PO Box 29
Phone: 204-325-4374 363 8th Street Click here for map
Fax: 205-331-3900 Winkler, Manitoba R6W 4A4
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Letters Home
Our journeys through life take us to many places--from home to college or university, to jobs in other cities and towns, to projects and missions both at home and far away. Although you have moved away from Covenant, you are still in our hearts. Let us know where you have been, what you are doing, and what you have learned along the way.
To share your experiences with us, please send your letter by email with the subject line "Letters Home" to Myra. If you would like to include a photo, please attach it to your email.
Letters from:
Dear Covenant Friends,
Here is my wedding report. Sure wish you could have all been there. It would have been so special for people that had known Matt all his life to have been with us. It was a beautiful day for which we were all so thankful. (To see photos, click here.)
Before the church service a photographer took the couple to a nearby manor house (lest you think that Matt has married into royalty-there never has been any in Switzerland anyhow).
In the church there was a good High German sermon which we could understand very well and the beautiful singing by the congregation and choir brought tears to my eyes especially as we sang "Now thank we all our God" in German as we had done at our own wedding and we ended with-------- 606! Just great.
We exited the church under an arch of sunflowers and bubbles courtesy of Debbie's school children who also favoured us with a German folk song "The Birds' Wedding" sung lustily through many memorized verses. Beautiful and delicious food outdoors.
Next 64 of us drove in a procession of decorated vehicles to the top of a "hill" overlooking the valley and villages below. Here more pictures were taken organized by our fancy namecards, colour codes. Then we filled out pre-addressed postcards promising something we would do for the couple or give them like have them over for dinner etc. Then we released all the balloons over the cliff. If found, they are dutifully mailed to the couple by the obedient Swiss citizens and they can "cash in ."
Back down in the valley, just across from Matt and Debbie's apartment in the town hall, where her mother is the mayor, was the reception supper. There was more delicious food, 4 kinds of meat and shrimp, barbequed by the village butcher just outside the hall. Guests had been asked to bring an item by which they could be identified by the bride or groom. I brought the Christmas ornament which Matt forgot here and Debbie's mother brought her baby security sheepskin. There was a Kanada/Switzerland knowledge quiz and powerpoint pictures of the kids growing up. To learn about what was involved in getting the pictures for that talk to dear Carrie Siemens! We sang songs which I adapted to tell about Matt's life revolving around the song-"I was born in Winkler Manitoba" which was very well received. The tune kept popping up throughout the rest of our time there. At the end of the evening we gathered in a circle just outside in the town square by the old fountain with sparklers. A festive end to a memorable day.
Jim and I had a nice week in Italy before one last day and night in Switzerland. It was very hard to say good-bye to the kids, not knowing when we will see them again.
Bad news- Andrew was fined $600 on his way out of the country because he had unwittingly spent too long in the EU. He had gone in and out of Finland but that didn't help and he will be getting a letter telling him if he will be denied the right to return which would be terrible because his brother lives in Switzerland. Please pray about this....
Good news-upon our return here we learned that Lyn Suderman has been declared cancer-free. Praise God and thank you so much for your prayers on her behalf. Thank you for your participation in this email"Nochast".(after wedding).
Love,
Lorna
Dear Covenant Friends,
Well, the wedding is almost upon us. Wish you could all be there so much. We'd very much appreciate your prayers as Matt and Debbie get married on the 18th. Andrew is flying out on the 11th from Finland and we on the 13th.
All the best as you start your new church year. Your services always sound interesting and the singing--how we miss it but I'm sure we'll love the 4 part harmony in Switzerland! Tell you all about it when I return.
If you have time check out the newspaper article done on Jim's work (click on Times Colonist to read the article). He was so pleased with how it came out.
Love,
Lorna
Hi friends at Covenant,
It seems like ages ago since we have been able to visit with any of you, our friends. We make it down to Winkler from time to time but usually for midweek appointments and so miss seeing you in church.
We are using the new page introduced by Myra to be in touch. As some of you know, we still spend most of our time at Arnes but in order to assist with some of our grandchildren, we made the decision last fall to rent an apartment in the city and part of our reason was to find a church home away from home. This letter will share a few things that have blessed us as we have migrated from our Anabaptist home to an Anglican home. Whether this migration will stick or whether we will find our way back remains to be seen.
St. Benedict’s Table is probably not the usual Anglican community. Many traditions root it firmly in the Anglican mould. This community is unique in that it consists of many young people. St. Benedict’s uses All Saints church at the corner of Broadway and Osborne and is a comfortable walking distance from our apartment. Because the facility is shared with the regular All Saints congregation, St. Benedict’s meets on Sunday evenings. Afternoon services are being introduced so the young parents with children might find the timing more convenient. During the winter – the school year – many in the pews are students and it is so invigorating to see the big old church full each Sunday evening. During the summer months, the pews are not full but still a very good number of regulars are present.
