a busy week...

We are back from our trip to the Lillooet area.  It is about a 3.5 hours drive west of here.  On Sunday we went to the Christian Native Fellowship and were overjoyed to see a young couple and their four kids there.  The young man had participated in the kids outreach we did that summer 13 years ago.  And the young mom remembered us from Bush Camp.  She recognized herself in the pictures as we looked through the photo album of our summer missions experience. It was fun to recall the memories as we talked.  He shared how he had been involved with alcohol and drugs over the years, and how it affected his relationship with his family.  He realized that he needed to change and just a few months ago decided to turn his life over to Jesus.  What a wonderful transformation has taken place in this family's life.  Pray for this young couple and their four young children (God knows who they are) as they feel quite alone as Christians on the small reserve where they live.  Many of the community, especially their peers, are trying to lure them back into their old lifestyle.  It is a battle that we continue to see around us.  "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)  

one of the elders working on the native flute

one of the young gals who attended our kids outreach 13 years ago

our truck camper

The weather was quite hot and we decided to head to the Pavilion reserve for the night, since we remembered that it usually was much cooler there.  So many memories flooded our minds as we drove onto the reserve.  We parked at the fire hall.  It was the same building where we lived for a summer with 3 of our 4 kids, who were teenagers at the time.  The maintenance guy we met that summer came to open up the hall, so we would have access to the bathroom.  The next morning Howard busied himself to get ready for the flute making workshop with two of the band members.  It was a wonderful time of re-connecting with old friends.  We sat around and talked and listened to stories as they were making their flutes.  As I stopped by one of the homes to visit, I was greeted with big long hugs from the two women who were there.  “We were just talking about you last week!” they both said.  How interesting, since they didn’t know we were coming.  There has been a lot of turmoil on this reserve in the last years, and it has affected many of the families. Pray for a revival in these communities.  The enemy has had a hold on this area for so long and we can see it in the brokenness in people’s lives.  

happy with the results after a two day workshop

We got back on Wednesday late afternoon when we got the message on our voicemail that there was going to be a funeral the next day for a young woman who had died from a drug overdose.  When we called, the parents asked if we could say some prayers with the family at the funeral. 

Early the next day we met with the family.  The young woman who died was only 35 years old.  Her children were raised by her parents, since she was unable to do so herself due to the abuse of drugs and alcohol in her life.  Last summer she tried to move back home and change her life, but she would often go back to the big city and be drawn back into the drugs again.  Her father said that this last time that she left for the city, he somehow knew that she probably would return in a pine box.  He said, “Talking to her about the drug abuse was like talking to that telephone pole” as he pointed out his window.  She was his baby girl and he was broken and angry at the same time.  Angry at the grip these drugs had on her on so many other people. Angry at those who sell the drugs to young kids.  He then asked if Howard would share about the dangers of drugs in his talk at the funeral.  We then realized that they were asking us to officiate and help lead the service.  We had about a half an hour to put together a message and some songs that we would share.  God gave the grace and peace needed to manoeuvre through some stressful and difficult family dynamics as people gathered to say their last goodbyes.  Several people shared briefly about her life and offer words of condolences to family and friends.  The casket was removed for cremation and family and friends gathered to share a meal.  As usual there was lots of food, and more kept coming throughout the meal.  All were invited to come back in the morning to the graveyard to bury her ashes. We were pretty tired at the end of that long intense day.

The next morning we arrived early at the house, but the truck was gone.  Afraid that we may have missed them we walked in the house we noticed that the parents had gone, but everyone else was still asleep.  A young man who had tended the fire all night was sound asleep on the couch oblivious to our presence the TV that was still on.  About 10 minutes later the parents arrived.  They had to take care of some things in town.  We chatted briefly and they asked us to meet them at the cemetery a little later.  Another car arrived about the same time we did at the cemetery.  We found the spot where they wanted to bury the ashes.  It was right on her mother’s grave.  I noticed that the mother was only 40 when she died.  The gravesite needed more dirt in order to bury the ashes, so someone brought a wheelbarrow and a couple of shovels and the few of us who were there helped to get the site ready.  It was hot in the sun and the mosquitoes were plentiful. Little by little more people showed and then the dad spoke briefly and asked Howard to pray while they buried her ashes.  A chief spoke on behalf of the band and then people said their last goodbyes and went on their way home.   

We were exhausted when we got home and were glad for a little time of peace and quiet.   

pictures from Bush Camp...

Just a couple of pictures of the bush camp last week.  Thanks Rick for the pictures!

setting up camp

time to eat

a teaching time...

a beautiful view after a strenuous hike...

bush camp 2011

furlough and other stuff...

