Journeying to foreign lands

All the anticipation in the world cannot prepare someone for the experience of leaving home to live in a foreign country for a period of time, even though one understands that it will be a difficult undertaking and different from one’s expectations. This was the case for Shina Park and Laura Dueckman, who both attend Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, BC.

Dueckman, who lived in Kopeng, Indonesia for this past year, worked as an English Language Coordinator and writer for Mennonite Central Committee’s Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program. She sat in on theology classes at a local Bible college, in order to answer questions and to help with homework. She also hosted an informal English conversation class.

Dueckman wrote stories for Mennonite Central Committee about MCC Indonesia and some of the programs they support. She also wrote about a church that was bombed while she and her team were in the area. They had to be evacuated by an organization called, Stlag.

“I’m not entirely sure what I’ll take away from this experience. I was hoping that this year would give me some clarity on my future career. That didn’t exactly happen, but whatever lessons I’ve learned, whatever ways I’ve changed, I think that will take a bit for the experience to make itself evident,” she said.

Park, a second year Goshen College student, spent two months learning Spanish and volunteering for the Anabaptist seminary, SEMILLA in Guatemala City, Guatemala this summer. She did website updates and design for the seminary.

What was most evident for Park during her time there was the overwhelming gap between the rich and the poor, and the ways in which people are using art to pull themselves and others out of poverty. She was introduced to an organization called, “Becoming Fools” in which a man used the art of clowning to help get children off the streets. Park also hopes to use different kinds of art to work with children, possibly in Guatemala in the future.

“It can be a really empowering tool,” Park said. She has learned quite a bit of Spanish and hopes to use it when she goes back to Goshen College in the Fall and takes a study service term class. She plans on going to Peru

Dueckman has discovered a heart for refugees and newcomers to a foreign country and hopes to work with them in the future. “Now I see how that feels,” she said.

For Park and Dueckman, having a church family that was supporting them from afar helped them get through the rough days, weeks, and months.

Emmanuel Mennonite Church emphasizes overseas work. Their Missions Peace and Justice committee plans community events on occasion, but global awareness is present in Sunday school, worship, and preaching regularly, Pastor April Yamasaki said. Yamasaki personally supports people who go overseas by talking to them about their trip and praying for them, but the church does as well.

“Emmanuel was very generous. There were numerous people who gave money to me as I had to raise a contribution minimum to go. Throughout the year, I would get emails, letters, cards, a care package, and my parents would tell me about when they would pray for me in church. It was really nice knowing that I had this community back home that was thinking about me while I was away,” Dueckman said.

“My mom was telling me how the church was praying for me all the time. A lot of bad things happened to people while I was away. Nothing happened to me! Nothing was stolen and I had a great time,” Park said.

Park and Dueckman both lived in dangerous places during their time overseas, but loneliness was also a challenge they faced.

“Overseas missions can be very lonely and it’s good for us as a church to remember that being the church isn’t just what we do in Abbotsford,” Yamasaki said.

Both Park and Dueckman say that they would consider doing overseas service work again.