Whyte Ridge Baptist Missions and Partnerships

Missionaries


 

Lyndell Campbell Réquia • BRAZIL

Seminary Professor in Brazil – North American Baptist Conference (NAB)

Birthday: 11/07

Lyndell serves in Brazil as a seminary teacher and as a church planter.  She says, “I absolutely love teaching and equipping people to serve in God’s Kingdom, but because I believe in the importance of practicing what I teach as well, I am looking forward to helping a church develop from the very beginning.”

Lyndell married Paulo Réquia on November 27, 2010. To help us pronounce her Brazilian last name, she writes: “The actual pronunciation in Portuguese is ‘heckya’ with emphasis on the first syllable.  I guess in english it would be ‘wreckya’ with the emphasis on the first syllable again.  Hope that helps!”

 

My Whyte Ridge Baptist Champion: Harry Pohl

Contact Harry Pohl

View Lyndell’s Full Biography  Request Monthly Newsletter Country Facts on Brazil
Learn about NAB Missions Meet the Missionary: Q & A with Lyndell Campbell-Réquia Click here to donate

 


 

HungsNick & Iris • EAST ASIA

Life Coaches in East Asia – North American Baptist Conference (NAB)

Anniversary – May 14   Birthdays: Nick – October 22, Iris – September 6

Nick and Iris are pioneering a new work in East Asia. They have a tremendous opportunity to equip leaders on the campus of an important University. These leaders will then be challenged to replicate the things they are learning on impact trips throughout the region.

Working in a closed country requires patience, a posture of learning, and keen sensitivity to the unique challenges of living under scrutiny. For more information about Nick and Iris please contact the Ministry Outreach Department at serve@nabconf.org.

 

My Whyte Ridge Baptist Champion: Harry Pohl

Contact Harry Pohl

View Nick and Iris’ Full Biography  Request Monthly Newsletter Click here to donate
Learn about NAB Missions Meet the Missionaries: Q & A with Nick and Iris  

 


 

Shant and Ginny Manuel • Northeast India

Executive Director & Administrator, respectively – Far Corners Ministry

Anniversary: October 9  
Birthdays: Shant – September 4, Ginny – October 30

After growing up in Mumbai (Bombay), India, Shant came to Canada to further his studies in 1973.  While in bible college he met Ginny and they married in 1976.  In 1981 Shant felt a clear call to pastoral ministry and went on to do his M Div and later his D Min on the topic of Partnership in World Mission.  After twenty years as a full-time pastor, he spent four years with Partners International, representing the work of national missionaries in various countries.  Ginny was a busy mother to their son and daughter, and worked part time as a piano teacher, and in later years as a paramedic.  She has always been actively involved in missions and music in their various pastorates.  In 2008 Shant and Ginny were led to form Far Corners Ministry (FCM).  They spent nine additional years in part time pastoral ministry along with this work in India, but now focus all their energy on FCM, and enjoy time with family, especially their two young granddaughters.

Far Corners Ministry started in 2008 with three main objectives – to support the growing church through pastoral training and church construction, and to help the poor with everyday needs such as blankets and mosquito nets. Over the years, we have continued these types of ministries, and with the help of trusted partners in India, have expanded the scope of how we seek to bring God’s blessing to people in these specific far corners of our world.  This expanded scope has included the monthly support of pastors, educational support for children, vocational training, emergency food relief, and now agricultural projects.  This ministry is done in partnership with Canadian churches and individuals, inviting them to take an active role in realizing these objectives. 

My Whyte Ridge Baptist Champions:  Azhar and Janet Laldin

Contact Azhar and Janet Laldin

  Request Monthly Newsletter  
  Meet the Missionaries / How to Donate:
Q & A with Shant and Ginny Manuel
 

 


 

Stephane and Jenni • NORTHERN MANITOBA

National Worker – Pathway Ministries

Birthdays:  Jenny – Dec 2; Stephane – Jan 26th 

Stéphane Joron is the director of Pathway Camp Ministries. He is a passionate and joyful French Canadian from Montreal, who enjoys studying the bible. Prior to 2002, he worked in many fields of expertise, including:Construction / renovation; Chartered accountant (CPA,CA); Bankruptcy trustee (CIP) and Real estate management.

