Meadow Lakw SK: Week2 Day 7

Day 7 Mission Update: Meadow Lake

Thank you for praying for us as we enter Day 7 of our trip and our fourth day of service at Turning Point Youth Center.

Morning Devotional: Led by Jenelle to start our day. Philippians 1:3-5: “3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Not Alone: You do not go by yourself; your prayer team is with you every step of the work. Daily Grace: Every moment on the trip is a chance to share God's love in action. Lasting Fruit: The work changes your heart just as much as it helps the people you visit. 

Here is what our team was up to today. During the morning devotion,The team attended a local fundraiser BBQ. Jenny, Janice, Izabella, Janelle, and Sarah helped in the kitchen, while Derek, Ben, Emily, and Pastor Marco connected with local residents. Praise God! Our team raised over $1200 for Turning Point Youth Centre. Thank you so much for lifting us up in prayer. 

On other hand, Ben, Jean and Beatrice used the fundraiser money from our church to purchase cans, pasta, and rice, and they delivered it to the Door of Hope.

In the afternoon, the Turning Point Youth centre had hosted a special Chinese and Indigenous culture exchange and we had a total of 10 youths attend in the Youth Centre. Nadine, Tenaya, and Olivia taught us the Cree language and Pastor Marco taught the youths Chinese character. Praise the Lord! Pastor Marco made an altar call, and one of the youths, Daya, answered it.

At the end of our last day, we made a feast and had sweet and sour pork, beef broccoli, chicken fried rice, and BBQ chicken (using the s/s pork Jean's brother gave us) for all the youth in the centre, our team and the staff at Youth Centre so we could celebrate together. For the closing, Pastor Marco led a prayer to dedicate our final day at the centre.

Saying goodbye to everyone this afternoon was very emotional, as our hearts grew so close to the community here.

Please lift us up in prayer for:

• Unity and strength as we finish our service projects.

• Peaceful, open hearts during our goodbyes.

• Peace as we transition out of this ministry environment.

• Reflection on how this trip will impact the rest of our lives.

• Fruit trees will grow please continue to pray for the youths (Gary, Daya, Elliot, Isabella, Damion, Maurice, Nadine, Tenaya, Olivia, and Peyton) at the Turning Point Youth Centre. Please encourage them and remind them that they are precious and beloved by Jesus Christ

• Safe Travel: We leave early tomorrow morning. Please pray for our team's safety and smooth driving conditions for our long journey back home to Calgary.

Thank you for covering us in prayer!

Blessings,

SK STM Team 2

Meadow Lake SK: Week2 Day6

Day 6 Mission Update: Meadow Lake

Thank you for continuing to lift us up! We are on Day 6 of our trip and serving our third day at Turning Point Youth Center.

Sarah led today's devotional: 2 Corinthians 5:18 18 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Be God's tool: You go not in your own strength, but as a messenger of God's love. Show love and peace: Your actions and words should help heal broken spaces and point people to Jesus. Remember the goal: The main point of the trip is sharing the message of how God saves and changes lives. 

Afterward, we continued cleaning and helping them to organize more spaces. In the afternoon, Beatrice and her girls led health and dental lessons for the youth. God was moving, and we wanted to share a specific praise and prayer request regarding our team member, Beatrice and her girls. Beatrice is uniquely gifted in dental care. Today, she used her professional skills to teach the local youth about dental hygiene. Her lessons focused not just on physical health, but on how we can use our bodies and health to glorify God. Praise the Lord we had a total of 11 youths attend today.

Please pray for the town of Meadow Lake. This town has lots of young adults who go to Bible college, but on the other hand it also has young people involved in gangs. It feels just like a battlefield between angels and satan. Please pray for the Door of Hope today. Pastor Marco spoke with Dalton, who oversees the ministry, and learned they face a major need for more evangelical workers to share the gospel. On a joyful note, praise the Lord that a donor gave a large gift to buy land for a new building, since the current facility does not meet building codes. Pastor Marco recently took us to the new property to pray over the land.

Tonight we had fellowship with the young adults group. We had a good time with a shared dinner, to get to know each other and we had a privilege for Jenny and Brandon shared their testimony.

Please keep our team in your prayers today:

• Unity: That we work together seamlessly.

• Heart & Peace: That our team remains encouraged and brings a peaceful, uplifting presence.

• Reflection: That the work we are doing deeply reflects the love of Christ in our daily lives.

• Door of Hope: Pray for financial and physical provision.

• Turning Point Youth: Pray for clear guidance on their future direction.

• Waterhen First Nation: Pray for open doors to share the gospel.

Thank you for faithfully standing with us!

Blessings,

SK STM Team 2

Meadow Lake SK: Week2 Day5

Day 5 Mission Update: Meadow Lake

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you so much for your continued prayers! Today is Day 5 of our trip, and our second day serving at the Turning Point Youth Center.

Jean led today’s devotional:Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." It is easy to let the excitement or challenges of a mission trip feed our pride or exhaust us. But this verse levels the playing field, reminding us that we are not saviours bringing our own perfection; we are simply broken people saved by grace, sharing the Good News with other broken people. 

Today, day 5, We split into two groups. This morning, we split into two teams to serve in our community. Team One ( Ben, Janice, Janelle, Sarah, Izabella and Jean) went to the Door of Hope to serve a warm meal to the homeless. It was a humbling and impactful experience to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Please pray for the Door of Hope and a 28-year-old young lady (Lea) who attends there. She struggled with a drug addiction, and her life became full of darkness and pain. A group of gang members forced her into sexual labour. Please pray that the Lord helps her get out of this dangerous situation and finds complete healing. 

