August 2015 – The Migration Continues

The end of July was fast and furious regarding VBS activity.  Sometime the schedule is packed tight and other times, is a bit relaxed.

The first week of August was a light week compared to the previous week with only 2 VBS's taking place. Andrew had the plane helping the other LAMP pastor at Flin Flon and got back to Thompson late Monday night, August 3rd.  His relief, Keith Kreuger arrived Tuesday night.

The first VBS visited was at Little Grand Rapids on Wednesday August 6. We flew down on an IFR (Instrument) flight plan since the weather in Thompson was 2 miles of visibility and 600 foot ceilings. 14 minutes after takeoff, we were on top of the muck in the sun. The weather got better the closer we got to Little Grand. This is a community that is accessible by boat. You even need a boat to go to the grocery store!

We had quite a walk from where the water taxi let us off to the church where the VBS and team were located. The 4 women on the team were doing a great job.  When we arrived in the late morning, they had a few local women doing a "stained glass" craft with colored paper. They enjoyed that time bonding with them.

After a nice lunch, we heard the kids knocking at the door of the church 15 minutes before VBS. They were anxious for it to begin. When it came to the time for singing, I got to teach the children the song, "Little Red Box" which was a lot of fun.   The time of singing was followed by the Bible Story and then craft time.

We would have loved to stay longer, but unfortunately, with a front moving closer that would give us some flying difficulties, we had to head back to the airport. Janine Cain, the team leader got us a ride back to the airport. This was Janine's 10th year of going to Little Grand Rapids.  It is people like her and the teams who have such unwavering commitment to the communities they serve that make a huge difference.  They are the face of Jesus in these remote places that need to see a face of love, care, and compassion.

We walked the short distance from the boat dock to the airport as the rain started to drizzle.  Due to the distance from Thompson, and flying on instrument flight plans, we have to carry a larger fuel reserve to meet the Canadian Air Regulations. That meant a side trip to Island Lake, MB on the way home. The rest of the trip was uneventful as I enjoyed the view above the clouds in smooth air.

Thursday, August 7, was a trip to Red Sucker Lake, MB. We left early on another instrument flight plan and decided to do our fuel stop first at Island Lake. It's only a 25 minute flight from there to Red Sucker Lake and when we were done for the day we could fly straight back to Thompson.
Sean, a youth pastor at one of the churches met us and took us to the school and teacher housing where the team was staying. We had a fabulous lunch of fresh caught Pickerel (Walleye for youse guys south of the border) courtesy of Gordan Disbrowe, one of the people in the community who has been a huge supporter of the VBS team and LAMP.

Gordan had a tote full of Pickerel (walleye) he was cleaning.  He gave the VBS team more than enough for lunch!

After lunch everyone gathered together for devotion time and then it was off to the school for VBS.  There were over 150 children there if not more. The team has been going in to RSL for years and it showed. The connection with the kids and the young adults who led the singing and did the "color race", skit and had the energy to keep up with all those excited children was fantastic. I enjoyed participating in the craft and I also was invited to teach the kids "Little Red Box" that is fast becoming a hit among the VBS teams. I helped out where I could but the team was well coordinated and experienced. When it came to the outside activity before VBS ended, I decided to steer clear of the "color race" as it was going to get messy!
 

The kids ran past team members who had bags of powder that they threw at the kids as they ran by leaving a rainbow of colors on them. Hence the reason they were asked to wear clothes that weren't nice. It was quite a sight!
  

VBS came to an end too soon for me. Before we knew it, it was closing in on 5 PM and time to head home. John Folger snagged a ride to the airport for us where Keith ran into an old flying buddy from years past.

Soon we were in the air and heading back home. I couldn't imagine a better day, especially  one to celebrate my birthday.   It only helped reinforce my faith that we have a great and gracious God who loves us and cares mightily for us through His Son Jesus Christ!

The next week would prove to be challenging in more ways than one.  I had five…yes…5 communities to visit...and 4 of them were in Ontario.   So our work started early in the week on Sunday, August 9^th.

It was a short 20 minute flight to Pikwitonei from Thompson…and also the shortest runway at 2,200 feet.  The team of Esther and Howard has been going there for 12 years.  “Pik” is a very small community with only 70 residents.  They traveled there by train from Thompson.  However, due to crew changes and delays, it took 15 hours for them to arrive.  

  
That didn’t deter them from getting busy.   Keith and I arrived in the late afternoon so that I could attend the evening Vesper service that Howard and Esther do for the community.   Howard showed us around the community which is really quite picturesque with hills and a river running through it.

