Weekend at Pikangikum!


It is hard to believe that it is already Thursday and for the first time I have a chance to sit down and tell you all about my weekend serving The Pikangikum First Nation kids from northern Ontario, Canada. 19 of us from our church, school, a few from southern MN joined together to put on a Christian retreat weekend in conjunction with Colleen Estes (who is a missionary that we support) for the 7Th grade students from the reservation. We left early in the morning on Friday, only to be turned back at the border. We were told that we would need to Wait 2 hours until the immigration office arrived to check us in, (Canada was closed for the time). Once making it across the boarder we drove for about 8 hours straight north, which I did not even know was possible, and when we came to the end of the road, we took a right and went for another 50 miles on logging roads only open when it is frozen in the winter, they were terrible driving conditions.


We arrived at camp a little tired but ready to serve the Lord in any way that He needed us. The weekend was very challenging, but many seeds were planted for the Lord and we know that the Gospel was preached and that the kids heard and saw the love that God has for them. We gave of our selves to these students, we loved them through all of the hard times and I know that God worked on some of their hearts that weekend. We laughed together, played games together, ate together, Worshiped together, and just did life together for the weekend, it was great.


It was so amazing to see the way the kids opened up to us over the course of the days we had. When we first arrived they would not talk to us, or tell us their real names, they would not even stay in the same buildings as us, but as the weekend progressed and as they tested us a little, they began to grow some trust in us. They began to come out a little and show us their great smiles. By the end of the weekend the majority of the students were joining us in worship, jumping up and down praising the Lord. It was so great to see the Lord break through the tough outside that the students had, and bring them to a safe place in Him where they could have fun and just be themselves.


It was by far one of the most tiring and best weekends of ministry I have ever had the opportunity to be apart of. I was so proud of our student leaders, and adult staff for the way they worked with these students. For the never ending energy that they gave to the students, and for the love that they poured out to be a light for Jesus. Praise the Lord for the lives of each student that was touched this weekend. I can't wait to go back and serve again next year.


God Bless,

Kyle

Comments

Danyelle said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
February 1, 2007 at 6:25 PM
Danyelle said…
What an inspiring story to get me out of my comfort zone to share Christ with others.
February 1, 2007 at 6:28 PM
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