As another Summer comes to a close I look at the work of LAMP and, as always, find the work we’ve accomplished amazing despite the roadblocks with COVID restrictions keeping our teams home & Forest Fires causing community evacuations.
Our Sucker River contact, Maurice Ratt, a LAMP VBS kid himself, is now the LaRonge Band’s Fire Protection Co-ordinator and with this new position came south gathering fire suppressing equipment. On one of his trips he stopped by our place in Warman, SK. Where I loaded up his trailer with Baby Layette and Hygiene Kits and blankets that had been prepared by Ladies groups in Southern Saskatchewan. Thank you ladies for all your hard work supporting the North.
Blankets, Baby Layettes and Hygiene packs heading to LaRonge area
Maurice receiving our deliveries in his trailer heading north
My first Solo Cross Country in 30 years
Meeting Andrew and the Lance in Lloydminster
Flight Track from Saskatoon to Lloydminster.
This July I was blessed to complete my Private Pilot’s recertification training. I continue to ask for your prayers as this winter I will begin working toward having instrument flight rating. Yes, it is a process, and patience is necessary, though I am excited to once again be able to take to the air. My first cross country was to Lloydminster where I met our Pilot Andrew who brought me parcels for Grandmother’s Bay, and then I flew back to Saskatoon. This, I say, is one of the easiest routes, as I fly with the Saskatchewan River on one side and Highway 16 on the other, stay between them and I couldn’t get lost. I am so grateful for Ron Ludke’s comment, “once you get some hours under your belt it will be just another form of transportation”. Thanks be to God.
Our greatest ministry accomplishment has been to prepare and deliver over 3800 Vacation Bible School Backpacks to Northern Communities we serve. This was due to the restrictions with Border crossing, as well as being sensitive to the Communities heightened restrictions. Many of the communities were hit hard with COVID19 and suffered with health issues as COVID restrictions limited paramedical work to continue for their elders, and more fragile residents. A history of destruction by our western diseases over the years certainly helps us understand their arms length attitude.
Help preparing Backpacks
Another crew preparing Backpacks
our number one helper preparing Backpacks
These backpacks are mostly being assembled in Canada by Mission staff on behalf of many of our American teams who ordered supplies to be put in the bags. I was tasked with preparing 900 bags for some of my communities. My army of volunteers (Darlene, and wonderful assistants) did the majority of the work.
They won’t be delivered as early as we had hoped. Initially thinking they would be out to community between the last weeks of June and first weeks of July. Instead the majority of the bags were received in the communities in August, some in early September.
A September delivery might co-ordinate well with borders opening and small teams coming up to visit their communities in the fall as the Community’s COVID Response Teams allow and this now “Fourth wave” has run its course. The Mission Team has encouraged volunteers to plan to have a trip even an abbreviated one into to their community as the weather and restrictions allow this fall.
boxed backpacks ready for loading
one load of Backpacks for Northern Sask
I was able to make a trip into La Ronge, SK August 9th where I met with Maurice our contact for Sucker River, and handed off 50 bags for their community with items contributed by their team from Wisconsin. I also met with Fr. Petronilo who will take 150 bags up to Southend when he goes the end of August.
Prayer time with Father Petronilo and a faithful Kokum
Supper with Maurice and Father Petro
As I shared a meal with Fr. Petronilo and Maurice, in walked the Band Counsellor for the community of Grandmother’s Bay, Gerald McKenzie. He happened to be heading north and would take the bags for Grandmother’s Bay to our contact, who happens to be his niece. Always interesting how God works things out. It is His ministry after all.
Our Contact Dora in Lac Brochet
Ruby in Brochet
Sister Bonnie in Lynn Lake
The next morning I drove across to Flin Flon, MB. where I met Andrew and we waited for the skies to clear up so we could fly. Friday we were able to head out and delivered backpacks to Lac Brochet (Dora Antsenen), Brochet (Ruby Inglis), and Lynn Lake (Sister Bonnie Bryson) via airport visits. At each airfield we met our contact and prayed with them for their community and blessings upon the gifts of VBS bags for the children and prayer quilts for the elders, that everyone who received it would be blessed to know that Jesus loves them, and LAMP has not forgotten them.
Gloria supporter from Yorkton, filled up the SUV for Little ones
On the way home from Flin Flon I drove via Yorkton and met with Gloria Rathgeber, a Congregational Leader, praying for her congregation as they enter into a Pastoral Vacancy and having the SUV filled once again as the Ladies of Zion spent time this last year working on infant layettes, toddler sweaters, and knit blankets for the north.
The Buchholz Family in Winnipeg ready and waiting
Loaded Lance heading North
No room even for a mouse. (joking, there are no mice in the north)
Flying in our 'pick up truck' Lance (rear seats removed)
Praying in Shamattawa with Rev. Miles
Meeting Jessalynn in Cat Lake
Praying with our friends in Kingfisher
On August 24th after the wedding of our youngest, and a day delay due to poor flight weather, I began the drive across to deliver backpacks to Dryden, Ontario where I would meet Andrew and the Lance (our Airplane). I made a stop in Winnipeg to leave a delivery for Gord Gilbey (our Manitoba/Eastern Sask Missionary) to drive north and while there picked up other backpacks he has received to be flown north. There were so many, I needed to add a trailer behind the Rental to get them all to our distribution point.
Time together walking the dock in Dryden with Pastor Alex
Andrew and I were blessed to spend the week with Pastor Alex Timm who hosted us and all our backpacks. From his home as our base in Dryden we flew north making deliveries to 9 communities.
Shamattawa, MB. (our farthest and first stop where I met with and prayed with Pastor Mary Ann Miles whose community was dealing with the recent loss of two young men to tragedy) and Garden Hill, MB. (Island Lake) on Friday (where Pastor Donald Little was unable to meet us as they had 36 positive cases of COVID in their community and were on lockdown until midnight that evening).
Then weather delays over the weekend afforded me the opportunity to attend service at Faith Lutheran Church in Atikokan where I was fed both spiritually and physically by Pastor Dan and Connie Barr.
On Monday we were once again able to fly delivering to Wapekeka, Big Trout (Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug) and Cat Lake (where I met Jessalynn Cook, praying with her for the Community of Cat Lake, and the new team from Dryden as they prepare to come next year).
Tuesday we delivered to Wunnumin Lake, Kingfisher Lake (where the Wycliffe Translator family the Windsors, along with Bishop Lydia and her sister Mary, and Assistant to the Bishop, Ruth, along with OjiCree Translator Henry came out to meet us as we prayed for God’s blessing on the community and LAMP’s work), we then flew over to Muskrat Dam.
On Wednesday Sachigo's backpacks were delivered by Andrew on his own as there was no room for both me and the boxes.
waiting for our contact
Lunch break
In the end we delivered by air over 1300lbs of backpacks to the north. Let alone the countless deliveries that were made by ground delivery and then by various ministry contacts who took our boxed backpacks as couriers on their journeys. In the end we will have 3800 backpacks delivered to the children of northern Canada, along with a variety of gifts for community youth and elders.
Return trip from Big Trout
Flying into Muskrat Dam
The end of the day from Dryden's Dock
We certainly know that the Lord our God will bless our efforts in His mission to the people of the North. We serve, that one day we will join in singing praises to Jesus the Saviour and Lord of all.
