Monday, April 20, 2020


April 2020 Newsletter         

The means might change but the mission never does.

Often the year that nothing goes right, people remember as their fondest experience. Can you relate?

The summer of 2010 was off to a great start. In the middle of our church’s day camp, I received a call from Pastor Bart who was serving as the LAMP missionary in BC. Bart called with devastating news; the school where we ran our VBS program in Gitanyow would not be available because they were installing a new roof on the building. Oh no!

We were a week away from leaving the USA to go north. Half of our schedule was based on using the gym for programs and the school's kitchen for our meals. The only other available space was the small church down the street. Small as in only one bathroom, no kitchen and room for the group to sleep, plus we would have to store everything in order to hold VBS. The other options were to camp 20 minutes down the road and drive into the community every day or not go at all.

Yet all was not lost. I envisioned another option! In my conversation with Bart, he suggested that we could use his portable outdoor shower, and I thought of a way to cook meals. We would rent a U-Haul to carry all our stuff and also house a small kitchen.

With Christ the Vine’s day camp coming to an end, I gathered items for a make-shift kitchen. The church had a small upright freezer. I found two more smaller fridges on Craigslist and an older (yet in good condition) propane stove range. All we needed was a sink. Craigslist to the rescue!

However, I needed help building the unit. So from afternoon until late in the evening, my friend Tim McWilliams helped build a sink unit in his driveway. I found a small 110 volt water heater that fit under the sink, and the day before we left, I finished the sink unit. Phew!

Upon arrival at the church in Gitanyow, we discovered the back of the U-Haul was the exact same height of the church porch. There was an outside water hose for both the shower and sink unit. We ran a flexible drain hose from the sink to a hole back behind the church. Then we ran an extension cord into the U-Haul. Not once did the circuit break.

Somehow with eighteen people on our mission team, there was never a line to the bathroom. Showers were much quicker since they were outside. The only difficult part was rearranging the sleeping gear and VBS setup everyday. Oh, and by the way, this was the cook's first trip. However, if you asked everyone from that trip which, of all the years, one was their favorite, they would all answer this one!  Even the cook still talks about cooking in the back of the U Haul and visiting with the kids as they watched her cook. Despite all the adjustments and adapting, the mission still took place.

In Luke chapter 9, Jesus gives instructions to his disciples as they are about to leave on their mission trip.
“Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

While most teams would not leave home before proper planning and fundraising, we all can relate to trusting in God’s leading. This is especially true during the current situation with the COVID-19 virus.

As spring arrives and we look further into the summer, there is a strong possibility that trips will be postponed for the summer. Over the last few weeks, the LAMP staff have been working hard at coming up with ideas and ways to support teams that normally travel during the summer to teach VBS in the communities. Some of the teams have already sent care packages to communities, post a daily devotion, while others are busy organizing a virtual tea party and yet another created a CD to be used on a radio broadcast.

Please pray that the LAMP staff and our many volunteers envision different means of ministry from a distance as we look to further God’s mission with the First Nations people.  Your prayers and support are ever more critical to provide the hope of Christ and the courage to face fears with victorious faith.  Together we are the “body of Christ” today!