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Celebration ... recognizing ministry in Bolivia Leaving Bolivia was no simple matter for Dave and Lisa Janzen and their five children. Bolivia was home for the last 17 years. During this time the Janzen’s were involved with Low German ministry to the many Mennonites living in the surrounding colonies. For the past several years, Dave was the Field Director for MEM (Misión Evangélica Menonita), a partnership between the EMMC and the Evangelical Bergthaler Mennonite Conference of La Crete, Alberta. Their ministry has had profound impact on the lives of many people in Bolivia. They used their gifts in administration, hospitality, pastoral leadership, counseling, music, teaching and encouragement to minister to those they met. On Saturday, November 7, a Celebration evening was held at the Winkler EMM Church. People gathered to share stories, bless and encourage Dave, Lisa and their family as they make Winkler their home and become involved in new pursuits that are before them. On behalf of EMMC / Go Mission! we thank the Janzens for their commitment to serving and being the hands and feet of Jesus wherever they go. We bless you and pray God’s continued guidance and peace in all that you do. ~ Lil Goertzen, Editor The friendship between John and Ruth Unger and the Janzens dates back to days before Dave and Lisa were married. That bond has grown and continued all these years. Ungers, who made the trip from La Crete, AB for this event, shared their well wishes and blessing. Lisa, together with son Damon and friends Annie Klippenstein and Yolanda Dyck provided music for the evening. Darrell and Elaine Kehler were missionaries in Bolivia for over 10 years. The Kehler and Janzen families became close friends as they ministered together. Darrell and Elaine shared reflections of some of their experiences and how they had been a support to one another. The Janzen family each received a pair of “Canada” mittens to help them through their first winter in Winkler, MB! Above: Dave Janzen and Abe and Betty Ann Dueck. Below: Abe Friesen shared how he became a believer through the ministry of Dave and Lisa. Waiting for the presentation to Micah, Theresa, Regan, Damon and Conroy with Dave and Lisa Janzen. All Photos: Gladys Terichow Lawrence Giesbrecht, former EMMC director of missions and wife Susan share greetings and reflections with Dave and Lisa Janzen. 26 The Recorder, November / December 2015, Volume 52, Number 6 www.gomission.ca
News from other places Foodgrains Bank Monitoring Hunger Situation in Ethiopia Canadian Foodgrains Bank is monitoring the situation in Ethiopia, where a prolonged spring drought followed by a delay in the summer rains is contributing to a potentially severe hunger emergency. According to the United Nations, about nine million people, or 10 percent of Ethiopia’s population, is directly dependent on the spring rains for their livelihoods. Compounding the situation, an El Nino warming trend during the summer planting season also delayed rains, weakening the harvest that in a normal year feeds over 80 percent of the country. “It’s alarming,” says Foodgrains Bank Executive Director Jim Cornelius. “There is the potential here for a severe hunger situation impacting a lot of people.” One immediate impact of the hunger emergency is a drop in school attendance, says Cornelius. In Ethiopia, like in many African countries, parents must pay for books, uniforms, and other schooling costs. “When families can’t afford to eat, it means they also can’t afford to send their children to school,” he says. “The impacts of the emergency go far beyond not having enough to eat.” Preventing as many people as possible from being forced into this and other drastic coping measures is the goal of the Ethiopian government’s early warning system that monitors local climate, food security situations, and food markets. The hope is that hunger emergencies can be caught and responded to early, before becoming full-scale disasters. The Foodgrains Bank has had a continuous presence in Ethiopia since the 1980s, both responding to food emergencies and supporting the efforts of farmers to grow more food in the longer term, says Cornelius. “Through our members, we are talking to our long-standing Ethiopian partners to decide what our next steps will be, while continuing to closely monitor what’s happening,” he adds. ~ Amanda Thorsteinsson Communications Officer Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end global hunger. Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects are undertaken with matching support from the Government of Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world. Children Benefit from Livestock Provided for Family When Binod Malto comes home from school, it’s his job to help take care of his family’s livestock in their village of Amla Beodo, Jharkand state, India. Binod is only nine. But even though he’s still young, he doesn’t come home from school very often—he lives there for a lot of the year. “I just come home on holidays,” he says. But there’s a good reason for this. Binod’s family is part of the Malto community, one of India’s indigenous tribal groups. They’re often referred to locally as ‘hill people’, as they live up in the isolated and difficult-toaccess surrounding larger villages. Because the Malto are outside the traditional Indian caste system, they have little status in society. They are often excluded from larger Indian society, and have difficulty accessing government services. Worst of all for children like Binod, education isn’t readily accessible for Malto families. If they can afford it, parents send their children away to boarding school. For Binod’s parents, Surender and Surji, boarding school wasn’t always an option. Traditionally, the Malto people gathered and foraged for food in the hills, raising a small amount of livestock, and planting a little bit of upland rice and cowpeas on poor quality land unwanted by others. For many years, Surender and Surji struggled to gather and produce enough food to live on. When the opportunity to learn about animal rearing and vegetable gardening was offered to the family through Canadian Foodgrains Bank member World Relief Canada, they were happy to give it a try. In 2010, through World Relief Canada’s local Indian partner EFICOR, the family received a male goat of a superior breed to what was available locally. “I bred it with the goats I already have to increase my herd,” says Surender, who notes that he now has about 15 goats. “I sold two of them last year, and earned 17,000 Indian rupees (CDN$354),” he says proudly. It’s a significant sum of money. “Our oldest daughter never went to school,” he says. “But I hope Bindon will continue and be a doctor, and I hope our other daughter will be able to become a nurse,” he says, adding that a year of schooling for Bindon, including tuition and transportation, costs about 8,400 Indian rupees (CDN$170.) And even though Bindon is busy taking care of livestock during his time off school, doesn’t mean he’s off the hook from studying. “We’ve been able to send him to a tutor so he doesn’t forget what he’s learned,” says Surender. “Thank you to Canadians who have supported us and prayed for us.” ~ Amanda Thorsteinsson, Communications Officer www.gomission.ca November / December 2015, Volume 52, Number 6 The Recorder 27
Page 1 and 2: The RECORDER November / December 20
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Features 4 A Case
Page 5 and 6: Jesus’s nonviolent journey to the
Page 7 and 8: Christmas in East Africa We like to
Page 9 and 10: Region 3- Manitoba South Bergfeld M
Page 11 and 12: Region 3- Manitoba South Morden EMM
Page 13 and 14: Mennonite Gospel Church, Vauxhall A
Page 15 and 16: Putting learning into action SBC st
Page 17 and 18: Ministries and workers Thanks to ou
Page 19 and 20: Ministries and workers Diedrich and
Page 21 and 22: Ministries and workers Wes and Caro
Page 23 and 24: General Board / Council Meetings No
Page 25: Council members Michael Krahn and J
Page 29 and 30: ... if you don’t understand the p
Page 31 and 32: News from other places Tri-Conferen
Page 33 and 34: and go for walks. It is important t
Page 35 and 36: In Search of ... BAGOT COMMUNITY CH

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