What An Amazing Winter and Spring!

I got off to a quick start this year in January, and now it's already June!   

This year has been amazing, astounding, incredible, and unbelievable for many reasons.  The main reason is that I've already been up north a total of 6 weeks and the summer season is just getting started.  There is so much to share that I'm not sure you'd want to read a novel.  It would take quite a few pages to tell all the stories and blessings that took place.  And there's a good reason for that too.  I traveled to 7 communities, 5 of them with teams.  I conducted 4 parenting workshops in communities and taught a new marriage workshop at the ministry school.  The ministry to the north has more than doubled this year, especially with 3 teams making their first winter visits.  So let's get the whirlwind started...

From my previous post, you saw what took place in Cross Lake, Manitoba on my first extended weekend of the year.  Two weeks later, I met with the Sachigo Lake, Ontario team in Winnipeg.  This would be the first time since 2014 that the team would be making a winter trip.  I met the team the night before we left to help with weighing cargo.  There were 5 members of the team from Peace Lutheran in Winnipeg who were able to go.  

We arrived on Friday early afternoon and pleasantly surprised to be given the use of the Band Office van for transportation while there.  We deeply appreciated it especially since the high temperature hovered around -26C degrees.   School had been canceled due to the cold weather which meant we couldn't visit the children in the classrooms.  However, we arranged for the use of the gym and multipurpose room for a gym night for the children and for the parenting workshop which was held on Friday and Saturday evenings.  

The team outside the school getting greeted by the children

Attendance for the parenting workshop was light, but it allowed for more in depth  discussion of specific family issues.  During the day on Saturday, the team prepared hot dogs, which the team donated, as a fundraiser for the community during the fishing derby.  I was taken to the radio station and spent 2-1/2 hours speaking about families and parenting using the workshop for the content of my speaking.

Pastor Dennis at the radio station

Sunday, I conducted worship with the team at the church.  In the afternoon, the team conducted an afternoon Bible school that was very well attended (approximately 40).   Sunday evening was a time to relax and regroup.  

Team member Megan reading a Bible story to the children.

Craft time in the church basement

The kids and team at the church for the afternoon mini-VBS

Monday, the team went to the school to visit the classrooms.  The principal had me speak to the students at the morning assembly and offer a prayer.  Then it was off to the classrooms to sing, have a brief devotion, and prayer.  It's a special privilege to have this kind of openness in the school to allow us to speak about Jesus.  

The school assembly in the Gym

Pastor Dennis addressing the children

One of the many classroom visits.

We then stopped by the band office on the way to the airport.   We all received a gift from the band office of a toque embroidered with the Sachigo Lake First Nation logo.  It was a meaningful gesture as they included us a part of the community.  This trip allowed us to make more connections to the community and strengthen the ones we already have.

Nine days later, I was headed back up north, not just for a 3 day weekend, but for 3 weeks.  The first week I traveled to Sioux Lookout, Ontario to fly up to Kingfisher Lake.  I was going to conduct another training session for First Nation pastors and elders at a semi-annual ministry school organized by Bishop Lydia Mamakwa.   This would by my 3^rd time teaching at the school.   For this session, Lydia asked me to present a workshop on marriage.  This would be a brand-new workshop that would be developed for the communities up north.  The workshop was 4-1/2 days long.  Once again, I had a Cree interpreter for the training sessions.  Many of the pastors, deacons, and elders remembered me and I was warmly welcomed by all.  

The ministry school attendees

My Friend Stan from Webequie First Nations in Ontario

The day before I arrived, one of the elders in the community, who was also the church organist, died in Thunder Bay.  He body was flown into the community on Thursday.  We postponed the workshop that afternoon to go meet the body and family at the airport.  I ended up being one of the pallbearers.  

Meeting the body at the airport

The long procession to the church for visitation

The next evening, there was a special communion service for the family and community.  Bishop Lydia asked me to participate as she wasn’t feeling well, which I gladly did.  Overall, It was another learning experience, especially to hear the history of marriage from the attendees and to support the community in a time of grief. 

I flew back to Sioux Lookout and then drove back to Winnipeg to meet the team going to Shamattawa, Manitoba  the next week.  4 members of the team were able to go.  This was the 4th winter trip there for the team.  We arrived on Monday and went to the school where the staff and teachers were glad to see us come again.  