He came to Christ (as a single father) in 2002. From 2002-2014, he was the church administrator to a network of churches in Quebec and served as a deacon and treasurer. During those years, he was also involved as co-director of the men’s ministry, as real estate manager and  as director of renovation projects. He also organized a soup kitchen for the homeless, the annual youth festival and participated in two mission trips to Costa Rica and Nicaragua where he helped the pastors and met with the local people and native churches.

In the latter part of 2014, Stéphane started his masters in theology (biblical studies) at the university of Montreal and began attending a small daughter church led by the former pastor of the Oka native reserve. While studying, he had no idea of how he was going to use what he learned, but continued to seek and trust the Lord to direct his path. Until December 2016, when God opened an awesome opportunity to reach out to the First Nations children with Pathway Camp Ministries.

Jenny is the Ministry Communicator of Pathway Camp Ministries. She is a compassionate and warmhearted person from Toronto, and is a prayer warrior.  She served at In Touch Ministries for the last eight years, was part of a Sunday service that ministered to the mentally and physically challenged persons and was part of the prayer team in her church.

Stéphane and Jenny were married in December 2017 and now reside together in Moosehorn, MB. It is their desire to minister to the First Nations children, so that they will know the hope they have in Jesus.

 

My Whyte Ridge Baptist Champions: David Stark

Contact David Stark

Learn about Pathway Ministries Sign Up For Monthly Newsletter Click here to donate
 

Meet the Missionaries / How to Donate:
Q & A with Stephane and Jenni

 

 


 

“Priscilla”* • GLOBAL

Overseas Worker – Pioneers

Birthday: Unlisted

“Priscilla”* has been serving overseas in a restricted-access country for the past 3.5 years.  She is an English teacher by profession and her skills and experience in that area have opened doors for her to share Truth in a place where many are unable to go.

* “Priscilla’s” name has been changed given the desire to provide anonymity due to sensitivities in the region she serves.

At Pioneers we recognize the primacy of the church in fulfilling Christ’s mission to, “make disciples of all nations.”  Their aspiration is to assist local congregations at every point in the process, from encouraging believers to be more missional, to facilitating a candidate’s trek to where few dare to go and providing support so they can fulfill their calling there. 

Pioneers desires to engage with churches in ways that promote Christ’s Glory as His kingdom advances.

 

My Whyte Ridge Baptist Champion: Gary Schellenberg

Contact Gary Schellenberg

Learn about Pioneers Sign Up For Monthly Newsletter Click here to donate
  Meet the Missionaries: Q & A with Priscilla  

 


 

Latest Updates:

Check out the most recent updates below!

Download the Whyte Ridge Baptist App Today!

Download the Whyte Ridge Baptist APP today at www.whyteridgebaptist.ca/APP! (note it will direct to a Tithe.ly app given they host the app – this is not the GIVE app). 

Don’t delay – live services, registration, giving, the Prayer Wall and more – You can find it in the app!


Introduction to "Welcome Church"

Whyte Ridge Baptist has joined “Welcome Church,” the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s network of churches who welcome newcomers to Canada!

Learn how you can be involved! Come watch introductory videos and discuss ideas.

January 28, 9:00 – 10:00 am at the Church!

Contact ecc@whyteridgebaptist.ca if questions.