So who are the people brought together in this way? There is a fascinating mix. There are some Anglicans. There are quite a number of Mennonites – a few still involved in their home churches. We meet folks from southern Manitoba who come because they are visiting their family (students) who attend at St. Ben’s. There are Baptists. There are those of no church background other than their new home – St. Benedicts. There have been quite a number of baptisms – some infant and some adult. With dwindling church attendance, it is encouraging to see so many each Sunday evening.
So what brings and keeps young and old to St. Benedict’s Table? Part of what brings us together is noted in its name. ‘Table’ is what the worshipers are called to each Sunday evening. We have been blessed Sunday after Sunday as we make our way to the front of the church in circles being fed Bread and Wine with the invitation being open to all. We have always been blessed by the St. Benedict’s practice of open communion. I won’t try to make a case for it other than to say that the Holy Spirit has been present and we have been encouraged and blessed each Sunday.
Another blessing has been the centrality of scripture to the worship hour. Although this is pure symbolism, the practice of having the gospel reading from the centre of the church with congregants standing and facing the reader, has brought the Word among us in a new way! The lessons for the week are published by email during the week, making it easy to have read and thought about the lessons in advance. The lessons are based on the lectionary readings.
Another feature at St. Ben’s is the music. We miss the four-part harmony and the old hymns but have been gaining an appreciation for a variety of music. There is usually a small group of musicians in the front pews that lead the singing. Not a performance band, but rather folks who share with us many songs that have arisen in the community and even some old hymns. You will recognize some of the names like Gord Johnson, Larry Campbell and others who rotate through this important aspect of worship. I used to cringe at repetitive singing but at that time it was choruses with not much sound theology. The music here is usually very thoughtful and fits the theme well.
It has become clear that Jamie Howison’s (priest) library contains many of the same authors that are found in Kelvin’s library.
These are some ways in which we been blessed from this time in our lives. We still fondly think of Covenant Mennonite Church and pray for you folks regularly. We appreciate the emailed bulletins and read them carefully. The website is also appreciated. Kelvin, keep updating the ‘irreverently yours’ columnJ. We look to the future with open hearts asking God to guide us into the unknown. We hope that by sharing these thoughts with you, that you might also think of us and remember us in your prayers.
May God bless you and keep you!
Gloria and Don
Dear Covenant,
As most of you already know I always seem to be caught in a whirlwind of work, school, extra curricular activities, social engagements, crafts and cooking which pull me in a million different directions at once. Thankfully it's usually too exciting and rewarding to be stressful but I do often need to remind myself that I'm only 20 and have plenty of time to explore all of the avenues I feel drawn towards. Recently, I have been consumed with my job at the daycare which I have started full time, gardening (at my own garden, volunteering at the Spence Neighbourhood Association gardens and gardening with the children at the daycare), downsizing my possessions (difficult for a collector such as myself), a new roommate, taking a course at the CMU School of Peacebuilding on Food, Justice and Sustainability, and planning for my International Development Studies practicum plus subsequent travels in Nepal and India which begin in September.
I will be traveling with my friend Richard and we will be spending nearly 6 months in Nepal working for the Himanchal Education Foundation. You can learn about their work in the village of Nangi on their website www.himanchal.org. Afterwards I will spend a week and a half traveling in Nepal and then spend two months in northern India trekking and “woofing” (working on an organic farm, a way of traveling where your labour on farms is exchanged for room and board).
For a better idea of what I will be doing specifically in Nepal I have included the project proposals we submitted to the organization below:
Project #1 - Teaching at the school. Both of us will be spending half of most days teaching English, Art and I would also be teaching Nutrition.
Project #2 - Manual Labour and construction. Not really a project but we will be helping with repairs in the village while we are there when needed.
Project #3 - Maintaining Composting Toilets & teaching about use and maintenance of the toilets. Both of us on this one too.
Project #4 - Paper making.
Project #5 - Gardening in the Nursery and looking into some upgrades for the greenhouse.
Project #6 - Education about recycling and how to dispose of litter.
Both Richard and I will be hosting a fundraiser for the school in Nepal on July 25th in the evening. We will be providing a Nepalese meal - dal bhat, or lentils and rice. After supper there will be a short presentation where we will discuss the region, issues for development work and the Himanchal Education Foundation we will be working for. During this time guests will be invited to give a donation (however if you simply wish to come and spend an evening with us you are more than welcome) which will go directly towards art supplies, musical instruments, sports equipment etc. for the children in the village.
Growing up at Covenant and witnessing generosity, compassion and servitude in all of the members of the congregation has been inspiring for me as I try to work out my own personal worldview. Learning to live a little more simply, consume more thoughtfully and striving to empower as well as work for peace are certainly things I have seen embodied by the congregation.
Thank you all for your support, prayers and the examples you have been for me.
Love,
Natalie