Advent Christian Camp is a very small camp in Beebe Plain, Quebec. It is the kind of place no one would hear about except by word of mouth. When we first got an invitation to play music there as a part of the conclusion of the camp last year, we had never heard of it. We did know several of the people there, however. And, that is how we were invited to play. That is how almost all our concerts are booked.
The people at the camp really seemed to appreciate the music we played. It sometimes seems strange to think how some simple music, played by simple musicians, can be such a blessing to the hearers. Any yet, this is the feedback we always receive. Comments such as, “That was uplifting!” or, “It is a blessing to see you play together.” or, “It makes me think of Heaven.” are not uncommon. Is this due to our ability or skill? No. Skilled musicians could be found in the concert halls of Montreal, but you aren’t likely to find us there. I don’t fully know what causes people to make such comments, nor how we can be such an encouragement to so many people, but I know it is the Lord’s doing. It may also have to do with the fact that in this world, families simply don’t go around together.
Mrs. Vogrin once said, “[Basically] all you need to have a family ministry is to stand together as a family and smile.” This is, from what we have seen, true. But, why don’t you try it? Actually, try just a little more than that. Try just walking into a nursing home once a week, or even once a month, and talking with the residents. You may be surprised to find that many people that can’t seem to remember anything suddenly have the ability to remember something.
Like many buildings in the far south of Quebec, several of the cabins in Advent Christian Camp are quite old, but in good shape. Several are over 100 years old, and are made with planks of wood of dimensions that would be extravagantly expensive or even simply not available.
Another interesting thing about this trip was the town itself. It seems that when they built the town, they forgot that there was more than one country in North America. The town is literally right on the border, with some houses seemingly in both countries. The road we took home is partly in Canada and partly in the States. The houses on the south side of the road are American houses, while those on the north are Canadian. That makes one think… Does the U.S. Postal Service have to cross the border into Canada to deliver their mail to the American houses in the States? It must be interesting to live in a place like that.
Zechariah 4:6-10 “This is the word of the LORD … Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. … For who hath despised the day of small things? … The eyes of the LORD … run to and fro through the whole earth.”