Fall Newsletter 2024

May you be free of any major rain, wind, or snowstorm. I’ve often heard stories from my uncles and aunts about their experiences driving home for American Thanksgiving during snowstorms. They would sometimes drive through five feet of snow with only half a tank of gas, all while driving rear-wheel drive vehicles without tire chains, or so the stories go.

As always, this fall has been rather busy with school work. Between studies, I have been keeping busy with trips up north and engaging with my community contacts around the northwest. 

This fall, I attended the B.C. Church Workers Conference (Lutheran Church-Canada) in Kamloops with Deacon Michael Gillingham, our newest missionary with LAMP. Not only was the topic relevant and very informative, but I also enjoyed getting to know this group and hearing their stories. Another blessing was being able to share alongside Michael in a panel discussion the work of LAMP with the B.C. church workers. 

A few weeks later, I attended the NW District All Workers Conference (LCMS) in Seaside, Oregon. The keynote speaker was Tod Bolsinger, the author of “Canoeing the Mountains.” The sessions I was able to attend spoke about how the church is leading in a time when we no longer have a map to nowhere to go in reaching today’s culture. It was also a great time to connect with colleagues and have a table to share about the ministry of LAMP.

As a member of the NW District DCE encourager team, I was asked to serve communion at the evening worship service. The only problem is that I have never served the common cup before, but after a few tries I got the hang of it.

I was home for a few days before heading out on an elk hunt with my youngest son. My older son joined us for the weekend when Isaac bagged his first elk, which turned out to be the largest one in the family.

It was a fantastic hunt–one that will be shared around the campfire for years to come.

I headed north to visit several of the communities I serve. Lisa Bearman of Orange Lutheran High School joined me on one visit to check out arrangements for next summer when a group of high school students will conduct a kid's program in Old Masset. Pictured is Pastor Lilly who serves at St. John Anglican Church in the community of Old Masset (Haida Gwaii). Pastor Lilly has called the LAMP office over the past few years asking us to return to share Jesus with her people as she witnesses hopelessness and a declining belief in God.

Following Lisa’s return to the U.S., Dr. Thormondson joined me in three LAMP community visits, including a visit with my two Gitxsanimaxx language teachers. As part of my final year of the CMC program, a facility member has to visit on-site. On our travels, we connected with many people that I knew. It was a fruitful experience.

While visiting with people in Hazelton, I was able to give the rest of the donated quilts I had received to the area food bank, where a friend of mine, Alex, helps out part-time. I know that Alex will see to it that those in need receive a quilt. Thanks are extended to the women who contributed their time and energies to create a hug of love for these folks!

Part of my other connections in the Hazelton area was visiting with Pastor Doug Anderson of Khya Fellowship, who is the community contact for Witset. We plan to invite First Nation pastors from the area to attend a prayer summit at Rock Nest Ranch in Houston, B.C. this spring. Pastor Doug is part of The 6:4 Fellowship and has also received training to teach other pastors to help members of their church develop a healthier habit of praying together. Dr. Thormondson was able to provide some insight as we started the planning process.

 

My final visit was with the new pastor at Redeemer Lutheran in Kitmat, Pastor Daniel Cunningham.  Pastor Dan is hoping to help out the church in nearby Kitamaat Village as they have been asking for more Bible studies at their church. This would be a great opportunity to learn and support one another in God’s Word and build relationships.

 

I have started my final year of schooling in the CMC program. If everything goes as planned, I should be at the call service in St. Louis on April 30th, 2025 with my ordination at Christ the Vine at the end of August in 2025. This year will be the most challenging year since I will be working on starting my new ministry, taking language classes, and completing my portfolio.

 Summer Ministry 2024

Like every summer spent up north, it is a blessing mixed with difficult moments. It is a blessing to serve with each of the teams who volunteer their time, money and resources. This year was another gift for me to only have a few teams and spend most of the week with them.

The first week was really exciting as the team from Arizona had all their group returning from last year, plus one veteran, Ms. Becky. The group picked right up from last year with the connections they made with the kids and were able to build stronger relationships. The group was blessed with good weather and a great turnout of kids.

The following week, my home church, Christ the Vine came with many veteran team members and two new members. It was a fantastic week. Not only did we have a lot of kids, but the amount of knowledge of who God is was evident in how they responded to the lessons. 

The following week brought a team containing some members of a previous team to Gingolx. One member couldn’t attend, but the rest of the team picked up her role and did an amazing job. They are already discussing plans for what they would like to do next year.

I returned home for a couple of weeks and helped with my home church’s VBS program, which is something we have not held for a few years. I truly enjoy assisting with it. 

Then it was back up to B.C. for a week in Witset. My wife Tina was able to come and help. This year we helped at a kids' program in the morning with a one-hour VBS. Then it was an afternoon of hosting a water slide at the lake with an evening program for adults and youth.

