Power of Prayer on Display as New Premier Steps Forward:
A Summer at Winkler Bible Camp
Posted on October 7, 2022
Thank you, Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, for your support to me through prayer and finances while I was serving at Winkler Bible Camp this summer. It is such a blessing to know I have so many people supporting the work with kids at camp. Here is a little bit of information on what I was doing during the summer and some of the highlights.
I was at camp for a total of 17 weeks. The first nine weeks (in spring) consisted of site projects, maintenance, rental groups, and planning for summer camps. We do a lot of our summer camp prep in those two months before summer, so we make new activities, liven up some of the old ones, and plan what the kids are going to do. We also had school groups and companies rent our site during the day that we would help with.
The next eight weeks was running summer camp! For me, that consisted of running a smaller area of camp called Teepee Village. It is a kilometer into the bush with no electricity or running water and offers a great space to make deep connections with everyone there. A highlight out there was an evening around the fire; one of the leaders had his guitar and we had an impromptu worship time. I also was part of a skit that would run every day at chapel – I was the main character. The skit was completely original to the camp and followed the story of some adventurers trying to find the kingdom of heaven, represented as the “Lost City of Gold.”
Teepee Village didn’t run all summer, so the other weeks I was helping out wherever needed at the main camp. But throughout the summer I was able to make deeper connections with other staff and we spent some late nights talking about faith. All in all, it was an awesome summer of being able to do ministry and I am hoping to do it again next year.
Thank you!
David Woelk
Summer Missions Report
Posted on August 14, 2022
This summer I was on staff for the high school missions program, Bonfire, at YWAM Mendocino Coast. This program consists of 2 weeks on the YWAM base, followed by a missions trip for the final week. This year, we had 7 staff and 9 students.
On the base, we had classes on the Holy Spirit, values & culture, the Father heart of God, discerning God’s voice, spiritual warfare, some valuable tools for ministry, and more! We also had team-building activities, prayer and worship times, and fun field trips, including ocean kayaking and bonfires on the beach. These two weeks were packed full of fun and challenges as we got to know each other and both students and staff were learning a lot. God did so many little miracles, and several of our students had major growth and breakthrough with God in various areas of their lives!
For the third week, we drove to Vicente Guerrero, Mexico, and partnered with some ministries in the area; helping build a school for adults who didn’t have access to education, and spending time visiting a ministry for women and their children who are leaving situations of abuse. Getting to know and bless the women and children even for a couple days was beautiful and impactful, and it was also very encouraging to see what the long-term workers have accomplished as they follow God and build this ministry.
Also on outreach, I got to, with our school leader, baptize 4 of the students! I love baptisms because they are such a tangible picture of what God is doing in someone’s life, and it’s very exciting to see them taking that step of commitment, so I was very honoured to be a part of that for our students.
Throughout this program, I learned a lot about my gifts and leading along with the Holy Spirit. It is amazing to see God bring things I dreamed of into reality as I step forward in faith, and I’m so thankful to my church family for supporting me in this!
Thanks for reading, and let me know if you want to hear more! God bless!
Alexis Cooper
God Story: Sebastian Klassen
Posted on November 9, 2019
For those who don’t know me, my name is Sebastian Klassen. Over the last three years during my time at university I have made Whyte Ridge Baptist my home Church in Winnipeg. I am grateful for the welcoming environment and the friendly people at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church.
This summer I had the opportunity to work at Winkler Bible Camp. Winkler Bible Camp (WBC) is a safe place for kids to come during summer. At WBC kids have the opportunity to develop new skills, make new friends and grow closer to God. WBC shares the gospel with kids that are not yet Christians as well as helps kids who are Christians to continue to grow in their own faith. One of the things that I like about working at Winkler Bible Camp is that they also work with staff in their own faith journey. I can confidently say that I have matured as a Christian while working at WBC. My highlights from this summer was playing with the kids at activities and singing songs in Chapel.
I would like to thank Whyte Ridge Baptist Church for being my home church in Winnipeg while I was at university. It was a privilege to attend WRBC and make connections with many of you. You may not see me much as I have moved back to Winkler.
Thank you for your support and encouragement.
Sebastian Klassen
Update from Andrew Friesen
Posted on October 31, 2017
Hello beloved Whyte Ridge Family,
It’s hard to believe that Courtney Joy and I have been married for almost 2 months now! God has done some amazing things in our lives since the beginning of August and we feel incredibly blessed!
- Our wedding day (Aug 6) was filled with such unspeakable joy! It was stunning weather and filled with such precious memories with close friends and family. Our favourite part was worshiping together and truly sensing that Jesus was honoured and there with us.
- Praise God for a fruitful time at Mobilizers forum just 3 weeks after our wedding. This is an annual conference where all of Africa Inland Mission Canada’s mobilizers gather for a week of training, prayer, and fellowship. We felt encouraged by the team and were able to learn a LOT from their experience. At the end we set some goals for the next year and everyone was of one mind.
- We have two young ladies and a couple that are beginning applications for short term service for this upcoming year! Praise God that He is finding people with unique interests to serve Him from sports ministry, to English teaching.
