Building relationships with residential school survivors
“It’s personal, there are names and faces. It’s not just textbook information now.” That’s how Timothy Khoo, 16, describes what it was like to meet residential school survivors while volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) at the former Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford in July. Khoo was one of 13 youth and leaders from…
Picnics galore!
Many church programs eventually come to an end, but there’s one event that still remains after many decades—and that’s the church picnic! Almost every church in Alberta had a church picnic this summer or was invited to join one, because Albertans love them. Even the bad weather does not deter them, like at Edmonton First…
Staging change behind bars
Ontario’s Theatre of the Beat has a mandate of staging change and creating conversations around social justice issues, but that’s also happening in communities beyond the Mennonite enclaves the company brings its plays to. Once a week, a couple of the members of the theatre troupe provide therapeutic drama classes to the inmates incarcerated at…
Mixing friendship with fundraising
The Waterloo Region chapter of Women Empowering Women (WEW) meets quarterly to nurture connections and friendships, to be inspired and to raise funds that support women in developing economies. As an auxiliary group of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), it supports MEDA’s international work of “helping women move into more valued and equitable roles in…
Why your church needs to talk about money
The local church is an excellent place to discuss saving money: Which type of tractor is cheapest to repair or whether a Costco membership is worth it. Mennonites brag about finding a good deal. During a worship service or church gathering, there will be announcements and requests promoting benefit concerts, fundraising dinners, bike-a-thons or relief…
‘That school kit saved my life’
Ly Vang was 16 and stuck in a refugee camp in Thailand with a pair of shoes and two sets of clothes. She was lonely and sad. She struggled with suicidal thoughts. “What is the meaning of living like this?” she complained to God. “Being dead would be better.” One day, though, she noticed a…
‘Beyond expectations’ with the help of God
“I’m so sad that it’s over!” said one young participant after a week of high-energy Vacation Bible School (VBS) activities at First Mennonite Church in Kitchener last month. That is just what the eight-member intercultural planning committee wanted to hear after its first joint venture of leading VBS for children aged 2 to 11 each…
