A Glimpse of A Week at School

During the past week, Jannie and I have spent nearly every day at school. The Reservation has its community Christmas Party tonight. Our school group were assigned to do the baking. Jannie helped some ladies with a very involved ginger bread house creation. Not one, but three buildings! I was paired up with a grumpy middle aged guy that doesn't like to try new things. "Grumpy" and I managed to have a good time making three cakes. I just let my silly side come out and joked about everything we did. We timed out each procedure as if it were a serious docking maneuver for the Space shuttle. Next, we tried spritz cookies. Now, Grumpy doesn't like to try new things, and he really doesn't like facing failure. Well, who does? but that is what we had with those spritz cookies. We didn't know that the little foil wrapped squares of margarine were measured at 1/2 cup. We didn't know that there is a big difference between soft and too soft margarine. We didn't know that we had to slowly pour in the sugar while beating the margarine at medium speed. Then, add the egg, and vanilla, and so forth, and then beat the whole thing for FIVE minutes! We just dumped the ingredients together and mixed them. It didn't work. Grumpy quit. I started again, adjusting the softness of the margarine. Grumpy came back and we failed again. Grumpy quit. By now, I was frustrated, too. I can develop my own pictures, load ammunition, make a bunch of things, but I couldn't make spritz cookies!!! Grrrrr.......umph! I grabbed the recipe book and discovered there were very explicit steps which were to be followed...steps which I didn't know about since they were absent from the hand written directions we were given. So, I mustered my courage one more time, and so did Grumpy. We followed the directions carefully. I know you won't believe it, but our third attempt worked!
While making cookies may not seem to be a big deal, if you think about it, it was an important learning opportunity. We didn't quit. We persevered and conquered which was an important learning achievement for Grumpy, and it didn't hurt me either. The ladies had their challenges with the gingerbread houses, too. They persevered and made some nice looking edible products which could be given away at the Christmas Party.
After the three days of baking, we were given a treat and the class went on a field trip...ten pin bowling an hour away in Kelowna. The driver of the fifteen seating van was not a member of our class. He is rather well educated and quick witted. Every now and then, he would utter a sneaky remark which was meant to attack Christianity. He would look in the rear view mirror and smirk, enjoying his little game. He said, "That new Bible isn't as good as the old one. The new one wrote out a whole bunch about God." Jannie replied, "I don't know what Bible you are reading because my Bible has the same God from front to finish." The driver replied, "You know, the fire and brimstone God that judges evil from the old Bible is different from the Jesus God of the new Bible." I responded, "You need to read a little further in the new Bible, as you call it. The last book in the Bible, Revelation, reveals Jesus as the same God as the one in the old Bible. There is plenty of judgement there."
The driver said, "Yeah, but he takes so long." He laughs. Jannie spoke up, "It is because of His great mercy that He is patient with us and gives us a chance to seek Him." The driver chuckled, but all present listened.
Later, at the bowling alley, I assited one of the students, a lady with a leg brace and physical handicaps. She said, "I like you shirt, Howard." I was wearing a t-shirt that said, There are two sure things in life: 1)there is a God, and 2) you're not Him. Each time it was her turn to bowl, I would position a ramp till she was happy with it, and then bring her ball and set it on the top of the ramp. That is how she would play the game. Handling the ball that way transfered oil from the ball surface to my hands. When I tried to bowl immediately after her, I just couldn't control the ball well. It either slid out of my fingers too early, or too late. Believe it or not, this worked out to my advantage. Last year, without oily fingers, I bowled a 230+ game. While that might be good for my personal best, it doesn't help evangelism. Standing out as exceptional is not desired within the Native community. The word community has a sense of level ground to it. So, by bowling a 135 in game one, and 98 in game two, I actually fit better with the community.
Tonight is the Christams party. I think we will be asked to sing Christmas carols in Secwepemctsin (Shuswap language). We have been attempting to reach out to three reservations, it is nice to have one that is welcoming us into their community a little more each year.

