www.arcticoutreach.org --- e-mail rinker@arcticoutreach.org --- phone 403-989-3715
Dear Friends,
The month of April began with me (Rodger) leaving on a trip to the States, and Karen opening our mission school at the request of several parents. Karen had to stay and keep everything going with our mission schedule while I was gone on my first trip to the States since before the Covid thing shut down the border for us. A lady from Old Crow, in the Yukon came and stayed with Karen for almost 3 weeks while I was gone.
My first stop was with church friends in North Dakota on my way to Morgantown, West Virginia, where I had an examination for my knee, and then I stayed in my home town of Cumberland, in Western Maryland and visited several churches and friends there.
On my way through Indiana, I was in the ‘zone of totality’ for the solar eclipse. There was 4 minutes of darkness when the sun was completely covered by the moon. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. The sky was clear for the event also.
I’ve been trying to get work done on my knee for over six years with the health care system here in Canada, but the system is so broken that I’ve just been stuck on a waiting list until my knee is so bad that some days I can barely walk and it often gives out putting me in peril! There’s much more to the knee story, beyond the scope of this news letter involved! So, folks back home have been telling me that the orthopedics hospital in West Virginia is at the top of the list in the country and highly successful, so with such great recommendations I’m going home to get it done there. After the examination I chose July 5th to have a knee replacement. So in two months I’ll be going home to get that done. I'll be staying in the parsonage of the Mt. Top Holiness Church, where our son Reuben pastored until just recently when he moved to North Carolina.
Soon after I left, Karen was called in to help with a family that experienced a suicide. Normally that would be my responsibility, but Karen found out what is involved in dealing with that! Again, beyond the scope of this article.
Lily visited from Ontario. Numerous people dropped in to check on Karen. Korean teams came and worked with the youth here at the mission and began a monthly youth program on the O’Chiese Reserve. Preparing for the Native Youth Conference near Edmonton, and lots of snow in April! One job Karen had that took a lot of work was making a VBS curriculum, that she used in Manitoba last summer, for other churches to use. This was a new challenge for her since it is to be used in Papua New Guinea and on other Reserves.
The pictures below cover other events as well, with descriptions.
Karen's student in the playground that was built by the team that came up from West Virginia.
The mocassins made by Angela, Karen's helper from Old Crow.
We got a lot of snow in April, but these guys don't mind.
The Korean teams always have a devotional period for their team and prayer for their event when they are here.
We've been blessed to have the help of George & Andrea, as well as help from the Nazarene church in Caroline and Rocky, for our Friday youth groups.
While at home I visited Mom & Dads grave in the Veterans cemetery at Rocky Gap.
It's such a beautiful location on a beautiful day.
Dad was in Patton's 3rd Army in WW2.
While home I got to ride on a bike trail through the mountains that follows the old B&O railroad. Even though my knee is bad for walking, I can still ride a bicycle because there's no weight on the knee.
There are several tunnels through the mountains. One is nearly a mile long, but this is a short one.
This is called "Helmstetters Curve" and is in Cash Valley. This is where Mom was born.
I got to visit several churches while at home and bring folks a little up to date on events here at the mission on Sunchild. I also visited family members, friends and fellow missionaries. I spent several days on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and the Rosebud Reservation at Spring Creek. I had a special time visiting on Pine Ridge, where I lived with the Lakota Sioux for 10 years, but didn't think to get any pictures. We want to express our deepest gratitude for the hospitality and support given to us on this trip by all the friends and churches that made this possible! Please keep us in your prayers!
