Tour Leader’s Blog

My wife (Norilynn) and I were sad and extremely worried to hear about the earthquake in China. The epicentre of this earthquake happened to be about 25 km from the town, Ya’an, where we lived and taught in the mid 1980’s.

Our thoughts and prayers immediately went to the people from that area. I was part of the MCC team that visited Iran right after their earthquake in 1990, and remember all too well the razed cities and stories of families torn apart by the tragedy. We know others are joining us in our prayers for the people of Sichuan, China at this time.

I am planning on leading a tour to China October 8-21 and we are visiting Sichuan province. I know that some might wonder if this is a good idea. The areas we are visiting are not affected directly by this earthquake. More importantly, however, is that when such things happen to a country, the ongoing economy is vital to recovery. The worst thing that can happen is that people stop coming. The tourism industry, so vital to China, needs people to come. The very fact of a group coming and spurring that economy is part of the recovery of the province. We will also be visiting Amity Foundation, a Chinese Christian Development Agency, who will be active in bringing relief and recovery to these areas. I am hoping that we as a tour group can make contributions to their efforts at bringing hope and recovery to these areas. We could deliver this when we meet with Amity. This would certainly fulfill TourMagination’s mission of building bridges among Mennonites among other Christians and faiths around the world.

~ Ed Epp

John Ruth was in southwestern Ontario from Thursday, May 8 to Saturday, May 10. The annual meeting and breakfast of Shalom Counselling Services (Waterloo) was held on Saturday at the Crosshill Mennonite Church and celebrated their 25th anniversary.

Wanda Wagler Martin, executive director, approached TourMagination to be the corporate sponsor for this event and invite John Ruth to be their guest speaker. John was asked to speak on “Forgiveness: Strategy, Skill or Story” based on his most recent book, Forgiveness: A Legacy of the West Nickel Mines Amish School. Two hundred persons attended this event early Saturday morning.

Since TourMagination sponsored and brought our most respected storyteller/tour leader to Ontario, we invited TourMagination friends to meet Thursday evening at the Stone Crock Restaurant in St. Jacobs. Thirty-eight persons attended the dinner and listened to John share a visual presentation entitled “New Insights into our Heritage from Recent European Tours.” What a delightful evening we had!

John has a tremendous gift of telling stories, helping individuals and families recognize their past, learn from their history and integrate those learnings into life.

On Friday evening, Milo and Laura Shantz invited John, Janet and me for an evening dinner. We enjoyed sitting around the dinner table and shared stories for more than three hours. It was another wonderful evening.

~ Wilmer Martin

Yesterday was the funeral service for my father, Omar R. Martin, at the Chambersburg Mennonite Church in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Janet and I received a call that my Dad was very low while we were on tour in Romania. We left the tour in the capable hands of Ed Epp, my co-leader who finished leading the group, and arrived in Pennsylvania a week ago.

Rev. Omar R. Martin

I was grateful that I could be with my father for four days prior to his death and stayed with him through three nights. He asked me to preach his funeral sermon which I found to be a challenge, but also a great privilege.

Some TM alumni may have met my Dad on one of our tours or during his many years of ministry in the Mennonite Church. My father, 88 years old, was a retired minister and bishop in the Church, who also had a successful farming career. We all rejoice because of his faith and hope, and that he is now in heaven with my mother and brother.

~ Wilmer Martin

At 8:15 a.m. this morning, Janet and I met with the thirty-two members of the senior class of Shalom Christian Academy, the advisors and some of the parents to review their senior mission trip to the island of Jamaica.

As a requirement for graduation, the Shalom senior class must travel to a developing country and do a service project. They asked TourMagination to plan their trip this year from May 19-27 to the country of Jamaica.

The group will fly from Baltimore, Maryland, to Montego Bay, on Monday, May 19th. During the nine days, the group will stay at a private villa. Daily activities will include time for devotions and reflection, painting and helping some of the rural country churches improve their facilities, doing activities with children and, of course, having time for relaxing and swimming at one of the beaches on the Caribbean Sea.

TourMagination has been taking tours to Jamaica for more than twenty years. Our in-country guide and driver, Audley, will provide interpretation on the life, culture and country of Jamaica. On Sunday morning, the students will have the opportunity to present the morning service at the Calvary Mennonite Church in the town of Retreat and then in the afternoon, climb the Dunn’s River Falls.

The excitement was high as we reviewed the program with the senior class, their advisors and parents. The school superintendent, Mr. Swartzentruber, discussed the importance of the mission trips in developing character and understanding for their students. He looks forward to working with TourMagination in possibly developing two or three additional destinations for students in future years. Cross-cultural exchanges are life-changing events. TourMagination is delighted to work with Shalom Christian Academy in fulfilling their mission as an educational institution.

~ Wilmer Martin

Janet and I were privileged to attend the MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) Convention from November 1 to 4 at the Hilton Convention Centre in Toronto. We had a display table with our tour brochures for 2008 and 2009. Our alumni and other persons expressed interest in the wide range of tour offerings.

TM table at 2007 MEDA Convetion

It was exciting to talk with our alumni and others, and some informed us that they were acting as agents for us, encouraging their friends to travel with TourMagination.

Our tours being planned in conjunction with MEDA received a lot of attention. Our Visit “Transylvania Emerging” (Romania and Hungary) with MEDA, April 21 to May 2, 2008 received strong interest, with eight persons registering during the convention. Our Mennonite World Conference Tour #5 (with MEDA)–MWC, Paraguay and Bolivia with MEDA President Allan Sauder and his wife Donna Snyder; as well as Mennonite World Conference Tour #4 (with MEDA)–Iguazu Falls, Paraguay, MWC and Peru with Ed and Norilynn Epp, also received strong interest.

TourMagination is grateful for its partnership with MEDA which provides opportunities for Mennonite business leaders to travel with MEDA and TourMagination, fulfilling our mission of “building bridges among Mennonites and other Christians around the world through custom-designed travel.” As one MEDA member said in a presentation, “Tourism is the new form of diplomacy.”

~ Wilmer Martin