Answers to prayer

My last blog entry was several weeks ago. I mentioned that I was praying for direction and opportunity to hold Christmas worship services at one or more of the Reservations. I didn't want to write an answer to those prayers too soon, and maybe anticipate something that might change, so I waited until now. So, what is happening?

We seem to be finding favor with one reservation in particular. We have been reaching out to three over the past 4 1/2 years. One has been staunchly resisting outside Christian influence, even though their reservation is in the greatest need. No change as yet.
On another reservation, about 30 minutes away, has had a "warm/cold" relationship with us in the past. I heard rumors that too many white people had been crashing their Christmas party in prior years. Did that mean us? We had done pancake breakfasts for the community, and brought archery and atlatl programs for the youth. They seemed to appreciate us and welcome us as one of their community, but we didn't receive any response to our gentle email inquiry. So, we didn't push it, and didn't go.
The last reservation is the one closest to home. They seem to keep the doors open for us. Last weekend, we went on a science field trip with a group from the Native school. It was a great opportunity to serve, encourage, and build relationships. This week, we have spent many days at the school helping prepare for their Bands Christmas Party. We baked cookies, gingerbread houses, and cakes. Tomorrow, Friday, we will be going with the school again on another field trip; and on Saturday, we will attend the Christmas Party.

Will we have a Christmas service on a reservation? Are things working out like we had hoped? Well, things rarely work out like I anticipate. I know some people think that they can tell God what to do and expect Him to obey, but I do not follow that line of thinking. I tell God what I think and what I would hope for, and then I "show up" ready for anything that God might choose to do. That would include the things that I asked for, and submitting to His will for the ultimate answer.
That rather squares well with the lesson I learn from Luke chapter one. The virgin Mary had her plans and her wish list, too. God's answer was to send and angel with a totally different plan. Mary's answer was amazing, considering she was a young woman of perhaps 17 years of age. She listened to the angel, and then said, "Let it be unto me as you have said." She instantly surrendered to God's will.
So, with God's help, we will go on the field trip tomorrow and see what God might want to do in us and through us. We will go to the Christmas party on Saturday, and try to be ready to respond to what ever the Holy Spirit wants to do there. I woke up this morning at 0400 hours with a Christmas sermon running through my dreams and into my awake. Maybe I will be asked to share something at the Christmas party? Maybe the Holy Spirit will say, "Wait", and let the sermon brew for a year. such is walking by faith, and surrendering to His will in Salmon Arm. Thanks for your prayers. God is right on time with His agenda.
Oh yeah, and have a blessed Christmas time with your families and church families, too!!!

Answers to Prayer

The trial of three Native teens concluded this week. I can say that the RCMP and the court system handled the case with the utmost professionalism. Some family members of the accused went to the trial in a state of denial. Evidence slowly revealed the truth, that the accused were in fact, guilty of a violent crime. In the end, admissions were made and plea bargains received. None of the family members had any doubt of the truth.
During the trial, Jannie and I gave rides to family members to court and to visit the young offenders in jail. We sat with them in court. We have had significant opportunities to help the family members, and were able to give a Christian book to one of the offenders. We are now focussed on trying to help bring healing to the community, families, and the offenders, too.
Thanks for your prayers! I would say that God has indeed answered and is continuing to answer them.
Hopefully, in the next week, we will see if we will get a chance to conduct Christian Christmas services at one or more of the Reservations. thanks for your prayers!
Your Fellow Laborer, ~Howard

Prayer Request

December is fast approaching and with it, the holiday season. There is a lot of talk about a mythical figure, a jolly fat man that flies through the sky giving gifts to gready people that already have more than they need. There is talk about talking a snowman, a deer with a nose that lights up, and occasionally, there is talk about a baby Jesus, angels, and nativity stories.
The devil is still vigilent in trying to remove Christ from Christmas, but he hasn't been able to do so. With all the confusion about the holiday season, Jannie and I see it as an opportunity to be seized. We are going to pray that God will give us opportunities to hold Christmas "services" on local Reserves. There may be people who would want to attend a Christian cellebration of the birth of Christ. There may be others who would like to hear about why the coming of Jesus is such a big thing.
Please intercede for us in this, and ask our Heavenly Father to give us favor with various Reserves and permission to hold Christmas services on Reserve land. Be sure to check back for the answers that God will give. :)
Also, we are attending a local murder trial in Salmon Arm. Three young people from the local reserves are accused of murdering a 47 yr. old man. We are friends of the mothers of two of the accused. I took one of the young men out canoeing last year. Would you please pray that justice will be done, and that Jannie and I will be able to minister to the accused, their families, and the hurting community?
Thanks! ~Howard

