Stories - Whyte Ridge Baptist Church

Stories of Church Family Ministry – Summer 2024

Posted on October 11, 2024

Praise God that this summer our church family has been able to support 13 of our youth and young adults who decided to use their summer months to serve God in either a Christian Camp, or parachurch, setting. Here are a few of their stories!

Rachel Laldin

Hi Church,

My name is Rachel Laldin and I got the chance to work at Camp Nutimik for 6 weeks this summer! This is my third year being on staff. I was hired as part of the Housekeeping Team, however I was stretched in other ways as well. I did spend four weeks on the Housekeeping Team, but I also spent one week Cabin Leading and two weeks as the Campus Care Lead. It was good to see the different sides of Campus Care from a leadership perspective. That week gave me a desire to step up for other leadership opportunities in the future.

During my week as a Cabin Leader, Kiahna Oeste and I led some of the Whyte Ridge middle years’ girls! We were able to build connections and grow relationships with them that I hope will continue at church. We had many great memories and times for spiritual growth. We were able to share testimonies and pray through shared experiences. Pastor Rudy had just led a chapel talking about the Holy Spirit. He then told us to share our experience of how the Holy Spirit had worked in our lives. After sharing, we extended this opportunity and found that we had more in common than we thought. Wes Krahn had been a spiritual mentor for many of us, both at church and at school. His influence was a common thread in testimonies, and the girls shared about how they could see the Holy Spirit working through him in different ways. I’m praying that our girls continue to seek God through this coming school year and know His presence with them.

I would like to thank Whyte Ridge Baptist Church for supporting me with prayer and financial support.

Rachel Laldin

Emma Wynne

My Name is Emma Wynne, this summer I had the opportunity to serve at Camp Nutimik as a Program Lead and the Waterfront Lead. From the point of view of a Program Lead, I got to watch staff members invest in their campers, showing a deep profound love and energy that only comes from the Holy Spirit. I got to spend spring in a season of planning out camp program such as games, schedule, biblical teaching curriculum, and training our summer staff. 

This summer we emphasized the idea of Shouting with Joy inspired from the scripture in Psalm 100. We looked at the gospel of Jesus and why we have reason to Shout with Joy. Jesus has beaten death and made a way for us to rejoice in Him in heaven for all eternity! It was truly a privilege to walk alongside staff as they dig deep in their faith and share the gospel with their campers. 

In my waterfront position, I got to lead a wonderful team of guards that care deeply about creating an environment where it is safe to experience God’s beautiful creation and provide new experiences such as canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding for so many kids. Much of the work I had the privilege of doing this summer, was encouraging our staff as they serve, help grow and develop our camp leaders, and pay attention to how God was using our circumstances to create opportunity to Glorify Him further. Praise God for the seeds that were planted, the staff who are excited to share the good news, and the first time commitments/ rededication’s that we get to celebrate. 

Jackson Wynne

Hello, My name is Jackson Wynne and this summer I served at Camp Nutimik for 6 weeks of the summer fulfilling the roles of a Steps Mentor and the Worship Arts Lead.

As a Steps Mentor I was a cabin leader for the 3 leadership programs we offer, Step Up, Step In, and Step Out. Within these programs we teach the kids how to become leaders and how to work as a team to achieve goals and live a life that is honouring to God. Each group had a very different feel to how they operated with each other, some groups were more sporty and some were very artsy, and all the in-betweens, but what was super cool was to see how they used their gifts and past experiences to connect to us as leaders, to their peers, and eventually to the campers in the other programs that were younger and had these future leaders to look up to. Each group had many GITs (Group Initiative Tasks) that challenged their brains and bodies that we as leaders got to watch and experience with them. As I watched these GITs and activities it reminded me of when I was involved in the steps program and what God had done for me when I was in those kids shoes, I was able to use examples and stories from my time in the program and apply them to lessons in evening devotionals like how God is always walking with us and how he will not fail or give up on us. God was able to use me and my experience as a leader at camp and as a camper to guide these kids and encourage them to step up in their faith and grow into spiritual leaders.

The Step Up program graduated and became staff this year and put them to the task of being leaders to their first group of campers whether that meant cabin leading, doing dishes, leading devos, or cleaning toilets. It was incredible to see their progress as leaders and their openness to come with questions that either they had, or their campers had to their leaders and now peers and that I can still be apart in guiding them and working with them to share Gods word and love.

The other part of my Job was the Worship Arts Lead position, which gave me the responsibility of running Chapels everyday as well as Firesides every other night. Music is one gift from God that he has blessed me with and he has been guiding me over the past couple years into leading worship sessions in church, chapels, and everywhere I go. The big lesson I felt from God this summer in both Jobs was that I am not in control of the future and I cannot do things how I want but instead I must do things the way he has planned for me. In chapels at the beginning of the summer I felt I was occupied with doing everything right and making it to a certain standard that I forgot to actually worship… Now after one week of that during staff training week, I realized that I needed to let go of my standard and let God speak through the songs we sing and let my voice shout in pure Awe and worship. He has help me to let go and understand that my job is not to put on a show (as I do usually in music school), but to guide others in pure Worship.

Thank you for supporting me and the camp in sharing the Gospel and Gods unfailing love to the kids who come and get to experience the Joy of the Lord.

Rachel Kartesz

I am so thankful for all the financial and prayer support I have received from my wonderful church family at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church! This summer, I had the privilege to work for Youth for Christ, with inner-city youth in the North End. I have many stories of ways I’ve seen God work in the hearts of the youth this summer, but the one I will share is about three siblings, and the heart changes God began. They began the summer with no interest in Jesus whatsoever. Whenever we had our X-Factors, the scheduled time to talk to the youth about Jesus, they seemed disengaged. But God is always working, even when it seems He isn’t. After the X-Factors, we always had small group time to unpack Christian concepts with the youth. By the end of the summer, one of my coworkers was having some small group time with the three siblings, and he asked them whether they would be interested in pursuing a relationship with God. The younger siblings said “no”, but the oldest said “maybe”, which prompted the younger siblings to change their answers to maybe as well. From that moment, I observed a growing desire and curiosity to know Jesus from the eldest sibling. His mother has even expressed an interest in getting baptised!

