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.

A Summer of Ups and Downs

From my perspective, the ups and downs are different than they have been over the past two summers. For now, they are happening in the Cessna 182. Hooray!

LAMP's Cessna 182RG Turbo

View from the 182 Returning to Sioux Lookout from Lac Brochet

Janine Cain with friends from Little Grand Rapids, MB

The joy of our mission teams’ presence brings comfort and renewed hope. The communities have expressed gratitude for our teams returning to serve their children, youth, and the community faithful. Out of 21 communities I support, six of them saw their team return.

Sucker River Team

In those six communities, our teams were blessed to be reunited, while some mourn lost friends who now are with their Lord and Saviour Jesus in perfect bliss forever. Others rejoiced to be greeted by children now three years older and BIGGER and for some, taller than the volunteers themselves. And still others welcomed one generation of grown children who are now bringing their children to Vacation Bible School. Some of our teams who haven’t yet been able to return are planning to do so in the fall or winter, so please keep them and their plans in your prayers.

Grandmother's Bay Bible School Crew

I have been excited to join four of those teams in community as they returned, as well as meet and enjoy a visit with the Lac Brochet team during their VBS. 

Here are some of the ministry moments this summer:

• Listening and praying for the concerns of a pastor who has in the past kept the work of LAMP at arms length, but now understands we are also there to support the Christians already in the community.
• Standing with an excited team lead who has been in the community over the last 16 years. 
• Rejoicing with a team who received recognition for their community service at a celebration with the Chief.
• Working with an enthusiastic “small but mighty” new team in Cat Lake, Ontario as they enter a community who has not had a team since 2018.
• Hearing the passion from a team, who despite their aging, want to do everything they can to share Jesus’ love as they continue to minister and walk with the community.

Cat Lake Team with our Float Plane

Thankfully this summer, we have LAMP teams going into communities across the North. This is taking place despite continued Canadian border restrictions and northern community outbreaks of COVID-19, where at times visitor access is limited in an attempt to stop the spread and impact on their elders. Thanks be to God, those who do get into their community have had a chance to renew relationships that have not been in person since 2019!

Pastor Timm walking with kids after Bible School

Sucker River, Southend, Cat Lake, Little Grand Rapids, Grandmother's Bay, Hall Lake, and Lac Brochet teams all have something in common – servants for Jesus’ sake.

Little Grand Rapids Team delivering Tim Horton's to RCMP

I ask you to please pray for our teams of volunteers, who after these years of separation are in need of new recruits. LAMP is in need of replacement volunteers for those who are no longer able to go North for a variety of reasons.

Hall Lake Team

We accept new volunteers, who through the Lord’s calling, step up and are willing to serve Jesus by taking His message to Northern Canada. As the doors re-open and communities call for our teams to return, please consider taking the opportunity to walk alongside our Northern Christian neighbours.

Lac Brochet Team Ready for another day

Melissa, for instance, serves with the Southend team and lives in southern Saskatchewan. She heard of LAMP through a longtime supporter, past volunteer, and lay Pastor, Hans Zoller. Melissa contacted our LAMP office to ask where she could help. And I would say, after spending time with the team, she was a wonderful asset, as I’m certain you could be too.

Southend Team

First time volunteer with Southend LAMP Team

Our northern friends are so grateful for the gifts of handmade quilts, toques, slippers, and scarves. But they want people to accompany those gifts, to join them in their Christian walk and build their faith, to bring that treasure of hope to their community, and a Christ-centered identity to their children.

Visiting with Shaeden at Lac Brochet

I was blessed to be able to deliver parcelled gifts of prayer blankets to community leaders to give to those who have lost loved ones, and baby layettes and hygiene kits to a number of our communities who have not been able to have teams visit this summer. Andrew Anstey and I delivered to 3 of our communities during these times together that I am able to look them in the eye with care and offer prayers for them and the work of faith in their community, as they in turn pray for me and the work of LAMP.

Eliezar at Wunnumin Lake

Henry at Kingfisher

Gary & Pastor Sawanis at Weagamow

The next day another storm system was moving in that was going to ground us for the rest of the week, so I loaded Andrew and the Cessna 182RG up and sent him off to drop at 4 more communities on his way around the north end of the storm system off towards Alberta. Each community drop sent me a message thankful for the delivery, as I drove our vehicle back to the prairies.

Andrew Loaded down for deliveries to Cat Lake, Sandy Lake, Sachigo, & Cross Lake

Since coming back to Warman, Andrew and I have also been able to do a LAMP Sunday in Regina, where we also arranged for interested people to go for a ride in the airplane. A great opportunity

Prospective Volunteers Regina

And so, I ask you to also keep our flights, airplanes, Andrew Anstey (MAF Pilot seconded to LAMP), and myself in your prayers, that we may continue to make our ups and downs into communities safely.

Spring 2022 FINALLY!

So excited. Finally, I took my first team into the community. It was certainly exciting as I was involved in planning a short term winter mission trip into Sucker River with the team from Michigan.  Devin Bernatchez (Band Councillor for Sucker River) was on the news asking for assistance with suicide prevention. I called him to ask how LAMP could be of assistance and he said, “we are so done with COVID restrictions. How soon can you get a team up here?”

