Take Your Place

The fateful farewell pic

2011-06-19T01:34:00.002-05:00

Making Darryl proud...

2011-06-19T00:42:00.003-05:00

Ok, some news about my latest solo performance. I have been sitting with this for the past week. Time to come clean, and to tell Darryl that he is absolutely critical to this whole singing/performing thing. My goodness. So true.

I was asked to sing at the farewell celebration for Jim Shantz (Mennonite Church Alberta Conference Pastor). It was a wonderful afternoon, and I'm so glad that Jim was honoured and appreciated for his years of service in Alberta. I was asked to sing a few songs during the program, and to highlight MCC's work with AIDS. Abe was also invited to speak about the work of MCC, and to invite donations. The day before the farewell, I picked up my relatively new guitar, intending to go through the songs I was planning to sing. A string broke. No big deal, right? I'll just put on new strings, except I had none. It was almost 5:30 pm. I rushed out to Guitarworks, close to our house, knowing that it closed at 6, only to find it had moved to a new location. So, I drove as fast as I safely could to the next nearest store and fortunately was able to buy a pack of strings. Came home, de-stringed, and as I was about to put on new strings, realized the part by the hole of the guitar that keeps the strings in place, had fallen off (my ignorance is glaring in terms of the correct names for guitar parts). I was a bit panicked at this point. I would not be able to use my new guitar. Instead I ended up having to use a guitar that was a bit "iffy" to say the least, and the strap kept spontaneously coming undone. Anyway, at noon the next day I left for the farewell.

Once I got there I realized that I had forgotten all of the cds at home, as well as brochures, and the flashdrive that I needed to show some images from Cycle for Life. I called my daughter Jess, who agreed to bike to the church and bring over the stuff. Her bike broke down half way there. I called my dad. He came to the rescue and brought the cds and brochures. I forgot to tell him about the flashdrive. Jess managed to fix her bike and bring the flashdrive. Still feeling a bit panicked and completely unprepared, I approached the mic, guitar firmly in hand, hoping the strap would stay in place. When I got to the front, I saw that the mic was too low, the music stand too high, and I needed to do something. So, I leaned over to raise the mic. The guitar strings on the end of the guitar, which were wrapped neatly in a little circle, got caught on a nob on the mic stand. I did not notice this and I stood up. The mic stand wobbled and made way too much noise. I panicked. The other end of the guitar hit the music stand. It too began to wobble. Doug Klassen shot up to help untangle the guitar string from the mic stand. We got everything settled, and so I played the first chord to the first song, only to realize that my guitar was now out of tune. I took the capo off to tune the guitar, and dropped the capo on the floor. Once again, Doug shot up to help. Things were not going well. Still needing to adjust the music stand I leaned over one more time, guitar knocking the stand....and on it went.

In the end, I managed to tune the guitar, sing a few songs, and hopefully honour Jim. Humbling to say the least. Darryl, I don't really enjoy the solo stuff. Just for the record.

It's been a long, long while

2011-06-19T00:03:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. Sorry for the silence this past while. We have had a busy few weeks. Lots of presentations on the Cycle for Life part one Kenya trip, and getting ready for part two of Cycle for Life. This Friday, June 24th, me, Adam, John, Abe and 40 Menno Simons Christian School junior high students and staff will kick off the Alberta portion of Cycle for Life by riding from the school to Fish Creek Park, about 40 kms, have a hot dog roast, and after that head north to LaCrete! 1450 kms here we come!

Updates and photos can be read/seen on the Cycle for Life blog, but we might put some info up on this blog too. In any case, we hope you read, follow, enjoy and pray for the safety of the riders and support team, and that the trip will raise awareness and funds for MCC's work with AIDS.

The Kiranto family; Elizabeth, me and Saleina; Byron holding Karen.

2011-05-21T02:11:00.000-05:00

Video message from Jeremiah to Henry; Joseph, Elizabeth and Joel; Joseph and Elizabeth's kitchen; GAR sponsored girls at the Secondary School

2011-05-21T01:56:00.003-05:00

The POMC AIDS clinic, the rock quarry, milking cows, and fixing a tire

2011-05-21T01:47:00.002-05:00

Leon, Joseph and the landrover

2011-05-17T23:21:00.002-05:00

A few years ago, Abe travelled to Najile and met Joseph, along with other staff from the Presbyterian Outreach Mission Church. When he was there, he asked Joseph what was one need that the POMC would like to have met. Joseph said they needed a landrover, with a covered back, so that clients who were ill could be taken to the hospital in Nairobi to receive treatment, but would not be exposed to the wind, dust, rain and cold. Abe came back to Calgary and told the story, represented the need, and in the end was able to find a donor who covered the cost of buying a landrover. Amazing. Joseph told us when we were in Najile last week that since they received the truck no clients have died from exposure to the elements. Amazing. One of the donors was Leon Janzen's grandfather, Werner Zacharias. Here is a pic of Leon, Joseph and the truck.

Najile 2011!!

2011-05-17T23:06:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! We have been a bit quiet on the Take Your Place blog, but we have been busy! Abe, me, Byron, Adam and John Beriault, Leon Janzen, and Cindy Klassen spent some time in Kenya with Cycle for Life. And then we went to Najile for a week. What a gift to be there again! Byron and I had hoped to visit Najile again, and to spend time with Joseph's family, but we did not think it would be this soon! Check out the Cycle for Life blog to see how the cycling event went: cycleforlife-buildpeace-stopaids@blogspot.com

Here are a few pics of our time in Najile.

Foothills Alliance Seniors Group Calgary

2011-04-29T22:24:00.003-05:00

It's been three weeks since Kim, Daryl and I returned from the East Coast ... Concert for AIDS Tour. Good, good memories. Kim and I did an event with a group of 50 older people at Foothills Alliance in Calgary, yesterday, April 27. They all thought Kim sounds just like Anne Murray, only better. Very warm response. Very warm welcome. Sold 15 CDs. The truth... Anne Murray, in her best years, sounded a bit like Kim. I talked about AIDS in Nepal, and about "showing up", as God did in John 1:14 ... "he came and dwelt among us".

Good Friday Inter-Mennonite service

2011-04-24T01:32:00.002-05:00

This past Friday, we attended the Inter-Mennonite Good Friday service at Bethany Chapel. More than 600 people were in attendance. It was a moving service, that focused on the suffering of Christ, betrayal, grief and mourning. Abe Janzen (MCCA Executive Director) was given a few moments to talk about the HIV work of MCC, show a few slides from a recent trip to Nepal, tell a story, and say a prayer. As always, his stories and message were inspiring and moving. Abe told the story of a woman from Nepal, who is HIV+ and a leader of a support group with the MCC partner Sakriya, who looked at Abe and said, "You are the reason we are alive here." She was saying that to everyone who has contributed to MCC's HIV work. All of you are the reason. Each time a dollar is contributed to the program, a positive impact is felt around the world.

It was announced during the service that $41,000 was raised for the HIV work of MCC. Amazing. Humbling. Thank you. I have had the blessing of meeting folks who are living with HIV/AIDS, and who have benefited from your contributions. I saw the difference that those contributions make in the daily lives of folks who face despair, disease, poverty, hunger and lack of access to basic care.

None of the work that MCC is involved in can happen without the faithful, generous and kind donations of prayer, time, work and dollars from all of you. Thank you.

Home from the MCC East Coast Tour

2011-04-21T10:52:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! We are home. Well, we've been home for just over a week. I had hoped to write earlier, but life, work, home...all that great stuff kind of distracts a person from getting things done. We had a very good week with MCC East Coast. Met so many kind folks, and were hosted so well. 19 events in 8 days. Fun times!

Abe and I are now getting ready for our trip to Kenya next Saturday (April 30th). It's coming fast, and we have a ton to do! This is the cycling trip with 5 Canadians, including Cindy Klassen, and 10 Kenyans. The goal is to raise awareness in Kenya about the fabulous peace and HIV work happening there with MCC partners. If you would like to follow us on the trip you can check out the blog: cycleforlife-buildpeace-stopaids.blogspot.com Or you can find us at: alberta.mcc.org/cycle-peace-aids

We hope to post daily updates, photos, video footage during the trip.