Camp Stories

My name is Jackson Wynne, and this summer I spent a portion of my summer out at Camp Nutimik Baptist Camp where I took on the role as a Cabin Leader for Classic Camps, and One week of Tent Adventures. Over the course of the four weeks I was out there, I was given the opportunity to start stepping up into a leadership role in working with children of different ages starting from 9-15. During the camp day we were given three spiritual emphasis times that we would spend diving into Gods word, hearing and teaching bible stories that would then lead to conversations with the campers on how the story and the lessons may apply in their lives as they go about their normal lives at home. Within these times it is not something I am the most familiar with teaching, it is quite new to me, and I feel as though this is something God has been leading me towards as I start to go further in life and begin to enter the world as an adult. God was showing me the heart of these kids that I was leading, and the heart God has given them to seek him, I was surprised most weeks by the growing amount of questions these discussions would lead to, usually there would be hour long conversations past lights out about how God works in the world which is not something I would have expected when the week started. It was incredible how God was able to speak through me to these kids and the impact it eventually had in them, and I know that God had planted many seeds throughout the course of this summer, and I saw that in some incredible features of the growing interest these kids had in who God is. Every day there would be more and more questions and more wonder, it was something that was enlightening to see for me, as some weeks were very hard staying with these kids 23 hours of the day, even with my hour and a half break every day. I came to see that it was more than just worth it, I grew relationships with these kids that were God honoring and that made seeds planted as the kids went back home to grow more in their faith and to make it personal to them so that they may know God’s grace and love. I knew God brought them to camp for a reason, and I know he put me there to see this, to see that I can be someone who is working with God to share his love and his kingdom with not just the kids, but also my friends who worked with me as well and the other staff and speakers I got to meet along the way who are helping me to know God and his kingdom.

++

My name is Toby Cooper, and this summer I had the privilege of working out at Camp Nutimik this summer. I worked out there for three weeks, as a part of the kitchen staff, and later on the maintenance team for a couple of days because some of the staff got sick, so some positions had to be shuffled around.

In the time that I was there, God was primarily working on patience and letting go of anger in my life, and He continued working on them while I was part of the missions team that went to Mexico in August. God was working on these things primarily, because in the past I have struggled with these things, and they have been a stumbling block in my life that has often stopped me from getting closer to God, or from healing wounds with other people in my life.

God was working on these things during my time at camp that would actively test my patience, so that I would need to rely on the Lord to get through. He was also seeking to draw me closer to Him on a daily basis through our quiet times, and the sessions of the camp I was able to sit in on. He was encouraging me to rely on Him and trust Him more, instead of just letting the things that were coming against me daily, and the unpleasant encounters with people, got me frustrated, so that my eyes would slip from being focused on the Lord.

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This summer I went to Camp Nutimik, a summer camp that teaches kids about Jesus. This summer I took part in a program called Step Out. This was a three week program that taught us how to be leaders. During those three weeks we took time to grow our relationships with God and each other, this was very important because we needed to learn how we can lean on others and on God for help and direction. The last week we were in the program we were able to shadow a cabin, we got to eat meals with them, go to chapel and chapel debrief, do morning and evening devos together, and also do fun activities with that cabin. Shadowing a cabin showed us how to cabin lead and what a week would kind of look like. Once I finished the three week program I got to volunteer at camp for four weeks. My first time cabin leading I got to experience it with an amazing group of girls that were always so optimistic in any situation, especially one of my girls who had to be taken to the Walk in Clinic. The second week I got to cabin lead a great bunch of girls that got along very well, sometimes a little too well. This is when I saw God work in me and give me the fruit of the spirit. The other two weeks I was volunteering at camp, I was on campus care duty. While doing campus care I was able to grow great relationships with the other staff members on campus care duty with me. All four volunteer weeks were tiring but very rewarding, especially seeing the smiles on the kids faces. I got to learn more about God, and I got to see him working in others around me. My favorite part about being at camp is the people, they are all very supportive and friendly, overall it’s just an amazing community to be around. – Kiahna Oeste