Team Two (Pastor Marco, Derek, Emily, Beatrice, and Jenny) goal was to give the hardworking staff Turning Point Youth Centre a well-deserved break. while the other continued cleaning at Turning Point Youth Centre.

Afternoon: Ben and Derek led a Logos gospel teaching. Wow amazing! The theme was how to learn to trust God’s plan. The lesson was mentioned, "Life rarely goes in a straight vertical line. People intervene, circumstances change, and unexpected detours happen. Sometimes it feels like a roadblock. But in God's hands, a detour isn't a dead end—it's a divine appointment. When we trust Him, we realize He isn't just watching us walk; He is walking with us, redirecting us toward something better than we could have built ourselves." 

Prayer Requests for Today:

• Unity: Pray that our team works together seamlessly, supporting one another throughout the day.

• Servant's Heart: Pray that we approach the work with humility and love, both while cleaning and while interacting with others.

• Protection: She is going through a very hard time right now. We ask you to keep praying for her safety and strong protection from gang members. Please pray that God keeps her safe every day

• Peace & Reflection: Pray that our time at Door of Hope, the Youth Centre, and Ben and Derek's teaching leaves a lasting impact and gives us time to reflect on our own lives. 

Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer!

SK STM Team 2 2026

Meadow Lake SK: Week2 Day 4

Day 4 Mission Update: Meadow Lake

We are officially on Day 4 of our trip and so excited to serve for our first day at Turning Point Youth Center.

Ben led our daily devotion! Luke 10:41-42 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” On this mission, it is easy for us to fall into the "Martha" trap—becoming so consumed with logistics, activities, and the physical needs of the ministry that we lose our peace. These tasks are good, but they can distract us from our ultimate purpose. Today, we are praying against anxiety and burnout. Please pray that our team will continually take time to be like Mary, sitting at Jesus' feet to listen, rest, and be filled. Pray that the work we do flows from our fellowship with Him rather than our own striving.

9:30 AM: We arrived at the Turning Point Youth Centre for a short orientation, followed by cleaning and organizing the facility. Lunch & Afternoon: For lunch, we had 6 youths (Desi, Nadine, Tenaya, Maurice, Gary, and Olivia) from the Turning Point Youth Centre visit us. Belinda and our team made a wonderful meal. Belinda made soup, and our team made spring rolls and deep-fried wontons. Nadine and Tenaya taught our teens how to make bannock, and we had lunch together. After eating, our girls taught the youth at the Turning Point Youth Centre how to make friendship bracelets. God was in the work: there was a beautiful update sharing how unique gifts were being used to connect with the local community. Our girls and the girls from the Turning Point Youth Centre used their skills to build closer relationships. The bracelet and bannock workshops served as an incredible bridge. As they worked and cooked together; relationships began to form. These intentional moments allowed the team to bond with the local youths, providing natural opportunities to share the love of God’s kingdom with them.

Prayer Requests for Today:

• Unity: Please pray that our group and the youths at the centre bond well together.

• Open Hearts: Pray that the youths feel loved, seen, and receptive to our time with them.

• Peace: Pray for a calm and joyful atmosphere throughout the centre.

• Reflection: Please pray that this experience is a meaningful reflection of our lives and God's love.

• Guidance: Please pray for these six youths (Desi, Nadine, Tenaya, Maurice, Gary, and Olivia). Each one has their own struggles, and we are praying they find strength, wisdom, and clear direction when facing difficult times

Thank you so much for covering us in prayer!

Blessings,

SK STM Team 2

Meadow Lake SK: Week2 Day 3

Day 3 Mission Update: Meadow Lake

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Izabella led today’s devotional! Genesis 1:27 states: "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them". which reminds us that all humanity is created in the image of God. As we go, our goal is not just to complete tasks, but to treat everyone we meet with the dignity of bearing God's image, and to reflect His love to the world.

Thank you for continuing to lift us up. Today was Day 3 of our journey, and we had already seen God at work. This morning, we split into two teams to serve in our community. Team One (Pastor Marco, Ben, Derrek, Jenny, Sarah, Izabella and Jean) went to the Door of Hope. Team Two (Beatrice, Emily, Janice, and Janelle) went to the Bethel Gospel Camp. Team one went to Door of Hope to serve a warm meal to the homeless. It was a humbling and impactful experience to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Please join us in lifting up the Door of Hope. We thank God that this Christian organization is a beacon of light, serving nutritious meals to people who are homeless or facing hard financial times. While we were at the Door of Hope, three wonderful people decided to follow Jesus. Their names are Herman (he is the manager of the Door of Hope), Dawsyn (her story is more complicated), and Peggy (she is Dawsyn’s friend). If you want more details, please talk to any of us. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers that helped make this possible. Please keep praying for them as they start their new walk of faith!

Please pray for Door of Hope: Abundant provision of food and resources so no one is turned away. Strength, energy, and protection for every staff member and volunteer serving on the front lines. Open hearts to receive the gospel message, that those struggling with physical hunger may also find eternal spiritual hope and healing in Jesus Christ. 

Team 2 went to Bethel Gospel Camp to help out because they were short-staffed. The team arranged chairs for the campers, flattened boxes for the campfire, washed the dishes, cut vegetables, and served food. May this camp continue to bless many people to come.

This afternoon, we traveled to Waterhen First Nation for a short visit. We thought we would just visit the office, drop off some presents for the Chief and Council, and take a short tour. However, praise the Lord for His perfect timing! The Chief and Council had an emergency meeting, which opened the door for us to see and speak with them. If you want more details, please talk to any of us on Team 2.