We realize that we are just about a month away from leaving on furlough.  Oh my...so much to do and get ready for.  We have just cleaned up and re-packed the KWT boxes into the storage trailer.  And now we find ourselves getting ready to head out to Lillooet on Sunday.  We plan to attend the Christian Native Fellowship there.  Howard put the camper on the truck and is loading the trailer with the necessary stuff to conduct a flute making workshop on the Pavillion reserve at the beginning of next week.  This is the same place where we did our summer missions internship on 1998.  We look forward to meeting the people on this small reserve again after so many years. 


Yesterday Howard had to go to the hospital to have a surgeon remove two lumps, one in each arm. They turned out to be fat globules, and nothing more.  So we are glad about that news, thank you God!  The small incisions are healing well, so it shouldn't interfere with the workshop next week.


Jannie has been working on some sewing projects in between working on our itinerary for our furlough.  The plans are coming along and dates are being set and confirmed.  We look forward to connect with many of our supporting churches and people in the States.  A lot of preparation for this almost 3-month trip.


The weather in our area has been cool (lower 20's Celsius / 70's Fahrenheit) and rainy.  Quite an unusual summer than normal.  In the last couple of weeks each day would start with some sun and clouds and by afternoon the rains would start, short heavy downpours and thunder showers.  We haven't had to water our garden at all these past couple of weeks, but the grass keeps growing and needs mowing.  There are so few wildfires in the province that BC firefighter crews are being sent to help out east in Ontario.  Having been on evacuation alert 2 years ago, we welcome the blessing of the rainy weather, and so do the mosquitoes (we could do without these pesky insects).  


Well time to get back to work.  Now where did I put that list?

memorial to a friend...

Today we went to a memorial on the reserve for a friend who passed away a little over a year ago.  It is a custom of the Native People to hold a memorial feast.  This was such a time to remember our dear elder friend and to be with the family. 

By the time we arrived, most of the family had assembled and were ready to head to the cemetery.  We too followed in the procession of cars.  It was just a couple of kilometres down the road.  Once we got there we were attacked by clouds of mosquitoes.  We made our way to the grave site, swatting all around us to keep the mosquitoes at bay.  The rainy summer so far contributed to the increase in mosquito population.  

The cemetery ground was uneven and several elderly people had to be helped up the hill to the grave.  A beautiful wooden plaque was placed on the grave and Howard was asked to say a prayer.  

About 30 of us circled around the grave and held hands.  He then invited us to recite the Lord's Prayer together.  It was beautiful to hear young and old recite the very familiar words Jesus taught his disciples.  Howard then continued in a prayer for the family and friends, reminding them that Creator God promised in Isaiah 46:4 that “even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

An elder was then asked to speak and pray.  There was a theme of being thankful throughout her talk and prayer.  Afterwards people walked passed the grave, some stopped to say a prayer, or make the sign of the cross, others just quietly looked and moved on. 

We were all invited to come to the house for a meal and a give away.  Some stories were shared about our friend and there was lots of laughter.  Children were happily running around, blowing bubbles and having fun. 

A representative of the family then called people forward to receive a gift basket.  Many people who were there were honoured with a gift basket.  We also received a basket as thanks for our help to this family over the years.  It was heart warming to know that they so include us in community and family life.  Everyone received small gifts that would remind them of our dear friend. 

There was an abundance of food to enjoy and it was a good time to share and talk with the people.  The parents of one of the campers were there and mentioned several times that their son really enjoyed the bush camp and that he had learned a lot of new things.  What a wonderful confirmation that this was a successful camp.  We pray that what was shared with these young men may not only impact them but the community around them. 

After many hugs and thanks, people went on their way again.  We feel honoured to be part of our First Nations family and we pray that we may be used of God to live out the Gospel in word and deed.  

it's over...

The guys came back.  Canoe trailer was parked.  All the gear unpacked.  We sorted through all the boxes and re-packed them to before storing them away.  Went through the coolers to see what was left.  Amazingly, the 5-day cooler still had ice left in it.  We were able to freeze some of the left over food items.  They ate well for the past 5 days and made good use of what was packed.

We debriefed over a nice dinner overlooking Shuswap lake.  It had been a good camp, God had blessed the time and kept everyone safe.  We are already looking towards next years' camp(s).

On Saturday morning after breakfast, Rick and Steve headed towards Seattle to take a red-eye flight to Chicago.  Don't  think they will be making it to church this morning.

We finished packing up the KWT trailer and mowed the grass since the sun was out.  Had to take a trip into Salmon Arm and found ourselves surrounded by motorcycles.  Salmon Arm is hosting "Sturgis North" for the first time.  Our otherwise pretty quiet town has turned into a busy place with the rumbling and roar of motorbikes.  As we were driving we saw storm clouds gathering and pretty soon we were in a downpour. To our dismay we realized that we had left the boxes with PFD's out "in the sun" to dry.  We had several more thunderstorms come through accompanied by windstorms.  By the time we got home we found out that the electricity had gone out.  So glad we have a gas stove to cook on in times like this.  We ate our dinner by candlelight.

