Apr 23 2007
Demographical Amazement
After a week of non-posting, I thought I’d break my silence. On the weekend we drove down to the Yakima Valley in Washington State for a denominational conference. It was a really good time for multiple reasons. First, we got to get to know some people in the broader geographic region, and second because we got to get to know some new families who are joining the planting team. Wonderful people, all, I think we get along too well really. There was much frivolity in our meetings.
In visiting a place I have never been before, I was astounded by what we found there in that valley.
Shock #1 - Most of the communities of the valley were more than 50% Hispanic. In Washington State! I knew there were a lot of Hispanics in the States, but I thought it was mostly the big cities or the southern states. I wasn’t expecting that in Washington!
Shock #2 - HUGE crime rates! Gangs! Graffiti! I expect these things in Surrey, a city of 400 000 and part of the 2 million souls of the GVRD. I don’t expect it in hicksville, USA.
Shock #3 - Very Godly men and women, toiling away in small churches in relative anonymity. I was blessed to sit in on seminars led by them, and learn from them - particularly one on discipling peers and mentoring, and another on discipling your kids. They have done some amazing things out there. One church in a town of 2500 people has 200 members. That sounds small, but think about it: what if nearly 10% of your town or city went to an evangelical church and strove for a life of holiness? Staggering.
2 Responses to “Demographical Amazement”
I am sorry you missed out on the positve events going on in yakima, such as the downtown revitaization to welcome visitors such as yourself to the fruit bowl of WA and wine country. The working together of he chamber of commerceand the Hispanic chamber of commerce in promoting hispanic fesitvals and the Indan nation events The diversity in Yakima is celebrated, not thought of as negative. I think the joy you experienced was indicative of the spirit of the people in Yakima as a whole. while we reallize there are breakers of the law…. we see yakima as a safe place. Next time your here look for the positive outside of a church you will be surprised. Hopefully you will have the eyes to see the postive.
I hope you don’t take offense at my “hicksville USA” reference. I meant it only in relation to the community I live in from a size perspective. To be clear, I prefer life in a small town, I am a hayseed of the first order.
When you’re only in town for 48 hours, it is hard to get a whole perspective. I only know about what I saw. I didn’t actually see any violence, but bullet holes in a church building to me were shocking. We just don’t get that kind of stuff up here in Canada.
Diversity is awesome. I was not put out by the numbers of Hispanics, just surprised to find them. My own city has a very significant Sikh community - some areas are as high as 30%. It doesn’t bother me, it just took me aback. I expected numbers like this in more southern states.