Ready! Set! Go!!! Summer 2026

Here we go! Another season 

We have seen an increase in the number of Volunteer Missionaries ready to go visit our friends in Northern Canada. Last year (2025) we had 154 Volunteers and as of now (2026) we have 205 excited and joy filled Mission Team members making their final plans to journey to their Northern Community. 

 

Andrew & Randy Visiting Cross Lake, MB

Summer Schedule 2026 

June 3rd Old Masset, BC 

June 28th Old Hazelton, BC 

July 6th Cat Lake, ON, Thompson, MB, Hall Lake, SK 

July 12th Sandy Lake, Big Trout Lake & Wapekeka, ON, Cross Lake, MB, Grandmother's Bay, SK, Gitanyow, BC 

July 19th Red Sucker Lake, MB, Southend, SK 

July 26th Little Grand Rapids, Norway House, Broche, & Lynn Lake, MB, Deschambault, SK, Laxagalt’sap & Witset, BC 

Aug. 2rd Easterville, MB, Cormorant, MB 

Aug. 9th Sachigo, Weagamow, ON, Lac Broche, MB, Sucker River, SK, Gingolx, BC 

Aug. 23rd Churchill, MB

Communities unable to receive Mission teams this year are: Muskrat Dam, Wunnumin Lake, Kingfisher, Garden Hill, Tadoule, York Landing, South Indian Lake, Sandy Bay, Wollaston, Kitimat Village 

Our home away from home in Thompson, MB

Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the many Volunteer teams, Staff Missionaries, and Pilots who plan to travel to Northern Canada during this Summer season. Grant them safety in travelling to serve their isolated friends with your precious Gospel. Bless these servants who take time to walk alongside their Northern Christian friends, encouraging each one in their faith journey. Keep the communities safe from another round of destructive Forest Fires, as well as give open hearts to hear your blessings of peace and hope.

Bless the team members with your Holy Spirit as they share the hope and comfort your loving grace brings through the cross and empty tomb of our risen Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

As friendships are renewed and new ones begun, may both the community and the team be filled with joy.

May each child who hears about your love find purpose to live day by day turning to you in prayer seeking your loving grace. This we ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Amen 

Lance on Apron in Cross Lake, MB

November North Trips 

Firetruck escort on runway in Saskatoon due to nosegear issues

Due to a damaged Nose Gear system, I had to cancel the community visits for the fall, but I flew Commercially to join the team as we went into the school in Shamattawa. 

Team with "Knit Hats" (aka. toques) Shamattawa, MB

Congregational Support Visits I was blessed not only to visit Cincinnati with the Board of Directors, but to have had the honor of meeting Luke Schave. LAMP visits to Prince of Peace, Regina, Trinity, St. Walburg, Reedsburg ,WI (via recorded message), St. Pauls in Bergheim, SK, Faith in Vermillion, AB, Christ, St. Catharine’s, ON, Holy Cross, Kitchener, ON, Shellbrook & Canwood, SK took place as planned. 

Best Practices & LAMP Staff Family Retreat This year we were blessed to journey as the LAMP Staff Family down to Phoenix AZ in February to attend the Best Practices conference with about 3000 other Lutherans and Mission agencies from across the US and Canada. 

Missionaries at Best Practices

LAMP Family gathered in Phoenix, AZ

We arrived a day early to spend some time getting to know each other’s families better. Our days were spent learning, receiving encouragement and promoting LAMP wherever we went, always presenting the message of bringing hope through the Love of Christ to the Northern Canadian remote and isolated communities served by our Volunteer Missionary Teams. 

Spring Team Visits I was honoured to spend a meal this spring with the Little Grand Rapids team, offering encouragement as they remembered their beloved Pastor, Rev. Warren Hamp, recently Called to Glory. Next, I visited with the Kingfisher Team in St. Catharines, ON, as a longstanding team member was retiring. On both occasions, heartfelt mission stories were shared. 

Retiring Volunteer Missionary Peter V (85yrs.old)

Community Spring Visits This spring Andrew and I took the Lance out after retrieving it from the shop and spent a week in the North. Getting to visit Cross Lake, Norway House, Thompson, and then over to Sandy Lake, and Sachigo, before running into a snag with dropping Oil Pressure which cancelled the remainder of our Spring Visits. 

Andrew & Randy with newly Ordained Minister for Thompson, MB

Andrew & Randy with Doreen at Sandy Lake, ON

Randy with Virginia in Sachigo, ON

We are so grateful for our Lance and the expertise offered to keep it flying across the North as we move into a busy summer season.

