The 5th Continues...

Things were going to get busy in a hurry upon arriving back in Sioux Lookout for the summer.   I was going to hit the ground running.  There were a couple of trips that needed to get done ASAP.   While back home, I'd learned of the death of 15 year old Hailey from suicide in the community of Sandy Lake, Ontario.  (Hailey has a twin sister Avery).  So with a bag of handmade quilts donated to LAMP I flew up to Sandy Lake once the weather cleared.  Once again Doreen Fiddler and her sister Lucy met us and took us to visit family and close friends.

Lucy, Pastor Dennis, Doreen

We visited Hailey's mom and gave her a quilt and prayed with her.  She was obviously still reeling from the incident.  Then we went to the neighbor's house which was next door to Hailey's father's  house where they found her.  They appreciated the gesture and the prayers.  It's so important to let the people know who suffer through a tragedy like this that they are thought of and prayed for.

We made a quick stop at the band office to follow up with them on the plans for accommodations for the VBS team.  Then it was off to a place called  "The Site" which is where all the community activities are held.  It was the last day of school.  So the kids, their families, teachers, and staff were all there which included a feast and games for the kids.

The kids were enjoying games and food the last day of school.

Then it was back to Sioux Lookout to continue following up on more community visits and finalizing team accommodations.

One of the next important visits was to Cat Lake, Ontario.  The team that had been going was unable to get enough volunteers this year to put a team together.  I also wanted to track down Hailey's sister and father who were in Cat Lake for the summer.  I went to my friend's house Edith and Charles Wesley.  They were a little disappointed a LAMP team wasn't coming, but I told them we would try and get one for next year.   We prayed with them before we went looking for Hailey's dad and sister.  We were able find her dad and give him a quilt.  Avery was visiting a friend in another community, but we left a quilt for her as well.

The next stop was the band office to find out if we could meet with the Chief and council.  Fortunately he was in along with a couple of council members.  I introduced myself and then talked about past teams and getting a new one to come in.  He was very receptive.  One of the council members said that he went to a LAMP VBS as a child and would like to see us return.  I prayed with those who were present and thanked them for allowing LAMP to come to Cat Lake.  One last stop was at one of the permanent missionaries house to talk about LAMP continuing to provide a VBS team.  Matt was all for it since they have other areas in which they serve.   So the jury is in: Cat Lake wants a VBS team!  (If interested, please contact the LAMP office!)

Next on the agenda was the VBS teams starting to come north.  First up was the team going to Big Trout Lake, Ontario.  This team is a composite team made up of people from Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan!  They all work together as one cohesive unit.  I hosted them the Friday they arrived in Sioux Lookout.  We had a great time of food, fellowship, and worship in song.

The Big Trout team moved inside the small cabin to avoid bugs and smoke.

The next morning, I met them at the airport to help with loading and parking.  The smoke from the fires in Ontario had gotten really bad.  Some flights were delayed or cancelled.  But the team's flight was on time.

The smoke reduced visibility to less than a mile at times.

The Big Trout Lake team checking in for their flight up north

We were able to fly up on Thursday after a break in the stormy weather and made it a long day trip.

Getting the kids going with the motions for the songs.

The team does an amazing job with engaging the children with music, story telling, and crafts.  After VBS, we returned to the team's accommodations to unwind.  After praying together, we got a ride back to the airport to fly back to Sioux Lookout.

The next two days would be sad ones.  The day the team flew out to Big Trout Lake, I received word that the deputy chief of Muskrat Dam and a friend of mine lost his 31 year old son-in-law to suicide.  The day after our Big Trout Lake trip, we attended the wake in Sioux Lookout for Brandon.  The next day, we flew up to Muskrat Dam to support the Fiddler family and community.  Rev. Roy Morris officiated and I was one of the 3 pastors who assisted with the service.

Family gathered around Brandon's casket before the service

Brandon was known as an incredible hockey player for the Muskrat Dam adult team.  He was a motivator and lifted the team up when they were down.  The junior hockey team, the team from Sandy Lake, and his own team were his pallbearers.

Hockey players from Muskrat Dam and Sandy Lake were pallbearers

All the players took turns putting Brandon to rest.  At funerals up north, the people stand in respect as the grave is filled in.  Women sang hymns in the background during the process.

I was humbled and honored to be part of the funeral and to bring whatever comfort and hope to the family.  This is unfortunately something that happens way too often in northern communities.

Roy Fiddler (Deputy Chief), Pastor Dennis, Rev. Roy Morris

Brandon's hockey team gathered together after the burial.

We stopped by Roy's house to visit with Brandon's wife and Roy's daughter.  We prayed with her and gave her a quilt as a remembrance that she is prayed for and thought about at this sad time.  Then we attended the community feast.  Rev. Roy Morris had me open the feast with prayer.  It wasn't long before we had to fly back to Sioux Lookout.  The smoke was so bad that at 8,500 feet, we couldn't see the ground for at least half the trip.  It has been the worst fire and smoke season I've seen in the 5 summers up north.

Well. I've gotten pretty long-winded...again.  There's more to come, but until then, please pray....

* For the continued safety of teams traveling north and back home.
* For smooth border crossings coming into Canada.
* For families in the north grieving the loss of loved ones.
* For the Good News of Jesus to be proclaimed.
* For good flying weather so teams and communities can be visited by field staff.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of LAMP.  You can't imagine how many lives you are touching through us.

Until the next time...