Bethany College students spend day in exile

In a far-away, war-ravaged country, innocent men, women and children march through the night into cold uncertainty with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. A wrong look or hesitant answer might result in bloodshed. Documents out of order could mean detention, imprisonment or worse. For women, the danger is greater still.

Such is life as a refugee. As Canadians with no similar point of reference, it can be hard to relate. But on Oct. 6, during the school’s annual Missions Conference, students from Bethany College in Hepburn came to understand first-hand the danger, discomfort and desolation of life as a refugee.

The program is called In Exile . . . For Awhile. Sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), In Exile . . . For Awhile is a refugee camp simulation that offers youth a glimpse into the suffering of refugees around the world.

Without warning, the students were forced out of the comfort of the school and into the cold, where they were loaded into a large grain truck and driven over bumpy roads towards destinations unknown. “At first I thought it would only last a few minutes, and then we’d have lunch,” recalled freshman Jason Massie. After driving for an indefinite amount of time, the “refugees” were unloaded and ordered to lie face down on the road while their captors searched and looted their possessions. “They began to put pressure on us,” said Massie, “and I knew it was serious.”

In addition to the humiliation of being interrogated and “registered” in an unfamiliar language, “they took one guy away and ‘shot’ him, to set an example to the rest of us,” Massie recalled. “It was pretty intense.” Two men took a female student away from the group, stressing the dangers specific to refugee women. Others, forced to carry dolls and other equipment, discovered the complications of fleeing with children or belongings.

Later in the day, Massie and the other students heard from two recent immigrants who told of months spent in hiding while waiting for passports out of their volatile region of Africa. “This experience gave us a little taste of what it is actually like,” he said.

Students at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., participate in a very realistic refugee simulation Oct. 6, as part of the school’s mission conference.

What does the Lord require of you?

In Exile . . . For Awhile was just one aspect of Bethany College’s Mission Conference, held October 5–7. The theme was social injustice, as in Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Twenty-two missions participated with displays and information. Local churches were invited to take part as well. Ricky Sanchez, MBMSI missionary in Thailand, spoke on the oft-overlooked impact of white, educated North Americans ministering to the poor from a position of power and wealth. Ed Nyce, working with MCC in Palestine, told stories, not only of injustice, but of forgiveness and love between the Palestinians and Israelis, and their efforts towards justice. Stacey Toews introduced his company, Level Ground Trading, in Victoria, which sells dried fruit and coffee from Colombia and provides fair wages and education scholarships for over 100 Colombian youth. Toews challenged the students to be wise stewards without exploiting foreign labourers.

“People definitely learn a lot through experience,” said Trevor Godard, Bethany’s Missions Director, who spent 14 years in Colombia operating a ministry in which young people live, work and learn through one-on-one discipleship and training to impact people within their own country. “Young people connect by living something – seeing it and doing it – not just by talking about it. In Exile . . . For Awhile isn’t the real thing, but it’s as close as we can get.”

—Connie L. Jones