Feeling the Heat and Enjoying the Tunes in August 2023

After a busy summer and some wonderful days of rest in early September at my son Joshua’s house, I’m ready to post about my month of August 2023 serving with LAMP, at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and with the Bethel Senior High youth mission trip to El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico.

August began with my trip to Cat Lake, Ontario. Let me begin by noting that I did not see any cats in Cat Lake…a little disappointing. I mentioned my time there in last month’s blog… “I hopped on a plane to Winnipeg, met up with Darlene Heide, and we drove a rental vehicle to Dryden, Ontario. We were hosted by Judy and the next day, Judy, Peter, Darlene, and I headed up to Sioux Lookout with Norma, one of the organizers of the trip. We boarded a float plane to fly to Cat Lake in northern Ontario. I had never been on a float plane so this was a lot of fun...taking off and landing on the water was great!! Pastor Randy met us in Cat Lake and we prepared to host a three day VBS in the community. A local missionary family allowed us to stay at their house so it was great to have real beds to sleep in and a real kitchen to cook and eat dinners in.” Things wrapped up nicely in Cat Lake and we flew back to Sioux Lookout. Instead of staying overnight in Dryden, Darlene and I headed back to Winnipeg. I had the wonderful opportunity to go out for lunch with the recently retired LAMP missionary Gord Gilbey (some have suggested I’m taking his place but he continues to serve part-time…and my “dad joke” game is not nearly ready to fill Gord’s shoes) We had a tasty meal at Holy Spice in Winnipeg as Gord helped me to learn more about his work with LAMP. Very inspiring and encouraging!  

From Winnipeg I flew to Saskatoon and headed up north to Grandmother’s Bay. A team of Bethel ladies from my home church have been serving in this community for several years and it was so fun to finally see them at work in that place. Anke, Debbie, Twyla, Heather, and Gayle had a wonderful week of songs, Bible stories, crafts, snacks, and games prepared for the children in the community. We stayed at the school and hosted the Vacation Bible Camp there. Things kicked off with a community supper on Sunday night that was well attended by several families in the community. In addition to the daily VBC programs, the team also hosted Ladies’ Nights at the school from Monday to Thursday night. Many of the women who attended have known the team for a long time…there are some special relationships that have been built there. At the team’s request, I planned and hosted a night for men that week…and the turnout was really encouraging. We enjoyed some snacks together (chicken wings, dry ribs, chips, pop) and I talked about the work of LAMP before we ended the night with some games. We hope to do this again in the future if we can.

On Thursday, I headed back to Saskatoon, hoping to fly back to Edmonton. My flight was cancelled that night so I rented a vehicle for a one-way trip home. After a late-night arrival, I got some sleep and then headed off to help with the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. I have volunteered for many years at the festival, helping sell Performer Product (t-shirts, CDs, LPs) for the musical artists who are featured at the event each year. After some disruptions due to COVID, it was great to be back in person for a second year. I heard some great music and appreciated volunteering with old friends Elizabeth, Kendra, and Sandra. This was my second year serving as a coordinator in our area and I appreciated working with a great team of volunteers.  Highlights musically included the Secret Sisters, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Molly Tuttle. The Ruen Brothers from England were also a nice surprise! I’m so thankful that my schedule allowed for me to do this.

After Folk Fest, I packed my bags again and headed out to Manitoba. My flights took me to Winnipeg and then on to Thompson. LAMP missionary pastor Randy Heide and LAMP missionary pilot Andrew Anstey met me at the airport in Thompson. We headed out for a hearty supper followed by an overnight stay at the home of some local LAMP supporters. The next day, Andrew and I embarked on my first flight on “Andrew Airlines”…Andrew flew us to Lac Brochet in the red LAMP plane. I was a little nervous about being on a smaller plane but Andrew is a real pro and he did a great job getting us there. We had the chance to visit the LAMP team serving there that week, getting to see their work with the kids and then spend the evening with them. Lac Brochet is a community that recently celebrated 50 years in existence…my understanding is that it was founded by some devout Catholic First Nations people looking to establish a healthier and safer community. In addition to visits with the team, we also enjoyed some of the games and activities happening in the community that evening.

After a great breakfast and visit with the team at Lac Brochet, we flew off to Wollaston Lake. Wollaston is a place I’ve heard a lot about…several Bethel members have been serving there with LAMP (photos in no particular order)

for a long time. It was very special for this year’s crew to be able to return to the community after four years away. Roxanne, the team leader, wrote a very moving account of the team’s return for our church newsletter. We enjoyed watching the team present the Vacation Bible Camp program in the afternoon followed by a youth / teen event that evening. Back at the house where we were staying, Roxanne and her team hosted a fun event for some of the young adults in the community…there may have been some Karaoke and line dancing but I can’t say for sure. Andrew and I enjoyed our time there and enjoyed hearing about everything the team had been experiencing that week…a busy week!!

My final flights with “Andrew Airlines” took me first to the LaRonge airport from Wollaston Lake and then to the airfield in Camrose, Alberta where LAMP has a hanger. Andrew was kind enough to drive me home after a tasty dinner of Chinese food. It was wonderful to be home after such a busy time away. My wife Lynne and I were able to celebrate our anniversary together before my next and last adventure for the summer (we’ve spent several anniversaries apart as I have been on mission trips with Bethel’s youth). 

My last big trip of the summer was also my last trip with the youth at Bethel. We met up at the Edmonton airport on Saturday, August 19 and flew down to El Paso, Texas. Our friends at Ysleta Lutheran Mission met us at the airport and took us back to the mission. We spent the week there, heading down into Mexico each day and building a home for a family in need. The weather was very hot with the exception of a very unusual and very much appreciated rainy, misty day. Our adult leaders (Pastor James, Chris, Kira, and Cole) did a wonderful job teaching and supporting the youth in their endeavours to be construction workers. The home came together nicely and we were happy to present the keys to the new homeowners that Friday. In addition to building, the youth and adult leaders had fun going to worship, doing Bible study, going swimming, going out for snacks (Krispy Kreme donuts and Baskin and Robbins ice cream), bowling, and the occasional trip to Wal Mart. We also enjoyed a tasty dinner at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse just outside of El Paso. Our flight home included some late night hours in the Vancouver airport and we arrived home tired, happy, and safe on Sunday morning. 

In addition to these last trips with the youth of Bethel, I’ve also been working on cleaning out my office at the church and sorting through all the papers and books I’ve gathered over the years. This Thursday, I’ll attend a goodbye lunch with the Bethel staff and this Sunday there will be some official goodbyes offered to me during our Sunday worship services. I’m so thankful for Bethel and all the good things I’ve experienced there over the years. I’m also thankful for new opportunities and experiences with LAMP this summer. This fall I’ll be thinking a lot about what I’ve seen and learned as we begin to do some early planning for fall, winter, and spring ministry work. This will also help us get ready for next summer’s trips to various communities. At some point this fall, I’ll also be officially installed in my new position…I’ll pass on more details when I have them. Thanks for your prayers and your support in this time of transition and new learning.