Two stops in a week.

For me the last week has been a little hard to remember. There's been quite a bit happening with little time for reflection. After rejoining the group following Youth Escape (I had been away for a week at some weddings), we jaunted North to Mt. Lake, Minnesota where we spent time at Bethel and First Mennonite churches. In Mt. Lake we led worship Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, Randy and I worked together on leading workshop sessions about Anabaptist history, and we spent time as a group with the Youth one evening and with participants in the Civilian Public Service program from the World War II days the other evening. Though it was an action packed weekday stop in, I think, for me, it might have been almost too much to rush into Mt. Lake and out two days later on to the next stop. I'm glad to have gotten to spend time meeting people during these days, but how well can we really get to know one another in 54 hours?

On a more positive note, I feel like Randy and I worked well together. We did some back and forth presenting and took time to share a little from our own stories before asking the participants to join us in a discussion about a faith without works and good works without faith. The background that Randy led us through helped us understand where a polarization concerning this might have begun for some Mennonites and why it's important to have both a strong faith and act on that strong faith.

I enjoyed listening to the CPSers tell stories about finding meaning in small tasks as Conscious Objectors that they might have found frustrating otherwise. Their stories of service were inspiring and I found hope in thinking that when the pressure gets turned on for my generation maybe we too will rise to the occasion and prove our loyalty to the Creator and Redeemer in similarly significant ways. Someone reminisced, as we conversed, that it is too bad that may people feel like they have the luxury of waiting until the pressure gets turned up to act out their faith. Good point. What is the catalyst for change or the thing that gets us off our hinds to act out our faith when there is no draft? I think for some, one isn't necessary, I think for others, there needs to be a little more prodding.

Friday we rolled back into Manson, Iowa and spent a day and a half with families from the church. We went boating, we talked over ice cream, we husked corn for a fund raiser, and we practiced our music and morning worship together. Sunday we had a great time presenting to the thoughtful members at Manson Mennonite. We enjoyed leading them during the Sunday School hour and during the youth gathering later that evening.

Soon as can be though, we were back on the road heading to South East Iowa to spend some time doing Mennonite Disaster Service in Cedar Rapids and to prepare for our gathering at Iowa Mennonite School for the joint service of Lower Deer Creek and East Union.

The highlight of my time in Mt. Lake was seeing the improvement in the presentation on Anabaptism that Randy and I led the two evenings while Matt and Elizabeth were busy perfecting their presentation on God's larger salvation story. My highlight from Manson might have been Saturday morning when we were helping shuck sweet corn and I had time to talk about farming with a few of the local farmers.

What a great way to spend a summer! I'd recommend it to you, that is if you think you are brave enough...

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Thanks for your prayers!

Mark