Team Canada Summer 2005 -the "scoop"

...on to completion

2005-07-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Sorry about the lack of updates in the past couple weeks. The team was at Redberry Bible Camp last week and the week before, which turned out to be a huge blessing for all of us. For Erik and Jamie, it was a place of stability for Micah who has done so good on the road, but might be a little tired of being strapped into his carseat all the time. For the first week, Jon and Nathan took on the responsibility of being camp cousellors, which were roles they both enjoyed. What an awesome opportunity to build relationships with kids! On top of that, they both got to act like goofs all week which wasn't a huge challenge. Elissa was able to lend a helping hand in the kitchen preparing food for the many kids, and Doug took on the role of planning most of the evening worship times. For the first week, Senior high camp, Steve was the main session speaker, and we were all blessed to be able to listen to hi as e shared what the Lord had placed on his heart each night. the theme for the week was "Luvin to the max" - So Steve was able to challenge the kids into a deeper love for their creator and those around them through personal testimony as well as scripture recitation. On Sunday the team was able to be a part of Waldheim MB to lead the morning service there, as well a worship might to kick off the Waldheim missions conference. It was awesome to be part of a conference with such history. We sensed the spirit moving in that body of believers. It is always encouraging for us to see young and old alike, lifting hands in worship to our great God.
As the trip winds down, we find oursleves reflecting more and more ech day at how the Lord has brought us through this summer. It still amazes us how when we step out in obedience the Lord takes care of the rest. It sure hasn't been easy the whole way, but through awesome times and difficult times we have seen firsthand that we serve a loving and faithful creator. As we prepare to head home after a final service in Saskatoon this Sunday, we are confident that the Lord will continue to protect us and carry this good work which he has begun, on to completion. Thanks again for all of your faithful prayers. Please keep commenting, as we do check this regularily.
-The team -

2005-07-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

Back in the Bus...

2005-07-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Micah cooling himself down with a beverage on a hot day.

2005-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Leading Worship @ Soar with Dan Loewen, his wife Lynn and Natalie...

2005-07-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

The SOAR youth in Montreal @ St. Jean Baptiste church

2005-07-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Moving our trailer down the narrow streets of Montreal - the wrong way on a one way!

2005-07-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

@ the Quebec border...

Go West Young Man

2005-07-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well, our time in Montreal has come and gone. Sorry about the lack of Blog updates, but it has been quite a busy time there. We had such an amazing time there. The team was able to be under the leadership of Dan Loewen for the week, and we led worship for the some 100 SOAR Montreal participants (SOAR is a 2 week YMI program for high schoolers). We were stationed out of a Catholic church in downtown Montreal. The city itself is quite amazing, there is a depth of culture and freedom of expression there like I have never seen. Unfortunately there is alot of obvious brokeness and sinfulness as well. We experienced the Lord together with the SOAR kids this week, worshipping with them, and watching as walls of shyness and independance came down so that they could effectively be used in Montreal. What a blessing to be there. On top of it all, the Montreal Jazz festival was happening about 10 minutes from where we were sleeping, so I diddn't let my time there go to waste, taking in all of the jazz I could at night...
As we left Montreal, SOAR leader Phil Sorez prayed a somewhat prophetic prayer over our team - he asked that the Lord would protect us as we drove through the U.S (it's much quicker than going northen Ontario) and that the border crossing guard (who he felt would be a woman), would let us through without question. As it turns out, we were let through by a gracious woman without question, and our Motorhome provided faithfully for us as we drove through the night to reach Manitoba. We were let through into Canada without question again in the morning. So here we are in Boissevain, thankful that the Lord has brought us safely this far. Tomorrow we head off to Saskatoon area for Redberry Bible camp, where we will spend the next two weeks. Pray for us as it will be a pretty intense couple weeks. For the first week, Stephen will be the main session speaker, as well Jon, Nate, and Doug will be counsellors. We are looking forward to building relationships with the kids and are pumped for what God is going to do. As our time on this trip begins to draw to a close, I can't even believe how much God has shown us and been faithful. We are so thankfull for his servants who have been praying for us every day. Blessings,
the team
By the way, if you want to check out whats going on with SOAR Montreal, check out
www.soarmontreal.blogspot.com

Ever heard of cars?

