Women Walking in Faith - February 2019 - Conversation Circles

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Kathy Giesbrecht, Mennonite Church Manitoba staff person on Mennonite Women Manitoba wrote an article in the February 18, 2019 Canadian Mennonite.  She shares: 

"Last fall, ignited by curiosity about what we would hear if we invited women to share their experiences of life within Mennonite Church Manitoba congregations, Mennonite Women Manitoba decided to host two Conversation Circles, one in Winnipeg and the other in southern Manitoba."   . . . . . "Overall, these Conversation Circles turned out to be powerful experiences of intergenerational storytelling and cross-congregational connecting, offering many words of encouragement and hope."

Read the whole article HERE.

Larissa Pahl, associate pastor of Morden Mennonite Church, left, and Elsie Wiebe were active participants in the Conversation Circles last fall.

Women Walking in Faith - December 2018 - Christmas rush

Mel Harms, our Saskatchewan Rep, wrote an article called "Christmas rush - Finding a time and a place for both Mary and Martha".  It appeared in the December 17, 2018 issue of the Canadian Mennonite magazine.  
She ends her article by saying, "My goal this year is to let my Mary side out more.  My Martha side can go crazy at the beginning of the evening, but afterwards she needs to step aside so my Mary can have a chance to visit, relax and just enjoy the more peaceful moments."

Read the article HERE.

Women Walking in Faith - October 2018 - Gathering and sharing seeds of faith

President Shirley Redekop wrote about gathering and sharing seeds of faith in her article that appeared in the Canadian Mennonite in October.

Some years ago, a seed was planted in my heart to take a group of intergenerational North American Mennonite women to share faith and life stories with other Mennonite women in an international setting.

This summer, after much planning with TourMagination and excellent guidance from our Tanzanian connector and translator, Esther Muhagachi (presently studying at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary), that seed sprouted when 16 Mennonite women from across Canada and the United States joined me as their tour leader on a caring, sharing safari.

.... for me, the highlight was that the “seeds of faith” we carried with us, and those we gathered from our Tanzanian Mennonite sisters on this trip, bloomed during our time together. And I pray that they will continue to spread and multiply as we seek to bring reconciliation, healing and hope to each other and the world.

You can read the complete article and see more photos at    https://www.canadianmennonite.org/stories/gathering-and-sharing-seeds-faith

Shirley Redekop is pictured with a Maasi student from Monduli Village. 
(Photo courtesy of Shirley Redekop)

An Arusha Mennonite Church women sews crafts to sell in aid of
congregational projects.  (Photo courtesy of Shirley Redekop)

Women Walking in Faith - August 2018 - A perfect spot for gratitude

Kate Janzen, Mennonite Women Alberta's rep on our executive shared her reflections on gratitude.  She wrote:

Growing up, I never wanted to be a farmer. It seemed like farm machinery always had precedence over a new couch, curtains or nice shoes. Then I met my husband Bob at Rosthern Mennonite Collegiate in Saskatchewan, and he wanted to be a veterinarian. Naively, I never thought this would involve farming, so I taught elementary school while he studied.  

Later, we had three children and moved to a farm west of Calgary, where I’ve seen glimpses of God’s kingdom as I embraced the farming lifestyle.

To read more please go to     https://www.canadianmennonite.org/stories/perfect-spot-gratitudeon-farm

Bob Janzen built a ‘gratitude bench’ on one of the hills of the family farm and wove
the word eucharisteo (gratitude) onto the fence. (Photo by Kate Janzen)

Women Walking in Faith - June 2018 - Carrying seeds from Colombia to Palestine

Hannah Redekop, daughter of our President Shirley Redekop, shared in her article "Carrying seeds from Colombia to Palestine" as follows: 

Five years ago I set out on a journey with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), providing international accompaniment to human rights defenders in Colombia.  Now, as I transition into new experiences with CPT in Palestine, I will take with me the following lessons I have learned from brave Colombian peacemakers:

Keep sowing seeds of hope. As I left my friend Rubiela’s house on my last visit, she pointed to a large bush that had gone to seed on her front lawn. “Take seeds and plant them, so that you’ll never forget about us,” she said.

To read more of this article please go to  https://www.canadianmennonite.org/carrying-seeds

Women Walking Together in Faith - April 2018 - Tending and befriending

After a busy summer and fall, I am trying to catch up with posting several articles that appeared in the Canadian Mennonite.  My apologies for not having kept up-to-date!     ~ Liz Koop

Below are excerpts from Elsie Rempel's article which appeared in the Canadian Mennonite issue dated April 9, 2018.  The complete article can be found at 

https://www.canadianmennonite.org/stories/tending-and-befriending.

Elsie is Mennonite Women Manitoba's Interim Chair and the MW Canada Secretary.

From time immemorial—as the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi illustrates—developing friendships and tending relationships have often been a woman’s “go-to, our have-to, our live for,” especially during times of stress. In the current season of stressful change within Mennonite Church Canada, tending relationships may be especially important to the health of the church. Drawing on women’s gifts for making connections can help us thrive rather than divide or shrivel.