Please continue to pray for our team today. Specifically, we ask for:

• Sensitive hearts to listen and understand those we meet.

• Peace to anchor our minds during our travels.

• Reflection so we can process what we are experiencing and align our lives with His will.

Thank you for interceding for us!

Blessings,

SK STM Team 2

Meadow Lake SK: Week 2 Day 1

Day 1 Mission Update: Meadow Lake

Van 1: Derek led today’s devotional! Van 2: Beatrice led our daily devotional! James 1:19 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Our team is focusing on the power of pausing. In a world that demands immediate reactions, we are challenging ourselves to be intentional listeners and to hold back quick, angry words. 

We want to thank you for praying for us. This morning, many beloved brothers and sisters from SCCEFC gave us a wonderful send-off for our team 2 SK short-term mission! 

We stopped by Red Deer, Jean brother's restaurant on our way to the Turning Point Youth Centre. Even though he did not know the Lord yet, he gave us 8 orders of Sweet & Sour pork for the Meadow Lake youths and snacks for our journey. Please pray for this man’s salvation today—we know God is working in his life! 

Following the meal, we headed over to Tim and Judy’s house for a wonderful debrief session to go over our plans for this week.

As we settle in and begin our time here, please continue to pray for our team:

• Unity & Peace: Pray that our team remains deeply unified and that God grants us a quiet, steadfast peace in every interaction.

• Health: Please pray for physical stamina and protection against illness or exhaustion over these next few days.

• Hearts to Listen: Pray that we are granted an "ear to hear" by the Indigenous community—that we may be quick to listen, slow to speak, and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and with humble hearts to guide our interactions and learning.

• For Calm Hearts: That we will be slow to anger, aligning our reactions with God's righteousness and grace

Thank you for covering us in prayer every step of the way. We will keep you updated!

Blessings,

Team 2 SK STM

Meadow Lake SK: Week1 Day 7

Good Evening Prayer Warriors

Once again, we sit down to give you our update for the day - the last full day of our time as the Week 1 team here in Meadow Lake!

We had another beautiful day of sun here throughout the day and very warm temperatures like they have been for the entire week!

After a quick breakfast we started our day together again with a devotion focused on 1 Corinthians 15:58 - a charge to stand firm and be steadfast in our work for the kingdom!  We know that our efforts to serve and labour are never without purpose and that we can trust that God will have an impact through seeds we have planted and the friendships that have been nurtured!  It's been such an integral time for our team to start the day together in the Word to ensure we are being sensitive to God's leading for the day: 

As we approached our last day here we wanted to make sure to start off the day being mindful to consider the lessons that we are taking home with us, things we have learned from our time here and how we might continue to support and pray for the ministries here when we return home tomorrow.

We headed off to the youth center to start the day there with some cleaning and maintenance tasks - we want to make sure that the space that the youth center has been blessed with is well kept and a comfortable, clean place for the youth to come to.  We cleaned some windows and doors, mopped floors and Bill was on point once again as the Vacuum Man!

Of course we also had some amazing work being done in the kitchen preparing for our meal together for the day Noodles and Chicken Wings with a Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake for dessert!

A couple of us took Desmond (our martial arts enthusiast from yesterday's update) out for lunch today to continue connecting with him.  It was Desi's choice as to where we would eat and of course.... Chinese Food was his selection - an all you can eat buffet!!!   We had such great conversation over lunch - Desi was honest about his feelings about how Indigenous people are characterized in media and society - that a lot of people just assume bad things about people from a First Nations background.  He really feels it's important that we seek to get to know one another and see behind what might be just an exterior and see through preconceived ideas about a people group as a whole - to see that we are all individuals and seek that connection.  What a great guy - we will continue to pray for him - his dream is to attend a Martial Arts school in Calgary.

Jenny and Alice lead the devotion and teaching time today - starting with a great ice breaker game called the bridge game.  The students were presented with a challenge of a gap they had to cross on the floor between 2 pieces of tape that were gradually getting further apart.  

The object lesson was to show Jesus as our bridge so that we could be reconciled with God and have eternal life.  That even when we are scared and worried at times - we can trust in God and he will help and take good care of us!   The kids also enjoyed some time singing together - especially the songs with actions!

Alice shared a gospel message with the youth as well to explain that God's love is amazing and He has a plan for their life here on earth and eternally.  We had the teens in smaller groups ask any questions they might have about anything that we shared this week or other questions about faith they might have and our team prayed for the kids - with one of the girls accepting Jesus.  We understand she is early in her faith and is attending youth group in the area and the local Bible camp so we will continue to support her in her faith journey over the next week and we are grateful that she has strong community around her here in Meadow Lake.

We prepared and shared a meal with the youth as a wrap up to week one's time here and Lise, Alice and Jackie snuck back outside to play in the dirt some more and plant 3 more planters for the front of the building.

We shared some great conversation and food with the executive director for the center Belinda and her husband Matt and reflected on a great week of ministry!

Once back at Tim and Judy's the team took time to fully debrief the week we've had together and the highlights and times of challenge/struggle where we saw God at work throughout.  There was a very common theme in our individual reflections of wanting to ensure that we do not quickly move past our experience this week and settle back into our day to day lives back in Calgary but instead really ensure that we are living with intentionality in our lives and the way that we serve.  We committed to pursuing additional education around first nations culture, seek opportunities to serve and support both Meadow Lake and potentially local organizations in Calgary and remain in prayer for Turning Point, Bethel Gospel Camp, Door of Hope and the people that we have met and furthered relationship with here in Meadow Lake.

