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Greetings from Central Newfoundland! Here I am at the wonderful Corps of Grand Falls Windsor for my Summer  Assignment and it is anything but quiet and low key here!  To start with we have a busy Corps with a full and growing congregation of dedicated soldiers and members. And here the body of Christ is well and able with talent that astonishes even us at times. So it was wonderful in these past days of how our VBS came together. Our theme this year was the Race with Jesus. A lot of effort went into the decoration and preparation of the sanctuary and all the rooms of the building. The menus were planned and carried out. The crafts were very professionally carved and prepared, and the actors and storytellers cued and ready.

But ready for what? Lord, we prayed, send us some children. We expected some where around 35 or 40. Be careful what you ask the Lord for, He blesses abundantly. I think we maxed out at 72 or 73 at one point! And the noise and singing—I am sure that it sounded like there were at least a thousand voices all giving their all! At one point when the flood of children charged in a lady remarked, “Samson, the Philistines be upon thee!”

Camp with Family Services is also a lively time. Some 40 or so children went from our area this year for one of the weeks to Twin Ponds. The bus driver was a very brave and partially deaf man to take all of us on at once. The children were so very happy and excited, some of them were going for the very first time. Jesus blesses their lives in so many ways through our ministries but according to the kids this is their ‘most favourite way of all, ‘cause there is canoeing and campfires’.

We had our first open air last week, there being sunshine and no windy weather. What a wonderful experience to praise God under the open sky and invite people to His loving presence. It can be sketchy here with rain, but wait ten minutes, I’m told, the weather can drastically change. All in all I am having the time of my life and I am learning so very much. Everyone is so very kind and caring. Truly Newfoundlanders are the most hospitable people I have ever met!

Sharyl Marriott-Lowry  was appointed to the Grand Falls-Windsor Citadel in Newfoundland for her summer assignment.  She entered training out of the Burlington Corps in th Ontario Great Lakes Division.