“I would have never imagined this.” These were the words that echoed through our group of mission drifters as we witnessed community after community being, and growing the Kingdom of GOD.
It was the “never imagined” that caused two first year Steinbach Bible College students to dream of a caravan of 12 young SBC male students out on an GOD initiated adventure. God refined the vision to be a vision that didn’t just spread the banner of one particular school, organization or denomination, but to simply love and live the missional faiths we had just completed studying about. The targets were set: Texas (Seminole) and Belize (Blue Creek, Shipyard and San Antonio) with the goal being to encourage the church as well as help and learn from any and everyone along the way. So with the words of the graduation address (Arlie Loewen) still ringing in our ears “Live for the success of others”, we set out to help build and witness a kingdom.
Personally being the Grandson of Peter and Anne Giesbrecht (EMMC pastors/missionaries/teachers and such), I have grown up under the folklore of the great Mennonite kingdom to the south of us. Whether through stories of the super society of Blue Creek, the wonder of pioneered farm land in the Mexican desert or the stories of the ‘lost boys’ of Belize finding their home in the deepest jungles; my mind was still a mess with the fantasy of these far off places. Also, the rest of the group in one way or another, had some connection to our faith neighbors in the south, whether through fellow students, friends or family. We had all heard plenty about these far off places to be intrigued enough to go and share in what GOD was doing there.
The first stop on our cross continent missions trip was Seminole, Texas, or ‘GOD’s country’ (as implied with a little bit of humor and sincerity by the only Texan on our team). When we arrived, I and the rest of the team were eager and overzealous to start doing ministry. We quickly lined up an afternoon church program, helped build a garage and finish a barb wire corral under the blazing Texan sun. Within those first few days that we stayed in Seminole, I and the others started to see some culture shifts, not only in the perplexing Mennonite accent mixed with a southern drawl, but in the astounding sense of community and brotherhood that we witnessed. This sense of community revealed itself in 6 HOUR volleyball games or by the smooth transition between a Sunday morning service and an afternoon lunch, into singing at the elderly home, into an evening youth event followed by a young adult hang out late into the night. Church community and brotherhood is life for these believers. But Brotherhood however wasn’t the only thing that was noticed in Seminole. It was interesting to notice that within opposite sex interactions, cultural Mennonites seem to have an ever-present consciousness of familial and affectionate ties. So when 12 striking young men (as I would put it) from out of town (and hopefully out of immediate family), stroll through an unsuspecting town, undoubtedly some interests might spark on both sides of the equation. We knew that our time in Seminole was up when both guilty parties were dropping classily cliché lines such as “She’s the prettiest girl I’ve seen south of the boarder” or “flowers are best stolen”. So with a heart or two broken (although not admitted) we steered our wagons south. We held our chins high as we reflected at how GOD had used us over the past few days. Then, with our hats across our hearts, humbled by the brotherhood and generosity of GOD’s people in Seminole, we sauntered out of that west Texas town changed forever.
As soon as we crossed over the Mexican border we could feel a Spanish sensation sweep over us all as we started throwing out as many Spanish lines as we could conger. Also we found that suddenly our ‘supposed’ Mennonite dancing inhibitions broke down under the persuasive Latin rhythm (although truthfully the only individuals in our group that that last statement would apply to would be myself and the Paraguayan sensation). However, even with our new found Spanish curiosity we all felt a lot more confident speaking Spanish once we had crossed over into Belize (where most locals can speak English).
As soon as we got into Belize, our local friend and fellow SBC student wisked us away to show off his home town, where the local kids promptly stole our hearts and wise old gents were quick to spout wisdom. In this community’s church yard I found myself engaged in a conversation with a boy over what kind of Coconut tree would grow in Canada. The boy’s name is Jordano and is no older than 9, and so when the church opened and the congregation came together, I was a little shocked to find that Jordano was one of the few males present. There were a few wise old elders, 2 or 3 passionate middle-aged men and an unending supply of children; but the youth and male figures were just not present on a comparable level.
So if you’re the praying type, you could pray for the local youth population and the men of Belize that they may begin (and continue) involvement in the Belizean church. Also please pray for the Mennonite’s involvement with coworkers, neighbors and friends. Pray that the relationships that are developed there may build the Belizean church. One ministry that is directed at youth is Kings College, which is a Christian school that has been working for the youth of Belize over the past 40 years. When our group arrived at Kings, I personally could feel something spiritual in this place; there was something almost sacred about traveling deep into the jungle and finding a group of GODly men and women working to build up GODly men and women.