This story is just one beautiful example of how youth ministry can impact entire families with a desire to know Christ and pursue Him. Please be in prayer for this family, that they would continue to take meaningful steps toward knowing Christ and His will for their lives. This summer, God has focused my heart on this idea of having a “legacy of faith”. When we don’t know Christ, we are stuck in a broken “legacy of sin”. I saw the effects of this legacy of sin and brokenness in the North End this summer, in broken families, poverty, addiction, and other life difficulties. God used this summer to impart on me a greater understanding of his grace to invite EVERYONE into the “legacy of faith”, no matter who we are or where we come from, he wants to invite us into his family, into this legacy of faith. We are all so deeply connected to one another, and the story of the three siblings embodies this. A single choice to be curious can prompt an entire family to a change of heart about what they want their legacy to be.

Filed Under: Ministry Report, Missions, News, Stories

A Prayer Letter from Katy

Posted on October 11, 2024

Dear Church Family,

I am currently in a campaign to increase my ministry support to 100%, so that I am fully funded as the Ministry Director of Turning Point Counselling. You may have received a letter from my supervisor, Ashley Klassen, to announce the beginning of my campaign.

I am writing this letter to ask if you will please pray for me as I enter this next phase of my journey. It is my understanding that many ministry staff must campaign at various times throughout their career. As such, I want to start this journey on a foundation of prayer, and seeking the Lord for His heart, so I ask you to join me with the following prayer requests:
— Please pray that God would continue to give me wisdom to lead the Turning Point Counselling Ministry well, and the grace to balance all the different “hats” I wear: Supervisor, Counsellor, Administrator, Fundraiser, etc.!
— That God would call professionally trained and ministry-minded counsellors to join our team.
— For the clients that come through our doors—that God would enable and equip our counsellors to meet them where they are at, to journey with them, and to exemplify the hope and healing that comes from Jesus Christ.

If you have not received a magnet from me yet, please update your contact info here: here so I can send you one in the mail! I would ask you to please hang it on your fridge to help you remember me in prayer. I would also ask that you join my ministry Facebook group by clicking on this link:

If you would like to join my inner-circle prayer team in order to receive more detailed, personal, and regular ministry requests, please contact me. You can reach me by email here or by calling 204-227-5701. Also, any questions or messages of encouragement from you would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely in Christ,

Katy Mesics
Ministry Director of Turning Point Counselling | Youth for Christ Winnipeg

Filed Under: Faith Story, Ministry Report, Missions, News, Stories

An Invitation to Partnership from Katy Mesics

Posted on October 11, 2024

Hello Church Family!

God is using the ministry of YFC Winnipeg in powerful ways to reach students with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Our mission is essential, because the youth of Winnipeg are struggling daily with damaged relationships, various addictions, the trappings of technology, and in many cases, life without hope.

As you may know, I am currently in a campaign to increase my ministry support, so that I am fully funded as the Ministry Director of Turning Point Counselling. I continue to serve youth and families in many areas to reach them with the hope that only Jesus can provide:

– Leading the Counselling Ministry, including supervising our staff team.
– Counselling youth ages 12-21 and their families.
– Providing mental health education and support to the greater YFC Winnipeg staff.

God can use you in this vital ministry as well, and a huge thanks to you if you are already part of my team! I believe God has equipped me for this position, but I cannot fulfill this ministry role alone. Just like any other missionary I need a team of people to pray, volunteer, and give generously towards my ministry.

Would you become a monthly partner with YFC Winnipeg—towards my support? God has already provided 40% of what I need, and am looking to raise my full support by October 31, 2024.

To give online click the link or scan the QR code below: https://yfc.ca/winnipeg/team/katy-mesics/

I hope to touch base with you in the coming weeks to answer any questions you may have. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Many Blessings,

Katy Mesics
Turning Point Ministry Director | YFC Winnipeg

Filed Under: 65+, Adult Ministry News, Faith Story, Men, Ministry Report, Missions, News, Stories, Women, Young Adults

Power of Prayer on Display as New Premier Steps Forward

Posted on November 2, 2023

Power of Prayer on Display as New Premier Steps Forward:

Link: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/10/20/power-of-prayer-on-display-as-new-premier-steps-forward

Filed Under: News, Stories

Eleven Days in Kyiv

Posted on November 2, 2023

Ab Chudley has left 2 copies of his recently published book, Eleven Days in Kyiv, for members of our church to borrow to read. It is based on his experience in Ukraine as an exchange teacher to the medical school and postgraduate institution in 1992 shortly after Ukraine had achieved it’s independence from the former Soviet Union. It is based on a diary that he kept during the visit. He has included his personal testimony that he gave to Whyte Ridge Baptist Church in January 9, 2022. If you would like to borrow this book, please contact the church office. Ab-Chudley-11-Days-in-Kviv22.

Filed Under: News, Stories

Camp Stories

Posted on October 13, 2023

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.

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

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

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!

Filed Under: Missions, Stories

Serving at Camp Nutimik

Posted on September 1, 2023

This summer, I felt God put it on my heart to come back and work at Camp Nutimik again, and what a blessing it was!! I served for two weeks as the head lifeguard, and two weeks in the kitchen.

Working at the waterfront was special for me because I spent a lot of time there when I was growing up, and through some of the special memories I have, God reminded me how this is a place where people get to meet with Him in a fun and unique way. This perspective really changed the way I worked and gave me joy in a lot of the behind-the-scenes jobs because I got to be part of preparing that special place for others.
During my time in the kitchen, He taught me about hospitality and how simple things like food, and making food that people with various needs can enjoy, really helps build a safe environment where people feel welcome. And when they feel cared for in that way, they are so much more open to have fun and grow in other areas. All of the parts in our ministry teams are so essential, and seeing their value in a new light was really helpful for me.

Throughout the summer I got to meet and spend time with lots of campers, which always brings joy to my heart. One week, a friend told me about the incredible growth that her campers experienced, and I could see the difference – from little knowledge or interest in God to openness and connection to what they were learning, and to each other. I knew in that moment that, like the one lost sheep, if that was the only testimony we brought out of this summer, it would all be worth it because of how precious they are to the Father. We had so many testimonies though! God is so faithful. I also got to connect, work together with, pour into, and be blessed by some really amazing staff.

It was clear God had me there for a reason, and I had a great time! Thank you Whyte Ridge for supporting me, and being a part of changing kids’ lives with His love!!