 

The days were long, but it was fantastic to make connections with many different people in the community, including attending a men’s dinner hosted by the community. The only negative was a nearby fire that closed our waterslide early on Friday so the water-dropping helicopters could get water from the lake.

The summer went very well, and I look forward to next year when more teams join in helping spread the word of Jesus’s love for all people. 

I am struggling to write this part of my newsletter, but I want to share this with you. While in Gitanyow, I talked with a friend named Matthew whom I have known for a long time. Despite struggling with many challenges in his life, he has always been helpful to me and taught me about the costumes and customs of Gitanyow. Tina and I once gave him a ride from Terrace, and during the journey, he talked with us the whole time. Matthew has two beautiful daughters, one of whom recently graduated from high school.

A week after I returned home, I received a message informing me that Matthew had passed away. Facebook was inundated with shocked messages from people in Gitanyow about his passing. There is still no information on how he died, but when I saw him, there were no visible signs of any health issues. 

Matthew's death serves as a reminder that every day is a gift from God. We never know when it will be our last, nor when the people we know may no longer be with us. May we always live each day for God, giving Him the glory and telling others about Jesus and His love for them.

This week, I started my final year of schooling in the CMC program. If everything goes as planned, I should be at the call service in St. Louis on April 30th, with my ordination at the end of August. This year will be the most challenging year, as I will be working on starting my new ministry, taking language classes, and completing my portfolio. However, since it does not look like the Mariners will make the playoffs, once again, that will be one less distraction.

A Successful Spring Fling

This spring marked the fourth Spring Fling trip, and as always, I was blessed to serve with some wonderful people. Nadine Lung from Sherwood Park, AB, came along with Josiah Schultz and his youth Cody from Yuma, AZ.

We were grateful to be teaching the same two girls as last spring in Kitamaat Village. We even heard that the mother took time off work to ensure her daughters attended.

Later that evening, we held a tea social, but due to a death in the village, only two teenage girls attended. It was a great evening of fellowshipping with them.

Our next event was visiting with Alex Stoney, a youth worker for the Salvation Army in Hazelton. Alex had connected with another minister in the area who set up a BB gun range in his backyard. The group joined with several of Alex’s youth and took turns shooting at targets. We also joined them for a hotdog feed.

That evening, we had dinner with most of the women leaders at the Anglican church that the Yuma team uses for their summer program. It was a great evening of hearing about the history of their church, the community, and where the church is at today.

Additional Visits

After the Spring Fling volunteer group left, I preached and led services in Kitimat for Redeemer Lutheran Church and their mission church in Terrace.

A couple of days later, I picked up our executive director, Steve Schave, and executive director for the Canadian Lutheran Bible Translators, Pastor Mohr. We visited Gingolx, Gitanyow, Hazelton, Witset, and Kitamaat Village. We visited with Pastor Bart Metcalf, Dr. Jane Smith (pictured on the right), and Pastor Doug Anderson. When not stopping to take pictures of mountains and waterfalls, Pastor Mohr asked some of LAMP’s community contacts about the Bible being translated into their language. There is the thought of having a Bible translated in Nisga’a, where we serve the communities of Gingolx and Lax̱g̱altsʼap. 

Orange Lutheran High School (CA) & Donor Visit - April 20, 2024

I had the pleasure and privilege to attend Orange Lutheran High School’s Mission Celebration. It was fantastic to see how many students attended worship services, led the music ministry, and learned how to serve Jesus and others in different ways through outreach and on-campus ministries. The OLHS has an excellent program that offers opportunities for students to share God’s love and grow in their faith in the process. I look forward to helping support a mission team from OL in 2025.

Staff Retreat, Team Meetings, and Installation Service (Edmonton, AB) - April 25-29, 2024

It was a whirlwind and a packed trip to the Arctic (as our executive director calls it) for a staff retreat on Friday to plan our summer ministry.  The night before, I participated in my last online class for the CMC program. 

I used my visit to Edmonton as an opportunity to meet with the LAMP mission team from Stony Plain and present a LAMP Sunday to their church. In addition, I met with the volunteers going to Kitamaat Village and those from Barrhead. 

On Sunday evening, the 28th, all of the LAMP staff with many in attendance, celebrated the installation service of Michael Gillingham as a Missionary Deacon for LAMP at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sherwood Park, AB. 

Donor Visits

I recognize how important it is to have faithful partners in the ministry and am very grateful you also understand the need for the gospel to be taken to God’s people up North. I enjoy staying connected over coffee or whatever works for you, and receiving your comments on my newsletters and blog posts too. Please feel free to contact me.

My VBS Dates this Summer

Please pray for open hearts and minds of the children and youth, (and any adults who might be in attendance) and for strength, patience, and God’s love to overflow via the volunteers leading VBS on the following dates:

Old Hazelton- July 1-5

Gitanyow- 8-12

Kincolith- 15-19

Kitamaat Village- 15-19

Witset- August 12-16