Sunchild News - June 2006

June 2006 News - Sunchild Reserve
www.arcticoutreach.org e-mail-rinker@arcticoutreach.org

Dear Friends,

From time to time something special happens that gives us a unique insight into the heart of God and His care for us. My recent trip back home was just such an event. It started out normal, visiting our daughter Jenny & family, who will be moving back to Alberta in a few weeks. Then our 40th Bible College reunion, which I tried to prepare myself for, but it is simply impossible to prepare for visiting a group of people you haven't seen for 40 years and you have vivid memories of everyone as they were at age 20! Then I got to spend some time with Reuben and his wife. I didn't get to go to their wedding so this was my first time with them as a family. On Mothers Day my Mom's only sister died, suddenly and unexpected. So I went on home and spent almost two weeks with Mom. I was glad I could be there and could never have planned it ahead of time. My middle brother hadn't been home for several years and neither of us knew the other was coming, and we both were on the road well before our Aunt died.

I've said my angel has quite a sense of humor. We both ended up in the entry of Mom's apartment at the same time waiting for Mom to buzz the door open. I hadn't seen him in more than 28 years and I didn't recognize him or his wife. It wasn't until he followed me down the hall and appeared at Mom's door that I realized who it was! So we had a reunion also. I got to visit my oldest brother at his home also, and since he is now somewhat retired we got to spend the entire time visiting and reliving bygone times and I heard some stories for the first time. Since I was the youngest there was an incomplete picture of our family, in some respects of before I was born which he helped to make more clear. A cousin that I grew up with and was very much like a brother also came to visit Mom and he took me to our grandparent's graves. I wasn't able to be at my Dad's funeral, and this time I got to see his grave in the Veteran's cemetery and put flowers there early on the beautiful morning of Memorial Day before I left. Jenny and her family came to visit Mom and we all got to be together for a few days again. The churches back home have faithfully supported us all these years and I was able to hold a service with several of them and visit friends as well. I got to spend a few days with Melody and we got to spend some time sightseeing and getting some things she needed as well as seeing some of Karen's family and even got to see my Mother in law! My special thanks to all who made this possible.

The work on the Reserve continued on with the same intensity that has been building all year, with Karen leading the teams while I was away. Most of the students have gone for the semester but others have stepped in to fill their place. We will be holding VBS this July 10-14 on the mission grounds. We are just starting to renovate the church and a local family is still living in our house there. I can't describe the feeling of being back on the scene of where we lived so many deep emotional events, and dealing with the condition of the church building that used to literally glow with God's presence. We certainly anticipate what God has in store in all of this because He doesn't forget the years of heartfelt prayer of all you folks for this place. To Him a few years of time is as a moment.

Please keep us in prayer for an effective summer, especially for the VBS and Discipleship camps.

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