From a Canadian point of view

I write this on a cool rainy evening in Sasktoon. The rain has brought welcome relief from a heat wave that reached 37C and higher on the humidex scale. Quite a shift from the cool Johannesburg winters.

The world appears different from the prairies. African news conversation relates mostly to Mandela's well-being and whether his death will cause upheaval in South Africa. The continent and all the programming we do there seems so far away. While folks here are very supportive of MCC and its activities their immediate world focus is what is happening in their neighbourhoods and rural/urban areas. And so it is in each part of the world.

The past month has been spent between three key areas.
1) Engaged with the annual international program directors meetings held this year in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A year after the full implementation of a major re-organization has resulted in a more effective structure and significant collaboration between the various segments of a far flung MCC.

2) Spending seven days traversing Ontario to engage constituents. This rather intense story-telling session included 13 engagements. It was encouraging to see the strong support for MCC and a willingness to become involved. MCC is owned at many levels; in the Thrift Shops, by churches, by organizational boards and staff as well as by the partners with whom MCC collaborates. Stories of peace building, sustainable livelihoods, education and food &water security provided grist for lots of questions and interaction.

3) Embracing family. I had opportunity to spend almost a week with my 97 year old mother who recently suffered from several strokes. She has been determined to carry on and despite the frustration of not being able to understand/shape her immediate future her past memory is clear and her health reasonable. It was so good just to be by her side, hold her hand and pray with her - not knowing how long she will still be with us. Her lifespan has covered almost ten decades and three continents. I am indeed grateful for the modelling and hope she has and continues to represent.

At the other end of the life cycle one of our daughters is expecting another child very shortly - thus our presence on the prairies. The other day Lois and I looked after our grandson Riley. He fully occupied the two of us for the entire evening and then enjoyed being read to and cuddled to sleep. Our entire immediate family is now together - for the first time in five years. So we celebrate family and the individual and collective journeys we have taken.

In the end through our lives, relationships and friendships Sasktachewan, Manitoba, and Ontario are connected to the same in southern Africa. When our Johannesburg friends and colleagues talk about going 'overseas' they mean Canada and the US - a phrase we also use to mean Africa...