While the next few months will be crazy busy for Darryl, Abe and me, with travel, work and family, they will be quiet in terms of singing/awareness raising events. But the pace will pick up in fall again. We'll keep you posted on dates and events!

They listened; they affirmed; they engaged!!!!

2011-04-10T13:18:00.003-05:00

Milo and Viola Stahl attended the MCC AIDS Concert at the Harrisonburg Mennonite Retirement Center early in April. They strongly affirmed the message of hope/AIDS amidst the messy world in which we live.

How MCC Alberta was motivated into AIDS work

2011-04-10T00:10:00.000-05:00

Abe Janzen tells the story of Jan Emswiler which motivated MCC Alberta to get serious about AIDs awareness work.
Abe is the Executive Director of MCC Alberta.

Jan Emswiler Story from darryl on Vimeo.

Five AIDS Awareness Events in Virginia yesterday

2011-04-09T11:55:00.003-05:00

Kim, Darryl, Grant and I did 5 events yesterday. Eastern Mennonite School chapel (300 students) Eastern Mennonite University Chapel (70) Brownbag lunch hour at Gift and Thrift Shop with volunteers and staff (20) Seniors at Virginia Menn Retirement Community ( 25), and finally, an evening concert at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church (120 people). Wonderful people everywhere.
A woman at the Retirement Center approached Kim and said ... she so appreciated the fact that our work and our faith in Christ were very clearly connected, and the song Be Thou My Vision, for her, was the theme of how and why we do what do.
Kim and Darryl's music, at the Harrisonburg Menn Church, as at all the concerts, was warm, engaging ... people respond with joy and appreciation ... at every place.

Today we did an hour's program at Mennohaven Seniors Home (Penn Hall), where a woman who is 91, came to Kim and Darryl after the program and told them she LOVES Kim's voice and the supporting guitar and harmony of Darryl. They make a great "combination" she said.
This evening was a concert at a BIC Church in Chambersburg. Not a big crowd, but they were very supportive and very interested. Maybe one of the more enthusiastic responses we have had. May be invited back to this area, in November for a weekend plus. Will see. A local group that supports Meat Canning and other MCC work, hosts an Annual Fundraiser in November. We would love to come. They want stories and a concert.

The past two nights we have stayed with Ruth and David Emswiler. The parents of Jan Emswiler, who introduced MCC Alberta to the world of AIDS, via Dave Worth. Jan went to Tanzania 12 years ago with MCC. She is a nurse and saw children in a hospital ward for Malaria patients, being given blood that was not tested for HIV before being given to the children. Her church in Harrisonburg provided funding for equipment and when the blood in the blood bank was tested, they showed that 10% was HIV Positive. Dave Worth brought that story to Alberta at an AGM. The first CD, (for "children of the World") was being born, and we made an AIDs trip with Sarah Adams to Nigeria and Congo. And in that context, MCC Alberta became more and more invested in raising funds and building awareness about AIDS.

We did some math today, and we estimate that the CDs, along with various events, annual fundraising campaigns, and the gathering of AIDS Care Kits in Alberta, have raised just over 3,200,000 for MCC's work with AIDS, since about 2003. The CDs and Concerts have given a voice and presence to the entire project, and, I think, in a way, have also given a voice to people with AIDS, who, in so many places, are marginalized and delegitimized as people who should, but no longer have a voice in the world.

A Day in the Metropolis of Akron. PA

2011-04-06T21:22:00.007-05:00

Kim, Darryl, and I, together with Grant from MCC East Coast, did two events this morning. The first with about 100 senior citizens, all volunteering at the amazingly creative Material Resources Center, recycling shoes, clothes ... well, nearly everything they seem to get. I told some stories about MCC's work in Nepal, Uganda, Akron, w the theme that "showing up" is what we all need from each other, and people living with AIDs, in every country of the world, are begging us to show up with them ... and there are many ways we can do that. Prayer. Funding for Income Generation and Support Groups, Medical supplies, advocacy work ... and giving them a voice that often they don't have. Yesterday, by the way, we did a coffee house at Eastern Mennonite with a small group of students organized by SPEAK. The purpose of SPEAK is based on Proverbs 31 ... to give a voice to people who have no voice. And that is what MCC is doing for people who have AIDS. Kim and Darryl, contributing to the broader work of MCC with AIDS, with more than 8 years of singing/touring, are giving a voice to many who are not heard, anywhere. Not even, perhaps, by their own friends and families.

The second event was with MCC staff at the Meeting Place. Similar format .. the rich music of Kim and Darryl and some stories about the work of MCC ... "showing up". In this case I included Colombia and the SEED Program, where partners/churches have been so grateful to MCC Volunteers for "living among them".

One of Kim's fans, a 5-year old boy, was there this morning ... and with his mother, approached Kim, asking her and Darryl to sing "When the rain comes down. Very cool.

Philadelphia Mennonite High School

2011-04-06T21:22:00.003-05:00

Rev. Mary Duff and me. An inspiring woman and a mentor to both staff and students.

Day 3 - Philadelphia Mennonite High School pics

2011-04-06T21:19:00.004-05:00

Principal Barbara Moses has been at Philapdelphia Mennonite High School since the school began 13 years ago. An amazing woman with vision, love and passion for the students and the school.

Day 2 Video

2011-04-05T16:32:00.000-05:00

While stopping for a break on our way to Germantown Mennonite, Abe had his shoes shined by a gentleman who shared a few thoughts on politics and other things. He also shared a song which he wrote for President Obama.

TYP East Coast Tour Day 2 from darryl on Vimeo.

Day 3 East Coast Tour

2011-04-05T13:16:00.005-05:00

This morning we participated in the chapel time at Philadelphia Mennonite High School. Principal Barbara Moses welcomed us and led us on a tour of the school. There are about 100 students...capacity is 120. The school opened 13 years ago. A remarkable thing about the school is that 100 % of the graduates of the school attend community college or university after graduation, and many of the grads return to the school to volunteer and mentor younger students. They are a zero tolerance school in terms of violence. They have not had a physical fight at the school since 2003. All of their students receive training throughout their three years at the school in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Tuition at the school is just over $10,000/year US. The majority of the student's families cannot afford even half of the tuition, so the administrative staff are very busy raising funds for the school and finding sponsors for individual students.

Mrs. Mary Duff, 86 years old, holds 3 Masters degrees, is an ordained minister, a retired teacher of 42 years in the Philadelphia public school system, and a mentor to the staff and students at the school. She is in the process of writing two books. One of them has to do with what she has learned from her students over her 42 years in the classroom. She told me a story of a horrific car crash that she survived more than 30 years ago. Driving through West Virginia, her car went out of control, hit the ditch, and the next thing she knew she was in a hospital in Washington, DC. The doctor told her that there was good news and bad news. The good news was that she was alive. The bad news was that she would never speak above a whisper again, and she would never walk again. After a lengthy time in the hospital, she returned home to Philadelphia. Her students missed her terribly and demanded that she come back to the school. They told her that they promised that they would teach her how to speak again and how to walk again. She had a face cast on, and much of her body in a cast. The students met her at the car, carried her in, and over many months, through diligent work and love, taught her how to speak and walk. Her favourite hymn...Be Not Dismayed. Amazing. A blessing to meet her and listen to a bit of her story.

Germantown Mennonite Church & Chamounix Mansion Hostel

2011-04-05T13:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening we sang at Germantown Mennonite Church to a group of about 12 people. The turnout was a bit disappointing to the East Coast folks, but it was a really nice evening with lots of visiting and discussion. We enjoyed ourselves completely! For night we stayed at the Chamounix Mansion Hostel in the heart of Philadelphia. It is a beautiful place surrounded by trees, looking over the Schuylkill River. A lovely place, not much sleep, haven't stayed in a hostel since trekking through Europe in '85!

