EMC. I hope I can fol­ low in Kathy Klassen’s footsteps (she happens to be my mom-in-law). Over the Christmas season we enjoyed several programs. The Christian Day School, the Sunday school and the two youth groups did a fantastic job. A lot of effort was put into the play done by the youth, about a family searching for the “Perfect Christmas Card,” which, of course, was one picturing the new-

born Baby Jesus, with Mary and Joseph, in Bethlehem. With the help of our youth pas­ tor and his wife, Randy and Gloria Fehr, and the youth sponsors, all the hours of practice paid off. We ended the old year and brought in the new with a dinner served by the youth on New Year’s Eve and watched the “Jesus Story.” 1995 is proving to be an exciting year in Mount Salem. On February 19 we had the pleasure of having Paraguayan harpist Eduard Klassen and his wife, Kristine, bring a concert in the church. Many people came out to en-

MEETING GOD

The Sunday morning following the bonspiel there were some who had slowed their pace somewhat and I heard the comment that “those push brooms aren’t as wimpy as they look!” (I’ll leave that comment anonymous!!) I think everyone had a good time. Late in fall we were contacted by Eden Health Care Services about them coming to our church for an educational presentation and we agreed that this would be beneficial for us. These sessions took place during the Sunday school hour for the adult, young moms and college and career classes. The series ran from January 8 till March 12, with a variety of speakers dealing with various topics: coping with the stigma of mental illness, recovery of

hope within marriage relationships, a family’s perspective, depression, aging and coping with loss and grief. These have been informative and enjoyable. Our ladies group was invited to the Grays­ ville Mennonite Ladies Valentine’s Tea on February 15. Their guest speaker was Joyce Dyck of Lowe Farm. Her faith story about be­ ing a parent to two physically and mentally challenged children touched our hearts. I trust all of you will enjoy a happy spring as we again sense God’s presence as He “brings our world to life” through the wonder of His creation and the change of seasons. Eleanor Friesen

TEACHING AND SERVING

us with a very good program of song and mus­ ic on January 29. Ben Eidse had the message, based on Romans 1:24-28. God has given man a free will and many of life’s tragedies are our own doing. Yet many times the innocent suffer with the guilty. The hard times are to work for our good if we love Jesus and keep trusting Him. Let’s praise Him and keep smil­ ing! As Ben related some of the trials coming his way recently, he appeared to practice what he preached. On January 29, George and Lilly Bartel shared their experiences with pictures of their five-week work assignment in a Lithuanian Bi­ ble College, renovating and painting. Then they spent one week in the Molotschna and Chortitza areas of the Ukraine, where most Mennonites have long since left. They also reported at our Golden Age meeting in Mor­ ris on February 8. Jake L. Dueck worked short-term on a con­ struction project in Tennessee, and the Rudy Brandt family went to help on a project at the Rio Grande Bible Institute. Levi Dueck

Roscisle, Man.: In the past months, it seems as though our congregation has had its share of “aches and breaks,” so much so that visitors to our church commented on the num­ ber of crutches being used. There were also those who dealt with severe back pain. Thank­ fully, those people are walking straighter and I noticed some casts were off as well and the number of crutches has been reduced. We were happy to see Henry and Betty Harms back from a two-month visit to Brit­ ish Columbia. They spent a lot of time with her aging parents. However, upon their return home, Henry had to be hospitalized due to some heart problems. We wish him a speedy recovery and continued good health. Our Bible studies have resumed in the usual after-Christmas tradition. Some people are meeting in homes, while those who have chil­ dren in the club program, meet at the church. Both groups are studying the book Meeting God, from the Lifeguide series. The club pro­ gram has taken somewhat of a new format. Individuals are taking two-week turns leading the children. This seems to be working quite well. We had a good response from volunteers who were willing to help and some of the teens are helping along every week as well. The youth group continues to enjoy a vari­ ety of activities. They enjoyed a swim at Southport Pool for their annual New Year’s party. A taco supper, catered by Ang Penner, followed at Deb and Sheldon Kuhl’s. They also did some tubing on one of their Friday gettogethers, where they experienced several bumps and bruises. The Roseisle Community holds an annual curling bonspiel, which took place on Febru­ ary 10 and 11 this year — an excellent op­ portunity to interact with the community and to represent Christ both on and off the ice.

