https//arcticoutreach.org --- e-mail rinker@arcticoutreach.org --- phone 403-989-3715
Greetings from the Sunchild Reserve in Alberta, Canada! First, just a word of explanation concerning the content, and targeted audience of this newsletter, because it is longer than we normally present. The primary purpose of these news articles is to inform and educate the people and churches that support and pray for the ministry of the Rinkers here at Sunchild, and the extensive outreach they are involved in. If we were targeting a more general audience, we would make it only one short page that simply hit some of the highlights, because experience has shown that casual readers are only motivated to read a few paragraphs and only have an attention span to absorb a few pictures. But for Karen and I, this is a life's work that we do without a salary, which means that it's value is greater than a job. It is a critical mission that must be done, and since we can't do it alone we have to have partners that understand it and in order to support it they have to have the information we present to make the significant sacrifices they regularly make to keep this ministry going. I considered making a table of contents with thumbnails of the pictures, to begin with an overview of the content, however I decided not to do that, and simply assume that, at least those who support the ministry will check out each page. The format is not optimized to view on a phone or small screen, although it certainly can be viewed that way.
We begin with our annual VBS summer camp held late last summer. The Korean churchs in Calgary normally staff our VBS, but they have been out of the picture since Covid hit because they are afraid of bringing Covid to the Reserve from the city. We have been free to operate normally since we are remote and the restrictions held elsewhere are not practiced here, and Covid has not had a serious effect here. Some choose to wear masks and many others don't, but in the last two years the mission has not been responsible for spreading one case of Covid, for which we are thankful. The churches in town, 40 miles away, have been mostly shut down from their normal ministries like VBS, so anyone wanting to be involved in this type of ministry can come here and help us because we can keep as many busy as are willing to come.
A big part of our VBS has always been crafts because the Native people are very gifted artistically and the kids love doing them. We always have scripture verses on the crafts so when they are taken home and displayed, the scripture is prominent. We divide the age groups into several classes with a craft appropriate for them. These ministry camps are of great value to the volunteers because they get invaluable, real world experience doing a critical ministry.
Our team leader was Peter from Rocky Mountain House. Peter is a full time, professional youth worker and did a wonderful job. He carried the major work load for lessons and directing team leaders to supervise music, crafts, recreation, etc.
These are the volunteers and team leaders who assisted and made our VBS successful. Some are neighbors and some are from a hundred miles away.
We still use the old fashioned Betty Lukins flannelgraph. We are not pressured to adapt to contemporary methods that don't serve us nearly as well as the methods that have proven effectiveness here.
We always counsel the staff to carry a burden for individual students long after the VBS is over and faithfully pray for them. We also encourage those reading these newsletter to do the same and pray for the people featured in these pages. God works this way.
It's not unusual for students to ask us about some particular staff worker they got to know years ago. It's just part of the dynamics here, that the kids don't forget and and all of this stays in their minds for years, and even for the rest of their lives. That is how important and effective these VBS camps are here.
Last Christmas a group came from the Calgary Korean Churches loaded with gifts for the O'Chiese Reserve. Due to Covid in Calgary they were reluctant to go door to door on the Reserve, so they left the gifts here to be passed out. The supplies the Koreans brought not only supplied VBS, but our Sunday School and youth groups.
Follow the link to access the next page of pictures.