Chicago 2004 Why? Why is the first word. The first word many ask when they find out we are accepting a position to Malawi, on behalf of their hands and feet that move through CRWRC and other partners to bring seed and nourishment to a people plagued by poor harvest and health issues. Why is knowing that God’s love is even greater for the poor and hungry so we are challenged to accept this call. A call? Did we have a dream? A conversation with God? A vision perhaps? No and YES! Every now and then you connect dots, the very life experiences that sometimes you wonder why they happened. Like the children’s colouring books in which you trace the line from numbered dot to numbered dot, you get to see a picture. Not always that clear, sometimes needing some smoothing around the edges, sometimes missing a number because we are going too quickly, but a picture nonetheless. Allow us to share a few of the dots in our lives. As with most of our church friends we have been incredibly busy with “church” work, busy with various ministries and committees within the church and Christian school and other organizations that affirm our love of God. Then some special events just happened! A couple selected to accompany our youth group to Chicago (an opportunity identified through ServiceLink) needed to find a replacement. It just happened that we find ourselves ‘retired’ and available. The focus of the Chicago trip is “Seeing God in the City” and we engaged with food banks, care centers, drop – ins, soup kitchens, a half- way house for ex-cons and a grocery store for medically challenged clients.  All this, while sleeping in view of the stain glass window of Martin Luther King Jr. (bottom right hand corner) who lived for a short time and preached at the First Church of the Brethren in Chicago. As we engaged, God engaged with us. Seeing God in the people, in the city, in the brokenness, made His love come so alive. His compassion so evident. His justice so demanding! A dot is evident. On returning, our church mailbox had an invitation for Urban Intervention Training through Ottawa Innercity Ministries (http://www.ottawainnercityministries.ca), a downtown Christian charitable organization committed to building partnerships, training and mobilizing volunteers to help people who are disadvantaged and homeless. We learn, we serve, we experience brokenness and an honesty and love for a Saviour who continues to search out the marginalized. Another dot is taking shape. Did you ever read the fine print sometimes placed so obscurely in your church bulletin? “Looking for a serving challenge five years down the road?” Come to Kingston (about 400 km round trip, are you crazy?) from our home. It was a wonderful drive. Elly Dalmaijer explained about International Relief Managers, a fancy title, and Carol Sybenga about ServiceLink, service opportunities for people preparing to do something different. Three dots make for a whole new dimension. God laughs at our sense of timing. Five years may as well be five days when we see the lines connecting the dots. There is a tremendous need in Malawi and many other places. My “brothers and sisters” live there. ServiceLink reminded us of that in our church bulletin some time ago. All around the world, CRWRC responds to natural and man-made disasters, bringing relief and aid those who need it most. Check out: www.crwrc.org Another dot… There are many other experiences that directly involve our family that testify to God’s working so we can feel “released” to go. A calling? Connect the dots. We feel richly blessed to experience God’s love everyday. We feel richly blessed to be part of a church body that wants to share this experience. Pray for seeds, pray for harvests, pray for healing, pray for compassion and justice, and pray for the very dots that shape you to “See God in the City” and His whole world. Hans and Henni Helleman have been married for 35 years. Their three sons and their families as well as the two grandchildren are prayerfully right behind Opa and Oma. Hans retired from the Federal Government in 2004 after 33 years and Henni retired from her Principal position at Ottawa Christian School in 2002. They live under the promise of Psalm 138, verse 8: The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
 Henni and Hans check out the map for directions to Chicago as the Ottawa Youth Group slept over in the Sarnia CRC building. Their Chicago trip provided the challenge to continue in their own city to reach out to the homeless. Always praying that God would be with the hungry in this world they heard God’s love call to reach beyond their comfort level and embrace what God has in store for them. Back to Chicago 2004 Index Page |