Then it was back to the church to prepare for the service.  When the time came, there were a handful of kids and adults who came.  This is another community where having a worship service is a rarity due to the availability of a pastor.  It was a very nice service and appreciated by the adults there.  Afterwards, Howard and Esther provided refreshments.  With the light waning and a short runway, we headed back to Thompson thankful for the dedication and love Howard and Esther have for the people of Pik.  (They also make a trip there on the winter road!)

The next morning, August 10, it was off to Bearskin Lake, Ontario.  We had to deal with low clouds but no stormy weather.  We got a ride from the airport from Genny Kam, one of the First Nation pastors serving at the Anglican church. 

Rev. Gerry Kam and Rev. Mary Ann Beardy are the two First Nation Anglican pastors serving at Bearskin Lake.

We met Tamera and Raven, the two women who came to spend time in the community and to put on an abbreviated VBS at the church.  Then we walked to their accommodations for the week which was a teacher housing unit.  After lunch, it was back to church and prepping for day 1 of VBS. 
 

 
About 2 dozen children came and were anxiously awaiting for VBS to start.   After opening and singing, it was craft time.   Unfortunately, some of the VBS supplies shipped in didn’t arrive in time.  So we improvised a craft using rocks, sticks, and switchgrass.  It all worked out fine and the children enjoyed it. 
 

After VBS was over, we cleaned up the church basement and then were welcomed with the two boxes of supplies that a member of the community delivered.   It was a full and enjoyable time.   The commitment that Tamara has to the community is inspiring and truly demonstrating the love and care of Jesus.  

We said our good byes and got back to the airport for our flight home.   As we took off, we flew by the community to get a bird’s eye view.   Then we climbed up through the clouds and headed back to Thompson.  You can see the aerial view of Bearskin Lake .Here

Our next community to visit was Weagamow Lake, or Round Lake depending upon whether you’re referring to the community or the airport.  Weather was good and we met up with the team at the teacher housing they were using for the week.  There were a couple of new team members that were experiencing their first VBS and life in a First Nation community.   The team was gelling well and ready for action. 

 
After walking over to the community center where VBS was held, the children started arriving and got busy coloring activity sheets until the opening.  The Bible story was done with team members putting on a skit.  The children were fairly attentive and entertained by the dramatic acting!   I took a break to head over to the band office to try and meet up with the chief and council.  Unfortunately, the chief was out of the community and no councilors were available.  I did get to chat with Olive Harper who manages the airport.  Then we walked by the new church that has been under construction for the past couple of years.  A team was ready to go in and help with the construction, but complications prevented them from going.  Hopefully the construction will continue so that the community will have a regular place to worship.  

With the VBS winding down and the thunderstorms cranking up, especially in southeast Manitoba, we headed back to the airport and to our base back in Thompson.  I once again saw a team of people who were selflessly caring for the children and community of Weagamow Lake, Ontario by sharing the love of Jesus.  As we took off, we flew along the shoreline of the community which you can see here.

The week was going really well.  The Lord was opening up the skies, the VBS teams were doing phenomenal work in ministering to the communities, and I was humbled and blessed that I got to be a part of it all.  I was chomping at the bit to get to Sandy Lake, Ontario the next day.

The weather would be picture-perfect on Wednesday, August 12th, with temperatures climbing into the high 20's.  Opps. That's in Celsius.  That translates into the mid-80's in Fahrenheit.  It would be one of the warmest days of the summer.  Heading out to Sandy Lake also meant a mandatory fuel stop at Island Lake, Manitoba.

The following day started out with a lot of promise.  But it would soon prove to be the beginning of a rather challenging 48 hours.  We got a good early start out of Thompson and would be at Island Lake by 9:45 AM.  A quick 20 minute fuel-up and we would be landing at Sandy Lake by 11:15 AM leaving us plenty of time to meet with the team.  We touched down nicely at Island Lake on a rain-soaked runway from the line of storms that came through the night before.  I made the turn onto the apron and taxied over the our fuel cash.  We got out, unlocked the container with our fuel, and began the process of pulling the hose out and plugging in the power for the pump.  That's when I noticed that something wasn't right.  The right main landing gear tire was flat!   That would make the 2nd flat tire in 2 months at the same airport.

Keith went looking for a mechanic across the airport and I started looking for tools to borrow.  Keith found a tire patch kit that the store gave to him at no cost after hearing about what happened and what we did for LAMP.   To make a long story short, we tried patching the tube but it was unsuccessful.  A call to the LAMP office in Edmonton was in order.  Andrew got a new tire and inner tube on order and shipped to us.  We could potentially have the airplane ready to fly late that afternoon.  Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

The aviation supply company in Winnipeg couldn't get the shipment to the airport in time for the last afternoon flight to Island Lake.  They would try in the morning.  So while I was working with Andrew and lining up tools to fix the flat, Keith found a place for us to stay on Island Lake.  It even had a washer and dryer so we wouldn't have to wear our sweaty cloths the next day.

