MCBC Motorcycle Ride 2009

Our second annual Mennonite Church BC Motorcycle Ride took place on the weekend of August 8th and 9th. This year there were 6 bikes with 7 riders (compared with 20 bikes and 23 riders last year). We went to Vancouver Island, making it a 2 day trip. Our connection on the Island was the United Mennonite Church at Black Creek (1/2 way between Courtenay and Campbell River). There are a couple of riders among the people at the Black Creek Church, but it only worked out for one couple to be involved. Gary and Gloria Cashman were wonderful hosts for the weekend. We stayed overnight at their home on Saturday.

Our place of meeting, and official start of the ride was on Saturday at noon at the Black Creek Church. Our destination was Gold River. This road is a beautiful ride with lots of nice twists and turns that only a motorcyclist can really enjoy. The weather was nice, but a bit iffy. We got rained on kind of in the middle of the ride both on the way out and on the way back. I don't think anyone complained too much. It was a lot of fun. The photo above is at the end of the road. Beyond the community of Gold River, the road continues down to the dock where a whole new opportunity awaits those who want to get out on the water.

When we got back to the Cashman home, Gloria had dinner ready for us! We had a great evening of connecting stories.

On Sunday we joined the Black Creek Church for their morning worship service. It was a neat show of support for a congregation that often feels it is quite removed from the majority out in the Lower Mainland. Not only were the bikers there, but 2 youth groups from the Lower Mainland were there, partnering to help them run their Vacation Bible School program. I was the preacher.

After worship we were all treated to a bbq at the church. Because most of the riders wanted to catch a ferry back to the mainland at a decent hour, we decided on a bit of a storter afternoon ride. We went up Mount Washington (the Island's ski resort). Upon arrival at the top, we realised that this was the end destination of a major motorcycle rally. I'm sure there were at least 100 bikes up there. It was fun to look around and watch them take off. Of course, there was a Starbucks, so that was our mountian top stop. Sunday was a warmer, sunnier day.

The ride down the mountain is the most beautiful part, with the views of expansive land and sea. We parted ways at the bottom of the mountain - I stayed with the Cashmans for another night because I wanted to do some stuff on the Island on Monday; the rest of them headed back to Nanaimo to meet the ferry.

Half way through the ride, some were already asking what the plans are for next year. The main idea was to do the Duffey Lake road. This is from Vancouver to Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet, and down the Fraser Canyon. We'll see, once the day gets closer.

Mennonite World Conference - Paraguay 2009

We had the most wonderful time for 2 1/2 weeks in Paraguay and Brazil. Our main purpose was to attend the Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15. Every day was a learning day. I would say that the greatest highlight of the assembly itself was just being together with 6000 Anabaptist/Mennonite people from around the world.

It was meeting friends from home and friends from other parts of the world that we had not seen for some time. It was the experience of not having English as the main language, but Spanish. We had to wear headphones in all the sessions in order to hear the translation into English. This helped us to understrand what is like for so many people who come to Canada and need help to understand anything. This brought to my mind an experience I had when I was pastor at the Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver. I remember sitting so many times in the context of our Refugee Food Bank and hearing people speaking Spanish but not understanding it. For these people it was a relief to be able to be with people of their language. But, in the real world on the street, all these people would have to learn "my" language to function in "my" country.

Being present to hear stories of the activities of the global Anabaptist church over the past 6 years was a real privilege. We also heard representatives of many of the world communions of other churches. I was blest to hear the representative of the World Lutheran Federation speak of their preparations to officially acknowledge that their persecution of the early Anabaptists in the 16th century was wrong. The theme "Come together in the way of Jesus Christ" was addressed from many angles each day with sermons and stories from around the world.

I was particularly blest when I learned from friends in the Chaco (in the community of Loma Plata), that they watched the live stream of the conference sessions on their TV each evening of the conference.

It was meeting new people for another part of the world and hearing their story, such as the choir from Zimbabwe. Here in the picture, they were singing on the outdoor stage in the Global Village area behind the main convention centre. While they were waiting for their turn on the stage, Diane struck up a most interesting conversation with one of the choir members (English is the international language spoken in Zimbabwe).

Later, back in Canada, I found out from a Dutch friend in the Black Creek Mennonite Church on Vancouver Island, that the women of the Dutch Mennonite Church raised money for the last number of years in order to sponsor the choir from Zimbabwe to go the the Mennonite World Conference. When I showed this picture in my sharing in her congregation a couple of weeks ago, she was so blest.

The assembly itself was held in this amazing new church building. I say "new" because it wasn't even finished. It is a building that seats 10,000 people. One year ago, the leaders of the congregation that will worship here said that the building will not be ready for the Mennonite Conference. The organisers said that it must be ready, because we have no other venue. The Mennonites in Paraguay provided up to 200 workers to help them complete the building. While it was fully usable for our purposes, when one looked up in the expansive front entrance, the drywall on the 2nd floor was only taped and had not yet been painted. Also, in talking with one of the worship team members, he said that the speakers were being mounted in the sancturay while they were practicing underneath on the stage. He said that the first full sound check for the system was also the sound check for the world conference - only the day before the assembly began. Praise the Lord - it was ready just on time!!

