Hello Everyone at BC Women in Ministry and Mennonite Women Canada!
My classes
are going well. I am taking four classes and a colloquium this Christian
Formation, Performing the Faith and Peace Colloquium. Reading the Bible is an
overview of the entire Bible (including the Apocrypha). In that class we are
learning about the history of the Bible, how certain books were canonized and
others not, as well as where Bible stories took place and the governments that
had influence. Christian Theology I is about how the Bible has been interpreted
in history and is continuing to be interpreted today. Human Development and
Christian Formation is focused on how the different age groups and genders are
represented in the church and how they should be represented in the church. We
were put into pairs and each pair had to do a presentation on an age group. My
partner and I got elderhood and learned a lot about how to help people in
dependent living situations feel like they are participating in a service.
Performing the Faith is about bringing fine arts into the church. We each have
to do a “performance” by the end of the semester. I am doing a photography
portfolio, since this is a hobby of mine and something I would like to see used
more in the church. Finally, Peace Colloquium is a 1 credit class and we meet
during lunch break on Tuesdays to hear guest lecturers speak about local and
global issues. We are also expected to do research outside of class on related
topics of our own choosing. I have chosen ethical farming and youth violence.
Outside of
class, there are a lot of community events. AMBS works hard to ensure that the
students and faculty are in community with each other and have opportunities to
interact outside of the classroom. We have a potluck dinner weekly as well as
other events that run during the semester. One such event took place this past
week, Race and Media Circles. Students and staff were encouraged to sign up to
watch a movie (or a few movies) that deals with the issue of prejudice and
culture. Each movie was hosted by a different person and was a different mix of
people. I signed up for 3/5 movies…I really like watching and discussing
movies.
I also run
cooking classes out of my apartment. This is not an event that is advertised by
the school, but has been spread by word of mouth. It is a way for students who
enjoy cooking to get together and prepare a meal. The idea is that once a month
a different teacher comes in and teaches his or her specialty. So far we have
been asking AMBS faculty as a way to better connect with them. The idea,
suggested by a friend of mine, did not come into fruition until half way
through the semester, so we have only had two classes so far, one from a vegan
activist in October, and another on Indian cooking (with shoofly pie for dessert,
which I had never made before) in November. Come January, a professor who did
his graduate work in Scotland and is vegetarian is going to teach us how to
make vegetarian haggis…Don’t ask me how that’s going to work.
Despite the
fun I have been having here in Indiana, I am looking forward to being back in
BC for Christmas. I miss my friends and family back home. I can feel the love
and support emanating from Canada, and I will be glad to spend some time on the
West Coast. Thank you all for your generosity and prayers.
Peace and blessings in the name of our living God,
Annika Krause
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