WINNIPEG URBAN PLUNGE

*editor's note: This post takes us back to our Urban Plunge in September*

For our urban plunge in Winnipeg we stayed the North End which has one of the worst reputations in Winnipeg. But after our walk through the streets I came to realize that there is a whole community and culture that is completely overlooked there. My group, instead of focusing on the tasks we were supposed to complete, decided to just take in as many things as we could. On Mainstreet there are tons of homeless. Going into this walk I was terrified of what I might run into but what I found instead were just a bunch of people who were out enjoying the sun and fellowship. One of the things I have come to realize is that we see them as having lots of brokenness. But I think on Mainstreet it’s the people whizzing by in their vehicles who are the broken ones who can’t stop to enjoy the sun. We’ve also been challenged to take what we see on the streets and apply it to our own lives. A common fear about the streets is the addictions. But what we don’t see is that everyone has addictions. Some of us just have the money, class and skin colour to hide it. The other thing that is overlooked and I think we can learn from is the people on North End truly know what community is. They are an entire network of people who are completely devoted to each other. They protect, defend and love one another so deeply. If the whole world understood this kind of love I think it would be a much different place. 

By: Allison Goerzen

I don’t know where to start. Our three days stay in the North End was an emotional overload for so many of us - and not to mention a major wake up call as well. Our group experienced and saw a ridiculous amount of brokenness and we were all left wondering how we had never seen it there before. For me, apart from the loads of questions I had (mostly for God) the thing that stuck with me the most was the incredible amount of beauty to go along with al the ugliness. I constantly think of Hannah, a broken woman with no place to call home. She had given up hope; she even looked me in the eyes at one point during our encounter, and proclaimed “I’m lost.” I knew she meant it in more than one way. The beauty came when we prayed with Hannah. We had taken her back to the church and there were two women there who just surrounded Hannah with love and support. They did not know her but they were her sisters.

By: Christine Barkey

Pete & Melissa at a community outreach BBQ

Katie, Emily & Joshua D. serving lunch at Siloam

Ben, Tessa & Nadine rocking out at Siloam - washing dishes was never more fun!

Pete & Blayne baking cookies to give to a local community

Caity & Allison writing thank-you notes for the outreach centres in Winnipeg

Guys Week!

GUYS WEEK! Spring Break! No Pants Party! All descriptive terms that us males used for this special week. The testosterone ran high as we discussed that three letter word... sex! (Applause) Our speakers Blayne and Gary, were just as excited for this week as we were. Over the week we did numerous MAN activities consisting of a photo scavenger hunt around Canmore to paintballing! Oh yeah, South Africa destroyed Guatemala 3 games to none in paintballing. Although there were some rivalry points, us guys bonded pretty well between Guati and S.A. and by the end of the week, we were sad to see them go.
Blayne and Gary gave us a lot to think about and so did the great session with the girls. Blayne and Gary took us all out to breakfast over the course of the week, ususally about 8 guys at a time. This I thought, was awesome because it was a little more of a personal connection with them.
I think the highlight of the week was the hockey game where we watched as much action happening on the stands as on the ice! As much fun as we had this week, as well as a few petty arguments... we were glad to see the girls again.

By: Reuben Van Gaalen

Girls Week! (October 13th-17th, 2010)

Girls Week was an amazing step in our Outtatown adventure. The girls were from both from Site 1 and Site 2 and we had an opportunity to get away from the guys and learn what it means to participate as women in the world around us and with God.
Some of the activities we did were hiking around Lake Louise, walking on the Columbia Icefield in Jasper and taking a Zumba dance class. Through these activities as well as through our speaker for the week, we discovered a little more of who we are in God and how beautiful He created us and the world we live in.
It was a relaxing week and was a great time for us to reflect and grow before continuing on our journey throughout the rest of the Outtatown program.

By: Aly Bergsma

Canoe Trip Pictures - Part 2

Hello again,

Since there were two groups that went out on the water, you get to enjoy two canoe trip galleries!
(this section goes with the article Matt wrote)

luggage line down to the PIII

chillin' in those spiffy lifejackets

hanging out at the abandoned mine

still at the mine

Melissa and Katie cooking dinner

leaving our campsite

Tessa

Jake and Sandy 

naptime!

Christine

Sandy gunnel-bobbing...poorly

early risers

group shot before our hike

warming ourselves by the campfire

reunited at last!

Canoe Trip Pictures - Part 1

Hey all,

here is the first canoe trip photo gallery:
(this one goes with the article that Blayne wrote)

the 'P III' - the lovely boat that took us to camp

our fabulous lifejackets

taking a breather

checking out an old mine

Caity 

Blayne, Joseph S and Emily rafting up on the water

Megan enjoying the view (and the weather!)

braving the chilly waters

just hanging around

setting up site

campfire!

Stacey and Alyssa

Megan, Ben, Emily, Reuben and Blayne going caving

Jill enjoying the forests

getting picked up by the PIII on the last morning - the headwind was just too strong

Enjoy!

Sandy