Sickness but God is Good!

The last few weeks seem to be one battle with sickness after another! I've had a very annoying and consist ant cough for 5 weeks that still is fighting. It made it a big struggle to be at camp and try to talk with kids or to teach. I thought I was starting to get better just in time for David to get hit with a nasty cold last week, so I was able to do more of the teaching. I thought I might end up teaching most of it by myself. Instead, David started to get better and on Wednesday I was hit with a horrible sore throat that knocked me out, barely able to speak or swallow...so David was actually the one that had to teach two days of VBS by himself last week! I wish I could have seen him do the skit with Sheriff Do-Right and Cowboy Oops when he had to switch back and forth and do both parts! =]

Since my health card doesn't come until September 12th (so I don't have health coverage yet), I didn't want to go to the doctor. However, it was to the point that something had to be done! David took me into a walk-in clinic where you are required to pay $60+ to see the doctor if you don't have a health card. We explained the situation and were told that was the only option we had. After a 15 min wait (yahoo! not 1-3 hours like the ER!) I was seen by the doctor who gave me antibiotics after he told me my tonsils were "impressive". The really cool thing was that without my even asking, he asked about my situation and said we didn't have to pay! So, we're praising God for his care and provision! Yeah for a positive first time experience with the Canadian health care system!

So, day 4 on the drugs I'm slowly get better from strep throat/tonsillitis. The knives in the back of throat have shrunk from machetes to table knives and will hopefully be all gone soon!

North Family

Here is the "after" picture with our kids (thanks Greg for the idea!) It is definitely true that they like slightly more enthusiastic to be together after 6 weeks! =]

Every other area had a "team" while we ended up as the "North Family". The girls left a box of their summer memories and random items for us because they thought it was the safest place. I guess they really are our kids...they leave their stuff with us even after they move away! =] They all came up with a guess of what everyone will be doing in 10 years...we'll see how close they are! They've also been talking about planning a "family reunion" at our place sometime this year, which would be a blast! Across Ontario 3109 children were reached with 128 confessions of salvation through 127 clubs. In the north there were around 400 children reached with 19 decisions for Christ! Praise the Lord!

Summer

(Girls paddle boating at camp)

It's hard to believe that stores are putting out fall decorations already when it feels like summer weather has FINALLY come to Ontario! It actually got to be 80*F! Imagine that! =] We had beautiful weather for Camp Good News last week, while Monarch Bible Camp was a bit on the cool and rainy side. Okay, enough of my complaining and talk about the weather!

( Monarch Bible Camp)

Although our role was much different this year as supervisors for several weeks rather than directly teaching the kids, the weeks we have/are teaching kids are definite highlights despite my fighting a horribly hacking cough. We did enjoy working with our Northern Team/Family and seeing the incredible growth in each one over the past six weeks. I can't even describe the joy, struggles, boost in confidence and spiritual growth that has taken place in "our kids". As we saw the 41 CEF summer missionaries reunite for "Welcome Home" and heard their testimonies, the power of God was unmistakable. To God be the glory for the 3100 kids reached in Ontario and over 100 making decisions for Christ!


This week David and I are teaching a VBS in Severn Bridge. 11 kids came today (plus an older sister). One seven year old boy said it was the first time he's ever been in a church. One little girl referred to the lay pastor as "the manager". We are excited to see what God is going to do this week and praying the kids will stay connected with this church! David is quite sick right now, so I'm hoping he gets better so I don't have to tell all the stories the whole week. =]

Noah's Ark

This is a grainy video of the first performance of the Noah's Ark magic trick at a Vacation Bible Camp in Bracebridge. David did a 30 min. "special feature" show with a message. This was the grand finale. The kids (and adults) loved it! David loved that they couldn't figure it out too!

Even more exciting than that, one of the girls that attended our Good News Club accepted Jesus as her Saviour today at the Vacation Bible Camp!

Cabin Inspection Notes

David and I became the cabin inspectors at camp. It's quite a fun job...especially when the students get creative and leave notes along with candy bribes! We were sharing with all the staff because we got so much loot! The importance of tidyness can not be overlooked as part of training, however, as the students will spend the next 6 weeks in host homes where they need to act like civilized guests!

(These notes are from 2 girls' cabins.)


(This is from a guys' cabin.)
"We're not much for words
Us cabin four
But we vigourously cleaned our floor
For your lovely reward

We put into action
For your satisfaction
We put away our toys
To bring your face joy

Some may call it soda
Some may call it pop
But it will surely make your mouth drop

We know you'll enjoy our chocolate and candy
Because our room is looking so dandy
You can also have some gum
For this room ain't a dump

Only time will tell
If our room's the most swell
But until then,
We hope you hear our wishes
Please don't make us do dishes

We love you David and Sarah

Our Kids!