Once we had ascended some more jungle hills we found ourselves in the mountain top kingdom of Blue Creek. As we drove through the town, flashbacks from pictures and slides I had seen of my mother’s youth came flooding into my mind. It was in Blue Creek that my Grandparents had spent many years founding and teaching in the school there. They had often spoken beautifully about their family in Blue Creek and so it was this family that welcomed me and the rest of us all, just as if we were indeed family.
Once we came to Shipyard, it seemed to me that the Shipyard EMM Mennonites were anything but “the quiet on the land” that had characterized their past Old Colony and Mennonite generations. Whether through their overpowering chorus singing, their individual testimonies of the joy of Jesus’ grace or even in their ridicules hoots and hollers throughout the night volleyball games; these people (to my eyes) were living loud jubilant lives led by their new found or reinstated love of Jesus. The joy that I saw in these individual’s faiths was not just in being set free from a sectarian religion, their joy was in knowing and following a relational GOD. It was more than a blessing to be with this congregation and have almost every conversation spill into ‘the topic’ of GOD’s grace and the radical life Jesus has called us to. It was in these new and old believers that I could see the Kingdom work in and through their community.
For myself, community was the absolute in how I saw GOD working and moving on this journey. I’m not sure exactly why there seemed to be such a difference in the way these churches and our home Canadian churches did community. I figure it may have something to do with the cultures that our different churches have come out of. It may be that in our broader consumer societies, (in some ways) we’ve taken that consumer mentality and applied it to our understanding of faith and in so we’ve started blocking time and hours on building community and not simply living in a community. This could be where these Mennonite’s communities countered our ideas of community. It seemed to me that their communities seemed to be somewhat organic or natural. These communities, although still distinct, are not in any way reclusive, but now are doing community in the way they know how to; in a non-intentional, now inclusive way.
As we drove home I realized that it had taken this trip for me to finally understand that whether at home or abroad, Mennonite or Spanish, we need to collectively learn to do community. As God’s glory rings throughout the nations, we begin to experience and know that the kingdom is being built by each other and by the GOD that unites us together.
It was the “never imagined” that caused two first year Steinbach Bible College students to dream of a caravan of 12 young SBC male students out on an GOD initiated adventure. God refined the vision to be a vision that didn’t just spread the banner of one particular school, organization or denomination, but to simply love and live the missional faiths we had just completed studying about. The targets were set: Texas (Seminole) and Belize (Blue Creek, Shipyard and San Antonio) with the goal being to encourage the church as well as help and learn from any and everyone along the way. So with the words of the graduation address (Arlie Loewen) still ringing in our ears “Live for the success of others”, we set out to help build and witness a kingdom.
Personally being the Grandson of Peter and Anne Giesbrecht (EMMC pastors/missionaries/teachers and such), I have grown up under the folklore of the great Mennonite kingdom to the south of us. Whether through stories of the super society of Blue Creek, the wonder of pioneered farm land in the Mexican desert or the stories of the ‘lost boys’ of Belize finding their home in the deepest jungles; my mind was still a mess with the fantasy of these far off places. Also, the rest of the group in one way or another, had some connection to our faith neighbors in the south, whether through fellow students, friends or family. We had all heard plenty about these far off places to be intrigued enough to go and share in what GOD was doing there.
The first stop on our cross continent missions trip was Seminole, Texas, or ‘GOD’s country’ (as implied with a little bit of humor and sincerity by the only Texan on our team). When we arrived, I and the rest of the team were eager and overzealous to start doing ministry. We quickly lined up an afternoon church program, helped build a garage and finish a barb wire corral under the blazing Texan sun. Within those first few days that we stayed in Seminole, I and the others started to see some culture shifts, not only in the perplexing Mennonite accent mixed with a southern drawl, but in the astounding sense of community and brotherhood that we witnessed. This sense of community revealed itself in 6 HOUR volleyball games or by the smooth transition between a Sunday morning service and an afternoon lunch, into singing at the elderly home, into an evening youth event followed by a young adult hang out late into the night. Church community and brotherhood is life for these believers. But Brotherhood however wasn’t the only thing that was noticed in Seminole. It was interesting to notice that within opposite sex interactions, cultural Mennonites seem to have an ever-present consciousness of familial and affectionate ties. So when 12 striking young men (as I would put it) from out of town (and hopefully out of immediate family), stroll through an unsuspecting town, undoubtedly some interests might spark on both sides of the equation. We knew that our time in Seminole was up when both guilty parties were dropping classily cliché lines such as “She’s the prettiest girl I’ve seen south of the boarder” or “flowers are best stolen”. So with a heart or two broken (although not admitted) we steered our wagons south. We held our chins high as we reflected at how GOD had used us over the past few days. Then, with our hats across our hearts, humbled by the brotherhood and generosity of GOD’s people in Seminole, we sauntered out of that west Texas town changed forever.
