Southend Team for 2012

These are the people going to Southend in a few days (2 more sleeps)! 

We are all looking forward to seeing the kids and Father Mark!

THE CREE

The Cree are the First Nation of Canada.  They are special people that have characteristics and values that are often different from those of our own Midwestern ways.   They value relationships over tasks as we tend to be task oriented.   They don’t let the clock control them…time doesn’t mean the same to them as it does to us.  They are a culture that shares everything and they are not materialistic, much of their property is communal.  They would much prefer story telling over reading, or being read to.  These are some of the differences we recognize but more important is what we have in common….that we are all children of God and He loves us and gave his Son to die for our sins so that we could have eternal life.  THIS is the message that we are going to Southend to share.  May God Bless the Cree and open their hearts to receive his Word!   

              

These are some of our friends from our 2011 VBS....look at the joy on their faces!

Puppet Practice

The kids (and Snickers) are having fun practicing the skits and puppet shows we will use to share the Good News of what Christ has done and continues to do for all of us!!

SOUTHEND ~ GOD'S COUNTRY

God created the earth and its beauty and that includes Southend!    This is a village in Northern Saskatchewan which is located on the south end of Reindeer Lake (the 9^th largest lake in Canada).    In addition to the beautiful water there is a large wide open sky to showcase sunshine and sunsets.  The waters are bordered by a rocky terrain and rock formations that are a favorite for the swimmers to jump off of (and that includes a number of our team members!). 

The road leading to the town is made of course gravel and when you get into Southend the roads are dusty and very natural.  When driving through town you never have to wait for the lights to turn green as they don’t have them in Southend.  The population of this village is approximately 1,000 people with half of them being children under the age of 12.. 

This is the home of the Cree natives who are the First Nation of Canada.  It is a remote community in Northern Saskatchewan that has challenges brought on by its location and the climate.  This is the village that God has chosen for our team to serve.  We will travel 1,320 miles to get there from Lakeville, MN.   It will be a 25 hour drive one way for our team that will be traveling with three vehicles and a trailer.   This is God’s country where we will have the privilege of sharing the love of Christ and the Hope for their future with Him.

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!

The people of Southend Saskatchewan and the love of Christ have filled our hearts with joy and excitement as we prepare for our Mission Trip to Canada.  This will be the third year that Messiah has sent a team to this community as part of the LAMP ministries (Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots).   

 Our Mission is to go into the community of Southend and reach out to all ages.   We will teach VBS to the Cree children  (ages 5-12).   In the past we have averaged 90-100 kids per day.    This year we are excited that there will be the addition of a sports camp for the older kids (ages 13+).  LAMP  is providing the core team for this camp and one of our team members will be dedicated to supporting this soccer camp full time.   Some of our VBS team members will also participate and support them in various ways.   During all of our activities we will be building relationships in the community and will be sharing the  Gospel of Jesus Christ.   We pray that we can also establish relationships with more of the adults in the community.  

 In the Bible we learn that we are to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”. Mark 16:15   We are getting ready to go and know that God has a plan and that we are privileged to be a part of it.  We ask for your prayers of support and blessings as we finish our preparation and continue on this Journey for Jesus.

 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church. - Southend SK

Messiah Lutheran Church - Lakeville, MN

Back to Canada 'Eh?

Yes we are at it again! We are going back to Southend, Saskatchewan for Messiahs 3rd year teaching VBS to the youth of the community. This year, the team will be 17 members. The team includes:

• Brian, Sandy, and Kate (14) Doyle -3rd year to Southend
• Vernice, Dominique (14), and Angela (12) Dabu -3rd year
• Gwen, Celia (14) and Luke (10) Veldhuis-Kroeze -2nd year
• Barb Durst-2nd year
• Dave, Kristin, Amanda (13), Rachel (12), and Caleb (10) Scott -1st year
• Molly, and Ben (11) Cochran -1st year

Follow our blog as we continue to spread the word this summer!


- Dominique and Angela Dabu