“Expect the unexpected” was a phrase we saw in the late 80’s scrawled on a sign beside a voxwagen crushed under a huge log as we travelled on the road to Zebellos and then onto Esperanza. As many unexpected events were experienced there and in our life thereafter I should not have been surprised by the recent turn of events in our time here at Pioneer Pacific Camp on Thetis Island. I began in the spring wondering what my role would be here at this beautiful place and the Lord promptly told me it was not about me but about Him.

We were enjoying the quiet of the camp in June and preparing for the summer when we received a call from my daughter thence I found myself in Vancouver while Michael stayed here at Pioneer cooking for Staff training week. While I was praying with the pastor of our Vancouver church about my situation I received a phone call from the program director at Pioneer that while Michael was on a prayer walk he fell and broke his right leg in 3 places.  Thus began a month which Michael and I journeyed through together (yet 2 ferries apart) via nightly telephone conversations.

While I was a mom to my youngest daughter in need and enjoyed the beaches and Vancouver summer events, wonderful times with my children and their families, two lovely ladies who I lived and prayed with, reconnected with friends and most impacting of all learned that He was there with me and my daughter every step of the way… unexpected as it was.

After an operation to put tubes in his leg and a week or more of recuperation, Michael encouraged by an amazing, loving and gracious community of staff at Pioneer took his place as head cook in the kitchen. An office chair that we were inspired to bring with us became his vehicle from which he learned to delegate and teach an enthusiastic kitchen crew.

At the end of July after much urging and reports of the amazing things that were going on at Pioneer, Melody and I arrived at this Christian camp where it was hard not to see what God was doing and who He was.  Michael has Sydney,  a young fellow as an assistant cook who majored in and is very gifted in logistics. They make a very good team and we missed him when after three weeks Melody returned to Vancouver, Sydney with her for a weekend with his family.

Unexpected as it has been this summer we have discovered a place where we can see the Lord working in many ways in the leaders, Leaders in Training, Pioneer Youth Campers, Summer Staff, campers and guests and Thetis Island neighbours. It is an exciting place to be. Everywhere as I walk around the camp I see young people reading God’s word, demonstrating and living God’s word, teaching God’s word. I have learned that He is our strength… that is the strength and the joy that is here …. for it is about Him. “In Him we live and move and have our being”

In two weeks, two camps time we will be looking at what we will be doing, where we will be living and what God is doing.  Right now we are not thinking about that but we know and have confidence that our future is safely in his hands….and we know that we can expect the unexpected and it will be OK! Go to our webpage for more info.