March 22, 1995

Rosenort, Man.: Chuck and Louella Brandt have begun teaching a short course on “Fundamental Principles of Man’s Relationship with God.” Most of the adult Sunday school classes have lost some members to this class, but that’s okay, if they get fed well and return afterwards. Benny and Annie Friesen have begun their one-year missions assignment to Russia (Ukraine) and settled in Novorossiysk, which lies on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, ap­ proximately three hundred miles northwest of Grozny. We pray that the Lord will keep them safe and make them a tremendous blessing. In their role at home, we now have Larry and Sandi Eidse as our assistant pastor couple. Pastor Menno “kicked off’ a new preaching series on “Basic Doctrines,” with an excellent message on Psalm 19:7-14, entitled “Right or Wrong — How can we Know?” Randall Krahn of Roseisle served us the following Sunday with another “basic”: “What is Saving Faith?” (Ephesians 2:1-10). The Steinbach Bible College Chorale served

PAGE 11

PRAYING FOR REVIVAL Pleasant Valley, Man.: Our church is preparing for a community crusade with the Sutera Twins for April 7-26. Committees for the various positions have been selected and weekly prayer meetings are being held at the Rosenort Fellowship Chapel for these services. Every Sunday morning time is spent in pray­ er for the crusade. In January we had a day of prayer and fasting, and on February 12 two couples from North Dakota shared at our morning worship service about renewal in their lives. Please pray with us for a much-needed revival in our area. Our ministerial, with their spouses, spent a day at the Winkler Bible Camp to reconnoitre for the coming year. Forty of our young people had a meaning­ ful Sno-Camp at Camp Assiniboia, with Bert Kornelsen speaking on a relevant topic, “Friendship.” Eleven people attend the TEE classes, which are taught by Pastor John Reimer. It was a delight to have the SBC Hew Cre-

ation drama group and John and Charity Schellenberg at our Sunday morning worship service on February 5. The well-performed skits were valuable reminders for our Chris­ tian walk. John Schellenberg’s message was a challenge. One important thought: Christ uses unlikely tools to win souls to Him. Agnes Friesen and Frieda Johnson spoke at our Sunday school teachers Appreciation Breakfast on February 11, encouraging our teachers in the teaching of God’s Word be­ cause it makes a difference in the lives of chil­ dren, even if we can’t see the immediate results. Levi Rempel, Randy Siemens, Elmer Eidse and Jake Dueck went to Georgia to join the Johnny Rempels in the building project of a Bible school for the deaf ministries that the Reg Rempels are working on. Wally Bartel went with a men’s work team to Nicaragua to do some building and repair jobs at the EMC Conference Office in Managua and at the Camp Maranatha Retreat Centre. Florence Loewen

PRAYER AND FASTING WEEKEND Kola, Man.: A weekend of prayer and fast­ ing took place February 10-12 at Bri-ma-del Camp in Red Jacket, Saskatchewan, a 45-minute drive from our church in Kola. Since I could not be there, I asked Betty Siemens if she would give us some insight into the weekend. Here is her report: We had five sessions, each starting with praise and worship songs, led by the Praise and Worship group (Kola). Gladwin and Jean Plett of Winnipeg came to share some very meaningful points on prayer: 1) “Why we came to pray” — God invites us to sit in His council chamber. We focus on the greatness of God and our smallness. God has chosen us to be His friends and peirtners (John 15:15,16). 2) “Preventative prayer” — to be kept from the evil one; making right choices — choosing Christ, choosing a life’s partner, etc. Pray for family, pray with family. Be faithful! 3) “Motivation, encouragement and the need for a burden to pray” — This was a separate session with Gladwin leading the men and Jean leading the ladies. ‘Prayer is not so much our asking but our becoming one in fellowship with God.’ We cannot come to God on our own merit (Hebrews 4:14-16). What motivates us to pray? Our needs, families, love, etc. 4) “Prayer journey” — with Gladwin and Jean giving their testimonies of God’s goodness, provision and strength through the years. 5) “Investments” — How much? Everything! Risk factors? Returns are great! Malachi 3: Test me, prove me...blessings will be poured out that flood gates cannot hold in. We had prayer times after each session. We were encouraged to pray scripture, focusing on our church families, each committee and those who serve, the unsaved, etc. Scriptures to pray: 1) Prayer for unity and interest in others PAGE 12

h Cradle Roll graduation at the Kola EMC February 5: Justin and Dillon Funk, twin sons of Elwin and Tania Funk; Bethany Penner, daughter of Les and Bertha Penner

