Yesterday we drove back to Cochrane after what must have been one of the most amazing weeks of my life! During our 8 days in Waskaganish we met precious people, saw incredible sights, and witnessed God work in ways only He can!
The previous posts included photos and descriptions of our experience-filled days along the Rupert River in Waskaganish, Quebec.
This morning a number of children from the VBS, as well as several new adults (parents) came out to the church service. It was such an encouragement to see so many people filling the seats for the morning service. After the preliminaries, the rest of the time was taken up while the children sang, and I presented what we had learned during the week. Through the pages of the wordless book, I was able to present a clear gospel message.
After a quick lunch at home, we finished packing the car. The afternoon service had been moved to 2pm to allow us to leave for home in good time. I preached about "7 Things God Cannot Do", after which the Pastor gave a "nutshell" of the sermon in Cree using my notes. It was amazing to hear (but not understand) my sermon in another language!
At the end of the service, the church people presented us with thank-you gifts. In addition to two CDs, we also received three pairs of hand made moose hide slippers. After tearful goodbyes, we finally left the Christians, church, and community we had so quickly grown to love!
Upon reaching the intersection of the James Bay Road, we turned north for about 20 minutes. Soon, we reached where the road crosses the Rupert River. Here, there is a set of impressive rapids, which we paused to photograph before turning back south to continue the long journey to Cochrane.
This afternoon, Greta traditionally prepared bannock-on-a-stick & wild goose. The several hour operation from beginning to end (not counting the actual process of shooting, plucking, freezing, and preparing the goose before cooking!) ended in an amazing feast! Mashed potatoes prepared by the Jacob family, along with corn and bananna bread, completed the amazing dinner.
After supper a group gathered by the edge of the Rupert river for a baptism service. My brother, Cameron, was baptized by the Pastor and a church leader from the Washkaganish Cree Gospel Fellowship. The weather cooperated beautifully, and during the short service, the sun streamed through the clouds.
After the baptism, many of the people came back to "our" house" for a celebration. We ate, played games, and enjoyed great fellowship until late into the evening.
The five day session of VBS ended today with the green page of the wordless book. As a symbol of growing things, this page reminded the children of the necessity of growth as a Christian: Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, singing songs, etc. Over the course of the week, we had a total of 84 children registered, with 60+ in attendance at one time on Wed or Thu. We are so thankful for the opportunity we were given to speak into these precious children's lives, with a message of hope in Jesus Christ. Invitations were given to the children to bring their parents for a special presentation on Sunday morning.
Before we slept that night, we were treated to an amazing lightening show which seemed to completely surround the village!
Photo by: Cameron DonaldsonAlready at day 4 of the VBS, the colour for today was gold/yellow. Serving as a reminder of the place called "heaven" that Jesus promised he is preparing for His faithful followers, this colour brings with it a message of hope. After today's story a number of the children came to talk to Mom and said they wanted Jesus to make their heart clean. What a joy to know that Jesus can speak to a child's heart, and draw them gently to Himself.
After the VBS, we went down to the area where the traditional tents were set up along the river. Stooping to enter through the flap of the cooking tent, we were greeting by a plenteous array of sights and sounds. The ground in the tent was covered by fresh and fragrant conifer boughs, and around the fire in the middle a number of wild geese were roasting.
Also, Cameron captured this photo of a moose heart (one of two) roasting by the fire:
Photo by Cameron Donaldson
Before the afternoon ended Cameron did a unicycle-demo, much to the amusement, enjoyment, and intrigue of the crowd which quickly gathered.
In the evening, we again went to see the bears, where Cameron took several more excellent black bear photos. Talk about close-up wildlife!
Photo by Cameron Donaldson
After watching the three bears for a while, Jimmy then led us down a newly constructed road, and then for a short hike to banks of the Rupert River where there were some amazing rapids. With the backdrop of the quickly darkening sunset, I captured this photo at 10:15pm.
In the morning, the community gathered to wish farewell to this year's members of the annual Canoe Brigade. A group of ~16 young people, with two guides, paddle up the Rupert River to Nemaska, all along the way learning about Cree ways of life before technology arrived. The entire trip takes about a month to complete; upon their return, a feast is held to welcome them home. We were privileged to witness the departure ceremony along the banks of the river.
Our theme at VBS for Day 2 was the red page which reminds us of Jesus' blood, that was shed when He died on the cross for our sins. He came from the glory of heaven, to live among mankind, die a horrible death, and rise again three days later because God loved us so much. Our Creator didn't throw us away, but rather sent His only Son to die as payment for our debt of sin if only we believe. What a wonderful message!
The main general store in Waskaganish is the Northern Store. The flags flying on the roof added a colourful splash in the azure sky.
In the morning we began setting up for the VBS which was scheduled to begin at one in the afternoon. Since the actual VBS had been planned, and most of the materials prepared, by us in the weeks before we came, preparation at the church only involved rearranging the chairs, setting up tables, checking sound, and laying out materials as needed.
Registration, which was accomplished smoothly, included recording the children's name and age, as well as taking each child's photo to be used in a craft later in the week.
We based this VBS on the "Wordless Book", in which coloured pages remind us of various things in relation to God's plan of salvation. The first page is the black one, which reminds us of sin. I told the Biblical account of creation, and how God created everything perfect in the beginning. However, because mankind disobeyed God, sin entered the world. Each one of us has done wrong, and our hearts are black with sin, I told the children. This separates us from the holy God who created us.
In the evening, we watched the sun set over the Rupert River, and the traditional dwellings standing along its banks. Shortly thereafter, the full moon rose: a glowing orb appeared above the treeline. Our second day, and we felt at home...
Photo by Bonnie Donaldson
After I preached again in the evening service, we were treated to an amazing moon rise over the stark northern landscape. Our first day in Waskaganish, and already we were loving it!
Photo by Cameron Donaldson
Photo by Cameron Donaldson
Still driving...
Photo of French & Cree stop-sign by Bonnie DonaldsonTomorrow morning we plan to drive (further) north on the James Bay Road to a Cree Indian Reservation in northern Quebec called Waskaganish. For a better perspective of the location, click here to view a map on Windows Live Local.
We were asked to come and hold a week-long VBS on this Indian Reservation of ~2000 people. In addition, I have been asked to speak for both the morning and evening services for the two Sundays we plan to be there. We are definitely looking forward to being learners as we undertake this cross-cultural ministry opportunity.
A couple of months ago, my brother Cameron got a Nikon D50 Digital SLR camera. The camera, coupled with a lens, set of extension tubes and reversing ring, makes for an entirely different digital camera experience! Recently, in addition to editing his website CameronDonaldson.com, he's completely revamped his photo galleries.
