A man in Rosthern made these toy cars for all the kids! Initially they were going to go under the bus in storage, but the kids wanted them on the bus with them.
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Our trip to Prince Albert featured a fun detour: the Open Door Community Church of the Nazarene, which was the church Marie dedicated her life to Christ all those years ago. A gardener called the pastor to ask if we could enter, leading the pastor to come down to the church and open its doors. While the interior of the church had changed greatly from when she was a youth, Marie could still remember the original layout.
Most interesting was the large picture of Jesus at a doorway, which was apparently there when Marie came to know God. I would never have thought that it was that old. Marie then led the children in song and prayer, which the children gladly partook in, as they could tell the special nature of the moment.
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After our visit to the Nazarene church, we went on to Prince Albert Alliance Church, where the team would put on an afternoon performance for 2:00 PM. The church treated us to roast beef sandwiches, which I am proud to say the kids enjoyed. They are beginning to like western food.
While the staff at Prince Albert Alliance Church were warm and friendly to us, I would be lying if I said that the visit was underwhelming. The church is a not small one, which made the extremely low attendance very noticeable. Donations and sponsorships are what ultimately matter, but with such a small attendance, we knew that it would be an easy count once the show finished. However, we are nothing if not professional, so we moved forward as if it was a packed house.
For those who did attend, and for the great staff of Prince Albert Alliance Church, I give my most sincere thanks. You made us feel welcome in spite of disappointing circumstances. I could tell everybody was happy to be there with no regrets for their choice of how to spend an afternoon.
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After the performance at Prince Albert, we drove off to have supper with a couple
at their ranch, who are very generous donors to Rescue. The kids enjoyed the meal, but it was obvious that they were distracted by the loader excavator tractor outside (if that's not what is called, forgive me, I'm a city-boy). After eating their supper, all of the kids ran outside and began climbing on it. The husband decided to take them for a ride, fitting several kids into the bucket and lifting it into the air. The kids enjoyed this greatly, although the cold air eventually brought them inside. I enjoyed watching them put their cold hands on Blaine, drawing an animated reaction out of him. I less enjoyed it when they did it to me.
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The next morning saw the team perform at Rosthern Alliance Church, where the entire Sunday service was dedicated to our performance. I was focusing on the blog at the time, so I didn't get much of the performance, but I could hear the audience cheer during the 'Praying Mantis dance' and laugh at Sokthon's charisma. It was also fun for me to find out that Marie and Norm were involved with the church's founding, which was verified by a church photo-album.
The lunch provided by the church was a variety of different soups, including a Mennonite staple: farmer sausage soup. Marie liked it so much she went up for three servings, and she told me later that she would have gone for a fourth but was embarrassed. The kids were more interested in the corn soup, while I liked the farmer sausage soup myself. Once we finished eating, we got a laugh when Moses put on Sarah's Cambodian dress and pranced around the library.
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It was a two performance day, meaning that we were quickly off to Saskatoon. This was great for my family, as Marie's sister-in-law, Carolyn, lives there with her family, meaning I got to see my extended family. We set up at Westgate Alliance Church, where Sreyna wanted to try on Sarah's dress. It has been a lot of fun watching her come out of her shell during the trip. All of the children have become very comfortable around me, with even
Leah giving me a hug on occasion (she does quickly swat me away when I try to wrestle her).
I have also got more time to chat with Thavin and Sarah. The two of them are often chatting with each other and have a good friendship. Andet is a more quiet individual, and is likely missing his wife and 10-month-old daughter. They have all been reliable shoulders to lean on during the trip, as they have all stepped up to help me with additional photos and videos.
The kids were rather hyper during the performance, and needed to be treated with more sternness. The church has a water fountain that is meant for filling water bottles, which the kids kept treating as a toy. When they knocked over a cup full of water, I stepped in and shooed them away. Based off of the way the kids reacted, they could tell that I was losing my patience with them. We were all friends by the end with no bad blood
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We spent the night at Red Berry Bible Camp, which is 45-minute drive north of Saskatoon. Sarah had worked there before and knew some of the staff that were there just for the Cambodian kids. We arrived at around 10:00 PM, and the kids found the air very cold. They quickly got in their cabins and hunkered down for the night.
The next day was Thanksgiving (for us Canadians), so my family went off to spend it with the extended family in Saskatoon. While we were off eating turkey and mashed potatoes, the kids were treated to the full camp experience. Horseback riding, rock climbing, and a hayride were all on the schedule. From the videos I've received, everyone had an absolute blast!
God bless & Jesus saves.
Wow! Lots of fun activities for everyone! Also such special "treats" for Marie to revisit these places! Thanks for sharing these!