2005-06-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Bonjour,
Well today marked the beginning of our Montreal time with the YMI SOAR program. We arrived in Montreal yesterday feeling revived off of a four day break in Quebec City. Not knowing where to stay, we were hooked up with an amazing family in Montreal who opened up their house for us for the two days and two nights before SOAR begins. We have again been blessed by amazing hospitality. The family gave us free reign on their outdoor pool as well, which we didn’t resist. The Lord has surprises us in often extravagant ways. Today we went downtown Montreal and got a little bit of a feel for what SOAR will hold. We will be leading the worship times for a bout 100+ kids and adults on the Montreal trip (they will be from Manitoba to Nova Scotia – about 70 percent English speaking). We are leading with Dan Loewen who will lead half the songs in French, which should be awesome. Anyways, we will be stationed in a Catholic Church which is about 100 years old. It is breathtaking from the inside and out. We have realized that for the most part, Quebec is largely an unreached people group. Talking to our friends last night, we learned that only about 0.5 % are Christians. There is a longing in people here for independence and freedom. Pray with us that through SOAR Jesus can begin to flood this province with truth. If God is calling you to Quebec and you are reading this, believe me you need to come…There are beautiful people and cities here who need the Lord. It has been encouraging to hear of some of the cool things God is already doing here through recent church plants, some of which have been established through the rendevous Montreal project.
Anyways, I hope this gives a little insight into where we will be over the next week. Thanks for your prayers for us. It has been such an encouragement to read comments and just to know that the Lord is raising people up who are interceding for us. We have been blessed and feel strengthened and unified as a team since coming to Montreal…Having a pool to unwind in helps with that. This week you can pray that the Spirit would blow us away with His presence as we worship with the kids, unifying us and giving them courage as they go out into the city. Pray for patience as accommodations will be tight this week. Pray for protection over all involved as we will be downtown Montreal all week. Pray that God would begin to pour truth into this place!
Thanks again…What a blessing to experience these things.
-about the title - today we found ourselves moving our 10 foot trailer by hand down a busy street in Montreal - we thought it would be quicker than moving it with the motorhome. It must have looked pretty funny. One passer by (we must look like non - quebecers) yelled in English -" You guys ever heard of cars?"
-The team-

2005-06-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

More streets in Old Quebec.

2005-06-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

Some of the streets in Old Quebec.

2005-06-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

One of the guards at the Citadel in Quebec City.

2005-06-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City

2005-06-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Ottawa by Night

2005-06-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

In front of the Parliament Building -center court in Ottawa

2005-06-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Micah is totally pumped about Niagra Falls.

2005-06-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

The team @ Canada's Wonderland in Toronto

2005-06-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Another common sight for us in Ontario.

2005-06-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

A common sight for us in Ontario..

2005-06-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

We posed at this sign only to find the real Ontario sign (a gargantuan one) just a minute down the road...

2005-06-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

Great shot by Erik from behind the set @ MBCI in Winnipeg - we had a ton of fun leading a very energetic group of students in worship. The Lord is Good!

2005-06-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

At MCI in Gretna, Manitoba - Quite a beautiful new auditorium...

Vive la Quebec!

