June 3rdForced to Flee
People from across Mennonite Church Manitoba gathered on April 26 at Sargent Avenue Mennonite Church to participate in a refugee simulation called “Forced to Flee.” The simulation was run by Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba and Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Participants in Forced to Flee experience the difficult choices families face when compelled to leave their homes due to conflict, disaster, or persecution. In small groups, participants make a series of decisions to stay safe, fed, and healthy.
“I thought I knew something about what it means to have to flee your country, and realize I do not have the full picture,” says Kathy Giesbrecht (Home Street). “In the simulation, I thought we were at the border and thought we were free—turns out we weren’t allowed to cross because we didn’t have the right paperwork. The simulation expanded my sense of empathy.”
The Forced to Flee simulation was made more compelling by the presence of members of the Vietnamese Mennonite Church who had their own real-life refugee experience. Around a potluck meal these members shared their experiences of fleeing by boat from Vietnam after the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975. Nearly 800,000 people migrated from Vietnam between 1975 and 1995. Hoa Chau, pastor of the Vietnamese Church, and his wife Lan trace their journey to Canada back to this time.
Ron and Clara Wiebe (Lowe Farm) are long-time friends of Hoa and Lan who assisted in their resettlement in Canada. “Listening to the stories told about the conditions the refugees suffered when they left their homes was moving!” they say. “It again focuses our great fortune to be living in Canada with the ability to help others in need.”
Nguyen Quang was one of those who shared his story of leaving Vietnam. “Life was extremely harsh [during and after the war], and more than ever I longed for freedom,” he says. Through an ocean journey with storms and pirates, he made his way to Malaysia and from there to Canada. “Here I encountered God and became part of my church family.”
Henry Enns (Sargent) was present for the potluck supper and the sharing of stories by Vietnamese Church members. “They impressed me with their friendliness and hospitality,” he says. “They must have been very desperate and also courageous to take the risks that came trying to make it to Canada where they hoped to have a better life. The Vietnamese stories are a reminder to us not to take the privileges we have for granted.”
We give thanks to God for the Vietnamese Mennonite Church and their stories of faith and courage in coming to Canada! Let’s pray for the nearly 38 million refugees currently around the world today. To learn more about and financially support MCC’s refugee resettlement program, see here.