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Authors

Hamza Ahmed

Hamza came to the United States from Somalia with his refugee family. He a first generation immigrant who enjoys playing soccer, basketball and hanging with friends. When he feels inspired, he enjoys writing a poem about it and sharing it with close friends.

Priya Andrade

Priya Andrade is a member of the Christian Reformed Church's Canadian Indigenous Ministry Committee (CIMC), a committee of CRC members from across Canada who provide lay leadership to the CRC on Indigenous justice and reconciliation. Priya is a Goan-Canadian mother, emerging artist, and Do Justice columnist. She serves as elder at All Nations CRC in Halifax and strongly believes that our personal welfare is intrinsically intertwined with others, a message she seeks to spread this message through art. Priya intersects her experience on CIMC with her art practice and work with children and youth in Nova Scotia. You can follow her practices on Instagram at @rednsmountain.

Natalie Appleyard

Natalie Appleyard is the Socio-Economic Policy Analyst for Citizens for Public Justice, an organization of members “inspired by faith to act for justice.” Natalie applies a rights-based, intersectional approach to policy research, education, and advocacy related to poverty in Canada. She lives with her husband, two kids, and two cats surrounded by the beauty of the unceded and unsurrendered traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Peoples in Ottawa.

Bernadette Arthur

Bernadette Arthur serves as a Race Relations Coordinator for the Canadian office and belongs to a small but powerfully passionate bi-national team of individuals who are committed to the work of racial reconciliation. She is hopeful about making significant strides towards racial reconciliation in Canada, because the promises of God are a "YES" and "AMEN" in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20) so she can trust that her generation will, by His grace and our obedience, witness movements towards the future reality of diversity and inclusion described in Revelation 7:9. She is a pursuer of God, daughter, sister, friend, auntie, mentor, teacher, and life-long learner. She enjoys listening to live music, especially jazz; reading a good book; eating ethnically diverse foods; and hiking.

Derek Atkins

Derek works for the CRCNA in the areas of faith formation and pastor-church relations as a co-leader of the Faith Formation Collaborative Work Group, a coach in the Next Steps Faith Formation Initiative, and a member of the Better Together Delivery Team. He lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Keri and their two little girls, Alida and Cassidy.

Adejoke Ayoola

Dr. Adejoke Ayoola is an Associate Professor of Nursing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Rev. Jayme Babczak

Rev. Jayme Babczak is the Associate Pastor of the First Parish Church (United Church of Christ), Yarmouth, Maine.

Jake Bakker

Jake Bakker is a Resonate Global Mission Cohort Fellow and will be returning to serve in Costa Rica in April. During 2018 and 2019 Jake had the opportunity to join the Cohort program, living and serving in Casa Adobe, and volunteering at Organizacion Surgir, a school for at-risk teen boys in San Jose. Jake has a continued interest in learning more about life in Central America and how that connects to our lives in Canada, US, and around the world.

Bev Bandstra

John and Bev Bandstra live in Ladner, BC, where they are enjoying retirement after careers in the family trucking business (John) and Regent College (Bev). They are joyfully involved in the New Immigrants Support team at Ladner CRC, working with World Renew and City of Refuge to privately sponsor refugees. The Bandstras have four adult children, all married, and nine grandchildren.

Jessica Banninga

Jessica Banninga is studying International Studies and Media Communications at Redeemer University College and is the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue's social media organizer for 2017-2018.

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