intercultural

Connecting our Stories: Imagining our Future

May 20, 2015 by Conference Office

by John Stoltzfus

What are the stories of race that you were taught? How did these stories shape your identity? How do these stories shape your ministry today?

These were some of the questions raised by Felipe Hinojosa during the recent annual Youth Ministry Council (YMC) at Spruce Lake Retreat Center, April 19-22. The event’s theme was “Connecting our Stories: Imagining our Future.”

Over 40 youth pastors, leaders, and sponsors from across Mennonite Church USA gathered at Spruce Lake Retreat Center for the annual Youth Ministry Council (YMC). Franconia Conference churches were well represented including Mike Ford from Blooming Glen Mennonite Church what said:

“I always appreciate time to network and learn from other youth workers, and Youth Ministry Council is a great time of catching up with old friends, making new friends, and asking questions and sharing details of how each of us does youth ministry in our churches. I come away from such times refreshed, and often with a new idea or two to try in my ministry.”

Felipe Hinojosa who serves as an assistant professor of history at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas drew on stories and examples from his book, Latino Mennonites: Civil Rights, Faith and Evangelical Culture.

“How are you talking — or not talking — about things shaping our culture like Ferguson, the U.S.-Mexico border, demographic changes and social media?” said Hinojosa. “Each of our stories is powerful. We need to keep telling these stories and learning how to re-frame them to provide hope for the future and to get past the paralysis that history can sometimes bring us to.”

One of the interesting little known stories we heard was of the Cross Cultural Convention held in 1972 where Mennonite youth from diverse backgrounds came together to work for “the politics of the possible,” and invited us to consider ways in which the Church can today step forward to work for equity, justice, dismantle systematic oppression, and work towards reconciliation. Drew Hart and Yvonne Platts also shared stories from their lives and ministries as people of color in the Mennonite Church.

We spent time in worship led by Danilo Sanchez. We engaged the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10 to consider the question, “Who is my neighbor?” We ended our time together with an anointing service where we anointed one another to continue the work of reconciliation we each are called to do.

If you have not attended a Youth Ministry Council gathering, you are invited to attend the next one! The invitation is open to any youth worker/sponsor, pastor, agency leader, credentialed or not. It will take place Jan. 29–31, 2016, in Orlando, Florida in anticipation of the Mennonite Church USA convention to be held there in 2017.

John Stoltzfus is the Franconia Conference Youth Minister.

Passport Day: Discovering Culture Through an International Fair

May 14, 2015 by Conference Office

Philadelphia Praise Center is hosting “Passport Day: Yours to Discover” to be held on Saturday, June 13^th, 2015, from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., at the Philadelphia Praise Center Church Building, 1701 McKean St, Philadelphia, PA 19145. This international fair is a gathering to help individuals exchange culture through food and tradition. Come and explore the foods and traditions of countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Burma, China, Puerto Rico, European countries and more. The day will include live cultural performances, raffle tickets, a dunk tank, and other fun activities for all ages. It is a time for diverse communities in our area to come together, share and learn from each other.

Over the past 10 years, Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC) has developed a reputation as a site for building strong community partnerships, especially in times of need. In an effort to continue to be a beacon of light in the area, the proceeds from this event will be used to fund a neighborhood beautification project linked to the PPC building, which is available for local community groups in the area to host meetings and various activities. The beautification project will include creating murals on the outside of the building as an icon of hope for the development of strong communities. The mural will serve as inspiration and a point of connection to our surroundings. The hope is that an improved building can serve as a catalyst toward local economic development, helping to attract interest from tourists and visitors to our neighborhood.

For more information regarding this event, feel free to contact Grace Susilo, the event coordinator: passportdayphilly@gmail.com or (215)888-9428.

Miraculous Connections Amidst Crisis in Nepal

May 14, 2015 by Conference Office

by Robin Nafziger, Vincent Mennonite Church

How extraordinary–or dare we say miraculous?–is it that two people called to serve God on different continents, separated by almost 8,000 miles and twelve time zones, are both supported by Vincent Mennonite Church, and brought together to help one another and the people of Nepal after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake first struck the region on April 25, 2015. As the aftershocks rise to a magnitude 7.3 quake this past Tuesday, God reminds us He is moving amidst the shaking mountains making connections for His children.

Dave Mansfield with Dale and Bethsaba Nafziger at Top of the World Coffee Shop located in Kathmandu Nepal (April 30, 2015)

Years ago, God had put in motion His plan to bring aid and comfort to the people of Nepal living in fear with the aftermath and aftershocks from the earthquake. Following God’s call to serve in Nepal many years ago, Dale Nafziger now resides in Kathmandu, the capital city, where he and his family witnessed and experienced the panic of this natural disaster very personally. Meanwhile, halfway around the world in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dave Mansfield followed God’s call to serve over a decade ago and remains in leadership at the YWAM base located there while also serving and leading with RescueNet, an all-volunteer international disaster response team. With approximately 90 volunteers from 16 countries, RescueNet has the capability to deploy a team to the site of a disaster within 24 hours of a request for aid.

