Persevering Through Fire

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.    

James 1:12

 


A few weeks ago, shortly after we had put Ethan down for the night, I heard someone faintly yelling and banging on a door at a house nearby. I went to check to see what the commotion was. As I approached the front door, I saw what was happening: our neighbour’s house across the street was engulfed in flames. 

Thankfully, everyone was able to get out of the house safely and within a couple of minutes, the fire department was there with about four trucks and a dozen plus firefighters putting out the flames. 

A day or two later, an insurance claims adjuster was inspecting the house and a few days after that, trucks started showing up, fencing off the damaged portion of the home and dropping off supplies. Work has been ongoing since then to get our neighbours back into their home as soon as possible.

Fires are an unfortunate reality and do occasionally occur, despite our best efforts to prevent them. This is no different in the communities we serve in the north, and a couple of months ago, there was another fire in one of the northern communities.

One of our last VBS programs for the summer was located in Kingfisher Lake, ON.  Pastor Randy and I flew in on a Saturday to check in on our team of volunteers and visit with the people we know in the community. We stayed the night and the next morning attended the Anglican church service. 

Always some fun crafts at VBS

The church is serviced by Bishop Lydia and after the service, she informed us that during the early morning hours, the church in a neighbouring community, Kasabonika, had caught fire and burned down. In the coming days, they were scheduled to have a baptism and a wedding, the supplies for which were lost in the fire.

Both these communities are completely isolated with no roads in or out of them, however, it is only a short 20-minute flight from one to the other. 

As we had an airplane at our disposal, we offered to take Bishop Lydia and whatever supplies they may need for their upcoming services, to Kasabonika.

Me, Bishop Lydia, Henry & Amos about to take flight

That evening, we packed the plane with supplies and I flew Lydia, along with church workers Henry and Amos, over to Kasabonika so that they could meet with their friends and provide them with comfort and hope in the midst of this tragedy. Yes, the church itself is just a building, but it’s still a difficult loss for the community.

Unlike my neighbours, it will be a much longer process before the church is rebuilt in Kasabonika. Being so remote provides its own challenges. Everything will need to be planned out well in advance and construction supplies will need to be shipped up on winter roads during the short few weeks that they’re open to large trucks.  Whether or not that can be achieved this year remains to be seen, so it could be a couple of years at least before the church is rebuilt.

I am thankful that God had us in the right place at the right time so that we were able to assist Bishop Lydia and to deliver the supplies the church needed after the fire. We ask for prayers for the community of Kasabonika as they will need to rebuild their church after the fire.