Day 2 East Coast Tour

2011-04-05T12:26:00.002-05:00

I'm one day behind in the blogs. Sorry about that! I'm hoping to catch up this afternoon. Yesterday morning was a very interesting, sad, difficult morning. We arrived at Christopher Dock High School, in Souderton, PA, for the morning chapel. Darryl, Abe and I were given about 20 minutes to speak and sing about the Generations program. When we arrived in the chapel we were met by one of the administrators of the school, who was clearly shaken up. She told us that earlier that morning, as they arrived at school, they came across racist graffiti on the front sidewalk leading up to the school, as well as on the school building. The graffiti was threatening and targeted African Americans, Latino's, and Christians. The reaction of the student body ranged from fear (several students went home), to anger, frustration, and some clearly not knowing how to respond appropriately or helpfully. We offered to pull out of the chapel and allow them to work with the students in whatever way they believed was best. They wanted us to stay, and while it was difficult to know how to speak to students, some of whom were clearly traumatized, we spoke and sang about the marginalization of people with AIDS, about AIDS victims being seen as the lepers of the 21st century. Some feedback was good, positive, one student expressed publically his discomfort with the school going ahead with a presentation about AIDS, when there was an issue right there that needed to be dealt with. It was a healthy and difficult exchange. How do we get to a place in our society where the richness of our differences is embraced, and where the similarity of our humanity is embraced? In the afternoon we spent time with MCC East Coast Philadelphia staff. What an energizing and inspiring group of people to be with and learn from. They are working in the community with anti-poverty initiatives, housing programs, and anti-violence/guns issues, along with Material Resources, Relief Sales, etc. In 2010, Winnipeg, MB, was named murder capitol of the year a few years back...at approximately 30 murders/year. In 2010, Philadelphia dealt with a total of 300 gun related deaths.

2011-04-04T10:50:00.002-05:00

East Coast Tour - Day 1, Souderton, PA

2011-04-04T10:37:00.002-05:00

We had a full day 1 (yesterday...sorry), in the Souderton area. We sang two songs at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church following a beautiful child dedication service. A family, after a very long 4 year process, have welcomed a little girl into their home who they adopted from China. It was a blessing to be a part of the service. In the afternoon we spent a few hours at the Rockhill Mennonite Retirment Community. Enjoyed lunch with Ron and Sue (Thiessen) Sawatzky. Ron is the director at Rockhill, and was the former moderator of Mennonite Church Canada. We sang for about 40 residents, and Abe told stories from his trip to Nepal. Our evening concert was at Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton. It was a fun evening with about 140 people in attendance. Churches in the area had encouraged people to bring an AIDS Care Kit with them, so there were 35 kits collected and placed at the front of the church. Abe moved people with his stories, and talked about showing up, and how important it is that we do just that...show up in each other's lives, invest in each other, take our place and get involved. Enjoyed snacks and visiting after the concert. Even met a man (Harvey Bowman), who was one of the original PAX boys who helped to build the one and only hydro damn in Nepal, which Abe visited on his trip to Nepal last fall. Very cool. Darryl and Grant (Rissler) were hosted by Lyn and Arlen Nyce, and Abe and I were hosted by Abe and Sara Landes. Very lovely people!

2011-04-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

Rockhill Mennonite Retirement Community

2011-04-04T10:29:00.001-05:00

New blog! Cycle for Life: Build Peace. Stop AIDS.

2011-03-30T00:45:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! Well, we have decided to create a new blog for our Cycle for Life Kenya/Alberta trips. It feels a bit confusing to have the cycle trip on the Take Your Place blog, so if you would like to follow the news about our trip to Kenya in May, as well as the cycle trip in Alberta in June/July, here's where to go: cycleforlife-buildpeace-stopaids.blogspot.com We leave April 30th for Nairobi, spend a day getting supplies, and begin the ride on May 2. 450 kms later, we end in Lari on May 7th, with a big celebration! Abe, Darryl and I leave on Saturday morning for Philadelphia, PA, where we begin a 9 day concert/speaking tour...22 events, 9 days...should be fun!

AIDS Funding Cuts Kill

2011-02-28T10:24:00.004-06:00

In 2003, the U.S. government made a commitment to funding the fight against AIDS, and as a result, millions of people's lives have been saved: 4 million people were able to access HIV treatment through the Global Fund; 114,000 babies were born HIV free; 3.8 million orphans received care; millions of HIV infections have been averted. But massive cuts to the Global Fund and PEPFAR are being proposed.

The total cuts proposed are $813 million for all global AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria programs. As a result:
-483,000 people will die because they will not receive AIDS treatment
-68,000 babies will be born HIV+ because their mothers did not receive prevention drugs
-700,000 people will die because their AIDS treatment will end
-12 million families without bed nets to prevent malaria will be at risk
-434,000 people are at risk of death without necessary tuberculosis treatment

It is estimated that the cuts will result in the unnecessary deaths of one million people.

MCC works with 70 partners worldwide, providing orphan care, homebased care, prevention education, and medical supplies. And the partners that MCC works with have been the recipients of PEPFAR funding, and have been hit hard by the cuts. People who have been receiving desperately needed ARVs have now stopped receiving them. This is a death sentence. The cuts impact children, teens, all the way to seniors. Joanna Hiebert Bergen, MCC's Binational HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator, has seen the impact of these cuts firsthand, as she travels and visits MCCs AIDS partners. It has been devastating for her to see, and difficult for her to know how to support the partners in their work, knowing that funding is being cut from so many sources, including MCC. Ten years ago MCCs budget for HIV/AIDS work was 2 million. A few years later it was reduced to 1.8 million, and may be even further reduced. This money is shared among the 70 partners.

Darryl and I enjoy the concerts that we perform at, and are glad for the opportunity to make music and sing together. But we often say to each other that we don't do this for the music. The money raised from the four cds is amazing. But this is about AIDS. We will keep performing to raise awareness and funds for MCCs AIDS work. And we sing because of AIDS and the critical need that is present. Now more than ever.

MCCBC's Single Parent Support Project

2011-02-17T15:59:00.001-06:00

A few pics from our time at the MCC Thrift Shop in Surrey, BC, singing at a fundraiser for MCCBC's Single Parent Support Project. Very cool program.

MCC BC

2011-02-14T11:26:00.002-06:00

MCC BC Fundraising Banquet from darryl on Vimeo.

Home from BC

2011-02-14T02:36:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

We are just back home from a great weekend in BC! We were invited to sing/speak at MCCBC's annual celebrations, to raise awareness and funds for the work of MCC worldwide. Abe Janzen, Executive Director of MCC Alberta, and me and Darryl spent the last three days singing/speaking/ and learning about the great work of MCCBC, and meeting really wonderful people and supporters. On Friday evening we were in Abbotsford at Bakerview MB Church, where 340 people gathered to support MCC. Saturday evening we traveled to Richmond, BC, and were welcomed by 130 good folks. Sunday morning, we "crashed" the service at Highland MB in Abbotsford, where Abe preached an inspiring sermon, and Darryl and I sang some songs. And Sunday afternoon we were in Surrey, singing to clients, staff and donors of an amazing new program of MCCBC called the Single Parents Support Project, which works with single parents, some of whom are HIV+, many of them newcomers to Canada, and all of them experiencing economic difficulties and barriers. It was a highlight of our time in BC. Four women shared their stories and struggles of raising children on their own, finding affordable housing, work, and dealing with significant trauma. It was an honour to be in the room with them and to hear their stories. A humbling afternoon.

Darryl has added a video from this weekend of Abe telling a story about a woman that he met in Nepal a few months ago, as well as a clip of the two of us singing "Be Thou My Vision". My favourite hymn.

It has been a while since we have blogged. Sorry about that. We will try to be more consistent and diligent. The cause is so important, both here in Canada, and worldwide.

Thank you for reading.

2010-11-30T23:28:00.000-06:00

Some pics from Ontario

2010-11-30T23:22:00.005-06:00

Back home

2010-11-30T01:51:00.003-06:00

Hi all! We are back home from our whirlwind southern Ontario tour. We had a great few days, and sang and told stories to more than 600 people! We keep receiving such warm welcomes and affirmations. It is very humbling.