- Praise God as Courtney Joy and I have been given TWO opportunities to preach in churches in the upcoming months! Neither are churches AIM has had contact with in the past!
- Praise God for the ways that He has ALREADY been leading Courtney Joy and me into His Word this past month. We have been challenged in our quiet times and are learning how to hear Gods voice as a couple- it is such an honour to serve the LORD and to simply be in His presence together.
- Please keep praying with us that the LORD of the harvest would bring labourers. We are asking the Lord for four to six full time missionaries, three short termers, and we are looking to increase our inquiry base to thirty in the next year here in Ontario.
- Praise God for Gary and Kim Lidstone who are two new additions to the Ontario mobilizing team. Pray for them as they are beginning to fundraise in the fall and hope to be fully supported by January. This is a amazing blessing as Ontario is a huge area to cover!! They will work alongside us and Susan Pinkerton (still recovering from surgery) starting in the new year.
- Please pray, with the increase of contacts here in Ontario, we are mapping out several trips to Ottawa, Windsor, Hamilton, Guelph, and Pickering over the next two months! Pray that we would have endurance.
- Pray for Courtney Joy and me as we have really begun to lean in to the discernment phase of where God is leading us in Africa. We have had many meaningful conversations, done some research, and are seeking the LORD to guide us forward. We know that God has asked us to walk into the darkest places to make disciples & see His church grow… but where that is we are still discovering together.
Love you all dearly and can’t wait to see you in the new year
Courtney Joy and Andrew Friesen
Worship By The Lake: A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness – A Reflection by Pastor Kevin Klassen
Posted on September 7, 2016
I first came to Whyte Ridge Baptist Church 21 years ago. Not really because I wanted to. And certainly not because I was very interested in finding a church home. I recall that I visited this church reluctantly, coming here together with someone who had other friends who attended here. And then I basically never left.
WRBC very quickly became my church family and, ever since then, God has used my time at this church to change my life in some very significant ways. First of all, it is here that I met my beautiful wife (on the worship team, no less). And it is also here that I have found and enjoyed many life-giving friendships. And even deeper than that, God has used the teachings, the relationships, the joys, the challenges and the experiences that I have had in the context of this church family to change me on the inside. He has used my time in this church to mercifully convict me and lovingly shape me, teaching me about His Word, His grace and His sufficiency.
And in recent years, God has granted me the profound joy of serving as a pastor of worship and care – ministering within the very family that has loved me and walked with me throughout almost all of my adult life. God is so very, very good!
Because of this history, there are plenty of personal stories that I could tell about God’s faithfulness to us and through us as a church family. And I know that there are many others who could do the same, whether they have attended for a long time or a short time.
And this coming weekend, September 10th and 11th, we are going to be gathering at our church property on McGillivray Boulevard to Celebrate the Faithfulness of God! It will be a fun weekend of worship, fellowship and prayer – remembering the stories of God’s faithfulness in the past and asking and thanking Him for His continued faithfulness in the future.
We will be especially be remembering the gift and the purpose of the land that God has given us on McGillivray. In fact, this weekend will serve as a celebratory kickoff to a Capital Funds Campaign that we expect will move us forward toward the construction of a new church building that God will use to continue to faithfully build His kingdom in and through us.
Worship By The Lake:
On Saturday evening at 7 pm, we’ll have an outdoor celebration that will include much praise and prayer as well as stories that celebrate the Lord and His loving kindness. Following that will be a bonfire and fireworks. A few of us are also camping there overnight and you’re welcome to join us (and there are portapotties there, in case that’s a deal-breaker).
Sunday morning we’ll continue our celebration with an outdoor worship service at 10 am, followed by a BBQ lunch.
Everyone is welcome!!! Bring your friends, bring your lawn chairs, bring your mosquito repellent and bring hearts that are ready to worship the Lord. Prepare your own heart by reflecting upon your own story of how you have seen God’s faithfulness to you and to this church family. And let us come before Him with thanksgiving and also with anticipation of how He may use this land and building in the discipleship, worship and witness of His church.
For just as we each have personal stories to tell of God’s work in and around us during our time at WRBC, I believe His faithfulness is most greatly reflected in the way that He chooses to include us in the Great Story that He is writing in the building of His Kingdom for His glory. God is so very, very good!
– Written by Pastor Kevin Klassen, Associate Pastor – Worship and Care
Breast Cancer – a Transforming Experience
Posted on October 19, 2014
by Irene Toews
I have attended Whyte Ridge Baptist Church for about 7 years. I was originally asked to share my story at the 2014 Ladies Retreat. The theme for our weekend was Transforming Encounters with Jesus.
Well, for the last 14 months I have been experiencing a transformation in my life, also known as breast cancer. When asked if I would consider allowing my story to be put on the website, I had to take a deep breath. Once its “online” it’s out there. When I got home I remembered I had promised God I would share whenever and with whoever asked.
