On Eagle's Wings lifts youth in Fort Simpson
Instructors present vacation bible school camp at elementary school
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, August 27, 2015
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Community connections brought a bible camp to Fort Simpson this summer through On Eagle's Wings.
Cole Day, left, and Grace Day use chalk dipped in water to draw pictures of the night sky after a lesson about Abraham and Sarai. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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The camp began Aug. 17 and runs until Aug. 21.
On Eagle's is an ecumenical Christian ministry that sponsors outreach in the form of summer bible camps to remote and isolated areas of Northern Canada.
This year, Calgarians Christina Trummer and Linda DesRoches flew to Fort Simpson to run a CALL (Children Always Loved by the Lord) camp.
The camp started out small, with three youth attending on Aug. 17. Children who attended participated in games, arts and crafts and learned bible stories. Snacks were also provided.
Children made their own nametags and played a series of games, including blindfold tag and a variation on follow-the-leader. A hopscotch line was also set up.
"We applied to On Eagle's Wings, but we're kind of independent," said DesRoches, who has worked with On Eagle's Wings for four years. Fort Simpson is the fifth community she has taught in.
"We cover a lot of our own costs."
Northern bible camps rely on volunteers to help cut down on costs associated with flights, materials and manpower. Even pilots who fly camp instructors to communities are volunteers.
Trummer, who said Fort Simpson marks her third time teaching a CALL camp, noted the curriculum she and DesRoches use was drawn up by a volunteer with On Eagle's Wings and is standardized across all the camps.
"These camps have been happening all summer in different communities," she added.
Currently, the duo is staying at the pentecostal church, where they will remain until the end of the week.
Trummer said On Eagle's Wings only reaches out to places that already have a connection in the community. In Fort Simpson, that connection is Martina Norwegian.
Norwegian said she has been involved with the organization for years and has travelled far and wide to attend their meetings, even to the U.S.
Although the majority of camps are held during summer months, Trummer said On Eagle's Wings is trying to expand to other times of year as well.
The camp is being held at Bompas Elementary School from 1 to 4 p.m. each day.