Shortly after the earthquake struck Nepal, RescueNet was preparing to assemble a team of responders who were waiting to deploy once help was requested. As Dave Mansfield prepared the way for his team, one of the first calls he made was to Dale Nafziger, a fellow follower of Christ with ties to the same home congregation.

Through this connection, Dale Nafziger and his wife Beth were able to offer a location to Dave and his 16-member RescueNet team at Top of the World Coffee Shop in Kathmandu, which is owned and operated by the Nafzigers. The shop offered a place for the RescueNet team to store equipment, and organize their medics and children’s aid workers before sending them out to the heavily-damaged neighboring villages. Top of the World Coffee Shop also provided an opportunity for the RescueNet team to connect with Dale, Beth and locals seeking refuge and a sense of normalcy. Dale and Beth also gave the team access to people familiar with the language, the area, and the customs in order to allow them to accomplish as much as they could under difficult circumstances. In addition, Beth, a nurse, was able to provide contacts in the Nepal Christian Medical and Dental Association as well.

It is a monumental task to organize the right people, plan logistics and prepare the appropriate equipment to travel thousands of miles to an unfamiliar land to serve people you may not understand. Yet, God’s miraculous design allowed Dave and Dale to come together in Nepal at the time of the earthquake to support and encourage each other as they assist God’s children in a time of need, comforting the people of Nepal, building on the common bond of congregation, and the call of God.

Please continue to pray for the people of Nepal as they continue to recover from the original earthquake and repeated devastating aftershocks.

Standing with brothers and sisters in Nepal

April 30, 2015 by Conference Office

by Barbie Fischer, communications manager & administration coordinator

Top of the World Coffee in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Those living in Nepal still tremble following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit on Saturday, April 25. It was centered less than 50 miles from Kathmandu.

Dale and Bethsaba Nafzinger, who have ties to Vincent Mennonite Church (Spring City, Pennsylvania), own and operate Top of the World Coffee, a café in Kathmandu. The Nafzigers reported they are all well, with little to no damage to their home and shop. However, the region is severely devastated, including several buildings in their town that crumbled.

Since the initial earthquake, there have been several aftershocks that continue to rock the region, including a 6.7 magnitude quake.

Dale says that growing up towards the end of the Vietnam War, he occasionally heard the term “shell-shocked”; now, he is experiencing it firsthand. Every time a loud jet passes overhead, causing the building to shake, or loud thunder crashes in the distance, he and others find themselves scrambling for safety.

In the midst of this, the coffee shop re-opened on Wednesday, and so far, response has been far greater than anticipated. When the Nafzigers opened the coffee shop, one of their goals was to offer a space of refuge, with comfort food and a comfortable environment in the middle of a very intense city. They are grateful, they say, to see their vision coming to life in a way they’d never imagined.

As recovery continues, Dale and his family have extended an invitation to the shop staff welcoming them to “both ‘live with us’ and ‘eat with us’ until things reach a state of normality, albeit, a ‘new normal.’”

In other areas, aid workers have struggled to reach several communities, such as those in the district of Gorkha, where the earthquake was centered, due to the mountainous terrain and devastation from the quake. The death toll has now risen to over 5,000, with thousands more injured. There is still hope, though: Not only have the Nafzingers reopened Top of the Mountain Coffee, recently a young man was pulled from the rubble after spending over 80 hours buried under what had been the Kathmandu Hotel.

Many are wishing to offer aid and support to brothers and sisters in Nepal as they tremble in the aftermath of this tragedy. Recovery will be a long process, and as Dale notes, it will be important not only to give immediate humanitarian aid but also invest in long-term initiatives to rebuild communities in the region.

If you would like to support recovery and rebuilding efforts in Nepal you can do so through Mennonite Mission Network’s Earthquake Response in Nepal. If you want to follow the progress of Top of the World Coffee, you can do so on their Facebook page.

Stand Up. Use Your Voice. Move Your Feet.

April 22, 2015 by Conference Office

by Liza Heavener

Liza Heavener with Congressman John Lewis of Georgia

This year marks 50 years since “Blood Sunday,” an event that gripped the nation, and reminds us of the injustices faced by black Americans in Alabama and across the South. On the 50th anniversary, I returned to Selma, Alabama to bear witness to this historic event.

This year was my sixth journey to Selma, each trip bringing fresh pain, restored hope and reminders of the power of reconciliation. It was on this trip that I was moved by something Congressman John Lewis said in his distinctive slow, deep cadence: “Move your feet.” When injustice is happening in this world, don’t just pray about it. When our brothers and sisters are being ostracized, told they are not equal, stand up. Use your voice. Move your feet. This message challenges me as I look around my world at issues of injustice.