Alexis Cooper

Filed Under: Stories

Serving with YWAM

Posted on September 1, 2023

Hi everyone!
This update is a little late, but I’ve been serving with YWAM Mendocino for about the last year, and I’m super thankful for for the church’s support!
Since January, I have spent about 6 months there and done a lot of work on media and hospitality (cleaning). It’s been an awesome growing experience for me, so I wanted to share a few highlights and testimonies!
-In the spring, I was a student in their brand new School of Arts and Illustration! I got to really dive further into, and develop, my art skills while learning more about the power of our creative tools and how to partner with God in them!
-I had the opportunity to go with a team that was teaching at another base’s Discipleship Training School, and got to pray for each of the students and several staff individually. They grew so much!
-I went on a short outreach to a New Age Expo, where we had a booth praying for people and sharing how God sees them. In one weekend there were six salvations, many physical healings, and countless other testimonies!
-I got to help represent my base at a YWAM conference! During that week, we learned a lot, built connections, spent time refocusing on what God has for us as a movement, and even did evangelism in a refugee camp!

It’s hard to sum up all that God’s been doing in my life, but I just want to share how faithful He has been!

My plan for the fall is to head back to California and continue working with YWAM Mendocino! I’m on staff again for the upcoming Spirit and Truth Bible Seminar and will also be working on the media team for the base.
If you’d like to hear more about this past year or my plans for the upcoming one, please let me know! I’m so thankful for my church family!

Alexis Cooper

Filed Under: Stories

A Summer at Winkler Bible Camp

Posted on October 7, 2022

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

Filed Under: Missions, News, Stories

A Summer at Gem Lake

Posted on September 15, 2022

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.

Filed Under: Missions, News, Stories

Summer Missions Report

Posted on August 14, 2022

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

Filed Under: Faith Story, Missions, News, Stories

What does it mean to have freedom in Christ?

Posted on January 19, 2021

Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.”

To me it looks like a contradiction, “I am free to do what you want, not what I want.” That is what it means, but to us that looks like obeying someone else, not freedom. Many years ago when I lived in Sioux Lookout, I had an experience that helped me understand this idea. If we think of life as a journey, this experience seems very relevant.

I used to go cross-country skiing each day when I finished work. There was a 5 km trail that a friend and I would go on every day. The trail was not flat like Manitoba, but rather adventurous. You know it gets dark early in Canadian winters, so we would “race the dark” many times.

As the weeks went by, we got to know the trail very well: at each place, we would know what was next, whether a sharp turn or a hill, or whatever. This meant that we could ski very quickly along the “racing loop.” I could go at top speed even if it started to get dark, because I knew what to do next. I never moved the wrong direction to ski off the trail or to bump into trees or rocks. I was free to hit my top speed, like the Psalmist saying, “I run in the path of your commands.”

If I had wanted to be truly “free” to “do what I wanted” I could go off the trail, but I would end up in deep snow. I would have to ski very slowly, and be careful of rocks and little bushes, and I would be exploring so I would be unsure of where I was going. That’s fun too, but not as it’s getting dark!

I think that’s what “freedom in Christ” is like in the journey of our lives. If we have no path, we start off doing what we want to, but we can get lost or caught in bushes (like the lost sheep), in the dark. If we want to run quickly, God has provided a path in His Word. He also sets us free from the things in our hearts that would tangle us up (like the Israelites coming out of slavery in Egypt to worship God in their own land, or Hebrews 12:1-2).

I see this is Psalm 37:4 as well: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This doesn’t mean we get whatever we want. “Freedom in Christ” is not taking away external things that stop us from doing what we want, but breaking the power of the internal things that hinder us from desiring what is good. God’s purpose is to change our hearts so we truly love Him and understand what He wants. When we want what He wants, then we really can do what we want to do: and then of course we get His very best!

To do this means training our heart to love God and seek His will, which changes our hearts to find joy in following His path, wherever it leads. Then we can run freely and joyfully in His path. Happy skiing!

Filed Under: News, Stories

Reflections on Passover and COVID-19

Posted on April 11, 2020

So many times in history people’s lives were suddenly and shockingly changed: various Communist or military take overs, wars, floods, epidemics. COVID-19 is such an event for our generation.

Interesting that this is happening during Lent in our part of the world. I’ve been thinking of the Passover, when Jewish people stayed in their homes, with lamb’s blood on their doorframes, so the angel of death would pass over them. Isaiah 26:20 also says, “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.”

If we look at the context, God’s people are to hide because His wrath is not directed at them but at His enemies. We don’t know all God’s purposes in the spiritual realm, but this does feel like waiting for the Angel of Death to pass over our homes, only more insecure because there is no lamb’s blood that will protect us physically and COVID-19 is not directed at specific people.

What were God’s people to do as they waited? They were to prepare for action, including getting rid of the yeast in their homes which would slow them down from obeying God’s command to move forward. This is likewise a time for each of us to examine ourselves and get rid of the yeast in our own homes, which keep us from God. How about busyness and distractions that cause us to lose sight of true values and priorities? What about feelings of self-sufficiency and control over our own lives which blind us to need for God? Or selfishness which blinds us to the needs of others? Invisible, powerful enemies can defeat us.

We’re aware there is no lamb’s blood that will protect us from COVID-19. There is no barrier we can put up, which is why we need to keep distance from each other. Jesus gave us a warning and a comfort, just before He took on the role of Passover Lamb: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Perhaps the big question for us is: will we participate in His victory? Will COVID-19 help us work on dumping our spiritual yeast and drawing closer to our Heavenly Father? Will we be ready to do whatever He asks of us as we connect with others virtually, and as we come out of our homes again?

– Brenda Noble

Filed Under: News, Stories

God Story: Sebastian Klassen

Posted on November 9, 2019

For those who don’t know me, my name is Sebastian Klassen. Over the last three years during my time at university I have made Whyte Ridge Baptist my home Church in Winnipeg. I am grateful for the welcoming environment and the friendly people at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church.

This summer I had the opportunity to work at Winkler Bible Camp. Winkler Bible Camp (WBC) is a safe place for kids to come during summer. At WBC kids have the opportunity to develop new skills, make new friends and grow closer to God. WBC shares the gospel with kids that are not yet Christians as well as helps kids who are Christians to continue to grow in their own faith. One of the things that I like about working at Winkler Bible Camp is that they also work with staff in their own faith journey. I can confidently say that I have matured as a Christian while working at WBC. My highlights from this summer was playing with the kids at activities and singing songs in Chapel.

