Okay, I want to reflect on our MCBC Annual Meeting, but I have to try to draw you in with an exciting title!
It's hard to get everything done in one day - but who wants two days of meetings?! I found that I was constantly adjusting times of items on the agenda throughout the day because some of the items ended up taking more time than we had imagined or allotted. I was very blessed that at the end of the day we came out about where we had planned to - time-wise.
I found that the one item that we short-changed was the time for discussion. This was one item that could be moved around, but that it basically got moved right off the page was very disappointing for me. We are professing to be a church with a congregational approach, and then for the voices of the people to be squeezed out, suggests that we are not practicing what we preach. I just want to register that this was not our intention. It just happened due to the unexpected lengthening of the day.
I have heard many good responses, a couple of concerns, and some good ideas to consider for the future. The good responses were to the telling of the stories of the host congregations and the exciting welcome of our new congregation - the Western Hmong Mennonite Church.
One concern I recall is that the finance report should be more connected to the missional activity of MCBC. I have already mentioned this to our finance committee and they can appreciate this value, and will work towards it. A second concern is with the number of people who leave half way through the day, and then even more filter out through the afternoon. This has always been a concern, and so we ask for your ideas for a response to this matter. Thirdly, there was concern about the number of people who could not come to LEAD because it is during the day on Friday.
Here are some good ideas for the future. Some have said that my concern about lack of time for discussion was not a problem; they believed that there was not much to be discussed this year. But, they said that if there were some significant items for discussion, it doesn't make sense to have people just line up at mikes in the large assembly. We should bring well-articulated discussion items to table groups for some real interaction (as we have done in the past.) Some I spoke with felt that LEAD and the Annual Meeting could be both done on Saturday. Some said that the Annual Meeting should only focus on future vision, and not on the reports of the last year of activity (these are to be read in the report book.)
Well I hope this has given you some stimulation for your own responses. This time I SERIOUSLY WANT YOU WHO READ THIS BLOG TO RESPOND with your thought of how to best do LEAD and the Annual Meeting.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Paddling for Squeah
This past weekend I spent two gorgeous days on the Fraser River in a canoe, paddling from Hope all the way to Fort Langley. I checked Google Maps for the distance by following the road distance on the No. 7 highway, which pretty much runs parallel to the river. It was 100 kms.
Each year the Paddle-a-Thon raises funds that are put towards the Camp Squeah Summer Staff Bursary Fund. This fund was established to help our volunteer staff who return to college or university after the summer, to still be able to spend their summers at camp and have something to put towards the ever rising costs of tuition. (This description is a quote directly from the camp website.)
I wasn't taking pictures, but there were lots of pictures taken, so hopefully I'll be about to get those for you later.
The VERY COOL thing was that in the end, we found out that a total of $51,000 was raised - with only 1/2 the paddlers of last year - 18 in all.
I was in a 2-person canoe with my friend, Gerald Dyck. The journey has us on the water Saturday morning and afternoon with a lunch break on a sand bar along the way. Then we camp for night at a spot north of Chilliwack. There is an amazing support crew that brings all our camping stuff and cooks supper for us. We just have to pitch our tents and go to bed.
Well, actually, the camp's Program Director (Tim Larson) has a friend living only 5 minutes from our camp site, and Tim invited anyone who was interested in watching the 2nd game of the Vancouver/Los Angeles Stanley Cup series, to join him. Who would turn down an invitation like that? It was a bit strange to go watch the game on a big screen in someone's nice house in the midst of our wilderness trip. Too bad the Canucks lost.
I have had some experience canoing in lakes, but river water is very different. Thankfully I got to take the front seat. Day One has the challenging water. On Day Two it's pretty wide open river - and I mean "wide". The Fraser takes up a lot of space at some places. On Day One (between Hope and Chilliwack), we had 4 or 5 narrow places with eddies and whirl pools that we had to carefully navigate, and then power through the rough waters in between. The calm before the rough water was a bit unnerving, but the calm after was rather comforting and satisfying. Gerald and I managed all the tough spots. In fact, of the one big canoe, the two 2-person canoes, and the four kayaks, only one kayak overturned once!