2005-06-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well, today marks the second day of our team's much needed break. Although we have had a little bit of time off prior to this, we really needed a break from each other and the Lord has provided in huge ways for us. Last week we were in Ontario, and led a Sunday morning service in Kitchener...We were blessed to be a part of the Dwelling Place Church that morning and the service went well; it was good to worship together again. We were again blessed by the hospitality of the Church, and experienced probably the best meal of our lives staying with Gareth and Gail Goossen...From Kitchener we expected to bust out to PEI as soon as we could, but once again the Lord had other plans for us. The Motorhome decided that it didn't want to make the trip out to the coast and we had a God - ordained rest in a little town outside Kingston, Ontario. It turned out that we broke down right on the turnoff to Ottawa, so we took that to mean the Lord wanted us to be in Ottawa for a couple days. We headed there, and experienced the praliament buildings together, as well as other sites...It was cool to experience the Senate, House of Commons and the Supreme Court, the places where our countries' leaders make decisions. It was interesting that while in Ottawa our team had a tough time with unity, we spent a great deal of time while we were there working out team issues...It was tough to go through some of the things we did, butI think the Lord refined us during that time. Thank you for all of you who were praying for us during that time. It is amazing how the Lord can take us through times like that. We were able to stand together at the end of our Ottawa time as a unified group over Ottawa and pray that God would continue to break us and unify us. This was our cry for the nation as well; that God would be the voice of reason for our leaders and unify them in the same way...
From there we decided, upon recommendation, to spend our break in Quebec City, which is where we are right now. The Lord allowed us to split into three groups, and experience this time in relative solitude. Quebec City is a great place...We feel fortunate and blessed to be able to experience this, once again riding on the prayers of the body and it's support. Next week we are in Montreal... Stay tuned for more pictures.
Au Revoir!
Jon

Muggy Boots?

2005-06-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hola,
Sorry about the title, I couldn't think of anything else. It's just so hot and humid out here in Southern Ontario! This update finds the team @ the university of Waterloo, taking advantage of the free e-mail service they provide...yes, we are ALL mennonites. The last week has been great. The Lord knew when we started that we would need a six day break in between our Manitoba and Ontario deputations, because it took four of those days to get out here. The Lord has definately blessed us with an amazing Motorhome, and we are so gracious that it has withstood the test. After a tire blowout and an electrical problem, we have been reminded that the Lord works on His time, and His plans are what we will submit to. Anyways, for those of you who are wondering, we are here, and blessed to be able to experience the goodness of God each day. Thanks for your prayers! Gotta Go!
Jon

Muddy Boots

2005-06-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hey out there...
Here's some pictures for you guys to give you a bit of an idea of whats going on with us...Things have been pretty sweet, right now we are stationed just outside of Winnipeg in a small town called La Salle - we've been surprised at how much rain Manitoba has graciously offered us...Actually I think the BC folk feel quite at home out here with all the moisture. Anyways, we just finished playing in a chapel @ MCI in Gretna, Manitoba (thats Mennonite Collegiate Institute) - it was great to be able to play in their new auditorium - the Winnipeg symphony has recorded there ( It's absolutely beautiful). As we prepare to head into Ontario, we would ask for prayers both for safety as there is a lot of driving in the next few days for us, also that the spirit would be our guide during the next week as our scheduling isn't as concrete as it has been thus far. We are anticipating good things...
Thanks again for all the encouragement, the Lord continues to answer your prayers in being always faithful, and we are incredibly humbled to have such support...Blessings,
-The team-

2005-06-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

The team in Brandon @ Richmond Park MB

2005-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Micah @ home in his car seat!

2005-06-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks for welcoming us, Manitoba.

2005-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Erik and Nate in the cockpit...

2005-06-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

The team and the faithful Barnabus.

2005-06-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Entering the flat lands!

2005-06-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

The team @ Dalhousie Community Church in Calgary...

Lights, cameras, smoke machines?!