When I think of the word “transforming” I am grateful that it is not Transformed. I believe no matter where we are in our life, we are in a perpetual process of being transformed. There are some days I say to God, “really, we are still working on that area of my life.” I picture God and its like he rolls his eyes and says back to me: “Yes Irene, we are STILL working on that area of your life.”
The Day My Life Changed
On Wednesday, July 24, 2013, my life changed. I thought “I haven’t done a breast check for a while.” So as I sat on my couch, I did a quick check. First the right, and wait…, what was that? Quickly I checked the left, no lumps. Again I checked the right. My heart sank and my mind raced with questions. Maybe it’s the way I’m sitting, or I know, I’ve gained weight. However, I knew what it was by the size of the lump. When I pressed on it, it didn’t hurt. I tried to push the all the crazy thoughts out of my head trying deny what I already knew. That didn’t work well so the next day I called my doctor for an appointment. I was scheduled for a mammogram and the following week a biopsy.
During this time I was in a bit of a fog. I can’t remember who I told about the lump or if I asked for prayer. I know I was praying. On September 11, 2013, during the biopsy, I was told I would be immediately referred to a surgeon. I asked if it could be removed with a lumpectomy. The doc said “not with this type of malignancy”.
It was strange hearing the word malignancy, aka CANCER, spoken and it was referring to me and my body. How could this be? I have worked in Medical Administration for 20+ years and have had to call people in for appointments so the doctor could tell them they have cancer, but ME! Again the fog and survival mode kicked in. I got dressed and walked out of the clinic. A friend had driven me to the appointment, and as we walked down the street to the car I said “I have Breast Cancer.” I said it so casual it was like I just asked, “so you want to go for coffee.” I was trying to be normal, not fall apart right there on Tache. But then it would be normal to fall apart after being told you have cancer, right?
Independence is a Hard Thing to Give Up
Be normal. Be Strong. Be Independent. I was thinking how do I tell my family? What will happen to my job? Is this a hereditary thing—do the women in my family have the gene? I was glad my parents were not around anymore to see me go through this. And yet, I needed them at this time, …and will I die? My independence and life were being threatened. I was scared and lonely, more now than ever. I am a 54 year old single woman. What will I do? Where will I go? Who will be there for me?
The next hard step was to call my family to let them know. I had told my oldest brother about the biopsy. Now I had to confirm the diagnosis — I have breast cancer. I also called a few friends and cousins and the word spread quickly. Every time I say the words breast cancer, even to this day, it did not and does not feel real. I am still processing so much.
Oh yes by this time there were many tears. Yet there were things that had to get done before life was no longer normal. I wanted someone to hold me while I cried into my pillow in the middle of the night. One of my nieces said to my brother will she never catch a break. My family and friends were sad, angry, and concerned. This cancer didn’t just affect me.
I’ve use the analogy of a freight train to describe how I felt about this cancer thing. Remember in cartoons the damsel in distress tied to the train tracks waiting for her rescuer to come and save her from getting run over by the train. Well, that’s what I pictured. Me, standing on the tracks, tied tightly by cancer. All the while my friends and family were standing beside the tracks yelling, trying to get the train to stop. Yet it still came barreling down the tracks towards me.
When it hit me, amazingly, it didn’t knock me down. Yes, I may have swayed with each car hitting me, but to me, each car was a phase or step in the process. It was hard to watch those on the side of the tracks being concerned for me, worrying, praying, and watching me go through all the surgery, the treatments. I felt sometimes I needed to be the strong one in this and not let them know how scared I really was. Being independent is a hard thing to give up.
During this time I prayed or inwardly pleaded—some may have called it yelling—with God to give me strength to do what I had to do and get me through this and, oh, by the way, WHY ME? I never liked when I asked my parents “why” and they came back with “because I said so.” I had to trust God, my Father, in this and everything, because HE SAID SO.
Fast forward through medical tests, appointments, and decisions. The big one, do I have one mastectomy or two?
Surgery
October 29, 2013, at 5:45 in the morning, my brother and sister drove me to the hospital. I walked in knowing within a few short hours I was going to have my double mastectomy and reconstruction. This was a very surreal moment. Yet as I walked in I wondered how am I walking without grabbing on to the exit doors to avoid going into the hospital.
I know there were many people praying for me at this time. I remember praying just as they were putting me to sleep, asking God to guide the hands of the surgeons and to keep the cancer cells out of the lymph nodes. The cancer they did find in the first lymph node was so small it was not measurable. Praise God, I was released from the Health Sciences Center after a few days.
During all of this, somewhere in my mind, I knew chemotherapy and radiation were in my future. This scared me.
Home
Once I got home it was nice to be in my own safe place. My cousin had sent over a Tempur-Pedic bed and this allowed me to sleep in a sitting position with my knees bent. Due to the surgery this is how I had sleep for 2 months. My Christmas present to myself last year was to sleep in my own bed on Christmas Eve. It felt great — it felt normal.
After 8-10 weeks of recovery I started getting ready for my next step in treatments. Chemotherapy, losing my hair and toenails, feeling sick, and food tasting like sand for 4+months. I joked, at least my taste buds got to go to the beach last winter. I needed 24/7 care for 4-5 days after each treatment.