As soon as we crossed over the Mexican border we could feel a Spanish sensation sweep over us all as we started throwing out as many Spanish lines as we could conger. Also we found that suddenly our ‘supposed’ Mennonite dancing inhibitions broke down under the persuasive Latin rhythm (although truthfully the only individuals in our group that that last statement would apply to would be myself and the Paraguayan sensation). However, even with our new found Spanish curiosity we all felt a lot more confident speaking Spanish once we had crossed over into Belize (where most locals can speak English).
As soon as we got into Belize, our local friend and fellow SBC student wisked us away to show off his home town, where the local kids promptly stole our hearts and wise old gents were quick to spout wisdom. In this community’s church yard I found myself engaged in a conversation with a boy over what kind of Coconut tree would grow in Canada. The boy’s name is Jordano and is no older than 9, and so when the church opened and the congregation came together, I was a little shocked to find that Jordano was one of the few males present. There were a few wise old elders, 2 or 3 passionate middle-aged men and an unending supply of children; but the youth and male figures were just not present on a comparable level.
So if you’re the praying type, you could pray for the local youth population and the men of Belize that they may begin (and continue) involvement in the Belizean church. Also please pray for the Mennonite’s involvement with coworkers, neighbors and friends. Pray that the relationships that are developed there may build the Belizean church. One ministry that is directed at youth is Kings College, which is a Christian school that has been working for the youth of Belize over the past 40 years. When our group arrived at Kings, I personally could feel something spiritual in this place; there was something almost sacred about traveling deep into the jungle and finding a group of GODly men and women working to build up GODly men and women.
Once we had ascended some more jungle hills we found ourselves in the mountain top kingdom of Blue Creek. As we drove through the town, flashbacks from pictures and slides I had seen of my mother’s youth came flooding into my mind. It was in Blue Creek that my Grandparents had spent many years founding and teaching in the school there. They had often spoken beautifully about their family in Blue Creek and so it was this family that welcomed me and the rest of us all, just as if we were indeed family.
Once we came to Shipyard, it seemed to me that the Shipyard EMM Mennonites were anything but “the quiet on the land” that had characterized their past Old Colony and Mennonite generations. Whether through their overpowering chorus singing, their individual testimonies of the joy of Jesus’ grace or even in their ridicules hoots and hollers throughout the night volleyball games; these people (to my eyes) were living loud jubilant lives led by their new found or reinstated love of Jesus. The joy that I saw in these individual’s faiths was not just in being set free from a sectarian religion, their joy was in knowing and following a relational GOD. It was more than a blessing to be with this congregation and have almost every conversation spill into ‘the topic’ of GOD’s grace and the radical life Jesus has called us to. It was in these new and old believers that I could see the Kingdom work in and through their community.
For myself, community was the absolute in how I saw GOD working and moving on this journey. I’m not sure exactly why there seemed to be such a difference in the way these churches and our home Canadian churches did community. I figure it may have something to do with the cultures that our different churches have come out of. It may be that in our broader consumer societies, (in some ways) we’ve taken that consumer mentality and applied it to our understanding of faith and in so we’ve started blocking time and hours on building community and not simply living in a community. This could be where these Mennonite’s communities countered our ideas of community. It seemed to me that their communities seemed to be somewhat organic or natural. These communities, although still distinct, are not in any way reclusive, but now are doing community in the way they know how to; in a non-intentional, now inclusive way.
As we drove home I realized that it had taken this trip for me to finally understand that whether at home or abroad, Mennonite or Spanish, we need to collectively learn to do community. As God’s glory rings throughout the nations, we begin to experience and know that the kingdom is being built by each other and by the GOD that unites us together.
By Scott Penner, May 17, 2008