2005-06-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hey out there,
Well, it's been a great last few days. Today the team has a day off in Winnipeg. Coming off of a string of four events in three days, it will be a much needed one of rest. For one night we ended up in Plum Coulee Manitoba, home of Stephen Siemens on our team, where we held a service on Saturday night, and led the Sunday service the following morning. It was a great time to experience yet again the love of the Lrod through His people as we were able to enjoy a couple great church potlucks. One of the most encouraging times for us as a team came when, after the Sunday service, pastor Glen Siemens invited people from the congregation up to pray and lay hands on each member of the team. In light of recent health issues, it was another reminder that the Lord is in control of this thing, and is raising people up to support us in this ministry...It was very refreshing. From Plum Coulee we packed up and busted out to Winnipeg, where we held a Youth service at the Meeting Place church right in downtown. We packed into a very small room, and prepared for an evening of (very) loud, energetic worship... We had to laugh as a team as the youth team brought out the smoke machines and set up the disco lights for the evening. Nonetheless, the spirit of the lord showed up that night and we were all challenged to live lives more deeply surrendered to God. Steve spoke on our trip and how the Lord has been faithful to us - also how it has been great to find joy in the trials which come our way. He shared from James 1, which challenges us to find joy in those hard times, also to live lives of purity for God (James 1:21 - get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls)..After Steve we sang "Give us clean hands" which is a prayer for God to raise up a generation that seek Him and lives for Him. Pretty powerful stuff. It was cool to see the young and
old(er) there, for one purpose. It was also neat to see the Meeting Place youth and youth team, who were a great, tightly knit bunch of youth, with a truckload of energy (prior to the worship time we did step aerobics with them - apparently they do it every week)...
Anyways, the long and short of it is, God is good, and He's full of surprises.
Peace,
Jon

Friendly Manitoba

2005-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Thanks for the encouragement in all of your prayers in the last little while. The team met up with each other about a week ago as planned in Calgary and quickly set up in First Mennonite Church, where we held a youth service. From there we went to Dalhousie Community church where we were priviledged to be able to lead the worship on Sunday morning, as well a worship service that Sunday night. It was encouraging for all of us to meet with old friends and have the chance to experience the city which many of us have called home for a few years. We have realized that ministry can definately be a tiring thing! We left Calgary feeling blessed by our friends' hospitality and encouragement, but somewhat drained from the energy it requires to get things organized. For me, Calgary was a time where I realized that it is our job to really come alongside the Lord in what he is doing. It has become our prayer as we enter each new place - "Lord, what are You doing here and how can we join in that?"...From there we can only do our best and hope that the Lord uses it. We hope that the services in Calgary were an encouragement to some to live a life more passionately for Jesus. Life with the Lord at the steering wheel is scary sometimes as we've noticed on this trip (i.e. motorhome breakdown, team sickness, etc..) sometimes we find ourselves asking why things are happening - but, in the long run, there is no better way to live. The Lord is good at blessing us when we trust Him with each day.
Anyways, from Calgary we packed into the Citation which we have aptly named "Barnabus" which means "son of encouragement" (and also has the word "bus" in it); and flew out to Manitoba, which is where we are now. We held a service in Brandon for about three youth groups, which was great. The youth pastor, Scott Dueck informed us that there were many non-christian kids at the night. We can only pray that seeds were planted in their hearts as we sang and Stephen shared from the Sermon on the Mount. It was encouraging to see Scott and the other Brandon youth pastors so passionate about their ministry and love for the kids. These guys are the true warriors, battling it out everyday for the kingdom. Pretty sweet.
We then headed to Boissevain where we have been blessed to be able to stay @ Jamie's parent's place for a couple days of much needed rest. Again, we have experienced great hospitality (my stomach agrees). From here we begin a few busy weeks in and around Winnipeg. Pray for us as we lead a service in Boissevain MB tomorrow night, that it would be energizing for us and also that the Spirit would move and we would be sensitive to the Lord's leading. Anyways, again thanks and we look forward to seeing everyone at some point along the way.
Living the adventure of Jesus,
Team Canada (more specifically Jon)

ps. Hopefully soon I will be able to get some pics up for you to see - we have some sweet ones, but on this site it is quite a chore to upload them...

