Pondering the year 

As we look toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth, I ponder over the year that is rapidly coming to an end. I think about the lessons learned, the progress made, the progress yet to be made. I think about God, eternity and His plans. I think about the desire that my plan be God’s plan, but also the fact that my plan has a much quicker time table than it seems God’s does! I think about how listening to others sharpens and sometimes adjusts my plan. I am humbled, I am grateful, I am refreshed. Why am I refreshed? Simply because it always takes a lot less effort to follow God’s plan.

It seems so often that God’s plan for us is that we learn patience, which involves that “waiting” thing, the thing we like to do least. Yet as time goes on, there is a point at which we begin to learn to wait, to listen, and to expect from Him the things we have been trying to do on our own. As I look back on this year, I see God working in people’s hearts to make trust in Him a living reality.

Seeing God at Work 

Last Sunday, we had a couple come to church that had been absent for over a month. We had been praying regularly for them and had asked you to pray as well. They came renewed, refreshed and ready to move forward. What a blessing after a period of concern and prayer. Not only did they come back, but they brought someone else with them. Their friend asked us to pray he would be set free from alcoholism. Hallelujah! God is faithful! Please thank God for and pray for this young man. Thank you.

The Kitwanga Bible Study 

I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness in the Kitwanga Bible Study. The people are eager to learn from the scriptures. They are grateful for the ministry they are receiving. We are growing deeper in relationship together. It is a marvel what God has done there since early May. One couple has walked through a very challenging time, but have come through with victory! Please continue to pray for this small group of God-followers.

Growing Partnerships 

From the very beginning, this ministry has required partnerships to survive. The partnership between LAMP and the Christian and Missionary Alliance gave birth to this ministry. The partnership with many of you, individuals and local churches who said, “We believe this is of God and we want to support you through prayer and giving”. The partnership with our home churches who have believed in us and supported us, because you believed God would honour our sharing the gospel. The partnership of Richmond Chinese Alliance Church, who formed teams to come four times a year ministering to the children and young people of our communities and engaging in heartfelt prayer and giving. And most recently, the partnership that has begun with the people of Mt. Rocher Church, where we are seeing a unity in fellowship and worship along with a burden for the people of our community. I am thankful to all of you and to God for this ongoing, dynamic and wonderful partnership HE has given us.

Pastor Matt Hill and I in Kitkatla

Visiting Kitkatla

This past year we were unable to put a team in Kitkatla, a community in which a team had ministered the past two years.Former team member Walt Hamilton and I went over to visit the community in mid-November to prepare for this coming summer, trusting God will give us a team to minister there. Would you join us in prayer asking God will provide a team?

Thank you for your support all year I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for supporting Korrin and I all year long. We are so grateful for your constant support in prayer. We are often aware of the impact of your intercession on our behalf. Thank you for supporting us in all the ways you do. Thank you for all the notes and cards. Thank you for the faithful support that you send each month. Thank you for praying regularly, asking God to bless and protect us, to further the work of the ministry, and to give us fruit for our labours. It is happening, slowly but surely. Thank you for doing your part to make God’s work possible!

Partners together for the cause of Christ;

Bart

Winter's in the Air

He's heading away from the house, thankfully!

It’s that time of year when the bears head for hibernation.  We had an early snow and thought it would be with us for the rest of the year, but it warmed and the snow has melted.  The mountains  have their velvety white coat of snow reminding us that before long it will be back to stay!

The RCAC Team

The Richmond Chinese Alliance Church team was here October 24-28. We spent three wonderful days in the community of Kispiox ministering to the children there.  We sang, did skits, told Bible Stories, and shared meals together. I am so thankful for God’s hand in it all, and the opportunity to share with Him in His work. Please join me in giving thanks and praying that these seeds will become young growing plants of God’s grace in the children’s hearts.

               

RCAC ministry October 2012

I spoke with the youth coordinator in Kispiox the other day, asking how many Christian groups come to minister each year.  She said only the Richmond Chinese Alliance and LAMP groups do Christian children’s ministry in their community.  The United and Pentecostal churches in the community also minister to the youth. We are so thankful God has given us the opportunity to participate with them in the gospel by sharing with and loving the children and youth of their community.

Development Ministries

I continue to meet weekly with young prospective leaders, trusting God will open their minds to understand and their hearts to receive the things of God so that they themselves can become teachers. I pray also that others would follow in their footsteps. Please pray they will grow strong and be encouraged in their walk with God.

Challenges    

We all remember when we were young in our walk with God how even the little things "trip us up."  As we have grown through the years we still get tripped up sometimes, but there is a stability that was absent in the beginning.  The same is true with many of the young people I am working with these days.  They go along quite well growing and making progress, then something comes along that "trips them up." They get discouraged and think about giving up.  We know the enemy would love for them to quit.  May I ask you to be especially prayerful for these ones? Pray as they go through trials that their faith would grow, enabling them to stand strong in their relationship with Christ.

New Horizons

Last month in my newsletter, I mentioned the possibility of conducting VBS in communities in the northern Nass Valley and in the western coastal areas.  Please continue to pray about these locations. We are targeting the communities of Port Simpson and Kincolith, asking God to allow us to send a VBS team there this coming summer.  Our great desire is that there would be a couple people from the Hazelton area joining with the teams. I long to see young people share the love of Christ with others so that they, too, will begin experiencing a relationship with God. Please join me in prayer that these things would be possible.

Prayer Partners

Newly carved totem pole in Kispiox

What would I do without prayer partners like you praying for me on a regular basis? I need your prayers every day!  Please pray that I will listen to the small inner promptings from the Lord.  Pray I will know what to say when I am dealing with people in desperate need. Pray I will know when just to listen quietly without a need for words and when to speak. Pray I will be used by God in helping others to have a relationship with Him through Jesus. It means the world to me to know you are praying, asking God to help me and be with me every moment. 