Cared For
I’m a little independent in case you haven’t noticed a theme here. However, being dependent rather than independent was a pleasure and a challenge for me. My caregivers made my meals, cleaned my house, sat with me. They distracted me with humour and what was going on in their lives. I was learning to be dependent on others.
When we are independent we do not ask for help quickly or easily. I had learned from a young age to fix it, figure it out for myself, put myself last. Now this may be a bit of a Mennonite thing — help others, fix others, do for others first. My mom’s test to see if we were really sick was if you’re staying home from school, then you can do the dishes or vacuum, or clean the bathrooms. We went to school a lot.☺ It was hard to feel helpless. I had people say they were surprised at how healthy I looked and sounded during this time. Yet trying to do things that would normally take a short time was a daunting task for me.
After my first treatment of chemo I did okay for the first few days. Slight flu-like symptoms. Days 3-5 kicked in and I had already sent my “care-giver” home. Why keep her here when I can do this myself. Bad decision. Again I was fighting with my independence.
I was so sick. The anti-nausea drugs kept the nausea away but the side effects were awful. I was weak. I was able to get my coffee, water or a piece of toast. I didn’t eat much those days and I was so doped up I couldn’t talk much. I remember a friend called to see how I was and all I said was too tired to talk and hung up. During that week I prayed to die! Really I did. I pleaded with God to take me home. I did not think I had the strength or ability to do another day, never mind five more rounds of chemotherapy. He obviously did not answer that prayer.
I started losing my hair on day 12 after my first treatment. My friend Sue is a former hairdresser so she came over and shaved my head for me. We both cried that night.
Rounds 2-6 were better. I stopped one of the anti-nausea drugs. I was able to arrange for people to stay with me till day 5. They tagged teamed a lot. Some of my neighbours mentioned that I must be popular; they had never seen so many people going in and out of my house. I did assure them I was not popular, just well cared for.
I am still amazed at the many people that came to take care of me. I felt I didn’t deserve it. I’ve not done enough for these people for them to care so much. I know I am loved by God, not by how much I do, He just loves me. Again, at times it’s hard to get my brain/heart around this concept. Satan loves to tell me I’m not good enough to be loved. I’m learning to take a deep breath and a brave step forward out of my comfort zone to ask for help. I can testify to the fact that the blessings I have received in allowing people to care out-weigh the fears of asking for help or being thought of a burden to others.
During my treatments and recovery there were so many friends from church, my Life Group, and my family that were there in body and prayers, phone calls, emails, food, snow shoveling, and so much more. I missed going to church on a regular basis; when I did go I was amazed and so blessed at the many different people that came up to me and said we pray for you every day. I wanted to say who are you people to care so much. I sometimes wanted to ask who are you because I didn’t know their names or couldn’t remember.
God’s Plans
Through all of this, I sometimes found it hard to pray, read my Bible, focus on God and His will. I knew God had a plan. I knew this from verses like Jeremiah 29:11:
For I know the plans I have for you, DECLARES the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.
And Hebrews 13:5:
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
Back when I first knew I had cancer, I drove to a quiet spot and opened my Mom’s bible. Now my parent’s had passed way 1 1/2 years earlier and I had been the main go-to child during the last years of their life. That was and is a whole different transforming experience in my life. Anyway, Mom’s Bible had been in my car since her passing. I opened her Bible and read where it fell open to Ezekiel 37:4-5…
Dry bones, listen to what the Lord is saying to you, “I, the Lord God, will put breath in you, and once again you will live. I will wrap you with muscles and skin and breathe life into you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
Whenever, I would share a concern or problem with my Mom or Dad, Mom always would have a verse of comfort or encouragement, not to mention their prayers. Please know, I don’t adhere to crossed over loved ones speaking to you, but I felt that this is a verse she would have shared. I know it is out of context, but it was a comfort all the same.
In my darkest moments, a song or verse would come to mind and I would contemplate or sing the words till they penetrated my heart and mind and soul. “When Peace like a River, attendeth my way, When Sorrows like sea billows roll. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL”. That was my Dad’s favorite song.
Philippians 4:4-7 says:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice…. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So I kept saying and singing, to God be the Glory. Sometimes over and over till it penetrated my being.
It helped me to pray for friends and family going through their own issues and many others who needed God to touch their lives. I know have a God who loves me and is not surprised by my circumstances. He knew before I was born what I would go through in this life.
When asked am I mad at God, I often tell people I was angry at times, yes. But I know in my heart He loves me and will never do anything to pull the rug out from under me just for fun. So I trust Him.
God is Still Working
So where am I in this transforming encounter with Jesus? I’m still transforming, he is still working on me. I’m still learning to trust, ask for help, and make prayer and study a bigger priority. I am apprehensive for what He will ask of me, where I will share this experience, and what the future holds health wise.
In closing, one of the books I read this winter was the Prayer Box, by Lisa Wingate. It has this prayer about God’s Grace.
