The goal for this facility is to be a place of peace for anyone who needs some quiet time with the Lord. We want to be available to the body of Christ and to provide a facility for the teaching, training, equipping and mobilizing of the members of the body. We try to keep a comfortable, serviceable and attractive facility for any person or church who comes to us with a spiritual need. Our employer is Living Hope Native Ministries in Red Lake, Ontario. The people that we desire to minister to primarily is the First Nation Ojibway people.
The work team was one “link” in the chain of help and support that we are very grateful for. The previous week there was a work team here from Souderton, Pennsylvania. One of the projects they finished was the forming and pouring of the foundation for the new shop. Mtn. View then carried on the project to the next step with pouring the concrete floor. Two weeks later, a team from North Carolina under Joshua’s Army arrived and we began to frame the building. When they left, the roof was on and one of the end walls was almost ready for siding.
As we watch the different teams come from the various churches, we are very aware of the extended body of Christ. We are humbled by the knowledge of the fact that the people are not coming to do our work but that the Lord is doing His work and prompting His people to come and labour with us for Him.
It was on December 4, 2007 that the old shop burned. It was very apparent that the cause of the fire was electrical and had started in the attic. We tried to start our water pumps in order to fight the fire but could not get either of them to start. As we are well out of the district of any fire department, all we could do was stand and watch as the shop and all of the tools, equipment and spare parts burned to the ground. It was a very discouraging day for us.
So how were we going to be able to maintain eleven buildings, a tractor, a pickup and all of the miscellaneous things that we are responsible for and minister from? What was going to be the response of our leaders? How were we going to add the work of rebuilding a shop to all of the other work that needed to be done that was going to be even more difficult to do without a shop to work out of? How can you be a maintenance man without tools or a maintenance shop? Now who are we?
All of these questions were in our minds along with the immediate need of restoring power to the rest of the centre and keeping the grounds safe. As we began to make phone calls and arrangements for different needs, the question of rebuilding soon surfaced. Do we rebuild? Surely we will. Do we build bigger or with a different layout? Winter has just started and it is cold. (It was -20F that day). Do we start now and push the project through somehow? It was easy to feel so alone as these questions began to surface along with the realization of the amount of work before us.
Even though we sometimes felt alone, the Lord was showing His support of us through various people. There were various people who quickly donated tools which was very encouraging. We soon found that there was adequate insurance to rebuild the shop and replace the contents.
As we look back from today, it is very obvious that the Lord began to orchestrate His plan. The problem was that it seemed that He directed by either just saying “no” or simply not allowing my plan to work out. It was easy to feel frustrated and grouchy when delay after delay was realized. It wasn’t until the sun took the frost out of the ground (around June 1st) that we were able to start digging and rebuilding the foundation.
What excitement to see the new foundation being formed and poured! What a joy to see concrete being poured over the new heat pipes in the new floor! Such a good feeling to screw the ridge vent onto the new metal roof! And the work goes on.
On September 8, there is a five man crew, four carpenters and one electrician, planning to come from Indiana to continue the work of putting up siding and wiring the building. Another “link” in the chain is being put into place. Who will be next? I don’t know but I know the Lord has someone in mind and may be even now prompting them. Are they available to the Lord? Will they answer the call? Will the Lord have to move on down the list to the next available person? I’ll leave those details and responsibilities to Him. He is well able to bring the next link in the chain, the next partner in the work that He is doing in and through His people in this area.
Below we have put some pictures of rebuilding the shop. It will work best to go to the bottom and scroll up.
Landmark Christian Fellowship came and helped us cut firewood. With the use of the above grapple they got the rest of our firewood cut. (60 cords all together) Praise the Lord! now its back to working on the shop, plowing snow, fixing the generators and feeding the fires.
