28-30 May 2014. Dr. Willard Metzger, Executive Director of Mennonite Church Canada, visited Mindanao and encouraged us during the joint spiritual retreat of the PeaceBuilders Community and Coffee For Peace. Willard was accompanied by Gordon Janzen, MCCanada Witness Facilitator for Asia.
Before coming to Davao City, they spent time with our sisters and brothers at Peace Church Philippines in Manila and then visited our PAR Team in Valencia, Bukidnon. Willard and Gordon met with Emmanuel Alkuino, our PAR Leader in the Province of Bukidnon, who is also a pastor, an inventor, and a community development leader. Emmanuel Alkuino showed them his brick factory, his bamboo processing technology, and various farm technologies geared for the Philippine economic context.
Both Dann and I were encouraged by the visit of Willard and Gordon, especially as we spent a few days travelling together, dreaming, and strategizing on various projects that would advance the Gospel of Peace in this part of the globe. Our interaction with them helped us crystalize practical approaches on how the Anabaptist convictions, as applied in the context of the Philippines, would bring spiritual transformation, psycho-social transformation, socio-political transformation, and economic-ecological transformation in this land.