The Busy Life

“Never be so busy as not to think of others.” – Mother Teresa

I don’t know about you, maybe it is just this time of year, but isn’t life really busy. Sometimes I ask myself, why is life so busy?

St. Francis de Sales, one of our team’s patron saints, says, “Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.” This quote really speaks to me. I feel like he is talking about taking time… taking time for me, for God, and for things to settle. When life is really chaotic I sometimes think God has just overwhelmed me with things. Then I realize that God will never give me more then I can handle. Yet, it can be really hard when life moves past you as you sit and watch, I'm sure you can relate.


Our team has been extremely busy in the past month. We had a trip to the Sahtu and Deh Cho regions, we have had multiple retreats in to different communities, along with keeping our high school and grade school youth groups going, and did I mention a leadership-training event. Even though this was really difficult it was amazing to see the gifts that the Lord gives you when you allow him to work through you.

I was given the opportunity to give my testimony in a very remote community called Nehanni Butte, so remote that you can only fly or go there on the winter road. I did not really have the time to prepare a testimony that they could relate to. But as Bishop Mark invited me up I felt really confident that it would go well. I gave my testimony and I found words through the influence of the Holy Spirit and I was able to speak in a way that they understood where I was coming from. I didn't know till after but they were wondering how someone so young could speak. For to them only the elders really speak about how God has worked in their lives. This really gave me strength and a boost to my own personal faith.

           

Thanks for reading and God bless,
Ben and the rest (Cameron, Mike, Meghan, Olivia, Shaina, and Stephanie) of iNFUSE NORTH.

Just a quote to leave you thinking.

“God's plan for enlarging His kingdom is so simple - one person telling another about the Savior. Yet we're busy and full of excuses. Just remember, someone's eternal destiny is at stake. The joy you'll have when you meet that person in heaven will far exceed any discomfort you felt in sharing the gospel.” – Charles Stanley                                                               

                                                                                          

Choisir de se laisser sauver

« La joie de l’Évangile remplit le cœur et toute la vie de ceux qui rencontrent Jésus. Ceux qui se laissent sauver par lui sont libérés du péché, de la tristesse, du vide intérieur, de l’isolement.»

Voilà les premières phrases de l’exhortation apostolique Evangelii Gaudium. C’est un passage qui ne suggère pas l’ambiguïté ou la possibilité. C’est une affirmation. Une vérité. Une conviction.

Alors pourquoi est-ce que cette promesse ne constitue pas le quotidien de ma réalité? C’est la question que je me suis posée lorsque je l’ai rencontrée, ma lecture à peine commencée. Je me disais que j’ai donné ma vie au Christ. Que je ne désire rien de plus que de vivre pour Lui et  Le servir avec tout ce que je suis. Et pourtant, la joie de l’Évangile n’est pas toujours là. Pourquoi?

Je crois que la réponse est simple : je ne me laisse pas toujours sauver par Lui.

Il me libère du péché, mais je continue de manquer la cible. Parfois par désir. Le plus souvent par faiblesse. Comme Saint Paul, je fais le mal que je ne veux pas faire et je ne fais pas le bien que je veux faire. Il me libère du Mal. Il me donne son pardon. Je suis libre de choisir la sainteté. Mais est-ce que je le fais toujours?

Il me libère de la tristesse, mais je continue de l’entretenir dans ma vie. En m’accrochant à des plans qui ne sont pas pour moi. En m’inquiétant de l’avenir et en regrettant le passé. En vivant pour l’éphémère plutôt que pour l’éternel. Il me libère des ténèbres. Il veut mon bonheur. Je suis libre d’emprunter le chemin de lumière qu’Il m’invite à prendre. Mais est-ce que je le fais toujours?

Il me libère du vide intérieur, mais je continue de refuser de le remplir. En ne m’abreuvant pas à la source de l’Eucharistie. En écourtant les tête-à-tête de la prière. En négligeant la messe quotidienne et le sacrement de la réconciliation. Il me libère du désert. Il m’offre son amour. Je suis libre de me remplir à la fontaine de sa grâce. Mais est-ce que je le fais toujours?

Il me libère de l’isolement, mais je continue à vivre pour moi-même. En m’appuyant sur mes propres forces plutôt que sur les siennes. En dirigeant mon regard sur ma faiblesse plutôt que sur la beauté de la création. En voyant les insuffisances des autres plutôt que leur filiation avec le Père. Il me propose son soutien constant. Il me redit sa promesse d’alliance. Je suis libre d’embrasser son amitié. Mais est-ce que je le fais toujours?

Non, je ne le fais pas toujours. Et c’est pourquoi souvent la joie me semble absente. Mais elle est là. Depuis que j’ai rencontré le Seigneur, elle est là. Seulement, souvent je mets des nuages entre sa lumière et moi.