(Phil. 2:2-5) 2) Prayer for love and holiness (I Thess. 3:12,13) 3) Prayer for thanksgiving for working in God’s Kingdom (Phil. 1:3-6) 4) Prayer for protection from and victory over Satan (1 John 4:4; Col. 2:14ff; II Thess. 3:2,3; John 17:15) 5) Prayer for strong marriages (Eph. 5:22,23) For food we had fruit juices, fruit, muffins, tea and coffee for anyone who needed to eat. The sessions closed with a brunch of more fruit, cheese, cinnamon rolls, toast, tea and coffee. We all agreed that it was a weekend well worth repeating. Prairie Bible College’s musical and drama group performed for us on February 24. It was heartwarming to see the church filled; there were many visitors from all around. The vivid portrayal of the life and death of Jesus, in dra­ ma and song, was well done and gave us all a clearer picture of what Jesus did for us by coming to earth and then dying on the cross for our sins. An entertaining performance! Everyone was given a chance to meet and chat with the students over refreshments, follow-

SAY IT WITH LOVE Riverton, Man.: “Just for you.” “We make a winning team." “Let’s be beaus.” “You’re a special Valentine.” These cute little phrases are commonly found on children’s Valentine cards. They are exchanged by children and adults annually on February 14. Do they por­ tray the true meaning of love? There are differing opinions or legends regarding the origins of Valentine’s Day. It is said that birds mate on that day; therefore, the celebration. Another speaks of the martyr­ dom of St. Valentine. Are we sending messages of love — to our mates, our children, our church, our neigh­ bourhood, and our daily contacts? God’s plan is that bodies of believers will function as lov­ ing and caring units and in this way provide productive personal witnessing within the community. In a spirit of love and concern we tell the good news that Christ died for sinners, and that He arose again to live for them. If we preach the message of God’s love for men, then we need to love them for God. Love is the greatest positive force in exis­ tence. People respond to love. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). This power of the cross contradicts our sense of worth­ lessness, and gives us hope that we can ade­ quately respond to His love. “He is not willing that any should perish, and He is giving more time for sinners to repent” (2 Peter 3:9). That is our message; it is His message. And He said it with love; so must we. Where there is love the heart is light. Where there is love the day is bright. Where there is love there is a song To help when things are going wrong. Where there is love there is a smile To make all things seem more worthwhile. Where there is love there's quiet peace, A tranquil place where turmoils cease — Love changes darkness into light And makes the heart take ' wingless flight"— Oh, blest are they who walk in love. They also walk with cod above — For Cod is love and through love alone Man finds the joy that the Saints have known. — Helen Steiner Rice

Carol Kornelsen

ing the service. Some also had the privilege of hosting the students for the night. Our annual church winter outing took place once again at the Maryfield arena on Febru­ ary 26. Besides the usual curling, skating and broomball, there was an added feature this year — dirt bike races on the ice. The smoke and noise more than made up for the speed or lack of speed, something which was appar­ ently hard to come by on that ice! Even so, it was a relief to see the five young men who participated, come off the ice again, safe and sound! A delicious supper of subs, soup and desserts brought everyone together for a time of “resting” and visiting. A hockey game, featuring the marrieds versus the singles, closed off the evening. Florence Penner

THE MESSENGER

MISSION CONFERENCE Vanderhoof, B.C.: “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preach­ ing to them? And how can they preach un­ less they are sent?” (Romans 10:14b-15a). Our mission conference took place January 27-29, with guest missionaries, Lester Olfert (EMC Board of Missions), Peter and Anne Wiebe (Taber, Alta.), Ken and Vai Zacharias (Paraguay) and Arlyn and Ann van Enns (Fort Chipewyan, Alta.). Friday evening began with a general session — a report by Lester Olfert and the message by Arlyn van Enns. Arlyn challenged us to “arise and shine” (Isaiah 60:1) because 1) we are commanded, 2) we have the light, 3) the world is in darkness and 4) it will make a difference. Saturday evening was adult/college and career dessert night. The desserts were great! Following coffee and dessert, there was a presentation on short-term mission opportu­ nities, followed by a panel discussion. On the panel were Lester Olfert, Arlyn and Ann van Enns and Peter and Anne Wiebe. Following are some of the questions that were asked:

