From the stage at the front of the gymnasium/auditorium, I stood among forty or more men and women.  The crowd rose and clapped for us.  Each of us carried a flag representing nations of the world and had marched up the aisle to assemble on the stage.  My heart was stirred!
This was the opening flag ceremony for the Missions Conference at Millar College of the Bible.
                       *****                   *****                   *****
With such a busy week before and more travel after this conference, I felt a little stretched.  We had quickly repacked from our Nipawin visit and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Pambrun, Saskatchewan.  Walter and I would be staying in separate accommodations as the attendance was large this year.  I felt tired and Walter was nursing a sore throat so we came less than fresh.  But I trusted God to provide for our energy and ability to connect well.
Our co-workers arrived just as we were setting up the display in the gymnasium.  They added their prayer cards and other items to represent their ministries in Healing Hearts.  I was beginning to get more excited as we met other mission reps and renewed relationships with staff members of the college.
This year, Walter had been asked to participate in a panel discussion dealing with the topic of success in First Nations ministry.  I was involved in a panel on the value of women in missions.  And together, we would be taking one of the children's sessions (ages 5-10).  And then we would be leaving early so we could drive out to Salmon Arm for the next missions conference held  at the Millar College Campus at Sunnybrae.
Walter was losing his voice by the time of the kids' session so we conscripted our friend, Bill from our Bible school days to do the story. I still played guitar and led some songs and Walter used his "magic" stick illustration to tell the Gospel with the wordless book colours.  It went pretty well!  And we played "Duck, Duck, Goose" until the parents came to pick up the kids!
It would be easy to focus on the busy-ness of the conference, the rushed schedule we had and the many students that we tried to have meaningful conversations with...but the moment that confirms why we do this, why we leave home, set up displays and stand around at a booth among 30 other mission organizations was that flag ceremony.
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Facing almost 400 students and guests at the college, I was overcome with emotion.  These people were paying us honour as missionaries;  I was among some very special servants of God. And I was doing the very thing I had longed to do as a 20-something year old Bible school student back in the 1980's.  The Lord had given me the desires of my heart and the opportunity to encourage other young adults to obey Him and the Great Commission of Matthew 28.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..."

I ran up the familiar stairs to the main reception area.  Although it's been 30 years this spring since I graduated, the layout of the administration building of my old Bible College is exactly the same!  But this time, I was free to walk straight past the front desk and help myself to coffee in the staff room, just like it was no big deal.  That sure felt strange.
Carrying the two cups of steaming java back down to the classroom, I found Walter settling himself on a stool in front of the students.  He was engaged in a chat, getting acquainted with the students sitting in the row directly facing him.  At exactly 8:25 am, a bell rang and the class was to start.
As Walter unpacked some cross-cultural principles, it was very apparent we were not at home anymore with the college culture.  The precise time schedule, the rows of tables and chairs, students taking notes - we felt old and oh, so different from the people we were when we attended the school!
But it was so wonderful to be part of the process of discovery and examination of the life and habits of people.  The first morning was slow going; by the second day, many students were talking with us, sitting with us at lunch in the dining hall and beginning to open up more and more.  By the final morning in the classroom, they were much more willing to answer questions and contribute to the subject at hand.  They would be leaving directly after that final bell, heading to the destinations they would be doing their practicum in First Nations ministry.  There was a definite buzz in the air!
As we said our good-byes to the students and then to the staff who wandered by, we jumped into our Toyota Corolla and drove back into town.  Our suitcases were still at the Matthews and we wanted to say farewell to them before we left for home.
The blue barely showed through the overcast sky as we covered the kilometres south and then west and then south again...we chatted, debriefing on the past days.  We stopped at Tim Horton's in Melfort to grab lunch to go and then I took the wheel.  Walter had expended energy teaching and visiting afterwards.  And getting up so early and following a strict schedule was certainly not our normal!
We have one night at home.  The laundry is in the dryer as I type.  Tomorrow we drive south and west to Millar College of the Bible.  So we will repack our suitcases and bedding for the trip that will take us away for a week.
We'll be in touch!  Have a great week!

I hung up the phone.  We had a place to stay for three nights.
All I had to figure out was our meal schedule and it was all set.
We're going to Nipawin!
Next Monday morning, Walter will instruct the freshmen class of Nipawin Bible College on the basics of cross-cultural ministry.  I will be in the class, as well, mostly just to participate and connect with students.  Gina Marie will bring up the HHM van in order to bring the group of students assigned to Healing Hearts back to Regina for a week's experience in inner city ministry.  She will take part in the classes, too, which helps her get to know the students and be able to reinforce the teachings as she coordinates their activities for the week.
I may have already written a blog about last year's FMP (Freshmen Ministry Practicum) so I won't bore you all with details.  But I always enjoy being part of Walter's class on cross-cultural ministry because I get re-inspired to reach people of another culture for Jesus!  It's a good refresher on the aspects of culture that are unique to the First Nations people that we work with.  And I enjoy seeing the students discover or grapple with the concept that they have a culture and that they look at the world and the Gospel through their own cultural bias.  And then for us, and especially for Gina Marie, when the team engages with people and needs in the inner city, she gets to see them be stretched and learn or sometimes struggle with the different culture they are experiencing.
The added blessing of going to Nipawin is that we have the team of HHM missionary staff there that we connect with.  We will stay with Ken and Debbie Matthews for those three nights.  Marsden and Mandy Giesbrecht also minister in Nipawin and hopefully we can visit with them.  Bert and Liz Genaille live in town but are often on the road with their music ministry.  And about 20 minutes away, in Aylsham, Carl and Brenda Ens pastor a little fellowship and do itinerant children's ministry using puppets and other artistic gifts.
Besides those dear folks, we also know a couple students attending the college this year.  As we hang out at the college for lunch, we can connect with them and see how they are faring in second semester.
As I arrange the logistics for our upcoming trip, I am also praying for our own spiritual preparations. The material we will share is not new; but the spiritual component is absolutely vital and we desire to make an impact on the students that will last.  We want the Lord to go before us and bless every trip we take for His purposes.

