Writing that ‘really, really works’
Justin Rempel has been making up stories ever since he learned to write. The animals on his parents’ hobby farm near Gretna, Man., and the stories he heard while attending Sunday school at Blumenort Mennonite Church in Rosetown, Man., were his initial inspiration. “Very naturally, the first stories that came to me at 6 were…
From Mexican Quaker to Canadian Mennonite
Ask Andrea De Avila when she first wanted to become a pastor and her answer is simple: “I didn’t.” While studying at Hesston College in Kansas, and Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Harrisonburg, Va., De Avila became involved with Mennonite Church U.S.A. As part of her biblical studies at EMU, she participated in the Ministry…
Serving students and learning from mistakes
In addition to faculty and staff, student council members can play a key role in shaping campus life at colleges and universities. By advocating for their peers, planning social events and organizing service projects, these young leaders have a big impact on what goes on between and after classes. Canadian Mennonite spoke with the student…
The kids are all right … aren’t they?
Gil Dueck doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all plan for how churches can better engage with the young adults in their congregations, but he has some ideas. While questions about “how the kids are doing” can quickly become cliché, he says, ultimately, they are healthy. “They are, at rock bottom, expressions of love and concern,” Dueck tells…
Breaking the silence
For Jaymie Friesen, responding to abuse and preventing it in communities of faith is a personal calling. As the abuse response and prevention coordinator at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba, Friesen supports churches and individuals, and works to raise awareness of abuse and trauma. Prior to beginning her position with MCC, Friesen worked with survivors…
The odd couple
When Jonas Cornelsen tells people he spent the last year living with, and caring for, his grandfather in Vancouver, they often praise him. While Jonas appreciated his time with his grandfather, the praise makes him uncomfortable. “The set-up sounds pretty [idyllic], like a good family movie,” says the 23-year-old, who returned to his home city…
Cyber security underdog
Computer programming is a language foreign to most, but not to David Dyck. The 17-year-old Winnipegger is passionate about computers and knowing how they operate. “I really like understanding how it all works and being able to make a computer do the things I want it to do,” says Dyck, who recently graduated from Westgate…
Field of dreams
What are the risks and rewards for people who choose a life on the farm? Young Voices spoke with three young Canadian Mennonites who work in agriculture to find out. Jedidiah Morton, 23 Didsbury, Alta. Jedidiah Morton isn’t the first person in his family to work in the dairy industry. His great-grandfather, Abram Lowen, settled…
Reaching out to help other people
For Johise Namwira, being a student and being an activist go hand in hand. During the 2015-16 school year, the 19-year-old was involved with a variety of different groups on campus at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. She served as the women’s liaison on the Arts Student Body Council, ensuring that all of the…
A potluck plate full of Mennonite cultures
This spring I was awarded an archival internship with the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission that allowed me to travel to various Mennonite Brethren archives in North America to learn how they work, as well as to do some of my own research. I visited the archives at the Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford, B.C.; the…