. . . . . . 

As our regional churches take on increased responsibility and ownership of church life, we have new opportunities to use, recognize, celebrate and reap the benefits of this newly named gift.

Mennonite Women Canada and its regional groups want this “tending and befriending” to happen, and we do this by having day-or weekend-long inspirational retreats. For example, MW Manitoba’s annual spring retreat takes place on April 28, 2018, at Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, with guest speaker Moira Somers addressing the theme of “Resilience.”    Tend and befriend!

Members of the Mennonite Women Manitoba working group, from left to right: 
Laura Funk, Elsie Rempel, Larissa Pahl, Elsie Wiebe, and Kathy Giesbrecht. 
(Photo courtesy of Elsie Rempel)

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Women Walking Together in Faith - February 2018 - Learning to let go

Four generations of women at various stages of learning to let go. 

Pictured from left to right: Margaret Brubacher, Erma Birky, 

Sophia Heidebrecht and Carmen Brubacher. 

In the February 12, 2018 issue of the Canadian Mennonite, Carmen Brubacher writes about her struggles with 'letting go'.  She writes:  "I wonder what you are letting go of in your particular life stage. I wonder what we as churches need to let go of in order to be a part of God’s ongoing work in the world. I wonder how we root ourselves in our shared identity as God’s beloved ones."  To read the whole article follow this link.

Carmen Brubacher was licensed toward ordination as a chaplain at Forest Heights Long-term-care Home in Kitchener, Ont., last fall at Waterloo North Mennonite Church, her home congregation. She currently represents the Women of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada on the Mennonite Women Canada board.

Women Walking Together in Faith - November 2017 - Grandma, please tell me a story

Our Canadian Mennonite arrived in the mail today and I spotted MW Canada's contribution on page 14.  It is written by Waltrude Gortzen, who represents MC BC Women's Ministry on the MW Canada board. 

She begins her article by asking....."Do you remember any of the stories your grandma told you when you were little?" and shares some memories of both her maternal and paternal grandmothers.  

She states, "Knowing and preserving our stories and recognizing God's guidance in them, gives us a sense of rootedness and belonging.  And most importantly, it encourages us to be grateful for the sacrifices our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents endured as they, by faith, set off on perilous journeys so that we could live in the abundance and freedoms of this country we call home." 

Read the entire article HERE.

A young Waltrude (Nickel) Gortzen
with her maternal Oma, Maria (Enns)
Janzen while visiting her grandparents in
Fernheim, Chaco, Paraguay in July 1966

Waltrude Gortzen with some of her
precious family photo albums

Women Walking Together in Faith - September, 2017 - "Embracing traditions"

Mel Harms, a member of Warman Mennonite Church, represents Saskatchewan Women's Ministry on the board of Mennonite Women Canada. She is the newest rep to our organization and this is the first article she has written!  It appeared in the September 11, 2017 issue of the Canadian Mennonite.  She starts her article with a few questions ---- "Have you ever wondered about your family traditions? What are they and where did the come from?"  Click here to read her reflections. 

Women Walking Together in Faith - July 2017 - "Letting all our gifts bloom"

The latest of our bi-monthly articles in the Canadian Mennonite was written by Ev Buhr. Ev has been the Alberta Rep on our executive for many years and is the office administrator at First Mennonite Church in Edmonton. She enjoys letting her gifts bloom through music and children's stories during worship.  

In her article she asks:  "How often do we hold back for fear of other people's inadequacies being heightened? How often do we minimize our efforts so the person praising us still feels worthy? How do we deal with an expression that seems to stem from jealousy or seems to be fishing for a compliment in return? How do we let our gifts bloom so others can bloom as well?"

You can read her article HERE.

Women Walking Together in Faith - May 2017 - "Levelling the playing field"

     The latest of our bi-monthly articles in the Canadian Mennonite is written by our President, Shirley Redekop.  She begins her article : The saying goes, “There are two gifts we should give our children: one is roots, the other is wings.” My husband and I encouraged our children to fly and prayed we gave them roots.
     Shirley continues ..... it is our daughter Hannah who is now a long-term CPT volunteer in Colombia. She’s been there for four years now, walking with farmers who are at risk of being forcibly displaced from their land, and learning about the challenges women face in that setting.
     Earlier this year, Shirley and her husband Fred travelled to Colombia to spend some time with Hannah.  Read more about their experiences HERE.

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Pictured l to r: Maria Angela Peinado; Hannah, Fred and Shirley Redekop;

 Maricela Jimenez; and Pierre Shantz. (Photo courtesy of Shirley Redekop)

     

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Shirley and Hannah walk the Camino Real in Barichara, Colombia. 

(Photo courtesy of Shirley Redekop) 

Shirley and Hannah visit villages along the Magdalena River
in Colombia. (Photo courtesy of Shirley Redekop) 

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