“Yet amid all of this, there is the water of Grace. It flows in all directions, seeping into the hidden crevices, the darkest spaces. The water of Grace, is a sponge to the lips. A trickle and then a flood of hope, the river moves into the mountain stone by stone slowly widening its path, going over each of us, cutting into each of us, washing the places that are hard, that would separate us from one another, from you, among us and within us. After the Storm all are equal, all wanting, all needing, all in need of the water of Grace from one another and from you.”
I praise God and thank Him for loving me enough to give me family, friends, and a church family like Whyte Ridge. It’s your love and prayers that helped get me through this year. And I thank God He is NOT finished with me yet.
Loss and Gain through Illness
Posted on September 28, 2014
Dealing with the subject of loss and gain, Whyte Ridge Baptist people were challenged, encouraged, and moved in a very special way this past Sunday morning.
Pastor Terry Janke spoke on the theme–Living in Christ–based on Philippians 1:12-26. The sermon was a call to weigh our losses and gains in light of what Paul teaches, particularly in verses 21-24:
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ,which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (Phil. 1:21-24, NIV)
To conclude his sermon, Pastor Terry interviewed Melanie Penner. Melanie was diagnosed with cancer one year ago. She has written with refreshing candor about this journey in her blog Our Hope Adventure.
Melanie shared briefly about her diagnosis and then spoke about the loss and gain she has experienced as a result of the diagnosis.
The Key Player
Posted on May 3, 2014
by Emmie Dryjski
In my testimony on March 9th I made several references to the missionaries with whom I lived and worked. After my baptism service, I spoke with Dan Penner, a member of our church, and we discussed that it was his father, the late Richard Penner who was the key player in my journey to Christ. Sadly, Richard was killed in a plane crash on his way to a meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2004.
It was Richard who arranged a teaching position for me for PAD (Partnership in Academic Development), in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan, where he worked as a director for World Concern. He also arranged an entry visa for me and met me at the Afghanistan border. As a woman travelling alone to a war torn country I was extremely thankful for this. It can be very stressful entering Afghanistan due to all the military check points and language barrier. Not only was Richard fluent in Dari, but also very familiar with all Afghan customs and procedures.
While in Mazar-e-Sharif, Richard kept a watchful eye over me. He would assist me to the market and showed me what food I must not eat. He also reminded me to follow daily the Afghan tradition of covering myself from head to foot. During the two months there, I was cut off from my life in Canada because there was no means of communication. However, Richard would deliver news from Winnipeg to me, including email from my family whenever he attended a meeting in Tashkent. Most importantly, he took me to the worship services on Fridays and introduced me to all his missionary friends and colleagues. From them I learned what it means to be a servant of the Lord.
Richard’s life was a witness to me in his love for God. This same love was also demonstrated in his genuine interest in helping the Afghan people and his care of me.
It has been a real gift to have worked with Richard and to call him my friend.
Lessons from God Through Cancer
Posted on March 2, 2014
by Melanie Penner
Most of us fear the diagnosis of cancer. I grew up fearing cancer even more then the average person. When I was four years old my brother died of cancer. I honestly believed that since my family had suffered from this loss, I would always be spared of having to live through the trauma of cancer. However, God decides, not me. In October 2013, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer. My journey of getting diagnosed, being treated and recovering has not been easy. Here is my story…
I had day surgery in mid-October in order to determine if I had cancer or not. Three days after that surgery, I developed a deep vain clot in my leg and was admitted into the hospital. During this stay, I was told I most likely had cancer and that we didn’t need to wait for pathology to confirm my diagnosis. My clot was reinforcing what the doctors had predicted; I quickly became a cancer patient. I remember crying and feeling sad, but not devastated. I completely believed that God would make it all better quickly. I had been in a cancer-screening program for 18 months prior to being diagnosed, so I was certain that a quick surgery would take care of things. Wrong again. A month later, I was officially diagnosed. I was told that the tumor in my cervix was very large and had probably been there for up to 2 years. Apparently I had slipped through the cracks of the cancer-screening program that I was a part of. Mistakes had been made and my cancer had been missed. My biggest nightmare would come true: chemo and radiation. The tumor inside of me was too large for a successful surgery.
I remember crying out and asking God, “How could you let this happen?” It felt like it was more then I could handle. God’s response to me was, “I am with you.” I didn’t want Him, I wanted Him to fix my problem. Looking back, I had so much to learn. My first lesson was a hard one: God allows big, bad things to happen in our lives. He allows things to hit us that we can’t handle, so that we learn to lean on Him completely.
Two weeks after my diagnosis, treatments started. I got sick instantly. Nausea hit me like a punch in the gut and all the medication I was taking, was a shock to my body. So many nights I lay in bed and couldn’t believe this was the journey God was leading me on, and at the same time, I marveled at the strength He gave me just when I needed it. After my first week of treatments, I felt so incredibly overwhelmed and thought I could not survive 6 more weeks of this. I went to the hospital 5 days a week. I had radiation Monday through Friday and chemo every Tuesday. This was an intense treatment plan; however, God provided ways to cope. A group of friends offered to take turns driving me to the hospital everyday, so I was never alone. When I didn’t have energy to physically get there, I was escorted. God would bring verses into my life everyday through friends, devotions, and just in my mind to help me carry on. Somehow, I managed to get to every treatment. I was learning to rely on Him as my refuge and strength at all times. I learned that He will give me what I need, when I need it. I often felt like I didn’t have the strength or courage to get through each day, but I did for each moment. God often doesn’t give us beyond what we need, just enough. But enough is enough; and He is always dependable with enough.
