Mission Adventures - Week 6
WHATS UP EVERYBODY!! Yeah, I know, excited to have me back arntchya? Arntchya?!?!?! Well I suppose you’re wondering, okay DYING, to know about the spectacular and awe-inspiring Mission Adventures week. Let me some up what I thought of this week in two words: OUTRAGEOUSLY AWESOME! Everyday was jam-packed with hands-on outreaches and team building time.Not only did we dig into each others lives, but we were inspired by the needs and the beauty of the community around us. I think everyone would glean the a greater depth of knowledge about our experiance if it were to be reviewed on a day by day bases….so without further adeu…I present to you Mission Adventures week (insert blazing trumpet noise here)!
Monday:
Mission: Prayer Trip, Panhandling, and Roses to Prostitutes
Monday morning, shuffling sluggishly onward with slew of luggage and a sleeping bag, we entered the Mission Baptist Church pondering, “What in the world is this week going to hold?” Our leaders had kept it all a surprise. As we gathered together, it was revealed that we were to split in two groups and go on a cross city, “Prayer Trip”, with nothing more than two bus tickets. We stopped at various locations, like the Law Courts, CTV, and my favorite, the Parliament Building, praying that God would influence and be amidst its daily functions. The most profound moment ( or at least I felt) was when we all gathered in the very center of Manitoba’s Parliament building, and immediately proceeded to sit down in a circle, hold hands, and begin praying. How privileged we were to be able to gather in the heart of a prominent government building and to proclaim/demonstrate that we loved and believed in God!
After this, we proceeded to panhandle on the bitterly cold Portage Avenue. Some may be wondering, “What in the land negotiations are our family members/kids doing panhandling?” Simple; we needed to raise money for our crazy outreach fees….hahaha just kidding, but seriously, I caught you off guard didn’t I? Actually, this was to teach us about the injustice that the poor face, and how the responses of others affect them. This proved to be, for the most part, both challenging and disheartening, Most people rushed by, drifted to the other side of the side walk, or made no eye contact. As I Sheepishly requested “Excuse me, ma’am/sir, do you have any spare change,” people stared, awkwardly turned aside, or to my bewilderment questioned harshly, “What you need money for!?” Some treated me with the dignity of eye contact and a “No, sorry,” but overall, I felt scummy and invisible. What I did not expect was the love of a poor man I encountered( well..whom I presumed was poor). As I asked a couple for change, a man in dingy clothes limped by. His eyes were brimming with compassion. Without me even asking, he turned around, extended his hand and gently placed a toonie in my hand. I began to cry. I didn’t want to take his money. He looked like he really needed it, and frankly, I didn’t. Another man upon hearing my voice stopped dead in his tracks. I was scared at how he was going to react. He thrust his hands into his pockets and began to scrounge up all the spare change he had. Then he gave it to me with a smile. That was really cool. Overall, I received a whopping four dollars…woo…which I proceeded (with the other students of course) to hand off to a real panhandler. What baffled me the most was how those dressed in immaculate clothing and who seemed quite wealthy treated me with about as much dignity as a cigarette butt, while those with the least gave much. Wow.
All of this was still resounding in my mind as the last activity of the night began to unfold. Us students clamored into the “marvelous” YWAM van with a armful of roses and began to stake out our neighborhood and the North End. We were on the search for some working girls (frankly, I hate calling them prostitutes. They are humans, daughters, mothers, just like us, and that one word should not define them.) We would exit the van in groups of three, two of us staying slightly behind to pray and one going ahead to present the rose to a girl. At first we weren’t doing so well.. We were 7 and 0 concerning ladies getting the roses. Some didn’t want one, some were picked up right before our eyes, and some actually sprinted away (sheesh I never knew we were that scary.) Two girls received a rose that night, and I was one of the privileged students who got to give out a rose. The lady who excepted my rose just smiled self-consciously and nodded. It was interesting to say the least. It was a rewarding experience for us( even though that’s not the point), and we were grateful for receiving the opportunity to bless a daughter of God (we’re all his childern.)
Tuesday:
Assignment:Winnipeg Harvest
We arrived at the Winnipeg Harvest, a food distribution agency. It is a facility where surplus food is taken in, sorted out, and sent to families across Manitoba. We got the job of bagging rice and flour. We had such a good time. We laughed, sang goofy songs, and ended up being covered head to toe in the white powder. It was a day well spent, with our efforts contributing to the feeding of about five hundred people (that’s an estimate..What I know for sure is that we packaged A LOT of rice and flour!) We came back to the church and closed up the night with information concerning Uganda and a mind-boggling game of Outburst (by the way, the ladies TOTALLY SCHOOLED THE GUYS!) Go girls!
Wednesday:
Quest: Cultural Day
Cultural day was quiet deep and even amusing at times. We started off the morning watching a documentary with Desmond Tutu and Dr. John Hope Franklin discussing with a multicultural group of kids about justice and racism. The kids were moved to remote location for a week to work out their differences. After watching the video, we had an in depth conversation about such topics as Affirmative Action, mixed culture marriages, etc. We also played the tribal/cultural game. It was crazy to say the least. The student and staff divided into three groups. Then we were told to create our own language,expressions,etc. Also, we were informed about what the characteristics we as a tribe should posses. Then the fun began (woo!). Trying to interact with the other groups was frustrating, confusing, and next to impossible. We had such crazy greetings as the “wookie” sound followed by a big hug, or an aggressive BAROGA (which is a made up word…don’t worry if you are confused, I am too!) followed by the beating of one’s chest. When the game was over, we were informed that there where two tribes; one a warrior tribe and the other a farming tribe. The third party was supposed to be a group of missionaries. It truly demonstrated how cultural differences can be a huge obstacle to conveying the Gospel, and that we need to be very sensitive to this fact.
Thursday:
Objective: Union Gospel Mission (UGM)
Thursday was a great day of service. We really got to working. We arrived at UGM, an organization dedicated to feeding the hungry, providing a safe environment from those recovering from addictions, and preaching the Good News. We proceeded to jump in head first. Some created food packs for families. Some worked busily preparing lunch for the homeless and underprivileged that would be coming in soon. Others tidied up. One even spent a significant amount of time counting a whole lot of donated pennies (hehe). It was great. The highlight of my day was seeing the people we had been preparing for come in and enjoy a meal. I received some very warm thank yous, which honeslty wasn’t the goal, but it was great to hear that others were benefiting from our time their. The night closed with the memorable practical joke (from our conniving staff) that the students were to build and sleep in an igloo that night. They reassured us with a “don’t worry, we’ve studied about hypothermia, so you won’t die or anything.” Wow…that’s comforting. In the end, we realized they were just giving us a REALLY hard time, and as Lindsey would say, “They pacified our anger with chocolate.” (Which by the way, tasted scrumptious, and as Michelle noted “Worked beautifully.”)
Friday:
Final Destination: Lazarus Housing
Walking down Maryland Street to the New Life Ministries church, we pondered, “So, what exactly do we get to do today?” Immediately upon arriving, we are informed that the Ellice Theatre is in some desperate need of cleaning for tonight’s movie. Mopping, toilet scrubbing, and closet sorting occurred that day. I guess God was showing us the practical side of ministry. After, we helped clean up two apartment buildings. I guess by some peoples’ definition it wouldn’t be described as a “riveting” day, but we met the needs of our community, and that is what is important…so go us! (haha actually it should be more like GO GOd…cause we get to show his love to those around us, which is a gift in itself!)
Stacie!