We all shared one word to summarize the week - they were:

Encouragement

Grace

Unity

Intentional

Flexible

Relationship

We feel so blessed to have had this experience and that God brought us together to serve and work through us and pour into our lives at the same time.  We truly have felt His presence throughout and are praying the same over our drive home (for some of us tomorrow) and for our Team 2 brothers and sisters heading up here to Meadow Lake tomorrow.  Please pray for traveling mercies and for God to begin another great week of ministry with fresh faces (and freshly laundered clothes too )

We did a final photo shoot for Week 1 with our amazing host family - Tim, Judy, Maurice (not in the pic), Lewis the dog and Kitty the Cat.  We also stood united with a very important tool in the battle this week - the mighty mosquito zapper - that and the calamine lotion/Afterbite became essentials!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Week 1 - Meadow Lake Team - Signing Off 

Stay tuned for Week 2 updates!

Meadow Lake SK: Week1 Day 6

Good Evening

We are once again happy to share an update from another great day that we've had here as a team.
The day started earlier for some than others with Bill getting up bright and early to catch a beautiful sunrise - 

We gathered to share a devotion time and it we laughed at it being Jackie's turn to lead devotions when the topic was "The Weight of our Words".

The idea of the devotion was to make sure that we recognize the importance of integrity in our words and actions with the Youth - to make sure that we don't commit to things that we can't follow through on.  Trust is built one kept promise at a time.

We also thought perhaps the topic of the devotion could maybe be a reminder for me to try to lighten the load on the number of words I'm using in this update daily - ha ha. Before leaving for the Youth Center today we spent time praying over each individual youth that we expected to encounter there today - to be intentional in our connection.

After working on some preparations for the day once we arrived at TPYC, we shared a scripture reading time with the center leaders and then awaited the teens.  We knew we would have a smaller group today because of some commitments that a couple of the youth had but we were so pleased to see a student return who had previously graduated from the program - Desi.  Desi came to visit the team who had spent time with him in the center in previous years and it was a great reunion - we were even able to pass along some gifts that Margaret and Simon sent for Desi - knowing his passion for martial arts and Bruce Lee!

Desi and the team had some great discussions today and Bill was able to really connect with some of his Tai Chi knowledge!

Lise lead our testimony and teaching time today with her amazing personal account of God's faithfulness in her journey and the roles of people that God places in our lives.  Our theme was overcoming today, and Lise was able to connect with the youth surrounding loss and challenge in her life and the importance of understanding God's timing and the power of prayer!   

God works in our lives - the sweet, bitter etc. Jesus is at work protecting us and teaching us to trust Him more even when we face difficulties.  God works things out for us better than we could ever do ourselves - when we face anything in life we should go to prayer to seek God's wisdom.

Lise reinforced her lesson by having the teens exercise their taste buds - and try to taste Bitter Melon, Lemon, and Ginger and then the impact of dipping each in some sweet sugar - the youth were reluctant for sure and were clearly not fans of some of the items:

We had some great free time this afternoon playing games and visiting with the Youth after the lesson.  We were able to play Catopoly - which is a game designed by our very own Sunday School kids last year - it was so well done and we really enjoyed playing it together.

After some gaming and puzzling time, we dug in (and I mean literally) back to our landscape refresh project at the front of the building. We prepared the soil and had a few of the youth help us add in some peat moss to counteract a lot of sand and clay in the flower bed.

To the finished project of our little perennial garden - taking it from weeds and a sad looking fence to a bright welcome to the center!

We had the pleasure of hosting the Turning Point board of directors for supper this evening and had a chance to celebrate with them the ongoing work at the center over some Japanese Curry that Jenny had prepared along with some other delicious pot luck dishes!

We returned back to our host house and as we were doing debriefing today we looked outside to see a really unique cloud formation

It reminded us of God's leading of the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day - He truly continues to be our focus and has provided us such a rich and fulfilling experience this week.  We are looking forward to a great day at the center tomorrow to celebrate the end of the week one group's time there and present the gospel message to the teens!

Thank you for your ongoing prayers,

Week 1 - Meadow Lake Team!

Meadow Lake SK: Week1 Day 5

Hi Good Evening Prayer Warriors

Once again I just want to thank you for your prayers for our team as we seek to make meaningful connections this week and be effective in support and God's ministry here.

After a great breakfast our devotion time today was focused on being Agents of Gentle Healing as we set out to serve and build relationships in the community.  We want to be aware and acknowledge the complexities of historic pain and systemic trauma as we seek to approach and minister to the people here in Meadow Lake.

We headed off enroute to the Turning Point Youth Center today with a quick stop for a few of us at the garden center to pick out perennials for the front planter refresh.  Some we even got for the amazing price of .... FREE - guess it helps to shop for plants late in July!  Meanwhile back at the center, Emily and the Executive Director Belinda were hard at work trying to prep the fence for new stain - full on power tools were in play today - and great progress was made!

Once at the center, the team got busy preparing lunch and for our time with the youth in the afternoon.

Our theme for today was Resilience - The Reminder that we can be stronger than our struggles and that difficulties don't define us!

Jackie was up to lead today's activities and we started off with a Marshmallow Challenge.  We split the group into 3 teams with the task of building the tallest free stranding structure out of marshmallows and toothpicks.  There were a variety of engineering approaches to the task - with the triangle shaped bases being the preferred method with one other approach using a series of squares.  Ultimately the winning team of Belinda, Annie and Tanaeya build a structure that was 12 inches high and was structurally sound enough to stay intact for a 5 second count.  

We debriefed the activity and chatted about what emotions we were feeling at different points of the challenge, excitement, anxiety, frustration - and if we felt success or failure at the end.