World AIDS Day is in two days...December 1st. We started this work 8 years ago, and perhaps we were naiive, but I honestly don't think that Darryl and I thought that we would still be singing and raising awareness, and money through cd sales 8 years later. But AIDS has not gone away. Sadly, tragically, it has only become more urgent. 33 million people living with the virus. 16 million orphans from AIDS. Statistics say that very time one person receives potentially life saving antiretroviral therapy, another two people are infected with HIV. And resources are drying up. Governments, organizations and individual donors are losing interest and moving onto other issues. People are suffering... specifically grandmothers, mothers, wives, young women, children...the most vulnerable. They are the ones who are feeling the weight of the crisis.

With the cd project, we are close to having raised $700,000 for MCC's work with AIDS just through cd sales. It is so exciting! But there is no room for us to stop. The work has to continue. MCC has felt the impact of the economic recession, as have so many others, and as a result, program budgets are being cut. Partners that we have supported for years are now receiving tens of thousands of dollars less. This cannot be acceptable. We have to keep reminding people how important this work is. AIDS, food and water security, peace work...it is all connected.

Hello from Ontario!

2010-11-27T22:17:00.002-06:00

Hi all! We are writing to you from Vineland, ON. It's day 2 of our four day tour in southern Ontario, and we are having a great time! Yesterday we sang/spoke at 5 events at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, beginning with chapel at 9:20 with 300 students, and then speaking to 3 classes throughout the day, ending with a concert in the evening. Fun day! This evening we were at Vineland United Mennonite Church for a fundraiser, and sang/spoke to 120 folks, sold lots of cds, and raised money for AIDS work. It has been a good two days! Tomorrow morning we are back at the Vineland church for the worship service, and then we are off to Leamington for an evening concert.

People have been so gracious, warm and affirming, and we have been told over and over to not stop what we are doing to promote the crisis of AIDS, and the work that MCC partners are doing with AIDS. 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, 15 million orphans, and generations lost to AIDS. Poverty, desperation, hunger, violence, lack of access to basic resources like food, water, education, war, rape as a tool of war...that is AIDS. Every time we view the video on the Take Your Place dvd and see the people that we met in places like Najile, and remember their stories, their kindness and hospitality, their struggles, we are reminded why it is so important to keep doing what we do.

Off to Ontario!

2010-11-25T14:42:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! Darryl and I are sitting at the Winnipeg airport waiting for our flight to Toronto, ready to hit the ground running in southern Ontario! Abe Janzen, Exec. Dir. of MCC Alberta, will join us a few hours later. We sing at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate tomorrow morning during their chapel, and Abe will tell stories from his recent trip to Nepal, visiting MCC AIDS partners there. We also will be speaking to three or four classes during the day, and a concert tomorrow evening at Rockway. Should be fun!

More later, with pics and no doubt pithy and witty blog entries.

Kim

MEDA Convention

2010-11-05T00:05:00.002-05:00

Just home from a very fine evening at the MEDA Convention in Calgary. This evening Darryl and I led two songs and sang one song on our own to a crowd of about 400 people at the Westin Hotel in downtown Calgary. Tomorrow morning we are back there for a 75 minute sing-a-long session. And back again on Saturday and Sunday. Darryl has far more experience leading singing than I do, so this feels like a bit of a stretch for me. But people were very gracious, and seemed to enjoy the music this evening. Hopefully that will be the case over the next few days as well!

If you don't know about MEDA, check out their website: www.meda.org They are doing some amazing work!

Kim

Stephen Lewis with students from a Calgary school

2010-10-23T00:39:00.000-05:00

With My Own Two Hands

2010-10-23T00:37:00.000-05:00

Ok, the clever man comment...

2010-10-23T00:24:00.003-05:00

Well, I was asked to sing "With My Own Two Hands" this evening at the Stephen Lewis event. I haven't been that nervous in quite a long time. It was a total honour to share the stage with Mr. Lewis. I had hoped to impress him by using some big words. In the end, just before I sang the song, all I could come up with, in front of everyone, was "It's just really cool to sing at the same event that you are speaking at." Wow. And then, to top it all off, as Abe was taking a picture of me with Mr. Lewis, Mr. Lewis said to me, "You're comments were very clever". And, yes, like a twit, I said, "You're pretty clever too." Sheesh. Oh well. He seemed to take it all in stride. What a total thrill this evening was for me, and I think for everyone that was there. Here are a few pics (we were asked not to take pictures during the event itself, so the pictures were taken after the evening was over).

A clever man, with an amazing vocabulary!

2010-10-22T23:35:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone. Just home from a really inspiring evening listening to Stephen Lewis talk about AIDS in Africa, the Grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren and other orphans, and the fatigue of donor nations, both in the private and government sectors, in giving to the crisis of AIDS.

Mr. Lewis spoke for almost an hour to more than 500 people, and highlighted 6 important points from the most recent International AIDS Conference in Vienna this past July.
1. Treatment as prevention - putting people on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) before they exhibit full-blown symptoms of AIDS lowers the viral load to almost undetcable levels which means that someone who is HIV+ and on ARVs is unlikely to pass on the virus if they have unprotected sex. Treatment is prevention.
2. Microbicide for females. It has been shown that male circumcision either as an infant or an adult reduces the chances of infection by up to 60%. A microbicide for women, which is applied to the vaginal area 12 hours before sexual intercourse and 12 hours after, reduces the rate of infection by up to 54%. A vaginal ring is being developed that can be inserted and will release the microbicide over a period of three months. Around the world women do not have the power to refuse sex. And sexual violence, particularly as a weapon of war, is sadly more and more common. The ring will prevent infection for young girls and women. 75-80% of young girls who are HIV+ were infected through sexual violence.
3. 2010 was named as the Year of Universal Access to Treatment, Prevention and Care. Sadly, promises from G8 countries were not met. More than $20 billion was promised, which would have given the Global Fund the money and resources to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Currently 5.2 million HIV+ people are receiving treatment. At least another 10 million people require treatment. The world raised only 11.7 billion dollars. A death sentence to millions of people who will now not receive treatment. The main reason? The recession. And yet trillions of dollars are spent on bank bailouts, encouraging economic growth, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
4. The rate of HIV infection is soaring worldwide. The reality of poverty, hunger, injustice, stigma and inequality create desperate situations for many, many people. Young girls who have children due to sexual violence are faced with watching their babies die, or selling their bodies for sex so that they can feed their children. In Uganda, there is a bill before parliament, not yet passed, that would sentence practicing homosexuals to death. And if you if you fail to report such behaviours to the authorities, you could be sentenced to five years in prison. This means parents will report their own children. Right wing conservative churches in the US are supporting this legislation.
5. Sexual violence - Transmission of the virus is 2 to 3 times more likely if the perpetrators are more HIV+ and also because the sexual violence is so brutal that there is direct blood contact. Over the past decade more than 600,000 women in Congo have been raped as a strategy of war. Worldwide, 150 million girls have suffered sexual violence.
6. Pediatric AIDS. A single dose of the drug Nevirapine, given to a mother during child birth, will reduce the chance that her baby will be infected by 50%. A 50/50 chance. It has been discovered that Nevirapine actually reduces the effect of ARVs down the road for the women that take Nevirapine during child birth. So, their babies will have a 50/50 chance of not being infected with the virus during child birth, but the mothers will die because Nevirapine reduces the effectiveness of ARVs they are taking. In North America, people who are HIV+ are generally put on a triple full course of ARVs. If women are taking the triple full course, and give birth, the mother to child transmission of the virus is reduced by 99%.

An amazing evening. A bit discouraging. Enlightening. Completely inspiring. 500 people attended. I think it's safe to say that all of us walked away feeling more passionate about working to address the crisis of AIDS worldwide.

