www.arcticoutreach.org --- e-mail rinker@arcticoutreach.org --- phone 403-989-3715
Dear Friends,
September began with me (Rodger) returning back to the mission from my knee operation in West Virginia, and my lengthly stay for physical therapy to recover and heal. My housing was provided by the Mt. Top Holiness Church near Flintstone, Maryland. They let me stay in the parsonage that our son Reuben and his family lived in while pastoring the church. It was empty because they recently moved to pastor in North Carolina. Fellowship with church folks and relatives back home was a blessing that greatly helped with all the pain from the operation and rehab. Many years ago my oldest brother Blaine pastored a church in the coal mining area near Frostburg, Md. when I was starting out in mission work. Mom's father grew up there and was one of three generations that worked in the mines. It was really special to worship with the church there. This church has faithfully supported us ever since and it was a real blessing to have time to spend with them. Friends from their church came all the way up to the mission here in Alberta two different times back in the early 90's when we lost our son Seth.
The Prosperity Methodist church generously helped with my expenses and was another special place of fellowship going back many years in my life. I have distant relatives on Dad's side of the family buried in their mountain graveyard, and Mom & Dad are buried in the Veterans cemetery close to their church. Before I left I was able to re-connect with my home church I grew up in which is now called New Covenant Methodist Church. It really felt like a celebration to be back and fellowship with the folks there. A special blessing was to spend some time at the old Rinker home place at Junction, West Virginia and connect with the folks there. Some pictures of this is in the July/August Monthly News Updates.
Another special blessing was to get to spend some time with my cousin and his wife, Bill & Gena Ice, who pastor a Baptist church near Altoona, Pennsylvania. Bill & I are the same age and our mothers are sisters. Bill and his church folks helped out with medical expenses and we got to visit with each other several times, which amounted to more time together than we've had since we were teenagers! Two different physical therapy centers donated my rehab sessions for my knee. As I write this at the end of September, my knee is healing ahead of schedule and is practically back to normal already! The only complication has been some nerve damage that affects my foot. It developed after the operation and was at it's worst about the time I got back to Alberta! Now, at the end of September it appears to slowly be healing and not as bad as it was a month ago.
Please pray that we can get help to come and assist us, or even just to hold the fort so we can get away from time to time for a break.
The pictures below are all from this September here at the Sunchild mission. As usual, Karen carried the lions share of the work with the Sunday School, the mid-week ladies group, the friday Youth groups, teaching school, and etc. etc. She also got to spend over a week with our son David and daughter Melany, which was some rare time off for her.
We combined Friday youth night with my birthday party. We had the help of the Nazarene pastor from Rocky Mt. House, along with the family of a local school teacher, and some parents.
Karen writes for the picture below...David, took me to his home in British Columbia and on the way we stopped at this Fall. It is called Bridal veil Falls. I immediately saw the beautiful white wedding dress the water made as it came down the mountain. I got to put my feet in the Pacific Ocean and enjoyed a wonderful Chinese meal. The break was good for me because now I am teaching here at the mission 4 hours a day for 4 days a week.; plus all my normal responsibilities.
This is Karen's school student working on diagnostic tests to start school.
This youth night activity was making Operation Christmas Child Boxes for Samaritans Purse.
Everybody really enjoyed packing the Christmas presents in the shoe boxes.
The kids picked out presents they would like for themselves and then packed them to send to other mission fields.
A group picture of the youth with their boxes ready to send.
This is the Korean team that came for their monthly youth activity on both O'Chiese and Sunchild.
Karen had help from the Nazarene Church in Caroline, Alberta for Sunday School. The children are really enjoying their craft.
This is a group picture of the class with the Caroline helpers last Sunday.
This is a local school teacher with her son, Karen beside Jenelle who is a local lady, and two visitors from Drayton Valley, Alberta.
Karen was asked to spend time with this family as they came together from different foster homes to be with the whole family. One daughter was missing at this time.
