A shielded sleep
What keeps you up at night? Do the anxieties of your day taunt you as you lay awake? I don’t usually have much trouble falling asleep—my wife can attest to that—but sometimes if I wake up in the middle of the night my mind will start playing through something in life that I’m anxious about.…
Two Ohio families move to Ontario
Two Ohio families with 300 years of history in the U.S. began to consider leaving America when the two brothers and their wives faced workplace transitions in 2021. Ryan and Valerie Kauffman of Bellefontaine have three children, two in highschool and one at Eastern Mennonite University, while Ryan’s brother Rudi and Rudi’s wife Ravonn of…
B.C. church supports Indigenous art project
Three panels with images of bears, butterflies, salmon and eagles grace the central hallway of Uplands Elementary School in Langley, B.C. Part of a joint project by the school and Langley Mennonite Fellowship (LMF), the panels were created by Elinor Atkins of the Kwantlen First Nation. Atkins spent three days as artist-in-residence at the school…
‘Maria and the Mennos’ set to air in September
The story of a young Filipina woman who marries into a Mennonite family and moves in with her in-laws will soon be broadcast on screens across Canada. Maria and the Mennos is a Manitoba-made television show that depicts the interaction of these different cultures and the hilarity, frustration and joy that ensues. The show is…
The question of camps
“People used to work at camp because it was the right thing to do. They’d say things like: ‘I’d work 18-hour days, was paid very little, never got breaks, took care of kids and had the best time of my life, it was great!’ But that’s less motivating now.” These are the words of Tim…
‘More of a home than my actual home’
A long, long time ago—way back in 1955—Fraser Lake Camp was born in the hearts and minds of three Mennonite pastors: Emerson McDowell, John H. Hess and Glen Brubacher. Their vision was to provide a life-changing, rural camping experience for urban kids. The hope was that even one week of camp could leave a child…
‘A camp cabin is a messy thing’
When thinking of the word “faith,” Silver Lake comes directly to mind. Camp provides me with the space to integrate faith into daily life. Campfire songs, morning and evening reflections, and sessions are all valuable parts of camp that invite faith-based reflection. From being a camper to a counsellor-in-leadership-training, to a staff member, my faith…
Camp and mental health
The summer of 2022 was a re-opening in a multitude of ways. After two summers in various states of restrictions, we were able to be together in all of our spaces and to provide a full spring and summer of camp programs. After spending most of our time with family members and close friends, we…
Connecting with faith at camp
Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp was excited to celebrate 60 years of camp over the past season. It was a season of seeing new things that the Lord is doing, and reflecting on all that he has done over the past 60 years. When I reflect back on the summer, there is an overall feeling of…
