"We are all Canucks."

It will take some processing before we can convey more clearly the 'meat and potatoes' of our experience in Sierra Leone. Right now, I can't imagine being able to distill the experience into 'sound bytes.' Maybe that should always be the case. I can say that experiencing extreme poverty and extreme hospitality have left their mark. We hope to compile some video footage and make that available to churches in BC.

Now I know that hockey may not be the best parallel for the spread of the gospel and the activity of God, but I can think of worse ones. And for some readers, the Vancouver Canucks hockey team may be difficult to align yourself with. Still, in recent years the folks at the Vancouver Canucks' parent company, Orca Bay, have trumpetted the following slogan: "We Are All Canucks."

And, as Canadians (with the shared nickname, Canucks) on this trip (Martin, Dave, Joel, Dennis and Sid), we can certainly testify to our shared history and values, even if names like "Oilers" or "Flames" or "Leafs" get in the way sometimes.

In one of the villages in Sierra Leone, in perhaps the last place on earth you might expect to see it, we found a boy wearing a Canucks hat:

I happen to think the boy has brilliant taste.
As you may have guessed, there are very few copies of "The Hockey News" in Sierra Leone. Football is the sport of choice. It is played everywhere. Sierra Leonians support mostly British clubs. Our host, Rev. John Phiri, is a supporter of Manchester United. Very few keep up with the National Hockey League. So it shouldn't have been surprising that the news of Mats Sundin signing with the Canucks had not yet disseminated widely:Still, some will point to the following photo as evidence of the divine intervention the Vancouver Canucks desperately need. Perhaps they are right. I prefer to think that the photo is evidece that divine intervention is what all Canucks (Canadians) and Sierra Leonians need.

So, in one sense, "We are all Canucks."
But what's more, following the things we've seen, smelled and touched;
In light of the people we've met, fellowship we've enjoyed and church body we've encountered;
With the love we've received and given, the people who've welcomed and befriended us;
maybe it's better to say, "We are all Sierra Leonians."

-JR