The preschool class with their new knitted hats

We basically followed the same plan from the previous trips.  We used one of the empty classrooms as our dormitory.  We visited the classrooms, handed out booklets from LHM on the first Christmas, sang songs and handed out hats that were knitted by ladies at the church.  

Some of the team helping to organize the hats... others are just playing around!!!

On Tuesday afternoon, we visited more classrooms and did craft activities with the children after school.  

Craft time after school

A visit wouldn't be complete without a hug from Mylee who I met on my first winter visit in 2016.

On Wednesday, We again visited classrooms and then held a staff event after school with a light meal.  The team put together another “Saran ball” game that was a huge success.  

The school staff playing "Saran ball"

Before we left for the airport, on Thursday, the staff again presented us with a homemade card with their signatures and notes of thanks.   

The "thank you" card the team got from the entire school staff.

This community really appreciates what the team does and, in reality, they really need it with the difficulties they face.

My next trip would be to Weagamow Lake, Ontario February 24-28.  After my flight to Winnipeg from Shamattawa, I drove back to Sioux Lookout to meet the team the night before we flew out.  We made last minute plans including grocery shopping and the activities to do in the community over supper.   

We flew out on Sunday afternoon from Sioux Lookout to Weagamow Lake during a blizzard!.  Our flight was the only one to make it out that afternoon.  The Lord's hand was definitely on our travels!

Boarding our flight in a blizzard!

That evening, we joined Pastor Jake at the radio station and sang songs and read Scripture for an hour.  On Monday morning, we went to the New Horizon Treatment center to be a support to clients who are being treated for substance addiction.  We made ourselves available to talk with the people and let them share their stories with us.

Outside the New Horizon Treatment Center

Hanging out to support some of the clients

That afternoon, we were given a van to use by the nurses station which made getting around much easier.  We went to the public school in the afternoon and visited the younger grade classrooms singing songs and talking about bullying using booklets available through Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Pastor Gery Luck doing Bible stories with the children

On Tuesday, we returned to the New Horizon center and met with clients again.  Some of the women clients gravitated to Linda who is a nurse.  Some of the men connected with the men on the team to talk about various topics.   A couple of us went to the band office to see Chief Dinah and the counsillors who were there.   She appreciated the visit and the prayer by Pastor Gery Luck, the team leader.  In the afternoon, we returned to the school and visited the upper grades.  

In the evening, we went to the arena where I conducted the first night of the family and parenting workshop.  It was the first time to present it at Weagamow Lake.   

Getting ready for the parenting workshop

Other team members watched the children during the workshop.  We retired for the night after the workshop.  Wednesday morning was back at the New Horizion center.  In the afternoon, we visited the small Christian school classrooms.  

Spending time with the children in the Christian school.

That evening was the 2^nd night for the family and parenting workshop.  The overall turnout was very good with 15 people getting certificates of completion.  

Family and parenting workshop "graduates"

Thursday morning, we packed and headed to the airport for our flight back to Sioux Lookout.  Overall, the trip was a huge success.  The team really enjoyed the experience of an “off season” trip and made connections that wouldn’t have been possible during a VBS week which is really true for all the teams that make trips like this.

The team and Pastor Dennis before boarding the plane to Sioux Lookout.

The team and I reluctantly parted company as they headed back to the Mitchell and Kitchener, Ontario area.  I was heading home after 3 weeks up north.  I drove back to Winnipeg for my overnight before my "red eye" morning flight.   

Upon my arrival at Winnipeg, I went over to friends of mine to see her dad who was in cancer treatment and staying at their house.  Gordon Disbrowe was one of the first people I met up north in the community of Red Sucker Lake, Manitoba.  He was a wonderful Christian man and a friend.   

Gordon is on my right (I'm in the middle if you didn't notice!)

Gordon and me at his daughter's home in Winnipeg

    We were both glad to see each other and had a good time talking, especially about fishing which Gordon loved to do.  He even drew a sketch out of a "jigger" and how it's used to put a net under the ice for winter fishing.  We got to read Scripture together and pray together.  I needed to leave because Gordon was getting tired and I had a 4:30 AM wake up call for my flight home.  I was so grateful to stop and visit.  Gordon went to be home with the Lord just 10 days later.  I will miss him as a true friend and brother in the Lord.

     I was home for almost a month when I returned again to the north.  The first trip was a 3 day stop in Red Sucker Lake, Manitoba.  This is my 3rd visit to conduct a parenting workshop for the community.  It was the best attended so far with 22 attending!