Great is thy Faithfulness...

2005-05-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody,
Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragement these last few days...The Lord is good. Steve, Jon and Nate just came off of a long day at the Salvation Army in Calgary where we were able to serve by cleaning, serving a meal and playing an evening service. We were encouraged by a few of the guys that came to the service just by talking with them afterwards. One man explained to Nathan that during a hard time in his life the two things he clung to were Psalm 23 and the song Amazing grace - consequently, we had sung amazing grace with the people there and Nate had sung the song "when you shepherd me" which comes straight from Psalm 23. We were so encouraged by the workers at the Salvation Army, namely the head chaplain there who is an amazing guy who just has great joy to serve in the way he does. The next day the three boys went up to Rosemary Alberta, where we were blessed to worship along with some people from the church there. It has truly been amazing witnessing firsthand the hospitality in the body of Christ. Everywhere we have gone people have fed us, given us rides and cars to get around, and supported us in prayer and finacially. What we have learned is that the bride of Christ is beautiful and it has been amazing to see different parts of it at work...
As I write this, Nathan is on the pone with Erik and the rest of the team who are in the motorhome which has been fixed and is now on the road. They are planning on driving through the night and meeting us in Calgary tommorow. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. We are looking forward to being reunited with the rest of the team...but it has been a blessing on both sides, I think - both for the couples who stayed with the Motorhome who needed the rest, and for the three guys who went on who have experienced awesome things in our last three deputations. Praise the Lord that he caused these things to work together for His good. Anyways, looking forward to seeing everybody at some point along the way. Blessings,
-Jon-

The Adventure...begins?!

2005-05-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hey out there,
Sorry it's been a while since the last post, but the team has had somewhat of a wrench thrown into the plans. We left Abbotsford on Saturday for a Grand Forks night service. ABout two hours out of Abbotsford we had a malfunction with the Motorhome's transmission and broke down on the side of the road. We had the vehicle towed to Princeton, BC, and as we speak it is in a mechanics shop there...The Lord has been good to us and we all remained positive through the whole experience. We all felt that the Lord has brought us this far and will not cease to accomplish His purposes, even though we may not know what they are. As we prayed, we felt led to send the three unmarrieds (Steve, Jon and Nathan) on ahead to Boundary where they led a service on Sunday morning. The guys were extremely blessed to be a part of such an amazing body of believers and experienced amazing hospitality from the pastor couple as well as a family in the church. The surrounding area of Midway, BC is absolutely breathtaking...It was truly such a blessing to be there. As we prepared to leave we heard more news from the rest of the team in Princeton - the motorhome would take a few more days to fix than we had anticipated. Feeling a little discouraged, we prayed and again all felt encouraged to send the three boys on ahead to Calgary where the next scheduled stop is. So here we are, a short 11 hour bus ride later, pumped to see what the Lord has in store for us...We are @ the Salvation Army today, and in Rosemary, AB tomorrow. The Lord is faithful and we are confident that the team will be together again in no time...It has been amazing to see His hands at work. We feel encouraged to be riding on all of your prayers. There truly is no better place to be than where we are right now, at the mercy of the Almighty One...Peace,
Jon, Nate, & Steve

Jericho Ridge

2005-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Team @ Jericho Ridge Community Church in Langley, BC, a satellite congergation of North Langley community Church. This was our first deputation and what a blessing it was to be able to worship alongside a new congregation who is excited about what God is doing. We all left feeling very encouraged and excited about the things to come!

2005-05-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

The guys @ work at the Mark Centre, laying sod!

At the Feet...

