Mennonite Central Committee - MCC BC

The countdown is on! ⏳ Only 1 week until Christmas… or is it the MCC Festival?

What are you most excited about? The food, the shopping, reunions, or the stage shows? Let us know in the comments!

🗓️ September 13 & 14
📍 Abbotsford Tradex

🎉Exciting news!🎉 We’re hosting a giveaway on Instagram!
Want to join in on the fun? Head over to our MCC Festival Instagram page for a chance to win a 1-month membership to Iron Cycle Club!

How to enter:
‣ Follow us on Instagram (1 entry)
‣ Tag friends on our Instagram post (1 entry per friend tagged): https://www.instagram.com/p/C_luNYvyjso/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
‣ Register & attend the MCC Cyclathon on Sept 14 (10 entries!) 🚲 Register here: www.mccfestival.com/cyclathon. It's FREE to ride, but you can encourage your friends & family to give a donation to hungry families around the world!

Conditions:
‣ Open to residents of Canada aged 18+.
‣ Contest runs from September 6 to September 14 at 2:00PM PST.
‣ Winner will be randomly chosen and notified via direct message on Instagram by September 17 at 11:59 PM PST.

Meet Ben Cottrill, a west coast artist with a soulful folk-rock sound! 🌟 After a decade of transforming streets across Canada into stages, he’s bringing his live vocals and guitar rhythms to the Artisan Marketplace at the MCC Festival for World Relief.

Catch him live on Friday, September 13, and Saturday, September 14! Don't miss a single note! View the full event schedule at www.mccfestival.com/fun

🧶✨ Bunyaad Rugs are back at the Ten Thousand Villages Abbotsford booth at the MCC Festival this year! Don’t miss this chance to explore beautiful, hand-knotted rugs made by skilled artisans.

Support fair trade while finding the perfect rug for your space. Bring your swatches and room measurements to match the right rug with your home decor.

Come discover a piece that’s as timeless and unique as you. See you at the MCC Festival on September 13 & 14 at Tradex!

www.mccfestival.com

🎟️🚗 Great news—entry and parking are FREE at the MCC Festival! Just come and have fun while supporting families around the world who need help.

Are you coming? Let us know by commenting or by joining our event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/HyMuidH8g4FrS9d5/

🌍✨ MCC Festival for World Relief is a game-changer for families like Aziza’s!

Meet Aziza, a mother of five from Beirut, Lebanon. Overwhelmed by medical bills for her baby’s serious lung disease, she often had to choose between food and care.

Thanks to MCC's food vouchers, she found vital relief. Aziza expressed her joy: “What does a mother want other than to see her children eating and feeling happy?”

While parking & entry are free, every ticket and donation supports crucial global food projects, bringing nourishment and hope where it’s needed most.

👉 Learn more about the families who need help this year: www.mccfestival.com/donate

Get ready to indulge in a mouthwatering array of delicious Mennonite dishes at this year’s festival! From iconic perogies and savoury borscht to sweet treats like Watermelon & Rollkuchen and Plumi Moos, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Join us on September 13 & 14 at the Abbotsford Tradex and experience the tastes of "oma's kitchen,” all while supporting vital MCC projects!

👉 Check out the full food menu at mccfestival.com/eat

Fresh and exciting new events await at the MCC Festival for World Relief on September 13 & 14 at the Abbotsford Tradex!

Join us for Mennonite-themed shows, hands-on workshops, and special shows like Skipping Sensations and Pacific Voices. With new engaging performances, this year’s festival promises to be truly memorable!

👉 Check out the full event schedule on our website: www.mccfestival.com/fun

Don’t miss out on the fun—mark your calendar to support vital MCC projects!

🗓️ September 13 & 14, 2024
📍 Abbotsford Tradex

The excitement is building as we count down to the 55th Annual MCC Festival for World Relief! 🎉 In just three weeks, you can join us for a weekend filled with delicious Mennonite foods, fun activities, and community spirit, all while supporting vital MCC projects.

Did you know? You can join the Cyclathon on Saturday morning (September 14) to ride 20KM or 50KM and raise funds for MCC food projects! Join the ride at www.mccfestival.com/cyclathon

Stay tuned for more updates and sneak peeks of what’s in store! RSVP on our MCC Festival Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/38Cx6sMkW

Explore a vibrant marketplace of handmade goods from local artisans supporting vital MCC projects.