Stephen Lewis event

2010-10-22T13:06:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! Well, I am gearing up for this evening. Six MCC Alberta staff are going to hear Stephen Lewis speak at a Grandmothers to Grandmothers (a program of the Stephen Lewis Foundation) event. I'm excited to hear Mr. Lewis speak! A few days ago I received a call from one of the organisers asking me to sing a song at the event. Foolishly, I said "Sure!" Now I'm getting seriously nervous. Where are you Darryl??

Anyway, I will haul my guitar, my voice, and a dictionary to the event (Stephen Lewis has the most amazing vocabulary!), and I know I will come away inspired and energised by the evening. If you are not familiar with the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, check it out online.

We'll take some pictures of the evening and post them this evening.

Kim

Sweet Interlude

2010-10-17T00:56:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed singing at Sweet Interlude, a fundraiser at Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary. The highlight for us was definitely singing four songs with the students:
- With my own two hands
- Glory Bound
- Take your place (at the table)
- The House

Here's a rough video of us singing Take your place (at the table), with them. Stick it out until the end... you can finally hear them singing. Up on the stage, it was awesome.

Take Your Place with Menno Simons singers from darryl on Vimeo.

Joel Kiranto

2010-09-29T21:26:00.002-05:00

Joseph and Elizabeth Kiranto welcome their new baby, Joel!

2010-09-29T21:23:00.002-05:00

Joseph welcomes Joel home from the hospital. Three days old.

Brandon Relief Sale

2010-09-29T20:56:00.005-05:00

Teaching "Take Your Place at the Table" to the folks at the Brandon Relief Sale.

Kari Enns, MCCA Peace & Youth Program Coordinator, Kristy Letkeman and Debbie Martins. CD sellers extraordinaire!

Abbotsford, Brandon and Edmonton

2010-09-27T02:23:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! It's been a while since we have written on this blog. Sorry about that! We have really enjoyed our concerts over the past month, but we are behind in our updates! Over the past few weeks we have visited Abbotsford, BC, Brandon, MB, and Edmonton, AB. The folks that planned the events in each place were wonderful and welcoming, and created really great spaces and events for us to sing at. I hope to add more details, along with some pictures, in the next few days!

Kim

Next stop, BC

2010-09-03T17:18:00.000-05:00

So, we're singing at a few events in BC next weekend related to their MCC Relief Sale. Check the schedule on the official take your place site. The link is to your left.

Hurtin' 4 Haiti

2010-07-26T00:16:00.002-05:00

Sunday, July 25/10. Five runners arrive in Calgary, after 9 days of running from Winnipeg to Calgary. The group, Bill, James, Donovan, Chantal, Wade, Neil and Flavio (massage therapist extraordinaire), ran for Haiti. What began as a small idea soon grew to inspiration and then one idea fed another, and within a very short period of time, a concrete plan was born! Five runners would make the trek from Winnipeg to Calgary, averaging 25 to 30 kms/day each, running, in relay form. And today they arrived in Calgary. What an accomplishment! Me, Abe Janzen and Adam Beriault met them at Foothills Mennonite Church where some of them will stay for the night. They will head back to Winnipeg tomorrow morning. We are so grateful for their determination and commitment to help the people of Haiti. Although this is not specifically about AIDS, it is about a country in desperate need of help, with multiple layers...economic, housing, water, food, medical. It is all related, and MCC is so grateful for their effort!

2010-07-20T01:30:00.004-05:00

Albany Mennonite Church

Folks dancing their way to the offering basket

Singing "Together Tomorrow" with the crowd

A great three days in Seattle and Portland

2010-07-19T23:29:00.004-05:00

What a great weekend! Friday night at Seattle Mennonite, Saturday evening at the Hess Yoder place, Sunday morning at Lebanon Mennonite, and Sunday evening at Albany Mennonite. We had the privilege of singing to more than 400 people, meeting really amazing folks, listening to Abe Janzen (MCCA Executive Director) inspire and challenge the crowds (and us) to respond to the crisis of AIDS.

Each concert had a group of volunteers who organized and advertised the events. Bob and Barb Buxman (MCC West Coast) worked for months prior, both with the committee's and with raising funds, and attended each of the events, representing MCC, giving greetings, selling cds, doing so much in front and behind the scenes. By the end of the weekend, more than $53,000 was raised for the Generations program!

One of my favourite moments at each of the concerts was the offering time. Just in front of the stage were large baskets, and people were invited to come forward (some people even danced forward!) and give their offerings as Darryl and I sang a song. This is a common practice in many churches around the world, but not so common in Mennonite churches. We experienced this in Kenya, and were inspired by the public show of commitment and accountability of giving. In North America, we tend to view our giving as private and personal. In Kenya, what we saw was a public commitment to sharing what was available with the church community. Everyone gave something. The amount didn't matter. Giving mattered. This is what we saw this weekend, and it was overwhelming to watch.

Thanks, Bob and Barb, the committee's, our hosts, and all the good people who came to listen and give!

2010-07-19T22:49:00.005-05:00

Taking our place at the table, waiting to sing
at the Hess Yoder event

Singing...

Abe speaking at the HY event

Singing at Albany Mennonite Church

The Bades

2010-07-18T02:12:00.001-05:00

Pictures from Seattle

2010-07-18T02:10:00.003-05:00

Seattle Mennonite Church

2010-07-18T01:46:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! Day two of our West Coast tour is over. Last night we were hosted by Seattle Mennonite Church, and enjoyed time with folks there. Darryl and I sang for about 45 minutes, we showed some video footage of recording music in Najile, as well as video footage of the work that Joseph does with the Generations Program (included in the cd package). Abe Janzen (MCCA Executive Director), shared compelling stats about HIV/AIDS, and shared stories from his travels to visit MCC partners working with HIV/AIDS in Congo, Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya.

Seattle Mennonite runs a Community Ministries Program that reaches out to the homeless in Seattle, welcoming them into their church community, and offering supports and connecting people to various programs and services. We had some good visits with really wonderful people that we normally would not see at our concerts. We were blessed to be there.

We travelled from Seattle, WA, to Portland, OR, today. About a 3 hour drive. And this evening we were hosted at the Hess Yoder home, about 40 minutes outside of Portland, on a beautiful piece of land over looking the valley, with an astounding view of Mt. Hood. There were just over 100 people in attendance, and we all enjoyed a great meal, lots of visiting, some music and stories, all outside. A very warm reception! Thank you to the folks from Portland Mennonite Church for your planning and work!

Tomorrow morning we are on the road by 8 am to travel to Lebanon Mennonite Church. Abe will bring the sermon and Darryl and I will sing a few songs. We hope to do some touring a bit in the afternoon, and then tomorrow evening we are in Albany for our final performance.

Off to Pacific Region

2010-07-14T16:08:00.001-05:00

Well, our next concerts are in Seattle, Portland area, and Albany area. We're really looking forward to our time there. For specific event locations and times, please visit our "official" Take Your Place site linked there on the left.

In Kenyan news, our good friend Joseph had another transportation incident. He was thrown from the back of a truck and sustained a few minor fractures. Apparently he is now recovering and in good spirits.

2010-06-19T23:38:00.001-05:00

Noreen, MCCA Board member, and her very sweet 5 week old grandson. Youngest Relief Sale visitor!

2010-06-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

Henry is either meditating or snoozing...not sure which.

2010-06-19T23:33:00.001-05:00

Ernie Engbrecht, Phil Klassen and Abe Janzen, working through details of the Relief Sale auction.

2010-06-19T23:31:00.000-05:00

John signing tshirts...great celebrity face!

Some MCCA staff and Cindy

2010-06-19T23:25:00.002-05:00

2010-06-19T23:21:00.002-05:00

Orlando Vasquez, (MCCA Program Director and Refugee Sponsorship Program supervisor), flashing the Take Your Place cd at the Relief Sale!