I would like to thank Whyte Ridge Baptist Church for being my home church in Winnipeg while I was at university. It was a privilege to attend WRBC and make connections with many of you. You may not see me much as I have moved back to Winkler.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Sebastian Klassen

Filed Under: News, Stories

Update on Marijuana Legalization (Bill C-45): Passed Into Law

Posted on June 24, 2018

On June 21, 2018, Bill C-45 (Legalization of Marijuana) received Royal Ascent making Canada only the second nation in the world to legalize marijuana. (Uruguay is the only other country where marijuana is legal.)

The federal government has declared that October 17, 2018 will be the first day that marijuana may legally be sold, purchased and consumed. They said that the delay is necessary to give the provinces time to prepare the framework for enforcing the new law, to set up production, and sales and distribution systems.

Here in Manitoba, the provincial government has set 19 as the legal age for consuming marijuana (one year older than the federal law) and has banned the home cultivation of marijuana (which the federal law allows). The federal government has said that it would not forbid any province to make its own laws regarding the legalization of marijuana, but has also said that it would support the right of private citizens to challenge those laws in court.

MY Canada’s action and prayer points on how we as believers can navigate the passage of this new law include the following:

1. Contact provincial legislators, who are responsible for regulating marijuana

2. Contact municipal legislators regarding the location of sales outlets

3. Warn young people and parents

4. PRAY // Please join us in praying that regardless of the legalization in Canada the people would not buy it, so that it would not be profitable for the government to keep store fronts. Pray that our youth would not be affected with higher rates of drug use. May they see the dangers and not want to purchase it.

For more details, please go to the MY Canada page below:

https://madmimi.com/p/6c996c?fe=1&pact=1666792-145926436-10197578822-b4debc14414ec45a0df76235c0daea37ed57de08

Thank you.

Filed Under: Adult Ministry News, News, Stories

Update from Andrew Friesen

Posted on October 31, 2017

Hello beloved Whyte Ridge Family,

It’s hard to believe that Courtney Joy and I have been married for almost 2 months now! God has done some amazing things in our lives since the beginning of August and we feel incredibly blessed!

Our wedding day (Aug 6) was filled with such unspeakable joy! It was stunning weather and filled with such precious memories with close friends and family. Our favourite part was worshiping together and truly sensing that Jesus was honoured and there with us.
Praise God for a fruitful time at Mobilizers forum just 3 weeks after our wedding. This is an annual conference where all of Africa Inland Mission Canada’s mobilizers gather for a week of training, prayer, and fellowship. We felt encouraged by the team and were able to learn a LOT from their experience. At the end we set some goals for the next year and everyone was of one mind.
We have two young ladies and a couple that are beginning applications for short term service for this upcoming year! Praise God that He is finding people with unique interests to serve Him from sports ministry, to English teaching.
Praise God as Courtney Joy and I have been given TWO opportunities to preach in churches in the upcoming months! Neither are churches AIM has had contact with in the past!
Praise God for the ways that He has ALREADY been leading Courtney Joy and me into His Word this past month. We have been challenged in our quiet times and are learning how to hear Gods voice as a couple- it is such an honour to serve the LORD and to simply be in His presence together.
Please keep praying with us that the LORD of the harvest would bring labourers. We are asking the Lord for four to six full time missionaries, three short termers, and we are looking to increase our inquiry base to thirty in the next year here in Ontario.
Praise God for Gary and Kim Lidstone who are two new additions to the Ontario mobilizing team. Pray for them as they are beginning to fundraise in the fall and hope to be fully supported by January. This is a amazing blessing as Ontario is a huge area to cover!! They will work alongside us and Susan Pinkerton (still recovering from surgery) starting in the new year.
Please pray, with the increase of contacts here in Ontario, we are mapping out several trips to Ottawa, Windsor, Hamilton, Guelph, and Pickering over the next two months! Pray that we would have endurance.
Pray for Courtney Joy and me as we have really begun to lean in to the discernment phase of where God is leading us in Africa. We have had many meaningful conversations, done some research, and are seeking the LORD to guide us forward. We know that God has asked us to walk into the darkest places to make disciples & see His church grow… but where that is we are still discovering together.

Love you all dearly and can’t wait to see you in the new year

Courtney Joy and Andrew Friesen

Filed Under: News, Stories

A God Story

Posted on July 5, 2017

Hello church family! I just wanted to let you know what I will be up to this summer. I spent the summers of 2014 and 2016 serving with an organization that works with orphans and abandoned children in Romania, and I was planning on doing that again this summer. Unfortunately, due to a number of reasons, these plans fell through. After spending two full summers with the same children in Romania I had begun to feel like this was my second home, and upon learning that I could not go back this summer I felt lost and confused. To make a long story short, after weeks of looking for jobs, applying for jobs, and emailing back and forth to a number of different children’s ministries around the world, God made it clear to me that I need to go and serve the needy, orphaned, and abandoned children in Mexico. I am leaving on July 18th to serve at a children’s home/orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico for four weeks. I will be doing many things including assisting with building/renovation projects, assisting with running a VBS for the kids, and of course spending time playing with the kids. I would really appreciate your prayers as I prepare for this adventure – that I would be a vessel of Jesus’ love for these beautiful kids. In recent weeks there has been a lot of drug-related violence within and around the city of Reynosa, Mexico, so prayer for peace, health, and safety for myself, the full-time missionaries and staff members, and all the children would also be appreciated. I look forward to updating you upon my return at the end of August. Thank you for your prayers and support! If you have any questions about what I will be up to in Mexico, I would love to talk to you about it!
God bless,
Alex Warburton

Filed Under: News, Stories

Worship By The Lake: A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness – A Reflection by Pastor Kevin Klassen

Posted on September 7, 2016

I first came to Whyte Ridge Baptist Church 21 years ago. Not really because I wanted to. And certainly not because I was very interested in finding a church home. I recall that I visited this church reluctantly, coming here together with someone who had other friends who attended here. And then I basically never left.

WRBC very quickly became my church family and, ever since then, God has used my time at this church to change my life in some very significant ways. First of all, it is here that I met my beautiful wife (on the worship team, no less). And it is also here that I have found and enjoyed many life-giving friendships. And even deeper than that, God has used the teachings, the relationships, the joys, the challenges and the experiences that I have had in the context of this church family to change me on the inside. He has used my time in this church to mercifully convict me and lovingly shape me, teaching me about His Word, His grace and His sufficiency.

