Almost two years ago Karen Rinker was at CrossRoads Church sharing about her ongoing ministry at the Sunchild Reserve near Rocky Mountain House. It was the same day I was being commissioned to go to South Korea to staff an International Discipleship Training School (DTS) with YWAM. Karen shared the story of the Good Samaritan and compared this story to the way many Native people are being treated today. They are lying in ditches, hurt and wounded, and we simply cross over to the other side of the street when we see them. This story impacted me and I felt called to see how I could get involved with this ministry. After the service, I met with Karen and discussed ways that YWAM Blackfalds could get involved with the Sunchild and O’Chiese Reserve ministry.
For the outreach portion of the Discipleship Training Program in Korea, we decided to bring our team of students to Canada. We spent two weeks staying at the Sunchild Reserve with Karen and Roger Rinker with a team consisting of people from Korea, Canada and the United States. Our first outreach was helping with Vacation Bible School at the Big Horn Reserve near Nordegg. Karen shared that many years ago the majority of the people of this First Nations group had been Christians. However, they had turned away from God and there was now only one Christian left on the reserve. She had been asking for a team to come and help her reach these people. It was a great week of teaching the children and praying for the hearts of the people to once again turn to God.
One of the days while we were on the O’Chiese reserve, Karen had arranged for us to go to the home of an Elder to teach VBS to his grandchildren. When we arrived he showed us his sweat lodge and shared some of the Native traditions and his cultural beliefs. Then we were able to show him and his family a drama we had created telling the gospel story. We spent a few more hours in his home teaching his grandchildren about Jesus and praying with them. We are trusting that seeds were planted in their hearts that day.
Since that time, we have also brought YWAM teams from the Islands of Fiji and Samoa to evangelize and make cultural presentations in the schools on the reserves. We have helped with their Sunday school and evening Bible studies. Every time I work with this ministry, I am reminded of God’s heart for these people and the incredible opportunities to bring hope and life.
This past October, Karen Rinker asked if we would host a Women’s Retreat for the ladies that had been faithfully coming to her Tuesday night Women’s Bible Study. We decided it would be best to take them away to a camp for a few days, to give them a break from their daily lives and to be refreshed. Our current DTS students and staff were excited for this opportunity and as we were praying about the weekend, we really felt it was important we communicate to them their value and worth. So we began planning and getting local businesses to donate items that we could use to bless the ladies. With these items we were able to have door prizes for each of the women. As their names were called, the ladies came and picked out a "prize." We had packages with jewelry, hair products, candles, purses, etc. but what the ladies wanted most were the packages with books. The books were devotionals about how to be Godly parents and couples. Throughout the weekend, in their free time, the ladies were reading their books. This was so encouraging to me and showed me how much they wanted to learn and how hungry they were for more of God.
During our first evening together, we had a time of worship. We sang the song "He Knows my Name" by Tommy Walker with the words:
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in His hands
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
This song really ministered to the ladies. After we read Psalm 139 together we spoke to them of their Creator God.
The camp was in a beautiful location so we also enjoyed our surroundings and walked along the many trails and sat by the campfire. We had meals together and learned how to cook fresh fish and bannock.
We also had a time of praying for each of the ladies and some of them shared their stories and struggles. They told stories of losing children (physically and emotionally), and issues of suicide and alcoholism. It was heartbreaking to hear them speak but wonderful to hear that they believed that God could take care of their families and could change their situations.
Please join us in continuing to pray for these ladies and their situations. Pray God would continue to draw them closer to Himself and that they would wholeheartedly give their lives to Him. Some of these ladies are not yet believers but we know they sensed God’s presence on that weekend. They had a taste of Him.
Ruthanne Slofstra has been on staff with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for eleven years. She currently lives in Blackfalds and works in the area of administration for the YWAM training schools and the Coffee House ministry.
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