Meet the Northern Ontario team for CEF 2009!

(Left to Right) Sarah "Mom" from U.S., Ashley L. from Simcoe area, Ashley B. from Thunder Bay and is Ojibway, Greg from Toronto area with family from Taiwan, Daniel from Toronto area with family from Sri Lanka, and "Dad" David.

We are blessed to be mentoring and working with these four teens! They've claimed this as their family and started calling us mom and dad! =] Please pray for them as they continue teaching their first week of clubs. Please pray that children will come to all of the clubs this summer and God will work in their lives!

It's SOOOO exciting to see the transformation that has already been taking place in these students lives from the time they began the two week "Summer Training Institute". All 62 students were a joy to get to know and work with! How exciting to think of what God is going to do in and through their lives!

Getting in Gear

Tomorrow we will drive off to Summer Training Institute for two weeks. Thankfully this is only a prop car for one of the lessons we are teaching and not what we'll be driving (except that just today our real car did decide to act up by shining it's "low oil light" at me and flattened a tire...all of which David kindly fixed or helped me to fix).

Please pray for the 62 summer missionaries coming to training from all over Ontario. Many will be coming out with CEF for the summer to teach 5-Day Clubs and Vacation Bible Schools while some will return to their home church to serve or a camp. It's an exciting, life-changing time to be apart of!

Please Pray:

-God will prepare the hearts of the students and help them work diligently

-God will give us as staff to know how to best help the students to learn to teach and to grow in the Lord

-for health and rest

-unity and excitement for reaching the children

-Many children will come to know Christ personally and grow in Him as a result of these students' obedience

-our car will stay in working order

It's official!

As of Friday, June 12, I am legally a "Permanent Resident" of Canada! After a long process of many headaches, I am delighted that I can stay in this trillium filled (note flower to left) and maple leaf flag country. I would guess it's a similar feeling like parents with two children - it's not that you love your first one any less, you just have more love to give. I do have to say that for all the horror stories I was fed as an American child, I have not seen any of them be true (yet)! Immigration was David's project since December 2007 when we got engaged, while I planned the wedding. I think I had the nicer one between those two projects!

In the year of time that I've been living in Canada I have had to adjust to some changes/quirks of a new country some consciously and others without my knowledge...

-I'm told by American friends and family that I now "speak like a Canadian" something I can't notice in myself until it's pointed out!

-Learning that the "Collector Lane" does not mean there's a toll booth , it's just where all the traffic collects in a multi lane highway in the Toronto area

-Money can be determined by the color, without even looking at the number on it!

-Hockey is a nationally loved sport (I love that!)

-Tim Horton's is the "all Canadian coffee shop" which I would miss, but there's a lot of days that I definitely miss places like Caribou Coffee, Target, Cub, Kohl's etc... yet somehow I've been brainwashed in this year and am starting to forget what other stores exist outside of the Canadian chains

-Free Health Care is certainly going to be a perk for living here (once I get it in 3 months)

-Over all the biggest thing that I miss living in Canada is my family and friends, yet I've had to realize they live their lives with or without me and now if we ever move from where we are, I would miss the David's family and the friendships that we are forming. I've really come understand in a deeper way why the apostle Paul talks about this world not being our home but that we are foreigners awaiting our true home in Heaven...then we'll all get to party together- those from the U.S., Burkina Faso, Canada, all together with our Lord!

Teaching Children Effectively

The 30 hour course on teaching children finished last weekend. Please pray that the students will use the things they learned and that many children will be reached through these 15 students!

One Year Anniversary

One year ago, we vowed to love, honor and respect each other FOREVER! Although many things have changed within just one short year, we realize that commitment to our Lord and each other is the thing that will last!

May 24, 2008-May 24, 2009:
-Sarah moved from the USA with David to Canada June 10
-We began working with CEF Ontario full-time
-Spent our first three months of married teaching children in a different city nearly every week
-Moved to Port Sydney, Ontario in September
-Found a great church- Harvest Bible Chapel Muskoka (in Port Sydney!!) in September
-Submitted the paperwork for Sarah to become a "Permanent Resident" and tried to wait patiently for the verdict (which means no border crossing)
-Sarah unknowingly began to "talk like a Canadian"
-We both have been stretched in our relationship with the Lord in new ways and the more we get to know Him the more we realize we want to know more!