We're off to Paraguay

On Friday, July 10th, Diane and I are off to the Mennonite World Conference gathering in Paraguay. For those of you who don't know, this happens about once every 6 years. It was last held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (2003), and previous to that in India (1997). The one previous to that is the only one Diane and I have ever attended - Winnipeg 1990.

We look forward to meeting many old and new friends; old friends from our connections across the Mennonite Church over the many years, and new friends as God gives opportunity to build relationships with some of the almost 6,000 people who will gather. I understand that there are 7 people going from my congregation alone (Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver), although some of these have roots in Paraguay and are also taking opportunity to "go home".

I don't know what opportunities I will have to get on the internet, but if I do, I hope to send some updates as we go along. We are part of a tour group. We start in Iguazzu Falls, Brazil, arriving on July 11th. We will take a bus from there to Asuncion, Paraguay, visiting Mennonite colonies along the way (Apparently these folks have developed amazing dairy operations, and supply a good portion of the milk for the whole country). The conference is from July 14th to 19th. After that we will go to Menno Colony and stay in the community of Loma Plata. There are several friends who are formerly from Sherbrooke Church who live there, and we already have plans to meet them. On July 22nd we return to Asuncion, and on the 23rd, Diane I go our separate ways from the tour group.

We are making a 3-day visit to Brazil. Our main interest is to go to Curitiba, where friends from Sherbrooke Church have roots. We have already hooked up with a sister of one of our friends who is a travel agent there. She has set up our travel itinerary, and the bonus is that we get to also stay with her family.

We arrive home in Vancouver on July 27th.

Talk to you from out there.

The Ride to Saskatoon

I chose to do a kind of a ride of a lifetime for my travel to and from the Mennonite Church Canada Assembly in Saskatoon. I put just over 4,000 kms on my motorcycle on this 2-week trek. The reason the ride was special for me is that I was on roads that for-the-most-part I had been on before, only this time I would enjoy them from the open view of a motorcycle. It was amazing! The other special thing was seeing and staying with friends and family. Someone mentioned that it was something like the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys. I like that image. I took Highway No. 3 on the way to Saskatchewan. For my whole journey, I took the perspective that pictures could never do justice to the scenery around me - so I just rode and didn't take any pictures. I didn't count, but I'm sure I passed through at least four uniquely different mountain ranges. There were the mountains that start at Hope, then the desert-like mountains at Osoyoos. Once past Osoyoos, it doesn't take long to switch to a mountain that I have not really been able to describe - kind of a small and rugged type. They are not the majestic-rugged that the Rockies are. These are the mountains around Grand Forks.

Below you will see three pictures from my first night's stop. I stayed with friends that are formerly from Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver, now at Grand Forks - Tony & Jen Boschmann and their boys, Lukas and Jakob. You will see their house, their front yard and them.

After spending and evening and a morning with Tony and Jen, there was the next day. I rode through the Kootenays. The Kootenay Pass is apparently the highest pass in Canada. The air temperature was okay, but I was way above the snow line - there was snow on the ground amongst the trees as far down as I could see on the side of the road away from the mountain. I stopped for lunch in Cranbrook at Werner and Sue Froese's - retired pastors that I know both from BC and Saskatchewan. It took a picture, but it wasn't good, so I'm not putting it in here.

Travelling through Fernie and on to the Crowsnest Pass gave me a peek at the Rockies, but I didn't really get into them. The Crowsnest opens the way out of the mountains and to the prairies. The first things that stood out on the southern Alberta landscape were the hundreds of wind turbines. These are massive fans that generate electricity, placed on ridges to catch the maximum amount of prairie wind. This took me to Lethbridge for night. I actually stayed in a hotel - the only one on the journey.

Seeing the green fields of sprouting crops provided its unique beauty. I think the prairie beauty also had something to do with the fact that I was going home - that is, the place of my growing up and where my family is. I spent a week with Diane's parents in Saskatoon while attending the assembly. It was pretty cold the whole time, but then I didn't have far to ride each day. Nak Sun Kim, the pastor of the Sherbrooke Korean Mennonite Fellowship, stayed there with me.

After the assembly I went to Outlook, an hour south of Saskatoon, and stayed a night and a morning with my brother and his wife (Howard and Lori). The next day was rainy, but not real cold. Howard and I spent the day riding, ending up at the Rosthern Mennonite Nursing Home - where our parents are now living.

I spent two nights with my Mom and Dad at Rosthern. They are really doing well, and it is so good to know that they are in good hands while we live 18 hours away. They posed with my bike all loaded again for the journey home.