Bien sûr, la joie de l’Évangile n’est pas une promesse de facilité et d’absence de souffrance. C’est une promesse d’espérance. Une promesse que Dieu est avec nous même dans les larmes. Que celles-ci partagent notre mortalité.

C’est une joie qui n’est pas de ce monde. Une joie qui transcende le Mal. Qui existe malgré le Mal. Et c’est la joie que j’ai reçue. Une joie que je dois maintenant choisir. C’est un choix qui est une bataille, mais la lutte en vaut la peine.

Say Geronimo!

It's pretty insane to think that our team has been back in Weyburn for a month now and even crazier to think that we leave in just over three months! The time flies and it's already hard to think about the friends that feel like family who we will have to say goodbye to in just a few months. Our team can't say enough how much we love the community of Weyburn.

If we said that coming back to Weyburn was like diving into ministry, I think it's safe to say that is this point we have completed the dive and are flooded with work. We've said geronimo, taken the dive, and are working hard on small groups, youth groups, youth masses, youth bands, building student relationships, recruiting volunteers, and so so SO much more!

The best part about semester II so far has been seeing the fruit of our ministry. With renewed passion for the ministry, we can focus less on the organizational aspect of ministry and more on the relationships we have with students in the community. We are going deep with our students and they are responding by praying, making a commitment to Christ, and asking us questions! We have growing numbers in our youth groups and we couldn't ask for anything better! Praise be to God who knows exactly what He is doing. He knows what He is about and we couldn't be happier to be His hands and feet. .

Confident in God, our team is moving forward and we do not doubt that His steadfast love. His love sustains, guides, and brings us peace.

Pray for us as we pray for you!

Boys to Men

I used to be terrified of all-men's retreats. Now I can hardly wait for the next one.

As one of six women on our team in a room of over one-hundred young men in grade ten, it's not too unreasonable to feel intimidated. Normally I lead small groups of girls only, and this time I would be in charge of my first-ever small group of nine young men.

I got along with the men fine, actually. It was easier than I thought to find common ground, and they were very interested in my life and my interests. Of course, the time came for us women to leave, as they were going to have the men-only session. The women on our team went up and prayed a Divine Mercy chaplet for them in the church, and then the men joined us for prayer ministry.

It was a completely different set of people walking in. I had no idea what the change was, but what had only two hours before been a rambunctious school group had transformed into a group of visibly more reverent, mature young men. As I approached each of the guys in my small group to ask to pray with them, they all told me beautiful things that they had learned:

"Faith is the most important thing."

"I can and should trust God more."

"I can pray to God for strength and support."

I sat down next to the one young man in my small group who had been the most searching, and he looked me in the eyes and said, "I learned that it's time I was a man, because I have been childish, and I should be a man now."

Whoa.

There's a quote in the Bible which says, "As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens man" (Proverbs 27:17). The men on this team are called to be that for the young men they encounter this year: ones who sharpen and refine each other into weapons for the army of God. I have experienced that firsthand, with what was originally an intimidating group of boys becoming a powerful, inspired group of men, brothers in arms and brothers in Christ. And that is an undeniable force to be reckoned with.

Peace,

Samantha (Encounter 2)

The Farthest North

Over the past three weeks our team has been split up. Half of us stayed in Yellowknife to continue the youth ministry we started and the other half of us, along with Adele Costanza (the youth coordinator) and Bishop Mark, pushed farther north in the Northwest Territories. We were traveling the regions of the Deh Cho and the Sahtu, via the winter road, holding youth events and nights, with the goal of raising up youth leaders for the diocese. We visited the communities of Fort Simpson, Tulita, Deliné, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, and Fort Providence. It is almost as if we were a traveling (Encounter) team except we were spending more time in each place. I find it really great that we had enough time to get to know the youth that we met. 

The Diocese of Mackenzie Fort Smith is so vast and widespread; we have been given this amazing opportunity of traveling and reaching out to youth and calling them closer to Christ. We were able to take two reliable trucks on snow covered back-country roads. Who would have thought that in the Northwest Territories there would be mountains... Not me. 

The spirituality of the aboriginal peoples is amazing. There is no doubt in them that The Creator exists and that he looks after us. 

After a retreat in one of the communities we visited, I felt drained. We had invited the youth to a night of prayer the following evening but I got the impression that none of them were interested at all. The next night however we had 10 youth show up… it was really cool to see that they wanted to come out to a prayer night. They all took bibles and rosaries and were really excited that we had been there but also sad to see us leave.  

Our team is back together now, safe and sound; we are ready to dive deeper in to the many aspects of our ministry. We are extremely busy but have so many good things tell of, so stay connected.

As for now thanks for reading and God bless

Ben and the rest of iNFUSE NORTH.