     As a token of appreciation, I was given an original oil painting.  The artist is David Disbrowe who happens to be Gordon's cousin.  That gave a double special meaning to this painting that's a perfect addition to all the other native artwork I've been collecting over the past 30 years.  

    I flew back to Winnipeg and drove to Sioux Lookout to meet the team going to Big Trout Lake, also called "K.I." which are initials for it's native name.  This would be their first off-season visit.  Unfortunately their arrival was delayed due to the "Bomb Cyclone" winter storm that they ended up driving through.  Thankfully they made it to Sioux Lookout safely, but tired.   

When we arrived, we had a surprise waiting for us at the airport.  The Band Office let us use the community van!   We had transportation for our time in the community.  Because our arrival was delayed about 4 hours, we were not able to visit the school class rooms on Friday morning and afternoon.  However, the principal, Jemima Cutfeet was gracious and opened the gym after school for us for a couple of hours.   Afterwards, we headed to our home-away-from-home for supper, planning, and rest.

    Saturday, we were given the use of the community early education center to use for activities with the children and the first parenting class to be held in K.I.  

    The parenting class was done with the two sessions in one day with lunch being served by some of the women in the community.  I finished up mid-afternoon.  We transported some of the women and their children home, hence the use of the Band van.  

    That evening, we had some of our friends in the community stop by and visit us.  It was nice to be able to relax and chat, something that isn't always possible with teams working on getting ready for VBS the next day.  That is what makes winter trips so different yet productive in other ways.

On Sunday, we planned to go to the Anglican church in the morning and the Freedom to Worship church in the afternoon.  But as in all plans, they changed a little.   At the 10 AM service, I was asked to introduce the team and myself.  Since I'm a pastor, I was soon pressed into service by assisting with the baptism of an infant.  The little one was not a happy camper and cried through most of it.  However, when Pastor Steward handed her to me and asked me to go pray at the altar, my grandfather touch brought silence!   After the prayer, I handed her back and the crying started.  I had to chuckle a little about that.  I continued at Pastor Steward's request to assist in the rest of the service.   As we were leaving church, he said, "I'll see you at 3 this afternoon."   The 10 AM service was the Cree service and the 3 PM service was in English.   So our plans changed.  The team decided to open the early education center for kids activities and I went back to the church.  It was a virtual repeat including a baptism.   

After church was over, I headed over to the center with the rest of the team.  We took a break for supper and then returned for the evening with the children.  We did crafts and had devotion time.  However, when it came time to leave, one of the younger adults was dealing with a personal crisis.  A couple of team members stayed, talked and prayed with him while the others took the children home.  Returning to the center, the 2 team members were still involved with the young man.   The Lord provided the means to help bring comfort and peace to him through His Spirit and the team members.   By the time we got back to our digs, it was almost 1 AM.  The Lord blessed us with a Northern Lights show, the first I've ever seen in all my time in the north!

We all went to bed after a long day.   The next morning was spent eating breakfast and packing up for our flight back to Sioux Lookout.  It had been a busy non-stop 2-1/2 days in K.I., but the Lord blessed us to be a blessing to others.

As you can see, this has been one amazing start to 2019!  The ministry is growing beyond expectations and the communities in the north are being blessed with the teams sharing and living their faith in Jesus to encourage and support them in their own faith walk.

Without support from donors and partners, there would be no way for the ministry of LAMP to continue serving the people in northern communities.  If you have given to LAMP in the past, thank you for your support.  I pray it will continue.  If you haven't given to LAMP in the past, please consider supporting this critical ministry need to the northern indigenous communities of Canada.

Peace of Christ be with you all. 

Off to a Quick and Great Start in 2019

I trust y'all had a great and blessed Christmas and New Year.  I'm sure it was full of family, fun and faith.  Our God is an amazingly loving Father who sent His Son to this world as a human.  He became one of us.  He felt every emotion like all of us.  He experienced every temptation like all of us.  But the one thing Jesus did was to suffer the punishment of the sins of the world for all time for all people.  That is something that none of us could do.  And that is THE main reason Jesus came.

That is also the reason LAMP goes to northern remote communities so that this wonderful news can be shared with the people.  That is also the reason why your support in prayers and monetary support is so important, especially as we kick off the 2019 year.

