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By Andrea Dujardin-Flexhaug
 | | Ministry to countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya was a key theme at Mission Explo in Penticton. |
DRUMMERS, African food and engaging speakers were all
part of the mix at the annual Mission Explo weekend.
The event was held at First Baptist Church in Penticton
last month.
With the theme ‘Hunger For Change,’
attendees from churches in Kaleden and Ok Falls joined First Baptist
members for some interesting talks; hands-on work at the Okanagan Gleaners;
and meals and services at all three participating churches.
Friday night opened with an authentic African dinner at
First Baptist, and some lively entertainment. “We had the African
drummers, and it was a great night,” said coordinator Val Fenn.
The speaker was Bill Dyck, who is director of the
master’s program at Kalimantan Theological Seminary in Indonesia. He
spoke about how Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) was able to provide
relief and development after the devastating tsunami in 2004.
Participant pastor David Kelly, of Ok Falls Community
Church, enjoyed the African meal of satay, and noted:
“The presentation was equally fabulous, because
one gets to see another part of the world through somebody else’s
experiences. And the accompanying PowerPoint presentation [provided] a
visual backup to the speaker’s comments.”
The next day, attendees went on the road for breakfast
at Kaleden Church, and then on to the Okanagan Gleaners in Oliver –
where they worked to prepare some of the vegetables that are dried, packed
and sent overseas.
“It was awesome, we had a great time,” said
Mission coordinator Val
Fenn. “They had us cutting up potatoes – and then we went
to Ok Falls [Community Church] for lunch.” The guest speaker there
was Catherine Morris, managing director of Canadian charity Peacemakers
Trust.
The group spent the afternoon back at First Baptist,
with a talk by Bill Dyck, director of the master’s program at
Kalimantan Theological Seminary in Indonesia.
He spoke about seeking God’s kingdom first
– as opposed to materialist goods. He was followed by Gordon King,
director of The Sharing Way, which provides micro-credits to poor people in
countries such as Kenya and Rwanda.
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“They’re people who have ideas,
they’re people who want to live with greater dignity and provide
opportunities for their children,” said King.
He recounted a recent trip to Bolivia where he observed
first-hand those who had been helped.
“In Bolivia I’ve just been so inspired, in
January, with scenes of urban micro-credit programs,” he noted,
giving as an example one man who makes dolls for a living.
“He made a couple of dolls, and UNICEF saw them,
and they ordered 12,000 dolls. I went to visit him, and he was under so
much pressure,” he chuckled. “Twelve thousand dolls [to be]
made in two months – so he bargained for an extra month.”
As King noted, “Micro-credit is a component. It
can’t do everything, but it can do some things – and it
can do some things well. It’s best used within a broader menu of development
programs.”
Topping off Saturday evening, after a praise and
worship time, was the film Hotel Rwanda – followed by group prayer.
“The weekend was wonderful and rewarding,”
summarized Fenn. “It was great to share it with fellow Christians
from Kaleden and Ok Falls.”
April 2009
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