Stair Laps

Right now, our collie puppy, Sasha, is doing stair laps. She wants to be upstairs, in the loft, with Jannie. If she gets her way, she will find a nice soft twin size bed, curl up and blissfully snooze away her life. She thinks that being lazy is a virtue and she wants to work at it every moment she can.

So, Jannie exiled Sasha from the loft, and put up a gate to block an unwelcome return. Sasha can't speak, but she uses her feet to communicate what she wants. She goes up and down the stairs, over and over and over again. She is probably thinking, "What is wrong with these people! Can't they figure out that I want to sleep in the loft! They are here to obey me, but they aren't doing it!!!"

Then it occurred to me, that we people aren't all that different from Sasha at times.
We pray to our Heavenly Father and ask Him for something. Maybe we don't even ask; we just tell Him over and over and over again. Sometimes, God blocks us from the things we want, because He knows they are just selfish indolent indulgences. He wants better for us. So He blocks us and we just do "stair laps".
(Ecclesiates 7:13, for more edification.)

Puppies and Church

Our collie, Sasha, is close to six months old. One aspect of her behavior is rather compelling. She wants to be with her "pack". If we prepare her food dish and set it out, she will pace around the kitchen, waiting until our food is ready, before she will eat. If one of us is at the table ready to eat, but the other hasn't yet arrived, she will whine and pace, waiting until the pack is gathered. Once we are together, she will eat. There are countless distractions outside, but "home is where the heart is" and Sasha's home is to be with us.
I was thinking, what if Christians acted like that? What if we all were as eager to gather together as Sasha? What if Sunday's came around, and the weather was sunny, warm, and inviting to go camping, or fishing, or whatever; and our heart response was, "that can wait till another day, today I can't wait to be with God's people, and enjoy this day!" It seems to me that the early church was like that. The Bible says that they met often. The Scripture encourages us to cultivate a "sincere love for each other."
Oh that God would forgive us of placing ourselves and fleshly desires ahead of meeting with Him. May He give us hearts that earnestly desire the "pack" of the Church and His presence.

Things my puppy taught me

Before we made the plunge and brought home a puppy, I did some reasearch on the various breeds. I spent two years reading and learning until we narrowed the options to a few dogs. Eventually, availability helped to narrow the search even more, and we found a puppy. Her name is "Sasha", and she is purebred Smooth Collie. Sasha is a fun addition to our family. She is still a puppy and we will have the usual puppy related adventures to share with her as she grows and takes her place in our family.
One thing the various books mentioned about some breeds is the natural instinct to want to please its owner. I challenge that view. I don't think dogs have a natural desire to learn what its master likes, so it can please good old master. I think dogs are pretty much interested in pleasing themselves, and in that way, they seem a lot like us humans.
I have a Master, too. Do I have a natural desire to know what He wants, and then dedicate myself to doing those things? Occasionaly, that is the case, but the honest answer is I find myself all too often interested in pleasing myself most of the time, and pleasing God with left overs.
One of the challenges I have with Sasha is to help her change her values. Her current value of pleasing herself needs to change to finding her happiness linked to what pleases Jannie and myself. We do that with training, using positive and occasionally, negative re-enforcement. Sasha needs to learn to stay close to home. She needs to learn what things are dangerous to her, and what things are good for her.
My Heavenly Father is also interested in me staying close to "home", and avoiding things and habits that can be dangerous for my spiritual health. My Heavenly Father is loving and patient with me, and so instructs me how to teach one of His creatures, our Sasha.
I hope I become a good owner for Sasha, and I hope I learn to love what my Father in Heaven likes, too.