Sleeping on the Sand ...

Its been a pretty crazy couple of days.  Praise God, he has been so faithful to us.  When we returned to the MH, the fridge had totally de-frosted and everything in it was moldy and stinky.  Oh well, you cant win them all.  We are learning so much.  Our time in La Loche was a rich time of learning, being able to see how the church in La Loche does Life and Mission in a remote northern community that is almost totally unsaved.  It was also a rich time of fellowship.  We met a lot of wonderful people who although are not in full time ministry are in love with Jesus and are on mission to change the face of Canada's north for Jesus Christ.  I had the opportunity this past sunday to tell the church in La Loche a little about our Journey, where we came from and where we are going.  It was exciting to be able to bring greetings and blessings from ROL in Lethbridge to the church there, and to be able to act as ambassadors of ROL everywhere we go.  

This sunday we will be at Living Hope church in Saskatoon.  We are excited to see what the Lord has for us there.  My brother in law and his family sent us off with about 400 tracts, so we will be giving those out and using them as another tool to share Christ on our Journey.  We're looking forward to a fun filled weekend visiting with old friends in Saskatoon, and then next week off to Wilderness Family Camp at Tobin Lake.  Its so hard to live in today, I keep looking forward to where were going and what were doing and I get so excited.

Earlier this week we all hopped on a boat and took off across La Loche Lake.  We found a remote beach, pitched our tents and had the most wonderful overnight camping trip I think we've had in a long time.  It was great, we brought the dogs on the boat, we tubed, and we slept on the warm sand.  As I sat on the bow of the boat watching the sunset over the lake my heart couldn't help but overflow with thankfulness and awe to our wonderful creator.  We are so blessed to have what we have, and to be doing what were doing.

Thanks for travelling with us on our Journey of Faith

The Schafer Family 

Leaving La Loche

Well, tonight is our last night in La Loche. Our time here has been very special for us. Of course we had a great time visiting with Shaynes sisters family, but it has also been a very rich time of learning and personal growth. My brother in law, Jon and his wife have a really awesome lifestyle of loving, feeding, counseling, and discipling the native people here in La Loche. They also both have very close walks with Jesus. Being here I have been strengthened in my own walk with Jesus and feel revitalized in my love for the word of God. The people here are very loving and genuine. Despite the alcaholism, drugs and rampant abuse issues here In La Loche Gods Spirit is moving in a powerful way. Through the good work they are doing here many are being healed and set free. Many hungry are being fed. Many thirsty are being given water. Gods love is being poured out here. They say La Loche was the largest community in Canada without an evangelical church, well now it has one. Through the hard work of my brother in law Jon over the last 5 years the church building is in the final stages of construction. We spent a couple days building and installing sound panels in the sanctuary and the sound in there is so much better now. They have started a youth group, they are opening a food bank in the church this month, and the word of God is being preached in power. Please pray for the church here. Please pray for my brother in law and his family that God would meet all their needs, of which there are many.

Thanks for tracking with us, stay tuned as we head to Saskatoon, and family camp and beyond.
The Schafer family

Bang, bang, bang...

"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."

This verse is speaking deeply to me lately. Here in La Loche people come to the church every day hungry and they are fed; They come thirsty and are given a drink. All throughout the day we hear the bang, bang, bang of Jesus banging on the door hungry, thirsty, broken, hurting, and lonely. Children banging on the door begging for attention, longing to be loved are welcomed in and given freezies. Door to door salesman are in abundance here as well, peddling anything they can get their hands on (often stolen) in an attempt to feed their habits and addictions. When people come to the church here their needs are met and the Gospel is shared with them. You have to visit here to understand the depth of need, depravity, and hopelessness right in our own backyard here in Canada. Back at home in Lehbridge Ab we see very little of this and it is easy to go about your daily life giving little thought to the poor and broken in our land. I am glad to say that God has been softening my heart for the native people of the north. I regret that for years I was mostly judgmental and hard hearted, even racist against the native people seemingly littering the streets of our cities here in North America. Lord forgive us for all the times we rejected you when you were in need. Fill our hearts with your love, teach us to be your hands and feet.

Ps we are having a blast here, we are growing and learning alot.

The Schafer Family

Seeing into the spirit...

Some people and some places have destiny written all over them. La Loche is a small northern community in saskatchewan, with a population of about 7000 people between the town and adjoining reservation. There is a small Catholic church, but the only evangelical church here is Clearwater River Church pastored by my brother in law Jon and his wife Sherrie. The mission field here is ripe for the harvest. Standing in the empty sanctuary this evening I could feel the Lords presence so strong. My eyes were opened in the spirit and I could see the whole place packed to the rafters with people, their worship filling the building and overflowing out over the lake. We've been to La Loche before. Every time we have been here we have felt the darkness so strong, like a heavy weight bearing down on us. This time as we drove into town it was different. The spiritual strongholds here are cracking and breaking. They will not stand against the light and the truth for much longer. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He would send laborers here to minister among some of the most hurting and broken Canada has to offer. We are so blessed to be here. God is breaking our hearts for the native people here, for the children and youth. Lord break down all our pride, all our judgements, all the racism, hate, and anger that exists between us and the native people. We are all Gods children.

Thanks for journeying with us
The Schafer Family

Going, Going, Gone ...

Praise the Lord, we're on our way.  Thats not to say that its been easy, it has been harder than I thought it would be, but it is so awesome to finally be on the way.  To have finally come to the jumping off point and taken the plunge.  The first day on the road was hard emotionally, driving away from all our friends and knowing we'd be gone for a year but we are excited for all the wonderful places we are going to go and the special people we will meet along the way.  We had a surprise our first day on the road.  Shayne glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see our ramps for the trailer go flying off the trailer and into the ditch.  We were able to retrieve them from the ditch, and nobody was hurt, but one of the ramps broke one of the tail lights on the trailer.  Praise God it wasn't worse.

Tuesday late in the day we arrived at our first destination.  Clearwater River Ministries in La Loche.  Clearwater River Church was planted by Shayne's sister and her Husband Jon, with others, almost 5 years ago and they are doing a great work here among the Dene people of the North.  We are having a awesome time here.  We have met some of the youth, and I was honoured to be a part of the local radio show they do here.  Pastor Jon preached the word, I gave my testimony, and we played some worship music.  It is so exciting to see what God is doing here in La Loche, seeing the redeeming work of Christ at work among the people here.  It is a different culture here, the darkness is very deep.  Everyday they are reaching out to people affected by addictions, abuse, rape, suicide, and rampant demon possession, but the kingdom of God is advancing in power through their faithful work here. 

Please pray for the people of the North.  Please pray for the missionaries here in Canada reaching out to the hopelessly lost right in our own backyard.  And please pray for us as we endeavour to bless, encourage, and strengthen Jon, Sherrie and their children as they minister here. 
The ministry here is in sever need of a new Truck or SUV.  The minivan they have is taking a severe beating by the harsh roads, and the roughness of the terrain in this area.

Thanks for following along with us on our
Journey of Faith
The Schafer Family