The next morning I found out that there were bad storms in Winnipeg that caused a lot of flooding of roads.  Hence the shipment didn't make it to the airport for the morning flight but would be on the afternoon flight.  Well, it wasn't ideal, but at least we could get the plane flying later in the day. 

I went to the airport terminal and checked with the airline to find out if the shipment made the flight.  The news wasn't what I wanted to hear.  Because of the hot temperatures and a full passenger load, all the cargo was taken off the plane.  Even some of the baggage was left behind.  Oh boy!   We would end up spending another night there.  I was promised by the airline manager at the terminal that it would be on the morning flight.

The next morning I went down to the terminal to go out to the airplane and start the process of removing the tire and having it ready for the new tire and tube.  The airline manager saw me and said, "It's on the flight!"   It did arrive on the 10:30 AM flight and within an hour, the plane was back together and ready to fly.

Having a maintenance issue with the airplane during a busy week of VBS's and dealing with the delayed shipping was frustrating to say the least.  But then I had to ask, "OK Lord.  What is this whole deal about?   Why would this be happening?"  After some meditation and prayer, there were a number of reasons...

1.  Humility.  I was depending upon my expertise in flying and scheduling to make all my
                      visits happen.  It wasn't about me and my efforts.
2.  Patience.   I needed to learn that things don't always go according to plan and that I need to
                       let go and let God.
3.  Trust.        I needed to rely on the Lord and that He was in control of the situation, not me.
4.  Contacts.   You never know who you will meet and what connections you'll make with
                       people in the area.  It gave me a chance to share the mission and ministry of LAMP.

With the airplane ready to go, we took off for Sandy Lake, Ontario, even though it was the last day of the VBS.  It took us some time to find where the VBS was being held as it had changed locations.  We arrived just as VBS was starting.
 

The team was in full-on VBS mode.  Everyone was doing what they needed to do as several dozen children arrived.  I got to speak with a number of the team members before things got very busy.  I spent most of the time helping the children with their craft.  Then afterwards, we helped sweep and pick up to save the team that time and effort.

After VBS was over, Joan Gherke, one of the team members drove us back to the airport while the team got ready for their last night in the community.  It was quite a full day with our arrival back in Thompson around 8:00 PM--and quite a learning experience on many different levels.

The one thing that remained constant was, once again, the commitment and care the VBS team exhibited to the community, especially earlier in the week when they cancelled VBS to attend the funeral of an 11 year old who had died of health issues.  Their presence and compassion was priceless in ministering to the people of Sandy Lake.

After a good nights sleep and evaluating the unsettled weather, we departed for Sachigo Lake...with a stop at Island Lake for fuel.  I have to say I held my breath and prayed as we landed, "Please Lord, not another flat.  Not another flat."  My prayer was answered and we were on the ground just around Noon.  We got a ride to the teacher housing and met the team that included some new members.  It's always fun to watch how the dynamics of a team work.  The kidding and joking along with their understanding of the importance of their presence in the community is just a microcosm of how life in the Church should be.

All of us walked over to the community center where the VBS had been relocated due to a regional meeting of Chiefs at the school.  The team dealt with the change with a mentality of flexibility.   The rain started as the children arrived.  That meant that all the activities would have to be inside.  Again, the team made due with the space and adjusted.

The team as activity sheets for the children to work on as they arrived.  When most of the children had arrived, Pastor Brad led the kids in the opening with several songs.  I got to do "Little Red Box" that was well received by the children. 

The Bible story was done via puppet show.  That was a good way to keep the children engaged with the story.

After the opening, the children divided up into groups with each one rotating through story time, craft, music, and games.

As the VBS continued, I made a call to Flight Service to find out the front with thunderstorms that was expected to go through the area had picked up speed and would be arriving within the hour.   We unfortunately had to leave before the VBS was over.   As we crossed the Manitoba-Ontario border, the stormscope in the airplane was showing a large grouping of lightning behind us over our flight path.  It was a good thing we left when we did.  Once again, the Lord provided protection on our trip home as we dodged the approaching front and the buildup of thunderstorms.

That weather hung around for 24 hours and drenched southeast Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.  So flying was out of the question.  But that was a good break for Keith and me considering the challenging and full week we just had.  Besides, it was our last Sunday in Thompson and we were able to say goodbye to all the wonderful people at church who had supported LAMP by providing places for team members to stay as they traveled through Thompson on their way to and from their VBS communities. 