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LOVERS FOR LIFE Steinbach, Man. (EFC): 1 suppose we could say that in many ways Valentine’s Day permeates the entire month of February. That commemoration of love was also observed at the EFC by various groups in the church fa­ mily and in a variety of ways. Jennifer Rempel reports on the youth group’s activities: On February 14 our youth group celebrated Valentine’s Day. About fifteen youth members attended, each bring­ ing a friend. We started off the evening by playing ice breaker games in which we got to know everyone better. Next we played a game similar to the “Newlywed Game,” except each person’s partner was the friend they brought. Our last activity was a hilarious interactive sto­ ry. We ended the evening with visiting, Valen­ tine’s cookies and other snacks. The Ladies’ Fellowship committee planned a wonderful “Lovers for Life” evening on February 14. The evening began with a pot­ luck supper, enjoyed at tastefully decorated tables. The program part of the evening fol­ lowed in the sanctuary, which was decorated in typical wedding fashion, complete with a guest register table, candelabras, an archway and minilights down the aisle. We were thoroughly entertained as “Ralph and Gertie” (Audrey Guenther and Lori Reimer) allowed us to see the various stages of their marital bliss — from their first meeting in the cold of winter, to the frazzle of the baby years, and finally to the delightful reminiscences of old age. Helen Reimer and Liz Siemens did several appropriate “air band” songs throughout the skit. The “Lovers for Life” evening concluded with a very thought-provoking talk by Dr. John Regehr of Winnipeg. He stressed three essen-

March 22, 1995

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What evidence did you have that it was definitely God’s calling that you go to where you are now? Was there something that spe­ cifically spoke to you regarding God’s call aside from following your husband to the mission field? How do you balance marriage and fa­ mily time with ministry time? What has been the greatest struggle or frustration? What has been your greatest joy? Regarding the people with whom you work, what from their culture have you been able to assimilate into Chris­ tianity? What have you had to reject? What are some goals you have for your ministry for the next year(s)? The missionaries shared tes­ timonies of their work, including break­ throughs, as well as setbacks. Many praise and prayer items were shared. Joining us on Sunday morning were Ken and Vai Zacharias with a report on their work in Paraguay. Peter Wiebe shared the message. He showed us who we are in Christ accord­ ing to Colossians 2:13-23. We are dead to sin — alive in Christ. We need to resist Satan and send him fleeing. Praise God for the life, the freedom and the victory He gives! Sunday afternoon Ken Zacharias en­ couraged us to take note of faithful models from our past and follow their examples so

tials to keep one’s marriage alive and warm. First, we must build confidently on the good. We do this by getting back to the basics and the basic ingredient in a good marriage is respect. Each partner always “speaks up” to the other, never down. And when respect is there, we can nurture love. Second, we need to guard vigilantly. We need to guard against alien centres that threaten to take the central place of the couple relationship — the children, career, etc. We also need to guard against alien bonding, and the opportunities to bond with someone other than one’s partner are not hard to find in our world today. And third, we need to repair humbly what has gone awry in our relationships. There needs to be both confession and forgiveness to keep the rela­ tionship close and warm. Thank you. Dr. Regehr, for a very stimulating talk, and thank you to the ladies fellowship committee for planning a special evening. Fran Harms

SALT UNIT TERMINATED Winnipeg, Man. (Aberdeen): The SALT program has been considered as an arm of Aberdeen in the community in the last years. We have enjoyed the annual influx of young people, along with their enthusiasm and will­ ingness to try new things. As a result of vari­ ous incidents, the 1994-95 SALT unit terminated at Christmas time, leaving us as a church community with a mixture of con­ fused feelings. Our physical appearance at Aberdeen has changed over the last year. An apartment duplex was begun in Febmary and in summer our SALT unit leaders, Randy and Leona Hil­ debrand, moved into the upstairs. Church offices and Sunday school rooms are housed in the downstairs. Ivy Guenther

that God and those who follow us will “find us faithful.” Those who attended the confer­ ence gained a lot of insight into the mission­ ary work being done through the E. M. Conference. This work would not be accom­ plished without our prayers and support. Thank you to the missionaries who came and shared with us. May you continue to have God’s blessing in your work. Thank you to the committee for organizing the weekend. Donna Peters ELISABETH FROESE 1910-1995

