Revelations!

So I haven't had a chance to post here yet, so I've decided to take the time to make a post.

Over the past month I've really been challenged by God to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people that I normally wouldn't talk to. I was first challenged by Alisson, a crack addict who just needed someone to listen to her. She has a crazy background and has really overcome some challenges but still wakes up everyday wondering why she should be alive and counting her reasons. She says that some day she'll run out of reasons and so run out of days. She doesn't believe any man who calls her beautiful because of what usually follows that comment, but she hasn't heard a girl use any nice words to describe her. I told her I think she's beautiful and she seemed pretty happy, got kid of a child-like smile and thanked me. She was a good start to talking to homeless people and I am happy the Lord blessed me with a conversation with her and I continually pray that we will cross paths again.

The next challenge the Lord faced me with was the interaction between Louis and Adam. Louis mentioned that his toe was infected because his shoes were too narrow. Adam took off his wide skater shoes and gave them to him without even a second thought. Now Louis' toe can get better and God reminded me that everything I have is His not just my talents, my time and my willingness to serve, but also the material things. The clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet belong to the Lord and I have to be willing to give those things to Him without a second thought, without holding back and without complaint. The Lord has blessed me with things and I should be very quick to bless others with them if they are needed too.

The Lord is good and He is alive and well here in Fort McMurray, moving always and ready to change this place.

Strangers Still?

Mike & I went to the Esso Lot this evening and just spent the time walking around the Kaos station and mostly sitting on the tree stump there. We prayed together, and greeted those who passed by. We were really just trying to get our faces noticed and to recognize some of the inhabitants. No one really offered us conversation until almost an hour into our ‘visit’ – and this was by a lady in her 30’s who approached us and asked us what we were doing there. She asked if we wanted dope. No. She asked if we wanted girls. No. So then she asked us to leave. I was flabbergasted at the request, not really thinking that we would need to leave an area I had been to several times, which was right next door to the Kaos station. When we didn’t respond, she asked us if we were calling her bluff. Recalling our conversation with the Centre of Hope earlier in the week – that most users pack a weapon and that women are far more violent than men are – Mike and I stood up and this lady ‘accompanied’ us to the sidewalk. We introduced ourselves by name and explained we were from the Radio station, just trying to befriend our neighbours. She told us her name was Tracy, and I doubt she bought our claim about the radio station and wanting to befriend them. However, as we parted, she warned us to never come back.I can understand her suspicions and perhaps paranoia – she was probably sent by the other street people in the area – this is ‘their’ place or home – and not used to middle class people visiting them and ‘camping’ out on ‘their’ turf. I think we did, indeed, get our faces noticed!

Luke saved!

Luke is an Eskimo man who I met for the first time about 10 days ago, or so. Amanda and I had gone for a prayer walk, and Luke was slumped over a picnic table, obviously drunk. As we neared him, he called out to us, for the time. We then walked over to him, and he began the conversation by saying "Jesus loves you," and then singing "Jesus loves the little children." I was rather surprised to here a drunk fellow do this, but I responded by assuring Luke that Jesus loved him too! He asked us for help - money, but we politely informed him we could not do that, but we would buy him something to eat. So I went into the DugOut and bought him a hot dog, brought it back to him. We left him sitting there, and I with the doubt that he'd ever touch the food.

I saw Luke twice over the remainder of the week, once in the DugOut where I was able to buy him a cold drink, and then the next day lying on the grass and then being led away in handcuffs by a local RCMP officer.

The next time I saw him was Sunday morning, as he responded to an altar call at the end of the service. Apparently he was in tears, according to Leah - I had not noticed.

When I went to the soup kitchen on Wednesday, he was there - and sober. I was able to have a good conversation with him, and he shared several things. He had been sober for 3 days now, and has beginning to save up money that he had not been using for alcohol. Previously, he would wake up every morning broke - having spent all his money feeding his addiction. He is trying to save $3000 to get to a coastal Inuit community, his home. He acknowledged the dificulty of staying sober, but that the Lord was giving him strength. What a glorious work the Lord has done!

