A long-awaited visit home to Waterloo beckons. It is hard to believe our two-week peacebuilding study at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg has come to an end. Taking part in the program has been a whirlwind of learning, questions, and discussion. The daily schedule has been full, with classes from 9am to 5pm, and events and connecting with friends in the evenings.
We have encountered an amazing and diverse group of people over the course of our stay. Conference participants have been incredibly forthcoming about their lives in classroom conversations. We have heard stories of joy and inspiration. And we have heard stories of pain and struggle…
Our wonderful instructors Ched Myers and Elaine Enns welcome former MP Bill Blaikie to the class.
Disease and hopelessness. Depression and loneliness. Years of abuse. We have been humbled by the openness in which people have shared, and marveled at their strength and maturity. More than anything these interactions remind us of the great bond of humanity, and we find great comfort in the fact that we are all broken, and therefore navigate the difficult journey of life together.
A day in the park with ice cream and live music from the Winnipeg Pops Orchestra... not a bad life!
Wanda is sitting here with Diana Epp-Fransen, a former MCCer who showed us around Cairo
way back when.
On our one free weekend we took a Greyhound bus down to the great Manitoban metropolis of Boisevain. There we were kindly hosted by our friends Kholi and Simon, who introduced us to their beautiful baby boy Andres.
On the Saturday we made an excursion to a William Lake Provincial Park, which was in all of its seasonal glory. We enjoyed a day of visiting, swimming in the pristine freshwater, and fishing- an activity which resulted in a barbeque with freshly caught smallmouth bass on the grill.
On Sunday we made our way to Kholi's parent's rural home which was just a short drive away. Nestled in forest on beautiful rolling land, the farm was simply magical. We ate a delicious meal prepared with many fresh greens grown organically on the farm.
Later an afternoon walk through brush and stream made us one with the surrounding jungle. Wonderful company in wonderful scenery. Aside from the mosquitoes it was glorious!
After the trip we were back at CMU for another week of courses. Classes on reconciliation and forgiveness, teacher training, and indigenous justice have broadened our minds in a number of ways. The most eye-opening experience of all has been our encounter with the experiences of Indigenous People in Canada. The following blog entry will log our reflections.