The weather cleared out on Monday, August 17th, for us to make our last trip of the VBS season to Ontario and the community of Muskrat Dam.  This was a late addition to the VBS schedule as the community was going through a rather large crisis.  The team that had previously served there before heard about the situation and decided to put together an abbreviated VBS and spend some time with the people to give them support and encouragement. 

That is what makes the VBS teams so important to the communities.  The relationships they develop and the willingness to go and stand with their First Nation brothers and sisters is living faith in action!  

We arrived around 11:00 AM and got a ride to the  school.  The team was finishing up a morning VBS session.  I walked down the road to the local radio station and made an announcement about the VBS and that the children were all welcome.  After lunch with the team, we all headed back to the school and welcomed the children who were slowly arriving. 

The children got busy with activity sheets and loved using the crayons and colored pencils to decorate their pages.

 

Rev. Roy Morris stopped by and I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with him.  He and his brother were both taken from the community as young children to one of the residential schools the government had set up.  We talked about the issues facing Muskrat Dam and then spent time in prayer together.  He is quite a special guy!

I returned to the gym in time to do the music with the children.  This is second-nature to me as I was the "music guy" at my previous church during VBS.  Of course, we couldn't leave out my VBS staple song, "Little Red Box" along with a half-dozen other songs.

Craft time was making necklaces and bracelets with bead of various shapes including letter beads.  I helped a few of the children finding the letters to their names so they could put them on the line.

Then after craft time, we played a number of games.  One was standing in a circle and then passing a "hula hoop" from person-to-person without letting go of our hands and not using our hands to pass it around the circle.  It's harder than it sounds if you want to try it.   Then a few rounds of "Red Rover" and freeze tag finished up the VBS.  

Again, we helped with clean up and arranged for a ride back to the airport.  We said our goodbyes to the 3-person team as our ride arrived at the school   The Lord was using them not only with the VBS, but also to bring comfort to the community.  

The weather had cleared up leaving us a nice smooth ride home to Thompson.  As we left Ontario behind I couldn't help but pray for the team and people of Muskrat Dam along with the other communities LAMP VBS teams served that the Lord would give them strength and hope.

Red Sucker Lake, Manitoba is below on our way back to Thompson from Muskrat Dam.

The next day would be the last day the LAMP airplane would be in Thompson.  Andrew would be arriving to fly it back to the Edmonton area with Keith.  The weather on Tuesday, August 18th, brought a mix of sun and clouds.  With the last community of York Landing just a brief 30 minute flight from Thompson, we elected to stay low and did some sight-seeing, especially over some of the beautiful waterfalls and rapids. 

It was a short walk from the airport to the community of York Landing.  It's an interesting place as it's accessible by either air, or ferry.  In the winter, an ice road serves the community.

We found the team of 3 at the school conducting a morning VBS session for younger children which was drawing to a close.   Then we headed over to the teacher housing where the team was staying for lunch.  We had a good discussion about some of the challenges the team and community faced.   Then it was back to the school for the afternoon session.

Pastor Terry was a new member of the team, but you would have never have guessed it.  He related well with the children and had his guitar for music.   The lesson was doing using Powerpoint which kept the children's attention.

Pastor Terry led the children in song, one of them including actions that got everyone moving!

Craft time is always a favorite of the children as they don't often have the materials at home to draw and make items.  The children would probably stayed much longer, but the time had passed and it was time to close up.

There weren't as many children as the team hoped, but the community was also celebrating "Indian Week" and had a lot of community activities going on.  Keith and I stopped by the band office on the way back to the airport, but as expected, no one was there with "Indian Days".

The flight back was uneventful but also bittersweet.  It was officially the end of the VBS season. Praise the Lord I made it into every one of my communities. I'll miss the flying but more so, I'll miss the children and the people in these remote First Nations communities and the friends I've made.  I would be heading back home in the days ahead.

So here's a quick summary for the summer:

* 11 Weeks
* 20 communities visited
* 146 Teams members visited
* 1600 children served (final tally still remaining)
* 97.4 Flight hours (Including 2 flat tires!)
* 11,643 statute miles traveled by ground and air
* 320,000 Square miles covered
* 7,200 calories burned participating with the kids  (could be lots more)
* Countless prayers offered to the Lord by supporters
* God's Word proclaimed across Manitoba and Ontario

What an awesome privilege to serve the Lord in such a unique way. This is what makes LAMP such a critical ministry to these communities, especially for those with no pastor serving even on a part-time basis. It also makes it even more important for the continued prayers and financial support so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can continue to be proclaimed to the First Nation people of Canada.

