The Messenger June 25, 1997

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EVANGELICAL MENNON I TE CONFERENCE VOLUME 35 NUMBER 12 JUNE 25, 1997

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EDITOR Menno Hamm

Reflections as a Chapter in Life Closes The position has brought with it many blessings, including satisfying opportunities to meet many people in many churches. It has given me a much larger picture of the Conference. Do I have any regrets? Yes, I am sorry that 1 have not visited every church at least once. 1 have also wished for a larger budget to make The Messenger more of a magazine, with pages for youth and children, and features and stories on home and family life. As 1 reflect, 1 am humbly grateful for the ten good years the Lord has given me here. 1 have been fortunate to be surrounded with many wonderful people. 1 offer my thanks to each one of them. The members of the board 1 work for have been consistent in their guidance and support. Martha, my faithful, efficient secretary, has often gone beyond the call of duty. The interaction with colleagues in the office has been stimulating, as have my contacts with the Meetinghouse group. Concerning The Messenger, 1 want to thank all the contributors of articles, stories and reports. Your involvement and messages of advice and encouragement have been appreciated. Thanks to all readers and everyone who prayed for us. 1 give much credit to Elvina, my wife, who has been so understanding and supportive. Her words of reassurance when 1 was weary gave me the courage to continue. We have enjoyed the times we could travel together and the wonderful people we met in each place. Thank You, Lord, for Your help in this challenge to serve You and Your people in this chapter of my life!

LIKE A BOOK, life is made up of many chapters. Each one reveals new dimensions of plot and character. Now, the close of my “working” life offers an opportunity to reflect on the chapters that have gone before and ponder what is yet to come. My first seven years as a preschooler in Saskatchewan were blissfully carefree. Twenty years of schooling followed, including three at Steinbach Bible Institute and the equivalent of five at the University of Manitoba. 1 entered the working world as a teacher, a career that spanned 34 years in five schools. Ten years ago a major career change brought us to Steinbach — an employee of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, primarily responsible for editing The Messenger. Now that chapter is finished, and the page turns to one called “Retirement.” How long it will be or what it will involve is known only to the Lord. At present we have no plans other than a month or two of less hectic schedules. Concerning the spiritual dimension of my life, Sunday school, VBS and music contributed to my early development. 1 began serving in the church as the organist on a reed organ and a member of the choir before 1 became a Christian at age 19. Since that time it has been my privilege to serve in many roles: Sunday school teacher and superintendent, youth leader, accompanist, deacon, treasurer, minister and board member — at MacGregor, Steinbach and La Crete. At the family level, my 23 years of life as a single ended when Elvina became my wife. We thank God for the years He has given us together, the privilege of parenting four children and now enjoying six grandchildren. In 1987 1 accepted the position of editor with much trepidation. It was a career I had not previously considered, especially since I had majored in science and mathematics. So it has been a tremendously stretching and growing experience. Since I do not consider myself a theologian, I have depended on others to provide that dimension in the paper. My underlying desire has been to maintain and promote unity in the Conference.

— Menno Hamm

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What’s in a name? Last fall on our way to Mexico, we stopped at the little town of Menno, South Dakota. Should I retire there?

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‘‘Praise the Lord, O my soul, and Forget not dll His benefits.” Psalm 103.2 PAGE 2

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EDITORIAL

ASSISTANT Martha Kroeker

EDITOR­ ELECT Terry Smith

THE MESSENGER is the publi­ cation of the Evangelical Men­ nonite Conference. Its purpose is to inform, instruct and inspire: in­ form concerning events and ac­ tivities in the denomination; instruct in godliness and victori­ ous living; inspire to earnestly contend for the faith. Letters, articles, photos and poems are welcomed. Unpub­ lished material is not returned except by request. The views and opinions expressed by the writers are their own, and do not necessarily represent the posi­ tion of the Conference.

THE MESSENGER is pub­ lished twice a month (once a month in July and August) by the Board of Church Ministries of the Evangelical Mennonite Confer­ ence, 440 Main Street, Steinbach,

Manitoba. Subscriptions: $12.00 per year (Manitoba residents add 7% PST, total $12.84. Members and adherents pay through their church.

THE MESSENGER is a mem­ ber of Meetinghouse and Cana­ dian Church Press. Second class postage paid at Steinbach, Manitoba. Registration Number: 0591 Mailing information: All cor­ respondence, including un­ delivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions, should be addressed to: The Messenger P.O. Box 1268 Steinbach, Manitoba ROA 2A0

Phone: 204-326-6401 Fax: 204-326-1613 E-mail: emconf@mts.net

MESSENGER SCHEDULE: No. 13 - July 23 (material due July 14) THE MESSENGER

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings" (Malachi 3:8).

In many churches the worship service generally ends with a benediction. But on the basis of the text above, one preacher said that after the benediction, as people were be­ ginning to file out of the sanctuary, he sometimes felt like adding another ending to the worship service by having the ushers call out: “Stop, thief!” Like the prophet Malachi, that preacher wanted to challenge his people to look again at their giving — because many people neglected to tithe or to make an offering, and in his understanding they were robbing God, and he want­ ed them to stop. That would be a very dramatic way of applying this Scrip­ ture text. But if our ushers today called out, “Stop, thief!” after the worship service, 1 wonder how many of us would really stop. Some of you are already generous and cheerful givers, and that is wonderful. But for those who give little, or who give nothing at all, do we really understand that as robbing God? Does the teaching of Malachi, 400 or so years before Christ, make sense to us here and now in 1997, considering the eco­ nomic climate we live in, with the uncertainty of the dollar and the squeeze on our own household and personal budg­ ets, with our taxes already providing social services in our communities? Certainly as part of God’s word to us, we need to take Malachi’s teaching to heart. We need to evaluate our own giving patterns and challenge ourselves to greater giving. When 1 think of Christian stewardship, 1 have three specific questions. There are lots of other questions that we might ask. But for now, 1 want to focus on these three in the light of Scripture. Should we expect Christians to tithe? In the Old Testament, tithing meant giving a tenth for a re­ ligious purpose. So if 1 had ten sheep, one sheep would be my tithe. If 1 had 100 bushels of grain, ten bushels would be my tithe. One tenth of whatever 1 had would go to sup­ port the temple and those who served in the temple, and to care for widows, orphans, strangers and others. The first reference to tithing appears in Genesis and the last in Malachi (the first and last books of the Old Testament). In between there are many more commands and examples of tithing. But in addition to tithing, the Old Testament also talks about tithes and offerings. This appears even here in Malachi 3: “...[the people say to God,] How are we robbing you? [And God replies,] In your tithes and offerings.” It was as if the tithe, one tenth, was a minimum standard of giving, and be­ yond that there were additional offerings. So if 1 had ten sheep, one sheep would be my tithe. But a second sheep would be my offering. If I had 100 bushels of grain, ten bushels would be my tithe, but twenty bushels would be a tithe and an offering. Even in the Old Testament, giving to JUNE 25, 1997