Elisabeth Froese, age 84, of the Palliser Regional Care Centre, Swift Current, Sask., passed away on Sunday, February 26,1995. She leaves to cherish her memory daughter Betty (husband Jeny), son Johnny (wife Kay), daughter Darlene (husband Lester), daughter Linda (husband Art), nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, John, on May 13,1986; son Stanley on March 2, 1968; grandsons Michael and Arthur Krause on April 16,1972; and grandson Dan­ ny Olfert on June 11, 1990. Elisabeth was born to Johann and Eliesabeth Letkeman in the Village of Schoen­ feld in 1910. Elisabeth, one of nine children, was often called on to do many of the house­ hold and outdoor chores. At an early age she was master of the field work, managed the team of horses well, fed the animals, looked after the garden, butchered, canned, sewed and helped with the care of her siblings. Though her formal education was virtually nonexistent, she taught herself to read and write and was knowledgeable in many areas. On January 10, 1937, she married John Froese and they made their home in Schoen­ feld, where they farmed. In 1967 they moved to Swift Current. During this time they enjoyed travelling, camping and picnicking. Elisabeth’s gifts and interests were many and varied — gardening, yard work, sewing, needlework, baking, creating a beautiful home and enter­ taining many guests. Elisabeth had a strong personal faith in God, which was evident in her everyday life, and she loved the residents and staff and considered this her home. At the time of her death, Elisabeth was a member of the Fairview Bible Church. She was no longer able to attend services but very much enjoyed the visits of Pastor Frank and Betty Eidse, who continually encouraged her in her personal walk with her Saviour. On February 26, 1995, in the afternoon, with all her children at her bedside, Elisabeth peacefully went to be with her Lord and Saviour. Mother, we are glad your suffering is over but you leave an empty spot in our hearts. We will miss you more than words can express. We will cherish the memories of you forever. Lovingly, the Family The funeral service was held March 2 at Fairview Bible Church, with Frank Eidse officiating. PAGE 13

HELEN BARKMAN 1920-1995 Helen Barkman was born to Aaron and Margaret Reimer of Blumenort, Manitoba, on November 11, 1920. She grew up on a farm with five brothers and I ’ “ Ifc four sisters. I She realized her sin- | fulness and accepted God’s offer of forgive­ ness and full salvation through His Son, Jesus. When she was baptized, a young man named Peter Barkman was also among those being baptized. They did not know each other well at the time, but later became more acquainted and eventual­ ly married on January 12, 1941. Because World War 11 was in progress. Dad was called by the armed forces, but he request­ ed Conscientious Objector status. So their ear­ ly married years were spent in Roblin, Manitoba, where Dad worked in forestry. Mom greatly desired to have children, but lived through the deep disappointment of several miscarriages and then the death of a son, Daniel Roger, at the age of eight days. God answered her continuing prayer with another three sons and five daughters. In ad­ dition to this. Mom and Dad took in several foster children and people with handicaps for periods of time. Family was always a very special part of Mom’s life. Even with about thirty immediate family. Mom made each one of her children, grandchildren and in-laws feel special and loved. Mom had very creative ideas in plan­ ning activities and giving gifts in the family, whether it was organizing a tea party with her granddaughters or flying kites at a park with her grandchildren or giving each of her sons and sons-in-law a pail of their favourite cook­ ies for Christmas. It was very important to Mom to take in all the special events of her children and grandchildren that she possibly could — graduations, concerts, school pro­ grams or baptisms. We had many good times together as a fa­ mily — celebrating holidays and birthdays, tak­ ing trips, camp-outs, etc. This past July the family spent a weekend camping at West Hawk Lake. Although most were booked into a motel or had camping trailers. Mom and Dad slept in a small tent. Mom found it quite difficult to let her chil­ dren go off in different directions. It was al­ ways a little spoiled when not everyone was present at the different family activities. Mom loved gardening, working with flow­ ers indoors and out, and doing yard work. In summer she was usually outside working be­ fore the rest of the family was up. We remember Mom as a very diligent worker. Besides the many usual household chores, she also made numerous quilts and comforters for family and others. If she earned any money it was usually directed to missions. She often commented, “1 don’t plan to take

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any money to heaven.” Mom was very unselfish. She really had the joy of giving. She loved to extend hospitality to people. She lived the motto “Open heart, open home.” Her commitment to her Saviour and Lord was deep, and affected all of life. She was very regular in attending meetings and being in­ volved in body life at the Blumenort E. M. Church, prayer meetings, membership meet­ ings and teaching Sunday school. She was in­ strumental in starting the Cradle Roll program and beginning a ladies’ group which focuses on praying for missionaries. Prayer was a vital ingredient in Mom’s life. We as family have likely benefitted far more from her prayers than we will ever know here on earth. May we be faithful in learning from her example to pray for our children and grandchildren each by name. We remember Mom for her joy in the Lord. She emphasized the positive and taught us to look on the bright side, to praise and give thanks. Mom’s life on earth ended very abruptly when their car was struck on the passenger side by another car. Mom and Dad were returning from a visit with Sharon and family in Trinidad. On their way back, on Saturday, February 18, they booked into a motel at Remington, Indiana. After watching an inspir­ ing Christian telecast, they went for a night snack to a restaurant across the road. They were returning to the motel when the collision occurred. Mom was pronounced dead at the scene, while Dad regained consciousness in