Rivers open

Ice still on the Northern Lakes Mid May

Summer Ministry 2025

Our Piper Lance taking us across the North

This summer has seen teams who were willing and prepared to come visit their Northern Canadian friends cancelling due to evacuations, highway closures or to heavy smoke and wildfires. Despite, the struggles to get to their friends, none have given up. While some teams hosted Bible School in the communities who accepted evacuees, others planned smaller visits in the late summer or early fall.

Young Artist sharing his heart at Wunnumin Lake, ON

The smoke cloud from Snow Lake, MB Fire

Our view from the end of the runway, Thompson, MB

One such community cut off from their team was Norway House, Manitoba. The team was ready as usual to drive from Minnesota up the highway North through Winnipeg, just about to Thompson Manitoba, where the road takes a turn back southeast around Lake Winnipeg and down to Norway House. The Cross Lake fire on that last leg had the road sometimes open and sometimes closed. Sadly, the community contacts informed the team that despite a desire to receive them, they didn’t want a day and a half’s drive come to an abrupt stop. This team adhered to the community’s direction and postponed the summer visit. That one wildfire also caused the cancellation of another team serving Cross Lake out of Iowa, who sadly watched from a distance as their friends were evacuated, then returned, and then evacuated a second time.

Meeting with Pastor Gordon & His Daughter April, Norway House, MB

Garden Hill Team, serving in Winnipeg, MB

When teams were told community visits were not possible, rather than seeing it as an end, they attempted to find a way to work around it. Initiatives were taken to find where their friends were evacuated to and brought Bible School to them there. One such team comes out of Wisconsin to serve Garden Hill, MB. Thanks to retired LAMP Missionary Gordon Gilbey, access to the University of Winnipeg was gained and Bible School hosted on the campus, giving families a couple hours needed break in an unfamiliar environment that felt nothing like home. Two other teams, both from Winnipeg, who had their Bible Schools cancelled in Northern Manitoba (Cormorant and Leif Rapids) also found ways to host and support their evacuated community members close to home this year.

Blessed with amazing Instruments to get us through the Smoke

Andrew & I meeting with Band Counsellor, Sandy Lake, ON

Lunch with Doreen Fiddler, Sandy Lake, ON

Andrew assisting with Crafts in K.I. (Big Trout, ON)

Andrew out of his element

Andrew's name tag written for him in Sachigo Lake, ON

It is under these circumstances that Andrew Anstey (Mission Aviation Fellowship Pilot seconded to LAMP) and I worked all summer from our “home away from home” at Thompson MB. Here in Thompson, the air quality has required us to stay indoors with the windows closed and plan flights that require Instrument Approaches due to limited visibility at destination airports. Thanks be to God for the generous LWML grant giving us the amazing new Instrument System and Auto Pilot in our beloved Piper Lance. Without these upgrades our flights this summer would have been a lot more difficult and some days, impossible.

Multi Generational Team from Red Sucker Lake

Folically challenged duo in Little Grand Rapids, MB

Team meeting after Bible School, Kingfisher, ON

Janine Cain celebrated for serving Little Grand Rapids, MB for 20 years

Team Devotions with Pastor Glenn in Sachigo Lake, ON

One tired volunteer sleeping in the bouncy van back to KI from Wapekeka, ON

Despite the wildfires that have plagued the summer programs in the North, the Lord is good. He continues to open doors to be able to share the good news of His amazing grace and the hope of a life lived with His loving favour. 

Three Pastors together in K.I. (Big Trout), ON

Pastor Gery Luck with those who made it for Men's Study in Weagamow, ON

Band Counsellor Abraham in Cat Lake, ON

Team and kids in Sachigo Lake, ON

Friends sharing in Dodge Ball, Sachigo Lake, ON

Andrew in the Skit at Churchill, MB

Crew they were able to wrangle to sit for Picture in Cat Lake, ON

Making a twin engine LAMP Plane at Cat Lake, ON

Many youth and young adults still suffer in the communities with depression and suicidal thoughts in their isolation, and so we pray for the fire of the Holy Spirit to keep the spark of faith alive within their souls, giving them purpose to live another day and hope for a future life God the Father wants them to enjoy. 

