Harmonie in tune with Quebecois culture

For Sarah Bellefleur, a Mennonite from France, an experience as one of the first participants in MCC Quebec’s Harmonie program in 2000 certainly changed her life. But it’s an ongoing friendship with a pig farmer from Burkina Faso that made her experience as an 18-year-old flute player–adventurer something to write home about.

“We were like a little family,” she says, referring to the house next to MCC offices at 1212 rue du Fort, Montreal. MCC program directors Jean Victor and Annie Brosseau gave two Manitobans, three French youth, and one African keys to the house, a schedule, and left them on their own. “We cooked for each other, did projects, made music together, sang in hospitals – we had theological discussions,” says Sarah, a flute player since she was 6.

Sarah visits Nicodème in Orodara, Burkina Faso, where he was able to build a pig farm that benefits the whole community.

The name of the project – Harmonie – refers to the pleasant combination of different notes working together. Participants don’t have to be outright musicians, but sharing a universal language is a joyful way to learn from one another. “The music is more a means than a goal in itself,” says Annie Brosseau, who was also editor of Quebec’s MB French-language magazine, Le Lien, for 15 years.

All participants are from a Mennonite background and 18 to 24 years old. Their week consists of 16 hours of voluntary service, 6 hours of theological discussion, 9 hours of music, and 4 hours of spiritual disciplines. They’re able to reflect on their Anabaptist faith, put to work in one of the most secular cities in North America.

An international friendship

Over the eight months, Sarah became good friends with Nicodème. He was chosen by his church in Orodara, Burkina Faso and sponsored by MCC. On his trip, he was given a guitar when he displayed a natural gift for music.

“For me he is like a brother,” says Sarah, who grew up in Strasbourg, France and heard about Harmonie from missionaries studying French on their way to Burkina Faso. “We were all connected – but I just admire him so much. When he left it was very difficult. Our friendship became stronger as we wrote letters.”

“I wanted to make a difference in his life – he might have come to live in Canada, but he realized his place was in Burkina Faso. He had great potential as a man of God – I wanted to see his potential grow.”

“When he returned from Montreal, it was a big cultural shock because they expected to see him with money. ‘What did you bring for us?’ they asked.”

Often it’s difficult to send money overseas, but because of the friendship and trust made through Harmonie, Sarah knew Nicodème’s dream of building a pig farm would benefit his entire community.

In August 2007, Sarah and her husband David visited Nicodème in Burkina Faso, where they got to know his community and church involvement.

“We continue to build this relationship – whenever he needs something we can always be there for him.”

Siaka Traore, the pastor of Nicodème’s church in Orodara, says the Harmonie program has given participants in his congregation “a broad vision of God’s work” and a crucial cross-cultural experience that helps them orient new Westerners in the country.

Today, Sarah works at Logifem, a faith-based crisis shelter for women in Montreal. She makes a point of keeping in touch with new Harmonie participants at the beginning of each year.

Live out the gospel

The story is an example of the many small experiences whose effects are hard to measure, says Annie Brosseau. Along with her husband Jean Victor, they oversee a number of young adult programs, including Summerbridge, and SALT – Serving and Learning Together.

For 40 years, Quebec churches have poured their energy into evangelism. “But now the 1st generation needs to incarnate their theology,” says Brosseau. “People tend to confuse faith and culture here. Evangelism is seen as an act of cultural imperialism – often equated with America.”

“Quebecers are more open to the Anabaptist tradition,” she says. “We believed that the gospel could be lived rather than just shared.” Harmonie gives young people a chance to try it out.

Since August 2007, MCC Quebec has partnered directly with the Quebec MB Conference (AEFMQ) as an active member of the conference’s General Council, sharing resources for social justice work and projects such as Harmonie.