by: Kristina Eclavea, the Church of The Holy Trinity – Edmonton, Canada

 
God’s hands were definitely at work among His people and His light undeniably shone among the members of the Church of the Holy Trinity through an unforgettable weekend spent with one another in the midst of God’s creation. A weekend of camping and relaxing fun was planned by the church weeks in advance that initially bore one purpose in mind, to soak up the remaining rays of the summer season. Instead, the eventful weekend led to unexpected outcomes, new-found bonding, and a personal, emotional, and spiritual growth as well as maturity among its members.
 
Most people will say that any planning apart from the will of God will not lead to fruition. True enough, most plans that are set in motion against His will could only go so far and even when it is aligned with a purpose and desire to please our Lord, sometimes He allows certain things to occur so that we might learn to keep in mind that no matter what happens, God will always be in control. A week before the camping activity began, our church was already abuzz with buying camping gears, dusting off our sleeping bags, and making endless lists of reminders for the exciting weekend ahead. Of course, we were even more thrilled that Father Arthur Dones, our Vicar, who unceasingly visit our church in Edmonton from Toronto once a month, agreed to embark on this camping trip with us as well as to experience his first camp-out in ‘Canadian Soil’. Closer to that weekend, everyone’s eyes and ears were either glued to the weather forecast in fear of the looming clouds hovering above or to the startling news of forest fires being battled in BC which blew irritating clouds of smoke in Alberta that decreased driving visibility. These unexpected factors were among the obstacles our church faced nonetheless; neither had worked to faze our excitement. We packed our bags, filled our coolers, and loaded our cars and finally, away we went. Our destination, Wabamun Lake Provincial Park, a 30 minute drive from Edmonton that boasts some good fishing spots, a serene wildlife, and well-equipped camping grounds. As soon as we got there, it’s evident that each one was ready to be one with nature but nature, had yet to cooperate as the gray clouds that were peeking throughout the week finally delivered its load. As soon as the tents and gazebo were pitched, the rain came drizzling in but we never minded it one bit as we roasted steaks and corn and made delicious smores. As the night wore on, we sat around the camp fire and listened to old tunes and conversed with one another, enjoying the moment of tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city surrounded by God’s creation. Throughout the night, the rain did not stop and most of us tried to sleep through our soaked tents and moist sleeping bags. After all, we needed to be our very best the next morning as we had scheduled our Sunday Worship Service in the camp. Despite the chilly and restless night we all had, our spirits were not diminished but were energized and ready to give thanks and praise to our Lord Almighty.
 
It was evident that God has heard our prayers that Sunday morning because the rain had stopped and what welcomed our camp was a bright and cheery morning to top off our delightful breakfast prepared by the ladies of the church. Before the Service began, the men worked together to clear out the gazebo and had also created a makeshift altar. The others worked together to set up the seating area while the choir assembled their instruments. Donned with their vestments and everything already in place, Father Arthur and Deacon Jeff facilitated the mass with Father Arthur, delivering a powerful message that touched each one’s hearts. We have learned that as Christians, we needed to be prepared and ready to pursue to enter the narrow door that leads to His eternal kingdom. Keeping a steadfast faith and striving to live a faithful and moral life requires work especially when we need to say “no” to the world. The gates to His Kingdom is intended to be narrow because it is our choice to love the Lord and it will take all our time, patience and commitment to be able to push through. Nothing should separate us from God and therefore, we must all work for our salvation. Our family here on earth represents God in our society so all the more we need to have a unified faith in Him so that we can be an example to others. Looking around the group, it wasn’t hard to tell that these encouraging messages were received with an open mind and an open heart and even brought out some emotions to a few others. As the mass progressed, we were invited to the altar to partake in His communion and once again, we could not contain our joy that in the midst of towering trees, a glistening lake, and curios critters, we were able to partake in a special communion in His able that is out of the ordinary. To be able to witness the beauty and glory of His creation and to give Him the worship that is due to Him was an honour.
 
After the service ended, everyone worked together once more to pack up our belongings and began clearing out. We had to check out of the campsite within a given amount of time so the whole church rolled up their sleeves and pitched in with the clean up. The resulting action made our packing up easier and had allowed us time to continue with our activities out of the campsite but closer to the lake. The rest of the day was filled with laughter amongst each other while we played games and told jokes. Each one was in good spirits as the day winded down and we were all ready to head back into the city, back into our homes and to our own families. What we have experienced although for a short while; brought us all closer together and strengthened our bond as a church. Over all, one of the many things we have learned from this trip was to expect the unexpected and to trust God that He will be there to carry us always when we need His help. No matter how prepared each one had been before the trip started, certain things had occurred that were out of our control. Seeing everyone united and working towards unforeseen circumstances with cooperation and understanding surely gave the enemy a blowing defeat because the Church of the Holy Trinity will remain patient, faithful, and committed to thread that narrow door and all of us will never be moved.