God goes beyond a tithe; He calls us to be generous givers. The New Testament underlines this. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says: “The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” That passage says nothing about tithing — but it does talk about giving bountifully, deliberately, cheerfully. In Jesus’ teaching, the best example of giving was the poor widow who had only two coins and who put them both in the temple treasury. Among the people making their dona­ tions that day, the offering of that poor widow caught Je­ sus’ attention. He said to His disciples, “Truly 1 tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contribut­ ing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in every­ thing she had, all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44). Jesus says nothing about tithing. His standard of giving is much greater. Like the widow who had two coins and put them both in the temple treasury, if I have ten sheep, then all ten really belong to God. If 1 have 100 bushels of grain, then all 100 bushels really belong to God. That is Jesus’ stan­ dard of giving. Should we expect Christians to tithe? Yes and no. Yes, be­ cause the Scriptures seem to assume the tithe as a minimum standard of giving. No, because Christians should be giving much more than that. The Christian standard is to give every­ thing to God. Vernon McGee, a pastor in Texas during the Depression of the 1930s, was often urged by a well-to-do businessman in his congregation to preach on tithing. As an elder in the church he often said, “Preacher, why don’t you preach on the tithe?” And finally Vernon McGee said, “Well, I don’t be­ lieve in it. If you read the whole Bible, you’ll see that Chris­ tian giving is not about tithing, it’s about giving to God generously and cheerfully.” And then Vernon McGee looked straight at the other man and said, “A lot of Christians ought to be giving more than a tenth. For example, I would say that you are probably meiking more money than most others. 1 think that you ought to give more than a tenth.” That was the last time the two men ever talked about tith­ ing. And Vernon McGee comments, “He never again asked me to preach on the tithe because he was glad to give only his tenth. It eased his conscience to feel that that was all he ought to give.” But the Scriptures challenge us to give more than a tenth — in the words of Malachi, to give “tithes and offerings.” Can we equate giving to God with giving to the church? The Old Testament teaches that the tithes and offerings made in the temple were tithes and offerings made to God. For example, in Malachi 3, God says, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house.” This reference to God’s house is the temple where the offerings were brought. And the storehouse was part of the temple where the offerings could be stored. In Old Testament times, tithes and offerings were often made in the form of animals or produce, like sheep and grain. PAGE 3

iilWbritinuedlB If my offering was a sheep, it would be killed and eaten. If my offering was grain, it might be stored in the storehouse until it was used. Bringing a tithe and offering to that store­ house was bringing a tithe and offering to God. In the New Testament, when Jesus points out the widow’s offering of her two coins. He also seems to equate giving to the temple treasury with giving to God. But there were other forms of giving too. In the Sermon on the Mount, Je­ sus said, “Give to everyone who begs from you” (Matthew 5:42). To the rich ruler, Jesus said, “Sell all that you own and give the money to the poor” (Luke 18:22). When Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, Jesus accepts her ac­ tion as an offering. When a crippled beggar asks Peter and John for alms, Peter does not give him money, but instead heals him so that he can walk. These are all forms of giving that had nothing to do with the temple or with a church structure. So, can we equate giving to God with giving to the church? Yes and no. Yes, the church is the people of God, the body of Christ, that God has chosen and called out to do God’s will on earth. And so giving to the church should be like giving to God. Unlike the Old Testament, today our offer­ ings are usually in the form of cheques or cash, which are deposited in a local bank until they are used. That’s the modern storehouse, so to speak. So, if we were to paraphrase Malachi 3 for our contem­ porary situation, we might say, “Bring the full tithe into the church, so that there may be money in God’s bank account.” And we need to remember that God’s bank account is meant for God’s purposes. If we are using those offerings in ways that are not pleasing to God, then we need to address that, because giving to the church should be like giving to God. At the same time, we cannot equate giving to God with giving only to the church. The biblical record challenges us to give to the poor, to give good gifts to our children (Mat­ thew 7:9-10), to help our neighbours (Luke 11), to love others as ourselves. That kind of giving is beyond whatever we place in the Sunday offering, beyond what we decide in the church budget. But it is also part of giving to God. Should we understand Christian stewardship primarily in terms of money? One man said. I’ll go to church, but I’ll never become a church member because they only want me for my money anyway. Well, that may be an excuse, or perhaps some churches are like that. But the teaching of Scripture is that giving begins by giv­ ing ourselves to God. In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul commends the Christians of Macedonia for their giving: “They voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints...they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us.” That’s the Biblical order of giving — we give ourselves first to God through Jesus Christ, then we give our money according to our means and even beyond our means. After all, if we’re not already giving our faith and obe­ dience to God, then giving money isn’t going to make us any more religious in the true sense of the word. It may make our conscience feel better, it may help us meet the church budget, but without faith and obedience to God, giving

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money is not the kind of giving taught in the Bible. In fact, in Malachi 3, the tithes and offerings are not really the main point. If we were to read from the beginning of Malachi, we would see how the prophet again and again calls the people to return to God. The people had turned to idol­ atry; they had turned aside from God’s law and teaching. How could they make all of those things right again? How could they return to God? Not just by giving money — as if you can buy your way out of sin. That doesn’t work. This isn’t a way of bribing God. But for Malachi, giving was a sign of turning from one’s own way to God’s way. And the full tithe for God’s storehouse was not only the one sheep out of ten and the ten bushels of grain out of 100 bushels — the full tithe was giving one’s life in faithfulness to God. For Malachi’s people and for us, that means worshipping God as the one true God. That means being faithful to one’s spouse. It means paying workers fairly, caring for widows and orphans and strangers, being true to God’s teaching. That kind of giving to God by the way we live is empha­ sized in the New Testament as well. Jesus calls us to give up our lives to follow Him (Mark 3:34ff), to value following Jesus more than our homes, more than our careers, even more than our families and friends. Romans 12 says we should present our bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and ac­ ceptable to God.” In the Bible, giving to God is not only, or even mostly, about giving money — it’s about giving our lives. But for Malachi and for us, one way to demonstrate that is by giving our material resources. If we can’t part with our money and release it for God’s work in our church and com­ munity and world, then how can we talk about giving up our lives to follow Jesus? If we can’t give our time and abili­ ties for God’s work, then how can we talk about giving our hearts and minds to God? We might try to fool ourselves, but we can’t fool God. So should we understand Christian stewardship primarily in terms of money? No, Christian stewardship is much more than that — it’s about our time, our abilities, our hearts, our minds, our very lives. But money is a part of that. And giv­ ing our material resources is one expression of our giving to God. Today no one is going to call out, “Stop, thief!” But if we’re honest, we know there’s a little bit of thief in all of us. No matter how poor we are, we all have something we can give to God. No matter how generous we already are, we can give more. We are rich in time, ability, intellect, education, skills, strength, emotion — and money. Our Scripture asks us, “Will anyone rob God?” Let’s think about that.

April Yamasaki is the pastor at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, B.C This article is adapted from a message given on Stewardship Sunday in 1995.

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MASTER YOUR MONEY is one of several stewardship videos available for rent from the EMC Video Resource Library Phone: 204-326-6401

THE MESSENGER

Auctioneer Dave Nickel begins the bidding action in the big tent with the help of several assis­ tants. (Photo by Menno Hamm)

Winnipeg Sale Raises $51,000 for MCC Job Creation Projects

Several artisans demonstrated various skills, in­ cluding spinning wool by Helen Reimer from Steinbach.

Learn From Each Other 1 read with interest Harold and Alfrieda Fast’s Part 2 of “Helping Muslims Overcome Obstacles in Learning About Jesus” in the May 7 issue. My observation, having lived and worked with Muslims the last four years, agrees with their assessment that Muslims have many misconceptions of Christians, However, 1 have realized at the same time that we as Christians have as many misconceptions of Islam and Muslims. Perhaps we ought to spend as much time re-educating ourselves about our own misconceptions as trying to debunk theirs. As long as our main goal is to prove the other wrong and ourselves right, we will talk past each other because we approach each other from either an offensive or defensive position rather than as people of faith who can learn from each other. Until we see that we have something to learn from one another we have little hope of changing either the other or ourselves. Harold and Alfrieda indicate that “God’s Word will do its work in a heart when given the opportunity. When the heart begins to accept it as Truth, it becomes ready to face more difficult truths.” I trust this statement is a challenge to ourselves as much as it is intended for the Muslim. A few months ago 1 was invited to a Muslim/Christian dialogue hosted by a Muslim organization here in Lebanon. It was an enor­ mously inspirational few days for me as I heard Muslim imams and Christian clergy talk about the need to build mutual underJUNE 25, 1997

