Several teens from Alberta and Ontario went to Regina, Saskatchewan, in July for a service project with the Indian Metis Christian Fellowship, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church in Canada.
Amid painting, renovating, and cleaning houses and the IMCF building, the group had opportunity to break bannock (native bread) and worship together with people from the community.
“I went for something to do, to go on a mission project, and to help people,” said David Schermers of Woodynook CRC in Lacombe, Alberta. “Besides some renovation skills, I definitely learned to respect native culture more.”
Miriam DenOudsten, 16, also a member of Woodynook CRC, explained, “Each morning we joined the native people in their prayer circle, which involved smudging with sage grass, communal prayer, and worship. The songs we sang were very native in feeling but had Christian words. It was so glorifying to God to sing about eagles and mountains together. It was awesome to see two different cultures coming together to worship the same God.”
In addition to their daily work and joining in the life of the community, the students learned to make a tepee and, in true Western style, went to a rodeo together.