July 2015 - The Summer VBS Migration

With the arrival of July it also ushered in the beginning of VBS teams migrating north to their specific communities.  Migrating seems to fit as many of these teams are returning to roost for a week in the community they have been serving to “Love, Care, Serve, and Share.”  That is the theme of the curriculum this year and it was evident the teams were prepared to do exactly that.

The first VBS for the season for my area was right here in Thompson, Manitoba the week of July 6-10. The team from Moorhead, Minnesota arrived on Saturday afternoon.  We worshiped together on Sunday at the church sponsoring the VBS.   On the first day, all the kids were excited and very attentive to the story of Zaccheaus ("a wee little man was he").  We made kites and then went outside and flew them. The children made 2 kites...one for themselves, and one to give to a friend as an invitation to VBS. The weather cooperated, though a couple of days kept everyone inside because of the smoke from the fires in Saskatchewan and western Manitoba.  Because of the proximity of the VBS, I was able to visit with the team each day.  It was great to get to know them and to see the love they have for the children.

The next week was the VBS at Big Trout Lake, Ontario July 13-20. It's one of the farthest VBS communities from Thompson at almost 350 miles. On the flight down, we saw a couple of small fires that had recently started. As we got halfway to Big Trout, there was literally a wall of smoke to our west. After crossing into Ontario the skies cleared due to the northeast wind off of Hudson Bay.

We walked in to the community and over to the church where the VBS was in full swing.  The Team did a 10 AM to 2 PM session.  The ladies in the community put lunch together each day for the kids and team.  The day I was there, it included Bannock. Yum!

After lunch, the children went over to the community playground a couple of blocks away for about a half hour. Then they returned to the church for craft time. I stopped by the band office to introduce myself and meet the Executive Director. The community is preparing to elect a new Chief and council and Don is overseeing the community until the new leadership is in place. He has a monumental task and responsibility. We talked quite a bit about the needs of the community and some of the issues they face. We prayed together for strength for him to complete his role.

Then I went back to the church. VBS was just finishing up. After the children left, I met with the team and we prayed together. The team has some veterans that have been going to BTL for years and a couple of newbies. They are doing a great job and love being able to conduct the VBS and share Jesus' love and be in the community.

The rest of the week was spent making contact with the teams and communities that were coming up in the next few weeks to confirm arrangements and to take care of any details that need to be worked out.

The next week (July 20-24) was the beginning of “the big push” with multiple teams coming.  Since many of them are fly-in only communities, the weather would determine our flying direction and the day we visited the communities.

The first VBS of the week was at Norway House in Manitoba.   This actually is one of only 3 VBS communities that can be driven to.   However, the Lord smiled on us and brought in clearing weather so that we could fly into Norway House and meet with the VBS team. But as in life, things do not always go as planned.  The new Catholic church where the team was supposed to stay and conduct one of the VBS sessions had a water issue. However, Lawrence Moore, the pastor of the United Church where one of the teams holds their VBS opened up his church to the team. They did have to go to the school for showers, but they had a roof over their head and a nice kitchen area.  Lawrence also picked us up at the airport and took us to the church.

We spent time talking with the team and then getting ready for registration of the kids. The team actually divided into two teams and conducts another VBS on the other side of Norway House at the Anglican church. That way, they can reach more children in this spread out community. We stayed for the entire VBS and learned a new rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" that was a little bit of Blues and a little bit of Soul. It was pretty neat. It was also the first time the musical instrument to lead the singing was a saxophone!

It was neat to see children from the community who had going to the VBS now be old enough to be helpers. And then the kids recognized some of the returning team members from previous years. I got to make a lot of new friends on the team and with the children. I'm fortunate I didn't throw something out by trying to do the hula-hoop! I won't say how long it's been, but it's been awhile.

After VBS, I went over to the Band Office and met with a couple of the counselors since the Chief was at a business meeting. The community is very receptive to LAMP and the VBS teams. I went back to the church where the other team was starting to dribble in from the other church. Before some of them took off for a game of kick ball, we prayed together and then headed back to the airport for the trip home.

It amazes me to see the talent and love the team members have for the children and to see the children respond positively to learning about the love of Jesus. Please keep the teams in your prayers as the VBS's at Norway House continue throughout the week.

The next day, Tuesday July 21, took us to the community of Wapekeka, Ontario. This is the community where the school burned down in May. The school year has been extended and classes are meeting in the community center. That has affected the VBS attendance some, but there was good attendance and those present were having a great time. We arrived around 11:30 AM with the threat of rain. On the walk into town, one of the construction workers on the new replacement school picked us up and gave us a ride. We found the team just up the road from the church. We met with them and got a tour of the community. Then it was off to the Band office to meet the Chief and counselors who were present. Unfortunately, the Chief was out of the community. 

