A year of living life

Our wedding day at my home church,
Eben-Ezer Mennonite in Abbotsford.

It’s been a year, what a year. One year ago today, we got married. It was a less crazy day than I anticipated, planning worked and most things went smoothly. There were of course a few hiccups (broken zippers and a momentarily disappearing Opa) but solutions were found. It was a beautiful day that I will treasure always.

A year later is a good moment for reflections, and our anniversary just happens to coincide with New Year’s, another good moment to reflect!

Getting married is not an accomplishment. I’ve read and agree with this article that’s been around on social media. In this past year of being married, we’ve had some accomplishments, some screw-ups, a lot of learning, and well, a lot of living life.

We’ve learned about seeing your life in a new way, as a couple, about putting the other first. We’ve argued and gotten mad at each other, we’ve laughed until our sides hurt and comforted each other in times of sadness and disappointment. We’ve talked and not listened, and then sat down facing each other to really hear what the other is saying. We found an apartment, big and empty when we moved in, and slowly over the months, we’ve made it into our home.

Our first Christmas tree!

For me the biggest challenge of learning how to be married together is that we had many work trips that took us apart. Every time life felt like we had a new normal, there was another trip and Isaías was gone again for several days (I also had a two week work trip at the beginning of the year). Thankfully for the last few months those trips have stopped and we’ve been able to grow more in regular life together, to just be.

With my friend Tigist at the MWC Executive Committee
meeting in Indonesia in February 2016.

This year I went to my first MWC Executive Committee meeting in my new role as Chief Communications Officer. We started new projects with MWC Communications and I keep growing in this role and trying to give my all. Isaías has spent countless volunteer hours as the treasurer for the Mennonite Church of Colombia, and also busy with work and studying again. Hmm… maybe this is why this past year has felt incredibly busy?

A lot of people and media is saying what a horrible year 2016 was and can’t wait for it to end. Yes, a lot of hard and sad things happened, but it was also a year with joyful moments, with people full of hope who keep striving to make the world a better place.

In the plaza when they signed the first Peace Accord. 

Isaías and I went to the central plaza in Bogota to celebrate and watch the signing of the Peace Accords of the Colombian government with the FARC guerilla group at the end of September. I will never forget the joy that filled the plaza that day! A week later we watched with tears as the no vote just beat out the yes, and weeks of uncertainty began. We gave thanks in November when a revised Peace Accord was signed, and then ratified by congress. Now we continue to pray for peace as we enter the implementation phase of these accords, most likely the most challenging part of the process. We prayer for the Anabaptist churches and all the communities around the country who have been working for peace for decades and will continue to do so, for the human rights workers who lives are still threatened, that Christ’s peace may manifest in Colombia.

On our honeymoon :)

This year had other joyous moments (like our honeymoon and a trip to Canada!) and other challenges, too many to list here. Through it all, something that keeps coming to my mind, in ways that it hasn’t before, is the abundance of God. How Jesus gives to us from his abundance, and cares for us in all situations. It is the grace of God that has carried us through this year, and it in the love of God that we trust and depend for the next.

May God bless you in 2017 and beyond.

A Historic Moment

Celebrating the signing of the Bilateral cease fire between the
FARC and the Colombian government in June 2016.

As a kid I always thought historic moments happened in the past or very far away. I’ve would learn about them in school or see them on the news from around the world. But never have I felt that I am in a historic moment. Never in my life have I felt like the earth is moving, that history is happening, really, truly happening before my eyes.

Tomorrow, Santos, the president of Colombia, and Timochenko, the leader of the FARC guerilla group, will sign the historic peace accords, ending a 52-year armed conflict. Then, in exactly one week from today, Oct. 2, Colombians will vote in a plebiscite to accept these accords or not.

The violence has been caused by many armed groups, the FARC, the military, paramilitary groups, other guerilla groups. This is a complex situation and these accords are not a magic solution to all the challenges that face Colombia. But these accords will demobilize the largest armed group in the country (not including the military). In the media we have heard many versions of the phrase, “an imperfect peace is better than perpetual war,” or “better to have dialogue than to have deaths.”

All around Bogotá, and Colombia, people are campaigning, “¡Sí a la paz!” “Yes for peace!” And in the news and on the radio every day we hear someone saying, “No,” these accords will not bring peace. This is a complicated subject and I know people who will vote yes, and some who will vote no. 

I am foreigner. I have chosen to live here now, but I will never be able to understand the depth of the impact the armed conflict has had on the Colombian people. So I listen (or try to).

