March 2nd

Bowling Brings South and North Together

Eighteen youth and adults from Altona joined 22 youth and adults from Matheson Island on Louis Riel Day in Selkirk for a time of bowling, pizza, and just catching up.

Matheson Island Mennonite Chapel, Altona Mennonite Church, and Altona Bergthaler Church (ABC) have an ongoing relationship of mutual fellowship and support. At the invitation of Matheson Island, ABC and Altona Mennonite have planned a week of Bible camp at Matheson the past two summers.

In November of last year, a small group met at Matheson for worship and a potluck, and they discussed other opportunities for getting together outside of the summer Bible camp. Bowling in Selkirk—a central location, with many teens from Matheson Island attending school in Arborg or even Selkirk—grew out of that conversation.

“I loved seeing our youth counsellors greet campers they remembered from previous years,” says Terrell Wiebe, Associate Pastor of Youth at ABC. “It was a treat to experience the excitement of our communities being together and to know that this will only serve to make our summer camp experience at Matheson Island even stronger.

There is a long history of Mennonite presence on Matheson Island, dating back to the late 1940s with Jake and Trudie Unrau establishing residence there. Recently, Edith and Neill von Gunten, who served at Matheson Island in the early 2000s, wrote a memoir of their experiences, called Walking Together: Intercultural Stories of Love and Acceptance. The people of Matheson Island continue to remember the vibrant Sunday school days when activities brought the Island together.

These connections between north and south, though looking much different than they did decades ago, are still going strong. “We are already looking forward to camp again this July!” says Terrell.

Let’s pray for these and other connections between our northern and southern Manitoba congregations. May we continue to learn and grow together, serving one another in love. If you’d like to give financially to support our MCM Mission Ministries, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.