Day Two brought us to a lovely soup and sandwich lunch at a park just west of the Mission bridge, and then a pizza supper to close at Fort Langley.
It was amazing to take in the beautiful surroundings of nature. You see the back side of the mountains that are to the north of the No. 1 highway through the Fraser Valley. On day two we stopped for a mid-afternoon break on a beach along the way. When we got out of the canoes and looked back - at the centre of the view, framed by the mountains that rise up on either side of the river, was the beautiful snow-capped Mount Baker. It would have been to our backs all the time, but we didn't know.
Each year the Paddle-a-Thon raises funds that are put towards the Camp Squeah Summer Staff Bursary Fund. This fund was established to help our volunteer staff who return to college or university after the summer, to still be able to spend their summers at camp and have something to put towards the ever rising costs of tuition. (This description is a quote directly from the camp website.)
I wasn't taking pictures, but there were lots of pictures taken, so hopefully I'll be about to get those for you later.
The VERY COOL thing was that in the end, we found out that a total of $51,000 was raised - with only 1/2 the paddlers of last year - 18 in all.
I was in a 2-person canoe with my friend, Gerald Dyck. The journey has us on the water Saturday morning and afternoon with a lunch break on a sand bar along the way. Then we camp for night at a spot north of Chilliwack. There is an amazing support crew that brings all our camping stuff and cooks supper for us. We just have to pitch our tents and go to bed.
Well, actually, the camp's Program Director (Tim Larson) has a friend living only 5 minutes from our camp site, and Tim invited anyone who was interested in watching the 2nd game of the Vancouver/Los Angeles Stanley Cup series, to join him. Who would turn down an invitation like that? It was a bit strange to go watch the game on a big screen in someone's nice house in the midst of our wilderness trip. Too bad the Canucks lost.
I have had some experience canoing in lakes, but river water is very different. Thankfully I got to take the front seat. Day One has the challenging water. On Day Two it's pretty wide open river - and I mean "wide". The Fraser takes up a lot of space at some places. On Day One (between Hope and Chilliwack), we had 4 or 5 narrow places with eddies and whirl pools that we had to carefully navigate, and then power through the rough waters in between. The calm before the rough water was a bit unnerving, but the calm after was rather comforting and satisfying. Gerald and I managed all the tough spots. In fact, of the one big canoe, the two 2-person canoes, and the four kayaks, only one kayak overturned once!
Day Two brought us to a lovely soup and sandwich lunch at a park just west of the Mission bridge, and then a pizza supper to close at Fort Langley.
It was amazing to take in the beautiful surroundings of nature. You see the back side of the mountains that are to the north of the No. 1 highway through the Fraser Valley. On day two we stopped for a mid-afternoon break on a beach along the way. When we got out of the canoes and looked back - at the centre of the view, framed by the mountains that rise up on either side of the river, was the beautiful snow-capped Mount Baker. It would have been to our backs all the time, but we didn't know.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Having a Shower
Okay, this is not exactly about having a shower, but about fitness. As I have mentioned, I have the privilege of playing drop in hockey 3 mornings a week all year round (for free), playing on a team in hockey season, and roller blading when hockey doesn't work out and the streets are dry.
There are several reasons why I chose not to move to Abbotsford when I accepted the calling to be the Executive Minister for Mennonite Church BC. The most prominent one was the reality that the life of my family was in the Vancouver area. This included the fact that all three of our children were still living at home, Diane had a job within walking distance of our home, and we had no interest in changing churches.
Another reason I wanted to stay in the Vancouver area was to keep one foot in this area. The MCBC congregations are fairly evenly distributed between Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. I knew I would be putting one foot firmly into Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley, but I still wanted to keep the other one where the other 1/2 of our congregations are.