Serving Lunch to the children of Sucker River, SK. Anyone for a taco in a bag? (or as Steve calls it "a walking taco")

It took some back and forth to plan, along with a face-to-face visit to meet Devin and be shown the community of Sucker River. Between the team and Devin, we settled on a trip during the school winter break, which enabled us to move into the school. We arrived on Thursday and left on Saturday. We packed a lot into those few days - open gym night Thursday evening and receiving the kids for the full day on Friday - which we determined was too much time for both the team and the kids to spend without a break to rest and refresh. We packed up and left on Saturday morning. Despite the heavy workload, our small team of three Michigan team members, three LAMP Staff (Steve, Darrel, and Randy), along with community member Esther Ratt, worked well to make connections with the kids. We determined that ‘next time’ we would space it out over two days, and do two half days instead of one full day with the kids. So I’m hearing there will be a next time! Yay for next time!

Sucker River Kids during winter Fun Day (Feb. 25, 2022)

Church Connections

Ladies Group at Zion Lutheran in Rosthern, SK and hygiene kits and knitting they collected for the North

I was blessed to spend time visiting many supporting congregations and donors this winter. I made presentations and spoke at the following Congregations:

British Columbia          Trinity Lutheran Church in Abbotsford

Alberta             First Lutheran Church Lloydminster

Zion Lutheran Church in McLaughlin

Faith Lutheran in Vermilion 

Saskatchewan             Faith Lutheran in Coronach

Christ Lutheran Church in Langenburg

Christ Lutheran Church in MacNutt

St. Paul’s Lutheran in Langenburg

St. John’s Lutheran in Warman

Faith Lutheran Church in Saskatoon

Grace Lutheran Church in Saskatoon

Good Shepherd Lutheran in Hudson Bay

Zion Lutheran Church in Rosthern

La Ronge Lutheran Fellowship in La Ronge

Montana         Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Billings

Trinity Lutheran School's Grade 3-4 Classes and Church Staff Meeting in Billings, Montana

Community Connections

DOVE OF PEACE - Symbol of Love and Peace (Carrying an Olive Branch - Gen.8:9-11)

This year Darlene and I made the Dove of Peace for our Christmas gift to team Leads and community contacts. As usual, I asked them to send me pictures with their doves.

Doves across the North and with Team Leads

Pilot Upgrades

Cessna 172RG - Cutlass at Mitchinson's Flight School

Pilot upgrading continued this winter, working at upgrading to the C-172RG Cutlass aircraft which is similar to LAMPs C-182RG. This aircraft includes both Retractable Landing Gear and a Constant Speed Propeller, so two more controls to add to the mix.

Marilyn Witte LWML-C ABC District Executive Member presenting the cheque for Mission Opportunity Grant

I have been blessed to receive dollars of support from LWML-C ABC District in the form of a Mission Opportunity Grant to continue my Flight Training, and have been notified that I will receive the dollars gathered from the LWML-C Central District Mission Walk at their convention at the end of May (at which I will make a presentation) to that purpose as well.

This Summer

I am so excited to get into communities with a few summer VBS teams. I have discovered that with Canada’s continued COVID regulations, many of our teams are not coming from the US and some Canadian teams are planning on rebuilding their volunteer base this year.  I plan to work with both the sending congregations and the communities to ensure our relationships will continue.  Towards this end, I am planning visits to more of our sending congregations and intend to do a northern tour of our communities to meet the contacts and leaders from whom we have been isolated these past two years.

Friend of Jesus from Sucker River who attended Winter Break Fun Day with LAMP

Please pray for God’s guidance as we return to in person ministry. 

• Pray for our teams that the Holy Spirit would move hearts and minds to once again serve our northern Friends with the Gospel of Hope. 
• Pray for our communities that God would open doors and hearts to desire the peace, hope, and love that comes through Jesus Christ alone. 
• And pray for our ministry partners, both congregations and individual donors, that they would be motivated to continue supporting this work both financially and with their prayers.

Devin Bernatchez (Sucker River Band Councillor) & Rev. Dr. Steve Schave (LAMP Executive Director)

May the Blessings of Easter fill your hearts and homes with peace and Joy.

May that great hope that is ours because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that first Easter Sunday, lead us throughout our days of service in this life.

The Grave in Sandy Lake, ON of Rev. Sanadius Fiddler Servant of Christ and friend of LAMP

In these days of isolation for our Northern Brothers and Sisters may our prayers reach the throne room of God our Heavenly Father.

Picture from 2020 of Rev. Solomon Beardy who served our Lord Jesus Christ. He wears the Butterfly Window hanging I sent that year. The butterfly represents the new life given to all believers through the resurrection (both the first at Easter, and finally when we join Jesus in eternal Heavenly joy). The glass angel as it shimmers in the window reminds us of God's promise to be close to us always, never leaving nor forsaking us. With mourning and yet great joy we celebrate his entrance into glory on April 12th, 2022.

Prayers to send workers into their midst that they may find the Easter hope we have through the Holy Spirit. May His Word be declared boldly that His love shed on the cross may move them to find purpose for each day in His grace.

LAMP Canada: 4966-92 Ave. Edmonton, AB. T6B 2V4
US: LAMP Ministry Inc. Box 480167, New Haven, MI. 48048