July 10 - 2005

Hallo, It's Sunday, July 10th: do you know where I am?
Okay, for real, I am probably going to write a whole book worth of e-mails over the next years, so if you don't want in, let me know, and I will take you off the list without any insult. If you know me, then you know my slogan: IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I think it is great that I told everyone not to expect to hear from me for a while. yeah, well, I'm an extrovert who needs to process the thoughts I have and the observations I make, or I feel that I have not finished with them.
This morning I went to church with Mark and Andrea Stoner-Leahman. Before I elaborate, let me say that I have found it interesting that here in Pa, many men will take their wives maiden names, too, and both will have the hyphenation. It makes sense to me. maybe it's a mennonite thing, I'm not sure, I haven't asked.
Also, before i continue, if you know of anyone who wants to get on this list, send me their addresses and I will add them. Oh, and Geoff Birch, how do I make "groups"?
I need to find out Ryan Cienciala's e-mail address as well as Suzanne Birch's (it's the kids' too). If you can help me, anyone, do so, please. Ryan's number is 604-803-9546.
Okay, chu'ch:
Mark's home church is a conservative Mennonite church in Lancastor, where there are superlong sermons, no solos - for the pride of it all; and there is no short-wearing for men, no trousers for women, that kind of stuff. Andrea's church, also in Lancastor, is also conservative because they are rejectors of the world, etc., like Mark's. But it is a different kind of conservative (don't ask me, I couldn't understand it even when they explained the differences. To me, a doily by any other name is still a....doily.) So, neither of them can stand the other's church for whatever tradition-based reasons, so they decided to go to a different church altogether, which happens to be Andrea's sister's home congregation.
It took about fifteen minutes to get there, during which I saw the little airport where George W. came to visit and heard about how the Amish and conservative Mennonites support Bush for the same reason why Evangelicals support the Conservative Party of Canada - they overlook the fascism for the "family values." No offense to you Harper lovers (you know how I feel ANYWAY) but it continues to surprise me how people will shut out the real issues of global human-rights for the comfort of "good, home values" and tax breaks. I tell you, next time I want to do something super sinister, I am going to cloak it in moral language and values talk, offer some tax cuts, and sell it to all the well-intenstioned churchies, who will blindly support my cause, allowing me to rob and loot and rape behind the scenes, with the full support of my "family values" loving constituency.
I bet that last outburst will cost me some subscribers, eh? I don't care. This is me; deal with it, or delete me!
Incidently, the Menno pocket of Pa voted for Bush for these values and small business tax cuts, but the state itself, which was a swing-state, went to Gore. You know, incidently. Like it matters.
SO, we get to this less-conservative mennonite church and there's only one other dude in shorts. There was a piano, but it was only used for one song. The only hymn I recognised was Holy Holy Holy. I kept thinking, as I fought to stay awake during the hymns and fought to block out the shrillness of the Menno-super-star-sopranos, about two things: my brother Geoff's analogy about the dryness of hymns (you'll have to ask him); and how much I miss Burnett, my home church. I wanted to move, dance, feel the movement of the Spirit (I know, it's all in what I'm used to).
I just kept wondering if the only churches that have kickass music are the churches that will support Bush and the War on Freedom, er, I mean, Terror. I dunno, Northview has kickass music and they don't give heed to the Just War theory, do they? I don't even know if Burnett supports the war officially, or not; but I do know from conversations that many members privately do. And FEBCC would support it, wouldn't it? Anyway, I am sure I lost more subscribers with that comment, too.
The church was far more liturgical than I expected. Everything was done out of this Menno hymnal, which is as old as Menno, himself. The Scripture readings were all out of the hymnal, too, with the bold sections where the congregation practises its extreme monotone. To tell you what it reminded me of...I'd say, 1985 Memorial Baptist, minus the choruses, piano, organ and my Pops. I really tried to engage the moment and not be cynical and I kept finding myself looking around at everyone and considering just how diverse the body of Christ is.
The children, who had already had sunday school, had the go-up-front-and-get-a-story deal, before returning to sit with their parents. I had completely forgotten about that phenomenon - and as I analysed it, I still couldn't figure out how it ever got into church format. Maybe it is simply "a little somthin somthin for the keds!"
The sermon was really, really, really cool. it was a photo accompanied report on what is going on in the Darfur region of Sudan. The speaker, who is from that congregation and went to Darfur in September to report for MCC, told individual stories. The one that touched me the most was about a 35-year old black-Sudanese man, whose picture was up on the power-point during the story. He had grown up in his village alongside the Arab-Sudanese. Men whom he had known since childhood... Then, one day they came into the village on horses and started killing all the blacks. he was beaten but escaped. His three sisters and his brother were all killed.
