An early start and we headed to Dewdney Avenue, and the Indigenous Christian Fellowship ICF (est. 1978), organised and headed up by Bert Adema, Executive Director. 

'Building an urban community serving spiritual and social needs. In Treaty 4 Territory and the Traditional homeland of the Metis.' While affirming individual and cultural contributions, ICF celebrates the Creator’s gift of healing and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. ICF worshipping/working ministry recognizes the Creator’s unconditional love and great gifts each of us may offer.  

We joined in with their Prayer Ceremony: which began with the 'smudging' ceremony.

Smudging is traditionally a ceremony for purifying or cleansing the soul of negative thoughts of a person or place. There are four elements involved in a smudge:

• The container, traditionally a shell representing water, is the first element.
• The four sacred plants (cedar, sage, sweetgrass, tobacco), gifts from mother earth, represent the second element.
• The fire produced from lighting the sacred plants represents the third element.
• The smoke produced from the fire represents air, the fourth element.

This was presented to each member round the circle and they individually, took the smoke and cleansed their eyes, mouth, ears, heart and body. A beautiful and deeply spiritual act, offering ourselves cleansed by and for the Creator, before continuing with an introduction/greeting by each person round the circle:

"My name is, Nicky/Sara, I am a child of the creator" bringing before the gathered and our Creator our thoughts, worries or thanks. Whilst holding the 'Talking stick'.

Reading and exploring the bible text, Matt 26: 36-46, with a focus on verse 39.

"³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The Lord's Prayer we read: 'may your will be done on earth as in heaven.'

Christ doesn't pull a fast nepotism trick and ask "Hey dad, how about letting my will trump your will this time." We can't control the Creator's response, we can ask for whatever we think we want/need, but it will always be 'His will' that works through our lives. Hard but true.

The volunteers, arrived to make and serve sandwiches, tea and coffee, to anyone that arrived at their door.

We stayed and helped out during the morning and left around midday.

That afternoon, we picked up Stephen Kennedy and visited the Lord Lieutenants Government House in Regina. We were asked not to take photographs.

Here's a picture from the outside earlier this year.