And in recent years, God has granted me the profound joy of serving as a pastor of worship and care – ministering within the very family that has loved me and walked with me throughout almost all of my adult life. God is so very, very good!

Because of this history, there are plenty of personal stories that I could tell about God’s faithfulness to us and through us as a church family. And I know that there are many others who could do the same, whether they have attended for a long time or a short time.

And this coming weekend, September 10^th and 11^th, we are going to be gathering at our church property on McGillivray Boulevard to Celebrate the Faithfulness of God! It will be a fun weekend of worship, fellowship and prayer – remembering the stories of God’s faithfulness in the past and asking and thanking Him for His continued faithfulness in the future.

We will be especially be remembering the gift and the purpose of the land that God has given us on McGillivray. In fact, this weekend will serve as a celebratory kickoff to a Capital Funds Campaign that we expect will move us forward toward the construction of a new church building that God will use to continue to faithfully build His kingdom in and through us.

Worship By The Lake:

On Saturday evening at 7 pm, we’ll have an outdoor celebration that will include much praise and prayer as well as stories that celebrate the Lord and His loving kindness. Following that will be a bonfire and fireworks. A few of us are also camping there overnight and you’re welcome to join us (and there are portapotties there, in case that’s a deal-breaker).

Sunday morning we’ll continue our celebration with an outdoor worship service at 10 am, followed by a BBQ lunch.

Everyone is welcome!!! Bring your friends, bring your lawn chairs, bring your mosquito repellent and bring hearts that are ready to worship the Lord. Prepare your own heart by reflecting upon your own story of how you have seen God’s faithfulness to you and to this church family. And let us come before Him with thanksgiving and also with anticipation of how He may use this land and building in the discipleship, worship and witness of His church.

For just as we each have personal stories to tell of God’s work in and around us during our time at WRBC, I believe His faithfulness is most greatly reflected in the way that He chooses to include us in the Great Story that He is writing in the building of His Kingdom for His glory. God is so very, very good!

– Written by Pastor Kevin Klassen, Associate Pastor – Worship and Care

Filed Under: Faith Story, Future, News, Stories, Uncategorized

Loss and Gain through Illness

Posted on September 28, 2014

Dealing with the subject of loss and gain, Whyte Ridge Baptist people were challenged, encouraged, and moved in a very special way this past Sunday morning.

Pastor Terry Janke spoke on the theme–Living in Christ–based on Philippians 1:12-26. The sermon was a call to weigh our losses and gains in light of what Paul teaches, particularly in verses 21-24:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ,which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (Phil. 1:21-24, NIV)

To conclude his sermon, Pastor Terry interviewed Melanie Penner. Melanie was diagnosed with cancer one year ago. She has written with refreshing candor about this journey in her blog Our Hope Adventure.

Melanie shared briefly about her diagnosis and then spoke about the loss and gain she has experienced as a result of the diagnosis.

Listen to Melanie’s Story

Filed Under: News, Stories Tagged With: Illness

The Key Player

Posted on May 3, 2014

by Emmie Dryjski

In my testimony on March 9^th I made several references to the missionaries with whom I lived and worked. After my baptism service, I spoke with Dan Penner, a member of our church, and we discussed that it was his father, the late Richard Penner who was the key player in my journey to Christ. Sadly, Richard was killed in a plane crash on his way to a meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2004.

It was Richard who arranged a teaching position for me for PAD (Partnership in Academic Development), in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan, where he worked as a director for World Concern. He also arranged an entry visa for me and met me at the Afghanistan border. As a woman travelling alone to a war torn country I was extremely thankful for this. It can be very stressful entering Afghanistan due to all the military check points and language barrier. Not only was Richard fluent in Dari, but also very familiar with all Afghan customs and procedures.

While in Mazar-e-Sharif, Richard kept a watchful eye over me. He would assist me to the market and showed me what food I must not eat. He also reminded me to follow daily the Afghan tradition of covering myself from head to foot. During the two months there, I was cut off from my life in Canada because there was no means of communication. However, Richard would deliver news from Winnipeg to me, including email from my family whenever he attended a meeting in Tashkent. Most importantly, he took me to the worship services on Fridays and introduced me to all his missionary friends and colleagues. From them I learned what it means to be a servant of the Lord.

Richard’s life was a witness to me in his love for God. This same love was also demonstrated in his genuine interest in helping the Afghan people and his care of me.

It has been a real gift to have worked with Richard and to call him my friend.

Filed Under: Faith Story, News, Stories

From Kingdom Hall to the Kingdom of God

Posted on March 17, 2014

by Kelly Karam

My spiritual journey started in a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was born and raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was taught about a God named Jehovah, my Father. He was the God my family served, prayed to, studied about, and ultimately feared.

We spent a lot of time in personal Bible study and in church, we had meetings 3 times a week plus put in service hours, like going door to door (what they were and still are famous for). Those service hours were all recorded and handed in to the elders at the end of every month. Despite all the study and service, I never felt as close to God as I wanted. He seemed distant or somehow disconnected from me.

Growing up I spent alot of time feeling like I didn’t belong in the church. I always had a sense I never measured up. I didn’t have a perfect attendance record, others had more service hours than me, my dad wasn’t an elder, my best friends’ dads were, I didn’t have it all together. The list goes on and on.

I never felt secure in my salvation. It seemed I could never do enough. From a young age until I was 20, I remember having reoccurring nightmares of finding out at Christ’s return I simply didn’t cut it.

At the age of 20, I met my match – literally.

I started dating a Baptist boy. Things got serious. We knew we had to sort out our religious differences if we wanted to move forward. My soon to be in-laws also recognized the importance of being evenly yoked, so they put us in touch with a gentleman named Ray from the Navigators. He set up a bible study with the two of us.

I viewed this as the perfect opportunity to convert the both of them. Our studies were uneventful in my humble opinion. Ray seemed wishy washy to me, he had no concrete, definite answers, which is what I had always been used to. Jehovah’s Witnesses have an answer that makes sense for any question one could ask. In Ray’s quiet way, he would let me preach my interpretation of the scriptures and then respectfully say, that’s one way to look at it, here’s what I take from it…. I remember him pointing out the importance of reading scripture prayerfully. I was used to being told what the scripture meant – No Questions Asked.

