‘I’ve been everywhere, ma’am’

Yvonne Martin, retired from the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union, and her husband Murray, also retired, have travelled to many places—all of Canada, half of the U.S., and many locations in South and Central America, Europe, Africa, New Zealand and Asia—reminding one of Geoff Mack’s 1962 song, “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man,” sung by Canadian country music icons Stompin’ Tom Connors and Hank Snow

But it was a trip last fall to Vietnam and Singapore with TourMagination that flagged them as frequent travellers.

“The tour included a few purposeful travel or ‘faithprint’ components,” says Sandra Reimer of TourMagination. “The group visited and worshipped with Vietnamese Mennonites, and dialogued with Mennonite Central Committee personnel and local workers from other non-profit organizations. As well, the travellers gave a donation to further leadership development in the Vietnamese Mennonite Church.”

Martin says that she and her husband use tours when they are going places where they don’t know the language. They’ve travelled with both TourMagination and Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). One of her favourite and most meaningful trips was actually a joint trip between the two to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, touring MEDA projects as well as seeing the sites and experiencing the culture.

On May 9—Victory Day (over the Nazis in 1945)—they travelled out into the country to see an irrigation project. Once there, they encountered Muslim workers having a celebratory meal. Recognizing them as westerners, the mostly male workers insisted that they sit down with them and eat. It was “a holy moment,” says Martin, as they experienced the hospitality of a group that certainly had less than the travellers and “served us their food.” On that day, she says the travellers also “became the parade” to lay flowers at a monument to the “victory” as local residents lined the street.

Having been in a country like Egypt, where she has seen people living in the dumps around Cairo, and the anger in the young men’s eyes as they sort garbage for things to sell or to use, the news on TV or in print now means more to her. She says it makes her more thankful for what “we have here” in Waterloo Region that was partially established by her ancestors among the Swiss/South German settlers.

The Martins are off on a TourMagination trip to India this month to celebrate the Mennonite Christian Fellowship of India’s 50th anniversary.