News Blog

One week after returning from our mission trip. (Why it is sometimes hard to adapt when you come home).

Posted by on Thursday, July 17th, 2014 in Minister

While we were there in Winnipeg for our mission trip, we spent five days in full-time connection with the various parts of the Winnipeg Inner City Mission. During that short time, a number of very significant things happened:
  • A young girl in the church went missing from her family.
  • Another young girl, in desperate need of a new kidney, successfully underwent surgery that would allow her continue her daily dialysis
  • The church was putting together household items to set up housekeeping for a young mother and her children as she was in the process leaving an abusive relationship.
  • A resident in A Place of Hope celebrated two years of sobriety.
  • Another resident reached the end of her time in A Place of Hope and made arrangements to move out and begin a new and exciting phase in her life
  • A church picnic (that had been as good as cancelled) was resurrected and organized in about two hours.
This was, as far as I can tell, a fairly typical week at Winnipeg Inner City Mission with big doses of both good and bad news and the church doing everything that it could to help when needed and to celebrate when that was called for. In addition we heard some heart rending (and also some heart uplifting) stories of people dealing with some very big things in their personal lives. I can't imagine what that is like for the staff and volunteers who are there week in and week out and have to deal with all of it. I know that I will continue to hold them up in my prayers that they might have the spiritual stamina to continue their vital work of living out the love of Christ.



But, despite the high pressure of the ministry there, I must admit that I have found it a little bit hard to come back an reenter the day-to-day church life at home. As hard as some of the things that we saw going on were, at least it was always clear what was important and what really mattered. There was a clarity and an immediacy to the needs that they faced that was undeniable.

Now, I am quite aware that the people in my church and in all of our churches often have problems and crises and losses that are very difficult and that are deeply disturbing. They also celebrate very important and meaningful milestones and victories. And I am deeply grateful that I am often given the privilege of being there and ministering to people at those very significant times in their lives.

But, though the problems and issues can be very difficult at times, people's lives are generally much more stable that what you tend to find in the inner city of Winnipeg. We are not constantly bombarded with one crisis after another. What's more, while the people involved in the Winnipeg Inner City Mission are very quick and eager to share what they are struggling with - in many ways, the prayers of intercession for the families of the church was the most important time in their worship together - often our people are slow to share some of their deep personal struggles.

So the reality is that we spend less time dealing with deep personal or family crises in our churches. That is a blessing, of course, but does it mean that we have fewer problems overall? Not really.



There is a popular meme that makes the rounds on the internet from time time time. It is called "First World Problems." The meme mocks the way that people in the prosperous nations of the world get all hung up on problems that are of little immediate importance especially in the face of the poverty, disease and war that plague so many people who live in the Third World. Coming back from a mission trip in the inner city of Winnipeg, I recognize that we often do the same thing in our "First World" churches. When we are not overwhelmed with problems and issues and decisions of ultimate importance, we tend to take our other, much less significant problems and decisions and invest ultimate importance in them.

We do this all the time in the church. And so issues like the following can become major crises in churches:
  • Someone wants to move a piece of furniture and someone objects.
  • A committee is short of members
  • Someone doesn't like the hymn selection one Sunday
  • Someone is hurt when their idea is not adopted
Of course, these are all issues that have to be dealt with in some productive way, but we tend to make them more important than they really are. They take too much emotional energy and administrative time and we have less and less or ourselves left to devote to the things that are of ultimate importance.

I want to be clear here. I'm not complaining that this is something that self-centred people in the church are constantly doing (though, of course, that does happen). I am saying that I do it to myself as much as anyone does it to me. I make things that don't matter very much too important. I judge myself and my ministry in terms of solving or avoiding those kinds of problems. In fact, I will often make them more important than anyone else ever does. The results can be very discouraging and very draining.

At Winnipeg Inner City Mission, God was never too far from their awareness because they needed God's presence just to make it through the day. If we complain that God often feels too distant, could it be because we are investing too much of ourselves in things that don't matter that much?

It is my hope that I can hold on to the sense of what really matters that was so powerful in Winnipeg and let it guide me in where I put my energy back in Hespeler. I also hope that, by keeping close ties with WICM, we might also greatly strengthen our focus at St. Andrew's Hespeler.
Continue reading »

Camp on Thursday has started!

Posted by on Thursday, July 17th, 2014 in News

Wow, where has the week gone?

We are making smoothies for our morning snack time.  They look very yummy!

Each camper gets to pick their favourite fruit ...

Then they choose what juice they like and Meghan blends it all together.

Waiting in the "blender" line!

Continue reading »

Wednesday afternoon at camp!

Posted by on Wednesday, July 16th, 2014 in News

The pizzas are in the oven - the healthy ones we made this morning!

Once everyone was finished eating lunch, some chose to play games while others chose to quietly sit and start watching "Miracle Dogs".

Right now half of the children are playing games in the gym and the other half are at the park on a nature hunt!

Fun to watch as the older children and Jr Leaders make sure the game is enjoyed by the younger campers!

Continue reading »

Afternoon at camp!