In the weeks that followed, Chris and I would go to the downtown library to look up the Greek and Hebrew origins of words. I started to discover there was more than one definition. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we were only ever allowed to read spiritual material that was published by our Watchtower Society. So these library dictionaries and concordances were creating small cracks in my belief system.

Still focused on converting Chris and Ray, I agreed to attend a Ralph Bell Crusade night in lieu of Chris attending a service at my Kingdom Hall.

I distinctly remember being very unimpressed by the sermon and looking forward to going home. Then came the alter call. I recall Chris bowing his head in prayer, me thinking you can pray all you want, I’m not going up. I wrapped my hands around my chair to hold myself down in my seat.

I remember being in awe of the power of God as I was being physically moved to the front.

As I walked, I felt all my burdens being lifted from me completely. Those burdens were the burdens of works.

What I know now, that I didn’t know then:

I know I didn’t know Him as I do today.
I know He 1st loved me and sent his son to die for me and because of that I don’t have to try and earn my salvation.
I know I belong to Him because he says – I am His child

My study of Ephesians this summer reminded me of my identity in Christ. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t lately. Here are my Coles notes:

Eph. 1:7 – our sins are taken away and we are forgiven
Eph. 2:5 – says, it’s by Grace you have been saved.
Eph. 2:8 – for its by grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
Eph. 3:12 – we can come with freedom and confidence into God’s presence. No more nightmares since he brought me up that aisle!!

Charles Stanley once said, “Salvation is not a reward that God has given to us for works or for good behavior. Salvation is the result of grace and goodness and the love of God. It is a Free gift from God to those who trust him as personal savior”

I want to encourage you to make that decision to trust Him and make Him your personal Savior if haven’t already.

To learn more about making this decision that Kelly speaks of – read about the Good News on this website.

Filed Under: Faith Story, News, Stories

Lessons from God Through Cancer

Posted on March 2, 2014

by Melanie Penner

Most of us fear the diagnosis of cancer. I grew up fearing cancer even more then the average person. When I was four years old my brother died of cancer. I honestly believed that since my family had suffered from this loss, I would always be spared of having to live through the trauma of cancer. However, God decides, not me. In October 2013, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer. My journey of getting diagnosed, being treated and recovering has not been easy. Here is my story…

I had day surgery in mid-October in order to determine if I had cancer or not. Three days after that surgery, I developed a deep vain clot in my leg and was admitted into the hospital. During this stay, I was told I most likely had cancer and that we didn’t need to wait for pathology to confirm my diagnosis. My clot was reinforcing what the doctors had predicted; I quickly became a cancer patient. I remember crying and feeling sad, but not devastated. I completely believed that God would make it all better quickly. I had been in a cancer-screening program for 18 months prior to being diagnosed, so I was certain that a quick surgery would take care of things. Wrong again. A month later, I was officially diagnosed. I was told that the tumor in my cervix was very large and had probably been there for up to 2 years. Apparently I had slipped through the cracks of the cancer-screening program that I was a part of. Mistakes had been made and my cancer had been missed. My biggest nightmare would come true: chemo and radiation. The tumor inside of me was too large for a successful surgery.

I remember crying out and asking God, “How could you let this happen?” It felt like it was more then I could handle. God’s response to me was, “I am with you.” I didn’t want Him, I wanted Him to fix my problem. Looking back, I had so much to learn. My first lesson was a hard one: God allows big, bad things to happen in our lives. He allows things to hit us that we can’t handle, so that we learn to lean on Him completely.

Two weeks after my diagnosis, treatments started. I got sick instantly. Nausea hit me like a punch in the gut and all the medication I was taking, was a shock to my body. So many nights I lay in bed and couldn’t believe this was the journey God was leading me on, and at the same time, I marveled at the strength He gave me just when I needed it. After my first week of treatments, I felt so incredibly overwhelmed and thought I could not survive 6 more weeks of this. I went to the hospital 5 days a week. I had radiation Monday through Friday and chemo every Tuesday. This was an intense treatment plan; however, God provided ways to cope. A group of friends offered to take turns driving me to the hospital everyday, so I was never alone. When I didn’t have energy to physically get there, I was escorted. God would bring verses into my life everyday through friends, devotions, and just in my mind to help me carry on. Somehow, I managed to get to every treatment. I was learning to rely on Him as my refuge and strength at all times. I learned that He will give me what I need, when I need it. I often felt like I didn’t have the strength or courage to get through each day, but I did for each moment. God often doesn’t give us beyond what we need, just enough. But enough is enough; and He is always dependable with enough.

There is another part to this story. I was sick, but so was my husband, Darryl. 4 months prior to my diagnosis, we learned he had a tumor behind his right eye that was the cause of severe headaches. In early January, when I was half way through my treatments, Darryl had to have major brain surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery was risky: there was a high chance he would lose his sight in his right eye. When the person you love the most is in pain or in any kind of jeopardy, all you want is to be with them and take care of them. But I couldn’t because I was too sick. We relied on friends and family to take Darryl to the hospital for his surgery and to be with him during his hospital stay. The morning he left for the hospital, I lay at home in bed begging God to carry Darryl through and to keep him safe. I did manage to get to the hospital in the afternoon of surgery day. In fact, I had an appointment with my oncologists that day to give me a progress report (my first one since treatments had started), had my daily treatments, and was sent for a chest x-ray in preparation for more treatments. Then I went up to the surgery ward to get the results of Darryl’s surgery. I think back on that day; it was way too much for me, but God was there. Because He was there, I made it through.

The surgery went extremely well; the first thing Darryl asked his nurse after waking up was, “How is my wife today; tell her I love her”. I was so relieved he remembered me! One of my biggest fears was having Darryl in the hospital. I didn’t have the energy to visit him each day, and I needed him at home to cheer me on through my treatments. God knew this. Darryl was discharged from the hospital 24 hours after major surgery. We couldn’t believe it, but were so thankful.

Not everything became easier after Darryl came home though. Now I was more on my own. He couldn’t come to the hospital with me for doctor’s appointments, even on days when “big news” would be given. I quickly learned how much I depended on Darryl and learned to depend on God instead. I managed to complete 5 rounds of chemo, 28 radiation treatments, numerous blood tests, and weekly doctor’s appointments. God carried me through all of this and has continued to be faithful to me.

My recovery from treatments has gone very well, quicker then expected. However, I have been told that my cancer did not respond to treatments as well as my doctors had hoped. So, I’m waiting for 12 weeks, to let the treatments finish working. Then, I will be reassessed to determine if surgery and more treatments are needed.

