Be of good cheer

Photo: Kavita, Adobe Stock.

by Steven Schave

When you think of the ministry that Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP) does, you probably first envision the smiling faces of children at Vacation Bible School. You might think of snacks, crafts, giggling, and fun as well as teams traveling from across North America to spread joy and happiness during the beautiful summertime of northern Canada. And that is how it should be: that image truly exemplifies our mission to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

However, spending time in the North in the dead of winter is also significant. Being in the height of coldness and darkness helps a person to fully understand, even if only for a glimpse, the experience of living in remote and isolated communities.

Winter trips can definitely start with the challenge of weather delays. Even when it is unseasonably warm, there can be fog or haze, and severe winter storms can strike unexpectedly. I experienced this firsthand earlier this year during a spiritual retreat that I was invited to participate in. I was asked to give words of encouragement and instruction, but given the weather and flight delays, it took me three days to travel there!

When I did arrive, the event had to be postponed for a day. Unfortunately, a 14-year-old girl had committed suicide. They held her funeral that week, which rightly put a pause on everything else—especially since this was the second teen suicide in less than a month, in a village with a population of less than 500. The whole community was in mourning as I arrived.

My role changed from being just a guest speaker to also offering spiritual support. For example, there was a time of prayer for the community one evening. I was asked to pray for the chief of the community who was in attendance. He was deeply moved. In my prayer for him, I prayed for all who were grieving from the tragedy that had struck our First Nations friends, and I prayed for God to protect all the little ones on the reserve.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” – (John 16:33)

Afterward, I also prayed for the mother of the daughter who had taken her own life. The mother was visibly shaking as I gave words of comfort. At a hymn sing later on, there was a little girl, not more than six, going around sharing her Reese’s Pieces with everyone. And when she stopped next to me, she wanted to draw me a picture.

In her drawing was a girl in a box, and above the box, there was an angel. Next to the box was a heart that was broken in two. It was a drawing of the little girl’s sister, who had committed suicide and was now in heaven. The little girl even drew a cross beside her sister as an expression of her faith.

Regrettably, this is part of the story for everyone who lives in this community. And story is so important to all the people who live in the North. At one point during the hymn sing, the attendees stopped for a moment and had the translator help them tell me their individual stories.

One by one, I listened to the story of trauma and tragedy. I heard of families separated by residential schools, house fires that took the lives of loved ones, those who had frozen from falling in the ice, fatal hunting accidents, and addictions and diseases that resulted in the death of young adults in their families. It was difficult to hear all of these stories, but it truly helped me to appreciate all the more the importance of LAMP’s ministry in places just like this.

As much as I tried to sit and listen, and then minister to others, it was I who had been ministered to even more. After hearing of all that tragedy and trauma, trials and tribulations, what stood out the most was the strength of their faith. An elder told me how she responds to the younger members of her family during events that would test anyone’s faith. She tells them to not be angry at God and not to blame God for the results of a fallen world. 

Instead, she spoke of how she lives her life guided by the words of Christ when He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”  (John 16:33). Even in the worst of daily tribulations, each day she lives in good cheer. Because on the cross, Christ overcame the world–overcame sin, death, and the devil. She taught me that we can always have cheer, because of the empty tomb and a risen Saviour.

Winter trips can be challenging to be sure, but they can also be so very rewarding. They allow us to truly share in the experiences of life, suffering, faith, and healing. For me, it serves as a reminder of just how significant our work is when we go in the summer to be with the children. Serving in the summer enables us to witness the joy and happiness, the fun and laughter, but it is also important to understand why our presence is so crucial. People are in need and are begging us to come, to visit, and to teach the Good News. Regardless of the time of the year, what a boost it is for our faith to witness the faith of those who live with so many afflictions and yet live a life of good cheer!

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Rev. Dr. Steven Schave is Executive Director of Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP).

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