A Day of Serving

Today the team was split up, some spending time at the DugOut and some helping Kaos Radio (whom we the mission team are affiliated with) at their stand at a Summer Solstice family-friendly party. Family friendly events (=non alcoholic) are an extreme rarity here in Fort Mac, so this annual event is definitely noteworthy.

I had a great time serving today - although I am tired, I have a sense of joy and fulfilment. Hopefully Christ shone through and was glorified in us!

A Wayward Son?

The team attended the local Anglican church yesterday, and I found myself quite at home in the liturgical service (flashback of IPC of Zurich!) Not every one did, and at least one of the team struggled with it.

We met a guy there - Tim - who seemed to be passing through. He has worked in street ministry in Oshawa in the past, but is up here for work. That he was alone was a bit curiuos, and there was something about him - in his eyes - which spoke to me of emptines, of hopelessness, of burn out. He just looked defeated and aimless - even his smile spoke to me of it.

At the end of our conversation, I asked him how I could pray for him - he didn't give me a direct answer and seemed to shrug off my offer. As we climbed the stairs from the basement, I put my hands on his shoulders and told him "Jesus loves you." He looked at me, and give me a look of surprise or maybe it was disbelief, and then left the church.

Oh God, please touch Tim, and heal the hurt he is carrying, or the guilt from hurting someone else. Help him to see his worth and his position in Jesus - as a beloved son!

Miracles? You decide...

I’ve had two experiences this past week which have shown me a new aspect of God. Each were situations – accidents – in which I should have been severely hurt.

One was falling from five feet from the cab of a tow-truck, flat on my back, into a mud puddle. I received no bruising, and only the slightest of pain in the palm of my right hand and my right wrist, none of which persisted beyond the day of the accident. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t know what happened – one moment I was about to climb down to the ground, and the next, I was on the ground, on my back! And somehow, I unconsciously (rather, God) kept my head and neck up, cause if they had been parallel to my body, I surely would have smacked my head/neck on the curb of the street! Did God miraculously intervene?

Wednesday, I managed to close a car door on my left hand. When I realized what I had done, I sort of went into shock and told the others what I had done… and then opened the door with my free hand. The shock dissipated when I freed my hand and discovered there was no broken skin, no bruising, or pain in the very least! I was able to move all my fingers (the door closed over my fingers along the middle knuckles) and bend them at every joint, with no pain!

I cannot explain either of these situations – except to say that God was there, protecting me. I rejoice in Him! What a God, what a Saviour!

Sunday night at the Baptist church was a God moment for me. When we broke up into prayer groups, one of the men in my group was Ken. He was older man, had the hippie appearance - white beard, his hair tied back into a ponytail, and carried his Bible.

I got to know a fair bit about him. He is a believer, and just recently separated from his wife, at the time their house burned down. I forget which city he is from, but somewhere here in Alberta. He is now working full time (14 hour days, 7 days/week, one day off every 10-12 weeks) in the oilsands. He has nothing, materially. He's not sure where he's going once the seasonal layoffs begin in November. But he seemed to be a man full of faith, loving God.

What really touched my heart was that, as a believer, he's pretty much alone on the job site. He knows of no other beleivers, but he does have something he treasures: his short wave radio. He listens to radio broadcasts of various ministries, and particularly likes Charles Stanley.

So after the evening church service was finished, I took Ken aside and prayed for him. His boss is extremely difficult to work for - he's 30 years old thereabouts, and drinks excessively. His superior is his father, which explains why he still has a job. Ken shared this man has fired a good dozen people in the last month or so. We also exchanged contact numbers - he has my email, which he can text from his cell, and I have his #, to which I can text if I can find another cell to use. I just want to encourage this man with the odd message, to let him know that he's not alone, and that God has not forgotten him - God brought me and Ken together that night.