Lastly, and the least known reason that I wanted to stay in Ladner, is that I had a very good fitness option here of playing drop in and team hockey. The early morning drop in hockey is my greatest place of Christian witness. There are at least 30 guys that come out regularly. They come from all walks of life. Some are Christians, but most are not. We have a bbq every summer. A bunch of us went out for sushi around Christmas.
When going to hockey doesn't work out, roller blading is a great option. Ladner is probably the flattest place in the Lower Mainland, so I have found some routes of nice smooth pavement. I don't know how it is in Abbotsford or elsewhere where you might be, but in Ladner (part of the Fraser River delta as it flows into the ocean), when the wind is blowing, it seems to blow from three different directions. When I am roller blading and it is windy (like today), I go some of the distance in all four directions. I know when the wind is at my back, but I certainly also know when it is not.
All this said, I really try to not have a shower unless I have completed one of the excersie options!
There are several reasons why I chose not to move to Abbotsford when I accepted the calling to be the Executive Minister for Mennonite Church BC. The most prominent one was the reality that the life of my family was in the Vancouver area. This included the fact that all three of our children were still living at home, Diane had a job within walking distance of our home, and we had no interest in changing churches.
Another reason I wanted to stay in the Vancouver area was to keep one foot in this area. The MCBC congregations are fairly evenly distributed between Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. I knew I would be putting one foot firmly into Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley, but I still wanted to keep the other one where the other 1/2 of our congregations are.
Lastly, and the least known reason that I wanted to stay in Ladner, is that I had a very good fitness option here of playing drop in and team hockey. The early morning drop in hockey is my greatest place of Christian witness. There are at least 30 guys that come out regularly. They come from all walks of life. Some are Christians, but most are not. We have a bbq every summer. A bunch of us went out for sushi around Christmas.
When going to hockey doesn't work out, roller blading is a great option. Ladner is probably the flattest place in the Lower Mainland, so I have found some routes of nice smooth pavement. I don't know how it is in Abbotsford or elsewhere where you might be, but in Ladner (part of the Fraser River delta as it flows into the ocean), when the wind is blowing, it seems to blow from three different directions. When I am roller blading and it is windy (like today), I go some of the distance in all four directions. I know when the wind is at my back, but I certainly also know when it is not.
All this said, I really try to not have a shower unless I have completed one of the excersie options!
Searching for Pastors
A big part of my work life is helping congregations search well when they are needing a new pastor. Right now we have five searches going on and a couple of others who are considering it. Eden Mennonite Church in Chilliwack is looking for a associate pastor with primary responsibility towards the youth; Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver is looking for an associate with responsibility for youth and young adults (and possibility worship if the right person is found); Chinese Grace Mennonite Church in Vancouver looking for a youth/English pastor; United Mennonite Church, Black Creek (on Vancouver Island) is looking for a lead pastor; and Kelowna First Mennonite Church is also looking for a lead pastor.
The value of getting a good fit in a pastor/congregation relationship is immense, and sets the stage for a good journey together. This is why MCBC is giving a significant effort toward helping congregations search well. I have put a lot of miles on in meeting with search committees, and I am more than willing to continue to make this a number one priority.
If there is a transition happening that we don't know about, please let us know so that we can help you get at the best resources to do a good search and find a good fit.
Another part of a good journey together is having a Pastor Congregation Relations Committee. This should not be the church board or any other committee in the structures of congregational leadership. It is a neutral committee that is a liaison between the congregation and pastor. These committee members are available to hear the pastor's concerns, as well as the congregation's concerns. They are also there to make sure regular encouragement is passed on. They stand in the gap to help the relationship to be strong, open and healthy.
Please call me at any time. You can also get very helpful resources at the Mennonite Church Canada website, www.mennonitechurch.ca. Go to the Resource Centre and then type in a search for Ministry Transitions. There will be documents to download on all of these matters.
The value of getting a good fit in a pastor/congregation relationship is immense, and sets the stage for a good journey together. This is why MCBC is giving a significant effort toward helping congregations search well. I have put a lot of miles on in meeting with search committees, and I am more than willing to continue to make this a number one priority.
