Everything happens for a reason

Sue Folger (r), Team Leader

Our team has realized through our experiences with LAMP that everything happens for a reason. This year, we had problems securing a place to stay. There happened to be a family in town for a funeral that also needed housing, so they were given the place we were to use. Afterwards, we realized that we were better able to connect with a community member who let us use his home. We hope to continue to communicate with him over the winter and build that relationship. In addition, we were able to help the grieving family by cleaning the house for them after they left.

We find that these encounters happen the entire time we are in our community. We need to realize that God is directing us all the time and watch to see what He is doing as He makes us aware of the opportunities put before us. Many times the reaction we have to the barriers we face is our witness.

BC Mission Trip 2011 - We've Arrived!

 

by Sue Chan Acuna on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:45pm

Sunday morning, 10:10 a.m.

We awoke in camp this morning and knew immediately why this part of the world is called "Misty Rivers."  A fog hung over the camp, but there was clearing for a few feet above the river.  By about 8:00 the fog had completely cleared, leaving us with a beautiful - though chilly - sunny morning.

Our trip went smoothly, without injury to any person OR vehicle.  We did get hung up at the border; for the first time every vehicle had to pull over and send the driver inside.  I got off easy and only had to hand over a stack of passports and wait while the customs lady checked them out.  Other leaders had to answer some unusual questions, like did we have proof that each kid has health insurance, and how were the kids going to support themselves while they were in Canada.  It was a minor inconvenience and was over within about 20 minutes.  After that, it was smooth sailing to Williams Lake.

Yesterday was another long day of travel, made more interesting by a sport I call Wildlife Spotting.  I didn't do well, spotting only 1 owl, 1 eagle, 1 bear, and 2 deer.  One van saw 2 moose (or "mooses," as I call them, just to irritate people), and when the first vans arrived in camp they spotted a moose calf across the river.  I'm waiting to see photos of that one.

Campfire

This morning we're off to church around 11, then after lunch we'll head to our respective villages to drum up enthusiasm for VBS tomorrow.  This is a great day for our veterans, as they re-connect with old friends.  It won't be long before they're toting kids on their backs or shoulders, and dodging bicycles and dogs running circles around them as they walk.  The "newbies" will be a little overwhelmed as they get their first look at reservation life, but the more outgoing of them will grow extra legs and heads as they offer their own backs and shoulders for transportation.

A few campers were not prepared for the extreme cold last night, so this morning we handed out a few extra blankets and gave some helpful advice (sleep in long pants and socks, tuck your nose inside your sleeping bag).  Hopefully they'll be warmer tonight - though it's only supposed to get down to 12 and not the 8 we had last night.  (That's Celsius, remember.)

Tomorrow is our first big day in the villages.  Please pray that we are adequately prepared for our lessons and that our sports camps are fun and injury-free.  But mostly pray that we can BE Jesus to everyone we meet.