WINNIPEG, Man. — Warm weather and a variety of activities helped attract large crowds to the fourth annual Winnipeg MCC Festival and Relief Sale held June 13 and 14 at The Forks. The village of tents erected on the site accommodated the many aspects of the festive event. The activities began at 6 p.m. Friday evening with supper and desserts, and standing from a basis of love and acceptance. In this country where Christians and Muslims have fought one another for so long and where suspicions and competition continue to fester, this was for me a wonderful sign of hope for this country and for us as reli-' gious neighbours around the world. Religious conservatism is growing in both our camps, and we can see the results of it here as well as in North America. We, as a people committed to peace and non-violence, must participate in the call for understanding and acceptance rather than contribute to the hostilities and fear between our communities of faith. Joan Barkman MCC Country Representative in Lebanon

continued with sales, previews and music.. A celebrative atmosphere on Saturday, beginning with breakfast, permeated the site, with roving musicians adding to spirit of the day. Hundreds of volunteers made a significant contribution to the success of the event in preparing for the event and serving the festival guests. The event raised $51,000 through the sale of antiques, quilts, arts and crafts, ex­ perienced goods, baked goods and meals. The money raised at the sale will be used for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) job­ creation projects in Manitoba, Bangladesh, In­ dia and West Bank. MCC’s financial contributions to these projects are matched by a ratio of three-toone by the Canadian International Develop­ _ment _ Agency (CIDA) and by a ratio of one"^y the Manitoba Council Tor Internati^nal Cooperation. Most overhead costs are covered by donations from sponsors of the sale. The Winnipeg sale is one of three MCC relief sales in Manitoba. Similar sales will be held in Morris September 20 and Brandon September 26 and 27. May 31,1997

Evangelical Mennonite Conference

FINANCIAL UPDATE BUDGET (January 1 - May 31) Budget Receipts

1997 $608,167 342,527

1996 $573,750 382,320

1995 $566,667 372,109

Shortfall Disbursements

265,640 $547,462

191,430 $498,008

194,558 $492,620

The figures above show that there was a shortfall in receipts of $265,640 in budget requirements for the first five months of this year. This made it difficult to make necessary disbursements on time in May and June. We had to hold cheques back until sufficient funds were received. The General Fund reserve has been depleted with this shortfall in receipts. Please make this need an urgent matter of prayer. — Board of Trustees PAGES

German Language Newspaper Celebrates 20th Anniversary Die Mennonilische Post links Mennonites in seven countries STEINBACH, Man. — Die Mennonilische Post, a Steinbach-based German-language newspaper that links Mennonites in seven countries, is celebrating its 20th year of pub­ lication this year. Since the first issue was published April 21, 1977, the size of the paper has increased to 24 pages from 16. A book distribution serv­ ice was started in 1981 and a children’s maga­ zine, Das Blatt Fuer Kinder and Jugend, in 1989. Publishing and distributing newspapers, magazines and books is a major undertaking

for any organization that has a limited budg­ et. But distributing these publications to a readership in seven countries on a limited budget requires an abundance of persever­ ance, tenacity and innovation. “We spend far more time with things not directly related to publishing than publishing itself,” says editor/manager Abe Warkentin, who left his position as the editor of The Caril­ lon in Steinbach to publish a newspaper that would be of interest to people living in con­ servative Mennonite colonies in Latin Ameri­ ca (Warkentin is a member of the EMC

VNV Sunday Affected by the Flood WINNIPEG, Man. — “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2). In mid-March, Voices for Non-Violence (VNV) suggested that churches designate May 4 as a Sunday to

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Tony Driedger Stewardship Consultant

Teaching Children About Money What do you want your children to learn about money? When should you start to teach them? There is an excellent video. Common Cents, available from the Conference Office that teaches par­ ents how to help their children learn the basic principles of good money management. The system used in this video teaches the children about tithing and reward for work. It teaches them to save, and they learn about the opportunity cost of con­ sumption. They learn very quickly that there is not an endless supply of money but that the amount is limited. Since there is a limited supply, they need to learn the correct way to make good decisions about how they spend their money. That takes them on the road to setting up their own budget. This, of course, helps them to do some longrange goal setting. Since this is a learning situation, the teacher (in this case, the parent) also gets some instructions as to how to respond in the particular teaching opportunities. This video cem be rented from the Con­ ference Office by calling 204-326-6401. You'll enjoy it, and your family will be enriched by it.

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recognize the reality of domestic violence and sexual abuse in our midst. That focus fell in the wake of the reality of the flood. The focus on the church as neighbour was still highly relevant, however, as the example of Manitobans pulling together to survive the rising waters clearly illustrated. Aberdeen EMC in Winnipeg used the sug­ gested Good Samaritan theme and the Isaiah 43:1-3 passage to tie together the overwhelm­ ing crises of situations of abuse with the im­ mediate crisis of the flood. Ardith Frey, pastor of Aberdeen, found the immediacy of the flood situation highlighted the importance of the concept of an “Inn,” either as a refuge for flood evacuees or as a safe place for vic­ tims of abuse. Other churches, such as Jubilee Mennonite Church, still focussed mainly on the reality of abuse that Sunday. Lois Edmund, a form­ er VNV board member, spoke. Although al­ ways a difficult subject to broach, Sieg Wall, the pastor of the church, reported a positive experience and that the worship service was “very worth doing.” Some churches rescheduled the special em­ phasis to a later date. Fort Garry EMC desig­ nated June 8 as their “Church as Neighbour” Sunday. Participants there indicated that awareness was raised as to how we impact each other’s lives and that attention to the emotional as well as physical pain of victims is an important part of the healing process and the “responsibility of the Christian church.” Heather Block, coordinator of Voices for Non-Violence, stated three reasons for en­ couraging churches to hold the designated Sunday: It reminds people of the reality of abuse in the lives of people in our congrega­ tions: it reminds people that they have a role to play in responding and hopefully lessens some of the fear that prevents people from responding; and it increases the visibility of Voices for Non-Violence as a resource for the Mennonite community. Worship resource packets for the “Church as neighbour in the midst of the reality of abuse” can be obtained from Voices for NonViolence, 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9, phone: 204-269-8555.

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Editor, Abe Warkentin, displays the 20th 5 Aniversary issue of Die Post. ”

church in Steinbach). Die Mennonilische Post was started in 1977 as a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada program to provide a communication link among Mennonites and to serve as a literacy and education tool. It is administered by a publishing board that is responsible to appoint the editor, establish policies and procedures, set a budget and sponsor events that contribute to the operating budget. Throughout the years this program has received overwhelming support from Men­ nonites living in Latin America. Today, about 50 per cent of the 5,000 subscribers live in Latin America. Getting the paper to the read­ ers on a limited budget is a challenge. All newspapers, magazines and books are sent to Mexico via people travelling from Cana­ da to Mexico. Most mail destined for Paraguay is sent the same way. “I get my exercise carrying boxes,” says Warkentin. “I don’t only carry them. I’ve learned how to find the right sizes of boxes and how to pack them.” People travelling on airplanes have repacked personal items to create space for free transportation of newspapers, books and magazines. People travelling in vehicles have given up personal comfort because they know how important this mail is to sub­ scribers in Mexico and Paraguay. Negatives of Die Post are sent via airmail or with travellers to Bolivia where the paper is printed by a local printer and sorted, ad­ dressed and distributed by MCC service workers. From Bolivia copies are sent via air­ mail or courier to Argentina. Subscribers in Belize are the only readers getting the newspaper via airmail. Ongoing challenges of meeting deadlines and distributing papers pale in comparison to the satisfaction Warkentin and the fourmember staff get from knowing that Die Post, Das Blatt and books are read by men, wom­ en and children who have limited access to reading material. Most of the books requested by readers are German-language hymnbooks, Bibles and other books that have been reprinted with permission. But the best-selling book was a pictorial history of Mennonites in Latin America — Strangers and Pilgrims — writ­ ten and compiled by Warkentin. THE MESSENGER

Arthur Driedger, a board member who has actively supported this MCC program during the past 20 years, says Die Post and its relat­ ed ministries are meeting the original ob­ jectives. Driedger was the executive director of MCC Manitoba in 1976 when Frank H. Epp used his eloquent writing and communication skills to portray the desperate need for a newspaper that would help Mennonites stay in touch with relatives and friends in other colonies, settlements and countries. Until 1966 this need had been met by Die Stein-

bach Post, a newspaper published by Derksen Printers in Steinbach. Driedger, an MCC service worker in Bolivia in the 1960s, says the number of letters sent to Die Post and Das Blatt indicate subscribers have taken ownership of these publications. A large number of pages are designated for these letters, up to 85 in a single issue of Die Post. These publications are important literacy and educational tools in Latin America. Warkentin and his staff make great effort to pub­ lish stories that give readers a better

understanding of health and family issues and their Mennonite heritage and faith. "At the first meeting we talked about the name of the paper and unanimously agreed that it should be a Mennonite paper promot­ ing Mennonite values and Mennonite beliefs," recalls Driedger. “The paper was to carry an unapologetic witness to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and challenge readers to follow Jesus daily in life.” — Gladys Terichow MCC Manitoba Communications

With our

A banner announces the evangelistic services.