If there is a transition happening that we don't know about, please let us know so that we can help you get at the best resources to do a good search and find a good fit.
Another part of a good journey together is having a Pastor Congregation Relations Committee. This should not be the church board or any other committee in the structures of congregational leadership. It is a neutral committee that is a liaison between the congregation and pastor. These committee members are available to hear the pastor's concerns, as well as the congregation's concerns. They are also there to make sure regular encouragement is passed on. They stand in the gap to help the relationship to be strong, open and healthy.
Please call me at any time. You can also get very helpful resources at the Mennonite Church Canada website, www.mennonitechurch.ca. Go to the Resource Centre and then type in a search for Ministry Transitions. There will be documents to download on all of these matters.
Rhythm
I'm not known to have a lot of rhythm. This is why I kind of avoid dancing, and clapping for that matter. Do you know how much harder it is to clap on the off-beat than it is to clap on the beat? I can pretty much pull off clapping on the beat, and sometimes a song gets both on and off going, but when the clapping is on the off-beat, I am hopeless and I don't even start. So with dancing, I think I could put together a bit of a waltz, but being married to a woman who has good rhythm and who grew up dancing, it's a bit of a stretch to call my part in the activity dancing. With our daughter getting married one year ago (yesterday was their anniversary), I managed to avoid the dance floor. I'm not so sure if I will be so lucky with our son's wedding this August!
There's another kind of rhythm. It is the rhythm of our lives. To have a good rhythm, there are some important pieces that need their regular attention. The ones that I consider important include: prayer, listening to God, Scripture reading/study, family time, couple time, personal time, work time, rest, Sabbath rest, fitness and play. Did I miss anything? I find that when all of these receive their appropriate attention, my life has rhythm. I also find that the balance of these can easily get out of rhythm. The way I maintain peace of mind is to look at this rhythm from the perspective of the big picture. This way, when one or two of these components get out of whack, I can slowly and gently, and with God's help, ease the rhythm back to where it should be. If I would get uptight every time something went a little off, I wouldn't have much peace of mind.
Let me just give a brief example of the practical items that fit these categories. Generally Sunday noon to Monday noon is my Sabbath rest. I pick up on a couple of the important items during this time. Sunday afternoon and evening are often a combination of personal, couple or family time. Monday morning includes fitness (early morning hockey), then my devotional time (prayer, Scripture and listening to God).
I do have a rhythm of daily devotions, but sometimes these get squeezed out by other things. I consider my Sabbath on Monday mornings to be a very important time of getting the clock ticking right again.
For fitness, I have the blessing of early morning hockey 3 times a week all year round (absolutely free), plus a league team that I play on during the season. When this rhythm gets out of whack (like today), I try to fit in a good roller blade run around my town - Ladner.
Work - I probably do too much of that. But, I enjoy a flexible schedule, so my personal and work life gets a bit intertwined throughout the week, but I pay attention to finding the right balance of both in the grand rhythm of it all.
Play is playing hockey or watching it - as well as watching a host of other sports; also riding motorcycle. Diane and I still maintain a date a month which can include lots of options for things to do. Personal time includes reading and working around the house and yard, as well as trying to get away to Camp Squeah for a personal or couple retreat once a year.
I look forward to any of your thoughts.
There's another kind of rhythm. It is the rhythm of our lives. To have a good rhythm, there are some important pieces that need their regular attention. The ones that I consider important include: prayer, listening to God, Scripture reading/study, family time, couple time, personal time, work time, rest, Sabbath rest, fitness and play. Did I miss anything? I find that when all of these receive their appropriate attention, my life has rhythm. I also find that the balance of these can easily get out of rhythm. The way I maintain peace of mind is to look at this rhythm from the perspective of the big picture. This way, when one or two of these components get out of whack, I can slowly and gently, and with God's help, ease the rhythm back to where it should be. If I would get uptight every time something went a little off, I wouldn't have much peace of mind.