Every other year, a nonpartisan delegation of U.S. members of Congress join John Lewis to walk through the history of the civil rights movement with those who led the efforts in the 1960s. This year, over 100 members of Congress attended, a record number.

A highlight of the weekend happened on the steps of the statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Peggy Wallace Kennedy, the daughter of George Wallace, who was the governor of Alabama during the civil rights movement, reflected on her life as a small child during that time. She spoke of her father who was strongly opposed to giving blacks voting rights and is most known for saying “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” As she spoke, I reflected on her life’s journey, the challenges she must have faced coming to understand who her father was and how to move beyond that heritage. She shared a story about when her son, the grandson of Governor Wallace, first realized who his grandfather was. Her son asked her, “Why did “Paw-Paw do those things to other people?” She answered him saying her father “never told her why he did those things but that they were wrong, and it would be up to us to help make things right.”

This led me to give thought to the civil rights issues of today. Will our children look back at the heritage we are leaving them with pride? Are we standing on the right side of history with the current issues at hand? What are the areas of our lives and areas in the church that still have segregation? Are we moving our feet?

As the weekend carried on, we visited the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham where four young girls were killed in a KKK led bombing in 1963. We attended a riveting church service at the First Baptist Church where John Lewis had been trapped inside for hours concerned for his safety, until John F. Kennedy sent troops to escort him and others from the church. There were stories and history lessons we heard over the weekend that were heartbreaking and made me question if we have come far enough with civil rights.

But then we arrived in Selma. The delegation waited at the base of the Edmund Pettus Bridge as the presidential motorcade crossed, with the usual fanfare and “Hail to the Chief” playing.

Then, John Lewis walked to the podium and introduced the first black president of the United States. As they embraced, I felt an enormous sense of pride. Race relations in this country are certainly not perfect and there is work yet to be done. Even during the president’s speech there were people protesting recent events in Ferguson. But 50 years ago on “Bloody Sunday,” John Lewis never expected to introduce a crowd of over 21,000 people to the nation’s first black president.

The fight against discrimination is not over. We have come far but must still stand up against racism and all forms of discrimination and segregation. It is my ongoing prayer that our churches can be a true sanctuary, a home and safe haven to all. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I hope the Mennonite church can move toward a place where we confront the discrimination that currently exists and chose to be on the right side of history, to move our feet and welcome every one of God’s children.

Liza Heavener grew up attending Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, and now lives in the Washington DC area.

The Servant of the Lord: Reflections on Bloody Sunday

April 15, 2015 by Conference Office

by Yvonne Platts

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of three significant events in the civil rights movement in the United States: The Voting Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting laws and practices; the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, part of the movement of rights for African-Americans; and “Bloody Sunday,” when marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the Alabama River and were attacked by police with billy clubs and tear gas when they refused to turn back. Every year, marchers gather to commemorate the event and honor those civil rights demonstrators. Here, Yvonne Platts reflects on participating in this year’s march.

Marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Platts.

As a Servant who has been called a many of times to many of places, and most recently to take part in the civil rights legacy known as “Bloody Sunday,” I am always in awe at seeing God’s handiwork on display. The day of the march was a warm and sunny day, and our 10 buses from 10 different cities arrived well before noon for the rally and march, that would start at 1:00 p.m. Right away, my spirit got swept up with joy as preparations were being completed. Vendors had their tables full of cultural and historical displays, charcoal was burning in the massive grills, and music was pumping through the air.

Yet I knew this was more than just a good time; 50 years later we can clearly see a continuing pattern of systemic injustice within our police departments, government laws, and policies affecting voting rights of the poor, elderly, and people of color. Going back to work Monday was not as usual: this experience has had a profound impact that has changed me forever.

I can longer be comfortable with the status quo, nor wait on the sidelines for someone else to step up. Now is the time! Change must come! The time is now! Reclaiming the best from our leaders in Selma who walked, were beaten, and bloodied to secure voting rights will help us to organize, move forward, and bring justice back to our urban communities.

I am on a personal campaign to register all the 18-year-old youth I come across in my community. To work alongside others to bring political awareness through identifying candidates who will truly work with us to create a beloved community, and are worthy of our vote. To use my gifts and talents to lift spirits, encourage souls, and inspire minds to stand against injustice anywhere and everywhere.

Oh God our Father, continue to fill us with thy power to speak out and stand against injustices we see and face within our communities and areas of influence. Let us not miss out on opportunities to share your grace, show your love, and be a blessing to others. May we bold servants for your kingdom, fearlessly speaking the truth in love.

Yvonne Platts attends Nueva Vida Norristown New Life.