Here’s what you can find at this year’s MCC Festival:

🧵 Handmade Quilts from the MCC Quilt Shop
🌱 Fresh Produce and Plants from the Fraser Valley
🎶 Local Musicians providing live entertainment
🌍 Fair Trade Goods from Ten Thousand Villages
🧶 Bunyaad Rug Sale featuring stunning hand-tied rugs
and more at www.mccfestival.com/market

A huge thank you to our local artisans for dedicating your weekend, time, and talents to support the work of MCC here in BC and worldwide!

Don’t miss out on these amazing offerings! Join us…

🗓️ September 13 & 14, 2024
📍 Abbotsford Tradex

For more event updates, RSVP on our event page: https://fb.me/e/38Cx6sMkW

We’re so grateful for our amazing volunteers who bring the heart to the MCC Festival for World Relief! 🎉 This year, we need your enthusiasm and energy to help us create an unforgettable celebration!

Volunteering is a fantastic way to give back, meet awesome people, and enjoy the lively festival atmosphere! Plus, you get to be part of something big while having a blast!

Whether you’re helping with setup, serving delicious food, or assisting with fun activities, your support makes a huge difference.

🗓️ September 13 & 14, 2024
📍 Abbotsford Tradex

If you’re ready to jump in and help, please sign up here: www.mccfestival.com/volunteer/registration

Let’s make this festival one for the books while supporting vital MCC projects that provide food aid to families in need.

Thank you for your generosity and for being a part of our festival family! 💙

For more event updates, RSVP "going" or "interested" on our event page: https://fb.me/e/38Cx6sMkW

Parents and grandparents, bring the whole family and make lasting memories at the MCC Festival for World Relief at the Tradex on September 13 & 14!

Your kids will have a blast in the Kid’s Fun Zone, where family fun is just $5 per child and includes:

⛳️ Mini Golf
🎭 Stage Performances by Norden (6 PM on Friday, Sept 13 | 10 AM on Saturday, Sept 14)
🎬 Ratatouille on the Big Screen (7 PM on Friday, Sept 13 | 11 AM on Saturday, Sept 14)
🧩 LEGO Exhibit
🧗 Climbing Wall
🎈 Bouncy Castle Village

Don’t miss out on the fun— save the date!
🗓️ September 13 & 14, 2024
📍 Abbotsford Tradex

RSVP "going" or "interested" on our event page for more updates: https://fb.me/e/38Cx6sMkW

*Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Get ready for side-splitting stage shows hosted by the one and only Mennonite comedian, Leland Klassen, at the 55th Annual MCC Festival for World Relief!

✨ Mennonite Family Feud:
The classic game show with a Mennonite twist! Enter your family to test how well you know your Mennonite trivia and compete for laughs and prizes!

🍲 The Great Borscht Cook-Off:
Think your borscht recipe is the best? Put it to the test in this exciting cooking competition! Use a cherished family recipe or create a bold new twist to wow the crowd!

🍰 Mennonite Bake-Off:
Are you a baking enthusiast? Here’s your chance to earn (humble) bragging rights as the best Mennonite baker of the year! Bring your tastiest baked good to compete!

Don’t miss out on the fun—sign up to be a contestant here: www.mccfestival.com/contestant

🗓️ September 13 & 14, 2024
📍 Abbotsford Tradex

"I think one of the reasons we have enjoyed our time with Maswe Nyihongo [MCC IVEPer from Tanzania] so much is that both we and he continue to be curious. Even after nine months, there are new things for us to learn about each other and our cultural expectations and experiences.

"If I could give advice to someone considering hosting an IVEP participant at their home or organization, I would say communication and curiosity are key. There is always something new to learn or some assumption that can be challenged. The blessings have been many for us at the Landis Farm, and we pray that Maswe has been blessed by his time with us as well." - Jacob Landis, co-manager at the Landis Farm in Sterling, Illinois. He supervised 2023-2024 IVEP participant Maswe Nyihongo from Tanzania.

Photo: Maswe Nyihongo (right) and Becca Landis (left) cook chips mayai, Tanzanian french fries with fried eggs. (Photo courtesy of Lois Landis)
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Welcome an international young adult to your workplace and see how the experience an influence you, your staff and the community. Dream big about the type of volunteer opportunities you can provide! Learn more at mcc.org/IVEP

Alt text: Two adults cook at a stovetop

Abdul Mojid (72) is one of 700 farmers who are growing pesticide-free, or “safe food,” as it is commonly called, in Bogura District, northwestern Bangladesh. They are using new farming techniques that they learned from MCC’s development partners GUP or PUP. MCC’s agricultural experts in Bangladesh train GUP and PUP staff on these techniques, known as Integrated Crop Management, which also include making compost that repairs and builds soil health.