2005-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey guys...
Well its been a great last few days out here in Abbotsford. Yesterday we were encouraged to be able to spend half of the day at the Mark centre laying sod down so the place can be ready for it's grand opening this weekend. We are learning lots as we listen to various people from MBMSI in the mornings encourage us and pray for us. On monday we sat in with Ray Harms Wiebe, a missionary in Brazil for 18 years, talk to us about integrity in our team relationships.
We are still amazed at the way this thing is coming together. We thank the Lord each day for providing a motorhome for us, and are confident other things will come together as well.
So far, our biggest challenge has probably been our practice times. Yesterday we were encouraged by Steve to not worry so much about the logistical things which need to be done, but to sit at the feet of Jesus; to go to Him first, as that is the better thing to do...of course the biblical example for us is Mary in Luke 10, who sets aside the worries of planning and preparation just to sit and learn from the Lord. Jesus never says that what Martha does is wrong, only what Mary has done is better. Anyways, if you are praying for us, here are a couple things to pray for...
- that we would be united as a team (spiritually, musically, etc.)
- that we would give the Lord our "firstfruits" each day (Gen.4)
- that we could be blessed with a sound system that fits into the motorhome
- for joy, strength and wisdom as we head into our first to deputations this sunday...

Thanks again for all of your encouragement and prayers! This is awesome!
-the team-

Pictures and More...

2005-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hello out there...
Well, we finally figured out how to get pictures onto this website, so now you can put names to faces if you don't really know who we are. I also put a picture of Micah on there, Erik and Jamie's son who never ceases to amaze us...
And, in other news we have had a huge answer to prayer. The Lord has provided an awesome motorhome for us to use for the summer! A couple from the local Church which Erik, Jamie, Doug, Elissa, and Nate are a part of offered it to us last Sunday...Needless to say, all of us were so excited and overwhelmed at their generosity. Some people on our team felt that this was the confirmation needed to know that the Lord was truly at the helm of this mission. It has truly been an amazing faith building experience for me already, that much is for sure. We are so grateful to the Lord for His provision and faithfulness, even when we seemed to lose hope after a number of leads fell through for us. I guess one of the biggest lessons learned is that prayer works. Thanks to all who were praying for us on this issue...please don't stop praying as we continue to prepare for the summer by practicing and spending time as a team every day. We have really learned how draining a full day can make us. We learn that everyday requires us only to crawl up onto the altar, to be available; and let God do the rest (a la Romans 12:1). When we try to work things out on our own, we mess it up most of the time. Anyways, hopefully we can post some pics of the sweet ride we'll be driving within the next few days...
Jon

Here We Are

2005-05-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Left to Right - Doug & Elissa, Nate, Stephen, Erik (Micah) & Jamie, Jon.

2005-05-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Team!!

Micah!

2005-05-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Little Guy!

Abiding in the Vine

2005-05-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. The other day one of the guys on our team, Jon Hamm, read a passgae of scripture from John 15 - "The Vine and the branches". The words of this passage rang true for me as I heard it: "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me" - John 15:3,4.

As I reflected on these words I realized that if in fact we are in the vine, which we are, then we are all existing for the same purpose: to bear much fruit. If we are not connected to vine, who is Jesus Christ, than we will not be bearing fruit. And if our connection to Him is unhealthy than our fruit will not be sweet. As we, as a team, embark on this journey, it is our desire to remain in Jesus Christ, and bear much fruit for the glory of His name. With this desire in mind, we invite the master gardener to prune these branches that they may increase in fruitfullness.

Thankyou for your support and prayers. We appreciate this support network that will uphold us before the Father in prayer as we are out serving his bride, the church.

Blessings in Christ.

