By Gerald Reimer
Our conference is engaged in numerous Canadian church planting initiatives among recent immigrants. For many of us, we are already fourth or fifth generation immigrants, pointing back to the late 19th century when our ancestors arrived. Continue reading The Great and Creative Commission
By Kevin Wiebe
We have all experienced it. We trusted someone, believed in them, and made ourselves vulnerable in some way to their choices—and they let us down. This, of course, is painful. When it happens enough times, or when the pain is severe enough, it causes us to question whether we can even continue having this relationship. Continue reading When Trust Was Broken
by Andrew Dyck
In truth, we are all on this particular journey, though it seems she is further along than my family and I anticipated. Or hoped. As cancer wreaks its havoc unseen, she is confined to bed, where she has spent the last three months. It is appropriate to call this time bittersweet, as shock of her terminal diagnosis has been accompanied by rich time together during her final days. I treasure all the conversations with my mother, holding onto them as unexpected gifts never again to be taken for granted. We have talked about deep matters of faith, memories of a life lived together, poked fun at my dad’s expense and bemoaned the Winnipeg Jets’ leaky team defense. Big things, small things, and everything in between. Continue reading My Mom is Dying
There’s a small window through which we see life
True for everyone, truer still for her
It’s passing by, picking up speed, slowing to a stop
Stillness is mandatory, restlessness inevitable
Despite it all, love shines through
From the space of her bed she sees it, feels it
In the way the birds flitter outside her window
The way their song reaches through the glass,
muffled and persistent
The Valentine’s and cards and declarations of love
that hang from the slats of the blinds
Her family, constant and present with a cup of water,
a kind word, a gentle hug
Her steadfast companion, staying true to his vows,
in sickness and health
It’s present in the petals of the flowers coming in a
constant parade of changing colours
In every bite of food brought to lighten the load
and fortify the body and soul for the journey to come
How everyone comes together,
even when physically, they can’t
The window through which we see life is small
True for everyone, truer still for her
But somehow, love shines through
By Tim Dyck
This winter marks the two-year anniversary of Brenda’s initial bout with cancer. Throughout 2018, she endured an operation, chemotherapy and radiation on the road to her recovery. Yet recently, we have learned that her cancer has returned, and there is no curative treatment available. She is now at home, in palliative care, and is restricted to her bed because the cancer has already damaged her spine. We (her family) are blessed to have her home from the hospital, but we recognize that her immediate future is one of more sickness, more hardship, separation, and eventually death. Continue reading Can We Be Thankful?
By Erica Fehr, GT Editor
This weekend—this year—isn’t a time for emotional detachment. It’s been a year of death, of separation and profound misunderstandings. And now it’s the Easter weekend—a time of death, of separation and profound misunderstandings.
We’re right to grieve.
In spite of the hope we have—and we do have such incredible hope—it’s right to grieve.
In this issue we are sharing a little bit of what members of our staff are facing. Continue reading We are right to grieve
by Karla Hein
Vacuuming has been a test of my obedience lately. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure ‘children of God’” (Philippians 2:14–15). I sometimes wish my husband and I hadn’t given our kids a CD of scriptures set to music because this verse’s catchy rhythm keeps bouncing around in my head, driving me to conviction. Continue reading Vacuuming to Victory
Interview by Russell Doerksen
This week marks one year since Manitoba began its first lockdown to tackle the spread of Covid-19. The lockdowns have impacted all of us in different ways, some well and others poorly. Few have been hit as hard as customer-focused small business owners.
Rose Dondo, a member of MacGregor EMC and the owner and operator of Hampton Café in MacGregor, Manitoba, is one such small business owner. I sat down with Rose to talk about her business as well as how her faith has helped her weather the year. Continue reading Trusting God when her small business shut down
Gerald Reimer interviews pastor and taxi/Uber driver Molugeta who works in Edmonton and leads an EMC church plant there.
Gerald Reimer:
Hello, Molugeta, and thank you for talking to me today about how your family and church has been affected by COVID. What have you faced in your work as a taxi driver that has been tough for you during this time? Continue reading Trust and trust and trust again
