November 2024: Anniversary Celebrations, Visits in Manitoba and a Trip to Nashville

 November 2024 began with my wife and I looking at some properties in Nanaimo, BC. We are thinking about moving and we wanted to see what things look like in that area. My wife flew home that first Saturday and I headed over to Parksville, BC, the same day to attend and help out with some anniversary celebrations for Our Saviour Lutheran Church. The congregation has been there for fifty years and they decided to celebrate this anniversary with a dinner and a special worship service. On Saturday night, we gathered at a local hall for a wonderful dinner. Following the meal, there was a special program. I presented a short concert as part of that program. It was fun to get up and sing some of  my songs for people there. It was also fun to see the current pastor of OLSC (my brother-in-law Steve Chambers) and his wife Brenda. Fun times! Here's some pictures...

The next day we gathered at the church for a special anniversary service. Several of the former pastors were there and it was good to see them. There were many great stories told as the church celebrated God's goodness to them in that place. I helped play some of the music for the service and enjoyed the fellowship time afterward.

I flew home on the following Monday and got back into my regular routine for a few days. This often means working in my home office as well as working at the LAMP office. I was able to attend the Edmonton Circuit Conference at Concordia Lutheran Seminary and appreciated seeing everybody there. The following Tuesday I also caught with some fellow deacons on Zoom. We've been trying to meet monthly to discuss topics, share concerns, and pray for each other. Good stuff!

On Wednesday, November 13, I hopped on a plane and headed to Winnipeg, Manitoba. I was hoping to visit some of the communities I work with. I was also hoping to connect with a team heading to Shamattawa for a few days of kids ministry. I headed north to Grand Rapids, Manitoba, on Thursday. I wanted to meet with some local people there as we are considering sending a new LAMP team there next summer. Over the Thursday and Friday, I managed to meet with the school principal, a band councilor, and a local pastor. They were glad to hear that we are making plans to send a team back there...it's been a few years since a LAMP team has been able to visit. Here's a picture of the church and the school in Grand Rapids. We'll have the team host their program for kids at the church this next summer. 

Before heading back to Winnipeg, I also stopped by Easterville. I wasn't able to find anyone at home there. Here's a picture of the school in Easterville...and the truck I was driving. No one was at the school either. This sometimes happens in the life of a LAMP missionary....thankfully, this isn't the end of that story...

I stayed overnight in Winnipeg and on Sunday morning attended church at Nassau Street Church. This church sends a team to Cormorant, Manitoba in partnership with LAMP. It was good to be with the good people there and get to meet more of them. After the service, there was a special lunch that served as a fundraiser for some young missionaries. Later that day, I had a wonderful visit with Pastor Andy P from the church. He was even kind enough to invite me to watch the Grey Cup with his family. They were cheering hard for the Blue Bombers but unfortunately the team did not win. That night I picked up Pastor Randy H from LAMP and we met some team members at a local hotel.

Early on Monday morning, we headed to the airport and flew on Perimeter Air to a northern Manitoba community called Shamattawa. LAMP teams have been going to this community for many years but they were unable to get there this past summer. I helped Pastor Randy and two other team members as we visited the kids at the school and shared Bible stories and songs with the kids in their classes. We flew back to Winnipeg on Wednesday night. After a nice supper with the guys, I headed north again.

There was a big snowfall in the area that night and I saw lots of beautiful snow and ice on the road to The Pas. I was thankful for good tires and four-wheel drive. Here's a picture of the road at one point...

I arrived in The Pas and stayed overnight there. The next day I drove out to the community of Moose Lake. We had a team serve there last summer for the first time in a while. I stopped by the school and visited with the new school principal. The former school principal Sandra L, who is now serving as vice-principal, was also there and I got a chance to say hi to her again. We talked about plans for next summer and they were helpful and supportive. Later that day, I drove to another LAMP community called Cormorant. I stopped by the school to visit the principal but she was out of town. I did manage to visit with Lynnette and Barry, a couple who have connected with the LAMP team that visits there. It was wonderful to visit with them. Here's a picture of the church in Cormorant. Snowy day!!

I headed back to The Pas for the evening. The next day I was planning to drive back to Winnipeg but I also wanted to connect with Ida H and Ann H from Moose Lake. It worked out that they were coming in to The Pas for shopping so we met for coffee. Remember how I missed my friends in Easterville when I was there earlier? I was pleasantly surprised to run into my friend Pastor Michael C from Easterville at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in The Pas. Pastor Michael is retired and drives a bus for people to attend medical appointments a few times a week. We were able to connect and talk about plans for next summer...so much fun!! and the chicken was also good!

After busy times in Manitoba, I flew home to get ready for a short holiday with my wife Lynne. We headed down to Nashville for a special weekend. We were able to visit a number of sites in and near Nashville including the Station Inn, Jack's BBQ, the Grand Ol Opry, Franklin, Hattie B's Fried Chicken, the Listening Room, and the Hatch Print Shop. The highlight of the weekend, though, and the reason for our trip was a special Christmas concert at the Ryman Auditorium featuring Amy Grant and Vince Gill. Lynne and I have been fans of both Amy and Vince for a long time and we've wanted to see this show for many years now. It was really really good!! It was also a great way to start getting ready for the Christmas season!