Bush Camp Day 5

   The day began with clouds, but the rain held off.  Tim led the devotions for the morning, and shared what it meant to him to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  No religious babble, just plain speaking about his faith in God.  It was good for the teen boys to hear from someone more their own age.

After breakfast, the group went on a paddle to the north, to explore the lake.  The lake is long.  It would take two days of canoeing to get to the north end.  Along the way are petraglyphs, rock paintings, done by Native people hundreds of years ago.  The rock paintings seemed to be located at unusual geographic features, like caves and cliffs, along side water.  It was fascinating to gaze at a persons record or story told in cryptic images, and try to figure out the story.
   After the paddle, there was lunch, and time to strike camp.  Everybody pitched in to pack every thing up.  They were blessed with dry weather, so the tents could be packed up dry.  Always a nice way to end a camping trip.
   The 1993 GMC 4X4 pickup truck ate up the steep dirt road exiting the camp.  It sure is a relief when it works like that.  The other option of winching the truck out of the camp site would have been a night mare.
    All in all, this was the best Bush Camp we had seen, even with the somewhat adverse weather conditions.  May God bless the boys who came, and draw them to their own relationship with Christ.  May God bless the counselors, Rick, Steve, Jack, and Tim, for their sacrificial giving of their time to be a blessing to others.
All praise to Lord of the Armies of Heaven, for He is worthy.

Bush Camp day 4

Tim led an expedition up the mountain to find three caves.  It turned into a four hour "hike".  Some of the hiking was on rather narrow rocky outcroppings.  One of the caves appeared to be actively used by a cougar.  Another was the home of a bat.

Wood carving turned into a group activity, while weary hikers looked for a quiet activity to rest their weary bones.  Howard found a dead standing fir tree and went at it.  Eventually, a face emerged from the tree.  It is funny to look into the woods and see a face looking back at you.

Jack Teeter, our resident "Elder" for the camp told a lot of funny stories.  After a while, we noticed a pattern in the stories.  At some point, he would say, "...and after I regained consciousness..." and we would laugh.  He is definitely a risk taker.  Then he led into a talk from his heart about choices we all face.  He quoted from Scripture, "choose life, or death, what will it be?"  That led into a round the fire time of sharing from the other counselors.  Some good thoughts to go to bed by.

Bush camp day 3...

Wednesday, day 3 of camp.  The guys are holding up well so far.  They have weathered the rains and thunderstorms.  There were lots of periods of blue skies with some sun today...thanks for praying :)!  And then there were a couple of downpours usually lasting about 20-30 minutes.  It didn't dampen the spirits of the campers.  They are keeping themselves busy with checking traps, knife throwing, atlatl spear throwing and other activities.  And then there is the food, lots of it.  This is not a survival camp by any means.  Stories are being shared around the campfire.  Personal stories that share God's faithfulness, forgiveness, love, patience and care for us.  Pray that these stories will impact these young men and that they will experience forgiveness, hope and peace with God.
  
God has entrusted something very special to us, the Gospel. Have we accepted it as a sacred trust from Him to us?  His trust in us is great, for He has no other plan for reaching people for Himself.  (excerpt from: "Be Still and Know" by Millie Stamm). 


1 Thessalonians 2:4 "On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts." 

Bush camp day 2...

It's Tuesday and day 2 of bush camp.  I just got a brief update on the activities of the day thanks to cell phones :).  There are 3 young men who came on this camp.  Two were part of the canoe camp last year and another teenager is new to the camp.  Even though we had spaces for 4 more people, we also had prayed that God would bring the teens who need to be there.  So pray for trust and friendships to grow during these next few days.

Today's activities included learning how to make traps to catch small game.  Going on a 3-hour canoe paddle, fishing and exploring the area.  They discovered more petroglyphs and imagined what life would have been like for the ancestors hundreds of years ago when they lived in small settlements all around this lake.

There was a minor miss-hap when Steve suffered a cut to his hand that was deep enough to require stitches.  Four hours in emergency and several stitches later he has returned to camp again.

The weather has been cloudy and rainy at times.  They have had a few thundershowers go through the area, but also have times of sun.  The forecast for the next couple of days calls for clouds and chance of rain again. Pray that the weather won't dampen their spirits and that bonds of trust and friendship are being built.

Bush Camp day 1...

It's is Monday morning and the weather has turned nice and sunny and according to forecasters promises to get quite nice and warm.  A balmy 28 degrees Celsius (or 82 Fahrenheit).  


Rick and Steve from Wisconsin arrived here Saturday night.  We  purchased, pre-cooked and  froze a lot of the food for the camp on Saturday.  Yesterday packing lists were checked and double checked.  Last night Tim came over and we had a briefing and prayer time for the camp.