Today in church the theme was peace, “Pan y Paz” (bread and peace), a theme continued from last week in honour of the International Day of Peace (Sep. 21). During the sharing time several people gave testimonies of the impact of the violence in their lives. There was a testimony of thanking God for years ago, when the armed men didn’t kill an uncle or his family, just an associate in front of them. Another testimony was of growing up living in constant fear of violence, of seeing it around them every day, of a neighbour being shot. A gentleman shared the story of the intense persecution his father faced when he joined the Mennonite church over 60 years ago. Through my husband’s family I’ve heard stories of people being killed in front of children. The stories of violence and suffering that have happened over the past 60+ years are overwhelming, and the truth is I am sheltered from most of them.

But what most impacts me are not the stories of suffering, but of resilience. In church I am surrounded by people pouring out their hearts in worship, by people who pray and hope for peace year after year. In spite of the years of trauma and hurt, their trust in God has given them a joy and a faith that moves them forward. It’s a community that uses their hands and feet to work for peace and justice in the name of Christ. Through connections with churches and Mennonite organizations I have met so many Colombians who haven’t stopped working for peace for decades. They keep on striving for peace, with faith that peace is gospel.

Justapaz marching for peace. 

I am married to a Colombian. His future, the future of his country, is now bound with mine. Isaías was born into a time when the FARC was fighting against the Colombian state. His entire life he has only known this armed conflict; his mother was just a child when it started. He told me that the effects of war, death and killing, have been so common that sometimes he’s become numb as a way to cope. It moves me to tears to think that he, his family, the new generation of his niece and nephew, could know peace in their country.

So we join with so many Colombians who say, “¡Sí a la paz! ¡Obvio que sí!” and we ask that you join us in prayer. Pray that the people of Colombia choose to take this step. This is not the final step, but it is a huge one. It’s historic. 

Moving Forward, Zigzag style

Preparations and plans can be tough, because you never really know if you’ve done enough. All the planning in the world cannot predict the outcome. There’s always unknown factors you cannot control. There are always things that you have to wait for, that you just won’t know until it’s here. You try to ‘zig’ forward, to find out that you’ve ‘zagged’ in another direction.

This is the place I find myself in; planning and planning, preparations and more preparations. The Mennonite World Conference Assembly, PA 2015, is less than three months away! I travel to Pennsylvania in two months! (Never mind that I’m getting married later this year… I can’t even get into that planning right now.)

Starting the blanket

We’re trying so hard to prepare and plan for everything that we’ll need to do for communications before, during and after the Assembly… and that’s a lot! I feel like my life currently revolves around planning; Skype meetings to review plans, email chains discussing plans, appendixes to plans, budgets, timing, resources, volunteers, and more. I can’t even count how many pages I’ve written, edited and discussed of planning documents.

I know this work is important and will help us all work better during all the activities in July, but sometimes I get home just exhausted from planning. It can be easy to think that I haven’t really done anything. Yes, planning is work, yet at the same time it’s preparing for the work that is yet to come. All these hours of work now, just so that we can work better later. I know I’ve gotten stuff done, but all there is to show for it are at most some documents of plans.

The first row done!

And so I get home, put on an English TV show on my computer, and pick up my crocheting. I’m making a zigzag blanket for a queen sized bed. I started it after I got in engaged and it will probably take me at least two years to finish it (I’m in no rush J). Still, even though the end is far away, it’s something that I can always see a tangible change in after I spend time on it.

I started this blanket in February and now in May it’s easy to seen it’s grown a lot. It’s far from perfect, and there are many imperfections (don’t look too close at the photos!). Still, working on this blanket gives me a contentment that I can’t find in other parts of my life right now. In the midst of planning, preparing, waiting for the unknown, for what I can only imagine, when I crochet my blanket I can see something that does move steadily forward.

First rows of each colour:
purple, white, blue

My zigzag blanket is one small thing that I can control. And the calming act of crocheting continually reminds me that for all these bigger things that are beyond me, the only way I can move forward is to take a deep breath, trusting my God who is always in control.

The blanket as of May 10

These acts were driven by hatred, but also designed to drive us to hate. They will not.

Yesterday I listened to news, to CBC News livestream from Canada. Breaking news all day, told in a calm factual way, an attack in Ottawa, my nation’s capital. Nothing like this has ever happened in my country in my lifetime. It’s tragic, horrifying, and will greatly affect my country. The question that faces us is, how will it affect us?

