We were welcomed to an abundance of delicious food at the Wilderness Edge Retreat Centre in Pinawa, Manitoba on Friday night after a four hour van ride that included an essential pit-stop at Tim Hortons. Our instructor this week was Gavin Hall, a pastor out of Winnipeg. His theme for the week was "Thinking Theologically, Living Faithfully".
We learned about three main points: Kingdom, Community and Creation. Through a series of lectures, discussions, and movies, we not only related it to our lives here in Canada, but we also started to think about Guatemala; their history, their hardships and current issues.
Gavin talked about creation and how we are all created uniquely. God has given us spiritual gifts; "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). Once we recognize and understand our gifts, it is up to us, as Outtatowners, to use these gifts here in the program in Canada, in Guatemala and when we go home in April to help bring God's Kingdom here on Earth.
We read multiple verses in the Bible over the course of the week. One of the verses that struck some of us was about letting our light for Jesus shine in Canada, Guatemala, and the world; "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house" (Matthew 5: 14-16).
But the week wasn't all hard work; we were also given lots of free time. Students took bikes out into town; went for runs; played beach volleyball; walked (or hitch-hiked!) down the highway to a suspension bridge where the fearless ones took the plunge into the frigid waters; daily walks across the street to a grocery store where lots of candy, chips, pop and even chicken was bought and enjoyed; and the Entertainment Committee even organized an early morning swim.
---Clara Dastous and Emily Shuh
No comments:
Post a Comment