My prayer for you is that God will bless you and help you.  My prayer is that your need, whatever it might be, would be met.  I pray for those with family, health and relationship crises.  I pray for those who long for a deeper relationship with God, but feel it is a constant struggle.  I ask for your blessings Lord; I ask You to meet each one.  I ask that Your grace will be evident to them and that You would work through their situations to bring glory to Your Name alone. Amen!

Partner together for the cause of Christ,

                                                                                                                                                       

Bart

October 2012

Thriving in Unusual Places  

It always amazes me the unusual places that trees will choose to grow.  But what amazes me even more is that they can actually thrive in those places.  It reminds me what God can do for us in the dry and challenging times of our lives. Ministry has to do with people, and all of us happen to be just that-- “human.”  All of us by virtue of our “humanness” have good times and bad times, times when we are full of energy, times when we lack energy, times when we’re passionate, and times when we really lack passion.  The wonderful thing is that no matter what, God is always the same and is always there for us. Because of that fact we can be like these trees that thrive even in the most difficult of circumstances. 

I repeatedly go back to the thing I felt God asked of me...that is to be a reflection to the people living here in BC of what He is like.  I, of course, cannot possibly do that in my own strength.  I can only do it with the power of Christ living in and through me. The good news is.... HE CAN DO IT!  That makes all of this possible, and leaves me with hope in the midst of the challenges.

Challenges!  Yes, there are challenges.  Oh, how we wish there were no challenges.  How we wish things would just go along smoothly.  Sometimes they do. One thing I notice is that when things go along well I don’t seek God as intensely as I do when life is challenging.  In these times, I see God’s love drawing me to depend on Him and experience who He is in a greater way.  It also equips me to help those I minister to, because they often face overwhelming challenges.  God’s grace is enough for each of us and, when you really ponder it, since He longs for us to be near to Him, these challenges can teach us to depend on Him.  The very challenges we face can become God’s amazing gift of grace to us.

Great Advances

We have been making progress lately.  The Bible Study in Kitwanga has been going very well.  We have been sharing deeply together.  Hearts have been touched.  Growth and ministry have been happening.  Deeper discipleship with couples has been taking place as we lay the foundations of biblical truth.  It has been a time of unparalleled growth and rejoicing.

Ministry Challenges

We should not wonder why, when these great things are happening, we are suddenly hit with many challenges.  The enemy of our souls does not want us to grow in Christ, and he certainly doesn’t want others to do the same as a result of our encouragement.  Opposition comes from different sources, be it friends or family who object to the new lifestyle that is starting to emerge, or a consternation that these believers no longer wish to join with their family and acquaintances in the things they used to do together.  Young believers faced with the pressure sometimes cave to the temptation; then feel overwhelmed with guilt and remorse.  They feel they might as well give up and quit.  They feel they will not be able to live for God. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND WE MUST STAND IN PRAYER AND ENCOURAGEMENT, TELLING THEM THE TRUTH OF GOD’S LOVING MERCY AND FORGIVENESS.  WE MUST ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAND UP, DUST THEMSELVES OFF AND WALK AGAIN IN THE GRACE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN THEM.  Would you pray together with me? Would you stand with me to resist the enemy’s lies and discouragement so these young people will stand up and trust the gracious love and mercy of their Lord?  Thank you!

Looking to the Future

Instead of backing down, I believe we should be more determined than ever to press forward to do the things we have been doing. We need to continue believing God will show up in marvelous ways in the lives of these new followers of Jesus.  They are longing for Him; they are looking for Jesus to make a difference in their lives. He longs to meet them in their circumstances. He longs to use them to encourage others as His presence shines through their lives. God’s desire has not changed.  I continue to sense God’s burden for the people of the Nass.  I continue to sense God’s desire that some of these young people will play a role in reaching out to others in these more northern communities.  Would you join me in praying that God will strengthen them and place His burden on their hearts for their neighbours to the north? 

God's Mercy and  Goodness 

Old Hazelton Sunday School

I just talked again this past week with the young gal who is teaching the new Sunday School class along with her friend in Old Hazelton.  She tells me the Sunday School is continuing to run and five young kids are regularly coming to be part of the Sunday School there.  What a blessing it is to see them continuing to teach these children.  Please join me in praying that God will bless these young Sunday School teachers and the children that are gathering weekly in Old Hazelton.

Faith Challenge

I told you last month about a faith challenge we are facing due to the reduction in subsidy provided to us.  We have been approached by two individuals who are feeling led to help us fill that gap. Praise the Lord!  Their support gives us a twenty percent step forward in the goal of replacing those funds.  Please continue to pray that God will meet us in filling this gap.  If you feel God leading you to help, we would deeply appreciate your support to help us in furthering what God is doing here in the Hazelton area.

Things on the Horizon

LAMP Board and Staff Meetings Oct. 17 – 21
Please pray for LAMP staff and board meetings during this week. They will take place in Wisconsin.

RCAC Team October 24-28

The Richmond Chinese Alliance Church Team will be ministering in the community of Kispiox.  Please pray that many hearts will be touched with the gospel message.

My Dear Friends 

Thank you so much for continuing to pray.  I know that it is your faithful prayer that allows me to continue to share Christ with the young people in this area.  Thank you for partnering with us in this way.  May you be blessed and encouraged in your walk with God.  May you experience God’s grace in the challenges you are facing in your life right now.  I will be praying God will help you meet the challenges of life and grow closer to Him as you do.  God bless!

Partners together for the cause of Christ,

Bart