Auctioning off the Oringa that Joseph gave to me

2010-06-19T23:08:00.002-05:00

The first auction item was a beaded meeting stick, or Oringa, that Joseph gave to me at the end of his year in Alberta. I spoke with Joseph on Thursday to get more details on what kind of symbolism the Oringa has among the Massai. He told me that the Oringa is a stick that has been beaded from the bottom to the top, with colourful glass beads, and is used in community gatherings and celebrations as a symbol of peace. The Oringa is never to be used in a meeting where conflict or violence may occur. If the Oringa is used for violence, then the glass beads will break. And when violence happens in a community, then the community begins to break. The chief holds the Oringa and greets and addresses the crowd, and the Oringa is a respected symbol of peace. The Oringa fetched $900 in the auction!

2010-06-19T23:05:00.001-05:00

Cindy laughing after Abe cracked a joke about the Cindy Klassen quarter, with the Queen on one side, and Cindy on the other.

2010-06-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

Cindy signing John's bike-a-thon tshirt.

2010-06-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

Cindy and a young fan!

Some photos from the bike-a-thon and Relief Sale

2010-06-19T22:57:00.003-05:00

Three generations of riders from the Schellenberg family, and Cindy...honourary Schellenberg!

Adam, Cindy and John

2010-06-19T22:44:00.004-05:00

1451 kms were cycled by John and Adam, 90 of those with Cindy Klassen and about 60 others. A total of $181,000 raised for Cycle South for AIDS, and an additional $20, 130 raised through the bike-a-thon...grand total of $201,130 for MCC's Generations Program! What an amazing thing to be a part of and to celebrate!

Cycle South for AIDS, Cindy Klassen and the Coaldale Relief Sale

2010-06-19T00:59:00.002-05:00

The perfect storm! After yesterday's stormy ride from Nanton to Lethbridge in up to 70 plus km winds and rain, today's ride from Lethbridge to Coaldale (11 km), and the following bike-a-thon routes of 10 km, 45 km, and 90 km, was a breeze! Add to that an Olympic gold medalist by the name of Cindy Klassen, an incredible Relief Sale with amazing auction items, food, and people, and today was the perfect storm! Cindy arrived in Coaldale around 11:00 am, to the delight of volunteers, MCCA staff, media and onlookers. Shaw TV, Global TV, and the Lethbridge Herald were all there, and interviewed Adam, John and Cindy. And then the pictures began with Cindy...over and over and over...and she is such a kind and gracious person and obliged anyone that approached her. She brought so much energy and excitement to the bike-a-thon and the sale. There were 62 riders today, and a total of $20,103 was raised! Add this to the $181,000 for Cycle South, and we are now at $201,130 for the Generations Program! Amazing!

So, this part of the journey comes to a close. It's kind of sad in a way. It has been a lot of fun being a part of the support driving team for Adam and John. Watching their determination riding through terrible head winds, rain, hills...up and down, and down and up...has been nothing short of inspiring. Their efforts have raised the profile of the crisis of AIDS, and MCC's work with partners worldwide. We are all so proud of them. It has been a privilege to be a part of this.

A heads up...there is talk that Cycle South for AIDS will be repeated next year, only it may become Cycle East for AIDS, from Alberta to Manitoba...and if we can work it around Cindy Klassen's schedule, then she will be joining the riders! Stay tuned! And thank you to everyone for reading the blog, for supporting Cycle South with good wishes, prayers, and donations. The money raised will make a huge difference in the lives of so many affected by AIDS. Our hope and prayer is that we will all take our place and do what we can, where we can, with what we have.

Kim

2010-06-15T23:23:00.000-05:00

2010-06-15T23:21:00.000-05:00

2010-06-15T23:20:00.000-05:00

2010-06-15T23:12:00.002-05:00

2010-06-15T23:10:00.002-05:00

2010-06-15T23:08:00.000-05:00

2010-06-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

Day 10 pics

2010-06-15T23:00:00.004-05:00

Menno Simons Christian School and MCCA Cycle South for AIDS

2010-06-15T22:38:00.003-05:00

Day 10 was awesome! John, Adam, Abe and I (along with Iliana Friesen, Pholani Dlamini, Hun Ryu and Michael Harms...MCCA staff and IVEPers), met at Menno Simons school at 8:30 this morning. There was a 45 minute chapel with the junior high students and staff, focused entirely on MCC's work with HIV/AIDS, and the Cycle South for AIDS with John and Adam. Abe interviewed John and Adam, and Pholani (IVEPer at MCCA) for the students. We watched a really powerful 30 minute documentary called "Living With Slim," which focuses on 7 children/youth from different countries in Africa, who are all HIV+. Very compelling movie, and it gave the kids and staff a real sense of the urgency of raising awareness and money for HIV/AIDS. After the chapel we posed for some shots with the whole group, donned our helmets and set off on a 40 km ride on beautiful Calgary bike trails. A few delays along the way...rain, a minor bike accident, and a flat tire for Adam (first one in over 1000 kms)...thanks Anne and Iliana for saving the day!! We ended at Fish Creek Park in south Calgary, enjoyed a hot dog roast together, and then John and Adam continued on for an additional 76 kms, ending in Nanton, AB.

Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day for John and Adam. Both are very happy to NOT ride their bikes tomorrow. Thursday morning we drive out to Nanton, and then they hit the road one last time for Coaldale, about 135 kms.

The goal of raising $170,000 for MCC's Generations Program has been surpassed and is now over $176,000 and counting. A big, big shout out to Kennedy Krahn, a student at Menno Simons, who has been raising money and awareness for the Generations Program for the past few years! Today she presented us with yet another great donation...her savings from her piggy bank...$40.38...thank you Kennedy!!! Every single donation counts and makes a difference in people's lives around the world!

Kim

The Water Valley Hitching Post News

2010-06-15T01:03:00.002-05:00

Hi all,

A good day behind the wheel and on the bike. John and Adam rode hard, lots and lots of hills, but good humour, Mars Bars, Winegums and other treats saved the day! My neice, Heather Schellenberg, and I, spent the day in the van supporting. Adam and John began their ride just north of Water Valley today. They were met at the General Store in Water Valley by a reporter from the Hitching Post News, who interviewed them and took some great photos...thankyou! And then on to Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary, where they were greeted by Menno students, and encouraged by the 1097 kms ridden so far! Only 2 more riding days until they reach Coaldale, and then a 90 km ride with Cindy Klassen and 40 or so others on Friday, and Cycle South for AIDS will be complete. To date, $175,000 plus has been raised through Cycle South for AIDS for MCC's Generations Program. Amazing. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to this very worthy cause!!

I will download pictures from today tomorrow...does that make sense??

Kim

Back in the drivers seat

2010-06-13T23:39:00.002-05:00

Adam and John reached Cremona today, with a few other riders...Jeff, Ingrid and Eli Janssen Schellenberg, Byron Thiessen, and Michael Harms. It was a shorter and slower day for them...only 84 kms as opposed to the crazy 161 kms they have done in past days. Rod Reynar and Michael Harms also handed in their keys to the support driving van, and tomorrow I am back in the drivers seat, following behind, supporting as best I can. I'm looking forward to it. Their morning faces and grunts and groans, their kind of happier faces as we pass them treats on the way, their almost ok faces at lunch, and their beaming and happy faces at the end of a long biking day. We are so proud of their determination and commitment. Only 3 more biking days until the bike-a-thon in Coaldale with Cindy Klassen, Olympic gold medalist! Should be fun!

Tomorrow Adam and John ride from Cremona to Menno Simons Christian School in southwest Calgary. They hope to arrive there just prior to the end of the school day, to greet students and get them excited for Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, some MCCA staff, Adam and John, will be participating in a chapel at Menno, talking about Cycle South, and watching a 30 minute video called "Living with Slim". It is a documentary that highlights the lives of seven children/youth in Africa who are all HIV+. It is a gripping documentary, and will hopefully give the students an idea of why this Cycle South initiative is so important. And then after chapel, we don our helmets (yes, I'm riding too...and I'm pretty sure I will collapse half way through) and off we go on a 40km ride through Calgary, on a bike path that follows the river most of the way, and ends at Lake Sikome with a weiner roast. After that, Adam and John will continue on their way for another few hours until they reach Claresholm.

All for now.

