wow so much has happened since I have last updated! Moduale block has come and gone and with it, mission X! Here is a copy of what I sent oout to my prayer warriors as a final update!
Back to the boooks now for second semester! God help me!
Hard to believe that I have been home already since wednesday around 5:30...Where did that last week go? A week ago, I was up in Oxford House, acutally out in the bush with my team and Tim (our host) cutting wood, having fun, goofing off and enjoying the peacefulness and beauty of God's creation in Northern Manitoba! Wow....where do I begin...first off Thanks, thanks for praying and thinking of me and my team while we were up there. Know that your prayers were totally felt while we were there! Thank you so much!
But yah..wow where do I start? I was asked the question, "what did God teach you?" the day I got home and at the time, I was sitll processing it all...and in fact, still am processing it-although with talking it through a few times with a few people, sharing memores and debriefing with my team, here are a few things God taught me-in no particular order
-Be Content-be happy with who you are, where you are and with what you have
-up in Oxford house, the people are so resticted due to the physical access to Oxford House, yet at the same time-they make do-yes there are pains and struggles-perhaps even more then there are here (though thats debateable as well) but the kids that we played with-wow their smiles were amazing! SO much life and energy and I can only pray that they keep that fire in their eyes!
-Family/Friends
-Yah Life isnt always easy, but I know I always have my friends and family to turn to here and that is something I take for granted way to often. Lots of those kids come from tough family backgrounds..some have both parents, some have one or the other and some have none- yet the care they have for the people who are in their lives...amazing
The team that we had from SBC, the four of us, had a BLAST while we were up there. We became our own little family together with our host family (Tim and Sue-who have been in oxford house for 10 plus years already) Thanks guys for all the amazing memories and fun!
and Community-
-Simialr to friends and family- just watching at how tigh knit that community is....amazing. Here I thought SBC had a strong community adn I go to Oxford House and realize that we have so very much to learn from them. Our society here is so much of a "ME" centered community, where as there, it is very much a "WE" centered community. The way the older kids look after the little kids, the respect teh people have for the band members and counsel is amazing...we have so very much to learn and we should be embaressed at how we treat one another here at times
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You don't have to go far for missions
they are right next door-they could be your neighbour, family, friends, community. They are all around and the question is, are your eyes open to them? are my eyes open to them? I know I dont have to go over seas to do missions and an experience like this, is a good reminder to me
We all struggle
Here is a blurb i wrote for SBC's write up on their site so thought this sums this up as well... Yes the people up on the reserve struggle, they struggle deeply and a good chunk of that is our fault (our European history), but its important for us to let them know that we too are not perfect (as they often percieve us as) and that we do indeed struggle cause I know all of you, including myself, have. So read this entry, take it for what its worth, and as you read it, send a prayer up for the people/teens of Oxford House, send a prayer up for your self-that God will lead and direct you-that your eyes will be open and your heart will be broken for what Breaks HIS heart, send a prayer up for me that the lessons I learned up North will not soon be forgotten and that I can apply it to my life and those around me.
These are just a few lessons that God taught/reminded me and I know there are more and they will continue to be revealed to me as I head back to school for second semester and continue on with life
Wow, did God work today! Throughout this trip, as a team we were talking about it and so often we have heard stories from past MissionX years about people having to pray all throughout the night and spiritual warfare battles, etc., etc., and we thought that in that regard this trip has almost been "easy", if that makes sense... On a day when we were not expecting it and had nothing planned... God worked through us and in us in amazing ways....
Allow me to back up-this morning. We were waiting for a call whether or not we were flying out today, so our plans to get into the high school were waiting upon that. Once we found out we would be spending another night here, off to the high school we went, not knowing what to expect.
Before we entered the school, Dean prayed and that helped. First off I should mention that the high school is grades 7-12, with only 5-6 students in grade 12 graduating this year...
We headed in to the school and one of the first things we are told is that TODAY alone (in the morning none the less...) there were, not one, but THREE suicide attempts. WHOA ok, way too much for a small town, Mennonite girl to handle!! I know that statement hit all of us in different ways. We were introduced to the principal and vice principal (who led us from class to class) and we were off (after a short debrief info on the situation today).
The first class we had were the few grade 12's. We were told that given today's situation, we should share positive experiences. So that is what we did and continued to do in each class. We talked about SBC. One of the teachers was wondering where they could find info on the school in case students asked, so we mentioned the website and the few connections SBC has with the community of Oxford House. We talked about the SBC memories and impacting moments there - both classes as well as dorm life. We talked about what we enjoyed doing and what God has taught us through that.
There were a couple of classes/teachers that asked what Bible school actually was. Like, did we just study the Bible or were there other areas as well and so we mentioned that although the Bible was the focus, there are programs like pastoral, social work (with partnership), counselling, etc.
At the end, we were waiting in the staff lounge for the VP who had stepped out, when this guy named Richard starting talking to us. He asked us where we were from, what we were doing and in a matter of minutes, started to open up to us about his personal life and his walk with Christ and the hope he is trying to relay to the kids/teens. We talked about the suicide a few weeks back and the attempts this AM and about life here on the reserve. Then we headed in to talk more with the Principal (who is newer to the school) he asked us what we thought about the school and how we think it went and what affected us. Personally, I told him it was an eye opener for me and he asked me to further that thought and so we were able to share that way. He did the same with Dean, Landis and Jeff. In the end, he too opened up a bit - he's been in education for 40ish years and this is his hardest assignment (he's not native) so we talked a bit about some of the struggles and he got a little emotional as well.
Overall, we walked into the day with no plan. We walked into the school unsure, and a little scared; however, I was reminded of a prayer that was said during our commissioning at SBC before we left... someone had prayed that our hearts would be broken for what breaks God's heart... and today... I think it's safe to say that all of our eyes were opened and our hearts were broken for what breaks God's heart....
So as this is the last update from Oxford house on MX north 2009. I ask that tonight (or today) when you pray, spend a few minutes just praying for the community of Oxford House.... for the teens and kids in the schools - pray for HOPE, pray for PEACE, pray for JOY and pray for the kind of LOVE that only God can offer. I am reminded of John 4 when Jesus is talking with the women at the well... He mentions about this living water that if you drink from it, you will never be thirsty again. Pray that the people here in Oxford House will discover that Living water and be filled, not with drugs, alcohol, sex or violence but with God's love and peace and all that amazing stuff I know I would be lost without. Thank you so much
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Nikki Friesen
~God know everything about us. And He cares about everything. Moreover, He can manage every situation. And He LOVES us! Surely this is enough to open the wellsprings of joy...and joy is always a source of strength~ Hannah Whitall Smith