PARAGUAY

Building the Church by Lester Olfert Fourteen baptized in Navidad

One of the highlights of our Paraguay field visit was a trip to Navidad. Anticipation had been growing since 1 received the itiner­ ary for the trip; March 29 — Baptism in Navidad. This congregation had not existed two years ago when 1 last visit­ ed Paraguay. The missionaries had reported the formation of several new congregations, and I requested a visit to some of them. The initial contact with Navidad came through the visit of two young ladies to the bookstore in Caaguazu in response to radio programs. They asked for someone to come and help them in their new faith. They related how some people in their community had accepted the Lord, and others had rededicated their lives through listening to messages on their radios. Because of previous commitments, none of the workers were able to go. Six months later they came again with the same request. The group of Christians was meeting to sing, pray and read the Scriptures, but they had no one to teach and preach. This time Ben­ ny Goertzen and Agripino Presentado went. They found an eager group of believers, hungry for the Word. Soon William Candia, the evangelist, and Abram Buhler, the video projector operator, went out for a four-day campaign, with very encouraging results. More than a dozen people accepted Jesus as their Saviour and others made recommitments. Now, about six months later, thirteen of these individuals were to be baptized, following another four-day evangelistic campaign. Chris Kroeker, William and Abram went out on Wednesday for the campaign, visitation and final baptismal instructions. When we arrived on Saturday afternoon, after a three-hour drive, a banner greeted us, Estamos de Fiesta con Jesus (We’re having a party with Jesus). The celebration began with a service in a spa­ cious yard with lovely shade trees. After some enthusiastic sing­ ing and a message, we all walked about half a kilometre to the creek. We heard testimonies from the fourteen candidates (one had come from a neighbouring congregation). It was evident that God (continued on page 8)

JUNE 25, 1997

The baptismal service at Navidad.

William, Benny and Agripino lead the singing.

AgrIpIno and William baptize one of the candidates.

PAGE 7

PARAGUAY (continued) had worked in each one in a different way, but they all wanted to follow Jesus. One by one they went into the creek and were baptized by Agripino and William. Back at the yard we gathered for a communion service. The ac­ ceptance of the new members into the church brought the total to 23. Two years ago there had been no church. Just as the sun was setting, Abram began preparing the video projector for the closing evangelistic service. A crowd of 150 to 200 people watched the second half of the Jesus film. William gave the message, and another six to eight individuals responded. As 1 listened in on the group counselling session I heard one young lady ask, “When will you have another baptism? I've decided to follow Jesus, and I want to be baptized.” This is one of many examples of the growth of the Kingdom of God in East Paraguay. The evangelism and follow-up team has been a key factor in the growth. They have helped to consolidate the believers and create a sense of belonging to the different congre­ gations. Praise God, the church is being built. Agripino, William, Lester and Benny receive the new members.

Abram Buhler setting up the video equipment.

The 14 newly baptized believers at Navidad, with Agripino and William at the back. MEXICO

Lester Olfert, EMC foreign secretary, and his wife, Darlene, visited Paraguay in March 1997.

Second-Generation Christians

Jake and Bertha Kroeker On May 18 the Km 5 church in Juarez, Chi­ huahua, Mexico, celebrated with a baptismal service. Three of these are young people whose mothers brought them to church regu­ larly since they were children.

Jake and Bertha Kroeker live in El Paso, Texas, and are involved in church planting in Juarez, Mexico. They are in Manitoba for a short furlough this summer.

The baptismal candidates with a number in song.

Baptismal candidates at the Km 5 church. Front: Maribel Nevarez, Co­ rina Rodriguez, Daniel Flores, Sergio Rodrlguez. Back: Manuel Acos­ ta, Carlos Martinez.

PAGE 8

The first SEAN graduates at the Km 5 church, after three years of studies: Blanca Rodriguez, Carolina Portillo, Clothilde Rascon Neva­ rez, Lucrecia and Luis Nares, Jake Kroeker (teacher).

THE MESSENGER

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Karen and Sheldon doing a class presentation in the “Mis­ sion Theology” course taught by Alvira Friesen.

The Project Macedonia team with their missionary teachers (M): (back) Ernie Koop (M), Sheldon Schroeder, Maury and Karen Friesen; (front) Phil and Rhonda Peters, Alvira Friesen (M), Peter Hiebert (M), Stephanie Penner.

Project Macedonia — Mexico ’97 The Project was a one-month program in May, sponsored by the EMC Board of Missions in cooperation with EMMC, CMC and SBC. The program is designed to provide exposure to Latin culture and involvement in cross-cultural ministry with the Spanish and German churches of Mexico.

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New, exciting, challenging and educa­ tional experiences filled our trip to Mex­ ico. Our team consisted of six members: Maury and Karen Friesen (Steinbach, Man.), Stephanie Penner (Maryfield, Sask.), Sheldon Schroeder (Kleefeld, Man.), and Phil and Rhonda Peters (La Crete, Alta.). Jake Kroeker and Peter Hiebert wel­ comed us to El Paso, Texas, on the U.S./Mexican border. While there we presented a program in the church in Ju­ arez, on the Mexico side, where Jake and Bertha Kroeker are serving. The next week was spent in Santo To­ mas, where we had classes with Ernie Koop. We also prepared our program, consisting of drama, singing, testimo­ nies, a reading and a message in Span­ ish. We presented it for the first time in San Juan. On the weekend we travelled to two Mennonite camps, 67 and 77. We en­ joyed fellowship with the young people in Camp 77 and the church at Camp 67 on Sunday morning. Jennifer Loewen and Peter and Kathy Friesen, who are serving at Camp 67, did a great Stephanie Penner celebrated her birthday Mexican style with a pihata.

job of hosting us. The following week we stayed in Chi­ huahua City with national host families, a stretching experience. We had to learn how to live in a Latin culture — food, language, time schedules. We also had a Mexican history class led by Peter Hiebert. This included tour­ ing parts of Chihuahua City (cathedrals, Karen and Maury Friesen with Diane Koop and sons and museums), where we saw the contrast their host family, Elma NIdia (left) and Elma (right). between the rich and poor. We ended the week by playing soc­ cer with the youth of the various churches. During this week we also par­ ticipated in the prayer meeting at Ramiro Valles, where Cathy Thiessen is serving. Services were also brought at a home for seniors and at the Fuente de Vida church, where Peter euid Louise are '4\ the missionary couple. We then returned to Santo Tomas for a week of classes with Alvira Friesen and presented programs in Buena Vis­ ta and Santo Tomas. We were privileged to hear Alvira bring the meditation dur­ The group presents a mime during a program In a church. ing these two services. Our team spent the final weekend with the missionaries in Chihuahua City. On Sunday we joined the EMC churches in Mexico for a joint service (church­ picnic style). We rejoiced with the Ana­ huac church as they baptized and I received four new members. The lunch, an enjoyable experience, consisted of a ; traditional Mexican discada (outdoor stirfry). After a debriefing session, we headed for home. The team sings at an open-air service in Mexico. We would like to especially thank Dik.

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ane Koop, Cathy Thiessen and Louise

Hiebert for cooking during these three weeks. Also, a special thank you to all the missionaries who gave up their time and energy to prepare classes and in­ troduce us to Mexican history, culture and people.

