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.

BC Mission Trip 2011 - VBS, Day 1

by Sue Chan Acuna on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:46pm

Monday, 8:10 p.m.

I'm sitting at a picnic table in short sleeves, which tells you about the weather.  We've seen only one rain shower, but we've heard the end of the week could get nasty.  Pray for the clouds to go AROUND us rather than OVER us, please.  That's what happened yesterday, even though the wind came up and we were sure we were going to get wet!

As I write this, there's a card game being played by a mix of locals and team members at the adjacent picnic table.  Over in the grass a group of teens is batting a volleyball with some little local kids, and at the soccer net about 10 local kids are kicking a soccer ball with one of our teens.  There's another card game under the shelter, and at the campfire some teens are poking the fire and chatting with their young visitors.  Our mission to love the people here continues no matter where we are!
The Kitwanga team left about half an hour ago to make the 40-kilometer trip BACK to the village of Kitwanga to join the youth at a campfire.  We expect them back around 10.  They were pretty worn out when they got back this afternoon after leading VBS for almost 80 kids and following it up with soccer camp.  But most of them opted to return to spend more time with their Kitwanga friends.

Kitsegukla, British Columbia

In Kitsegukla we had 65 kids, ranging in age from 2 to 22.  My high school/college-aged team did an amazing job of leading, especially for the first day.  In fact, I have a skit committee working right now to polish up their presentation for tomorrow's lesson.  It's a wonderfully motivated group, though when it comes to songleading, they're a little lost without my son Matt leading the charge.

The Old Hazelton team has the smallest group and the shortest commute (about half a kilometer's walk into town), but because their village is so close to camp, they continue to minister to all the local kids who drop by.  Though the other teams are quick to reach out and make friends, the Old Town team still feels a sense of responsibility for "their" kiddos.

And the New Hazelton team, though they had only 25 kids today and also a short commute (maybe 8 km from camp), spends lots of time driving around the area and shuttling kids to their church.  Though the driving can be inconvenient, they have the unique opportunity of seeing where all the kids live, and meeting many of their family members, as well as lots of "car talk" time.

As we returned to camp after our first day and swapped stories, it was evident everyone was satisfied with how the first day went and can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.  Please pray that we will take the time to notice the quieter kids and find ways to draw them in and make them feel special.