Back again from a "Bible School Blitz" over the past seven days.
First, Walter and I traveled to Pambrun, SK, to participate in a missions conference weekend at Millar College of the Bible.  On the Thursday afternoon, we set up a display table in the gymnasium with the other mission representatives.  We have a lovely star blanket quilt for the table and a display banner with a few pictures of our missionaries and some First Nations friends and of course, our Healing Hearts motto - "Bringing the Healing Touch of Jesus to Wounded Hearts".  I set out a small tin of candies for the students and that's about all we do to promote our ministry.
Nick came with us and it was a great time for fellowship and for him to experience the college life. We all were assigned a small group of students to share with and answer their questions about our particular ministries.  That was fun!  I always wonder what to share and how honest to be.  Do these young, impressionable people really want to know what missionary life is like?  I try to be transparent about my own struggles and mistakes, but also give God the glory for His work in people and His grace through our weaknesses!
A few more Healing Hearts leadership came out to Millar for Friday lunch as we put on a "role meal" where we enacted a reverse residential school experience.  The students were shown a short video clip put out by the government of Canada circa 1950's about the benefits of residential school for Native children.  That was hard to take!  Then Walter explained briefly what we would be doing, to ensure the students understood the words and actions were to represent what many First Nations children and teens would have gone through.  Nick acted as headmaster of the school and gave orders.  He then gave all commands in Cree, which Walter "translated" to separate the boys and girls and line up for their "hair cuts", which were shower caps we handed to each of them.  Then they proceeded to the dining hall, in silence, and we directed them to their tables.  They picked up watered down soup and a dry crust of bread and walked to their seats.  Some sat.  When one of our staff also acting as a Native child, stood, then some of them caught on and stood up.  Absolutely no one talked.  The atmosphere was very intense.
We had a few "plants" who acted up, eating or talking, and Walter or Nick would correct them quite dramatically and harshly.  Wow, the effect was quite impactful!  One little girl ( a mission rep's 4-year-old) began to cry, so Walter had to comfort and explain again what was happening and promise her a little gift later!)
Finally, Nick addressed the crowd:  "Ladies and Gentleman..." and broke out of the roles in order to explain and expound on some of the impact that residential school had on his ancestors and ultimately on him and his wife and family.  We had another First Nations' man share the impact on his parents and grandparents.  He is a student at the college this year and wanted to help bridge the gap between his people and the "non-Native" folks on campus and beyond.  It was an amazing and powerful time!
The students were allowed to take off the shower caps and get some real hamburger soup and bannock that the cooks graciously ladled out.  The head cook said the big impact on her was to dish out the meager lunch and see the looks on the faces.  She couldn't imagine how anyone could do that to little children!
The weekend at Millar was both exhausting and rewarding.  By Sunday noon, Walter and I had packed up, said good-bye to Nick and Fergus & Beatrice, who also represented Healing Hearts.  And away we drove up to Nipawin Bible College.
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