Breakfast, Birthday & Bears

At 9am we met Jimmy and his family at a restaurant owned by his sisters, for a wonderful, delicious and filling breakfast. It was a blessing to spend some time talking and getting to know them a little better.

Day 3 of the VBS: The white page, which reminds us of how Jesus wants to forgive us of our sins and make our black hearts whiter than snow. I gave an invitation to the children to stay inside for the first part of the games if they wanted to ask Jesus to make their heart clean, so we could talk to them individually.

Both Mom and Cameron shared their testimonies (through an interpreter!) at Prayer Meeting, which was a neat experience. After prayer meeting, since it was my birthday and one of the ladies in the church had baked me a wonderful chocolate cake, we had a time of fellowship and food. Celebrating my birthday at the Waskaganish Cree Gospel Fellowship, is something I will not soon forget! However, the day was not yet over, as someone mentioned seeing black bears about 20 minutes outside of town.

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.

Serene Sunset

Canoe Brigade

Photo by Cameron Donaldson

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.

First day of VBS!

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...

Sunny Sunday

Photo by Bonnie Donaldson

Our first full day in Waskaganish dawned warm and sunny. I was scheduled to preach at 11am in the morning, when I shared from John 1 regarding the first four days of Jesus' public ministry. What a joy it was to worship with these precious people, realizing we serve the same Lord even though we were complete strangers.

After church, Jimmy kindly drove with us down to the hill overlooking the Rupert river, where a miichiwaap (cooking tent), wigwam, and tepee were set up in preparation for a traditional feast later in the week.

After lunch, Jimmy, along with his wife, led us to an amazing vista overlooking some rapids along the Rupert river. Cameron had his unicycle along, so he posed along the bank of the river.

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

The Long Road North

After meeting our contact in Amos, we drove north to Matagami where the James Bay Road begins. A few minutes out of town after fueling up, we were greeting with the following signs ("Isolated road for 375 km"):

Photo by Cameron Donaldson

Still driving...

Originally built in 1970s, the James Bay Road was constructed for a massive hydro-power project in northern Quebec. According to the JamesBayRoad.com website, the north end of the highway is located ~1500 kms north of Toronto, Ontario! However, we weren't venturing that far along its paved surface during this trip...

Photo of French & Cree stop-sign by Bonnie Donaldson

We arrived at the end of our northward journey in Waskaganish just before 10pm, where we were shown to our "apartment". A beautiful recently-built duplex, our accommodation for the week contained everything we needed to immediately feel at home. The exceptional hospitality of the people made our first evening in Waskaganish only a taste of what we would experience during the coming days.

Travelling to Waskaganish

Tomorrow 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.

Cameron's Photo Gallery

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.

Photo by: Cameron Donaldson

Happy Canada Day!

Image from HP Canada newsgram

Ben & Mel's Moving Day!

This morning at 5:30, Cameron and I drove down to North Bay to help Ben & Melissa who are moving this weekend. After packing all morning, we made the 4-5 hour drive to La Sarre, Quebec.

Since we were already on a roll, we decided to unpack the trucks soon after we arrived, rather than waiting for Saturday morning.

Congratulations to Ben and Melissa on their new home!