The kids filtered into the church and worked on a sheep face mask craft.  After that, we headed to the playground for some fun and a game of "freeze tag" (remember that game?).

The time came for Andrew and me to depart back to Thompson as the day was getting longer and we had a fuel stop to make at Island Lake. All-in-all, it was a good day and the kids enjoyed it as well.

Wednesday, July 23,  was a "two-for" day...Garden Hill and Shamattawa. We were trying to beat the weather that was forecast to arrive later in the afternoon in Thompson. 

We flew into Island Lake and walked over to hire a boat taxi. It's a short 8 minute ride to the docks at Garden Hill. We found the team at the elementary school teacher housing and spent some time getting to know each other. Then it was off to the school to set up for VBS.

The team was well organized and had the craft tables set up quickly. 

Then because of our flight schedule and weather, we prayed with the team and headed off to the Band office. I met a couple of the counselors since the Chief wasn't there. I talked about the needs of the community and they desire to have Bible study materials. 

So that will go in my bucket of things to help them with. We happened to catch a waiting boat taxi and got back to the airport. Then it was off to  Shamattawa.

We arrived at the airport and took the short walk into the community.  We found the team in mid-VBS mode. They were outside with drinks and snacks. They saw "the red airplane" fly over before we landed. It was a fun time listening to Lloyd play songs on his guitar.

The kids were finishing up snack time and started doing crafts, one of which was decorating an airplane silhouette by using a scribe to remove the black coating. Underneath colors appeared. I did one to show the kids and then did a half-dozen more for the kids. They were all fascinated with my bald head!

The team then passed out New Testaments and crosses to the kids after I explained who I was, what I did, and what LAMP was about. The team posed for a picture after we prayed together. Then Dave Schneeberger, the team leader walked with us over to the Band office.  We got to meet the Chief who was very supportive of LAMP.  We prayed with him and then took another  short walk to the airport.  We were soon airborne back to Thompson where the weather was still good thanks to a front that moved north instead of east. So in one day, we covered two communities over a distance of 570+ miles in a day...a day of blessings and awe witnessing the teams serving the Lord's people.

The next week was going to be the biggest challenge of the summer… 5 VBS teams stretching from as far north as Tadoule Lake to as far south as Cat Lake, Ontario.   Looking at the weekly forecast meant we needed to get an early start.

With a plan in place based on the weather forecast (which is in a constant state of flux) we headed out early on Sunday morning, July 26,  to arrive at Cat Lake before the 11 AM worship service at one of the churches. We landed with 20 minutes to spare and walked into the community. Along the way, Chantal Wesley found us and gave us a ride to the church. The team had their Pastor, Dave Seabaugh, with them who conducted the informal worship along with team members who provided the music. Several members of the community and their families were in attendance as well. It was really nice to be present. Afterwards a number of the people who were friends with the team stayed and talked with them, some of them sharing their struggles. It was truly ministry in action.

Afterwards, we went with the team over to their housing and had lunch with them. Then it was time to haul all the VBS supplies over to the Anglican Church where the VBS would be held. Chantal again provided the transportation with her truck. After delivering the supplies, we walked across the street from the church to where a large dock and beach were located. A number of the kids from the community were swimming and hanging out. They all got invites to attend the VBS that would begin the next day. We walked back to the house and then headed to the ball field where a community softball tournament was taking place. Again, the team was greeted and reunited with people they had connected with in the past.

One of the struggles of Cat Lake is housing.  There is a shortage and therefore several homes were under construction.  Unfortunately, the warehouse that stored all the building supplies burned to the ground the beginning of July.  The good news is that insurance covered the loss.  The bad news is that replacement supplies can't be brought in until the winter road season opens.  So many of the homes under construction will sit like that until the spring.  Families will have to wait another year for their homes to be completed.  That is just one of the issues these remote communities face.

The day went be really quickly. We prayed with the team and then got ready to head back to the airport. Several team members walked with us to the airport so they could see the LAMP airplane up close and personal.

The distance to fly all the way back to Thompson and then return the next day to Ontario, plus the weather forecast made doing an overnight in Red Lake, Ontario the best option. We said Good Bye and headed south toward Red Lake. After fueling up the Lance, the shuttle from the hotel arrived. We grabbed dinner at the restaurant next to the hotel and then called it a night. It was a great start to the week with the team already ministering to the community beside the VBS. And that’s what it’s all about!

On Monday, July 27, we were going to do another “two-fer”—Wunnumin  Lake and Kingfisher Lake, Ontario.

Andrew and I were up early, grabbed breakfast and were back at Red Lake airport for an 8:30 AM departure. We arrived at Wunnumin Lake an hour and a half later and started our long walk into the community from the airport. Thankfully, one of the members of the community saw us and gave us a ride to the church where the team was staying and conducting their VBS.