Let me just give a brief example of the practical items that fit these categories. Generally Sunday noon to Monday noon is my Sabbath rest. I pick up on a couple of the important items during this time. Sunday afternoon and evening are often a combination of personal, couple or family time. Monday morning includes fitness (early morning hockey), then my devotional time (prayer, Scripture and listening to God).
I do have a rhythm of daily devotions, but sometimes these get squeezed out by other things. I consider my Sabbath on Monday mornings to be a very important time of getting the clock ticking right again.
For fitness, I have the blessing of early morning hockey 3 times a week all year round (absolutely free), plus a league team that I play on during the season. When this rhythm gets out of whack (like today), I try to fit in a good roller blade run around my town - Ladner.
Work - I probably do too much of that. But, I enjoy a flexible schedule, so my personal and work life gets a bit intertwined throughout the week, but I pay attention to finding the right balance of both in the grand rhythm of it all.
Play is playing hockey or watching it - as well as watching a host of other sports; also riding motorcycle. Diane and I still maintain a date a month which can include lots of options for things to do. Personal time includes reading and working around the house and yard, as well as trying to get away to Camp Squeah for a personal or couple retreat once a year.
I look forward to any of your thoughts.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Stories from our time in Africa
Recently, all the mission workers who have served in Africa with the African Independent Churches (AICs) were asked to submit stories of their experiences as contributions to a book being written on 50 years of Mennonites working with AICs. This is my contribution.
Upon arrival in Botswana in September of 1985, Diane, myself, our daughter and son (still in the womb) were whisked off to our village live-in to learn Setswana. After three months in the village of Mmadinare, we moved to the city of Francistown in order for Mark to be born. All the while, we didn't really have a job description, other than Bible Teaching with African Independent Churches. Jonathan Larson, a long-term mission worker in Botswana, invited us to consider youth ministry. A relatively new AIC movement was needing some help. This was Bopaganang Basha ba Semoya (The gathering of the youth of the Spirit). I said yes.
I was introduced to the youth leaders who were working together from a number of AIC groups. As I was in Francistown, I got to know these leaders the best, and they became my friends. I have learned that Bopaganang is still going strong and some of these leaders are still involved today. I am so encouraged that AIMM now has Melanie Quinn assigned to continue to come alongside this ministry - 25 years after we were doing it.
My closest colleague and best friend became Golwelwang Paul Mogomela of the Diphapo Christian Church with its headquarters in Letlhakane. His father was the bishop of the church, a position which Golwelwang later was granted. In fact, Golwelwang and his wife, Onkabetse, were granted the opportunity to visit us for a month in Canada some years after we had returned. On this visit, they became known as Paul and Betsy.
I could not find photos of Mogomela and myself working together in Botswana (things were probably no different back then than they are now, in that I usually think of the camera long after I have left home - just as we arrive on a scene that would make a great photo). The photo below from Botswana is of Archbishop Israel Motswaosele and his brother Joseph (the prophet) of the Spiritual Healing Church. These two were key connections in receiving the blessing to work with the youth of their congregations. The second photo is of Paul and Betsy, but it is in the Zoar Mennonite Church in Langham, SK - when they came to visit us in Canada. The two youthful Caucasian people featured in the photos are, you guessed right, Diane and me.
Paul and I travelled to many villages, generating interest among AIC youth groups to come together. We would arrive in a village and meet the church leaders, then they would take us around to other churches to meet their leaders. By the end of the day, or by the end of a couple of days, we would have a concert pulled together. As is commonly known, for AICs, the youth group is the choir. For youth to come together, they come as choirs and put together an impromptu concert as a friendly competition.