the hospital, with minor cuts and bruises. Those left to mourn her sudden departure include her husband, Peter; their children, LeRoy and Marcella (Vanderhoof, B.C.), Mar­ garet Rose (Steinbach, Man.), Rebecca and Jim Wiebe (Blumenort, Man.), John and Janice (Steinbach), Sharon and Gary Kornelsen (Trinidad), Judy and Erwin Plett (Stein­ bach), Delores and Murray Barkman (Edmonton, Alta.), Dwayne and Evelyn (Win­ nipeg, Man.); seventeen grandchildren; three brothers, John, Aaron and Emil; three sisters, Margaret Dueck, Tina Barkman and Martha Hiebert; and many relatives and friends. We are saddened and shocked by her sudden departure, and yet we have a profound joy and peace as we rejoice in Mom’s present enjoy­ ment of God’s perfection. We don’t really wish for her to come back; we just hope to be re­ united with her in heaven very soon. Mom lived her life on earth to the full, while really looking forward to heaven. Her last Sun­ day on earth she worshipped in a Trinidadi­ an church, where Gary and Sharon (upon Mom’s request) sang “In the Arms of Sweet Deliverance”: In the arms of sweet deliverance Gonna lay my heavy burdens down And with the Lord I’ll abide. When at last my travelling days are done In the land somewhere beyond the sun In the arms of sweet deliverance I shall rest by and by. “By and by” turned out to be less than a week. The grateful family

PETE K. DUECK 1911-1995

er who happened to come by to check on him. Pete had two brothers, Ben and Jake, who were close in age, and they did many things together. They shared a room and played hockey and baseball. In hockey the three of them were considered to be the star players on their team, which often proved to be stiff competition to surrounding teams. When Peter was in his twenties, he and several mem­ bers of the team became Christians, ac­ knowledging Christ as Lord and Saviour of their lives. In those days that meant that in­ volvement in sports teams ended and, as a result, the team disbanded. In later years, however, his interest in ice sports was renewed as he attended the hockey and ringette games of his grandchildren. Viewing professional sports on TV provided many hours of enter­ tainment. Pete also loved the outdoors, particularly en­ joying the companionship of others on fish­ ing trips and berry picking. Pete started in the honey business in 1932. In 1940 he became one of the half dozen Petes who founded the Kleefeld Honey Producers. In 1950 he began extracting honey at home. As children, we remember giving a hand at extracting this sweet sticky substance. In those days annual trips were made to Alabama to pick up bees; Pete made a total of ten trips. These annual spring trips gave op­ portunity for family members to tag along and see a different part of the world. Over the years

Pete K. Dueck was the oldest of ten chil­ dren, born to Jacob 1. and Anna Dueck on June 17, 1911. He grew up on a mixed farm in Kleefeld, Manitoba, where he helped with all the hard work that needed to be done in |h y j those days, such as I working the fields with horses and tending to the various chores on the farm. Pete had some close calls in life, experiences which reminded him of God’s wonderful care for him as he grew up. One day as a young­ ster he was standing in the doorway of the barn when a horse came walking through the door and his mother thought this would be the end of her two-year-old boy. But the horse lift­ ed its leg over him and Pete was unharmed. Another incident occurred when he was about 19 years of age. He was helping to cut down some trees in the bush when he was knocked unconscious by a falling tree. He had to be carried back home. He always bore a scar on his scalp. On one occasion he was attacked by bees that he was tending to on the bee yard. He was rescued just in time by a fellow beekeep-

THE MESSENGER

of beekeeping, he developed allergies to the bee stings and, on the advice of the doctor, sold his honey business. Pete was married to Margaret Barkman for 47 years. Three children were born to this un­ ion. Upon the passing of Margaret in 1985, Pete subsequently found new companionship in his maniage to Ella Barkman on Septem­ ber 20,1986. At this time Pete sold the farm and moved to Steinbach, where Pete and Ella enjoyed eight quality years together. The two enjoyed doing things together, like gardening, picking berries, and going on trips, as well as attending the Golden Age activities in Blumenort. As season ticket holders, they joined the group trips to Winnipeg to watch the travelogue productions. For their first wed­ ding anniversary they made a five-week trip to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. Pete was very supportive and encouraging to Ella in her involvement in a singing group which sang at the Personal Care Home, the Rest Haven Nursing Home and at Golden Age functions. In his retirement years, Peter became in­ volved in coffee row and began to make daily trips uptown to the coffee pot, where he met with his buddies. The place seemed to change according to the price of coffee. For the last while it was at MacDonalds, where the price was 29 cents a cup, including refills. Pete enjoyed fairly good health over the years and often expressed his thankfulness to God for this. However, 1 Vs years ago, blood and bone marrow tests revealed that the bone marrow was no longer producing red blood cells. In September 1993 he received his first blood transfusion. This continued with everincreasing frequency till the time of his death; he received a total of 27 transfusions. The last while, even with the transfusions, extreme weakness began to set in and he began to real­ ize that his time might be short. He enjoyed life and exercised a lot of determination to make the best of life to the end. Ella brought