A few more day 5 pics

2010-06-10T17:25:00.006-05:00

Day 5...It's the end of the road for me and Anne

2010-06-10T16:23:00.002-05:00

Hi all. Day 5 and some really big hills, or valleys, whichever. Adam and John are working hard today, slogging it up hill after hill as semis and campers and cars scream past them and us. Their determination is pretty astounding, and as their aunt (yes, I'm their aunt), I am so deeply proud of what they are doing for the Generations program, raising awareness and funds for people like Joseph, who work on the ground, caring for people so deeply impacted by AIDS. Pretty phenomenal.

Sadly, today Anne and I pass the torch (keys) to two new support drivers, Rod Reynar and Michael Harms. They will carry on with John and Adam providing good support, snacks, gatorade, and anything else they might need. We really are quite sad to be going home and leaving them. They are inspirational to be around, and a lot of fun too. Thanks John and Adam for Taking Your Place!!

Here are a few pics from day 5....plus a special shout out to John and Adam's sister, Kaelin, and my niece, who turned 25 five today. Happy Birthday, Kaelin! Thanks also to the Pomeroy Inn in Valleyview...a very generous free two night stay!

Rocky and the Muskeg Farmer Crew

2010-06-09T22:45:00.004-05:00

Hi again everyone. For some reason Anne and I had a bit more energy this evening than John and Adam, so after supper we took a drive through Valleyview and came across a mini Calgary Stampede midway with rides and games and popcorn, etc. Lots of folks having fun, lots of screaming, laughing and yelling. As Anne and I walked around we saw a man sitting on a bench watching the fun and having a smoke. He had such a great face, we couldn't resist saying hi to him and visiting for a bit. He told us his name is Rocky. He's from Sturgeon Lake and has been working as a fire fighter since he was 15 years old. He talked about how forest fires work, how they create their own wind and turn on you when you least expect it. He was fascinating. And a kind and gentle soul. He is the head crew member of the Muskeg Farmer Crew. In the end he let us take a few pictures with him, and with another crew member, Ian. Turned into a very rich evening. Thanks Rocky and Ian.

Wind Breaks

2010-06-09T16:50:00.010-05:00

Here are a few pics from the start of day 4, mid day, and the days km total.

Today has been a bit tougher than the last three. This morning the first half hour of the ride was almost as tough as the full day ride yesterday, according to John. The wind was blowing from the south east, and slowing them down. Anne suggested they ride side by side, and switch regularly, so as to break wind for each other. There was a pause, and then a lot of laughter. I told them that would be better than riding one in front of the other and breaking wind for each other.

As support drivers we are finally figuring out that it's not actually helpful for us to roll up beside the cyclist to hand them water or snacks and make them slow down to 15 km while doing it. It's much more helpful to do it at the same speed they are riding. Who knew.

The Mighty Peace River Hill

2010-06-08T16:49:00.003-05:00

Post by Anne: Wow! Quite the marathon undertaking today! Adam & John made it to the top of the mammoth Peace River hill with seemingly little effort. The managed the very steep 5 km incline in only 17 minutes! According to John, I guess this was a valley, not a hill. He says a valley goes down, then up, and a hill goes up, then down! Go figure! And then they just kept going, and going; stopping in Nampa only very briefly. We are now continuing on to Donnelly Corner, and who knows, maybe farther...the guys seem to have an unending supply of energy.

Kim has taken some fabulous photos of the very scenic Peace River valley. We'll have to make sure those pics are available to everyone. I guess we can only load so many on this site, but to do justice to this trek, you will need to see her whole photo album.

An interview with the Peace River Record Gazette

2010-06-08T16:19:00.003-05:00

Erin, from the Peace River Record Gazette, interviewed John and Adam and took some pictures of them. We met her on the north end of Peace River in the IGA parking lot. She asked some great questions, made lots of notes, took down info for the website, blogs, and donation information. Very cool. Adam and John did a great job, and look mighty spiffy in the shots! Thanks Peace River!

Jen, your mother did not listen to you

2010-06-08T16:03:00.003-05:00

Ninja's at Deadwood

2010-06-08T14:07:00.001-05:00

A few more pics from day 2

2010-06-08T14:00:00.002-05:00

Close call. Just made it to Manning in time! Anne got a bit confused about distance on day 2. Alas, it's so hard to find good support drivers now a-days.

The cycle of a lifetime for the lifetime of others

2010-06-08T00:05:00.004-05:00

We have had so much support from so many people. Joanna Hiebert Bergen, Binational Generations Program Coordinator, has been so helpful in encouraging us, giving us information about MCC partners working with HIV/AIDS, and giving us energy and inspiration to keep going. Today she sent us a note that said, "Wishing you well on this cycle of a lifetime for the lifetime of others." Such a great line. John and Adam are indeed on the cycle of a lifetime for the lifetime of others.

We received a note from Joseph last week that told us that Susan, a client of the Najile POMC AIDS program, died. We met Susan in October and listened as she shared her story. She had lived with AIDS for ten years. She was one of the first clients at the POMC program. Joseph told us that surviving AIDS for ten years was a good, long time. In Canada, AIDS is considered a chronic condition, treated with the latest medications. People can live long and productive lives. In developing countries, the life expectancy of people living with AIDS is ten years, depending on their access to ARV's, nutritious food, clean water, and support. The hope, says Joseph, is to keep people alive long enough so that their children can take care of themselves. Sad reality. And reason to keep going.

Hills go down and up and up and down...who knew

2010-06-07T22:53:00.003-05:00

Day two of Cycle South for AIDS...Today's km goal was 136. John and Adam rode 160! We are in Peace River for night rather than Manning because of the crazy pace these two are keeping! Not easy riding, lots of hills...and hills, as John knows, go both down and up. Anne warned them the ride today would be tough with the hills. John said, "Like, down and up hills?" We were not aware that there are any other kind of hills. Interesting. His comment made me and Anne laugh the whole day. John, not so much. Tomorrow is "pick on Adam" day.

All the hotels that we are staying in from LaCrete to Lethbridge are sponsoring Cycle South and have given us rooms at no cost. Very generous. And the van we are renting from Enterprise has been given to us at 50% off for two weeks. Wonderful!

Jazz Hands John

2010-06-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

Getting a jump-start on day 2 of Cycle South for AIDS

2010-06-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Donation on the Tompkins Landing Ferry

2010-06-07T13:06:00.002-05:00

As we crossed the Peace River yesterday, one of the staff on the ferry handed Anne a business card, pen and $40. A couple named Tina and Herman Wiebe had driven past Adam and John and saw the Cycle South for AIDS van, and when they reached the ferry, they asked the staff to hand this donation to us when we arrived. Pretty amazing! Thanks, Tina and Herman!

LaCrete Commissioning service, and the cutest cyclist around

2010-06-07T00:22:00.004-05:00

2010-06-07T00:03:00.005-05:00

This morning we attended the LaCrete Christian Fellowship service, where Peter Fehr led a commissioning service for John and Adam, and I sang a few songs and talked about the Generations Program. What a very warm and affirming congregation! We were welcomed so warmly and affirmed in our efforts and blessed by so many people. After the service we were invited for lunch to Jen and Kevin Janzen's...a feast...and then John and Adam were off! They cycled to just south of Paddle Prairie!

2010-06-06T23:38:00.003-05:00

Friday afternoon Abe, Darryl and I drove north from Calgary to Edson (about 4.5 hours) for a concert at the Red Brick Arts Centre...a really lovely and intimate theatre. We had a great time with the folks in Edson! Thanks Glen and others for all of your work, and thanks to everyone for buying cds and making donations!

After the concert we drove an hour north to Whitecourt where we spent the night. Bright and early on Saturday morning we hit the road for LaCrete...about a 5 hour drive. We arrived at about 2:00 and went to the LaCrete Heritage Centre where we sang to about 150 people, visited, told stories, and listened to a very compelling presentation on MCC's work in Haiti, post-earthquake. Paul Driedger travelled to Haiti with an MCC medical team and talked about his experiences there. Thank you Jake, Eva, David, Sharon, Paul, and I'm sure many others, for organizing the afternoon event!

heading north this weekend

2010-06-03T21:34:00.002-05:00

Concerts in Edson, just west of Edmonton, and then La Crete, way north the next day, then back down to Calgary the following day. There's quite a community of MCC supporters up in La Crete... so, we drive.

