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| Our 'Seeking Him" group |
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| Making Bannock |
“For just as the body is one and
has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,
so it is with Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 12:12
As I
look around, typing this post seems surprisingly uncomfortable. The previous
posts were typed in the basement of our host’s home in Moose Factory and I am
writing to you from my parent’s living room in Irwin. I cannot believe 6 weeks
has come and gone so quickly.
After we
exited the train last Sunday, we knew the beginning of the end was upon us. We
both moved out of Kristen and Josh’s home and began staying with our MTW teams.
That also meant Alaina and I were separated for the first time in 5 weeks. She
stayed in the basement of a home with the girls from Montreal and I stayed with
some of the girls from MCC. The first night, we slept in the church. The second
night, we moved into a home on teacher’s row.
Although
I am not sure why I am even mentioning our sleeping accommodations because this
particular week, I barely slept at all. The week was full of activities and
obligations. On Sunday night, the team led worship for the Sunday evening
service at the Cree Gospel Chapel. Two young girls gave their powerful
testimonies about serious difficulties in their lives. I was encouraged by
their bravery and immediately, I was proud to be serving alongside them
throughout the week. Pastor Bob gave the sermon and the worship team was
certainly a sound that I had missed from home.
Beginning
on Monday, the MTW team ran a VBS. At first, we only had one or two students
show up that were not already attending our Summer Bible Camp, but as the week
progressed, numerous new faces appeared in the crowd. Sara and Sarah directed
and prepared the VBS program. Essentially, when planning for the trip, it is
best to assume all of your plans will go the exact opposite of what you had
planned. However, even with all of the location and time changes, they both
maintained composure and ran a tremendous program.
On
Wednesday, Creefest/GOOP (Gathering of Our People) started with an early
morning breakfast. Several of the team members, including myself, assisted the
Tribal Counsel Leaders in cooking breakfast (eggs, pancakes, hash browns,
bologna, sausage, bacon, and toast) for over 450 people. The MTW team served
breakfast to the community. This continued through Friday. On Friday, a man
pulled me aside and said, “Do you there are times when we do not have words
that are big enough for what we mean?” Though I agreed with him, I wasn’t
exactly sure what he just supposed.
He continued, “We appreciate your group so much that we don’t even know
how to tell you thank you. When you come and you serve and help us, it gives us
a chance to really spend time with each other and that is something that
doesn’t happen often. You allow for us to enjoy our culture because you do the
work.”
Throughout
the week, we continued VBS, breakfast activities, other service projects around
the island (sanding a building, weed-eating/cutting grass, moving/chopping
wood, etc). The team learned to make bannock over the fire and experienced
other cultural activities while at the gathering. Friday came sooner than
desired for most of the team, but especially for both Alaina and myself. I knew
that it was going to break my heart to say “goodbye” to the people, teens, and
children that I had quickly grown to love. I had become very attached to them.
My feelings and emotions were overwhelming throughout the morning; many times,
disappearing just to cry for a few minutes without an audience. After VBS, the
team needed to eat lunch and pack up. The barge was leaving at 2:30 and it does
not wait. Two girls, Tehya and Ashlan, who were regular attendees at Bible
camp, attached themselves to my legs (literally) and begged me not to go. After
allowing them to adorn me, as if I were a human Christmas tree, it was finally
nearing the 2:00 mark. As I gave them one last hug, both girls cried, and there
is no point in pretending that I remained in control of my emotions because
unfortunately, there are witnesses that would say otherwise.
While
I already looked like I went through the carwash, I wanted to say “goodbye” to
Jasmine. I took her by the hands and said, “Do you know how much I love you?”
She said “yes” and then began to cry. I assured her that I love Moose Factory
and I will miss it there very much, but most of all, I will miss her. Several
slightly less emotional goodbyes followed and we were soon on the barge
traveling any direction but the direction I wanted to go.
Now
that I have been home for several days, I will admit that my heart is still so
broken. If the Lord called, I would leave mid-sentence and drive due north, but
until I know exactly what my life holds, I cannot make any decision on the
current state of my emotions. Eventually, I will open my eyes in the morning
and not look for the island or close my eyes at night without wishing I could
hear the sounds of Moose Factory.
In
closing, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy
and extensive blog posts. I also want to thank you for praying for us because we
are confident that the Lord answers prayer. Your earnest prayers were heard and
we were blessed to see the Lord working so visibly in the lives of the women of
the church, the teenagers at Project George, and the children during Bible camp
and VBS. Upon returning home, I've been surprised when people say, "I enjoyed your blog." You make my heart so happy! You are LOVED!
PRAYER
REQUESTS:
- Please continue to pray for the island. Pray for the women’s Bible study they continue to meet each week. Pray that the teenagers would continue to be discipled. Pray that the Lord would protect the children who attended Bible Camp and VBS from the dark, painful, and scary world they live in and that He would provide an all-surpassing peace.
- Please pray for Josh and Kristen as they are starting a youth group on Friday. Pray that the youth would connect and enjoy their company, as well as desire to learn about the Lord.
- Please continue to pray for both Alaina and I, as we attempt to transition back into “normal” life. I know for certain that we are both struggling with returning and waiting for the Lord to clear our next life-path.
