Second cold of 2025!

Here I sit, bundled under fleece blankets and nursing a head cold that I contracted somewhere in my travels!  Where have we been since my last blog entry?  Well, grab a coffee or whatever beverage fits the weather, and I will tell of our adventures...

Following our trip to BC, we spent a couple of days relaxing at home.  It's always good to attend our home church and yes, they tease us about missing church quite often!  That week, we took a day trip to Saskatoon to visit Cokum Grace (Walter's adopted mom), who was in hospital for pneumonia.  Although she is also going through chemo treatments, she looked well and was in good spirits.  Our visit was brief, in between nurses checking IV's and then lunch being delivered.  We dropped off some reading material (Council Fire Vol. 1) and she was so pleased to receive it.  She had Volume 3 and was looking forward to more of the testimonies and daily devotions from various Indigenous Christians. 

Our next trip was to Pambrun, SK to the missions conference at Millar College of the Bible. We arrived to the welcoming smiles of college students who directed us to our table in the gymnasium.  We greeted many familiar faces of staff and fellow mission representatives.  One student, Cameron, helped us carry our display and materials, also offering us water bottles and anything else we might need.  We happened to know Cameron's older brother from Nipawin Bible College and again, found Saskatchewan to be a very small world!

If you have never been to Pambrun, the notable thing about it is...it is in the middle of nowhere!  The prairies spread in all directions and the wind blows in all seasons.  But the warmth of Christian fellowship and the enthusiasm of young Bible college students keeps us coming back almost every year to share about First Nations ministry!

Following supper, there was an orientation for the mission reps, then several were sent to meet with student in their "hall meetings" in the dorms.  Walter and I have experienced these before, but this year, the organizers had us assigned to different opportunities.  So we took the time to settle in our room in the guesthouse and get to bed early.

I woke before 7 am and made it to breakfast!  I brought my husband a cup of coffee, and we had our quiet time before a busy day began.  We joined in a class later in the morning, hearing about Rock Solid Refuge.  Dallas Block, director and founder of the ministry,  runs a group home for boys 13-18 who need guidance and love.  We always enjoy hearing from Dallas the vision and the work God is doing as we can relate to many of the stories of these young guys.  

Lunch was a rotating affair.  The mission reps sat at tables, while the students rotated for each course of the meal.  Salad and bread was served and I met several students.  I answered questions and interacted with them.  Then they moved on and a new crew brought their plates to my table.  Pad Thai was the entree and we talked about missions and my experiences.  For dessert, a third group shared different kinds of fruit while I again shared and asked them questions, as well.  It was a whirlwind but a creative way to get us mingling with different students!

At 1:45 pm, I was slated to share a 15 minute presentation on what God is doing in my part of the world.  I shared how I was called into missions, where Walter and I have focused for the past 35 years and a brief story of Dimitri, who came to the Lord through the internet!  I also spoke on the uniqueness of First Nations ministry and the need to be relational, building trust and living among the people.  My challenge to the group was that we need fresh vision by the younger people to reach this generation.  That's where I brought Dimitri's testimony in, how he had a grandfather who took him and his siblings to Sunday School when he was a boy.  When his family moved further north to Stanley Mission, there was no evangelical church there.  He began searching for truth on the internet and was led to Christ.  He continued listening to sermons and studies to grow in his faith.  

Dimitri contacted NCEM to see how he could volunteer.  He did an internship at the NCEM office, assisting in the IT department.  After a few months, he felt God leading him to enroll in Bible College and he is now at the Millar College campus in Winnipeg.  God is at work in First Nations ministry!

I joined Walter at our booth and we met and connected with many people.  Supper was served and we joined the very long line up.  We ate with more students then made our way to the gym for the evening session.  Singing with a couple hundred other voices is always a joy to my soul!  The speaker was from Newfoundland/Labrador and shared his vision for church planting.  That's our heart, as well.  More conversations and handing out toques and stickers and materials...then to bed by 10:30!

