Hey people!
Another week has come and gone, and boy was it a good one! So, be prepared for a long blog…
After a week of lectures back at CMU, we moved on into the heart of the city staying at Winnipeg Central Vineyard Church. This church is located in a beautiful, old elevator factory with many floors and rooms, and some of the outside walls are done up in stunning graffiti art! The past week was spent in downtown Winnipeg in the “North End”. This area is dominantly seen as the shady end of town, but after a week of getting to know different parts of it, I have to say I wouldn’t describe it this way. Although there is a lot of poverty and homelessness, there is also a strong sense of community and outreach from various organizations.
The first day of our urban plunge we split into small groups of four and were sent on a “learning tour”. This involved us following instructions to wander around the city visiting different organizations to learn more about them. One of our stops included a lady’s house where we stopped and talked about the power of being a good neighbour. Another was at a church where they talked about the struggle of indigenous people in the community and how they are trying to mend the broken bonds between settlers and indigenous peoples. Another was at a youth centre where we learned that a lot of poverty stems from having a series of broken relationships, making it hard for them to form new positive relationships.
One of the most interesting stops we made was with a guy named Harvey. This guy talked to us about gangs, how people get into to them and the different levels of hierarchy involved. I’ve never really been exposed to gangs in real life or had anyone talk to me about it, so I found it rather interesting how complex and consuming it can be for someone who is involved in a gang. Along our travels we found so many beautiful graffiti pieces all over the city, but my favourite one was the one on the church we stayed at. It is called ‘The Mending’ and it is a picture of an indigenous woman sowing a heart back together. This artwork is packed full of meaning in regards to the history of indigenous peoples that would take so long to write about, so I’ll let you decipher that yourself (there is a picture of it in the collection of pictures attached to this blog). But, I also feel it symbolizes the way God looks at humanity; he is the peaceful caregiver, taking our broken world and sowing us back together with his love and mercy.
The hardest stop we had to make that day was alongside the Red River. We visited a memorial for a girl whose body was found washed ashore, unclothed, and in a bag. Standing there, watching the river rush by while reading the newspaper article about her story not only brought tears to my eyes, but it also tore a little piece of my heart out. Why would someone do this to another human being? Why didn’t anyone stop this from happening? It’s so hard to wrap my mind around such a terrible fate for someone so young. I think it hit me so hard because she was only 7 days older than me, and the events of our lives were so drastically different. This girl is sadly one of many indigenous girls and women who have either been murdered or gone missing here in Canada. Knowing that this is going on today, in our own country at that, breaks my heart. I feel pretty helpless in knowing I can’t stop this from happening, but what I can do is spread awareness that this is going on and bring these issues out of the dark because this is such a serious issue that needs to stop being swept under the rug.
The second and third day of our urban plunge, we chose an organization to volunteer at from the list of places we visited on the first day. I chose to go to One88 which is a church on one level and functions as a homeless drop-in centre on the other. My eyes were opened that day after a conversation with a woman named Shannon. I sat down thinking she would talk about her story and how she ended up on the streets, but instead she taught me a valuable lesson; the importance of community and the impact it has on someone’s life. Shannon was very eager to say that “yes, a warm meal and cup of coffee are real nice, but it’s the fellowship that really matters!” Throwing her arms up in the air every time fellowship crossed her lips. I also realized how harsh I had judged people in the past for being homeless. Now I see that just like the rest of us, homeless people don’t want to live in isolation, they want to be acknowledged and included, and made to feel like they are important. Between talking to Shannon and some others, I realized how important a place like One88 can be. By just providing a place for them to get away from the outside world and a warm meal in their bellies, this is doing one of the greatest things a Christian can do; be present. When we live as Christ would, setting aside our selfish wants and desires in order to serve others, we are being Jesus to other people. We are showing them the love and kindness they deserve.
It’s hard to fit in a few paragraphs all the ways I have experienced growth this past week, but one of the big take-aways I have from last week was that I am so thankful to have a home and family, and now my Outtatown peers, to give me the fellowship and community that I need in life!
After an amazing and impactful experience in downtown Winnipeg, and after receiving a heavy unexpected snowfall, we headed back to CMU on Friday to get ready for Thanksgiving weekend. Us students are allowed to go home for the weekend, but for those of us who live too far from home, we were able to stay with our peers from Manitoba. Thank you so much to all our hosts and their families for opening up your homes to us! Your generosity was greatly appreciated!! After the weekend, on Monday, we travelled to Camp Red Berry in Saskatchewan where we will be residing for a total of 10 days. This week is full of sessions and more learning that I will elaborate on in the next blog.
Thanks for reading,
Kiera & Noah