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Hammer Out Summer of Service With SWAP AKRON, Pa. — Individuals wanting to ham­ mer out a summer of fun, fellowship and serv­ ice are invited to apply for one of eight positions with SWAP. SWAP, Sharing with Appalachian People, is a short-term summer service program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. Each summer hundreds of youth participate in SWAP’s effort to work alongside homeowners in impoverished rural Kentucky to repair homes — fix leaky roofs, replace doors, paint exteriors, even construct ad­ ditions. Two construction supervisors, two site coordinators, two cooks and two materials drivers — all of whom enjoy interaction with youth — are needed. For details phone James and Karen Wright at (606) 573-7846 or write to SWAP, PC Box 1507, Harlan, KY 40831. Interested persons may also contact Janet Weber, Mennonite Central Committee, PC Box 500, Akron, PA 17501; phone (717) 859-3889.

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March 22, 1995

much joy to Pete’s life and when sickness set in, she, as a devoted wife, faithfully tended to his needs, which became more acute as time wore on. On Friday, January 27, 1995, with his beloved wife, Ella, at his bedside, he crossed the bridge to his eternal home. Pete’s physical deterioration reminded us of Paul’s comments in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though out­ wardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Left to mourn his passing are his loving wife, Ella, and one son, Len and Jan, and their chil­ dren, Stephen and Christine (Steinbach); two daughters, Norma and Dan Koop (Nipawin, Sask.), and their family, Dwight and Michele Koop and their daughter, Ashlyn, Gwendy and Steve Lapp, Twyla and Paul Ens (all of Saska­ toon, Sask.) and Marcia (Hepburn, Sask.); Grace and Abe Enns and their children, Shel­ don, Jonathan and Justin (Mitchell, Man.). Also left to mourn Pete’s passing are three brothers, Ben and Helen, Willie and Ema, and Ed; three sisters, Tina Rempel, Gertie and Pete Friesen and Martha and Jack Hiebert; one sister-in-law, Helen Dueck; one brother-in-law, John and Helen Barkman; and numerous nieces and nephews. Pete was predeceased by his first wife, Mar­ garet, on November 19,1985; one son in in­ fancy; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob I. Dueck; one brother, Jake; two sisters, Annie Barkman and Nettie Brandt; two brothers-inlaw, Peter Brandt and Ben Rempel; and one sister-in-law, Mary Dueck. The family appreciates all the cards, phone calls and various acts of kindness shown dur­ ing this time of bereavement. May God bless your efforts. Ella and the famili;

Weddings FRIESEN - FRIESEN: Jason, son of Neil and Agatha Friesen of Winnipeg, Man., was married on January 14,1995, to Lendra, daughter of Harry and Levina Friesen of Seminole, Texas. The wedding took place at the Braeside EMC in Winnipeg, with John Stoesz of Winnipeg officiating. The couple is makng their home in Winnipeg.

Births DYCK - to Isaac and Tina Dyck of Leamington, Ont., a daughter, Olivia Grace, on February 7, 1995. EBY - to Kevin and Carol Eby of Esperanza, B.C., a son, Blaise Tegan, on January 27, 1995. PETERS - to Melvin and Kari Peters of La Crete, Alta., a son, Matthew Benjamin, on February 20, 1995. LOEWEN - to Norman and Bev Loewen of La Crete, Alta., a son, Derek Brett, on January 27, 1995. BARKMAN - to Jake and Ruby Barkman of River­ ton, Man., a son, Andrew James, on November 16, 1994. BARKMAN - to Del and Pat Barkman of Riverton, Man., a son, Jayde Cornel Milton, on October 22, 1994.