With only 4 days under our belt for the new year, 9 members of the team from Trinity Lutheran Church in Billings, Montana and I made our 4th winter visit to Cross Lake, Manitoba.  Since our first visit back in 2016 during the suicide epidemic that gripped the community, we have been compelled to keep going back and are welcomed with warm embraces (which is especially good when it's snowy and only 10 degrees Fahrenheit.)

We all arrived on Friday afternoon on January 4th.  That evening was spent relaxing after traveling there and hanging out with the kids who knew we were coming.  It was a fun evening for me to reconnect with the team and the kids that came by.  I also was taught how to play Cribbage and was thoroughly trounced by one of the teenagers Trent.

I learned how to play... and lose at Cribbage

The next morning, we did a "divide and conquer" maneuver.  Most of the team headed down the road to the community of Norway House for a hockey game.  As you can guess, hockey is a major sport for these communities and a way for them to join in together with a common interest.  A few team members went ice fishing with one of our contacts in the community.  I stayed behind and met with the principal of the school.  We have become like brother and sister and communicate regularly.  Connie looks forward to our face-to-face visits.  I spent the better part of the afternoon listening to her challenges, both at school and within her family.  We prayed together and both felt lifted by God's Word and Spirit.

Soon everyone returned and kids started showing up at the school and playing in the gym.  We all had supper together and then had an open gym night.   I quickly forget how much energy the kids have and how much I don't.  Also, I'm not normally a late night person and that was put to the test.  I have to admit I was usually the first to go to bed, but let's face it.  It was after Midnight!!!

The one important task that ends gym night is gathering everyone for a devotion.  Members of the team take turns putting them together and usually focus on some of the issues they face such as bullying and depression.

Roger did a devotion with the kids at the end of gym night

Sunday brought a day of worship and a mini-VBS to the children who came to the school.  It's always a moving experience to worship together and to share the Epiphany message of Jesus being revealed to the world.   Afterward, the kids did a craft of the team's design of Christmas trees and angel figures.  All weekend, the team was handing out age appropriate Bibles they had brought to the kids that came to the school.

The children made Christmas trees and angel figures.  Some "children" were acting up, however!

Kids of all ages enjoyed the crafts.

Again, kids drifted into the gym for activities.  Everyone gathered for supper before the second and last gym night.  More kids came as the word got out and the hockey games ended.

Volley ball and basket ball were the games most everyone joined in on.

The team from Billings, Montana

The team and some of the kids at gym night

My young friend Ripkin who is always good to see

We had advertised the Family and Parenting workshop.  The first gym night, no one came.  But 2 young mothers came the second night.  I didn't have time to go through the entire workshop, but was able to hit the high points and was able to talk with them about their families (one was expecting her first child and the other had 3 ages 5 to 1).  The team had brought Bibles and gave each one of them a copy.  I promised I'd send them the workbooks to that they would have something to reference in the future.

Our time in Cross Lake goes by so fast.  It was time for us to leave early on Monday before the start of school, especially since the school was where we stayed.  We all said our goodbyes and then they hit the road for the 2-day trip home and I got a ride to the airport to fly to Winnipeg.  Or so I thought.

The ceilings were low and so the plane couldn't land that morning.  I was re-booked on the afternoon flight.  Dion, one of our contacts and my friend picked me back up and I spent the day with him and his family.  Dion and I were able to talk about some of the trials and challenges he goes through.  So it was good to be able to listen and support him.  He dropped me off at the airport for the afternoon flight.  But the weather worsened with freezing mist.  There was an evening flight that was still on the schedule.  So I decided to stay at the airport to find out if it would land.

As has happened in the past, whenever I've had some sort of delay, the Lord puts people in my path.  One of the airport workers came in for a break from working on the plowing crew.  With a cup of coffee in his hand, we started to talk.   Then Kenneth began to share some of the spiritual struggles he and his church were going through.  At the end of the conversation when he had to go back to work, I told him I would add him to my prayer journal.  He asked if I would also pray for his brother William.  I have another new friend and brother in Christ.

Well, the evening flight was canceled.  So Dion came by and picked me up.  He took me to his house which has become a home-away-from-home for a dozen young adults.  We all had dinner and spent the evening together watching movies, playing video games, and playing guitars.  It is truly and honor to be invited into a home and treated as part of the family.  Dion made arrangements for a place for me to sleep that night too.  So I was well cared for.

Thankfully, the next morning, the ceilings lifted and the precipitation turned into light snow.  Because there were a half-dozen of us who missed our flights the day before, a larger Dash 8 aircraft was flown in to accommodate us all.

