We're Here!

Today is the day the Lord hath made - let us rejoice and be glad in it!  We are much more than glad to be here- so excited!   We arrived around 8:00 last night and got to see lots of our Southend friends.   After a great night of sleep and a big breakfast we are off to Church and then are hosting a community gathering.   Looking forward to a great day! 

Southend Bound!

On Wednesday night, we had a packing party at the church to bless the trailer and team as we prepared for an early morning departure on Thursday.  Pastor Vic and Becky arrived with a Canadian flag and even provided the lyrics to “O Canada!”  Pastor Matt and Sarah also came and it was fun to have the time to get to know them better. 

 

The team left the cities at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday in two vehicles and a trailer.  God blessed us with a beautiful day and clear roads.  Vernice’s parents and sister, Bonnie, and her family blessed us with prayer and a delicious lunch at Bethel Lutheran Church in Bismarck.  We crossed the border uneventfully and with much thanks and praise!  As soon as both vehicles were clear, Kristin sang “O Canada!” over the walkie talkies (with lyrics supplied by Pastor Vic the previous day).  Our team was being hosted for the night by Scott and Laura Piper.  We felt at home the moment we arrived!  They feel like family as it is our fourth year staying with them!  We are very grateful for their generosity and friendship.  Laura’s father, Nat, took many of the team members up in his Cessna, 4-seater airplane and some even got to pilot the plane.

 

 

 

Today included a stop at Regina to pick up groceries for the VBS and then off to Prince Albert where we are spending the night.  Some of the members of Redeemer Lutheran Church were again gracious enough to provide dinner for our team for the fourth year.  We will be leaving early Saturday morning and will meet Father Mark in La Ronge to transfer vehicles and head to Southend.  The excitement is growing as we are getting closer to our friends on the south end of Reindeer Lake.  

 

“I AM the LORD, your God Who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,

 ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:13

 

 

 

 

 

Our Mission

We are so excited to continue our journey for Jesus to Southend Saskatchewan!   We are working with LAMP ministries and this is the fourth year that Messiah has sent a team there as part of a five year commitment.   Some of our team members have had the privilege of serving the Cree for each of the trips.   The mission work continues to grow and evolve.  What began as the teaching of Vacation Bible School to the children has expanded into the rest of the community.  In addition to VBS we will be hosting a community gathering, two teen nights, and a women’s tea.  The theme for VBS this year is God ALWAYS Keeps His Promises. 

LAMP is the Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots which has provided Christian witness and nurture in communities in northern remote areas of Canada since 1970.  Each year over 5,000 children, youth and adults are impacted by the ministry of LAMP in 60 communities across northern Canada.

Beautiful Southend!

The bay outside of Fr Marks House

Southend is a village in northern Saskatchewan that is located on the south end of Reindeer lake which is the 9th largest lake in Canada.  It is about a 23 hour drive from Minneapolis. We will be serving the Cree which is a First Nations people of Canada.

The population of this village is approximately 1,000 and about half of them are children under the age of 12. There are a number of facts about this community.  The Cree are special people that value relationships over tasks. In contrast, we are conditioned to be task oriented with goals and accomplishments defining our success. They prefer story telling over reading or being read to. They are a culture that shares everything, and they are not materialistic. The community functions much like an extended family and many homes have multiple generations that live there.   We expect to continue to learn a great deal from them.

Preparing the way of the Lord!

We are well on our way to a great trip:) We have been preparing our skits twice a week for a couple weeks, and are excited to share them with the kids! We have 5 different skits, along with 5 puppet shows. We have costumes and props for a better experience. They are a great way to spread the Word to the kids of Southend!

                                                      ~Angela Dabu:)

The 'Eh Team !

Back row-from the  left: Brian and Sandy Doyle, Dave and Kristin Scott, and Vernice Dabu.
Front Row-From the left: Kate Doyle, Caleb, Rachel, and Amanda Scott,  Angela and Dominique Dabu.

 

Yes, we are going back to Canada, 'eh! This is our 2013 mission team. We will be heading up to Southend Saskatchewan August 1st, and will be staying until the 11th. This will be the 4th year that a team from Messiah goes up there! We are VERY excited to be going up again, and we are ready for more adventures!  More to come:)

 

~Angela Dabu