I have three particular memories of the Bopaganang ministry. I remember that we would often have Sunday afternoon meetings. We would always have a scheduled time, such as 2:00 pm. Mogomela (in case you didn't know, in Botswana we most commonly speak of people by their surname) and myself would dutifully be there at that time. After about a 1/2 hour or so, he would start to show disgust at the others not showing. Then as the afternoon progressed, he would continue to show occasional outbursts of frustration. By around 3:30 pm, the first person would arrive, then by 4:00 a few more, and by 4:30 or so, everyone was there and we had a meeting. After a few rounds of this process, I took up the courage to ask my friend why we scheduled the meeting at 2:00, yet it didn't get started until 4:30. Well, he said, the time is set for the foreigners, so it appears as though there is a prompt and early starting time. For the African brothers and sisters, they know there is a meeting that afternoon and they are committed to being there, but the starting time is irrelevant. That there will be a meeting; this is what matters. Suddenly I realised that all the disgust that my brother was showing for the tardiness of the other committee members was a show put on for me because it was thought that I was upset that nobody else was on time. Once this was established, I could also relax into the confidence that the meeting would happen, and that it didn't really matter what time it began.
My second memory is of the power of light. There was no electricity in the residential areas of the villages where the churches are. So, when we would get a concert together, it would already be after nightfall when it began. I remember coming into a church building that was a big square, basically empty, building. There would be a table and a chair at the one end (we needed this to run the concert). Then someone would light a single candle on the table, and as the light filled the room (and as my eyes adjusted), it was amazing how that one candle provided sufficient light. As the evening progressed, youth choirs would arrive from all over the village. The church would fill up with people, the leader would bring it to order, and the concert would begin. What a great time of fun and singing!!
My third memory is of a weekend where Mogomela and I went to Letlhakane (his home village). We did our routine of meeting people and pulling together a Saturday evening concert. But what I remember was the Sunday morning worship service. His home congregation was the Diphapo Church, but on Sunday we were asked to preach in the Spiritual Healing Church (and I do mean "we"). I was given the text to preach on, and he was my interpreter. The Holy Spirit was so powerfully there. The word that the Spirit gave to me just flowed out. Then the interpretation that Mogomela rendered was so dynamic and powerful. It was the most amazing time of ministering in the Spirit. And then there was the singing. The women were dancing and singing their hearts out at the front, and I could see the joy of the Lord in their eyes. It is my greatest memory of our three years of ministry with Bopaganang. What a blessing!
In the joy of our Living and Loving Lord,
Garry and Diane Janzen, Botswana, 1985-88.
Upon arrival in Botswana in September of 1985, Diane, myself, our daughter and son (still in the womb) were whisked off to our village live-in to learn Setswana. After three months in the village of Mmadinare, we moved to the city of Francistown in order for Mark to be born. All the while, we didn't really have a job description, other than Bible Teaching with African Independent Churches. Jonathan Larson, a long-term mission worker in Botswana, invited us to consider youth ministry. A relatively new AIC movement was needing some help. This was Bopaganang Basha ba Semoya (The gathering of the youth of the Spirit). I said yes.
I was introduced to the youth leaders who were working together from a number of AIC groups. As I was in Francistown, I got to know these leaders the best, and they became my friends. I have learned that Bopaganang is still going strong and some of these leaders are still involved today. I am so encouraged that AIMM now has Melanie Quinn assigned to continue to come alongside this ministry - 25 years after we were doing it.
My closest colleague and best friend became Golwelwang Paul Mogomela of the Diphapo Christian Church with its headquarters in Letlhakane. His father was the bishop of the church, a position which Golwelwang later was granted. In fact, Golwelwang and his wife, Onkabetse, were granted the opportunity to visit us for a month in Canada some years after we had returned. On this visit, they became known as Paul and Betsy.
I could not find photos of Mogomela and myself working together in Botswana (things were probably no different back then than they are now, in that I usually think of the camera long after I have left home - just as we arrive on a scene that would make a great photo). The photo below from Botswana is of Archbishop Israel Motswaosele and his brother Joseph (the prophet) of the Spiritual Healing Church. These two were key connections in receiving the blessing to work with the youth of their congregations. The second photo is of Paul and Betsy, but it is in the Zoar Mennonite Church in Langham, SK - when they came to visit us in Canada. The two youthful Caucasian people featured in the photos are, you guessed right, Diane and me.
