Village News (June 13, 2019)
By Gary Dyck

When I consider where my Mennonite ancestors have lived, I wonder if they have always been at ‘the right place, at the right time’? Did some leave Russia too soon? Compared to Canada there were some very good years of crops and wealth in the late 1800’s Russia. Did others stay too long? There was a lot of anarchy and death in 1920’s Russia. And what about those that went to Central Asia and China? After decades of journeying, most of them circled back to the herd. This reminds me of the Israelites and their 40-year hike from Egypt to their promised land.

I just checked my GPS and to walk from Egypt to Israel should only take seven days – one week! I don’t think people were that much slower than we are today, but we do live at a frenetic pace. Maybe they needed the 40 years in the desert to experience some valuable lessons, bind as a community and be prepared to handle their next inheritance. The Right Place, at the Right Time.

Athletes often use that phrase in their post-game interviews. However, no one can always be in the right place, at the right time. Sometimes you need to circle back to the slot and wait again for the pass. Maybe our goal should be to accept that sometimes it takes 40 years to get to that special place. Could it be, ‘the right place at the right time’ is actually where you are right now in your journey to your promise land? Take time to think about that.

When I lived overseas, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day would always sneak up on me. I didn’t have media preparing me weeks in advance. No one celebrated these events where I lived. So come Sunday morning I often found myself unpleasantly surprised when looking at our Canadian calendar I would see the small, but bold print – ‘Mother’s Day’. I would scramble through the fridge to see what I could scramble with the eggs. I still wanted to make it look like I had it all planned out. My wife always gratefully received our offerings. That said, it is Father’s Day this Sunday and we do provide a great buffet to treat Dad with. The right place, at the right time?

Another good option in addition to Father’s Day is to enjoy the Livery Barn Restaurant for Thursday suppers! The museum is open every Thursday evening until 8 pm and for the month of June, only the Livery Barn restaurant will be open until 7 pm! Enjoy the museum in the evening light. The setting makes for some amazing pictures. One tip I learned from a professional photographer; the majority of his pictures are taken near sunrise or sunset. The Right Place, at the Right Time.

The Mennonite Heritage Village will also be joining the community with the City of Steinbach between June 14-16 for the ‘Summer in the City’ festival. We hope you will stop by our booth for some delicious waffles with white sauce; a meal all by itself.  While you are there, play “Guess the Artifact” or just chat with someone.

Calendar of Events
June 13 at 7 pm     
Journey to a New Homeland: Stories of Migration
June 14-16
Summer in the City – Main Street, Steinbach
June 16 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Father’s Day Lunch Buffet
July 1
Canada Day @ MHV
July 13 from 11 am to 4 pm 
Heritage Classic Car Show