A lot of prayer has gone into this bush camp.  Many people all over North America, Europe, Africa and maybe other parts of the world, have been praying for God to open the doors to be able to use the traditional village site, as well as bringing the young men who will participate in this camp.  And it wasn't until the last few weeks that things finally started to fall into place.  We are constantly reminded that we walk by faith and not by sight.  We know that God's timing is always perfect, we just need to look and listen and be willing to wait and move when the opportunities present themselves.  In our flesh it is so easy to fret and worry and wonder and yet God tells us: Be still and know that I am God.  


After our meals we have been reading through the book of Kings and this mornings' passage was 2 Kings 19.  It is the story of Hezekiah, king of Judah where Sennacherib, king of Assyria is threatening to destroy the nation and insulting and mocking God.  Hezekiah spreads out the letter before God and prayed hard!  God's answer to Hezekiah is, I am going to take care of this king of Assyria, and that very night an angel of God came and massacred 185,000 Assyrians.  One angel did battle against this enemy.  We as Christians are in a spiritual battle against Satan and his many cohorts.  If one angel is able to defeat such a massive army in the physical realm, we can also believe and know that this is true in the spiritual realm.  So as we pray against any spiritual opposition that might come up against us in whatever way, shape or form, remember this true Biblical account of God's power over the evil one.  We know that we have the victory through Christ.  I thought it was a very fitting passage before the guys would leave for camp.  


Let me end with the very familiar passage from Ephesians 6:18 and 19 (paraphrased)

^"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for Howard, Tim, Jack, Rick and Steve, that whenever they speak, words may be given them so that they will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel..."

bush camp

Howard setting coordinates on his GPS

a view on Adams Lake from the campsite

Next week is our bush camp on Adams Lake. We have been given permission to use a traditional site, which is an answer to prayer. In the last two weeks our meetings with people at the band office have been very positive and they are in full support of what we are doing. They are funding the young men to go on this 5-day camp where they will learn about the ancient site and traditional hunting techniques. There will be a lot of opportunity for our staff to interact with these young men. So we would ask for your prayers, that God’s message of love and hope will shine through in everything that is being done. Pray for physical and spiritual safety as we know that we are in a spiritual battle and oftentimes encounters may manifest on these camps. We know that God’s power rules over all and He has won the victory over the evil one. The camp will be from July 11-15.

Where did it go?

I can't believe it...it is July already!  Today celebrations are going on all over the country because of Canada Day. It is one of the busiest traffic weekends.  Even here in our area, we notice it.  Yesterday, due to an accident the highway was closed for about 5 hours and traffic was diverted.  We had a steady stream of cars going both ways on our otherwise quiet road.  


Where did June go?  How can it pass so quickly with no blog entry the entire month?  I guess we have been busy.  Busy with life, ministry, work around the house.  Howard has been felling trees and cutting and splitting the wood for our winter fuel.  And we are making plans for our furlough, or better called business trip in the fall.  June is also the month when school ends and graduations take place.  


We were part of a grad celebration on the reserve.  We were asked to do some traditional sports.  So we brought out the archery equipment and the atlatl spears.  We arrived a bit earlier to set things up, but it was overcast and threatened to rain, so we held off.  There were a couple of ladies cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the bbq.  The night before we helped our friend peel and cook 50 lbs. of potatoes, cut up bunches of celery, carrots, peppers and onions for the potato salad for this graduation supper.  People were pouring in by the time supper was ready.  The prayer was said by our elder language teacher in Secwepmectsin.  There was more than enough food for everyone.  Towards the end of the meal the high school graduates were honoured with a certificate and a gift.  Then all the kids who were there were called forward, one by one, to receive a couple of gift certificates and tickets to a waterpark here in town.  

The weather was still a bit unpredictable, but one boy in particular kept asking Howard if they could play the two-ball game. It's an ancient game that uses a double ball made from two sacs of deerskin stuffed with deer hair, joined by a leather thong. The players each have a curved stick and the playing area is an open field with goals placed on either end.  (in ancient times the goals could be several kilometers apart) The object of the game is to be the first team to throw the ball over your opponent's goal line and between the markers.  They came up with enough players for the two teams and Howard ended up being the referee.  After the game, the weather was more stable and we were able to do some archery.  Everyone enjoyed trying to shoot at the targets we had set up.  From bunnies and cougar to a big moose target.  In spite of the weather, it turned out to be a good day for all who were there.


We had lots of birthdays in June as well.  I was blessed to be celebrating my special day too.  I thank God for the many blessings in my life and for His faithfulness to me over the many years.  I also celebrate the fact that I have survived my cancer that was diagnosed two years ago.  Each new day is truly a gift from God who knows each one of us. 


"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12