They were making due with their accommodations that were somewhat challenging.  The basement of the church where they were staying was also where VBS would be held. There were also some water issues at the church which meant the team had to go to a store 5 minutes away to get water in containers. There was also going to be a wedding at the church on Tuesday. So they were going to do that day outside at a different location. The team was the epitome of being flexible and kept the focus on their mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the children of Wunnumin Lake.

We had lunch with the team and then walked to the Band office to see if we could connect with Chief Rod. Unfortunately, he and the council were in a conference and were unavailable. We headed back to the church where VBS was getting started. We said our good-byes and headed back to the airport. Again, a member of the community stopped and gave us a ride. It’s amazing that people just stop without being flagged down. They see someone in need and stop to help. You don’t see that often back at home. We were grateful for the ride, especially since it was one of the hottest days here so far with bright sun and 30 degrees C (86 F).   Then it was off to Kingfisher Lake.

It’s a brief 25 minute flight from Wunnumin Lake west to Kingfisher Lake. When we landed, one of the members of the community asked if we were with the VBS. He got another person to take us to the community center where the VBS team was staying. Again, the local hospitality is awesome! By the time we arrived at the community center, the VBS had ended. But the team was glad to see us and share with us how things were going. 

We were not there long when a few of the adolescent boys came by and coerced Adam and Ben to go swimming with them. It was fun to hear the stories of what their families were doing and to see the interaction of the individual team members. It was obvious they enjoyed each other’s company. The guys returned from swimming and supper was almost ready. We were invited to stay and eat with the team. Afterwards, a couple of the young boys poked their nose in the door while we were having dessert—a peach cobbler that was a simple recipe. The boys tried some of it. Not all were fans of it, especially the crusty cake part (which I love!).

The day was slipping by and we needed to get back to the airport to head home since we had to make a refueling stop on the way back to Thompson. We prayed together and then Ruth (Bishop Lydia’s sister) gave us a ride back to the airport. She has a heart of gold and was a pleasure to meet. We got airborne and made our fuel stop at Island Lake. Then it was back to Thompson with us landing around 10 PM. It was still incredibly light out.

We dropped off the Lance at “Wings Over Kississing” where I had made arrangements for the 50 hour oil change, landing light replacement, and propeller dressing (filing the dings out of the leading edge from the gravel). Then it was back to the RV and hitting the hay to get our rest before the next day’s drive to Cross Lake, Manitoba. It was yet another day where it was evident the Lord is working through the teams in the communities demonstrating Jesus’ love and care.

Tuesday, July 28 we headed to Cross Lake, Manitoba.  We didn’t have an airplane today, but that was part of the plan. The weather was going to be stormy and this is one of 3 communities that has access by road. We headed out of Thompson for the 2-1/2 hour drive. It didn’t go to badly for the first half. But the second half was on gravel roads that were wet and muddy. We got to Cross Lake around 11 AM. Unfortunately, Google Maps wasn’t too helpful in directing us toward the school. Not only that, the traffic was jammed, especially by the Band office because of the “Indian Days” festival that week. We somehow managed to find Father Guru’s house. He got into his vehicle and led us over to the school. By that time, the rain was coming down in buckets.

After running into the school and getting drenched, we met the team and had arrived in time for “brunch.” We were introduced and I got to thank them all for the wonderful work that they do in the community. Andrew and I even got a team T-shirt! After brunch, it was time for everyone to disperse in the large school which was a blessing with the weather outside. Beside the VBS for the kids, they had a mother’s tea earlier in the morning before our arrival and were offering a teen Bible study simultaneously with the VBS. This is a large team of some 34 people reaching up to 300 children in the week. From observing things, everything was running like a fine oiled machine. 

The opening and closing music was well done with a host of team members playing instruments and singing. The rotations included the Bible story for the day, craft, and games. I was able to sit in on all the sections including the teen Bible study that had a turnout of more than a couple dozen youth that were divided up into 3 different groups. During my wanderings, I was also able to spend time with individual team members and answer their questions about LAMP and my part in the ministry.

I also spent some time with the two team “chefs” who fed this huge crew every day. “B.J” and Paul not only shared with me some of the insights of the community including some of the struggles and theological challenges that are there. Of course, being a “foodie” myself, we talked about recipes and cooking methods and styles. The school had a great kitchen and cafeteria for them to work in.

The day flew by (no pun intended) and supper time arrived. Dion Halcrow and his family were there. Dion is the main contact in the community and has a great relationship with the team. It was good to see him again and I got hugs from both Dion and his wife Zelena. Dion had also brought some smoked white fish to share with the team. Yum!