SisterCare Offered Time to Encounter God in Each Other in Spanish & English

April 9, 2015 by Conference Office

By Marta Castillo, associate pastor Nueva Vida Norristown New Life & Franconia Conference board member

Mirror, mirror, what do you see?
Women made in the image of Thee
Woman, woman, what do you see?
I see You in me.

Rarely do I get a chance to see God orchestrating events in such a way as for the Women’s Gathering this spring “Shattering our Mirrors, Reclaiming Ourselves”. I imagine that the Sister Care planning committee faithfully and purposefully chose the theme, the location, the date, and carefully planned for speakers and program. At some point in the process, the Holy Spirit began nudging them towards attempting to be more inclusive and intercultural. It all began by the simple decision to send out the event information in Spanish.

Intercultural efforts and events have a way of stripping away our illusions of control and allowing us to “let go and let God.” When the flier went out in Spanish, God moved quickly in a new direction and from my viewpoint, the planning committee with some uncertainty yet graciously followed the Spirit’s lead as their well organized plans went sideways. Very quickly over 20 Spanish-speaking women had eagerly signed up but many of them could not attend without the provision of childcare during the event. The committee had decided not to provide childcare during past events or even this year but willingly obedient to the flow of the Spirit, they agreed to try to provide childcare. God provided people who volunteered to help care for the children but now they realized the original space was too small for all the children and a meeting place for the women. Very close to the date of the gathering, the committee had to consider an alternative space that could accommodate everyone.

After a visit and several conversations with me, the Sister Care Committee settled into moving the whole event to Nueva Vida Norristown New Life. I couldn’t have been happier. I could see that God was doing a new thing and I was honored to be a part of it. For several years, I had carried a desire in my heart to see a repeat of the original event, in which Spanish-speaking women participated and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I wanted to see an event that I could invite all the sisters of color in my church to participate in.

The nudging of God’s Spirit continued. Since there were as many Spanish-speaking women signed up as English-speaking women, why not make it a fully bilingual event? With translated documents, side-by-side translation, and sharing from everyone in Spanish and in English. Why would more than half of the women sit there with ear buds waiting for the Spanish to come through while the English speakers talked on and on without pause? Kudos to the committee members, speakers, and presenters who said “Yes”, they would be willing to try a new method. Thanks be to God who provided translators! One of the comments on the evaluation sheets expresses the importance of making languages equal. “I liked everything because there were no divisions of languages because we are equal before the eyes of God and thank you for the word.”

On the day of the event, women came early, with eager hearts and a hunger for time spent in the company of sisters in Christ. From the greeting, to the worship, the meditations, the sharing, and the final prayer of blessings, English and Spanish words flowed back and forth like a beautiful dialogue. Sandy Drescher Lehman talked about her calling as a pastor, shared her story of her beautiful skirt made from her father’s ties, and encouraged us to go down deep but to emerge in a new place. Table groups talked and shared about the things that hinder them from knowing themselves and God and things that help them draw closer to God and know themselves better.

After a shared meal of tostadas, Christine Waanders walked us through a process of better getting to know ourselves and our personalities. The culminating event of washing each others’ hands brought tears, hugs, love, prayer, and laughter to many women as well as the bittersweet feeling that a day of blessing, healing, and sisterhood was about to end.

Afterward, I received a card signed by 20 of our sisters in Philadelphia, thanking the committee again for the invitation, the experience, and expressing thanks to God. “The time we spent together was glorious. Thank you.” As tears of joy sprung again to my eyes, I am amazed how God orchestrated the events as my faithful sisters chose to follow the leading of God’s Spirit.

Franconia Conference & Eastern District Women Gather

March 19, 2015 by Conference Office

by Doris Diener

On the morning of Saturday, March 7, approximately fifty women joined together at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation to “set the day apart” for worship, learning, and fellowship. The theme of the day was “Shattering Our Mirrors,” releasing the false image we see and embracing the image God sees when our Creator looks at us. Sandra Dresher-Lehman shared that God’s creativity in His creation of women may not always fit the mold the community has prepared for us and encouraged each to be authentic followers of Jesus. Christine Waanders challenged each to own her personality and to see positive possibilities in what may considered our downsides.

Other speakers included Kristi Wile, Donna Merow, and Ana Giron. Thanks to Marta Castillo and Karisa Barlow who translated, everyone was able to understand. During the time together, the women learned to know new friends, made origami boats, sang, discussed, prayed, looked inside themselves and were challenged on their journeys of faith, washed hands together, and blessed each other. The women enjoyed a delicious lunch, provided by the congregation, over lots of chatter and laughter. What a refreshing, insightful, delightful day!

The conference Sistering Committee is made up of Anne Yoder (chairperson), Donna Merow, Bobby Smisko, Kristi Wile, and Doris Diener. This event was the fourth Franconia/Eastern District Conference Women’s gathering since the 2012 Sister Care event.

intercultural

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