A Mexican d/scada makes delicious taco filling.

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Shower for Hannah Paige Hebert. Left to right: Ann-Marie Rempel, Camelia Gerber and children, Marilyn Rittau, Raylene Hebert, Ann Barnard, Barb Hicks, Tina Friesen, Sandra Rempel.

MAJESTIC IS HIS NAME! Fort Frances, Ont.: Hi, everyone! It's about time I wrote to you in the Messenger. My hus­ band and I just got back from a much-needed holiday to Vancouver. I felt much closer to God as I finally got to see the majestic moun­ tains in B.C. I felt His power and beauty as I gazed at them with awe. Anyway, we do have some very exciting news to share with you. We praise God that He has sent us a pastor. Jeff and Laural Ann Plett of Landmark, Man., with their four chil­

Hannah gets a big hug from Ann Barnard.

dren, will begin their duties on August 1 as our pastor couple (family). We are excited and look forward to having a pastor once again. Thank you to all who prayed for us. God is faithful! / will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most High (Psalm 7:17). Again, we say a big thank you to the peo­ ple who have graciously led the services on Sunday mornings these past few months and shared God’s Word with us — Mark Mast, Ben Friesen, Henry Kornelsen, Don Thiessen and Ken Johnson. You are a blessing! On Tuesday evenings we meet in homes for Bible study. We just finished a most in­ formative study by Dr. Ken Novind on “Cre­ ation versus Evolution” via video. Did you know that our earth is only 6000 years old and not billions and billions like the evolu­ tionists think? We now are listening to a tape by Max Lucado called “In the Grip of His Grace.” So far, it is very good. On March 10 a baby shower was held at the church for Hannah Paige Hebert, daugh­ ter of Robert and Raylene Hebert. We had lots of fun as Raylene opened up gifts for

AND THEY PRAYED Dr. Archie and Elvira Penner

50th Wedding Anniversary Colleagues, former students and friends: The children of Dr. Archie and Elvira Penner invite you to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Sunday, July 13, 1997 Lunch at 5 p.m. — Program to Follow Steinbach E. M. Church Fellowship Hall

Hannah, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Thank you to Ann Barnard who arranged for this celebration! Henry Kornelsen had the message on May 4. Ike and Tina Derksen provided some spe­ cial music and Marilyn Rittau read scripture. After the service, a potluck lunch was served with a special cake for dessert. Henry and Tina Kornelsen were thanked for the many times they faithfully came to our church this past year and a half to share God’s Word with us. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). It is with deep sadness that we tell you that Kim Mickelson passed away in April at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto to be with her Lord and Saviour. She bravely fought the cancer in her body, while many of you prayed for her. God has answered our prayers in His way, but we can’t help won­ dering what His plan is! 1 am sure when we see Christ someday, all will be made known to us. We are praying for Hal, Andrew and Samantha as they carry on, and we ask you to join us in prayer. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace (Isaiah 55:12a). Have a great summer! Don’t forget to take God along on your vacation! Evelyn Hicks

Treesbank, Man.: Sunday, June 1, at the Treesbank church: James D. Regehr, pastor, preached from Daniel 9 — Daniel prayed, and we, too, should pray. Sunday, June 8, James spoke at a Brigade camp-out in Saskatchewan, where about 100 men and boys were in attendance. Sunday, June 15, back at Treesbank, it was DRY!!! James reminded the congregation that Daniel prayed, and then in an unprecedent­ kj ed move, he invited any who would, to join Lss S J’S#-? him, kneeling and facing toward Jerusalem, as Daniel did, to pray for rain. Young folk - R--> and older folk alike moved from their places !<« .■i V •'■p in the pews and humbly knelt before the Lord. James prayed to the LORD, the God g * s? <• of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, beseeching ;; HIM to send rain. Monday night, June 16, it began to rain. On Tuesday, at the time of this writing, it was Raylene Hebert displays the lovely cake that was shared by all in this celebration of Han­ still raining. Thank you, LORD! James D. Regehr nah’s birth.

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For reservations call 204-845-2552 by July 1.

An endowment fund for SBC has been set up in their honour for those who wish to contribute.

Jim, Luci, Earl and families PAGE 10

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THE MESSENGER

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Mother/daughter brunch at the Crestview church. MOTHER/DAUGHTER BRUNCH

ing forward to Abundant Springs ’99. — Dayle Straub

Winnipeg, Man. (Crestview): The aroma of fried bacon was an indication that brunch Flood Clean-up — On June 6 our youth group was almost ready. The men were the cooks, got together to help clean up at a flood vic­ while the ladies were the guests the morn­ tim’s home. Through MDS, we helped a cou­ ing of June 14. What a special time this was ple in the St. Adolphe area. It was a for all of us women as we gathered with our devastating experience to see the destroyed daughters and in some cases with grand­ homes. Despite the fact that their lives have daughters. After indulging in the bacon and waffles served with peaches, strawberries and whipped cream, we listened to some THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS! great singing by our special guests, Susan Zacharias and Kim Kroeker. Calle Friesen, Pleasant Valley, Man.: It seems as if a long our special speaker for the morning, capti­ time has passed since 1 wrote the last report. vated our attention by unfolding the story of So many things have happened during this Esther in such a dramatic way that this Bi­ time that it is hard to remember them all. I ble character seemed to come alive before was unable to complete the last report, since our eyes. The challenge we were left with it came due at the same time that we had to was, are we “brave like Esther” or "conceit­ leave our home due to evacuation. In my last report I left off at the beginning of March. ed like Haman”? Sunday, June 8, was a beautiful sunny day One of the main highlights since that time as we gathered at the park for our morning was a series of Deeper Life meetings held in worship service. It seemed as though God our church in the middle of March. We were was smiling on us as we sat under the open privileged to have Jerry Plett, pastor of the sky listening to Pastor Darryl preach on MacGregor EMC, with us for these meetings. Revelation 20. This chapter of the Bible A big thank you to Jerry for the challenge warns us about the importance of finding our that he left with us on making our homes name in the Book of Life. After that good “Christian.” We also thank his family and the message, the fellowship of eating and visit­ MacGregor church family for sharing him ing began, which was followed by a Sunday with us for this time. 1 suppose the next really big event was the school picnic of fun-filled activities. Our youth group, thanks to their enthusias­ “Flood of the Century.” We started heavy tic leaders, are involved in a variety of ac­ preparation for this flood near the beginning tivities. Here is a glimpse of two recent of April, and preparation work continued right till the end of April. Then the evacua­ events: tion notice was given, and many of the Abundant Springs — This was a really great church members had to uproot and move to weekend. It was a time to learn about the temporary homes. For some, mainly school things that God wants us to be careful about. kids, this was seen as a holiday — a time The theme for the weekend was “The Eye where they would not have to worry about of the Storm,” and our speaker was Bernie school and homework for a little while. Their Smith. Bernie taught us what God has said teachers had a different idea, however, and we should do when we face storms (tempta­ many of the kids found themselves in a class­ tions) in our life. A number of people com­ room setting of one kind or another. mitted their lives to the Lord for the first time, For others, though, the time spent away and others made rededications after one of from home brought with it some anxiety — the chapel services. Bernie encouraged us to uncertainty as to whether or not their homes stay strong in Christ. Some of the highlights would remain dry throughout the flood, or were the awesome worship band, Emerson concern over family members who had Stone (a Christian band from Winnipeg), Emi­ stayed back to help fight the flood. In these ly’s Dream (a new Christian band from Prairie times of worry it became evident that we Rose), the tournaments that we participated were powerless, and we had to cast our bur­ in {Dutch Blitz, floor hockey, etc.), the illu­ dens and anxieties on our kind and loving sionist, the challenges (horizontal bungee, big heavenly Father. bomb boxing, etc.) and the informative semi­ Many people wondered about our church, nars that we attended. We are really look- and this is one of the rare times when we JUNE 25, 1997