We then further unpacked that these same kinds of emotions can be part of our lives sometimes hourly, daily etc. and that we know that in this life there will be times of challenge and what our perspective and response can be.

Along with some time of personal testimony, Jackie had the teens (and other team members) do an exercise of considering a part of their journey and times when there have been Highs and Lows.  We asked them to consider and sketch out either their life to date, maybe this week or even just today and what the emotional cadence has been during those times - when we've faced struggles or have felt peace, contentment and even those best times - similar to the example below:

We then explored Romans 5:3-5  Which teaches that suffering leads to perseverance, which builds character, resulting in hope, and this hope is secure because God’s love is poured into believers through the Holy Spirit.   We talked about some of the challenges that youth face today and talked about that fact that rejoicing in suffering doesn't mean we are happy when hard things happen but instead means we have joy and purpose in our struggles - the joy doesn't come from the pain but knowing there is a reason for it!  We encouraged the teens to claim the promise in Proverbs 3:5-6 to Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.   We talked about that our trust in God means we have the Hope of God that he has a plan and a purpose - the path might not always be straight but He is in control.

We also talked about how we don't go through hard times alone and that we have friends, family and community that support us and that also are there to celebrate the good times.  We wanted them to consider who they trust and reach out to when they need that support.

Emily had planned an amazing activity to have the teens use Lego (Pastor Calvin would be proud!) to create a shield with pieces that represented them and then to write on lego plates those people in their lives or what is their source of strength in tough times - they turned out amazing and the Youth really enjoyed the process and then we were able to attach the pieces to a greater shield to show that we are a community of believers and support.

After our lesson time and shield creation we had some fun with teens, singing, playing Uno and Smash Bros and really engaging with them and what they love to do.  Auntie Lise, Jenny and Alice also got to work on an amazing meal that we could treat our Turning Point hosts and Tim Judy (our house hosts) to at the center - Soya Sauce Chicken, Rice and Veggies with some Matcha Ice Cream to top it all off!

We debriefed as a team tonight - gave praise to God and our prayer partners that we had less mosquito bites distracting us and reflected on a great day.  

We would ask for prayer over the team with energy levels and for better sleep tonight with some of the bug bites and just very full days making for some tired minds and bodies at the end of the day.  We continue to be so thankful for our little team and the willingness that each and every member has to step in whatever the need for the good of the trip and the Kingdom - I lost count how many dishes Uncle Bill did today - it was a lot!

We look forward to another day at the center tomorrow surrounding the topic of Overcoming with Auntie Lise leading!

Keep praying as God Keeps Leading!

Week 1 - Meadow Lake Team!

Meadow Lake SK: Week1 Day 4

Good Evening Prayer Warriors

Happy Tuesday - We are excited to report in on another great day in Meadow Lake!

We have officially claimed our mascot for the trip - UNFORTUNATELY:

…and they are out for blood - in full force - we have a wide array of repellent and afterbite and we seem to be trying something new on the daily to combat the after effects of our very enthusiastic buzzing friends!

We started off our day today sharing on our team devotion about Welcoming the Next Generation - reflecting on Jesus' actions in Mark 10:14 when he prioritized having the children come to him for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Our focus was to be intentional about investing in youth and children with a genuine and unhurried love. 

We arrived a the center a few hours before it was open to the youth to allow us to go through an orientation time and start to prep the center for visitors.  We were able to dig in and start some cleaning in the kitchen and were also treated to custom coffees thanks to one of the team members at TPYC (Brandon) who is quite skilled with their espresso maker! He even went as far as including latte art!

We did a prayer walk around the building praying over the different areas and the ministry and impact of the center and then shared a devotion time with the Turning Point team.  They have been reading a chapter a day and were on 2 Timothy Chapter 1 - a charge for us to not be ashamed to testify about our Lord - God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self discipline.

The youth arrived and the volume and energy took a big upswing in the center - it was fun to see their excitement to see old friends and to be together.

Belinda had been working on a "pantry hunt" soup for us which was an amazing hamburger soup creation and once the teens arrived they helped us make Bannock to go along with the soup.

It was a great experience to have them explain the process of making the dough - and this time it was to music - with one of the teens Nadine recalling her favorite worship song from camp My Lighthouse (complete with actions).  We sang along with her as we added flour into the dough to get it to just the right texture ready for baking.

While we waited for lunch to finish cooking, we had the opportunity to spend some time with youth doing some of the things they love to do when they are together at the center.

Video Games - Smash Bros and Maurice is the champion but so willing to teach and give tips to those wanting to learn!

Uno with Tanaeya & Olivia - Those of us visiting should have known we were in trouble when Tanaeya could shuffle the cards so well at the start that it was going to be tough to beat them at a game they LOVE so much!Once we had lost - 2 times in a row it was time for our delicious lunch - a chance to chat with the youth and have them start to teach us some of their Cree Language - starting with the numbers and a few animals.  We were practicing during our debrief and hope to surprise them with our progress tomorrow.

Pool with Olivia - complete with jump shots and an introduction to the Grannie stick!

After lunch, and clean up (everyone does their part), Uncle Bill led us through our first sharing time with the teens with the theme of identity.  Starting with our names and who named us and what they mean, and words that we use to explain who we are or what we are known for - it was an exploration of how God sees us and our identity in Him.  Uncle Bill then also shared some great photography tips and tricks around photo composition and focus points.  We had purchased a photo printer for the youth center to use and for the kids to be able to print out their creations - so we look forward to them being able to capture memories and print them out there for years to come!