-nate toews-

A New Thing

2005-04-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks!
Well it's been about three days since we formally started our training time here in Abbotsford, BC. The team has been blessed to be able to just experience life together. We are all awaiting the arrival of Steve on the 3rd of May, and we are sure that he's going to add an awesome dynamic to an already, well...dynamic bunch of people! Our first training session was spent with Don Klassen learning about the history of MBMSI and how God has carried the organization into the present day. It was exciting to hear about the amazing things that are happening around the world and how God is enabling people to live "extraordinary" lives for Him. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the boys in the team head out to do "work duties" which usually involves building stuff @ the Mark Center, under the direction of Steve Klassen (check out www.markcentre.org) Anyways, it's good to get the ol' hands dirty, and we all leave there feeling blessed to be a part of such an amazing work of the Lord. The girls usually stay @ home and cook, also take care of the little one, Micah. The baby provides us with endless hours of entertainment, and it's all free!
Afternoons usually consist of music practice...which goes well most of the time but can be fairly draining. This afternoon we were reminded of why we are in this and Who it is for, which was encouraging for me, as often I feel a little tired after practice. It has been a challenge to keep the stress levels in check, as our Motorhome/transportation issue has managed to keep us all a little bit on edge. We are trusting the Lord and taking it one day at a time, and should find out within a few days whether a couple of leads we have are going to work out...We are really praying that a Motorhome would become available as Erik's Colitis could be an issue while we are on the road...The bottom line is, we need people to pray! Thanks to all who have joined with us thus far...The Lord is good and continues to surprise us as we seek Him in this thing. We are pumped to see all of you at some point in the journey...Until next time!
Jon

Tentative Schedule!

2005-04-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks - This is a tentative schedule of where we will be so y'all can come worship with us!
(These dates are not set in stone yet and are subject to change - also, more will be added as churches confirm dates)

April 25 - Team Preparation time begins
May 15 - Abbotsford, BC - Jericho Ridge Mountain Secondary (am)
Alderbrook Church Fundraiser (pm)
May 17 - 2 Chapels @ MEI (Abbotsford)
May 20 - On the Road!!! (Lord Willing)
May 21 - Grand Forks, BC @ Gospel Chapel (7:00pm)
May 22 - Midway, BC @ Boundary Community Church (10:00am)
May 24 - Calgary, AB @ Salvation Army Center of Hope (6:30pm)
May 25 - Rosemary, AB (7:00pm)
May 27 - Calgary, AB @ First Mennonite (7:00pm)
May 29 - Calgary, AB @ Dalhousie Community Church (10:00am & 7:00pm)
May 31 - Brandon, MB @ Richmond Park Church (7:00pm)
June 3 - Boissevian, MB @ Boissevain MB (7:30pm)
June 4 - Plum Coulee, MB @ Bergthaler Mennonite Church
June 5 - Plum Coulee MB (am) & Winnipeg, MB (7:30-9:00pm) @ Meeting Place
June 6-10 in Winnipeg
June 10 - Morning chapel @ MBCI (Winnipeg - 10:00am)
June 19 - Kitchener, ON @ The Dwelling Place (10:30am)
June 20 - 24 Atlantic Canada
June 28 - 29 - SOAR Montreal Preparation
June 30 - July 6 -SOAR Montreal
July 9 - 15 - Redberry Bible Camp Youth Camp
July 17 - 22 - Redberry Bible Camp Junior High Camp
July 24 - Waldheim, SK @ Waldheim MB
July 24(pm) - 27 - Waldheim Missions Conference
July 31- Faith River, SK @ Faith River MB
August 2-6 Team Debrief in BC

The Low-Down

2005-04-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Team Members:
Jon Hamm - 22, Calgary AB
Stephen Siemens- 20, Plum Coulee, MB
Doug Toews - 23, Abbotsford, BC
Elissa Toews - 22, Abbotsford, BC
Erik Toews - 24, Abotsford, BC
Jamie Toews - 25, Abbotsford, BC
Micah Toews - newborn, Abbotsford, BC
Nathan Toews - 21, Abbotsford, BC

We are 7 friends who share a common belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and desire to follow Him. We are excited to embark on a cross Canada trip with the goal to encourage, motivate, and inspire believers into a deeper commitment to God's call on their lives - through worship, preaching, and scripture.
Our trip will run from May 14 until July 31, 2005. Lord willing we will travel from the West Coast to the East of Canada. More information will be coming on specific dates and whereabouts.