After two full days of interviews with our leaders and taking notes of those meetings, it was nice to jump into a 15-passenger van and drive out to Big River Bible Camp.  From the NCEM office just outside of Prince Albert, it takes about an hour and a half to get to the camp.  Usually the camp is alive with kids and staff running about.  In November, a skiff of snow and the year-round missionaries are all we saw as we drove onto the site.  The warm dining room and smell of fresh cinnamon buns welcomed our little band of leaders.  After we all greeted each other and grabbed a coffee and snack, we sat on the leather couches around the fireplace. 
     And then a friendly guy with a whiteboard and markers stood up to interrupt our relaxation!
     Jason Boucher, the assistant General Director, Walter's right hand man at NCEM, facilitated some brainstorming.  On the blank whiteboard, Jason wrote NCEM on one half and Walter on the other half.  Drawing a line down the middle, he asked for our input.  What do we want to focus on in the next twelve months?  What are the priorities for NCEM?  What do we want our General Director to be doing with all his extra time?
     At first, everyone was quiet.  We need more missionaries.  What about training them?  Develop our website and make online giving easier... Soon the ideas started rolling and Jason was having a hard time keeping up with copying the ideas down! 
    In the comfort of a cozy lodge set on a lake in northern Saskatchewan, it was inspiring to toss around ideas for the future.  The bare aspen trees set on a background of pale blue sky were framed by the large windows of the lodge.  I stared out as everyone contributed to the think tank, wondering what God has in store for us in the coming year.  How can we possibly add more to our plate?
     The white board was filled twice with all the suggestions.  Then Jason's wife, Anita, signalled that lunch was ready so we all stood to line up for a delicious hot meal.  I got caught up in the visiting and eating.  This is where Walter and I really shine: connecting with people.  A group of young adults from Lyons, France was also at Big River for a short term missions trip.  We intermingled with the group, whose English was definitely better than our French! 
     We had met them briefly earlier in the week and one young woman was inquiring about the possibility of an internship.  I gave her my email, thinking she may or may not get in touch once she is back to her homeland.  But at lunch out at the camp, she sat near me and found another teammate to interpret as her English is not as strong as some of the others in the group.  She asked me more about our ministry, and about ourselves.  I shared, through the translator who barely got to eat his lunch, about our 30 year history!  I shared some about NCEM and our recent leadership role.  I tried to find out more about "Elyse" and see what she is interested in as far as service and ministry.  It was an encouraging conversation.
     Then Jason called us all back to the couches. 
     The whiteboard was blank again.  This time, Jason handed out slips of paper and pens.  We were to take the lists of activities for NCEM and Walter, and write out the top four in order of our priorities.  Jason then organized the priorities according to our numbering system and found the group's collective top four. 
     The first top four list for NCEM's priorities was not really a surprise.  Some of the goals could easily be met with one or two staff involved.  But some of them would require more concerted effort, maybe with more staff to be recruited to fulfill the goals set for the next year.  But as we looked at the list, we felt a surge of faith as we knew it had to be by God's Spirit, not by our own strength or wisdom. 
     For Walter's list, Jason asked us to give our top two priorities.  What should Walter (and Cindy!) be focusing on for the next year?  I was both excited and nervous to see what the Lord had in mind through the team of leaders we had gathered.  We had to trust the Lord to lead through them.
     Soon, it became clear a pattern was forming.  The numbers showed that we needed to make some new connections in churches and Bible schools and other public venues.  I smiled.  These priorities were definitely leaning towards our strengths.  This didn't seem like work at all!
    But the discussion soon turned to time management.  And energy levels.  How could we add more without taking something out of the schedule?  Soon it became apparent Jason's role as assistant would kick in and he would have to take on some of Walter's responsibilities in the office.  Jason laughed as he thought this group exercise had backfired!  He made more work for himself!
     So as we drove away from Big River Bible Camp, we left with encouragement and hope for the year ahead.  God was instilling the vision of growth, of expansion, of broadening the reach of NCEM.  The team we have around us is supporting us and caring for our health and well-being.  May the Lord be glorifed and His kingdom come!