Finally Back
Well, I've been out of Brownsville for three weeks and am finally back! I took one week vacation, which I spent with my extended family on the shores of Charleston, South Carolina. It was a wonderful week.

I cut that vacation time short, however, to hop aboard a plane in order to join the youth group of Cordero (the church) for a 40 hour van ride out to San Jose, California. We went to convention. What an experience! It was great to be at convention, although very different to be in the role of a sponsor rather than volunteer or youth. The kids are good, though, and didn't cause too many problems. :) In reflecting on my time at convention, the thing that comes to mind the most is the tension I felt while I was there that dealt with the Mennonite Church USA and even the broader, global Mennonite Church.

Let me explain myself...Our Mennonite conventions are full of a 'mennonite culture' that we have developed over the years. It's impossible to escape it, in fact. We play the Mennonite Game and eat the same foods and have the same vocabulary, etc. If you're Mennonite and live in Goshen, Harrisonburg, or Hesston you know what I mean (just kidding...its actually a bigger world than that). But this 'menno culture' does exist. THe problem is that it is so exclusive. We stand to sing 606 and it brings tears to my eyes because I am moved. Yet, to my right and left are young 15 year-olds from Brownsville, Texas, asking me what this song is and why in the world I like it, because they think it sounds boring. The point is, this Mennonite culture does not exist everywhere in the world. In fact, when we look at the global church, those of us who cook from More With Less because of a conscious decision (not because of necessity) and can rattle off hymn numbers or play the 'mennonite game'...we are in the minority! We seem to forget this at times, though. I loved being at convention. I loved being immersed in the Mennonite World. Yet, I questioned what we do about the fact that it is difficult or even impossible for some people to ever fit into that world of ours. What of our sister congregations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America? I don't have answers, but convention brought these questions forward again to me and thus, the week of San Jose was both incredibly refreshing and very challenging.

The week following convention the youth group travelled. We went to Sequoia National Park, the Grand Canyon, the Carlsbad Caverns, and Enchanted Rock State Park. So we took a week to come home. This was a great experience for the kids, and we all learned something about living with each other, which challenged everyone some days. :) We had some great worship and discussion, however, especially at places like the ridge of the grand canyon. It was a very rewarding week.

And finally, as I said at the beginning, we have returned. I am glad to be back, and know that my final 5 weeks here are going to fly by. This week I am busy leading a Summer Bible School and preparing to preach on Sunday as the youth are doing their 'convention feeback' Sunday. So we'll see how that goes. It was wonderful to get back and see people again, though. I realized how much this place feels like a home of mine when I returned and was so glad to be reunited with the congregation. It has definitely been a great summer so far, and I look forward to the adventures yet to come in the next few weeks!
Posted at 17:34 #