Psalm 127:1 & 2
"Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain."
2 
Unless the Lord blesses this teaching opportunity, it would be just a nice visit with friends.  But we trust that much more is going to be accomplished for the sake of His Kingdom.

Standing between friends, who were visiting our ministry, and my husband, I closed my eyes and raised my hands in worship.
I felt a freedom to sing, to let my heart experience the joy of music and the truth of the words in the songs.  It was the first Sunday we had been at Healing Hearts in Regina in the new year.  Before we left for church this morning, I specifically prayed for our service, for all our staff and folks who are identifying with the ministry.  I asked the Lord to send His Spirit to revive us and give fresh vision for the new year.  And it certainly felt like He was answering those prayers!
Nearly 3/4 of our sanctuary was full - and our numbers have been down in the past few months.  New faces were in the crowd.  All our regular attenders and most of our Regina staff members were participating this morning.  Like a family reunion.
Bob gave the announcements for the start-up of Bible studies and ministry groups restarting after the holidays.  As he was inviting Walter to come up to lead the sharing time, someone spoke up that there was Sunday School for the children, so Bob quickly grabbed his guitar and led the kids in prayer and the marching song as they paraded out to their classrooms.  Our friends chuckled at the impromptu change in schedule..."only at Healing Hearts"!
With a bigger group, fewer people felt free to share during the sharing time.  But those who did speak had positive and hope-filled testimonies. It was also announced that one of our own young adults was going to do an internship with youth ministry in an outreach focus.  So exciting!
When Walter returned to his seat beside me, I turned to him and whispered, "God is stirring something here..."  He nodded in agreement and smiled.
I know it has nothing to do with me.  But somehow, as I recalled the wonderful time of prayer and fellowship I had with the Lord in the morning before service, I felt like I was witnessing a miracle of direct answers to prayer.  It makes me more determined to pray and listen and be part of what God is about to do in our midst and through our ministry here and beyond Regina..
As one of the women shared during our open mike time, "God is on the move.  I don't understand everything He is doing or allowing to happen.  But I don't always understand God's ways."
That's how I am feeling as I look over the coming year.  God is on the move.  He is setting us up for amazing things.  He is filling us and equipping us for the "good works He has prepared in advance for us to do," as Ephesians 2:10 states.
I lift my hands in worship.  I lift up open hands to receive what God has in store.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I thought maybe the new year would start out quiet.
But we had our traditional candlelight supper at home with some company over.  Caylea and I made a baked cheese dip as an h'ors douvres that was delicious with crackers.  Ham and scalloped potatoes was the main course.  Chocolate cake and ice cream with toppings was the dessert.
Then Walter and I went to the Healing Hearts New Years Eve party where a small gathering visited, played games and then at 11:30 we had a time of worship and prayer to bring in the new year!
The following morning we drove down to Kisbey to visit my mom, Charlotte and step-dad, Clarence. At noon, the community rings the United Church bell and also they ring hand bells of their own.  Then they gather at the Rec Centre (which used to be the school my mom taught grades 1, 2 and 3 in before the school was closed).  We ate a simple potluck lunch and visited with folks I knew when I was a teenager!  Walter, myself, Daniel and Caylea all went over to mom's place to visit, watch NFL football and play cribbage.  I helped mom prepare food for supper.
Mark and Amy were driving back from Manitoba and met us in Kisbey for supper about 5:30 pm.  It was nice to share the meal together and later open the gifts we had to exchange.
By 8:30 we said our good-byes and drove back to Regina.
But the festivities were not over yet!
We still had unopened gifts to share with Mark & Amy so we all met up at our house and had our little Christmas with all our kids at home.  By midnight, we all decided it was time for sleep.
The past two days we have had some of our staff from out of town stop by to visit and have lunch.
Tonight, we watched world junior hockey on TV with friends, who brought over chinese food.  It was a fun and relaxing evening.
I did take the tree down and put away most of the decorations.  Although sad to see the Christmas season end, I know it is time to move on into 2017.  This next month will be filled with travel, year-end administration for Walter (and our bookkeeper and part-time administrator) plus some new adventures that will add to our already exciting and busy life!
Stay tuned...  God is on the move!