Sitting on the tarmac of the Jet Air terminal - where our private Cessna Caravan was revving up - Walter and I were in the back seats.  Ray sat in the single seat in front of me, Chris & Rochelle were in the double seat in front of Walter and the couple who sat in the front were Todd & Krystal.  The Garden Hill Native Evangelical church invited us all to come and share in music, testimonies and preaching.  The pilots, two missionaries with Northern Youth Programs (Dryden, ON), were pressing buttons, flipping switches and conferring with their laptops in preparation for take-off.  

The smooth rising of the 9-passenger plane gave us aerial view of Winnipeg, the main terminal and the Perimeter Road around the city.  In minutes, we were soaring over snow-covered fields and little farmyards surrounded by shelter belts of trees.  We all settled into the next 1 1/2 hours of flying time to Garden Hill, a fly-in community with access by winter road.  It felt like we were leaving civilization and heading into the wilderness of Manitoba's northeast corner.

We had Starlink on board, so I connected my phone.  I checked emails, sent a couple of texts and played some games.  Then I did some reading on my Kindle.  The ride was so smooth in -40 something degrees Celsius.  The air is dense and allows for no heat thermals that cause turbulence.  Going north in January is actually a great time to travel! 

I'm so thankful that my cold was mostly over; with the help of Dristan, my sinuses were cleared and I had very little trouble with the take-off and flight. But as we descended into the bush-covered region of Island Lake, I felt some discomfort as my ears popped.  The scenery was breathtaking - the sun was glowing magenta-red on the western horizon as we slid onto the runway.  We landed on the island across from the mainland where Garden Hill is located.  Dusk was upon us and we were had an adventure ahead of us.

The pilots let us disembark from both the front and back of the plane. The cold northern air was brisk but refreshing as we grabbed our luggage and headed for the small terminal.  We were greeted by the local church folks who were to pick us up.  Saying good-bye to Norm and Charles, we followed the First Nations women who had come in pick-up trucks.  We threw our bags into the backs of the trucks and squeezed into the backseats.   We were being taken to Trevor & Sherry's for supper.  But on the way, Nattie had to stop and pick up some food that was prepared by one of the church members.  Then Nattie made arrangements to give rides to her grandchildren before dropping us off for supper.  

We crowded into the home, where all 9 of us who were invited to minister for this conference, would enjoy a delicious supper. Shepherds pie, meatloaf, potatoes and salad were served.  Gilbert & Doug had also been flown in to the community by our pilots earlier in the day.  They came from Round Lake, ON (Weagamow Lake) to share their testimonies.  We found out that they also played bass guitar and joined in to accompany the musicians during the weekend.  It was special to meet these new folks and share in our common faith in Jesus Christ.  

The couple who hosted us were in a teacherage; it was a spacious home with a large kitchen and dining area.  Their 3 children lived with them, plus a son-in-law and grandson.  We realized that the housing shortage in the community meant most homes consisted of two or three generations under one roof.  Two doors down, one of the pastors who is also a teacher, would be our host for the weekend.  Taking our luggage over to the house, we thought we'd just be there for a few minutes before heading over to the church to prepare for the first meeting of the conference.

Ernie and Mary were just sitting down to their supper, so we waited while they ate and then got themselves ready for service.  We were watching the clock but they seemed unaware of the time.  We decided to relax and wait patiently for them to say it was time to go.

Winding our way through the community in the dark didn't help us figure out where we were.  They pointed out the school,  the Northern Store, the Blue Store and other landmarks.  Within a few minutes, we were in the North side, pulling up to the church building.  It had a cross lit up on the roof, but no other indication it was a place of worship.  Walking up the three steps and entering the building, we saw it needed some updating and repairs. Their senior pastor, Arnold, had passed away a few years ago.  His wife, Nattie and several grandchildren live in the parsonage next to the church.  Two elders, John Charles and Ernie, now serve as pastors and Trevor is an up and coming leader in the church.  

A wood stove was warming the building, and most people kept their coats and boots on during the service.  Ernie tuned up his guitar and chose some Cree hymns to start the service.  Walter had set up a tripod with a Tribal Trails camera to record the services.  Todd & Krystal set out books and other Christian literature for the church folks.  The rest of us sat in the chairs, waiting.

Ernie invited us to stand and opened the service with prayer.  We sang a song in English, with a Cree chorus. About 8 or 10 people were there plus the 9 of us guests.  Our prayer was that God would bring more to hear the Word.  Ernie invited each of us to share an introduction of ourselves.  He invited me and Walter first and I wasn't sure what to expect.  I shared a little of my story and sang a song.  Walter would be speaking later, so he just stood with me to support me.  

Did I mention that the services were advertised from 7 pm to 11 pm nightly?  So with all the guests taking turns sharing the first night, some hymns interspersed and Ernie sharing the theme scriptures and thoughts, Walter wasn't to speak until 9:30 pm!

Did I also mention that the services would be broadcast through the local radio station?  The church had the equipment and simply had to flip a switch so our songs and testimonies and Walter's sermons would be heard in several communities like Red Sucker, God's Lake Narrows and Wasagamak.  We were going to be celebrities!

The time actually flew by and by 11:30 pm we were heading back to our hosts' home. After a snack, a cup of tea and time to visit, we didn't get to bed until almost 1 pm!  We had two more nights so we hoped we could pace ourselves for this weekend.  

Ernie and Mary had gone the extra mile. We were treated royally.  Stay tuned as I write more about the amazing things God did in Garden Hill!