++

Hello! This marks the end of another summer as a cabin leader at Gem Lake Wilderness Camp. I had an amazing two months full of fun times, new experiences, strong connections with campers and staff, all while being right in the middle of God’s good creation. Each year God seems to teach me something new up and camp, or at least remind me of something that I’d forgotten or pushed to the side. This year, I would say that I felt the push to get my priorities back in line. Back in the city I knew that I was starting to push God farther back in my life, but being up here and having many of the common distractions stripped away really convicted me about just how many things I had placed ahead of God in my list of priorities. I know this will be a struggle as long as we are on earth, but I hope this transition out of the camp season will be a turning point for me. Of course, God worked in the lives of the campers too, which is especially evident during our one-on-one times, which were definitely a highlight for me each week. These are times where, each day, we get to spend time with one of the campers who is up that week; just me and them. They let us get to know the camper better and build more trust than we can with our entire cabin group, and they often lead to some pretty special conversations and relationships. One of my one-on-ones in particular really stands out to me. In one of our earlier weeks, I was paired with a kid who was especially challenging. They were clearly trying to see how far they could go before I would snap and get angry. With a good helping of supernatural patience, I stayed patient and steady when I spent time with this camper, and I did my best to reflect the fact that no matter how much we may mess up or rebel against God, He will always love us and welcome us back with open arms. I saw the fruits of my labor at the party on the last day of camp when this camper, who I thought I wasn’t reaching, breaks down and admits what a great week they’ve had and how much they’ll miss me and the camp. It was a powerful reminder that what myself and the staff team are doing is truly having a positive impact on the youth that come up. – Ethan Hildebrand

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Camp has always had a special place in my heart. It is where I grew to know Christ more in my faith walk, and it is where I built a community that I now call family. This has now been my fifth summer working at Camp Nutimik, and it has been an honour to serve in the way that I have this summer.

I was able to work on some administrative duties in the spring, which meant a lot of time in the office! But through that I was able to help prepare certain things in place so that the kids would have a smooth time once they arrived at camp. I am very grateful to have helped in this way!

I also had the opportunity to be a leader for the Steps programs at camp, which are our leadership programs. This is where I was able to walk alongside some of the future leaders of camp, and it was so clear to see how God worked in the lives of those kids specifically in order to bring them to where they are today. It was amazing to see how joyful the campers were, no matter how tough the experience might be; like accidentally tipping a canoe during the canoe trip or staying in a tent with one too many spiders! Overall, being a part of these leadership programs was a huge blessing. It felt like a full circle moment!

I was also able to cabin lead during our classic camp this summer. I especially loved getting to dive into Psalm 139 during high school week. Both my co cabin leader and I wanted to drive home the fact that Jesus knows THEM and loves them despite it all. Little by little, our girls warmed up both to us and the rest of the cabin. With the way that the week went on, it was very clear to see how God specifically put this cabin together. I am still in awe whenever I think about it.

It was an amazing summer. I want to thank Whyte Ridge for supporting me this summer, and for helping me and many others be a part of being able to share God’s love with those around us at camp! – Paola Gonzalez

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My name is Emma Wynne, this year at camp I got to serve in the roles of Girls Unit Leader and Waterfront Lead. In these roles I got to walk beside and help mentor our summer staff as they grow in their roles as leaders in the cabins and mentor the lifeguards/ waterfront staff. God put together our team in such phenomenal ways such as filling important gaps such as camp cooks, speakers, and health officers. Each week presented new campers, new challenges, and new opportunities to show Gods love to kids. From my point of view, I got to watch cabin leaders form connections with each camper so carefully and so intentionally share Gods word and love with them. The staff take interest in what each child’s hobbies, interests, worries, and joys are. Each day is an opportunity to pray over, invest in, and have fun with these kids. the days are spent doing skills such as canoeing and archery, playing wide games with such a fun intensity, and praising God for it all in chapels and firesides. To sit back and watch kids discover who God is and have a spark started in their hearts is one of the most incredible things you can witness. The hardest part of the week is saying goodbye to these kids at the end. As they go home, we as staff pray over campers knowing that they are being sent out into a broken world. Camp is for planting seeds; our prayer is that those seeds get watered once they go back into the world.