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G8 warned of ‘moral betrayal’ over AIDS funding

2010-05-31T13:36:00.002-05:00

This article makes it all the more critical that we keep at fundraising for HIV/AIDS work!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/africa/g8-warned-of-moral-betrayal-over-aids-funding/article1583868/
Full article included below.

G8 warned of ‘moral betrayal’ over AIDS funding
Summit’s emphasis on maternal health will mean little, critics say, without funding for treatment of one of the world’s leading killers of women
Geoffrey York
Johannesburg — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, May. 28, 2010 4:04AM EDT Last updated on Friday, May. 28, 2010 8:04AM EDT
While the G8 is putting maternal health at the top of its agenda for next month’s summit, fears are growing that the club of wealthy nations is neglecting one of the biggest killers of women: AIDS.
Many of the biggest Western donors are freezing or reducing their budgets for AIDS treatment, leaving nine million people at growing risk of death because they cannot get medicine, including six million in Africa alone, activists say.

A study in The Lancet last month estimated that AIDS is responsible for 61,000 of the 350,000 annual deaths worldwide of women in childbirth or pregnancy. The impact is harshest in Africa, causing a rise in maternal deaths in eastern and southern Africa even as most other parts of the world are seeing a decline.
Women with the AIDS virus are at much greater risk of weakening and dying in pregnancy and childbirth, when their immune system is already low. A study this year found that HIV-positive women in Zimbabwe, for example, have a far higher risk of dying within two years of childbirth, compared to other women. In fact, HIV/AIDS is the biggest cause of maternal death in many African countries.
Despite the G8’s new focus on maternal health, its leaders seem unaware of the impact of AIDS on women and are backtracking on the G8’s earlier pledges of universal access to life-saving medicine, critics say.
“What’s being proposed is to take resources from HIV and give them to maternal health, but you cannot separate the two, because it’s the same patient,” said Mit Philips, health policy analyst at Médecins Sans Frontières.
“Donors seem to be losing interest in the fight against AIDS,” she said. “There are early, but clear, signs of donor retreat. We’re extremely worried by this. We already have a huge treatment gap, and this will only widen the gap.”
Most African countries are heavily dependent on foreign funds for the vast majority of their AIDS medicine. But after years of progress in the fight against the disease, those gains are now being reversed, MSF said.
In a study released on Thursday in Johannesburg, MSF found mounting evidence of drug shortages in the eight African countries that it studied. In some countries clinics are turning away AIDS patients, and there are increasing disruptions in supply.
In Congo, for example, the study found that the number of new AIDS patients able to get treatment has fallen by more than 80 per cent. Declines have also been recorded in Uganda and South Africa. And MSF itself has been asked to step in to provide emergency drug supplies in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Congo, Uganda and Kenya.
“As an HIV patient, this makes me feel very worried and vulnerable,” said Jimmy Gideyi, a 55-year-old Kenyan widower who has survived with HIV for the past six years because of the anti-retroviral drugs that he is receiving.
“I don’t think the donors really understand what is at stake,” he said. “It will mean the end of life for many people in Kenya, in Africa and in the developing world. Ultimately, we shall die.”
Eric Goemaere, medical co-ordinator for MSF in South Africa, recalled the early days of AIDS treatment in Africa, when most patients were brought in to clinics on stretchers because they were too weak to stand up. Doctors had to stabilize the patients before their treatment could even begin. When drugs became more widely available, most patients were healthy enough to walk in to the clinics on their own – but these gains will disappear if donors continue to cut back, he said.
The best medicine is available to AIDS patients in wealthy nations, yet there are growing shortages of crucial drugs in the poorer nations, Dr. Goemaere said. “Are we going back to a double standard of care?” he asked. “If this trend is confirmed, I’d call it a moral betrayal.”
While donors are capping or reducing their funds for AIDS, the number of people needing medicine has increased sharply as new guidelines for treatment are introduced. Across the world, barely one-third of the 14 million people with HIV have access to the medicine they need.
“In countries with high HIV rates, you can’t do anything to improve maternal health unless you tackle HIV,” Ms. Philips said.
Julio Montaner, a Vancouver scientist who heads the International AIDS Society, said the AIDS virus is still the leading global killer of women of reproductive age. In many African countries, about 30 per cent of women of reproductive age have the virus, he said.
“There will be no success in maternal and child health unless the G8 delivers on HIV/AIDS treatment,” he said.
“We have fallen short on our pledges to achieve universal access by 2010. Before we embrace new programs, we need to ensure that the G8 delivers on old pledges. Failure to do so will badly erode the credibility of the G8 and, more importantly, it will preclude the success of any new health initiative.”

2010-05-22T00:08:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Well, 6 concerts, 530 people in total attendance, and just over 400 cds sold! It's been a great couple of weeks singing and promoting MCC's work with HIV/AIDS, hopefully raising awareness, and raising money for the work of MCC's partners. Thanks to everyone who came out and showed their support, hopefully enjoyed the music, bought cds, and donated money. Quite apart from the fun we have had, the issue is so critical and dire. Funding for HIV/AIDS is declining worldwide, from big governments and organizations, to individual donors. People are suffering even more, and no longer receiving the treatment they so desperately need.

I was caught off guard by a comment a few weeks ago by someone who said they didn't like AIDS, and would not give money to support the Generations Program, because "all of those people are just screwing around." Makes me want to weep. AIDS is far more complicated than unhealthy relationship choices. Rape has become a tool of war. Women and young girls are at such great risk. Poverty and hunger drive women to make awful choices to make sure that their children are fed. Cultural practices such as polygamy complicate the issue further. And so many more complexities in the crisis that is AIDS. And people that are suffering from no fault of their own, are stigmatized and left to suffer. It is tragic. But we know that there is also hope and amazing work happening around the world with MCC partners, and we want to continue to support them as much as we can.

We have met so many folks that have encouraged us to continue to raise awareness and money to support the work of Generations. Thank you!

Kim

Calgary Release Concert!

2010-05-16T01:21:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! We had a great time at Foothills! The gym was packed with friends and family! There was great food, lovely decorations, and hopefully some good music too! I find it way more nerve wracking singing in front of people I know, so tonight I think I hit the top in terms of nerves and stress...sorry Darryl and Jonny. But people seemed to enjoy themselves. On a couple of tunes we had Megan Enns, Heather Schellenberg, Rachel Braul and Jesse Thiessen join us. They, plus another 5 or 6 people, are on the cd on two tracks...The House and With My Own Two Hands. It was great fun to have them with us tonight!

Joseph called us today. It was so good to visit with him again. When he called he was having a late supper with Elizabeth and her family. After exchanging greetings, he told us about his week. The budget for the AIDS program in Najile is spent. They have no money to take on more patients, particularly those in the second stage of AIDS, who require more intensive care and treatment. So, on Joseph's regular rounds of walking and visiting clients, he was told about a man who was abandoned by his family because he had AIDS, and was living, suffering, on his own. Joseph decided to check in on him. Tepipe was very ill, and needed immediate treatment. Joseph spent much of the week with him, caring for him, getting home most nights long after midnight. He managed to take him to Nairobi on Friday. After being turned away at one hospital because of the cost of treatment, Joseph found a public hospital that was willing to give Tepipe a blood transfusion. Joseph will go to Nairobi tomorrow to visit him. I told him that the work he is doing is so good, so important, and hard. He said to me that God calls us to serve, but sometimes serving can be very complicated and difficult. The barriers that Joseph and the GAR staff and clients face are huge. Today Joseph challenged, moved, and inspired us again to do what we can to continue to raise awareness and money to support not only his work in Najile, but MCC partners worldwide who are involved in such critical work with AIDS. Humbling.