The Winter of 2022 -2023 serving with LAMP

 

My First Night Flight in the Cherokee 140

My time has been filled with supporter conversations, congregational visits, team and community connections, pilot training, and two community visits.

Supporter and Volunteer Connections

I have maintained contact with many through Facebook, email, and phone conversations. Most of my conversations with supporters this winter happened through Christmas greetings and distributing my fall “Blogspot” via email, and print. Darlene and I sent snowflake ornaments to encourage and connect with the team leads and community contacts. I was so happy to make those contacts and be able to share with them the work they have enabled to happen.

Our Christmas tree with all the snowflakes we sent out to community leaders and teams

Visit at Waden Bay, SK with Past LAMP Board Member Lynn & Iris

Congregational Visits

I visited churches in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. I preached, led worship, and made presentations to the invested members of Churchbridge, Estevan, Lloydminster/McLaughlin, Vermillion, Abbotsford, La Ronge, Rosthern, and Atikokan. I sat down with the pastors from Chilliwack, Surrey, Langley, and Richmond, British Columbia.

Faith Lutheran Church and Parsonage, Atikokan, ON

Presentation at St. John's, Warman Bible Study Group

Sadly this winter, I had to send off and say goodbye to Pastor Alex Timm and his family, who supported our efforts from Dryden (Alex took a call from Dryden/Vermillion Bay, ON to go to Vancouver Island, B.C.). I also visited to encourage Pastor Glenn Worcester and his family in Winnipeg. Glenn is now a solo pastor at Peace Lutheran Church since his former senior pastor and LAMP advocate’s placement on permanent medical leave (Please keep Pastor Brad and his family in your prayers). Peace has, in the past, sent two teams North with LAMP.

Team Connections

In conjunction with our fall Board Meeting, I met in person for the first time with the team who serves Grandmother’s Bay, one of our Saskatchewan communities. And this February, I met with many of the team leaders for Saskatchewan, Eastern Manitoba, and Ontario in a video meeting. This meeting sets the stage for a busy summer of community visits with Gord’s imminent departure. During this meeting, I provided a heads-up that I would be the only missionary left to serve the prairies (33 active communities) until a new missionary pastor was called, placed, and brought up to speed. In early March, I drove out to spend time with Dryden/Vermillion Bay Leaders planning for a summer team to Cat Lake without their pastor. I also met with leadership from Peace Lutheran in Winnipeg, who decided to reduce their efforts to one community from two. I encouraged them to reach out to other Winnipeg congregations to possibly serve the second community. 

Pilot Training 

This winter, I maintained my currency until the weather took a turn, and I couldn’t fly for six weeks. At that point, I decided to switch flight schools and follow my instructor, who is now the Chief Flight Instructor with Millennium Aviation here in Saskatoon. Their fleet includes two Piper Cherokees (140 & 180) that are low-wing aircraft (little sisters to our Lance). Since I had not yet flown this design of an airplane, it was an added incentive to make the switch. I have completed 10 hours of Instrument Flight Training and will gain the hours necessary to achieve a VFR Night rating. I was blessed to do my cross-country night flight on the evening of March 23rd, which was an amazing night displaying God’s glory in the Aurora Borealis. I thank God for the LWML ABC District and Central District Grants received to help further develop my flight proficiency. I joined LAMP with 51 hours on my log book and currently have over 134 flight hours recorded!

Post First Night Flight

My instructor Randy Kerney (See! Smiling Post-Flight)

Following Highway 16 to North Battleford under the Aurora Borealis (Need a better camera)

Community Visits

Billings, MT Winter Visit to Cross Lake, MB

At the beginning of January, I joined the team out of Billings, MT, while they sadly made their final visit to Cross Lake, MB. Then in February, I was blessed to join the Detroit Team in Sucker River for their second Annual Winter Fun week to support the kids during winter break. It was their best-attended program in the community since this team started serving there seven years ago.

Michigan Team on their way home stop at the Heide's for a bite before the plane

Cross Lake Community Leader Linda with Jonathan from Billings

Cross Lake Community Leaders Dion and Selena (keep Selena in your prayers as she goes through Cancer treatments)

Cross Lake Community Leader Connie with Roger and Jonathan from Billings (keep Connie in your prayers as her husband has been diagnosed with Cancer)

I was asked to share a message on the Cross Lake Radio Station - Epiphany message: God in flesh for all the world

Cross Lake Youth come to visit with their friends from Billings

Gym Night for Youth of Cross Lake

Matt and "Trek" share their journey to the summit with Sucker River Children

Sucker River Children enjoying Taco in a bag

Planning for the Summer

As we move ahead with this year’s summer plans, I have 21 Summer Community Programs going ahead and a few others still to be determined. We additionally have one team that is going in April, but will still be under Gord’s watchful eye (as he remains on call until June 30th). Gord has offered to assist with establishing the team dates and facilitating their arrangements but will not be available during the summer. Our Executive Director has offered to be “back up”, and I have requested Steve’s assistance for two weeks to support two or three communities during that time frame.
Before the busy summer begins, I have seven preaching engagements, a Missionfest presentation, and five support and team visits in Minnesota. May the Lord bless our efforts keeping us safe and healthy as we rebuild and rejuvenate the teams serving the communities of Northern Canada.