Thank you to everyone who contributed to our fundraiser on Easter morning! We raised $1500 toward or expenses of attending the Mennonite Youth Convention in 2017!

~The PMC MYF

Eleven members of the PMC MYF and three adult sponsors met at Portland International airport on Monday, July 1st to embark on a journey that was two years in the making. After having served breakfasts at Easter, and selling wreaths at Christmas and dishing up strawberry shortcake this spring and last we were finally going to Youth convention in Phoenix Arizona. Upon arrival we checked into our hotel and tried to come to terms with the record heat we had just experienced when we walked out of the airport. After catching a quick dinner with Duncan Smith, Lin Rush and Rachel Ringenberg Miller we slid into the youth convention worship hall just as the worship band was finishing their prelude. It was the last time we arrived late! Worship sessions at convention follow the same rules as attending an open seating concert. Get there early and have a plan!

One of the highlights of the week for me was attending the “intergenerational conversation rooms” where issues like Biblical interpretation, and human sexuality were discussed. Our group had decided before convention that these experiences were unique to the convention and reflected the essence of being Mennonite and that we would attend them together. The first time we arrived at this event the folks at the door handed us numbers and told us we could not sit with anyone we knew. I was worried that the youth would be freaked out by this experience. My worries went away when some of them volunteered to share their experiences of being there with the room of  200 people at the end of the session. I was so proud of them!

I would encourage you to ask members of the MYF what their favorite part of convention was when you get a chance. Youth convention was a wonderful experience and we have this congregation to thank for making it possible.

Thank you!    ~ Curt Weaver

The most engaging speaker during the delegate sessions was Dr. Daniel Carroll. He spoke for two hours and those two hours flew by. He spoke on immigration in the Old Testament. Dr. Carroll reminded us how immigration permeates through the Old Testament. Abraham and Sarah crossed a border for food in Genesis 12.  Joseph is taken and sold in Egypt. Joseph integrates into Egyptian society, is bilingual, and marries an Egyptian (Genesis 41). Over and over God’s people are told to remember when they were slaves in Egypt, to remember how they were strangers in a foreign land. They are not to treat others like the Egyptians treated them. You shall love the stranger, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt (Deut. 10:19)

~ Rachel Ringenberg Miller