Friday May 14, 2010

Friday was filled with two orientation meetings and more hands on experience. In the morning, we learned how to reach the Chinese population of Vancouver. Scott, our contact involved with the Chinese ministry, came to PLBC and shared his passion and much information with our group.
For instance, most of 400,000 the Chinese people in Vancouver came from China or Hong Kong and speak either Mandarin or Cantonese. Their religion, according to Scott, is most like a soup. It is a mixture of many different religions including Buddhism, Chinese folk religions such as ancestral worship, and many cults digressed from Christianity.
After lunch, Paul arrived to teach us about Sikhs. Paul spent many years living in India and he is more Indian than North American. The way he speaks, his gestures, and the way he acts simply screams Indian haha.
I can probably safely say that none of us had ever heard of Sikhs so we were very interested to learn of this new religious group. We had learned that a Sikh temple was a short walk down the road from us and some Sikhs lived in the neighborhood in which we are staying. Also, the men wearing turbans that we had so often seen around the city were not Muslims, but were Sikhs. The men wear turbans and the women wear head shawls because they believe that their hair is of extreme value and should be covered and protected.
The Sikhs are from Punjabi, India and also speak Punjabi. The religion originated from a religious war between the Muslims and Hindus of India. They believe in one main guru or god that they call Guru Nanak. They also live by three basic principles that include work hard and honest living, give money to the poor and take care of those around you, and remember the name of God.
The most interesting aspect to me was the fact that they believe many of the same things we as Christians believe. They are monotheistic and believe in God and Jesus. However, they believe Jesus was a saint and not the one true son of Jesus, a critical difference though.
Once our “classroom” orientation was finished, we went out onto “the field.” Paul took us to the Sikh temple where we took off our shoes, donned head wraps, and listened as their holy book was being read in Punjabi. The temple was beautifully decorated inside and out.
After observing their worship for approximately 20 minutes, we went to speak with a Sikh that wanted to share a little of his religion with us. We then went down to their food pantry of sorts where they serve food 24 hours a day to whoever is hungry. It was a great experience to try authentic Indian food in an authentic Sikh temple! We sat on a rug on the floor and ate with our hands. The food, for the most part, was delicious.
We had the chance to speak with another Sikh who offered to explain more of his religion and answer any questions that we had. It was interesting to hear of the religion from someone who practiced it every day. We asked a multitude of questions and he never seemed to tire of answering.
When we arrived back at PLBC, we debriefed with Paul and he answered more questions. Their religion and culture is truly intriguing.
After a long day of exhausting spiritual and mental work, we decided to wear ourselves our physically by playing kickball. After our game, we all traveled a short distance down the road to a little bundle of restaurants. Laura, Liesl, Marisol, Deon, and I ate Chinese and even had homemade fortune cookies.
With all the diversity, it isn't hard to see why people love to visit this place. For the native peoples here in Vancouver, the world and its cultures has come to them. These people are seeking so much more than a new place to plant their roots and begin afresh…And we are here to help them find it.