Paul and I travelled to many villages, generating interest among AIC youth groups to come together. We would arrive in a village and meet the church leaders, then they would take us around to other churches to meet their leaders. By the end of the day, or by the end of a couple of days, we would have a concert pulled together. As is commonly known, for AICs, the youth group is the choir. For youth to come together, they come as choirs and put together an impromptu concert as a friendly competition.
I have three particular memories of the Bopaganang ministry. I remember that we would often have Sunday afternoon meetings. We would always have a scheduled time, such as 2:00 pm. Mogomela (in case you didn't know, in Botswana we most commonly speak of people by their surname) and myself would dutifully be there at that time. After about a 1/2 hour or so, he would start to show disgust at the others not showing. Then as the afternoon progressed, he would continue to show occasional outbursts of frustration. By around 3:30 pm, the first person would arrive, then by 4:00 a few more, and by 4:30 or so, everyone was there and we had a meeting. After a few rounds of this process, I took up the courage to ask my friend why we scheduled the meeting at 2:00, yet it didn't get started until 4:30. Well, he said, the time is set for the foreigners, so it appears as though there is a prompt and early starting time. For the African brothers and sisters, they know there is a meeting that afternoon and they are committed to being there, but the starting time is irrelevant. That there will be a meeting; this is what matters. Suddenly I realised that all the disgust that my brother was showing for the tardiness of the other committee members was a show put on for me because it was thought that I was upset that nobody else was on time. Once this was established, I could also relax into the confidence that the meeting would happen, and that it didn't really matter what time it began.
My second memory is of the power of light. There was no electricity in the residential areas of the villages where the churches are. So, when we would get a concert together, it would already be after nightfall when it began. I remember coming into a church building that was a big square, basically empty, building. There would be a table and a chair at the one end (we needed this to run the concert). Then someone would light a single candle on the table, and as the light filled the room (and as my eyes adjusted), it was amazing how that one candle provided sufficient light. As the evening progressed, youth choirs would arrive from all over the village. The church would fill up with people, the leader would bring it to order, and the concert would begin. What a great time of fun and singing!!
My third memory is of a weekend where Mogomela and I went to Letlhakane (his home village). We did our routine of meeting people and pulling together a Saturday evening concert. But what I remember was the Sunday morning worship service. His home congregation was the Diphapo Church, but on Sunday we were asked to preach in the Spiritual Healing Church (and I do mean "we"). I was given the text to preach on, and he was my interpreter. The Holy Spirit was so powerfully there. The word that the Spirit gave to me just flowed out. Then the interpretation that Mogomela rendered was so dynamic and powerful. It was the most amazing time of ministering in the Spirit. And then there was the singing. The women were dancing and singing their hearts out at the front, and I could see the joy of the Lord in their eyes. It is my greatest memory of our three years of ministry with Bopaganang. What a blessing!
In the joy of our Living and Loving Lord,
Garry and Diane Janzen, Botswana, 1985-88.
A Peek into the Past
Where were you on the day Nelson Mandela was released from prison?
My daughter, Jill, has been reading a book about the story of Nelson Mandela. After she the read the stories from Botswana posted in another blog entry, she commented on how much fun it must have been recalling memories of ministry from 25 years ago, and then asked me if our time in Southern Africa had any connection to the story of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela. What follows is my response to her. She was 2 years old when we went to Botswana.
Hi Jill,
Yeah, it was fun calling up those stories again.
Yes, you did say something about reading the story of Nelson Mandela. The reality of it was that he was still in prison when we were there and Apartheid was in full swing. Because MCC workers had advocated for black people in legal matters, Mennonite workers were not allowed a multiple entry visa to South Africa. (We were fine with that because we agreed with the actions of the MCC workers.) What this meant is that we could get a single entry visa, which meant that we could go into South Africa for, I believe, 48 hours, and then we had to leave.
Now, South Africa had created a number of Homelands. Each tribal group was given a homeland, so there was: Siskei, Transkei, Bophutatswana, Kwazulu, etc. South Africa considered each of these to be an independent country, although no place else in the world recognized them as independent countries - every other country in the world recognized them for what they were, i.e. provinces of South Africa. The purpose of these, as we understand it, was to divide and conquer. If the apartheid government could cause each tribal group to develop a national pride in themselves, then they had no unified voice to stand against apartheid.