Waiting can be a very scary place, but I have learned that God is in control. He allowed me to get cancer, and He gets the last say as to whether I am cured or not. He gets to choose how I’m healed and when. God has also taught me that He is always present. He will never leave me nor forsake me. But it is my responsibility to acknowledge His presence in my life. I know God is taking me through this journey to change me and prepare me to serve Him. I’m not sure how, or where or when. But I can’t wait to see what is in store because now He is directing me and I am learning to follow.

Filed Under: Faith Story, News, Stories

Remembering Ana – One Year Later

Posted on December 12, 2013

One year ago, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene’s “home going to heaven” service was held at The First Cathedral of Bloomfield under Archbishop Leroy Bailey. Three ministers spoke: Dr. Paul of Glory Chapel International Cathedral of Hartford, Ana’s great aunt Myrta from Puerto Rico, and Pastor Terry Janke of Whyte Ridge Baptist Church of Winnipeg, MB. Because of Jimmy’s participation in the music community and their tremendous love for Ana, the music was provided by a Hartford Symphony Orchestra chamber group, Harry Connick Jr., Javier Colon, Latanya Farrell, and The First Cathedral Mass Choir led by J.J. Hairston.

They tell us that nearly two thousand people attended… Not because we all agreed on the same thing but because our hearts were broken. We thank all of you who came so graciously to stand with us, despite our differences, to pay tribute to a little girl whose life stood for this very principle.

Jimmy & Nelba

Here is the message Pastor Terry shared at the service:

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled… Trust in God, Trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you.’ – John 14:1-2

Jimmy, Nelba, Isaiah… and the entire Marquez-Greene family – it is a treasured privilege to be able to share with you in this “Home Going Celebration” for sweet little Ana. And it is with the deepest sympathy that I stand here on behalf of your Canadian church family in Winnipeg (Whyte Ridge Baptist Church); who is also standing with you in prayer before the throne of grace and beseeching the Lord to pour down mercy upon you and unshakable faith in the face of this loss. I cannot begin to tell you how many people from our church and community have conveyed their heartfelt love for you through the pastoral staff of our church and through Linden Christian School. We have talked and prayed with many people in Winnipeg who have been impacted by your family and the news of Ana’s death.

I also know that the communities of the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba, where you have so many friends, have been deeply impacted and that they have been walking with you in your grief. Know that God is multiplying His manifold graces upon many, many people; that He is not wasting your sorrows, and that the truth of His living presence is closer to the surface in countless conversations about eternal things.

I want you to also know that from the very moment we heard the news of Ana’s departure to be with her Lord, our prayer has been for God to sustain you, support you and display through you the wonders of His matchless love through your Savior, Jesus Christ. His light is shining through you, who have become such a witness to the living hope we have in Christ.

Ana was such a sweet girl. My wife Pat and I remember many times shared with your family, and we have spoken with friends who knew her well from church or school. One staff member from Linden Christian School wrote to me that Ana always loved reading and singing, and could out-dance anyone. “She was so much personality packaged in such a small bundle. I am blessed to have had even a little time with God’s special ray of sunshine.”

Someone else said; “She was a happy girl that lived in the moment. I love it that Ana celebrated who she was; her African-American heritage and her Latin-American heritage… and even living in Canada. She celebrated WHO she was, WHERE she was, WITH WHOM she was, WHAT she was, WHEN she was… and at some level, even WHY she was!”

Jimmy and Nelba, you will remember last January our church studied the book of Job. Job is a theodicy; an attempt to understand God’s involvement in our suffering. It is the testimony of a man that suffered greatly and for no apparent reason, losing his entire family and all he owned, yet hanging on to his faith in God through it all. Except for the opening and closing words, the entire book (42 chapters) is poetry. Someone took the time to make the whole story move to the beat and rhythm of Hebrew poetry. To understand its message we have to slow down and get in sync; something we are not good at.

When I started preaching through Job, I began with these words:

Part of my responsibility as a pastor is to prepare you to face your own theodicy – when the day of evil appears on your calendar, when calamity comes knocking at your door; when suffering finds your address, when your faith is no longer just theory about God held in your mind, but is forced to decide what you really believe about Him… in that moment, in the middle of that conflict… my goal is that instead of cursing God and losing faith, your trial will cause you to bless God and strengthen faith.

Jimmy and Nelba – that day of evil came last Friday… and it has been our prayer, that your faith would remain unshakable; and would reflect the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus to sustain you. Peter writes, ‘Now, for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold… may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.’ (1 Peter 1:6-7)

To understand the book of Job, you need to study its key questions. The first one is found in chapter one. The scene is the courts of heaven. Satan is standing before God and he poses a sneering question: Does Job fear God for nothing? Oswald Chambers writes that the devil was saying to God: ‘You are infatuated with the idea that man loves you for your own sake; but he never has and he never will. Job loves you because you bless and prosper him, but touch anyone of his blessings and he will curse you to your face and prove that no man on earth loves you for your own sake.’ (Baffled to Fight Better, p.9)

You see the purpose of the book of Job is not just to instruct us about patience in the face of suffering. What is on trial in Job is faith in God itself, and whether God is worthy of being trusted. Job understands this and so in chapter 2:10 we get the second important question in this book.

Job says to his wife, ‘Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?’ (Job 2:10)

Is God only worthy of being loved when He treats us the way we want to be treated; when He gives us what we want? Is He worthy of our devotion when He seems silent and far away; and when He allows sorrow and pain into our lives? Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?’

Job’s conclusion to these questions reflects a robust, gutsy and rugged faith. He says things like:

‘Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.’ (Job 13:15)

‘My advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.’ (Job 16:19-20)

‘Oh that I had someone to hear me... let the Almighty answer me.’ (Job 31:35)

‘I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.’ (Job 19:25)

‘My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.’ (Job 42:5)

In all that he went through, Job did not lose faith in His God!

Others in Scripture evidence this robust faith. The psalmist says… ‘Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’ (Psalm 73:25-26) The Apostle Paul said, ‘if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.’ (1 Cor. 15:19)

Jimmy and Nelba – many people will not understand this kind of faith that clings to the love of God and the goodness of God and the sovereignty of God in the midst of what feels like being hopelessly abandoned by God! It was the same for Job. His friends judged him as having sinned somehow. His own wife judged God and told him to curse God and die! She could not see God as yet a loving God because of the blinding pain!