Don Thiessen Conference Pastor

You Need... ...in Canada a pastor in Crestview a pastor in La Crete a pastor in Pelly a pastor in Portage la Prairie a pastor in Ridgewood a pastor in Vanderhoof a pastor in Wymark a church planter in southern Ontario a church planter in southern Alberta a youth resource person in southern Ontario a youth/music tentmaker for southern Alberta tentmakers to assist in the church­ planting locations

...in Mexico a church planter in Juarez a church planter in Chihuahua City a church planter in Cuauhtemoc a rural church planter elementary schoolteachers (German)

...in Nicaragua a pastoral counsellor/advisor a church planter

...in Paraguay a church planter in Asuncion a church planter in another city a rural church planter a teacher for missionary children (En­ glish)

...in Lesotho a Bible teacher

...in Burkina Faso a teacher for missionary children’s school (grades 4-6) an evangelist, church planter

...in Botswana a Bible teacher For Canada, contact Don Thiessen. For Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, con­ tact Lester Olfert. For Lesotho, Burkina Faso, Botswana, contact Henry Klassen. Board of Missions Evangelical Mennonite Conference Box 1268 Steinbach, Man. ROA 2A0 Telephone: (204) 326-6401 FAX: (204) 326-1613

KOWALCHUK - to Kevin and Elvira Kowalchuk of Winnipeg, Man., a son, Joshua Harrison, on February 11, 1995. HILDEBRAND - to Randy and Leona Hildebrand of Winnipeg, Man., a daughter, Selenna Zacharias Hildebrand, on February 20, 1995. PAGE 15

From the Editor Guest Editorial

Mennonite Central Committee at 75: People Make the Difference by Paul Schrag ON ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY, here’s one thing Mennonite Central Committee says about itself: “People, more than dollars, are the church’s best resource.” That statement, from an anniversary booklet, explains a key reason why MCC succeeds not only in feeding the hungry but also in uniting diverse Mennonites and Brethren in Christ behind a common goal. We don’t just write checks to MCC. We build houses. We stitch quilts. We can meat. We stand in the rain to direct traffic at our local relief sale. We have, to use a popular churchy word, “ownership” of MCC. We feel a part of it. If we haven’t done a term of MCC service ourselves, we probably know someone who has. In a recent survey by MCC, 82 percent of the respondents have a friend who has served or is serving with the agency. If the essence of MCC is people, no individual is more essential than Peter Dyck. He never tires of telling how his father wrote in his journal in 1920 that “little Peter won’t be with us much longer.” That was during the Russian civil war. Mennonites were starving. MCC’s first relief project saved Dyck’s life. He went on to a career of MCC service. Speaking at the MCC annual meeting February 17-18 in Fresno, Calif., Dyck, now 80, said: “I cannot think of anything more wonderful than the realization that God is still at work, and he is using us to build the kingdom. We are his feet, his hands, his voice.” He explained his view of the motivation for MCC’s mission to help the needy around the world. “Ultimately, we don’t do it just because of the poor,” he said. “We do it because of God....We do it because God has made us new people.” Still, MCC is not immune to criticism. Most often that

criticism centres on the charge that MCC is not evangelistic enough, that its workers don’t try to win souls for Christ. The MCC board discussed that question at its annual meeting. John A. Lapp, MCC executive secretary, said MCC workers’ deeds are a witness in themselves. He cited a saying by St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” Lapp said, “We believe everything we do bears witness to Christ and God’s love.” Board member C. Norman Kraus said he thought that answer didn’t address the question exactly. The question, he said, is “are our people willing to lead people to Christ?....Our answers don’t really deal with that.” MCC cannot claim perfection, but it can claim remarkable constituency support. In the survey mentioned earlier, covering all MCC constituency groups, 86 percent said they considered themselves MCC supporters. The most common reasons for that support were a sense of trust in MCC’s stewardship of donated funds and the feeling that “MCC reflects my personal faith, values and beliefs.” MCC was established in 1920 on the belief that it is not God’s will that anyone should go hungry. Seventy-five years later, Mennonites and Brethren in Christ still believe that. We believe Jesus’ words that “whatever you did for the least of these, you did it for — me. ” We believe God’s salvation came to us in the form of a person, Jesus Christ. As a result of that example, we believe the best way for us to show God’s love to others is also through people. That’s the MCC way. Paul Schrag is managing editor of Mennonite Weekl^^ Review, Newton, KS.

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1995 ANNUAL CONVCNTION June 30 - July 2 in Calgar\j, Alberto fxperienre western hospitality!

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THE MESSENGER Evangelical Mennonite Conference Box 1268, 440 Main Street Steinbach, MB ROA 2A0