In my other role at camp, I got to see Gods provision, grace, and protection over our waterfront. Our waterfront team was filled with wonderful lifeguards who mentored each other and were constantly looking to interact and create the best experience for the kids. God’s hand of protection was over our waterfront protecting us from weather and helping us prevent potential accidents and injuries. God was always reminding us that He was holding us in His hands. The right people were always in the right place, at the right time. Serving at the waterfront or in other words God’s lakeside temple, opened the door to sitting in total awe and coming to a place of surrender in His great power, grace, and incredible love.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this ministry and those serving through prayer, financial support, and encouragement.

++

Hi church, my name is Rachel Laldin and I worked at Lake Nutimik Baptist Camp for four weeks this past summer. This was the second summer I’ve worked there, and I love it because because of the community within the staff. The interactions I get with campers, though few, are very important and special to me. For example, I got to connect with this one middle years camper through a wide game. This wide game was led by support staff while cabin leaders did paperwork. I enjoyed forming a relationship with this camper through little conversations and celebrating our wins! This was extra special to me because this camper is from WRBC.

I worked as a support staff on the campus care team doing housekeeping and dishes. Some housekeeping responsibilities included making sure the camp is clean and tidy, cleaning washrooms and setting up for chapels. I also served on the worship team in chapels by playing bass guitar, two worship nights for the intermediate and high school weeks and I even got to be on the drama team for a couple of weeks – that stretched me because I’ve never been too open to the idea of acting :). This turned out to be a huge blessing during the weeks because it was a way for the campers to get to know me.

Over the summer I have experienced God’s work in myself and our staff team. He provided the energy, strength, words and stamina to go through every week with new campers. If there’s one thing that this summer taught me it’s Matthew 11:28-30 which says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Thank you church for supporting me this summer. I recognize and appreciate your investment in my growth!


A Time in Thailand with Tim and Brenda

Tim and Brenda Noble will be sharing about how they saw God at work during their summer trip to Thailand and their work here.

Wednesday, September 20, 7:00-8:30pm in the Fireside Room.


NEW NAB Missionary Seasonal Newsletters

 

 


Mexico Mission Fundraisers - Sunday, May 14 and Saturday May 27!


SAVE THE DATES:  Sunday, May 14 and Saturday, May 27!

Mark your calendar and plan to join us as we support our youth as they prepare to go to Mexico in August!

See you there!

 


Celebrating 20 Years in Brazil

CELEBRATING LESSONS LEARNED: 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING

 

As I have shared my missionary experiences, over the years I have had people tell me that I should write a book. If I did it would certainly be a humorous one. Not that I think serving the Lord is funny. I just know first-hand that it can be rather amusing to take someone away from everything they know and plop them into a place they are completely unfamiliar with! But besides the funny stories, I would write about how I have changed, and important lessons learned. And I would dedicate it to my four grandparents, whose frequent prayers paved the way for me to end up where I am today.

On this, my 20th anniversary in Brazil, I don’t have time to write a book. But I would like to share a couple of things I have learned to commemorate this day. Perhaps it will become the start of a couple of chapters in a book one day. Like the last 20 years, only the Lord knows.

Lesson #1: The depth of my faith in the Lord is equally measurable to my ability to trust Him. Because trust is the foundation and the starting place of faith. Before coming to the mission field, I had no need to trust in God. In fact, I put my trust in myself and my parents. If I couldn’t figure out how to solve a problem, Mom and Dad were always there. It wasn’t as though I didn’t dedicate time to the Lord and for serving Him. I did my daily devotions; I was active in my church and even my job was a ministry position. But I now recognize that my faith was shallow because I didn’t depend on God for anything. Life in Brazil changed that. When I arrived, all I had was God. I didn’t even have myself because I had no clue how to exist in this place and couldn’t speak the language. However, in the last 20 years I have learned to trust in the Lord even when I can figure things out myself. I experience that “peace that passeth all understanding.” And my faith is much deeper and richer because of it. Of course, at times I slip up. But even then, I always come back to the Lord because I know He has what I need.