Breakfast was at 8 am and I easily made it on time.  Walter grabbed his own coffee and chatted with various folks before the morning service.  More connecting with students...I had to restock our supplies as the toques were especially popular with the staff children!  Many green and grey toques with pompoms on top were seen bobbing around the campus.

Lunch was quick, and Walter was mentally preparing for his back-to-back workshops on First Nations Ministry.  I followed him to the classroom where he set up and gathered his thoughts.  The first session had 35 or so students.  We noticed Josh, a fellow mission rep for a sister organization working with Indigenous people. Josh had been an intern with us in Regina ten years before.  During Walter's session, he called on Josh's input on different questions. The time flew by as Walter talked on traditional religion, unmarked graves and Truth and Reconciliation.

I chatted with Josh and some others between sessions.  A new group entered the classroom, approximately another 35-40 people.  We were amazed at the interest and praised God!  Once Walter got rolling on his second session, he looked up and noticed Josh was still there.  "Did you forget to leave?"  Walter joked, to which Josh replied, "No, I wanted to stay to hear what else you had to say.  I figured you wouldn't stick to the same script!"  Truer words have never been spoken.  I am never bored when Walter speaks as no two sermons or messages are ever alike!

Supper was a formal affair in the gym.  During the afternoon, the gym had been transformed into a lovely gala venue.  Our mission displays had been moved to the dining hall for a final event.  Delicious Mediterranean cuisine was served, and we enjoyed worship music, choir performances and the speaker's final message.  It was a truly delightful evening.

But that's not all!  At 9 pm, the mission reps were geared up back in the dining hall to give out food samples from the countries they serve in, and students flocked in to get a taste of the international experience.  "For God so loved the world" was played out with smells, sounds, flavours and noise, replicating a marketplace.  We gave out countless pieces of baked bannock, with butter or jam, and had many conversations during that hour.  By 10 o'clock, we were exhausted!  I gave the last of the bannock and jam to one of the guys to take and share in the dorm.  He was happy to oblige!

Our student came to help us haul our display to the vehicle.  We said some good-byes and collapsed in bed by 11.  Early Sunday morning, we loaded up and hit the highway.  We weren't sure what condition the roads were in as a winter storm had hit parts of southern Saskatchewan.  Walter navigated some icy and drifting patches but we made it to Balgonie Baptist with 3 minutes to spare!

And thus ended our adventures for now...

 Three weeks have cruised by as our new year jump started!

We recovered from our colds and embarked on our first trip of 2025.  It began with a trip to Loon Lake, SK for the funeral of a dear lady who battled cancer.  The local rec centre was full and more chairs were brought out as family and friends streamed into the building.  The Lord was glorified as tributes and songs were sung.  We shook hands with many and stood visiting until the chairs were being stacked.  

While at the funeral lunch, Walter was asked by the local missionary/pastor of the Loon Lake Native Fellowship to speak at the church the next morning.  Not being afraid of a last-minute invitation to preach, Walter said YES!  So the next morning, we took part in the worship service, where the missionary's wife played guitar and the congregation asked for favourites from the song book.  The pastor read some Scripture and prayed, then invited Walter to speak.  He got fired up as usual and preached on "Storms of Life", which was a very encouraging message.  Afterwards, everyone stayed for lunch (leftovers donated from the funeral service) and then we were asked if we wanted to stop by the missionaries' home to use the bathroom before leaving town.  You may wonder why they would offer that...we had noticed the outhouse behind the church and knew from previous visits that there is no indoor plumbing in the church!

We drove to Sherwood Park, AB that afternoon and spent the night.  The next day we hoped to visit Walter's mom in Edmonton but she had a follow-up appointment after her cataract procedure.  Unfortunately, she had some issues that needed attention right away and so we didn't get to see her.  At 89 years old, Walter's mom is doing pretty well although cataracts, a case of shingles and other aches and pains are fairly common at her age.