When I hit the road, I went to Didsbury, Alberta to spend a night with Diane's brother and his family (Terry and Kim Falk). It was wonderful, including taking in their daughter Dynna's soccer game. The next day was my longest day, ending up at Clare & Bev Neufeld's in Kelowna (pastor of First Mennonite Church, and friend from Vancouver as well as Saskatchewan). On this ride is where I saw the Rockies in their fullest majesty!

Clare suggested I head for the Fraser Canyon for my trek home. So, I went through Merrit and on to Spence's Bridge. Just as I stopped at Spence's Bridge to look down at the Fraser River far below, it started to rain for pretty much the only time other than the one day in Saskatchewan. Low and behold, just ahead of me was a little restaurant that had a veranda for me to park my bike out of the rain while I had a bite to eat.

The end of my journey was at Camp Squeah where my congregation, Sherbrooke Mennonite Church was having their annual family camp. This is where I met Diane as she came by herself from home. It was a wonderful trip; it was wonderful to be together again. I officially ended back at home Sunday afternoon after the family camp.

I give thanks to God for safety and blessing.

Photos from Saskatoon 2009

Hanging out with people at the displays

Putting on Clothes of Christlikeness - based on Colossians 3:12

People - Actually, friends. It's cool that when you go to these assemblies over the years many people become both acquaintances and friends - I know a number of these people in this random photo taken by an MC Canada photographer.

Rudy Baergen of the MC Canada Faith and Life Committee presenting the introduction to prepare us for the discernment time on biblical interpretation. The "Living Inside Out" theme banner is behind him.

Discerning what God is saying and doing amongst his people.

Mennonite Church Canada Assembly - Saskatoon 2009

From my two lame photos of the building where the Assembly took place, you may be able to tell that I am a person who often forgets to get out the camera because I am busy connecting with friends and taking in the conference sessions.

Anyway, I would say it was a very good conference. I began by taking in a meeting of Conference Ministers and then taking in the Ministers' Conference. Actually, in Mennonite Church Canada language, conference ministers are now called Area Church Ministers. We met Wednesday afternoon (June 3rd) in the "Africa Room" at the MCC Saskatchewan offices. We spend more time catching up with each other and the stuff going on in our area churches across Canada (that is: BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Eastern Canada), than we spend on business. Our MC Canada denominational minister, Karen Martens-Zimmerly, leads us - as does a great job. We also have Anna Rehan, Mennonite Church Canada Youth Minister, joining us as her place of connecting. The price Anna had to pay for joining was to serve all of us dinner at her, and her husband Ed's, beautiful home on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River.

On Thursday was the Minsters' Conference - this is a special time for pastors and spouses to focus on a learning theme. Dan Epp-Tiessen spoke on "Nurturing a Vision for Engaged Congregations," based on 1 Corinthians 12. I particularly learned that it would be good to preach less about all the things we should be doing, and preach more of the good news of Jesus' love! I also had the privilege of discovering that our closing worship was to be led by Valerie Wiebe, a good friend from the congregation in Langham, SK where I used to serve.

The big event was the main assembly, and I would say that the highlight for me was the discernment that we had around tables on three topics: biblical interpretation, proclaiming peace in the public square, and being a healthy church. You can check out the details of these discussions and the assembly in general by checking out the Bridge City Bulletin and the photos at: www.mennonitechurch.ca/events/saskatoon2009/. Actually, I think I can snag a couple of photos from that website to give you some of my highlights. Check my next blog entry for this.

Also, check out a bit about my ride to the conference in another blog.

REACH - MCBC Joint Worship Service 2009

I would say that REACH went really well. Sorry, no photos - the photos that were sent to me were, for some reason, not uploadable. We had approximately 375 people gather together. We had hoped for many more, but it was a sunny summer-like afternoon and many of our congregations already had a morning worship service. Some of the highlights were: 6 very interesting interviews with people involved in various ministries, lots of visuals dipicting ministry among our 31 congregations, good worship singing, a song that was sung in 9 different languages (representing almost all of the languages in which our MCBC congregations worship), and good food afterward.

The interviews included: Billy Chiew (ministry in downtown Vancouver at Vancouver Chinese Mennonite Church), Kristina Toews, youth worker at Eben-Ezer Mennonite Church in Abbotsford (also Mennonite Church Canada's representative at the Mennonite World Conference Youth Summit), Rob Tiessen (talking about missional opportunity at Camp Squeah), Lee Dyck (talking about her and her husband Gerald's observations as they have been on a mission of visiting many of the MCBC congregations in the Lower Mainland), Nhien Pham (speaking of the Vietnamese church plant in Abbotsford), and Paul Heinrichs (representing the Karen ministry at Living Hope Christian Fellowship).

We are looking for good ideas as to what we could do next year to build our unity. It has been suggested to have a sports day and picnic. What do you think?