Youth Night in Sachigo Lake, ON

Brothers who came out to visit with the LAMP Team Wunnumin Lake, ON

Mode of Transportation to Bible Camp, Red Sucker Lake, ON

We don’t always know what the future holds for the communities we walk alongside, but we do know and believe that our Lord Jesus gave His all for every soul. And when we are invited by a community to come and show the love of Jesus to their children, to encourage hope in their teens, and to pray with the elders, we turn our eyes to heaven and call upon the Holy Spirit’s fire to light our Lamps that we might share the Gospel light with our friends. 

One Mile runway in Churchill, MB (Our first time back in 5 years)

We remain grateful for all the prayer and support that come to uplift us as staff, direct all the volunteers, and encourage the community faith leaders to lift high the light of Christ, igniting faith and hope to all whom the Holy Spirit calls. Thanks be to God through the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that in this LAMP’s Fifty Fifth Season we are called to prepare for a Fifty Sixth Season. 

Mission Staff in attendance at Missionary Pastor Nathan Schmidt's Ordination

Continue to pray for open communities, open doors, and open hearts that the Holy Spirit may create life giving fire in the hearts of our friends in the North and continue to fuel the faith of those who live and serve His Holy Word. Amen.

The team van with top notch advertising 

THE GIFT OF HOPE FOR A NEW GENERATION

 Bringing Hope to the North

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways… where shall I go from your Spirit? Ps.139:1-3,7a
Moving into another season of bringing hope to the northern communities into which LAMP is invited, we always hold before us the call the Lord our God has given us. Our Volunteer teams embrace the direction and request of the community leadership. “Save our children!”
We come with a message of acceptance, of love, of hope and purpose. May the Lord be with us as Staff & Volunteer Missionaries in this our 55th season of service. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well. Ps.139:14

Taking to the Air

On the tarmac in Sioux Lookout ready to fly out to Kingfisher, ON

This winter I made three community visits to the north. I was blessed to use the commercial airlines of Perimeter and Wasaya to get to Shamattawa, MB and to Kingfisher, ON.

As a Pilot I have maintained my flight hours flying over the Saskatoon Skies, preparing me for another season as safety Pilot with Andrew Anstey.

Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the summer based in Thompson, MB again this busy season. We pray this 55th season of flight operations be safe as we support the teams in the North.

 Hope for a New generation

During our three days in the Shamattawa School we were blessed to share the hope of God’s love given to us through His Christmas gift of Jesus, the Son of God, the babe of Bethlehem.
For we believe Jesus is God’s hope given for all of us. A hope given in the midst of struggles like here in Shamattawa, as well as in the community of Sucker River, during Winter temperatures of –40, and all the difficulty that degree of cold brings with it.

Each day we welcomed children in the Northern community of Sucker River. We saw many of them who walked to Bible School despite the deep freeze. Therefore we set aside our struggles when the school heating propane jelled and caused temperatures inside to drop to 51F. We rejoiced as the children came to spend the time with the team, and have fun, and learn about God’s amazing love.

William Winter School of Ministry

In Kingfisher, ON I was able to attend and teach at a training week for the Lay Pastors, Readers and Deacons of the Anglican Church of the North where many of our team connected communities were invited.

 Summer Schedule 2025

June 6-11^th    Old Masset, BC
June 29^th           Easterville, MB, Old Hazelton, BC
July 6^th           Southend, SK, Moose Lake, Cross Lake, Leaf Rapids, MB, Gitanyow, BC
July 9-16        Kingfisher, ON
July 13^th         Sandy Lake. Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug & Wapekeka, ON, Grand Rapids, MB
July 20^th         Hall Lake, Deschambault, SK, Norway House, MB
July 27^th         Grandmother's Bay, SK, Garden Hill, Little Grand Rapids, MB, Cat Lake, ON
Aug. 3^rd          Wollaston, SK, Lac Broche, Broche, Lynn Lake, Cormorant, MB, Witset, BC
Aug. 10^th        Sucker River, SK, Churchill, MB, Sachigo, Weagamow, ON, Gingolx, BC           
British Columbia  Saskatchewan  Manitoba  Ontario

 Dear Heavenly Father,
Grant the Volunteer missionaries, the Staff Missionaries, and Pilots safety as they travel to serve the people of Northern Canada with your precious Gospel. Keep the communities safe from another round of destructive Forest Fires, as well as open hearts to hear your blessings of peace and hope for each one.
Bless the team members with your Holy Spirit as they share the hope and comfort your loving grace brings through the cross and empty tomb of our risen Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
As friendships are renewed and new ones begun, may both the community and the team be filled with joy.
May each child who hears about your love find purpose to live day by day turning to you in prayer seeking your loving grace.
This we ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Amen.