Heart to Heart

My name is Norm Wilson and it was my privilege to be a part of the Heart to Heart team that travelled to Fort Hope in June, 2022.  Although there were only five of us on the team, we were able to accomplish much in the week we spent in the community.

The Covid pandemic was certainly a challenge to deal with.  Each of us were required to have a negative PCR test within 3 days of arriving in Fort Hope.  Because I had tested positive for Covid a month previous, my PCR test still showed a positive result.  I prayed that if God really wanted me to be a part of this team, that he would bring about a resolution to this situation.  The health centre in Fort Hope decided that with documentation showing that I had tested positive previously, and with a negative rapid test, that I would be allowed in to the community.  Each member of the team had to take a daily rapid test during our stay, and show negative results.  Even though the community experienced a Covid outbreak while we were there, God provided health and safety to the five of us.

Our main purpose on this trip was to begin construction of a 32 by 12 foot addition to the current church building.  The addition will provide the Revival House of Prayer with two classrooms/dormitories along with a washroom with shower.  With the limited time we had and with the help of Pastor Jimmy Waboose, we were able to construct the foundation, floor, exterior walls, ceiling joists and rafters.  We also opened up one wall in the kitchen and installed a large sliding window which will provide much needed ventilation.

During our stay, we had the opportunity to minister through the community radio station, in song and testimony. As well as welcoming some members of the community for a ladies night and a family night, Jen and Laurie had the privilege of ministering to some individuals during the day while Anthony, Don and I worked on the building addition.  We had so many examples of the hand of God being upon us in providing safety and direction during our trip.  And what a team camaraderie we had, especially around meal time and during our evening debriefs.  One of the most meaningful times for me was the morning devotional time as we took turns sharing personal experiences.

Thank you Jen for asking me to be a part of the team.  An experience not soon forgotten.

My name is Tiffany. I was 18 years old when I went to Pikangikum for the first time. I have been to Round Lake three years in a row and decided this year, that I wanted to travel with the Pikangikum team as well. After my week in Round Lake, another woman and I met the team in the airport in Thunder Bay, where we took a small plane to Sioux Lookout and then to Pikangikum. When we landed, many of the members of the community greeted us and helped transport our food and bags to one of the school teacher’s houses where we would be living for the week.  

Pikangikum has a lot of beauty that we don’t hear about. Being in the community was a real eye opener for me. Life there is different than the way I live at home. When we were doing home visits to a family in the community, we took sandwiches cut into quarters, which the hungry kids gobbled up. This showed me that I need to be a lot more grateful for what I have. 

The part I loved most about my trip was going into the school and connecting with kids either through hockey or music. They have many trust issues, but by showing them you are like them, they start to open up. My favourite part about talking to the kids is when I get a smile out of them and I know that for even just that moment I have helped make that kid feel happy.  

While we were in the community, we got to attend a church service, host a couple’s retreat, teach a class in the school, and know the people of the community better. Through home visits we were invited into homes to talk and pray with families. During this time in my life I was confused about God’s plan for my future, but through my experience in Pikangikum I have grown closer with God and know that he will always protect me and love me.  He loves all His children. I could never have  traveled with a better team of people. Through everything we experienced, we supported and watched out for one another.  

My name is Wayne Barton. I grew up going to Sunday school, drifted away as a teenager, and returned to faith through my wife and children. My faith and my confidence to make a difference is strengthened as I get older. What is happening in our First Nations communities is troubling to many of us. My faith, my interest in people and my need for greater understanding led me to Heart 2 Heart, and to Fort Hope. I met a couple (Robert & Wanda) from Fort Hope prior to our trip, and discovered they were both runners. I love to run, and find it connects people, so I hoped it would help me build connections in Fort Hope.

I think men, including me, are too often silent in our society. We met with a local men’s bible study during our stay where we discovered a group of men committed to meeting together, every 8 days, to support each other in their faith. It has inspired me to join a men’s group here in Uxbridge.

Somewhere along the way in the Heart to Heart journey, I discovered that Fort Hope had recently started a farm (about 14 acres). I grew up milking cows, studied agriculture at the University of Guelph and have worked in Agriculture research for about 30 years. The farm in Fort Hope is working closely with a grower/ greenhouse operator in Thunder Bay. Their 3 employees are working to grow potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots, peppers and this year will plant high bush blueberries (which will attract even more bears to their fully fenced farm). I spent a day planting tomatoes with them. From the time we settled Canada as farmers, to today, farmers have relied on their neighbours. I’ve met farmers from all across Canada, and every one of them has a neighbor that has helped them, challenged them, inspired them, and competed with them for the best crop. In Fort Hope the nearest farmer is at least 300 km away by plane.

Jesus says in Mathew 22, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. One thing we can do is be good neighbors, to this community and to these farmers in Fort Hope.

My name is Jessica, and I went on the trip up to Big Trout First Nation in April 2018. This was a very new experience for me as I had never travelled to a remote community before. The time spent with the people of Big Trout and Wapekeka (a neighbouring community) was so incredibly memorable. Although it got to be difficult at times, it was very eye opening to me to see how many youth my age are required to live a completely different lifestyle than myself. I would say that my most enjoyable moment on this trip was when Jen and I went into a grade 2 classroom and did a mini music class with them! These kids were so interested and even for being so young it was noticeable that some had a passion for the art, especially when Jen brought the harp out.

As a team, we got to participate in various home visits where we could sing and pray with those in need. Although our main priority for visiting Big Trout was to serve the couples with a marriage retreat, the experience was much more involved than we could have ever planned in that God blessed us with many opportunities to give to their community and people.

I had the privilege of traveling with the team to a nearby community called Wapekeka. Here, we attended a church service Sunday morning! Towards the end of the service, the team went around and prayed for each individual. I was able to spend time with a woman who we found out had grown up in Round Lake First Nation and knew a good friend of one guest speaker. This was just one more way that God revealed himself to the entire team. Since the weather turned bad as we were leaving we were blessed to stay an extra 2 days waiting for flights. This gave us even more opportunities to build relationships with the people of Big Trout. This was a very memorable trip that I am extremely blessed to have experienced.