While part of the team spent that time alongside Bill with the teens, the other part of our team went on an errand run to put plans in place for a landscape upgrade that we will start tomorrow at the center and some groceries for a meal that we will prepare tomorrow evening.  Auntie Lise has been drawing out a plan for us to follow as we work to freshen up some of the outside areas of the building.  Stage one was removing some paint from a section of fence.

Stay tuned for phase two of this project that will be putting stain on instead of taking it off, and our update for tomorrow - day two of our time with the youth and this time around the theme of Resilience!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our team, we have so enjoyed our time together serving.  Our morning devotions and nightly debriefs are filled with encouragement and often a lot of laughter - not to mention some scratching of mosquito bites.

 Week 1 - Meadow Lake Team!

Meadow Lake SK: Week1 Day 3

Good Evening Prayer Warriors

It's that time again to bring you our day 3 update from our Missions Trip Week One Team.

Today was a different day in that we split into two groups to be able to share in two different locations during the day.

Half of our team - Bill, Lise and Alice headed to Door of Hope.

Door of Hope is an organization here in Meadow Lake that is a daytime shelter dedicated to providing a safe, welcoming space for those in need.

Along with the Executive Director from Turning Point Youth Center (Belinda), our little team there dug in with kitchen support to get things ready for serving lunch to over 40 people who came to seek community, and sustenance at the shelter.

Door of Hope

Door of Hope

In helping to prepare lunch and then assist with the clean up and general upkeep of the center, our team was able to experience the important impact that the shelter is having daily.   It was heartwarming to hear that people came to Door of Hope today with the intention of meeting up with old friends from SCCEFC that they had interacted with on previous missions trips and were so happy to connect with again - we look forward to more of those reunions.

The opportunity to serve and support the ministry at Door of Hope also brought some times of personal reflection and heartache today.  Sadly many of the people that seek shelter and food at Door of Hope are struggling through various life events and addictions - our team was impacted by the sadness and state of some of those at the center today.  It served as a reminder that the tendency to seek to numb the difficulties in life isn't only shown in the homeless and those with addictions but many of us seek our own way of coping by distracting ourselves through other worldly things (entertainment, gaming, food etc).  Instead if we were to fix our eyes on the creator and healer of our hearts how much more He can correct our path and restore our peace.

If you are curious about the work happening at Door of Hope - I've included the link below.  Experiences such as these truly remind us to be grateful for what we have been blessed with in our lives and have us considering how we can further support and bring impact to similar organizations closer to home as well!

Door of Hope

The other half of our team (Emily, Jenny and Jackie) headed out to Bethel Gospel camp to assist in the kitchen on a busy camp day!  The head cook for the week Rochelle welcomed us with open arms and fresh aprons for us to take on the day with her preparing lunch and supper for over 70 campers and camp staff!

The camp and kitchen are very well run and organized with an order of events per day - focused on making sure food was prepared for that day and preparations were happening in advance for the days to come.
Snap, Crackle and Pop (the Rick Krispie Characters) would have been very proud of us for our first great success of making Rice Krispie treats on the stove (and not the microwave) - stirring a Very Large Pot of Marshmallows and then mixing in the cereal to create a snack masterpiece.  We learned a great baking idea today for anyone cooking with marshmallows in that way - putting cooking spray on your spoon before stirring them and it isn't half the mess it usually is!! 

That Huge Pot went back to work after prepping Mac and Cheese for Lunch with home made bannock - we had the chance to serve the food to each of the campers cafeteria style and were so impressed by the manners and friendliness of the campers.  Many of the campers even expressed excitement for the peas we had at supper alongside fried chicken and rice - but the favorite of all for that meal......... Pickles - we saw kids coming for seconds and thirds of them!!

We really appreciated the opportunity to work along-side of Rochelle and her heart for camp kids and the importance that each role plays at camp.  While we might not have had opportunity to sit down and really share with the campers, we know that the food we helped prepare could fuel them up and allow them to be present for the work that God is doing in their lives through their experiences this week!  We all have our part to plan in supporting and encouraging the work of the kingdom!

We had an amazing volunteer Chantelle who was doing our dishes throughout the day - we so appreciated her willingness to keep things clean with all of the preparations underway.  She had been a camper previously at Bethel and shared with us some of her experiences living as an Indigenous person in Meadow Lake and working with other cultures that were disrespectful and racist.  It was a reminder to us that each and everyday there are obstacles and challenges that so many are facing just to do the day to day things we take for granted.

We had a time of prayer and devotions in the afternoon that was from a devotion book that Rochelle has had for a long time called Disciplines for the Inner Life.  We reflected on Gratitude and the fact that there is no in between - you are either thankful or you aren't. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a hope for tomorrow.

As we returned to Tim and Judy's home we were reunited as a team and spoke about how we had missed one another that day while ministering in different places.  God truly has formed us into a cohesive small team where each member plays such an important part not only in ministering to those we encounter but also as a key component of encouragement and support for one another.

We are so thankful for this time we have together and we remain excited about what God has in store as the week continues, we are trying to continue to be flexible with the plans we have made to make sure that we are open to encounter more God surprises along the way.

Thank you for your prayers for our team!

Meadow Lake SK: Week1 Day 2

Sending along our update from Day 2 of our time here in Meadow Lake!

Following our update last night, there was quite a storm that rolled through Meadow Lake - with lightning for over an hour, wind and significant hail.

We know of several houses in Meadow Lake that had flooding and damage from the storm, we are so grateful for our hosts Tim and Judy and their care and attention rain or shine.  While we lost power here at the house for a couple of hours and there was one broken window from the hail that came with the storm - we were safe and secure!