There is another part to this story. I was sick, but so was my husband, Darryl. 4 months prior to my diagnosis, we learned he had a tumor behind his right eye that was the cause of severe headaches. In early January, when I was half way through my treatments, Darryl had to have major brain surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery was risky: there was a high chance he would lose his sight in his right eye. When the person you love the most is in pain or in any kind of jeopardy, all you want is to be with them and take care of them. But I couldn’t because I was too sick. We relied on friends and family to take Darryl to the hospital for his surgery and to be with him during his hospital stay. The morning he left for the hospital, I lay at home in bed begging God to carry Darryl through and to keep him safe. I did manage to get to the hospital in the afternoon of surgery day. In fact, I had an appointment with my oncologists that day to give me a progress report (my first one since treatments had started), had my daily treatments, and was sent for a chest x-ray in preparation for more treatments. Then I went up to the surgery ward to get the results of Darryl’s surgery. I think back on that day; it was way too much for me, but God was there. Because He was there, I made it through.
The surgery went extremely well; the first thing Darryl asked his nurse after waking up was, “How is my wife today; tell her I love her”. I was so relieved he remembered me! One of my biggest fears was having Darryl in the hospital. I didn’t have the energy to visit him each day, and I needed him at home to cheer me on through my treatments. God knew this. Darryl was discharged from the hospital 24 hours after major surgery. We couldn’t believe it, but were so thankful.
Not everything became easier after Darryl came home though. Now I was more on my own. He couldn’t come to the hospital with me for doctor’s appointments, even on days when “big news” would be given. I quickly learned how much I depended on Darryl and learned to depend on God instead. I managed to complete 5 rounds of chemo, 28 radiation treatments, numerous blood tests, and weekly doctor’s appointments. God carried me through all of this and has continued to be faithful to me.
My recovery from treatments has gone very well, quicker then expected. However, I have been told that my cancer did not respond to treatments as well as my doctors had hoped. So, I’m waiting for 12 weeks, to let the treatments finish working. Then, I will be reassessed to determine if surgery and more treatments are needed.
Waiting can be a very scary place, but I have learned that God is in control. He allowed me to get cancer, and He gets the last say as to whether I am cured or not. He gets to choose how I’m healed and when. God has also taught me that He is always present. He will never leave me nor forsake me. But it is my responsibility to acknowledge His presence in my life. I know God is taking me through this journey to change me and prepare me to serve Him. I’m not sure how, or where or when. But I can’t wait to see what is in store because now He is directing me and I am learning to follow.
Remembering Ana – One Year Later
Posted on December 12, 2013
One year ago, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene’s “home going to heaven” service was held at The First Cathedral of Bloomfield under Archbishop Leroy Bailey. Three ministers spoke: Dr. Paul of Glory Chapel International Cathedral of Hartford, Ana’s great aunt Myrta from Puerto Rico, and Pastor Terry Janke of Whyte Ridge Baptist Church of Winnipeg, MB. Because of Jimmy’s participation in the music community and their tremendous love for Ana, the music was provided by a Hartford Symphony Orchestra chamber group, Harry Connick Jr., Javier Colon, Latanya Farrell, and The First Cathedral Mass Choir led by J.J. Hairston.
They tell us that nearly two thousand people attended… Not because we all agreed on the same thing but because our hearts were broken. We thank all of you who came so graciously to stand with us, despite our differences, to pay tribute to a little girl whose life stood for this very principle.
Jimmy & Nelba
Here is the message Pastor Terry shared at the service:
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled… Trust in God, Trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you.’ – John 14:1-2
Jimmy, Nelba, Isaiah… and the entire Marquez-Greene family – it is a treasured privilege to be able to share with you in this “Home Going Celebration” for sweet little Ana. And it is with the deepest sympathy that I stand here on behalf of your Canadian church family in Winnipeg (Whyte Ridge Baptist Church); who is also standing with you in prayer before the throne of grace and beseeching the Lord to pour down mercy upon you and unshakable faith in the face of this loss. I cannot begin to tell you how many people from our church and community have conveyed their heartfelt love for you through the pastoral staff of our church and through Linden Christian School. We have talked and prayed with many people in Winnipeg who have been impacted by your family and the news of Ana’s death.
I also know that the communities of the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba, where you have so many friends, have been deeply impacted and that they have been walking with you in your grief. Know that God is multiplying His manifold graces upon many, many people; that He is not wasting your sorrows, and that the truth of His living presence is closer to the surface in countless conversations about eternal things.