Then we journeyed to BC, enjoying some spectacular scenery through the Rockies and the Kooteneys.  The roads were in great shape and the weather was relatively mild and pleasant.  It was like driving through a Christmas card as we wound through the forests covered in snow and marveled at the white-capped mountains!  Even the little mushroom caps of snow on the fence posts through the national parks was a beautiful sight.  In Saskatchewan, snow blows off any post or tree!

We made it to the Okanagan a bit early, so we enjoyed a treat at "Dairy World", which is a Dutch dairy with ice cream, cheeses and all manner of treats and gifts.  We picked up some goodies for ourselves and a thank you gift for our neighbour, who is amazing at checking on our house when we are away!

Settling in to our favourite Best Western hotel in Salmon Arm, we relaxed and took it easy for the evening.  The hot tub was open and we had a brief soak before turning in early for the night.  We had skipped through 2 time zones and going to bed at 9 pm was really 11 pm back home.  Don't laugh!  The struggle is real!

Wednesday morning we were up and at 'em!  I grabbed a yogurt and coffee for a quick breakfast, then we drove the half hour or so to Sunnybrae Bible Camp where Millar College of the Bible has a campus.  We had plenty of time to wind our way through construction - the TransCanada highway is being twinned from Calgary to Vancouver so they are working on that particular stretch currently.  Arriving just after 9 am, we met the staff person who showed us where to set up our booth and also where the coffee machine was.  We chatted with a few staff who came through the dining hall/chapel area.  Then students poured in, laughing and talking as they found seats.  We sat near our booth and greeted whoever came by.  

A small worship team led in some contemporary songs and then Walter was introduced.  He spoke  15-20 minutes about what NCEM is, where our missionaries serve and highlighted the "Generation Hope" YouTube/Social Media ministry being launched.  Afterwards, several students came by to pick up a free toque or "Gen H" sticker.  When the buzzer went to signal the start of the next class, we had only a couple students linger to talk more.  We enjoyed some great conversations.

Then we had a few minutes to sit down and grab a coffee while classes were on.  After lunch, we had three Metis students lined up to interview for the "Gen H" program.  We set up the cameras, lights and a simple backdrop and chair in one of the camp's cabins.  Very rustic and no frills.  The three young ladies all shared their stories, growing up in their communities and what it means to be Metis and a Christian. It was very special to hear these stories and to encourage and show our appreciation for their willingness to be interviewed!  (In a couple of months, the programs should be edited and available to watch on the YouTube channel - type in Generationhope@ncem and hopefully it will come up right away).

It was almost 4 pm when we packed up and left the campus.  We wanted to get down the road before dark and find our night's lodging.  As we drove eastward, the sun set quickly and even moreso in the  mountains!  Following semis through the winding, slushy and often single-lane stretches of the highway made for a very tense drive.  We got to Revelstoke and booked into the first hotel we found - part of the Best Western chain but more economy version.  We had some snacks and leftovers from a previous grocery store run, so we stayed in for our supper and again, called it a day super early.

Daylight found us already packed and loaded in the truck.  With travel cups of coffee, we hit the TransCanada.  I'm so thankful for Walter's skill and experience driving through the mountains.  To my shame or maybe my lack of courage, I've never driven through this part of our great country!  Walter navigated the traffic, marveling at the improved roads and passing lanes and bridges through the Roger's Pass and Golden, BC!  Apart from pitstops for fuel and bathroom and coffee refills, we motored our way through BC, Alberta and then into Saskatchewan.  

Dusk found us just outside Medicine Hat, AB and by then we could sense our own bed calling our names!  I jumped behind the wheel and drove four hours without stopping.  We had been listening to the audiobook "Left Behind" - a very exciting and inspiring fictional account of the Rapture and Tribulation events foretold in the Book of Revelation in the Bible.  The miles went by quickly as we covered the 12 hours from Revelstoke to Regina.

God is good!  Although tired and spent, we had again traveled safely and with God's presence going before us.  We'd had good visits along the way and opportunities to share about our ministry and our passion to reach Indigenous people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.