Parent/child dedication at the Crestview Fellow­ ship: Pastor Layton Friesen, Mark and Wendy Green with daughter Emily.

been turned upside down, they seemed to be in surprisingly good spirits. It made me real­ ize how much 1 have to be grateful for. 1 felt blessed to have the opportunity to help some­ one in need, and they really appreciated our effort. — Marcie Funk Helen Wiebe

could say that it was truly beneficial to be situated as far to the west as we are. We had a group of volunteers come in from the Win­ kler area, who helped build a sandbag dike around the church, but the water never came that high, so the church remained dry. In fact, during the peak of the flood, church services were still being held at Pleasant Valley. Be­ tween twenty-five and thirty people attend­ ed services there on May 4 and 11, including several members from the two other area EMC churches. Boats were docked at the side of the church parking lot, and people were kindly asked to leave their hip-waders at the door. We would like to thank all the volunteers who came out to help sandbag in the com­ munity. It was incredible to see people from all over Manitoba, Canada, and even the United States come together in an effort to save homes of families they had never heard about. It seems impossible to try and repay these people, but we trust that each one of those volunteers will be blessed for their ef­ forts. We also thank the communities and fa­ milies who hosted flood evacuees. Although it was difficult to be away from our homes, the people in these communities went out of their way to make evacuees feel welcome. My wife and I had the privilege of staying in Steinbach, where we were billeted out to a family whom we had never met before. They did everything possible to make our stay a very memorable one. We feel that due to the “Flood of the Century” we have made a lasting friendship with this family, and we look forward to many more good times spent with them in the future. Several members of our congregation are still working with extensive flood clean-up, and the work will likely go on through most of the summer. Thank you for your prayer support through this time, and we ask that you would continue to pray for those who are still working to put their homes in order. Mike Friesen PAGE 11

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Anywhere from 50 to 250 people were served lunch and supper on a daily basis at the Rosenort Fellowship Chapel for the past weeks.

TIME TO REBUILD Rosenort, Man. (Rosenort Fellowship): ...a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh (Ecclesiastes 3:3b and 4a). These words are just as true now as they were in Solomon's time. All of our com­ munity has experienced them to one degree or another this spring. First the sandbag dikes were built and then torn down; the houses that were flooded need to be torn apart; and now is the time to rebuild. There has been weeping and laughing happening simultane­ ously at times. The Rosenort Fellowship Chapel has been turned into a soup kitchen where residents and volunteers alike have come to be

nourished. We personally have been on both sides of the table. We were fed when clean­ ing up at our house, and 1 had the privilege of serving later. There are not enough words to express our appreciation lor all the volun­ teers who have come to help. You have helped us physically as well as emotionally and spiritually. It was not an uncommon scene to see a small group huddled in pray­ er when a situation seemed overwhelming. We thank God in every remembrance ofyou. We look forward to the convention in Riverton in July. Let us be in prayer for Neil Anderson and the people involved in the planning and lor those of us who will attend. The Rosenort-area churches are planning a “Freedom in Christ" seminar for November

Army personnel were a common sight in Rosenort during the flood and clean-up.

BAPTISMAL SERVICE Pelly, Sask.: On May 18 four candidates took the step of baptism. Two of the young peo­ ple have grown up in our midst, one moved here from Switzerland, and the other one, Olga Nahnybida, has been anticipating bap­ tism for some time, but due to reasons such as health, us being without a resident pastor, etc., it was delayed till now. It was a very meaningful time for all. Our pastor had a message on “The Requirements of Baptism." Following the baptism service, a noon lunch­ eon was held in the lower hall. We then as­ sembled in the main auditorium for communion. Following are the testimonies of the four candidates:

OLGA NAHNYBIDA - 1 came from a socalled Christian home, and my parents took me to church faithfully. I knew that there was a God, but the extent of my learning was to

PAGE 12

One of the many groups of volunteers who helped us conquer the clean-up.

2-8, and this convention will certainly serve as a challenge for our need to be revived and to live our life freely for Christ. Judy Schellenberg

Pete Loewen and son Douglas taking a break from their labour.

Food supplies donated by the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

obey the Ten Commandments and repeat the Lord's Prayer. After my husband's passing, 1 listened to “The Day of Discovery" and or­ dered the Daily Bread booklets. Being bedrid­ den for almost six years, 1 had time to read and study, and 1 wanted to learn what God wanted of me. After reading John 3:3, “Ex­ cept a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God," 1 accepted Jesus as my Saviour one Sunday morning. During the spring of 1984, the Fellowship Chapel brought in a special speaker. At the invitation, 1 went forward to make a public commitment to serve Christ. I confessed my sins and believe 1 am forgiven, as promised in I John 1:9. God has answered many of my prayers. Although I do not understand all the mysteries of God, I have no alternative but to believe. My aspirations as a Christian are to spread the Gospel and stand up for His Word. “The righteous will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.

proclaiming ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock'" (Psalm 92:14-15). TWYLA HAMM — “For 1 am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor de­ mons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Dur­ ing the past few months this verse has real­ ly spoken to my heart. As teenagers, there are so many things that pull us away from God — drugs, friends, peer pressure and im­ moral living. This verse says nothing will separate us from the “love of God." I believe that if we love God enough, nothing will separate us from Him. On July 12, 1987, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and make me new and refreshed. Jesus is in my heart and will be there forever. I praise the Lord for such a wonderful gift.

THE MESSENGER

NANDO LEUTENEGGER -1 moved to Cana­ da just over two years ago from a city in Swit­ zerland. At the time 1 had no idea what being a Christian meant. In Canada I met two kinds of people — good guys and bad guys. As the good people were telling me about being born again, my interest in knowing Christ grew. As 1 read the Bible it felt good to know the Holy Spirit was at work within me. It did not take long till 1 believed and accepted Je­ sus as my Saviour. It is hard in today’s socie­ ty to live a Christian life. Some of the people 1 hang around with think the devil is cool; to me that is the most stupid thing 1 ever heard. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and for everyone else’s, and accepting Jesus into our hearts is the only way to heaven.

CAMERON DYCK — 1 was born into a Chris­ tian home and was taught Christian values. By the time 1 was seven or eight years old, 1 realized that 1 needed Christ as my Saviour. 1 asked Him into my life and so began my LADIES’ TIME OUT

Endeavour, Sask.: On Sunday, April 27, our church was invited to the Hudson Bay church for an exchange service. We met at 5:30 for a fellowship supper, giving us an opportuni­ ty to visit with the church family there while enjoying a delicious meal. The service fol­ lowed in the sanctuary. Many from our church group took part with singing, in­ strumental selections and readings, and Pas­ tor Moorhead ended the evening with a devotional. Thank you, Hudson Bay, for a good evening together. The following Saturday, May 3, the third annual “Endeavour Ladies’ Time Out,” with the theme “Home Sweet Home,” was held in the school gym. About a hundred women from the area and beyond attended. The speaker was Peggy Watts from Melfort. She spoke of God’s faithfulness and protection during her life, especially when she was lost for a long time while on the way to a Chris­ tian Women’s Club speaking engagement. She clearly gave the message of the salva­ tion which only Christ can offer. Music for the evening was supplied by Angie Seale from Pineridge Fellowship Chapel in Hudson Bay. Her songs fit the theme so well. One of our own ladies, Sharon Karcha, presented a special feature, “Beautiful Windows and Other Decorating Ideas,” giving us many ideas on how to spruce up our homes very economically. During the evening we munched on fresh vegetables and dip and a delicious trifle. Thank you so much to the committee for a wonderful evening. For Mother’s Day the youth of our church assisted with the morning service and led the singing. Following the service they served a lunch in honour of the mothers. It was a treat for the mothers to sit down and enjoy the meal while others did the running around! Thank you, young people, for making our day a special one. Margaret Moorhead JUNE 25, 1997

Baptism at Pally Fellowship Chapel. Left to right; Olga Nahnybida, Nando Leutenegger, Twyla Hamm, Cameron Dyck, Kenton and Lucille Penner (pastoral couple).