I want you to also know that from the very moment we heard the news of Ana’s departure to be with her Lord, our prayer has been for God to sustain you, support you and display through you the wonders of His matchless love through your Savior, Jesus Christ. His light is shining through you, who have become such a witness to the living hope we have in Christ.
Ana was such a sweet girl. My wife Pat and I remember many times shared with your family, and we have spoken with friends who knew her well from church or school. One staff member from Linden Christian School wrote to me that Ana always loved reading and singing, and could out-dance anyone. “She was so much personality packaged in such a small bundle. I am blessed to have had even a little time with God’s special ray of sunshine.”
Someone else said; “She was a happy girl that lived in the moment. I love it that Ana celebrated who she was; her African-American heritage and her Latin-American heritage… and even living in Canada. She celebrated WHO she was, WHERE she was, WITH WHOM she was, WHAT she was, WHEN she was… and at some level, even WHY she was!”
Jimmy and Nelba, you will remember last January our church studied the book of Job. Job is a theodicy; an attempt to understand God’s involvement in our suffering. It is the testimony of a man that suffered greatly and for no apparent reason, losing his entire family and all he owned, yet hanging on to his faith in God through it all. Except for the opening and closing words, the entire book (42 chapters) is poetry. Someone took the time to make the whole story move to the beat and rhythm of Hebrew poetry. To understand its message we have to slow down and get in sync; something we are not good at.
When I started preaching through Job, I began with these words:
Part of my responsibility as a pastor is to prepare you to face your own theodicy – when the day of evil appears on your calendar, when calamity comes knocking at your door; when suffering finds your address, when your faith is no longer just theory about God held in your mind, but is forced to decide what you really believe about Him… in that moment, in the middle of that conflict… my goal is that instead of cursing God and losing faith, your trial will cause you to bless God and strengthen faith.
Jimmy and Nelba – that day of evil came last Friday… and it has been our prayer, that your faith would remain unshakable; and would reflect the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus to sustain you. Peter writes, ‘Now, for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold… may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.’ (1 Peter 1:6-7)
To understand the book of Job, you need to study its key questions. The first one is found in chapter one. The scene is the courts of heaven. Satan is standing before God and he poses a sneering question: Does Job fear God for nothing? Oswald Chambers writes that the devil was saying to God: ‘You are infatuated with the idea that man loves you for your own sake; but he never has and he never will. Job loves you because you bless and prosper him, but touch anyone of his blessings and he will curse you to your face and prove that no man on earth loves you for your own sake.’ (Baffled to Fight Better, p.9)
You see the purpose of the book of Job is not just to instruct us about patience in the face of suffering. What is on trial in Job is faith in God itself, and whether God is worthy of being trusted. Job understands this and so in chapter 2:10 we get the second important question in this book.
Job says to his wife, ‘Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?’ (Job 2:10)
Is God only worthy of being loved when He treats us the way we want to be treated; when He gives us what we want? Is He worthy of our devotion when He seems silent and far away; and when He allows sorrow and pain into our lives? Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?’
Job’s conclusion to these questions reflects a robust, gutsy and rugged faith. He says things like:
‘Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.’ (Job 13:15)
‘My advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.’ (Job 16:19-20)
‘Oh that I had someone to hear me... let the Almighty answer me.’ (Job 31:35)
‘I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.’ (Job 19:25)
‘My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.’ (Job 42:5)
In all that he went through, Job did not lose faith in His God!
Others in Scripture evidence this robust faith. The psalmist says… ‘Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’ (Psalm 73:25-26) The Apostle Paul said, ‘if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.’ (1 Cor. 15:19)
Jimmy and Nelba – many people will not understand this kind of faith that clings to the love of God and the goodness of God and the sovereignty of God in the midst of what feels like being hopelessly abandoned by God! It was the same for Job. His friends judged him as having sinned somehow. His own wife judged God and told him to curse God and die! She could not see God as yet a loving God because of the blinding pain!
But oh, dear friends, God could not love you more than He already does; and He has never loved you less. The measure of His love for you was demonstrated when He gave up His own dear Son on the cross so that you could be forgiven of your sin and have eternal life with Him. Ana has already entered into that fullness of eternal life because of God’s matchless love.
Let it be clear today, that though Ana was such a sweet little innocent girl, and so full of joy and love – she nevertheless needed a Saviour. There was nothing inherent in Ana that made God love her. God set His love on her because God is love, and she received that love in Jesus Christ and became a child of God. Jimmy and Nelba, you told us last night about how Ana prayed and how she loved reading Scripture. God put her in your home for these six years to nurture living faith in a living God! What a trust you were given… and you were faithful in that trust! And now Jesus has cleansed her soul and received her into the eternal home that He has prepared for her. And people, He can do the same for you… for everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.
In the last message Jesus shared with His followers before he died, He said: ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ (Jn 16:33) But He also said: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me.’ (Jn 14:1) In this world you will have trouble… but do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.
Jimmy, Nelba – I remember your first winter in Winnipeg. Oh what an adjustment it was to that climate, and how you loved getting away to Puerto Rico! The winter season in Canada is harsh.