While I was waiting, my friend Connie came to the airport to meet a group of people who were supposed to fly in the day before.  So we got to talk some more.  Then Kerry, the vice principal of the school came in with his uncle and aunt.  His uncle was flying out to Winnipeg for cancer treatment.  I went over and Kerry introduced me.  He told me he had stage 4 cancer.  At that point, I offered to pray with him and his wife Lynn.   He and his wife are 2 more names to add to my prayer journal.

It came time to board and I said my goodbyes to Connie and Kerry with hugs.  Even thought I was glad to be flying out, I feel I'm leaving a part of my heart behind.  

Clearing skies allowed the morning flight to arrive to go back to Winnipeg for my flight home

I don't know when I will see my friend in Cross Lake again.  I know I probably will this coming summer during the VBS.  Thanks to technology, I can keep in contact with them.  They know that they can always ask me to pray for them or for whatever is going on in Cross Lake.   It's truly and honor and privilege to be their long-distance pastor and friend.

It is the trips like this one that your prayers and financial gifts support.  It's obvious it's a critical need, not just for Cross Lake, Manitoba, but for the 40 plus communities that LAMP serves throughout Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.  Your support allows teams and myself to keep ministering to the communities with the Good News of Jesus.

Please keep these people in your prayers, especially during the winter month which are especially hard emotionally on them with the dark winter skies and isolation.

Until the next time...

Christmas Reality

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.   (Jn 3:16–17  NIV).

The verse above is one that’s very familiar to many followers of Jesus.  It’s referred to as “the Gospel in a nutshell” and is the reason why God sent Jesus into the world and what Jesus would do.   It’s not your typical Christmas Scripture passage that proclaims the birth of Jesus.  However, it is still an appropriate verse if not an essential verse for Christmas.

This was made evident at the community of Kingfisher Lake this past summer.   This community had been without a LAMP VBS team since 2015.  We were blessed this year to have a new team from the Buffalo, New York area to start going to Kingfisher.  The community was glad that a LAMP team was back and the team was excited as ever to go.

The Kingfisher Lake team conducting VBS

While I was there, the team had prepared a game for the children to play.  It was a modified version of “T” ball baseball game.   After the children hit the ball, they advanced around the bases, but there was a catch.  At each base, they had to answer a question related to the Bible.  I was on 1st base.   As the children ran up to me, my question to them was this: “Whose birthday do we celebrate on Christmas Day?”.   What surprised me was that 2 out of every 3 children didn’t know the answer to that question, that Jesus’ birth is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

At that moment, the full realization of the importance of taking the Gospel of Jesus to these northern communities became a huge “Ah Ha” moment.   Yes, of course, that’s the reason LAMP goes into these remote communities.  And yes, as a missionary pastor, I know that’s the reason I go into these communities and why the teams go there.  But this particular situation just put an explanation point on it.

Imagine that this is the reality in each of the northern communities LAMP serves.  Imagine the tens of thousands of children (and adults for that matter) who still don’t know about Jesus as their Savior.  Imagine the work necessary to keep proclaiming the Good News that Christ the Savior is born… that Jesus came to die on the cross to suffer the punishment for our sins… That Jesus rose from the dead in victory over Satan and death… that Jesus ascended into heaven to take His place on His throne… that Jesus will return to take all his followers to be with Him forever. 

Jesus is the reason, not just for the season of Christmas, but for all seasons and times so that people in these northern communities can experience the same mercy, hope, and joy in a Savior who loves them, who desires to live in them, and to adopt them all as his children.  This makes LAMP of vital importance to the children and their families by taking the Gospel of Jesus to them all.

Romans 10:16-17 reminds us of the importance of taking the Good News of Jesus to others.  It says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 

Because of your support in both prayers and financial gifts, you are also the “beautiful feet” that walk along side of me and the other LAMP missionaries and volunteers bringing the good news of Jesus to those who still need to hear about the one they can believe in.  

Again, I wish to thank you for your support and pray that you will continue to partner with me so that I will be able continue this work of serving the people of northern Canada with the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord.

May you have a very blessed Christmas.

Summer Twist and Turns - Part 2

Week 1 of VBS turned out to be a blessing in disguise as previously chronicled.  Week 2 would be the busiest week of the summer with 6 teams coming north.  That meant hitting the week hard up front, especially considering that the communities were in 2 different Providences and  ranged from 50 degrees  to almost 56 degrees of latitude and from 90 degrees to almost 98 degrees of longitude.  That's a lot of geography to cover!