personal walk with God. No miraculous changes occurred but, looking back, 1 real­ ize that the Holy Spirit began working in my life. 1 started to read the Bible regularly, and God’s Spirit brought things to my attention that needed confessing or changing, and thus my prayer life blossomed. God blessed me in mcmy ways, and 1 thank Him for that. Even periods of backsliding were times of build­

ing up my faith (James 1:2-4). Through the baptismal classes, 1 have renewed my love and fire for God. 1 have found a new enthusiasm; I know I will stray again, but He will still be there. Through bap­ tism I declare my commitment to God and my membership in and service to the church. Vivian Anfinson

ELIZABETH FRIESEN 1912-1997 “Soon and very soon, I am going to see the King!” This was Mom’s request to sing at her bedside on Sunday night, in the few lucid and fairly clear hours she had between several episodes of un­ consciousness. She seemed to be looking forward to that and talked about seeing Je­ sus soon, and at one point she said she’d see Dad soon too! At 6:55 on Tuesday morning, May 13, 1997, she passed away in her sleep and left her bedridden state behind to meet her Maker! What a reunion that must have been! Mom was born on January 6, 1912. She reached the age of 85 years and 4V2 months. She had lived a full life. She was baptized upon the confession of her faith as a youth and has believed God to be her salvation ever since. She was married to Cornelius Rempel in May 1942. He predeceased her in Janu­ ary 1960. During their time together, they had a very open home to children who need­ ed a place to stay and often befriended fa­ milies who were lonely. She became known as a caring person. When our family needed a mom in 1960 when our mother died, she consented to take over the “motherhood” of three sons, three daughters and one daughter-in-law. That was quite a huge undertaking and, needless to say, not without some difficulties. She was our “mother” for nearly 37 years. She did a great job as our mother! She was always ready to help if we needed it and a willing listener to our problems. She was a wonder­ ful helpmate for Dad, and she made him hap­ py for the 36 years of their lives together. She loved sewing, and quilting was another

hobby of hers. It was always an interesting time in winter when she cut all those intri­ cate designs out of fabric and sewed them all together to form some very beautiful de­ signs. Getting new clothes was seldom a problem, since she loved getting out the measuring tape and scheming up a pattern and sewing what we wanted. She enjoyed reasonably good health for most of her life, other than one bad episode on one of their visits to Manitoba where she had to be hospitalized. After Dad passed way, she seemed to lose her main purpose for living and almost im­ mediately started feeling the effects of age. By Christmas time her walking had deterio­ rated badly due to gout, which had deve­ loped in one foot. She never felt really well again, and on Sunday, April 27, she com­ plained of severe abdominal pain that at­ tacked so hard and so quickly that we called an ambulance for her. She was eventually di­ agnosed with a perforated bowel, and emer­ gency surgery was performed. Although she woke up from that, and even seemed to be rallying for a while, by Saturday night she was in breathing distress, and she never real­ ly improved again. She was predeceased by her husband, Jake K. Friesen, in 1996; her sisters Mary and Mar­ garet; her parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Loe­ wen (Thiessen); and her stepfather, John Thiessen. She leaves behind to mourn her passing, her children: Bert and wife Rose, Myrnie and husband Wilbert, Norm and wife Dorothy, Sylvia and husband Irv, Jorlean and husband Denver, Glenn and wife Dianne; 29 grandchildren (including spouses) and 21 great-grandchildren; four brothers, David Loewen, Abe, John and Pete Thiessen; and three sisters, Tina, Helen and Annie; and many other friends and relatives. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 1 will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” PAGE 13

APOLOGY — Two photo captions were accidentally missed from the La Crete reports on Page 17 in the May 28 issue. Sorry, M.H.

A new group of “worship leaders” in the La Crete church??

You were Just a fetus some people might say With numbers and percentages Doctors explained you away

DADDY'S ANGUISH You were conceived By Mommy and Daddy in love It seemed like a miracle From Cod up above

But you were our baby we had plans and dreams You were already in our lives or so to us it seems

we looked forward to parenthood With anticipation TO see what was in store for us And our new little creation

we never did see your smile Or your baby face Our hearts ache with sadness Only Cod can replace

Family and friends were told such joy this news brings Then picked out some names And looked at baby things

Mommy never got to hold you Or hear your small cry We know cod knows best But still we ask why

The short time you were with us You brought us great joy We wondered if you were A girl or a boy The youth group “singing” their fareweiis for Dean and Kayiene Buhier.

KIM IRENE DINI 1958-1997 Kim Irene Dini, 38, of Fort Frances, Ont., passed away on Tuesday, April 15, at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Ont. She was born on June 23, 1958, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. On August 6, 1983, Kim was united in marriage to Hal Mickelson. She at­ tended the Evangelical Fellowship Church regularly, and also attended weekday mass­ es at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church for a period of time. Kim enjoyed Bible studies. She also liked flowers, camping, the water and swimming, and was very proud of her family. Kim was predeceased by one brother, Todd Dini. She is survived by her husband, Hal Mickelson, and two children, Andrew and Samantha (Fort Frances): her parents, Lawrence and Sandra Dini; grandmother Maude Delavalle; sister Toni Beharriell; brother Mark Dini and wife Laura, all of Sault

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Daddy and Mommy Will never forget you our love We trust you're with Jesus in heaven above

Your mommy and I were planning For your arrival in June After only six weeks YOU left us too soon

Love, Mommy and Daddy

written by Kelvin Siemens After the miscarriage which was to be our firstborn

Dreams are now shattered Our hearts ripped asunder HOW can this be happening to us we painfully wonder

Kelvin and Pat Siemens Kola, Man.

We are now grieving Our lives have been changed Our world's upside down Completely rearranged

Ste. Marie, Ont.; four nieces, Sheena and Kay­ la Beharriell, and Chantal and Alyssa Dini; and by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. The funeral service was held on April 24 at Green Funeral Home in Fort Frances, with Ben Friesen of Steinbach, Man., officiating. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery in Fort Frances. Pallbearers were Bill Rempel, Ben Rempel, Bernie Martens, George Rempel, George Friesen and Ike Friesen. Donations in Kim’s memory by be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, Box 444, Fort Frances, Ont. P9A 3M8.

HEBERT - to Robert and Raylene Hebert of Fort Frances, Ont., a daughter, Hannah Paige, on Janu­ ary 27, 1997.

MARTENS - FEHR: Korey, son of Jake and Norma Martens of Vanderhoof, B.C., was married on May 3, 1997, to Ann Jolene, daughter of Martin and Clara Fehr of Vanderhoof. The wedding took place at the Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship, with Dave Wiebe of Vanderhoof officiating. The couple is residing in Vanderhoof.

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This is your last chance to register for the 1997 Conven­ tion at Riverton on the shores of beautiful Lake Winnipeg. Register NOW! Phone: 204-326-6401 Fax: 204-326-1613

Annual Convention -Htfi’i ■■■

Dr. Neii T. Anderson. .

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Last call for the YOUTH TENT CITY (16 & up) July 4-6 at Hnausa Park on Lake Winnipeg. (Bring a tent and $10 park fee per tent per night.) • Wafer activities at the beach • Texas Scramble (bring clubs & $12 greens fee) • Beach barbecue • Bonfire praise and worship REGISTER BY JULY 3 — Phone 204-326-6401

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THE MESSENGER

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HENRY BRANDT 1925-1997 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage (Psalm 16:6). Henry was born the fourth child of Gerhard W. and Elizabeth Brandt on April 6. 1925. near Isle des Chenes, Manitoba. His first years of schooling were at Linden; later he attend­ ed the Blumenort School. Since our parents were not well off financially. Henry had to go to work at an early age. He worked in several places: Plett’s box factory, Brandt’s foundry in Steinbach, and in bush camps. From his youth, Henry was naturally quiet and physically strong. It seems he was a good hockey player. He was able to walk fast, which he did until the last few years of his life. He enjoyed playing checkers and often won. In his early twenties Henry accepted Jesus as his Saviour and was baptized at age 25, and joined the EMC church in Blumenort. Henry experienced struggles with the as­ surance of salvation and found it hard to ex­ press himself. This caused him great anxiety, which affected his mental health, requiring several lengthy stays in mental hospitals. It also prevented him from having a job later on in life. As the years went by Henry seemed to feel less and less secure in his residence. When his state of health required more care, a room was found for him at the Menno Home in Grunthal. With the good care he received, his health soon stabilized. He enjoyed taking walks with staff members and feeding.the various pets at the home and was in fairly good health for nearly three years.