The way-over-simplilfied-and-probably-somewhat-distorted-Darren-Birch-deal on Sudan: The Arab-Sudanese are animal farmers. The Black-Sudanese are agriculture farmers. Remind you of Cain and Abel? For years, they lived, integrated, with minimal problems. Both are musllim. I'm not too sure what spurred the division, but it is the Arab-Sudanese who have forced 2 Million blacks from their villages and I am not sure how many they have killed. There are refugees in Chad as well as various parts of Sudan. The situation seems hopeless from the perspective of these people, according to the report in church. The African Union is wanting to stop the violence and is looking for US backing, which, of course, has no economic interest for America, so that is where it sits for now.
The coolest part, I thought, was when the speaker told the congregants that he had written some form-letters that they could grab from the foyer and mail to their elected officials.
After the service, I hung out in the foyer by myself, waiting for the Stoner-Leahmans to have their chit chat. In the foyer, there were pictures and bio blurbs on congregants posted on the wall. I figured rather than have short cheesy conversations with people where I continue to say, "yes, Vancouver, yes, Tel Aviv, Yes, Thank you, Bless you too," I decided to read the bios and observe and learn. There are three hobbies and interests that I noticed were widely held: Scrabble, Reading and walking. Whether the person(s) were old or young, these were the most common interests. I'm not knocking it, I love all three, too, if walking means reclining. The one interest that I really got a kick out of was this old dude's pic. who had kind of messy hair and clothes and his interest was hydroponic experimentation. I guess he wasn't growing what I would normally associate with hydroponics. But I still had a good laugh. Some people looked at me 'cause I was laughing at the wall, but you know me... I don't care.
There were maybe a hundred and fifty people and from what I could tell three families of mixed race. I have had the opportunity to talk with several Americans from different states, here at orientation, and gather their perspectives on the racism of this country. Apparently, it is very much alive, and the further south you get, the less beneath the surface it sits. One guy from Texas was telling me that in Waco, where he lives, there are two sides of town - white and black. And the whites don't cross the river to the black side. Micah, the dude, likes BBQ and often goes to the Black side of town to eat it at restaurants and he says that the reaction of the white folk he knows is complete surprise and amazement that he would ever go "over there." There is a LEGAL Klan rally every year in Waco, used as a recruiting tool for young bigots.
He was also telling me of some of his friends who were going to Regent (I think) in Vancouver and they had adopted a young Haitian girl. Their report was that in Vancouver everybody natually assumed that this black girl was their adopted daughter. And this year they have returned to Waco and they have gotten horrible reception from people who ask them "why are you babysitting her?" Very different from what I'm used to. Tapps, what do you think? Or does 35 years of absence change something? Are you sure you want to return there?
This afternoon I cancelled on the optional activity of going out to some nature preserve. If it were only an hour excursion I would do it, but 4 hours in the OK outdoors, in Pa? Yeah, whatever!
My emotions are feeling stronger today. Although I still started crying when looking at photos of Geoff, Heather and Timbrell. Please keep sending them, though; they feed my soul. Anyone, please feel free to send me photos and stuff. with the new limits on the Homail inbox and attachment allowances, I have plenty of room.
Welkin is now a known band here in Pa. I have been advertising them and have loaned out both No Ordinary Elephant and Strangers and Exiles. I already want them back, but have to let others enjoy them too. This man, Ken, pointed to my photo on the back of No Ordinary and said "I can certainly tell who your brother is." I moved his finger over to Geoff's picture and said, "yes."
Vegetarianism has begun to slim me out and given me more energy and I do not have Mad Cow. It's either the vegetables or the lack of beer that are contributing to my shrinking stomach. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about losing weight. I am so damn sexy with my big, round belly and manboobs. Oh, well, I suppose I'll let nature take its course and we'll see if I can feel hot and sexy if I'm not chubby anymore.
Here's a story: the other day I was talking with an Orientee named Jerry. he and his wife are going to be the country representatives for MCC in Guatamala. In one of our case studies I noticed a reference of the north versus the south and it seemed to communicate that the north seems to feel superior in many respects. I showed him this sentence in the case study, cause he looked wise enough, and asked him about it. He pointed to the last name of the person in the south and said that the name sounded "african american." I asked if that was the context for the superiority of the north in that instance and he told me that his first MCC term began in 1963 in Birmingham Alabama. I listened to him describe it for a few minutes and felt like I was going to become overwhelmed at what he witnessed and experienced. We talked about the general assent of white Christians to the segregation and how MCC was totally counter-cultural by standing in solidarity and marching with the blacks during the civil rights movement. I have never met anyone who had first-hand experience battling the racism that so overwhelmed America. And if you know your history, Birmingham is where the shit hit the fan! He was there and saw all of it. He marched with Dr. King. Amazing. and he is from Ephrata, which is just up the road. An unassuming mennonite man, showing the courage to do what even loudmouths like Jerry Fallwell and Pat Robertson were too afraid to do.
Lots of love,
D-Block OUT