PUP and GUP offer courtyard training sessions and grow demonstration plots, called technology hubs, where farmers can see the techniques in action and learn how to use them. By example, farmers then show their neighbors that, despite some challenges, they can make a living growing safe vegetables.

“I observe that pesticides means … you are destroying everything,” says farmer Abdul Mojid, who knows of three people who collapsed while spraying pesticides. “I know that without pesticides, I am able to produce the crops. That’s why I stopped using the pesticides.”

MCC/Fairpicture photo/Fabeha Monir

Alt text: A Bangladeshi farmer hoes a row in his garden

"Grounded in the unconditional love for God and for our neighbors, our faith motivates us to support development projects that accompany justice, equity and peace towards shalom — wholeness in people and our world." - Gregory Vanderbilt, Representative for MCC in Bangladesh

Farmers grow safe vegetables to protect health, environment Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

🕊️🌏🌱

Thank you to our friends at Hyattsville Mennonite Church and to everyone who makes comforters for MCC! We appreciate you!

Our Mennonite Central Committee - MCC Comforter group has been hard at work this year making these gorgeous comforters which will be sent to people in need around the world!

Join MCC's School Kit Challenge this summer and support kids like Anastasia*, age 6, in Ukraine.

Anastasia and her mother, who are internally displaced from a village in Ukraine's Kherson region, received MCC humanitarian assistance from New Life Charitable Fund, an MCC partner in 2023.

* Last name withheld for security purposes

Can you help us reach our goal of 24,000 school kits during the month of August? Learn more at mcc.org/school-kit-challenge

Photo courtesy of New Life Charitable Fund

Alt text: A young girl holds up school supplies in a room filled with humanitarian aid.

"To anyone thinking of participating in the IVEP program, I would say YES! Get ready for a great adventure. Learn to over-communicate and laugh a lot with each other. Learn as much as you can about your guest’s culture and teach them as much as you can about yours. Be patient, it’s not always going to be easy, but it will always be worth it. You are bringing the nations together!" - Bethany Zimmerman, MCC IVEP host 2023-2024
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Interested in creating an international experience in your home? Consider welcoming an IVEP host! Hosts are key to the IVEP experience — they help shape how participants engage with and integrate into their new communities. Learn more at https://mcc.org/get-involved/volunteer/ivep/hosts

Photo: IVEPer Innocent Chuma, from Zambia, with the Zimmerman family on a hike



Alt text: A group of 7 people pose together by a lake surrounded by trees

As Bangladeshi farmers carry baskets of eggplant, leafy red amaranth, cucumbers and squash of all shapes and sizes from their fields to be packaged at a local vegetable processing center, they also bring the personal satisfaction of providing healthy, pesticide-free food to their customers.

These farmers in Bogura District, northwestern Bangladesh, have chosen to learn to farm with natural pest control instead of synthetic pesticides. They have seen the negative effects of long-term use, abuse and overuse of pesticides on the health of farmers, consumers and the environment.

“We like to be healthy,” says farmer Kabir Hossain (pictured), who brought olives and ribbed gourds to the center on a Tuesday morning last October. “We would like to save our environment.” Too many farmers are harming the environment with pesticides that pollute the soil, the water and the air, he says.

In addition, farmers in the area, especially those who wear no protective gear when spraying pesticides, report eye irritation and burning, respiratory concerns, stomach acidity and renal problems. Customers too can be affected by food that contains too much pesticides, including vegetables that are sprayed on the same day they are sold at market.
Overuse of pesticides happens because farmers operate on such a thin profit margin that they can’t afford to lose any crops to pests, says Jahangir Alam, MCC program officer. In addition, he says about half the farmers can’t read application instructions. They and others rely on the explanations of pesticides retailers, who benefit financially from its overuse.

Hossain is one of 700 farmers who are growing pesticide-free or “safe food,” as it is commonly called. They are using new farming techniques that they learned from MCC’s development partners Grameen Unnayan Prokalpo (GUP) or Pollee Unnayon Prokolpo (PUP). MCC’s agricultural experts in Bangladesh train GUP and PUP staff on these techniques, known as Integrated Crop Management, which also include making compost that repairs and builds soil health.

MCC/Fairpicture photo/Fabeha Monir

Alt text: A Bangladeshi farmer walks down a road carrying a pink basket.

Seek to grow. Seek to love. Seek the heart of Christ

Seek is a six-month Christian discipleship program in Cambodia for young adults aged 18-20, to explore, engage, and reflect more deeply on what it means to be an Anabaptist follower of Jesus in a complicated world.