But the Friday before, the Muskrat Dam team and the U.S. side of team that goes to Sandy Lake came to the cabin for supper.  It's really enjoyable to catch up with everyone under a relaxed environment.  And if there are any issues or concerns before the team gets to the community, then we can talk through them beforehand.

The Muskrat Dam and Sandy Lake teams after supper at Pastor Dennis' rental cabin.

The next morning, I met the teams at the airport and helped them get their cargo checked in.  Then I headed over to the Lance to make sure it would be ready to go on Sunday for the flight up to Norway House.  Everything was looking good... that is until the weather forecast started painting a bleak picture for the flight.  Sunday morning came with weather fine where we were, but worse than forecast up at Norway House.  So that trip was unfortunately scrubbed.  Hopefully the front would move through quickly and the skies would clear enough for flying up to Shamattawa.

Monday morning, the forecast was better with skies clearing up north.  With my new SiriusXM GPS and weather device, I could get live reports from airports.  Things were looking up.  We took off and headed straight north for Shamattawa.  And then with 30 minutes left in our flight, the Volt and Ammeter in the Lance dropped to Zero!

I could only guess another alternator belt had broken.  There are procedures to follow when something like this happens.  A good thing was that my Portable GPS and electronic aviation software on my iPad provided most of what I lost when everything electrical was turned off to save battery power to lower the landing gear later.  To make a long story short, my training and procedures for this type of emergency worked and we landed safely at Shamattawa.   Then it was off to find the teacherage the team was in.  A quick stop at the band office took care of that and got us going in the right direction.

The team was excited more than usual because for the first time in 3 summers, they had an actual building to conduct VBS instead of outside with no protection from the weather.  After lunch, we walked over to the building they would be using for the week.  We quickly got set up just in time for the throng of children that came.  It was a good thing there were a couple more of us as they broke an all-time VBS attendance the first day of  VBS with 88 children registered!!!

Lori reading the lesson book for the day.  Each child got one to take home.

This team, even though it's small, is very gifted and committed.  They have Leon who loves to play guitar and sing with the kids.  Lori and Eric love the interaction with the kids, particularly the puppet shows and the lesson books they give to the children and read through each day.

Lori and Eric captivating the children with the puppet show.

Dave is the master of the games.  This year, they brought water balloon balls.  These are small balls that absorb water and then are thrown like a water balloon.  Then you put it back in water and it soaks it up like a sponge.  They're reusable and are easy use and transport.  And you get just as wet just like the real deal.

The kids were having a splashing good time with the water balloon balls.

The VBS progressed with snack and craft.  The bead necklace crosses were a hit and kept us all busy helping the kids string their beads and tying knots.  The VBS went by really fast.

My trip to Shamattawa wouldn't be complete without little Miley giving me my hug!

Even though I wasn't able to get to Norway House, this was a special year for the 2 teams from Trinity Lutheran Church at Fergus Falls, Minnesota.  It marked their 10th year of serving these 2 communities in northern Manitoba.  What a great blessing they have been.

The two teams were celebrating their 10th year of service with LAMP and their communities.

After VBS was done and cleanup was over at the building, we headed to the airport to take a closer look at the Lance.  The alternator belt was shredded for sure.  After a couple of phone calls, taking the Lance to Thompson was the best course of action.  I filed a "NORDO" (no radio) flight plan with flight service, said goodbye to the team, and took off for Thompson.

There was no way to fix the broken alternator belt except to get the Lance to a maintenance facility.

The flight there was uneventful and the next day, arrangements were made at an aviation maintenance operation to have the Lance evaluated.  However, that would require leaving it behind at Thompson.

So the next day Andrew, LAMP's director of flight operations had a break in his schedule and flew over from Flin Flon to Thompson.  Then we headed south Wednesday morning to Little Grand Rapids, Manitoba.

The community had been evacuated in mid-May due to a severe fire in that area.  The people were out of the community for 6 weeks until repairs could be made to the power grid and station.    This year, a new priest, Father Aurl, was assigned to the community.   I had been in communication with Father Aurl during the evacuation and with the team leader Janine Cain to keep her apprised of the situation and if the VBS would be possible.  I did manage to locate one of the band counsillors who was in Winnipeg, Clinton Keyper, and discuss when the people would be moving back into the community and if the VBS would be possible.  With their moving back in starting the end of June, that would leave two weeks before the team would arrive.  Both Father Aurl and the counsillor said the team should come, especially with the trauma the children experienced during the evacuation.