The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that seasons are not just about the earth’s rotation and our climate. He says, For everything there is a season and a time for every activity under heaven. There is a time to mourn and a time to dance. Our hearts and souls have seasons as well.
Ana’s departure signals a season of winter for your souls… it feels frozen, numb. But because of your three years in Winnipeg, you know a little bit about winter. It can be cold and lonely, but it does not last… and it passes easier when you share it with others who are also in winter.
Mark Buchanan has written a book entitled, Spiritual Rhythm in which he discusses how to be with Jesus in every season of your soul. And about the spiritual season of his own winter that he passed through, he writes this: “It would end, in time – but not by my own doing. My responsibility was to know the season and match my actions and inactions to it. It was my season to believe in spite of – to believe, in the absence of evidence, when there was nothing, no bud, no colour, no light, no birdsong to validate belief. It was my time to walk without sight.” (p. 17)
Friends, the natural assumption about the winter season’s of our souls is that God is not there; life is not there. Either He has abandoned me, or I have strayed from Him. It is bleak and fruitless. Surely God is not in the winter! Yet He is!
There is growth and work that God does in our souls that can only be done in the winter. And you will find that Jesus is a Saviour for all seasons, especially the winter. For He is a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.
In a Cathedral in Milan, there is a doorway with three inscriptions over it.
Over the right-hand door, there is the motto: “All that pleases is but for a moment.”
Over the left-hand door, it says: “All that troubles is but for a moment.”
And over the top of the centre door: “Nothing is important, save that which is eternal.” (p. 51, A Chance to Die, biography of Amy Carmichael by Elizabeth Elliott)Dear friends – live in the assurance of the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13); who, when He appears will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. (Rev 21:4)
‘To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.’ (Jude 24)
God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform,
He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs and works His Sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread,
Are big with mercy and shall break in blessing on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain,
God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain.
– William Cowper, 1731–1800
For the full family tribute visit Love Wins – Remembering Ana Márquez-Greene, the official family endorsed memorial Facebook page.
Learn more about the Ana Grace Project established for the purpose of promoting love, connection, and community for every child and family.
Marriage Wins The Amazing Race Canada
Posted on October 11, 2013
Tim Hague Sr. shares a key take away from competing in The Amazing Race Canada.
10,000 applicants, seven provinces, three territories, 23,000 km traveled, eight other highly competitive teams, navigationally challenged, Parkinson’s. How does one go about winning the inaugural The Amazing Race Canada? I’m not sure I know how to answer that question entirely but I do know that it requires a fair bit of muscle, a bit of smarts and a fair bit of what some would call luck but I’ll refer to as blessing. Clearly Someone had our back!
So having had the opportunity to participate in something that is a once in a lifetime, if not multiple lifetime opportunity, what does one take away from it? Well, one is having Parkinson’s and trying to climb a mountain is not fun. Yes it’s true, Parkinson’s impacted my race, sometimes significantly. However, there are three salient truths I take away from the race in regards to this line of discussion. One is, in the long-term, without a cure, Parkinson’s will win this war that I battle with it. I’m OK with that. I know my ultimate home. Two, Parkinson’s does slow me down. It impacts my life, it impacted my race and it makes life slower than I would otherwise like it. Three we none-the-less won The Amazing Race Canada with Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s could not take this opportunity away from me and it did not prevent us from winning. Therefore, I am determined to not let it take an ounce of my life today. What it ‘wins’ tomorrow is not important but what I win today is. And, really, does it ever actually win? 2 Corinthians 5:8.
Then there’s the intriguing thought of how a marriage wins The Amazing Race Canada. Now, you know that Tim Jr. and I did all the heavy lifting on this (insert laugh track) but the brains of the team stayed at home in Winnipeg! Sheryl has been an avid fan of the show and prior to our leaving she had us studying all kinds of hopefully relevant trivia which included flags and flowers. Thus, her knowledge and encouragement to be prepared even before leaving proved vital to our overall success. So, in fact you could say we were effectively a three person team.
Now, how effectively do you listen to your spouse? I think there is a fascinating analogy here for how marriage is intended to work. My spouse, help mate, team mate, wife, made an invaluable contribution to our overall success even though she never ran a leg of the race. When it was said, “and the two will become one” (Genesis 2:24), I think this is a bit of what was in mind. The two are still two; independent in thought, action, ability, autonomy, but now one in life, partnership and direction. What if I had chosen ‘to be my own man’ and ignore the advice of my wife? What if she had felt that this was ‘their thing’ and chose to not be involved? By participating together on the same team (marriage) yet in very different roles we have experienced success together.
These are two of my favorite takeaways from The Race. I could regale you with tales of muktuk, dogsleds, zoo’s, navigational errors and the like, but I will leave you with these thoughts; we consider ourselves to be so incredibly blessed in life and so much more for having been given this experience. What a complete joy it was to run with my son and to win with him. It’s truly more than a father could hope for.
A heartfelt thanks to WRBC! The outpouring of support and encouragement has been wonderful. You make it so easy and delightful for us to call this place home.