I went on twitter. I saw the latest information from various news agencies and a myriad of comments from regular people. It saddened me to see many hateful comments against Islam, against Muslims, before the identity of the shooter had even been released. Before any information on motive had been given (still hasn’t) so many people assumed they knew what it was, and used these assumptions as reason to write hateful things.

My heart is sad. I am sorrowful at what has passed. I grieve for the lost, for all the people who were and continue to be affected by this horrific violence, as the effects are ongoing. Yet I hope and pray that these awful events do not lead us to hate.

Three days ago in my Colombian church, the sermon was about reconciliation, reconciliation in Colombia.

In a country that has tried unsuccessfully for over 50 years to end violence with violence there is a lot of pain, a lot of hurt, a lot of wounds. Thinking about reconciliation is clearly a biblical call (we discussed the example found in the book of Philemon), and it’s hard. To work for reconciliation, for right relationships, where there is such hurt and pain is incredibly difficult.

The point from Sunday’s sermon that really stuck with me most, was that if the church in Colombia wants to be able to work for reconciliation, they need to love everyone involved in the conflict. Everyone. Yes, that includes the victims, but it also includes the perpetrators. That includes the army, the guerillas, the para-militaries, all of whom are responsible for countless deaths, destruction and ruining lives. How can you love everyone?

Jesus called his followers to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:43). He doesn’t say that this will be easy, but this is his command.

And now today, I can’t help but think of the church in Canada. What will our actions be? As many respond in fear, anger and hate, what will we do? Will we go along with whatever is suggested? Or will we love everyone involved? Can we love the victim and the shooter? Can we pray for both families that lost sons yesterday? If our government moves forward with increased violence is other parts of the world, will we support violence to end violence? Or is there another way to confront evil?

Last night I listened to our Prime Minister Harper give a short speech, calling to redouble our efforts, saying that Canada will not be intimidated. And then I heard the leader of the opposition, Thomas Mulcair speak. His speech had a different tone; he has a different role in our country’s government. His speech resonated much more with me. The line that stood out the most was, “These acts were driven by hatred, but also designed to drive us to hate. They will not.”

This is my prayer, that these horrible acts do not drive us to hatred, but that the church can stand up, can stand together, with love for everyone.

How the time flies…

2014 has been a whirlwind. Tomorrow is already June! How is that possible? This year started off with the calm month of January, and my O so valiant goal of one blog per month. Clearly that has not gone well. Perhaps, we’ll change the goal to 12 blogs throughout 2014? We’ll see how that goes. First I want to share some highlights of the whirlwind that has been this year up ‘til now.

Heading out of Bogotá with Ryan and Leandra

January – the only calm month (also a few days of visiting with Valesca Bergen around New Year’s!) - oh yeah, I also got braces, on the top of my mouth

February – super wonderful visit of two amazing friends from Abbotsford, Ryan and Leandra Chapman

March – 3 trips! I basically spent as much time outside of Bogotá as I did in it.

• Helped with an MCC learning tour, including going with them to see partner organizations on the Caribbean Coast.
• Visited the city of Cali for the first time, for a very brief day and a half and then off to an MCC Retreat for another 4 days.
• Went to the Mennonite Church of Colombia’s annual meeting and gave a presentation for MWC (in Spanish!)

Presenting about MWC

So in love! 

April – First visit back to beautiful British Columbia. I went back to Abbotsford for my brother’s wedding (congrats again Adam and Angela!). I also got to spend Easter camping with my family, which was an incredible joy.

May – MWC Executive Committee and YABs Committee meetings in Colombia. Being one of the three people who work in our MWC Bogotá office, there was a tad more work than usual during this time ;) (and got braces on the bottom of my mouth)

Amazing we didn't sink!

Written down like this, it doesn’t even seem like that much. But every event had prep work that took time, and throughout all of this regular life also continues. Communications work for MWC and MCC doesn’t take a break, chores and household cleaning still add up, and of course finding time to spend with friends and my church. It’s been a challenge to find time to rest and renew.

So far 2014 has been incredible, filled with so many blessings and new experiences. Yet this has also come with stress, exhaustion, fried nerves and moments of feeling overwhelmed.

I have so many ideas of what I could write and share here, but first I’m trying to find time to rest. We’ll see how it goes to write at least 10 more blogs this year ;) Thanks again for your prayers and kind words. It was incredibly encouraging to visit with so many people in BC, and to hear many say they’re waiting for another blog.