Soccer VBS

Another week of VBS has ended. This one was run by the church I go to and was a Soccer camp. It went each evening from 5:45-9. We had tactic sessions and games with singing, teaching and a memory verse in between sessions.

The weeks mega verse was: 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

A new technical skill being explained

Drills to put into practice the technical skill

Singing time in the tent

Water Fun

On the Saturday morning after VBS Mary and I were excited to be allowed to borrow some kayaks and go for a morning paddle. The water was like glass, and there were no other boats out on the lake. It was so nice to be back in a kayak and now I can say I have been kayaking on a lake in Canada.

In the afternoon we went with a group of friends tubing down the Horsefly river. It was a two hour drive each way and an hour and a half ride down the river. The scenary along the way was beautiful and we saw lots of wildlife. Four black bears, lots of squirrels (including one stuck on a rock in the middle of the river), a bob cat, dear, four point buck, eagles, and another huge bird which no one knew what it was that’s wing span was the width of the road.

This is a section of the road.
There was a black bear on the road right here.

The start.

The end.

Sunday morning I was sad to say goodbye to the Noble family and begin my way north again. It was an enjoyable busy but restful time. Tonight I will be helping with a VBS at the church I go to for the week. 

Aeroplanes!

Another reason for going down was to help John with some work on his Piper Cub which he is restoring and trying to get back in the air. I did not get to do very much but was nice to do what I could to help. I forgot to take photo of it. 

I got to do something else with planes which was super cool. John took Stephanie up in the plane he is currently using. We got to see the area from the air. I even got to take the controls and fly for a little bit. After some side to side I got settled and flew straight and level. Cameron, who place we were staying at,flew his plane near by with Stephanie's mum.

This is Hope Haven, the camp that Mary, three of
her brothers and Andrea were at at the time.

The plane we flew in. Own by one of John's sons.

Vocational Bible School

Once of the main reasons for going down was to help with a Vocational Bible School at Akalai Lake Reserve. It was such a wonderful week. The VBS ran from 1-4pm Monday to Friday. Over the week we had 30 different children come for some length of time, of those only 2 came for each day. Being there has increased my love for the children and want to share Christ with more who have not heard about God. Some had some knowledge others knew nothing at all. Each day we did singing, teaching, a puppet talk, memory verse, games, a craft and snack time. Below are some photos of these things.

Akalai Lake Reserve from the air.
The white rectangle in lower middle is the ice rink in winter and it was
in the changing room next to it that we had VBS

Two days after VBS we went with the kids down to the creek and hung out with them. It was lots of fun and some of the most intense water fights I have had. They seem to love us coming with them. By mid-week come of the children would be waiting for us to arrive and then would jump in the van with Sungbae and Stephanie and go door to door inviting others to come.

During the week we stayed at a couples place that was 25mins from the reserve on gravel road. Meals times could include up to 17 people and it was fun helping with making breakfast and lunch each day. We were a real mixture of people, John and Cynthia (Mary and Stephens parents who are SCA field missionaries), a mother and daughter from their house church, a Korean who is from Vancouver and a native guy who is currently a music student. I am so thankful for the time that we were able to have together serving God at Akalai Lake.

The house where we stayed with the owners place out front.
To the left of the drive is his hanger.

Road Trip

This will be the first of several updates about my adventures over the last two weeks.
Mary, Stephen, Andrea and I headed south after camp had finished. My car was very full, with every last square inch of the boot space used up. My boot would not open so we had carefully pack every though the back doors with the seats down. When Andrea arrived with her things she walked up and opened the boot! It was an eventful trip. The first day we drove only what was meant to be two hours to Chetwyn to stay with some friends from camp.

Before we got into Chetwyn the fun begun. There had been an accident so the road was closed. The friend whose parents place we were to stay at was also stuck in the line so took us for a little detour to get around. Below is the track we took off the main road, it took us around a farmer’s fields and down his drive back onto the main road on the other side of the accident.

There was more fun once at the house. Their section backs on to crown land with bush. After dinner we went up to have a go on the zip line that they had set up. The zip line goes from the top of the fort which is about 30ft up. There are several forts and walkways going between them and then swings made from car seats which are high up and then swing really high. It was certainly a lot of fun.

The next day we drove 7 hours to McLeese Lake to Mary and Stephens family's place. This was a less eventful day. 

Day Camp

I guess now the camp season is officially over with day camp today. It was different to the other camps but also had lots of similarities. The idea for it came from a late night conversation just before camps started. After asking around and finding there was interest for it we had a day camp for 5-6year olds. 


We had 13 children and 12 leaders, which felt like a needed ratio. That may have been our tiredness also. We did four of the activities we do in normal camp, two chapel sessions, canteen and field games. The day started at 7:30 with registration and then breakfast at 8:30 and ended with dinner which the parents were invited to join us for at 6pm. It was a flexible day with things changing as we assessed where the kids were at.


It was an enjoyable day and I have to say there were some very cute kids. 

We had a puppet show in morning chapel and after lunch.
This is Daniel in the lions den.
On my right hand is Daniel (blue top)
and on my left hand is one of the advisor's (black top).

Some of the children climbed, others were pretty much pulled to the top.

We lined up in the groups for meals just like we do for the normal camps.
They had to give the best smiles to be the first to go in for lunch.

Singing "I'm in-right out-right.."

Please pray for health. We had a child with an eye infection during the week and now two of our staff have it. We are praying it doesn't or hasn't spread to more people. There is also many who are being hit with colds as we come out of 5 weeks of camp.

Junior Camp

This camp has ended with mixed feelings. In total we had 47 children. Behaviour wise it was our hardest camp but in other ways it was an amazing camp. We heard God’s power in 4 thunderstorms during the week and saw it in answered prayers for campers, health and strength.

This is a game of leg tag which was played every camp whenever they had free time.
It is completely child driven and they play for ages if you let them.

I once again had a wonderful group of girls. Each day after lunch we have cabin time to do devotions with the children. In our time I had prepared things about what we had been learning in chapel and there were some good questions being asked, giving opportunity for the gospel to be shared from several different angles. What a joy that was to sit with them and read God’s word and show them who God is and what he has done.

On the last night we have cabin bonus which is when each cabin chooses an activity to do and then has its own campfire with S’mores and the we shared our testimonies. My cabin got horse riding. This is my girls minus one who had to go home earlier that day.

Each camp we have had different interesting meals. Some of them have been backwards, hands tied together, kitchen utensils for cutlery and then this camp we had a progressive meal. We had to go to stations around the camp and at each one was a part of our meal. We got our dessert first. For one we had to eat gummy worms off a strings before getting the focaccia bread.

We had an exciting addition to our staff meeting one morning. Mango was talking and a bat swooped at her from behind. It was a little distracting till it went back to hanging at the top of the screen.

The camp speakers for the past two weeks were a lovely older couple from Abbottsford. He did chalk drawings and some of them had a second hidden picture when he turned on a UV light. They were very cool and the children were good a listening while he was drawing. The teaching was good in giving foundations and sharing the gospel.

We have a day camp for 5-6year olds tomorrow and then camp season will be officially over for the year. I am sad as have loved serving in this way and working with such an amazing group of young people. However, I am looking forward to helping with two Vocational Bible Schools over next three weeks. After that I am still waiting for God to show me what I will be doing, please pray for this.