Lesson #2: At the very core of love, is sacrifice. At the start of 2009 I was feeling extremely alone. While I felt fulfilled ministerially, I remember telling the Lord that I only had about one more year left to give as a missionary before the loneliness would be too much for me to bear. Enter an average height, dark and handsome man into my life! And that smile! Paulo Andre Requia melted my heart. Except there was one problem – HE WAS MY STUDENT! Oh, the scandal! But we were in love, and the Lord blessed our coming together through the Seminary director and our pastors. Before this, I had thought being a single missionary was a sacrifice, but now I was confronted with the reality that the greater sacrifice was getting married. Was I truly ready to give up my future for our future? Was I willing to spend the rest of my life in Brazil, far away from my family and culture? I loved my independence, but did I love Paulo Requia more? Well, I think we all know the answer to these questions! Marrying Paulo was about loving him, but it also became about loving Brazilians and accepting love from them. To love, we must start giving ourselves away, pieces at a time. And loving Jesus, means giving up my whole self to him.

Lesson #3: You never heal from the wound grief leaves on your heart. Many people have experience much more loss than I have, and I would never attempt to understand how deep their grief is. But I do know that grief leaves its mark on our hearts – a permanent scar. At times, the pain of my grief ebbs and flows like the waves in the ocean. At other times, it comes unexpectedly like a tidal wave and knocks me off my feet. But as Paulo said to me soon after losing my dad, “You will get through this. You will learn to live with the grief.” There are many moments I wish I could share with my dad, like today. He was even in Brazil for my first anniversary here. To be honest, I don’t want this pain to go away, because the more I feel the pain, the more it shows what my dad meant to me – what he still means to me. So, I cherish the scar on my heart because it represents the important place Dad had in my life.

I finish this reflection with a thankful heart to the Lord, to my family and friends, to my missionary partners who support me and the North American Baptist Conference, to my Brazilian church and the Seminary, and to my Paulo. Thank you for believing in me and the Lord’s calling on my life. Thank you for praying for me. Thank you for accepting me and loving me. And thank you for teaching me by living out what you believe and speak. I am forever grateful for all that you’ve done in my life!

Lyndell (March 15, 2023)


Missionary Newsletters

The latest NAB missionary newsletters are available HERE.


In-Person Perspectives Course at Millar Winnipeg!

Do you want to learn more about God’s movement to bring glory to Himself throughout the world? Do you want to learn more about His purposes for you and the Church in fulfilling the Rev. 7 vision of seeing people of every tribe, tongue and nation before the throne worshipping God and the Lamb? Take Perspectives! This isn’t only for those going overseas on missions, but for all who are involved in God’s ultimate purpose to bring glory to Himself, to bless all peoples and to defeat the forces aligned against His will. Discounts available! Register at perspectivescanada.outreach.ca. Starts March 2 at Millar College of the Bible Winnipeg!


World Watch List 2023 - Praying for Persecuted Christians

This is Open Doors 30th-anniversary edition of the World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 countries where Christians experience the most extreme persecution.

Published every January, it is a unique, in-depth record of the places where faith in Jesus costs the most, helping to demonstrate the enormous scale of the persecution being faced by Christians around the world.

Every year, The World Watch List stirs more and more people to wake up to the reality of extreme persecution. It is more than just a list – it helps us not only to pray for the persecuted church, but also to speak up for those who are being silenced, and to take action to help those in need of love and support.

Download your copy of this year’s World Watch List guide here.

Also available here: World-Watch-List-2023


4HG Youth Ministries Missions Session

For those aged 16+, join us on Sunday, January 22 following the church service for a 4HG Youth Ministries Missions Information Session!

This session will include information regarding the Tijuana (Mexico) Mission Trip 2023 (Goal and Vision, what to expect, and what the plan for the lead-up is going to be).

For details, contact Pastor Rudy!


WRBC Missions Prayer Card 2023

Click here for the most recent WRBC Missions Prayer Card 2023: WRBC-Missions-Prayer-Card-2023-Final (hardcopy available at the Welcome Centre). 


Missionfest Manitoba - February 3-5, 2023

Missionfest Manitoba is back! This year, it will return to it’s “normal” time: the first weekend of February (3-5) at Church of the Rock!

