"We hear about outreach, but it never comes to our community."
That is what Derek heard from an Inuit person in Nunavik. "We feel forgotten. How did you come to contact us and help us?" The story began as Derek was working with Samaritan's Purse Canada, Northern Youth Programs, and the Arctic Diocese of the Anglican Church to bring health kits to Canada's Arctic communities. As Derek began talking to various ministry workers in these remote places, he heard of the need for Bibles and resources in Inuktitut, the heart language of the Eastern Arctic.
SEND North has a mission to "make northern disciple-makers," so one of our focuses was to obtain discipleship materials in Inuktitut to go along with the Bibles and health kits. Through the help of Samaritan's Purse Canada, our team secured $40,000 in Bibles and discipleship materials to go to these remote villages, and the response of gratitude has been incredible.
As the people in this region looked at reopening churches from the Covid-19 shutdown, they were discouraged and frustrated that they did not have the masks, hand sanitizer or disinfectant spray needed to comply with the government's requirements. The health kits we offered them had exactly what they needed to reopen their churches! Some asked if we could send even more masks to give to their church members who needed them. When we asked Norm Miller, the Executive Director of Northern Youth Programs, about how to get more masks, he remarked that people had sent him hundreds of hand-made masks that he didn't know what to do with. God had already supplied for the need before we knew of it!
Over and over, we have seen God work out details, timing, and connections perfectly. Even when there were problems or conflicts, God turned them around for His glory. When Norm returned from one of the delivery trips, he said: "I can rejoice in the fact that 1 out of every 10 people in that region can now have a Bible in their language of choice, and churches can reopen on Sunday after being closed for over 3 months." To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Please pray that God would continue to work out the details as we deliver Bibles and resources to more and more communities. Pray for safety for the pilots and that God would use these resources to make northern disciple-makers.