But oh, dear friends, God could not love you more than He already does; and He has never loved you less. The measure of His love for you was demonstrated when He gave up His own dear Son on the cross so that you could be forgiven of your sin and have eternal life with Him. Ana has already entered into that fullness of eternal life because of God’s matchless love.

Let it be clear today, that though Ana was such a sweet little innocent girl, and so full of joy and love – she nevertheless needed a Saviour. There was nothing inherent in Ana that made God love her. God set His love on her because God is love, and she received that love in Jesus Christ and became a child of God. Jimmy and Nelba, you told us last night about how Ana prayed and how she loved reading Scripture. God put her in your home for these six years to nurture living faith in a living God! What a trust you were given… and you were faithful in that trust! And now Jesus has cleansed her soul and received her into the eternal home that He has prepared for her. And people, He can do the same for you… for everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.

In the last message Jesus shared with His followers before he died, He said: ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ (Jn 16:33) But He also said: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me.’ (Jn 14:1) In this world you will have trouble… but do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.

Jimmy, Nelba – I remember your first winter in Winnipeg. Oh what an adjustment it was to that climate, and how you loved getting away to Puerto Rico! The winter season in Canada is harsh.

The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that seasons are not just about the earth’s rotation and our climate. He says, For everything there is a season and a time for every activity under heaven. There is a time to mourn and a time to dance. Our hearts and souls have seasons as well.

Ana’s departure signals a season of winter for your souls… it feels frozen, numb. But because of your three years in Winnipeg, you know a little bit about winter. It can be cold and lonely, but it does not last… and it passes easier when you share it with others who are also in winter.

Mark Buchanan has written a book entitled, Spiritual Rhythm in which he discusses how to be with Jesus in every season of your soul. And about the spiritual season of his own winter that he passed through, he writes this: “It would end, in time – but not by my own doing. My responsibility was to know the season and match my actions and inactions to it. It was my season to believe in spite of – to believe, in the absence of evidence, when there was nothing, no bud, no colour, no light, no birdsong to validate belief. It was my time to walk without sight.” (p. 17)

Friends, the natural assumption about the winter season’s of our souls is that God is not there; life is not there. Either He has abandoned me, or I have strayed from Him. It is bleak and fruitless. Surely God is not in the winter! Yet He is!

There is growth and work that God does in our souls that can only be done in the winter. And you will find that Jesus is a Saviour for all seasons, especially the winter. For He is a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.

In a Cathedral in Milan, there is a doorway with three inscriptions over it.

Over the right-hand door, there is the motto: “All that pleases is but for a moment.”
Over the left-hand door, it says: “All that troubles is but for a moment.”
And over the top of the centre door: “Nothing is important, save that which is eternal.” (p. 51, A Chance to Die, biography of Amy Carmichael by Elizabeth Elliott)

Dear friends – live in the assurance of the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13); who, when He appears will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. (Rev 21:4)

‘To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.’ (Jude 24)

God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform,

He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs and works His Sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread,
Are big with mercy and shall break in blessing on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain,
God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain.
– William Cowper, 1731–1800

For the full family tribute visit Love Wins – Remembering Ana Márquez-Greene, the official family endorsed memorial Facebook page.

Learn more about the Ana Grace Project established for the purpose of promoting love, connection, and community for every child and family.

Filed Under: News, Stories

Marriage Wins The Amazing Race Canada

Posted on October 11, 2013

Tim Hague Sr. shares a key take away from competing in The Amazing Race Canada.

10,000 applicants, seven provinces, three territories, 23,000 km traveled, eight other highly competitive teams, navigationally challenged, Parkinson’s. How does one go about winning the inaugural The Amazing Race Canada? I’m not sure I know how to answer that question entirely but I do know that it requires a fair bit of muscle, a bit of smarts and a fair bit of what some would call luck but I’ll refer to as blessing. Clearly Someone had our back!

So having had the opportunity to participate in something that is a once in a lifetime, if not multiple lifetime opportunity, what does one take away from it? Well, one is having Parkinson’s and trying to climb a mountain is not fun. Yes it’s true, Parkinson’s impacted my race, sometimes significantly. However, there are three salient truths I take away from the race in regards to this line of discussion. One is, in the long-term, without a cure, Parkinson’s will win this war that I battle with it. I’m OK with that. I know my ultimate home. Two, Parkinson’s does slow me down. It impacts my life, it impacted my race and it makes life slower than I would otherwise like it. Three we none-the-less won The Amazing Race Canada with Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s could not take this opportunity away from me and it did not prevent us from winning. Therefore, I am determined to not let it take an ounce of my life today. What it ‘wins’ tomorrow is not important but what I win today is. And, really, does it ever actually win? 2 Corinthians 5:8.

Then there’s the intriguing thought of how a marriage wins The Amazing Race Canada. Now, you know that Tim Jr. and I did all the heavy lifting on this (insert laugh track) but the brains of the team stayed at home in Winnipeg! Sheryl has been an avid fan of the show and prior to our leaving she had us studying all kinds of hopefully relevant trivia which included flags and flowers. Thus, her knowledge and encouragement to be prepared even before leaving proved vital to our overall success. So, in fact you could say we were effectively a three person team.

Now, how effectively do you listen to your spouse? I think there is a fascinating analogy here for how marriage is intended to work. My spouse, help mate, team mate, wife, made an invaluable contribution to our overall success even though she never ran a leg of the race. When it was said, “and the two will become one” (Genesis 2:24), I think this is a bit of what was in mind. The two are still two; independent in thought, action, ability, autonomy, but now one in life, partnership and direction. What if I had chosen ‘to be my own man’ and ignore the advice of my wife? What if she had felt that this was ‘their thing’ and chose to not be involved? By participating together on the same team (marriage) yet in very different roles we have experienced success together.

These are two of my favorite takeaways from The Race. I could regale you with tales of muktuk, dogsleds, zoo’s, navigational errors and the like, but I will leave you with these thoughts; we consider ourselves to be so incredibly blessed in life and so much more for having been given this experience. What a complete joy it was to run with my son and to win with him. It’s truly more than a father could hope for.

A heartfelt thanks to WRBC! The outpouring of support and encouragement has been wonderful. You make it so easy and delightful for us to call this place home.

Filed Under: Faith Story, News, Stories

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