We were reflecting on God's provision of safe travel from us during the day yesterday.  Oftentimes these hail storms happen in the afternoon or early evening and with the severity of this storm, it would have made the drive very challenging.  Many that we spoke with today mentioned it was one of the strongest storms they had seen in some time and that is was unique that it happened so late at night.  God's hand was on us during the journey and his hedge of protection over the house for us as well.  You can be in prayer for the people of Meadow Lake that sustained damage to their homes and for the days ahead as they clean up debris.

We woke up this morning to an amazing breakfast from our hosts Tim and Judy - the french toast even had rhubarb compote that Judy had made from her garden harvest!  We enjoyed visiting with Tim, Judy and Maurice and talking about some of their road trip adventures in Alberta this year.

We were able to join the congregation today at the Evangelical Free church for service this morning with a great time of worship and a powerful message from Pastor Jhune surrounding our fears referencing scripture from Joshua.  Joshua often found many reasons to be afraid and we have a tendency to focus on the same, sometimes before anything has even happened.   It doesn't matter what is ahead of you, ONLY that God is with you.  

We were reminded that our calling to serve is God's idea - that if we remain focused on what God will do in our lives that it will diminish our fear.  When God makes a promise is certain.  His scripture is our Prescription - just like we do for any medical prescriptions - we should read and apply his specific instructions in His word.  God doesn't give us a spirit of fear but the ability to live a full and glorious life.

We shared lunch at the church with friends from Turning Point Youth Center and had the opportunity to learn more about their passions for Meadow Lake and the work that is ongoing in the community and what has drawn them to engage in ministry here!  We had the absolute pleasure to have some baby cuddles with twin girls that belong to a young couple here Michael and Kim who have been involved both with Turning Point Youth Center as well as the Bethel Bible Camp and who will soon be off to Barrhead to begin ministry there as a pastoral family. 

We next were headed out to Bethel Bible Camp - but took a quick stop to check in on Belinda (Executive Director and Turning Point) and her husband Matt's incredible renovation project.  They purchased an old church and have been gradually renovating it - they are making great progress but lots of work to go still.  We were really impressed with the potential and some of the really interesting elements they are using - Belinda's uncle is making handrails out of willow trees from their land!  

Once we made it out to Bethel Bible Camp - through another rain storm - we were able to tour their amazing camp with the director Cory and his wife Olivia.  Olivia was an amazing tour guide and we were able to see their great facility that can accommodate up to 64 campers a week - with a cool craft cabin (seen below) great activities and water sports on a very clean but cold lake!  The mosquitos certainly were a force out there but we kept the bug spray on hand and really enjoyed seeing all facets of the camp - including all the wild berries that grow there - raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and saskatoons - we may have slowed this down a little hunting and sampling the "organic" treats!

Craft Cabin at Bethel Bible Camp

Water Sports at Bethel Bible Camp

We had a great meal with Belinda following our camp trip and ended the evening with a team debrief where we reflected on the impact of the day, the impact of the message of putting aside our fears and embracing what God has in store for us really resonated through our conversation and the excitement of meeting up with new and old friends throughout the day. 

Our individual and team prayers really surround being aware of opportunities to serve, share and make connections as we interact with people in our areas of service.  Please pray for us to be aware and bold to make an impact for God!

Tomorrow half of our team are headed to Door of Hope to prepare and serve food at the drop in center and half will be heading to camp to prepare food for the campers!  Help us to be present, focused and flexible to God's plans!

Week 1 - Meadow Lake Team!

Meadow Lake, SK: Week1 Day 1

Good Evening All

We are so happy to be able to share our first official update from Meadow Lake Saskatchewan!  

After a great send off this morning from Tim Hortons:

We are so grateful that God provided an amazing travel day complete with a quick stop in Vegreville for lunch and a quick peek at the beautiful spinning Pysanka egg!

The team agreed that the trip really didn't feel like 7+ hours on the road as we had great devotions, conversation and views on the drive - Canola Fields as far as the eye could see!

God was reminding us throughout the day that His Plan and His Purpose is what is in store for us this week, not our specific goals or agendas on our own schedule just as scripture tells us in Proverbs 16:9 - In their hearts humans plan their course but the Lord establishes their steps.

 Our steps lead us to arrive even a little ahead of schedule at the Turning Point Youth Center - see the Director Belinda and her husband Matt and drop off the supplies that we will be utilizing over the next couple of weeks.  The team even took a turn at trying out the pool table and foose ball - we will be ready to spend some time with the youth - including some learning times and games together!

We got settled in at Tim & Judy's place - our hosts for the week in their amazing house where their heart for people is so evident!  The big beautiful skies of Saskatchewan made for some stops for photo ops and marveling at God's creation.

Not a great photo but Alam was so engaging and was very interested to learn about our backgrounds and share about his experience and family - we spent quite a long time talking with him and it was a reminder that so many are lonely for connection that if we can allow God to open doors for conversation that we can connect - sometimes over AMAZING pizza!

Tomorrow we look forward to joining the morning church service at the E-free church here in Meadow Lake and then will head out to tour Bethel Gospel camp together - one of the places that we will serve this week helping in the kitchen.

Please pray for us as we settle into the first week here that we can make meaningful connections - whether places we expect them - church, the youth center etc, or other places that God is making a path for us, like we experienced over supper today.

We pray for health, unity, humility and an openness to the work that God has in store in and through us this week.

Thank you for your prayer support and encouragement to us.

Week 1 - Meadow Lake Team!

2026 July 12: Team #1 Send Off!

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We are excited to announce that Team One is officially sending off for their short-term mission trip on July 18, 2026.

Our primary focus for this trip is twofold: to serve and encourage the long-term missionaries on the ground, and to build relationships through outreach within the local Indigenous community.

