wfn.org | Mission worker begins service

[BethAH <BethAH@mbm.org>]

August 22, 2001
Beth Hawn
Mennonite Board of Missions
(219) 294-7523
<NEWS@MBM.org>

August 29, 2001

Mission worker begins service in Northern Ireland

ELKHART, Ind. (MBM)  When Chicago native Amy Ornie talks about
her faith, she says, I have a fair amount of clarity about whose
I am, which enables me to rejoice in my being.  I have always
struggled a bit more when it comes to doing.  In September,
Ornie will begin a one-year assignment in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, that will provide her with an opportunity to work
one-to-one with people whose lives have been shaped by the
centuries-old conflict between Protestants and Catholics in that
country.

She heard about a new research position with an organization in
Northern Ireland just as she was in transition between jobs.  She
recounts, I felt that it might be a place where God could use my
flexibility and my long-time interest in the Irish conflict to
contribute to work that might never be done, but that glorifies
him in the doing.

 She will be working as a research assistant for ECONI,
Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland.  ECONI assists
evangelical Christians in the continuing process of engaging
with Gods word and the hurts facing [Northern Irelands] divided
community.  In her position, Ornie will help maintain a library
of existing resources, draw up a development plan  both in
resources and funding  and assist in examining new resource
materials and evaluating them for use by ECONI.

Ornie heard about the position from MBM worker in Ireland, Joe
Liechty, following a presentation at her Chicago congregation,
Living Waters Community Church.  Ornie was moved by Liechtys
discussion of comfort zones that subtly control how a community
will function.   She saw many parallels between her own community
and the communities in Northern Ireland.

Ornie was also in a time of personal transition.  She was truly
at home in her church community, but was seeking employment.
Only days before meeting Liechty, she found out that an
originally planned six-week temporary job would finish after only
three weeks.

Ornie grew up in the Christian Reformed tradition and is
relatively new to Anabaptism.  However, she sees this new
opportunity to serve in Northern Ireland as an opportunity for
her to be in the world with the indwelling Spirit in a
transforming way.

* * *

Joni S. Sancken