TEACHERS & TEACHING ASSISTANTS are needed for Mennonite schools in the southern United States for the fall 1997 term. Knowledge of Low German would be an asset.

During the last few years Henry seemed to be getting small strokes, which hindered his speech and walking. On April 29 the nurse found Henry unconscious in his room, as a result of a massive stroke. He was taken to the Bethesda Hospital in Steinbach, where, after three days of laboured breathing, he passed away on May 2. Henry was predeceased by his father (1948) and mother f86): three brothers: George f95), Willie f73), Ben f89); sister Betty f80) and two brothers in infancy. He is survived by sister Mary and Henry Plett of Blumenort; brothers Dave and Adeline of Blumenort, Abe and Annie of Riverton, and Arnold and Gertie of Blumenort; and many nieces and nephews. The family wants to thank the staff at Men­ no Home and at Bethesda Hospital, doctors Heese and Peters, and those who visited Hen­ ry at home and at Menno Home. We believe that, in spite of his struggles, Henry kept the faith and has arrived at that blessed place called heaven. The Family •

M MFC Grant Fund

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MENNONITE FOUNDATION o •

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Applications Invited The Mennonite Foundation of Canada Grant Fund is open to applications from panicipating Conferences, churches and related organiza­ tions and institutions. Funds are available for projects that have a charitable, religious or educational objective. Funded projects will generally be new programs in a start-up phase or new initiatives in existing programs.

Annual application deadline: July 30 Guidelines and application forms are available from any Foundation office

WINNIPEG OFFICE 4-117 Victor Lewis Drive Winnipeg, MB R3P 1J6 204-488-1985 Fax 204-488-1986

Direct inquiries to: Qlenn Plett Arberg, Man. Home: 204-364-2271 Church: 204-364-2356

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KITCHENER OFFICE 50 Kent Avenue Kitchener, ON N2G 3R1 519-745-7821 Fax 519-745-0064

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CLEARBROOK OFFICE 303-32025 Dahlstrom Ave. Abbotsford, B.C. V2T2K7 604-850-9613 Fax 604-850-9372

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Freedom in Christ

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JUNE 25. 1997

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Don Thiessen Conference Pastor

Doing Good “Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of be­ lievers” (Galatians 6:10). Individuals from many churches help Grande Prairie construct their building. In the same way many help at Leamington. A group from southern Ontario helps clean out the Rosenort church after the flood. A group from High Level comes a week later. Ministers preach in each other’s churches in Region 4 (and in others). A church helps out its sister church during a time when there’s no pastor. A ladies’ group provides meals for the mother of a newborn. Rides are provided for the mother of a sick child in hospital an hour away. Farmers from the church bring all their combines to harvest the crop of a neighbour who is ill. All of this is quite biblical. “Christians helping Christians” is still happening. It used to be common that neighbours would gather for hog-slaughtering bees, quilting, bam raising and harvest efforts. Most of these community events have disappeared, but the opportunities to ”do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers” are as plentiful as ever, and we need to see these opportunities as privileges, and as obligations. Helping, doing good, can be expressed in many different ways, and usually only your generosity, or the lack of it. will limit what can be done. What about sharing from your perennials cutting the neighbours’ grass while they’re on holidays lending out your tiller helping build a deck babysitting tutoring tithing clearing snow from the neighbours’ driveway visiting a senior giving away garden produce (not just squash) “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the in­ terests of others” (Philippians 2:4). PAGE 15

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A Mom's Reflection by Brenda Dick IT WAS THE BOTTOM of the ninth inning, two out and our Sabres were in the field leading by two. The tension was palpable at this final Little League game. A fly ball is hit...and caught. We won! Parents and players erupted into shouts of celebration! Our boys had done it — the gold was theirs. My eyes searched for my son. There he was, frantically ripping off the catcher’s equipment so he could join in the jubilation. He had done a good job. My heart overflowed with gratitude as 1 watched him receive his medal and pose for a team picture. What a fabulous end to a great year! His grades in school were above average and he was ready to go to camp for a week. Nothing unusual for most tenyear-old boys at the end of June, but at one time 1 thought this normality would never be ours. My mind went back to a bleak day five years ago. Three years before Russell had been diagnosed with epilepsy. Medication helped somewhat, but he was not doing well. His poor forehead was always bruised from various “accidents,” and the medication kept him slightly groggy. Now we were in a new city, talking with a new specialist. His examination seemed cursory. He turned to us and said gravely, “Your son is doped. We have to get him off these drugs and get better control. If we can’t, he may never develop beyond this age mentally.” In shock, 1 looked at my adorable four-year-old. The consultation that we were sure would bring hope had become a crushing nightmare. Further tests revealed that he was indeed a very sick boy with a very complex type of epilepsy. We became experts on the disease, tests, drugs and blood levels. Life became very regimented as we kept track of exactly which doses of which medications seemed the best. One of the most surprising and discouraging things 1 learned was just how little is known about the brain. It soon became clear that finding the right medication combination was going to be a long process of trial and error. Our roller-coaster ride was to last two years. At times we were hopeful, and then suddenly, our world would come crashing down as his seizures returned. My diary entries paint a picture of desperation: I am so...

tired, despairing.

ad nauseam....

Russ has had four EEGs in the last two weeks. No improvement, no matter what. They’re surprised he is as functional as he is. I wonder if we’ll ever have our boy back. I’m frazzled. My patience — isn’t! And then when I get upset with either him or our neglected daughters I feel GUILT, GUILT, GUILT!!! Worse, Wes and I are admired for our “spiritual strength and example. ’’ Personally, I feel empty. Faith? What faith? Nothing exists for me but fatigue, guilt, worry, medication, doctors, blood work, EEG squiggles, the smell of acetone... I feel empty, too empty even to feel much emotion. I feel like a black hole. ” Then, how things changed! Not suddenly, but oh, so slowly. New medications were tried, and the response seemed promising. It was hard not to get our hopes up. One month passed, two, then a year. This sent us back to the doctor with much higher spirits. It looked terrific, but he reminded us that Russ could not tolerate those powerful drugs permanently. During the summer we began to slowly wean him from the drugs. We watched with bated breath as the doses decreased without any visible problems. The last hurdle was another EEG. Would something show up to indicate all was not as it seemed? I had been with Russell during many EEGs and knew what an abnormal printout looked like. This was different. Instead of speeding jagged lines ripping across the paper, the recording pens seemed to slide lazily across the paper. 1 asked the technician if the machine was all right. She had been through a lot with us. Now she grinned and said, “It’s all right, and so is your boy!” Did 1 whisper the word “miracle”? 1 don’t remember, but I know that my heart was shouting it! “Praise God,” we told friends and family, “God has done the unthinkable!” Much later we came to realize that, although Russell’s healing was indeed due to God’s gracious intervention, another miracle had been happening all along — God sustained us. Even in those darkest hours when 1 doubted. He had been upholding us. He had given us exactly what we needed. It felt anticlimactic to walk calmly out of the hospital. No huge celebration, no cheering crowds; maybe that had to wait for today at this ball diamond, for this warm hug from a blond, sweaty, medal winner! Brenda Dick and her husband, Wes, are members of Abbeydale Christian Fellowship (EMC) in Calgary, Alberta.

Do you have a story for this page? It must be a true account (although names may be changed, if necessary) illustrating the Christian life or character. Send your 800-word story (700 words if a photograph is included) or suggestion for a story to the address below.

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

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