Students delay summer jobs to serve in northern Manitoba

Instead of making money, some university students are spending time in northern Manitoba this week to serve.

The Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren (FGMB) college and career group is up in Cross Lake, Manitoba for a week long mission trip. Many of the participants have put their summer jobs on hold after finishing up university, while others took vacation time to be a part of it.

"[We] are connecting with different members of the community," Janessa Giesbrecht, the youth and young adults pastor at FGMB said. "[We are here to be] an encouragement and a light and just look for opportunities to serve in anyway we can."

The group has also joined up with Paul Winter, who is a pastor at Living Word Temple, a North End church in partnership with Soul Sanctuary. Winter is also the director of First Nation ministries for the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba.

Giesbrecht said the biggest challenge will be having to give up their schedule. "The culture is based on relationships, not time. It's based on going where we are needed, not where we planned to be."

She said they have already experienced it, when they saw a quad accident in the middle of their five minute drive. One of the members of their team is a firefighter who is trained as a first responder. He got out and stayed with the injured kid until an ambulance could arrive.

"That's what our week is going to be. Going to different places but allowing ourselves to be interrupted in the way that Jesus did throughout his ministry."

The group is excited to learn about the people and how God has been working in northern Manitoba.

Many of the participants have just finished school, but Giesbrecht said that they didn't seem exhausted, but that God was providing for the team.

"God's definitely been giving us the energy we need."