So, we played by South Africa's rules. We could go to Johannesburg and stay at the Baptist Guesthouse for night. Then we could continue on the next day to any one of the homelands and we were then in another country. We had a lovely vacation in the Transkei one time. There was a beautiful resort on the Indian Ocean that we stayed at for a week. Then we could go back the same way. By the world's standards, we were in South Africa for more than a week, but not by South Africa's standards. The downside of the single entry visa is that we never got to see Capetown because we couldn't go that far in a day.
My greatest memory regarding Nelson Mandela was listening to the drama of his release - live. It was February 11th, 1990. We had come back from Botswana in August of 1988, so we (or I) were going around speaking in churches about our work there. I was still doing this a full 1½ years after returning to Canada. The Sunday that Nelson Mandela was released I was going to do a mission presentation and preach in a little country church at Superb, SK. It was a 2 or 3 hour drive from Langham, Saskatchewan, where I was pasturing at the Zoar Mennonite Church. CBC radio broadcast the whole event. I listened to the lead up to his release as I was driving out. I preached, we had lunch together, and then I continued to listen to the drama of his release on the drive back. I think it happened mid-afternoon Saskatchewan time. Wow, what a moving event to take in, even on the radio.
Love,
Dad
My daughter, Jill, has been reading a book about the story of Nelson Mandela. After she the read the stories from Botswana posted in another blog entry, she commented on how much fun it must have been recalling memories of ministry from 25 years ago, and then asked me if our time in Southern Africa had any connection to the story of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela. What follows is my response to her. She was 2 years old when we went to Botswana.
Hi Jill,
Yeah, it was fun calling up those stories again.
Yes, you did say something about reading the story of Nelson Mandela. The reality of it was that he was still in prison when we were there and Apartheid was in full swing. Because MCC workers had advocated for black people in legal matters, Mennonite workers were not allowed a multiple entry visa to South Africa. (We were fine with that because we agreed with the actions of the MCC workers.) What this meant is that we could get a single entry visa, which meant that we could go into South Africa for, I believe, 48 hours, and then we had to leave.
Now, South Africa had created a number of Homelands. Each tribal group was given a homeland, so there was: Siskei, Transkei, Bophutatswana, Kwazulu, etc. South Africa considered each of these to be an independent country, although no place else in the world recognized them as independent countries - every other country in the world recognized them for what they were, i.e. provinces of South Africa. The purpose of these, as we understand it, was to divide and conquer. If the apartheid government could cause each tribal group to develop a national pride in themselves, then they had no unified voice to stand against apartheid.
So, we played by South Africa's rules. We could go to Johannesburg and stay at the Baptist Guesthouse for night. Then we could continue on the next day to any one of the homelands and we were then in another country. We had a lovely vacation in the Transkei one time. There was a beautiful resort on the Indian Ocean that we stayed at for a week. Then we could go back the same way. By the world's standards, we were in South Africa for more than a week, but not by South Africa's standards. The downside of the single entry visa is that we never got to see Capetown because we couldn't go that far in a day.
My greatest memory regarding Nelson Mandela was listening to the drama of his release - live. It was February 11th, 1990. We had come back from Botswana in August of 1988, so we (or I) were going around speaking in churches about our work there. I was still doing this a full 1½ years after returning to Canada. The Sunday that Nelson Mandela was released I was going to do a mission presentation and preach in a little country church at Superb, SK. It was a 2 or 3 hour drive from Langham, Saskatchewan, where I was pasturing at the Zoar Mennonite Church. CBC radio broadcast the whole event. I listened to the lead up to his release as I was driving out. I preached, we had lunch together, and then I continued to listen to the drama of his release on the drive back. I think it happened mid-afternoon Saskatchewan time. Wow, what a moving event to take in, even on the radio.
Love,
Dad
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