VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AUGUST 19th-21th - ISLAND LAKE

First Group

NEM flew 8 volunteers for Interlake Christian Fellowship Church to Island Lake First Nation Community about 2.5 hrs by small airplane NE of Winnipeg Manitoba. 

Because we needed two trips to bring all eight people to Island Lake, we had to have 550 ltr of fuel available at Arborg (2.5 hrs north of Winnipeg)

The program for this time was Vacation Bible School, re-connect and encourage the Christians in their effort to serve their community and some work on the Church building "Jesus Name Church", Pastor Joe Little built during the last ten years - sadly he passed away about a month ago, but his wife Julliet and Pastor Marcel Okomow from God's River First Nation are going to have tent meetings (Evangelization) September 9th till 11th.

Jonathan Hofer, one of the volunteers gives us a summary: 

As I watch Brother Edgar pack the plane with our luggage, fishing rods, food etc. for our trip up north for our annual Bible School on the Garden Hill First Nation; I am praying that God would protect us and watch over us and for sure keep this Cessna 185 in the air as we fly. It is a beautiful little plane and it testifies the name of God as is zooms through the air, off course by the flight registration number which say C-FGOD, and the logo in the back which shows an eagle and the words, Northern Eagle Ministries together with a bible verse Isiah40,31  ; it is really fitting with the occasion and a thankfulness wells up in my heart that we have access to such a blessed brother who spends his time flying and ministering to people and being there for us as we carry out what God has laid upon our hearts that is to work amongst the First Nations People of this Province, Manitoba. I am also VERY VERY thankful for those that by faith give to this mission and support it financially, without it the Gospel of Jesus Christ could not be spread.

We lift of and with cheers from our families on the side of the grassy airstrip our thoughts turns towards the upcoming days and what they will be filled with, we pray silently as we watch the scenery go by beneath us and the further north we go the more desolate the land becomes, actually beautiful, we can see lots of rivers, ice road trails, rock, huge amount of trees, all kinds of shapes and sizes of lakes and even at odd times we can see broken down cars sitting beside the ice road trails and also the odd cabin, but yet the place is void of people and I had to wonder what hope there would be if we would have to make a crash landing but God protected us and within 2 hours or so we  caught a glimpse of Island Lake and within minutes we were making a full circle over the island and descended onto the gravel air strip, we unloaded our luggage and walked over to the airport where they loaded our luggage on a little wagon and off we went down to the dock where we loaded into a boat taxi and started our 15 minute boat ride on a beautiful lake across to the Garden Hill Reserve, as we came up to the Hydro Dock we see Brother Randy Schrock waiting for us with a big smile, (he and 3 others had flown in, in the morning with Edgar, there were 2 flights that day with that plane, thanks Edgar it must have been a long day) we unloaded and headed towards Julliet Little's house where we stayed for the weekend, actually the girls stayed in the house and us 5 guys stayed in the church house on the floor, very thankful for the good night's rest we had every night.  Joe and his wife have built and pastured this little flock for a long time, and with sadness I say our dear brother Joe has left this earth and is united with His Friend Jesus in heaven whom he served faithfully here on this earth.

  Vacation Bible school was our main focus and the door has been opened for us towards the children, so next morning we drove down to the TV station and announced that we were here for our annual vacation Bible School and that all the children were welcome to attend, each team member introduced themselves and we sang a song too, than we went back to the little church house and set up everything we needed to, to get going that afternoon, spent time praying and opened the door around 1:30 to the first little knock on the door, my heart goes out to children and such Joy when at last they flocked in quite loud boisterous, but I must say that I prayed for each little face that walked through that door, we spent time praying with them, we had a felt board along where we could add felt pieces as we walked through the Bible story with them, those little eyes were glued to the board and took it all in, we were amazed that some of them remembered from last year some of the details of the Bible stories and it was a blessing for us to see that, the seed of the Word is planted and God will give the increase, His Word tells us that it will not come back void and on that promise we stand firmly, because it is being proven by all who have been saved by His Word. 

We had two little songs which we made our theme songs and we were delighted to  hear them sing the songs with a huge amount of enthusiasm and great smiling faces without a mistake a few short days later, also we had a theme verse, (John 3:16) which they learned fast too. Late in the evening when we were playing red rover with them, which seemed to be a favorite with them some of them would burst out singing a line or two from the songs, it thrilled our hearts to hear that.

   We had recess and they need a lot of attention individually which we see from the start who needs the most, who needs special one on one and even sometimes a firm no is needed, the response is amazing and within a day they're all begging to be carried on our shoulders to a tree where they can pick berries high up, o how my heart goes out just thinking of them, sometimes there were 2  hanging on to us just soaking in the love and compassion that they so lack, and that is, what I would like to bring out, we don't really have or push an agenda, these dear children need individual care and different kinds of attention and that is what we try and focus on. There were some 14 year olds that are sitting on the verge of decision on joining the drug, alcohol, immoral life style and on the other hand giving their young hearts over to the one that brings true peace and joy. We ask for a lot of prayer on their behalf.

   We spent the first evening with some older youth boys fishing and just being there for them, if they need to talk, we caught enough fish for our supper that night and were blessed with eating fresh fish, which we don't often have here at home. Some of the team members spent time walking door to door inviting children to come and join us next day and also to talk with the parents and others who are there to get to know them and invite them to come over to, also have been blessed with having parents, individuals ask questions and we are blessed by being able to share the gospel with them.

   Lots of the people are hopeless and depressed because of the living conditions on those islands and they need to hear of the true and lasting hope they can find, and that is a command for us to do, to go and preach the gospel and spread the good tidings.

   I would like to say again from the team and our Church here in this little nook of this big world in Arborg, Manitoba, thank you so much Edgar for the countless times where you have been there for us when we needed to go up north short notice to funerals etc, when these dear people begged us to come and comfort them and all the trips to the different reserves to share the gospel, also want to extend another thank you to all those who support financially the mission, airplane needs and also those who donate the Bibles and 101 Bible stories books for the children. Keep praying for us as we go and share the Gospel that make whole the lives of people. God Bless You All.

                                                                                                                                                                Jonathan Hofer