Posted by on Tuesday, July 15th, 2014 in News

Craft Instructions:  thank you Amy L & Anne for our craft today!

Likely NOT what the craft is, but the giggles were music to our ears!

Giggling at each other!  Pre craft fun.

Doing the Electric Maze!  Let's see who was really paying attention to Andrew.

Continue reading »

What’s in Your Cupboard Day Camp!

Posted by on Monday, July 14th, 2014 in News

Monday … we are having fun, what a great GO! Camping staff and group of children for camp this week.  So far we have played getting to know you games, baked muffins, played more energetic games and are smelling some great smells coming out of the kitchen.  Just waiting for snack time!  Everyone is getting along fine, no problems, just a lot of smiles!



Continue reading »

Why it is Important that we Came

Posted by on Friday, July 11th, 2014 in Minister

Our trip to Winnipeg has been short - too short we all agree. It seems like we just arrived, have just gotten to know the people there and to appreciate everything that is so special about them and we have to go. But there is absolutely no feeling in the group that it was not worth the effort to get here for a few days.




Why are we so sure that it was vital that we come? Because we have received that message loud and clear from everyone at all involved in the ministry that we have met and from the children and young people and families. Is that because of all the work that we did for them? Well, not exactly. They certainly appreciated everything that we did. Whether it was painting Flora House (and, yes, we did manage to get the main hall and the front and back entrances painted in our time with a little help from Derek) or organizing clothes and goods in the miracle store, weeding Papa's Garden, helping to keep the kids or youth organised and safe on outings or cleaning out mountains of cardboard, everything was fully appreciated. Rev. Margaret Mullin's head seemed to be constantly at work trying to come up with something else for us to do. But we were appreciated more than what we did.

From the moment we arrived, Rev. Mullin made one thing perfectly clear: we would have to leave our mark behind us. It would not be enough to paint Flora House a nice bright colour. We would have to each leave our personal handprints behind us, though she did allow us to decide what our hand prints would look like and we chose to arrange them in the colour wheel that they use at Anishanabe.


See, they caught me red handed.


In addition, the painting of a new mural by our team in the Miracle Store was deemed so important that Alexis, Gabrielle and Joni were given almost all of our last day to work on it. This was clearly a priority. Why? I mean, yes, the mural that Alexis designed is beautiful and it will be enjoyed for a long time. But why was it so vital?

The answer to that question may be found in a woman named Jane. She is a wonderful, beautiful person who runs the Miracle Store where she gives away clothes, food and other items to whoever comes in for next to nothing. Jane is a registered nurse, a grandmother and is about the sharpest person I have ever seen when it comes to dealing with people who might want to take advantage of the situation. She seemed to connect with our group right away and to be immediately fond of us. But she especially loved Alexis and Gabrielle. In fact, by the last day, she was determined to find a way to adopt them and keep them!  Her understanding of what they were doing by painting the mural was clear: they were leaving a little bit of themselves behind. And in response to that gift, Jane did something truly extraordinary.

Some First Nations people do not like to have their picture taken. They find it disrespectful - as if someone is stealing a piece of themselves from them. Jane is one such native woman. Through many years working with Winnipeg Inner City Mission, she has always refused to have her picture taken even by people that she loves dearly. But on the last day, once the mural had been finished, a miracle occurred. Joni respectfully asked Jane if she would consent to have her picture taken with the mural and the girls and she agreed. She did not do so lightly. In fact, she had considered the possibility long and hard the night before.

I have a copy of the picture with Jane, but I will not be sharing it here on this blog because I understand that it was Jane's intention to give a gift to Gabrielle and Alexis - a little piece of herself willingly given for them to take with them just as they were leaving a piece of themselves in the mural. It was a very special and precious gift but it was a private gift for them - one that they will long treasure. It doesn't belong on the internet.



Here is my understanding of why our coming to them is so important to them. Native ministry in the inner city of Winnipeg is tough - really tough. But one thing that makes it tougher is the sense that no one else cares. Yes, the national church does support some of the ministry positions through Presbyterian Sharing... and, yes, there are many faithful supporters spread across the country, but when you are faced with so many examples of apathy and even open hostility to the work being done there, it is very easy to fall into the feeling that you are all alone and that nobody really cares. When people like us come and are not afraid to roll up our sleeves and do some work, it is a vital reminder that people - white church people - do care a great deal. It lifts their spirits to know that they are not alone. But the trips are short and the people leave too soon (way too soon it seemed in our case). That is why it is so vital to them that we leave a piece of ourselves behind. They need to remember us. They need reminders on their walls and on their sidewalks (like in this cement poured by a previous team outside the miracle store) so that they do not forget us and fall back into despair. It matters that we came.


So if anyone out there is considering making a mission trip to the Winnipeg Inner City Mission, we can highly recommend it. You will make a difference. You will feel loved and appreciated. It will matter that came.

We are home now and this is my blog for the final day there. But I know that I am not finished reflecting on our time there. Give me a few more days to process and I am sure I'll have lots more to say. Thanks for listening

s

Continue reading »