As reported in our last issue,
on September 4, 2009, NCEM's Timber Bay (SK) Bible Centre was transferred
to new owners: the newly organized local First Nations Alliance church.
The new name is Minahik Wasau Centre (Cree for "Spruce Bay").
This positive change would not
have taken place without years of missionary church planting work, a
spirit of partnership, and mutual desire for expanding indigenous
ministry. This advance also involved something that is not always easily
practised by missionaries nor understood by local people.
In missions circles we call it
"exiting." Buddy Bird, one of the local church elders, referred
to it when he addressed those gathered to celebrate the official signing
over in September. Here's an adapted summary of Buddy's talk:
by Buddy Bird
I
stand here today as a very blessed man -- I don't think you've been
blessed as much as I've been! The Bible talks about the stars. When I look
at the stars, that's how many blessings I've had. The blessings are so
huge; they've changed my whole life. My life is still changing, and I don't
want to stop changing.
I was introduced to this
church at a home Bible study on (nearby) Montreal Lake Reserve. That's
where it started for me, and we had good fellowship.
Then it seemed that all the
Christians started leaving. It was a time when we felt like we were in
mourning. I thought, "What's the use in going to church when no one's
going to be there?" My wife, Sonya, and I would just sit there alone,
with all our friends having left us. Sure, they told us it was God's will,
but when you're in that situation, you don't feel like it's God's will.
You feel like you're being abandoned.
It was real negative at first,
but then we were encouraged, too. The Bible talks about being firm, and
that's what we tried to be. My wife and I started praying. We just prayed
so hard asking the Lord to help us out. We asked for a pastor. We asked
for help. We just kept praying -- that's all we did. Then we asked the
Lord to open our hearts and start doing things ourselves.
That's when something really
neat started happening. What we saw God doing is amazing. I call it
"amazing," but I really don't like that word "amazing"
because we shouldn't be amazed at what God has done! When you look in the
Word you see that these things are not amazing to Him -- it's a piece of
cake.
I shouldn't have been amazed
because, before all this, God had already done amazing things for me
personally. I think about my past alcoholism, how hard it was to quit. I
couldn't quit without God's help, without Him intervening in my life. When
I said "yes" to Him, that's when things happened.
When I was 15 I was already an
alcoholic and a drug addict. I used to hit women; I used to beat up
people. I was a merciless person, but look how God has changed my life. I
praise God because He's done all the work. I just said, "Go ahead,
Lord, change my life." And from there God did wonders.
In my work I tell people to go
to programs. But, for myself, I never went to a program. I went to the
Lord. I went to the example of my Christian brothers -- how they loved
their wives, how they loved their children. That's how I learned. That's
what rescued me. That's how God has worked through you guys. I heard one
white brother saying he'd never been through what I've been through. He
told me, "Your testimony is better than mine, because I had a good
upbringing." But to me his is a good testimony. That's what I want
for my kids.
But with our church here, it
felt like it was just me and my wife. It was tough, of course, but it was
neat how the church came back together. Cliff & Liza Bird moved back
(Cliff is now the pastor). John Ives (maintenance worker at the Centre)
refused to leave -- that's good! Ben & Nikki Clarke (serving with NAIM)
came into the picture. From the city of Prince Albert (one and-a-half
hours away), Conrad Flett and Ivan Harper and their families have
supported us. Tom & Donna Cnossen moved away to serve in Alberta, but
in a sense are still here. We never really lost anybody, when you think
about it. We just gained more friends.
When we heard that there was
going to be a "turning over" of the Bible Centre, it opened my
eyes to what God could do. When we talk about "handed over," to
me that's not the correct word. It's more of a blessing than anything.
Yes, there was a phase in Timber Bay. Now that phase has added another
phase. I see a different type of ownership, but without you guys there
would be nothing. The Bible says we gotta love each other -- it doesn't
matter what skin color you have.
I hope that the Centre can
even more be a place of hope for our youth. I know there are ones who are
hurting. I've brought kids to Bible camp here and the worst thing for them
was going home. It breaks my heart when I hear their pain. Our Native
people are hurting.
We Native people need to help
them. We need to give ourselves to them because, as Native Christian
people, we are representatives of God. We need to be role models to these
youth. The only way we can do that is through the power of the Holy
Spirit.
That's why we're here, because we're a part
of God's plan. We're part of God's purpose. That's why I'm totally blessed
today.