Come hear inspiring speakers and breakout session presenters tell of what God is doing throughout the world and the many ways you can be part of God’s mission.

There will be a mini-Missionfest for children and an “After Hours” event for youth and young adults on Friday evening featuring Bread We Break. We exist to challenge every Christian to be Great Commission informed, inspired and involved.


A Summer at Winkler Bible Camp

Thank you, Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, for your support to me through prayer and finances while I was serving at Winkler Bible Camp this summer. It is such a blessing to know I have so many people supporting the work with kids at camp. Here is a little bit of information on what I was doing during the summer and some of the highlights.

I was at camp for a total of 17 weeks. The first nine weeks (in spring) consisted of site projects, maintenance, rental groups, and planning for summer camps. We do a lot of our summer camp prep in those two months before summer, so we make new activities, liven up some of the old ones, and plan what the kids are going to do. We also had school groups and companies rent our site during the day that we would help with.

The next eight weeks was running summer camp! For me, that consisted of running a smaller area of camp called Teepee Village. It is a kilometer into the bush with no electricity or running water and offers a great space to make deep connections with everyone there. A highlight out there was an evening around the fire; one of the leaders had his guitar and we had an impromptu worship time. I also was part of a skit that would run every day at chapel – I was the main character. The skit was completely original to the camp and followed the story of some adventurers trying to find the kingdom of heaven, represented as the “Lost City of Gold.”

Teepee Village didn’t run all summer, so the other weeks I was helping out wherever needed at the main camp.  But throughout the summer I was able to make deeper connections with other staff and we spent some late nights talking about faith. All in all, it was an awesome summer of being able to do ministry and I am hoping to do it again next year.

Thank you!
David Woelk


A Summer at Gem Lake

Hello all! My name is Ethan Hildebrand and I spent my summer as a cabin leader at Gem Lake Wilderness Camp this year. Gem Lake is run by Inner City Youth Alive, an organization that is specifically aimed at bringing the hope of the gospel to those who live in the North End, especially the youth. I’m super thankful to have spent my summer up at Gem Lake, and I can honestly say I’ve had a very impactful two months. With it being my first normal summer up at camp, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. There were some nerves, lots of unknowns, and a whole lot of excitement, but through it all, I knew that God had brought me back up to camp for a reason, and he certainly showed his hand over the course of the summer.

In a summer of fun and meaningful moments, one stands out to me in particular. Coming back from a one-on-one time, a camper and I were having a conversation about camp, which shifted to a conversation about God and the existence of God. This camper hadn’t been particularly open to spiritual conversations during our past times together, but he had actually asked questions this time. I saw a hunger for truth in him, and it was a very tangible piece of evidence that what I and the staff team are doing up here is truly making a difference. It was a great summer, and I’m glad I followed God’s calling to serve at camp this summer.


Thank you from WRBC’s Ukrainian Task Force

WRBC’s Ukrainian Task Force thanks everyone who donated household cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, dishes and food.


Ministering to Ukrainian Refugees - Explore NAB Update

For the latest NAB Updates on our denominational response to the Ukraine Crisis, view the latest Explore NAB Update.  An excerpt from the latest update is below.

Ministering to Ukraine Refugees

NAB Northwest Regional Minister Marcus Elmer, Pastor Nick Jackson, and Pastor Pavel Sandu with a Moldovan pastor and his wife.

We have been excited to hear the many stories of local NAB churches throughout Canada and the US engaging with Ukrainian refugee care. We have also been overwhelmed by the response from the conference as a whole to our own Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

The following story comes from one of our NAB churches in the Northwest Association. A few months back, Pastor Pavel Sandu of Golgotha Romanian Baptist Church in Tacoma, Washington, invited Marcus Elmer, interim regional minister for the NAB Northwest Association, and Pastor Nick Jackson of Timberline Baptist Church in Lacey, Washington, to accompany him on a 10-day encouragement trip to Moldova. Golgotha’s engagement with Ukrainian refugee care aligns well with the vision and mission of the NAB. While it is not the practice of the NAB to promote funding individual ministries of our NAB churches, we are sharing this story as it was presented to us from the Northwest Association leadership, and it includes an opportunity to support the ministry presented in this story.

