Happy Monday

The Creator's Talking Circle went well on Saturday. We made a few changes in the program that helped keep the kids focused. Jannie did a "creation concoction" as an object lesson. She took a class baking dish, and told the creation story, as she loaded it up with yummy things! First, chocolate pudding, "and darkness covered the earth." Then cool whip, "and God said 'Let there be light'". Blue cool whip for the sky and heavens, green coconut for the plants, etc.. In the end,the kids got to eat the creation. :) I talked a bit about the plants that God gave us that were for food, medicine, and tools. We had eight kids and one mom. All seemed happy to be there. :)
Sunday, I preached at the Chase Evangelical Free Church. It is a small church, but nice because there are a lot of seasoned believers that really know their Bible.
We did a hospital visitation after church, and a Bible Study in the evening.
There is snow in the higher elevations of the mountains. Half the leaves have fallen from the birch and maple trees. Winter is coming.

getting back

Been a while since I updated the blog. I was caught by a flu bug that knocked me out for about ten days. It has been hard to study or write. But I am getting back on track. I have to. I am expected to preach this Sunday, and I have to have a power point presentation ready by Monday evening. Some how, I expect God will help me get ready.

We have the Creator's Talking Circle this Saturday. We are talking about the Creation Story, and focussing on day three.

Some may like to know that we are back to using the old 1988 Chevy Suburban. What a great vehicle that has been. It burns oil and no surprise, with its 180,000 miles. It is mostly white, with a rust brown trim. We had a leased car for four years, and turned it back in. Hopefully, we can find a Toyota Rav4 in a good used state. That would be a nice replacement for the Sub. We do a lot of driving and the smaller car would help us manage the $4 a gallon gas cost better.

Jannie is starting a new ladies Bible Study with a gal from the local Reserve. That is great news! :)

Creators Talking Circle

If you have been following the events of late, you will be wondering how the first Creators Talking Circle went.

We had thirteen children and two parents come to the opening meeting. We started with games, and then moved to song time. The kids had a healthy snack and then we pulled out the original flat screen, yes...the flannel board. It is still an effective tool for story telling. We began with the Bible story of Creation. God gave Jannie a drum song to go along with the story. I heard children humming the tune later as they left. After the story, I prayed in Shuswap and then in English, thanking our Creator for our lunch, and then everybody had a good lunch.

The Blumenthal's and us need to get together next week and debrief about the meeting, and plan for the next meeting. I would say that the first Creator's Talking Circle was a success! Thanks to all for your prayers! We are in this together. :)

More Answers to Prayer

We got news today that our application to use a meeting place on the Reserve was going to be approved. We further asked that the rental price be waived, since what we were doing was going to be for the benefit of the community. That was also accepted!
I need to get a key for the building in the next day or two.
Saturday is the important start of the Creator's Talking Circle.
Please pray.
Thanks! :)

A new step of faith

This coming Saturday, we expect to step into new territory. For years, we have seen a need to serve the young people and children on the Reserves nearby. Jannie and I weren't able to take on that huge role as leaders of a childrens outreach. We prayed about it for years, and God has answered. He sent a loving family to work with us and their spiritual gifts and talents are just right for this type of work. They are the Trent and Lynelle Blumenthal. So, God provided the right people.

Next we needed the location. We have been approved to use a building on Reserve nearby.
Another answer to prayer.

So, this Saturday, we plan to try our first outreach from 11am-1pm. I have no idea of what to expect, but that is how it goes, isn't it? If I were in control, it wouldn't be called a walk of Faith.

In All Things Give Thanks

We are in the middle of a busy week. This is the week that we devote to using canoes to serve the local First Nations Communities. Yesterday we did a four hour trip on the Shuswap River. Along the way, we stopped to swing on a rope swing that hung over the water. I was the first to try it. I climbed up the base of the tree to a log placed there as a jumping platform. I grabbed the highest knot on the rope and swung off the log. It was a long rope. That means that you gain a lot of speed, and at the other end of the swing, you are about eight feet above the water. At the end of the swing, I let go of the rope and splashed into the deep water. I remember being surprised at how deep I had gone, as it was taking longer to reach the surface than I had imagined.

Loyd was next. He had never done such a rope swing before, and stepped up to it with caution. He seemed to be reluctant to step off the log, but he did, and the big smile on his face as he flew through the air showed that he enjoyed the first part of the trip. He let go and splashed in. He came up all excited and happy with the experience. He ran right over to the tree to do it again.

His sister tried it next. She looked at the whole set up with obvious concern. You could see that she was not used to taking risks. Still, she mustered up the courage to climb the dirt bank and up to the standing log. She held the rope a long time as if she couldn't make her body ease forward off the log. With some encouragement, she finally took the leap of faith and swung out over the water.
You are supposed to release over the water at the apex of the swing. That places you over deep water. I think she knew that, but perhaps her hands didn't believe it. Instead of releasing over the deep water, she hung on to the rope another second as she began to return to the shore. Then, over three feet of water, she released.
Her face contorted in pain as she grabbed her knee. We had a problem!

We managed to get our pickup car to return up river and find us, as we carried Patricia out of the water and to the car. She went to the hospital in Salmon Arm, where she learned that she had a simple fracture of her tibia!

That experience certainly put a damper on the rest of the trip for the rest of us. The Scripture tells us to give thanks in everything. I am thankful that her injury wasn't worse, but I am puzzled at how God is going to turn this into good. We were just getting to know Patricia, and now she is injured. We prayed with her, but so far, God has not seen fit to do a miraculous healing of her leg. So, I guess we walk by faith, and keep visiting her at home, and look for God to turn this into a blessing.

Loyd had a good time. He is coming back out with us for a lake paddle today.

Staying connected

Our old "brick" cell phone battery finally expired. On a recent trip to Vancouver Island, I discovered that the older technology couldn't get a signal while the newer models could. So, why replace a battery in an an old phone if I could get a more reliable phone? We went shopping.

Our stop by a cell phone store was quite illuminating. It seems that after we bought the "brick" model, things changed in the cell phone world. Phones aren't just phones anymore. They play music, games, text message, go on the internet, are cameras, daily planner, and much more. I never made full use of the "brick" phone and its games. I am quite overwhelmed with the new options available.

As nice as all the gadgets are, they still can fail to get a signal out here in the mountain country of British Columbia. I sure am glad that I never am out of connection with God. If I am in the mountains, or on the oceans, I can always connect with God. More than a daily planner, God promises to help me with life planning. Now that is something the cell phones can't do! God doesn't offer games with His plan. But He offers lasting satisfaction and joy. The text messages I get from God are always current. They never go out of date.

So, Jannie and I got new cell phones today. We got a super deal on the package, too...but the deal I have with Jesus is still better. :)