The sheer mass of forest burned around Little Grand Rapids was astounding.

We arrived mid-morning.  We secured a boat ride to the dock near the church and arrived just before lunch.   We met 2 of the new team members and Father Aurl.  The team stayed at the rectory which is attached to the church where VBS is held.  We all ate lunch and then set up for VBS.  

The kids love singing all the songs the team prepares each year.

This is the team's 12th year at LGR.  The VBS turnout is always good, especially this year after the evacuees returned to the community just 2 weeks before.  It was a typical day of fast-paced activity.  For opening and music, I was asked to do a song I have taught the kids before called "The Little Red Box".  The team did the lesson for the day with the children.  Then it was on to splitting the group of kids for logistical purposes for craft, games, and snack.

The LGR team and Father Aurl (right)

With Andrew's and my day getting quite long, decided to head back just before supper.  A call to one of the community members nearby got us a water taxi ride back to the dock by the store.  Then we walked back to the airport and departed for Sioux Lookout.

This was one of the worst fires in northern Ontario we encountered over the summer

The trip was somewhat challenging as we had to fly about 50 miles off course to avoid the heavy smoke from a major forest fire northwest of Red Lake.  The smoke stretched for almost 80 miles.  It was just another indication of the type of fire season we were having in northern Manitoba and Ontario.

We got back to Sioux Lookout in fine fashion sans the smoke dodging.  Unfortunately, after we landed, we noticed a small streak of oil on the left side of the Cessna 182.  It turned out one of the oil drain lines was rubbing against a bracket and wore a pinhole in the tube.  It wasn't catastrophic, yet, but needed to be repaired before flying it again.  It just wasn't our week for LAMP aircraft.

Thursday arrived and my plan was to fly up to Sandy Lake, Ontario to be with the team and community for their annual memorial service.  I had prepared music to play on my guitar and was really looking forward to going.  But I would have to fly on the regional airlines and early in the day, there were no seats available.  Then I got a call from Shelly at the LAMP office and a seat had opened up.  Thank you Lord!   I packed my overnight bag, grabbed my guitar, and headed to the airport.  I checked in and all was looking good.  But as the minutes passed, I could see that the weather was not looking good to the north.  More planes were landing and not too many taking off.  Flight delays were being announced.  But then I heard announcement after announcement of flights that were being cancelled.  I was hoping to dodge that bullet, but then my flight was called.  I would not be going to Sandy Lake.

The tarmac was full of aircraft going nowhere due to weather related cancellations.

This week was becoming one of the worst I've experienced as a LAMP missionary.  Some of the people in the communities and teams I only get to see but once a year.  I really looked forward to it.  But at least I was able to fly into Sandy Lake in May and visit with my friends and meet the new Chief and council.

With the cancellation of the Sandy Lake trip, that pretty much finished the week for me.  I only made it into 2 of the 6 communities.  This would be the first summer in 4 years that I didn't make it into all the communities.  In a way, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut over and over this week.   It was hard to take, but I kept looking to the Lord figuring He had a reason for all this.  Maybe it was to teach me to trust Him more than my elaborately engineered schedule for the week.  The teams would be fine as they were all experienced.  And their ministry to the community was much more meaningful than mine.  OK Lord.  I get it.

The next day, Friday, Andrew left to fly back to Edmonton on the commercial airlines.  We would have to wait to find out about getting word on the necessary repairs on both the Lance and the Cessna 182.   Saturday, would be another day of teams coming through Sioux Lookout on the way back home.

I pulled up the flight schedule for the teams coming from Sandy Lake, Muskrat Dam, and Wapekeka.  I was able to meet all of them and at least get a quick recap of the week in between their flights and drives heading south.  I met the Big Trout Lake team members that stay an extra week and go Wapekeka, which is a community that's drive-able from Big Trout.   I helped them with their cargo and getting it packed in their vehicle for their drive back to Nebraska.

The Big Trout Lake/Wapekeka team packed and ready to head home

It was a week to end all weeks.  But when you strip away all the airplane and airline schedule issues, the work of God's Kingdom in the communities went on.  The Gospel was proclaimed, peoples lives touched and changed by the love of Jesus, and the ministry of LAMP was fulfilling its mission of taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

And in the final analysis, that's what it's all about anyway.

Until the next time...