One day we visited the border crossing at Palanca, Moldova. We witnessed refugees crossing the border by foot and in cars. We went there also to encourage the Christian volunteers that were working on both sides of the border. The volunteers are from Christian churches in Moldova, staffing the border crossing 24/7, offering snacks, water, information and help. Their yellow vests read “Praying for Ukraine.” We delivered some hot food to the volunteers and thanked them for their dedication.

[…]

Singerei Bible Camp is a ministry of the Baptist Union denomination of churches in Moldova. . . . By God’s sovereign hand, the camp had recently completed the construction of two brand new group homes that were planned to serve as orphanages staffed by live-in parents. These two new homes on the camp grounds had just been completed before the refugee crisis in February. Therefore, the homes were immediately re-purposed for the refugees. Each home can house up to 8 families. The camp currently hosts over 100 refugees.

Click here to read the full recap of their trip, including more about their visit to Singerei Bible Camp and visits to a host of churches. You can also support Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons by giving to the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.


Summer Missions Report

This summer I was on staff for the high school missions program, Bonfire, at YWAM Mendocino Coast. This program consists of 2 weeks on the YWAM base, followed by a missions trip for the final week. This year, we had 7 staff and 9 students.

On the base, we had classes on the Holy Spirit, values & culture, the Father heart of God, discerning God’s voice, spiritual warfare, some valuable tools for ministry, and more! We also had team-building activities, prayer and worship times, and fun field trips, including ocean kayaking and bonfires on the beach. These two weeks were packed full of fun and challenges as we got to know each other and both students and staff were learning a lot. God did so many little miracles, and several of our students had major growth and breakthrough with God in various areas of their lives!

For the third week, we drove to Vicente Guerrero, Mexico, and partnered with some ministries in the area; helping build a school for adults who didn’t have access to education, and spending time visiting a ministry for women and their children who are leaving situations of abuse. Getting to know and bless the women and children even for a couple days was beautiful and impactful, and it was also very encouraging to see what the long-term workers have accomplished as they follow God and build this ministry.

Also on outreach, I got to, with our school leader, baptize 4 of the students! I love baptisms because they are such a tangible picture of what God is doing in someone’s life, and it’s very exciting to see them taking that step of commitment, so I was very honoured to be a part of that for our students.

Throughout this program, I learned a lot about my gifts and leading along with the Holy Spirit. It is amazing to see God bring things I dreamed of into reality as I step forward in faith, and I’m so thankful to my church family for supporting me in this!

Thanks for reading, and let me know if you want to hear more! God bless!

Alexis Cooper


WRBC Ukrainian Task Force - Donation Drive August 1 - 19

Approximately 40-60 displaced Ukrainian families are arriving in Wpg. daily. The province of Manitoba, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Ukrainian National Federation and hundreds of volunteers are warmly welcoming these newcomers and providing many services and supports as these newcomers settle in Winnipeg or rural Manitoba.

Their needs are many.

WRBC’s Ukrainian Task Force is asking the church to help meet some of these needs. From August 1-19, we are collecting new pillows, household items such laundry detergent, J cloths, shampoo, and toothbrushes. A complete listing is provided on the insert in your church bulletin. A donation box at the church is available.

If you would like to give a monetary donation, 2 trusted Ukrainian organizations are listed and the money will be used for needs in Winnipeg.

This photo is from Ukrainian National Federation(UNF) at 935 Main St. where newcomers pick up cleaning supplies, personal supplies such as soap, toothpaste and food.  The need for donations to help the displaced is great.

SaSample Donations


 


Needed: Food Bank Substitute Drivers

Needed: Food Bank Substitute Drivers – 2:15 pm pickup at Harvest MB, 1085 Winnipeg Ave. 
Usually done at WRBC by 3:30 pm.  Thursday afternoons – as needed.  Willing to serve in this way? Please contact the church office.


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