Your ongoing prayers and generosity have made this journey possible. As they prepare to depart, please cover the team in prayer for safe travel, unity, and impactful ministry.

We want to ensure our hearts are spiritually prepared to serve with deep humility and love.

Please join us in praying for these specific needs:

• A Servant’s Heart: Pray that we can be a true source of refreshment, encouragement, and practical help to the local missionaries who labor there daily.

• Cultural Sensitivity & Respect: Pray that God gives us eyes to see, ears to listen, and hearts to honor the culture and history of the Indigenous people we will meet.

• Trust and Connection: Pray that the Holy Spirit goes before us to soften hearts, break down any barriers, and allow genuine connections to form quickly.

• Boldness and Sensitivity: Pray for the right words to share God’s love clearly, while remaining deeply sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• Spiritual Attack: Pray for Lina, (she is the one who connects us with Waterhen) In March, her doctors diagnosed her with cancer. In the past couple months, she has had reactions to her chemotherapy.

• "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." – Psalm 126:3: God has been incredibly faithful, and He used your amazing generosity to provide the amount of funding needed for our trip!

• Praise the Lord! We are so thankful to Waterhen Lake First Nation for allowing us a short visit to their community.

During the trip, our team will send daily email updates. Thank you for being such a vital part of this journey with us!

Blessings,

SK STM Team

2026 July 3: Two weeks to go!

In just 2 weeks, our team will depart for our short-term mission trip! We are incredibly grateful for your partnership as we prepare to step out.

Our primary focus for this trip is twofold: to serve and encourage the long-term missionaries on the ground, and to build relationships through outreach within the local Indigenous community.

With 14 days left, we only have 2 training sessions left before we are sent out on our short-term mission! We are so excited and grateful for your support as we enter this final stretch. Please keep us in your prayers as we wrap up our preparation!

We want to ensure our hearts are spiritually prepared to serve with deep humility and love.

Please join us in praying for these specific needs:

• A Servant’s Heart: Pray that we can be a true source of refreshment, encouragement, and practical help to the local missionaries who labor there daily.

• Cultural Sensitivity & Respect: Pray that God gives us eyes to see, ears to listen, and hearts to honor the culture and history of the Indigenous people we will meet.

• Trust and Connection: Pray that the Holy Spirit goes before us to soften hearts, break down any barriers, and allow genuine connections to form quickly.

• Boldness and Sensitivity: Pray for the right words to share God’s love clearly, while remaining deeply sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• Spiritual Attack: Pray for Lina, (she is the one who connects us with Waterhen) In March, her doctors diagnosed her with cancer. In the past couple months, she has had reactions to her chemotherapy.

• "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." – Psalm 126:3: God has been incredibly faithful, and He used your amazing generosity to provide the amount of funding needed for our trip!

We will be sharing regular updates as the trip gets closer. Thank you for being such a vital part of this journey with us!

Blessings,

SK STM Team

2026 June 21: How to Help Without Hurting

Good Afternoon Prayer Team!

I'm excited to bring you this week's update on our Short Term Mission Preparations for our team going to Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan!

We had a great training session yesterday continuing on the study of our book - Helping without Hurting in Short Term Missions and putting plans in place for both weeks of our time there.  Jean and Beatrice lead us through a lesson focused on an understanding that not all poverty is created equal - that people going to serve communities as part of outreach can be for several reasons:

Relief - Urgent and temporary provisions of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering

Rehabilitation - An effort to restore people back to pre-crisis state

Development - Walking with people across time in way that move all people involved closer to being in right relationship with God and each other.

Our trip will be focused on a development approach.  We further discussed the definitions of two different kinds of development service opportunities.

Needs Based Development - An approach that focuses on the deficits and shortcomings in life of a person or community - the solutions come from the outside.

Asset Based Development - Focusing on identifying, mobilizing and connecting the God-given capabilities, skills and resources of a person or community to solve individual or community problems.

We feel God is truly leading us to be prayerfully considering our approach to being asset based in our preparations and time spent with the people of Meadow Lake.  We reflected on a part of our book yesterday that states that Healthy, effective poverty alleviation approaches start by recognizing and celebrating the gifts and resources God has already placed in a community, weather natural resources, people, families, neighbourhood associations, schools, businesses, governments or individual skills.  This isn't ignoring the problems that exist, but rather it is recognizing that there are assets available within the community and its people to attack the problems and create new opportunities.  The exciting process of asset-based development is focused on identifying, mobilizing and connecting these assets.

Team prayer for the week related to these preparations:

Pray for the work that God is already doing in the community of Meadow Lake, and that he would give us open eyes and hearts to recognize that work and see the gifts He has given to them.  Help us to have wisdom as we prepare to enter the community, coming alongside of our brothers and sisters at Turning Point Youth Center, Door of Hope, and the other organizations we work with as they engaged in the long term process of poverty alleviation.  Also continued prayer over preparation of supplies and our donation drive.

2026 June 13: Introducing the Team!

We had the opportunity last week to present to all of our three church congregations the plans for the trip - we know that ultimately God has a plan and we are excited and open to what He has in store for us - so we continue to prepare so that we can go with open hearts and hands and feet ready to dig in to support the community.

The past 2 training sessions that we've done in preparation for our trip - we’ve focused on understanding our approach to missions and serving the people that we encounter in our day to day life as well as when we have opportunities to Go! Understanding the root cause of poverty and our approach to serving with humility and empathy have been the foundation of our discussions so far.

Our fundraising for the trip is well underway and we are well on track!

I'm excited to continue to align as a team as we prepare the schedule for our time in Meadow Lake!