by Gary Dyck

At the Mennonite Heritage Village we have a lot to be thankful. Despite being closed in May, June and part of July we were still able to host many visitors in August and another 9000 throughout the September long weekend when Summer in the City visited Fall on the Farm.

Our outdoor heritage buildings are now closed, but it is still a great time to stroll our grounds. Everything looks so different in the autumn light. Come with your camera and get some amazing photos. Visit the pond and see hundreds of geese coming and going (especially if you get too close). I’m so thankful that we now have shoreline that won’t erode and soon a path to circumnavigate it.

If you are like me, there are times when you feel you aren’t accomplishing much, that your energy is lacking. However, some of life’s endeavours take much more time and the progress is hard to discern in our common quantities of minutes, hours and days. There is a season for everything. May this poem encourage you to receive and pass on some goodness to others this weekend. Happy thanksgiving from the Mennonite Heritage Village!

The Sun is Here

In summer I look at the birch, I see the sun is here.
Trunks,
limbs,
branches,
twigs with sprigs
all reach to greet the light.

Flourishing in all directions
they take in energy by green fistfuls.

In winter I loo at that birch again,
I see how the sun was here.
Trunk wider,
limbs taller,
branches further
and twigs more numerous.

I look again, and see the sun is here.

Upcoming Events

• MHV gift shop and galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday. The grounds are available for strolling (but heritage buildings are closed), come and see the geese at the pond as they start their migration!
• Mennonites at War Speaker Series, October 19th. Join us for our final installment of the ‘Mennonites at War’ online series. Guest speaker Bruxy Cavey is the senior pastor of a multi-site Anabaptist congregation in Ontario called ‘The Meeting House’ and best-selling author. Register for free on our website today! See www.mhv.ca for more information.

Photo caption: The Regal Celebration Maple on MHV’s main street displays a brilliant red in autumn.