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After much preparation, four first year cadets, Jeff Arkell, Nyree Bond, Kevin Elsasser and Kristen Gray jumped in CFOT van #2 and hit the road bound for Regina.  For three of the four of us, a visit to the province of Saskatchewan was a first so we were charting new waters as we drove through the prairie flatlands, stopping at the Dairy Queen in Moosomin, SK for lunch and chatting with some of the locals there.

We arrived at the Regina Haven of Hope Church mid-afternoon on Friday and shared a delicious meal prepared for us at the corps before rolling up our sleeves to host an evening of fun for the corps young people led by Cadet Nyree.  Following the Kid’s Program, the multi-purpose upper room got a quick makeover in preparation for the Friday night Drop-in Program where we enjoyed a couple of hours of fun and fellowship with about 65 people from the community.  Then shortly before 1am Winnipeg time we arrived at our billets tired from a long day yet well blessed by the day’s events.

Saturday morning began with a tour of the Grace Haven home for girls (aged 12-17) and a chance to meet and interact with some of the residents there.  Following that we returned for another busy day at the corps and had a wonderful time at the Camp themed Kid’s Carnival put on by the corps family and attended by several of the regular corps kids and their friends.  During the campfire time, Cadet Kevin led a rousing round of “Father Abraham” and we all got our workout for the weekend.

Saturday evening brought an opportunity to join with the College and Careers group for a time of fun and sharing as Cadet Kristen led several bible trivia games and a devotional looking at what it means to be a disciple.  This was probably one of the highlights of the weekend for us as we interacted with our peers and enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship together.

Sunday morning dawned bright and early with worship team practice and some last minute preparations for the Sunday service.  Meanwhile Cadet Kevin led Sunday School and taught the kids an important lesson about spreading the gospel based on the early Christian church example in Acts, and finished with a repeat performance of “Father Abraham” since it had been such a hit the day before.

From there we moved into a great time of worship as Cadet Nyree ministered to us in song and Cadet Jeff shared from the book of Nehemiah about restoring broken walls and challenged the congregation to make or renew a personal covenant with the Lord during the Family Worship Service.

The weekend climaxed with a delicious pot luck lunch shared with the corps family before the Cadet Brigade headed for home, exhausted from a busy weekend but filled with blessings from our time with the Haven of Hope family and looking forward to maintaining some of the new friendships that were forged during our brief stay in Regina.

Posted by Kristen Gray

*note – cadets joined in ministry and service to 275 people over the weekend.