Do you know a young adult who would love this opportunity? Encourage them to check out MCC's new Seek program. For more information, please visit mcc.org/seek

repost from Nadia Thiessen. Nadia, from Canada, recently completed her term with the 2024 MCC Seek program in Cambodia.

Alt text: A young adult in a cap stands in front of a pond as the sun sets among the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia

"One of the most important things I’ve learned through my year is being able to see Jesus from a different perspective."

Hector “Ramon” Calix Dueñas, a YAMEN participant, reflects on his time in Colombia.

What does peace need to thrive? Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

Marilyn and Bill Brown, longtime MCC donors, reflect upon why, and how, they have answered the call to give through the years.

Planting the seeds of a life of giving Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

MCC is pleased to announce that William (Bill) Janzen, former director of MCC Canada's Ottawa Office, has been appointed to the Order of Canada this July in recognition of his contributions to government policy, refugee resettlement, citizenship, development aid and peacebuilding. (https://www.gg.ca/en/order-canada-appointees-june-2024)

As the founding director of MCC’s Ottawa Office, Bill has shaped peace and justice initiatives both in Canada and abroad during his long history of service and influence. Bill led the Ottawa Office from its inception in 1975 until 2008.

Governor General of Canada

Founding Ottawa Office director Bill Janzen honoured with the Order of Canada Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

MCC and its partners in Burundi are working together to respond to the immense needs in the country after torrential rainfall and a series of floods and landslides have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

MCC responds to disastrous floods in Burundi with local partners Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

In the communities it serves, MCC partner Peace and Development Network (PDN) in Rwanda establishes village savings and loan associations. These allow farmers to save money, accrue interest and obtain loans. Participants have been able to build and repair their homes, purchase large livestock like cows and pay for their children’s tuition. Those who once rented farmland often use the money to buy property.

And farmers can withdraw or borrow the money their families need to survive. “When there are effects of climate change and crops are destroyed, we can get a loan . . . to solve any issue at that moment,” says Jeanne Francoise Maniragena, who lives in Northern Province and is secretary of her association.

The goal is that farmers don’t just live in harmony with the land, but also with each other. Anastase Nduwayezu, assistant project coordinator with PDN, explains that scarcity can lead to discord, but also, “When there’s a good harvest, sometimes there is conflict in the house related to how they manage the yield.” In response, the five organizations offer trainings on topics like conflict resolution and gender equality.

Before attending these trainings, Hategekimana recalls, “I would make decisions on my own. I would decide what and where to cultivate. I would decide to plant beans whereas she wanted potatoes.” Nyirantezimana adds, “We would do it in disarray and it was not giving us any result.”

The trainings taught them how to make decisions about the farm together, which has transformed both the health of their crops and their relationship. “I cannot do it alone, neither can she,” Hategekimana says. “We complete each other.”

Photo 1: Jeanne Francoise Maniragena, a farmer field school and village savings and loan association member, tends to crops at her house in Rwanda’s Burera District. MCC/Fairpicture photo/Denyse Kamugwiza Uwera

Alt text: Image one is of a Rwandan farmer inspecting her corn crop. Image two is a close up of hands holding dried beans

Seek to grow. Seek to love. Seek the heart of Christ

Seek is a six-month Christian discipleship program in Cambodia for young adults aged 18-20, to explore, engage, and reflect more deeply on what it means to be an Anabaptist follower of Jesus in a complicated world.

Do you know a young adult who would love this opportunity? Encourage them to check out MCC's new Seek program. For more information, please visit mcc.org/seek

Photo: 2024 Seek participant Madeline Simons walks in front of a pagoda entrance while the sun sets behind her in remote Kratie province, Cambodia.



Alt text: A young adult stands in front of a pagoda entrance as the sun sets behind her. The pagoda is flanked by two elephant statues

Are you ready for it?

MCC Thrift Zero Waste Challenge week starts tomorrow. We can’t wait to hear how you’re reducing your waste and making a difference for our planet.

Don’t forget to share your zero waste projects with us by tagging MCC Thrift and using to be entered for a chance to win a $50 MCC Thrift gift card.

Thank you for protecting the planet with us.

For more information on the zero waste challenge, visit https://mccthrift.com/zerowaste

To advocate for federal policy changes centered on climate action, check out ClimateActionForPeace.com

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

Alt text: A cloth produce bag. Text over the image reads, "The zero waste challenge week is here! MCC Thrift. Zero Waste Challenge."

As part of MCC’s ongoing work towards reconciliation between Indigenous and settler peoples, MCC has curated this gallery space featuring photos of artworks by Indigenous artists on the theme of Transforming Relationships.

Transforming Relationships: An Indigenous art space Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