Time was running out and we needed to hit the road back to Thompson. Before we left, everyone gathered for a group picture. And then one of the team members prayed for us. After that, Dion prayed also in Cree to bless us on our way.

It decided to pour in buckets as we got in the vehicle to head back to Thompson. It rained off and on and we made it back to the RV around 10 PM. It was another long day, but well worth the effort. It was the end of another awe inspiring day of seeing God at work through His Word and Spirit in His people.

Wednesday, July 29 left us with the lovely front that dumped rain on us the day before and was then over Thompson. So we used this day to rest up from the previous 3 days of being on the constant go and the long hours. We were looking forward to making it north to Tadoule Lake…weather, of course, being the critical factor once again. We kept a watch on it through the Canadian weather and Aviation weather websites. It wasn’t going to be perfect, but definitely possible.

Thursday, July 29, we got up and going and did a final check of the weather at Tadoule Lake, Manitoba.  . Things were a “go” and I filed our flight plan. We took off around 9:30 AM for the 1-1/2 hour flight almost straight north. Tadoule Lake is located just south of the 59th parallel. So it is UP NORTH! And we’re still in Manitoba!

After landing at the airport, we took the 15 minute walk the into the community. We went by the Band office to find the directions to the where the team was staying. Unfortunately Samantha Powderhorn who was our main contact had to leave for medical treatment for the week. Taking a short-cut, we found the teacher housing units and the one the team was in. The team is actually one family—the Leinonen’s from the U.P. of Michigan. They were excited that we made it. They were just finishing up lunch and preparing to head to the church for the VBS.

As we walked to the church, some of the children and adults recognized the team and greeted them with hugs. By the time we got to the church, there were already a half dozen children waiting for us. With the doors to the church opened, the children started to trickle in. VBS started with singing songs and a prayer. 

Then there was “quiz time” that asked questions related to each of the stories for the week of VBS with prizes given out for the correct answers. Of course, everyone got an answer…and a prize. Story time followed and then came Andrew’s favorite part of VBS. You guessed it. Craft time! 

This turned out to be the highlight of the day. While all of us were helping some of the younger children with their “wind chime” craft, I heard 3 adolescent girls off to the side working on their craft break into singing “Jesus Loves Me”! All on their own! It was the Lord’s little gift to us that the work of the team is taking root in all those young lives!

I took a hiatus to go up the hill to the band office. Unfortunately, Chief Ernie and Jimmy Clipping (one of the counselors) were gone for the day. So I headed back to the church for the end of VBS and just in time for games. The one that was the most fun started with everyong standing in a circle holding hands. One person put their arm through a large loop of string. The goal was to keep holding hand while working this loop around everyone in the circle! It was quite entertaining seeing the gyrations some of the kids went through to get it past them to the next person.

Before we knew it the day of VBS came to an end. It was the last day of VBS as the Tadoule team started on Sunday. We helped in cleaning up the church since they were also doing a devotional service at the church that evening. We prayed together before walking to the airport for the flight home. As is so often the case, the Lord works through the team to bring the Good News of Jesus to a community where it is growing among the children and will bear fruit.

It has been an amazing and inspiring month.  To see all of the teams in action sharing the Gospel of Jesus with hundreds of children along with the care and compassion they exhibited was watching the Holy Spirit at work among his people.  As it comes to an end and the last few weeks of the VBS season are upon me, I am reminded that it is God who is doing the work.  We are just tools in his hands.  The passage from 1 Corinthians 3:7–9 is a reminder to us of this.  “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

A Typical Day of Flying...

One airport Andrew (the other LAMP pilot) and I frequent is Island Lake, Manitoba.  It's where we have a fuel reserve to keep us flying through the summer.  So we go there on every trip into Ontario. What you see below is Andrew taking a video of my making my approach (simulated instrument practice) into the airport.  There's not a lot of room for error!   Enjoy.

June 2015 - Let The Work Begin!

The months of planning and contacting teams and communities is coming to a head.  This is what I’ve been preparing for and what a major part of my call as a pastor/pilot is about—ministry to the communities and the VBS teams.  And to be quite honest, I am chomping at the bit!

But as in all things, first things first. 

My check out in the Piper Lance continued, but was hampered by weather which has not been kind to us.   That has limited my visits to the communities that I need to get into before the VBS teams arrive.  So I had to pick and choose the communities to fly into based on where the weather was good. 

The first community I was able to get to was Tadoule Lake, MB. It's north of Thompson beyond the 58th parallel. What made this trip interesting is that the ice is just breaking up on the large lakes! It's the middle of JUNE!