I was sitting in the back seat of a four door, somewhat dusty car, viewing the "Rez" with our personal tour guide, Tom.  The spring sunshine was warm and bright.  A curious gopher stood straight up along the gravel road, then disappeared into its hole.
Tom was pointing out homes and telling us stories of his friends on the Louis Bull Reserve.  The Mascewasis Band is made up of four reserves.  We had just toured by car, the roughest of the four, Samson Reserve, with many houses boarded up, gang tags on signs and buildings.  Tom explained how last week, two murders and two stabbings had happened.  And this happens way too often.  It doesn't even make the news.
But as we drove towards the church building on Louis Bull, we left the "Urban Rez" behind us and saw trees, fields and only one older lady walking along the grid.  As Tom rounded a corner, a brick and stucco building came into our sights.  The steeple was actually praying hands.  Stained glass adorned the upper wall above the main double doors.  We stepped out of the car, just as a Native elder opened a side entrance and came down the wheelchair ramp to meet us.
Kurtis extended his hand to Tom as they greeted one another.  Then Tom introduced Walter and myself, to the 60-ish man, who was smiling broadly and greeting us enthusiastically.  It was a big deal to Tom and to Kurtis that Tom's "boss" was here to visit.
We followed Kurtis up the ramp and entered the church. He began to tell us the story of how this church had been built by the Louis Bull Reserve and used for many years.  Then it was left empty for a few years.  I think he and his wife were looking for a church to attend, having moved back to the reserve after some years away.  They began praying.  The Lord spoke to them in dreams and they both felt He would provide.
As Kurtis relays it, he was on his way home and he saw an eagle soaring towards the reserve and he felt God was bringing blessing there.  When he got home, he told his wife about the eagle and his wife smiled.  She told him the news that they were given permission to use the empty church!
Tom and his wife, Donna are missionaries who pastor another fellowship on the main road into the Samson and Ermineskin Reserves. (The fourth reserve was Montana). They meet on Sunday mornings, and the Louis Bull church meets Sunday afternoons.  They are beginning to do things together as church bodies, with Tom and Donna attending both services sometimes, just to show support.
Our hearts were full as we said good bye and Kurtis said he hoped we would come back again soon.
As I sat in the back seat for the return trip, I felt the wonder of God doing His work in these communities.  His Kingdom was being established in these First Nations.
On a fence post running parallel to the grid road we traveled on, I noticed a plump red-breasted robin.  It was the first robin I had seen this spring.  Just as Kurtis shared how he saw an eagle and he felt God's hand of blessing through that - he assured us he only worshiped God, not the created things- I, too, felt the blessing of the Lord when I saw the robin.  It gave me hope, hope that God is alive and well.