Following is information which I hope will be helpful to the VBS teams that are going to serve in Canada.
I have been asked some good questions by team members, and I will attempt to answer them for you here.

LAMP:  The Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP) was founded in 1970, and is a cross-cultural ministry sharing Jesus Christ with God’s people in the remote areas of Canada.  Many residents of these areas are Indians - Metis, Cree, and Ojibwa.  For centuries, they have lived off the land.  However, even in these remote areas where traditions have been carefully preserved, the modern world has ushered in new and sometimes destructive lifestyles and values.

As a result, many native peoples are caught between conflicting value systems resulting in very evident stress.  Whole communities have been affected by the changes.  In many instances, especially among the youth, alcohol and drugs – even suicide – have become a way of dealing with the pain and grief.  For some, the loss of the old ways has resulted in a new kind of culture of despair.

One of the ways that LAMP serves the children and youth in these remote areas is through its Vacation Bible School program.  Last summer – with the help of more than 240 volunteer teachers (8 from Servants of Christ) – LAMP hosted 54 Vacation Bible Schools, and touched the lives of nearly 3,000 native children with God’s love.   LAMP is also striving to expand its outreach and desires to have more long-term programs within these remote communities.

LAMP teams usually consist of three or four adults, and  teams submit applications to LAMP at Edmonton, Canada during the months of January, February, and March.  Team assignments are made by LAMP during April and May.  Returning teams are generally given a preference when assignments are made.  Teams are officially invited by the village Council of the community where they will serve, and are therefore invited guests of the community.
 

The People:  The people at both communities are really great people.  I am sure that you will feel right at home.  Almost all residents of northern Manitoba speak English, so language is not a problem.

In years past, Leaf Rapids has ranged from about 19 to 36 children total.  These children range in age from about 4 (we prefer to have them toilet trained) to about 14 or 15.  About half of these are native (Cree Indian) and about half are Caucasian.  There are 318 students enrolled in the school system.

Snow Lake has about 80 children, most of which are Caucasian.  There are 280 students enrolled in the school system.

Some background on the Cree is helpful to understand their mindset.  One of their chiefs explains it well:

Our small group of people were content for centuries pursuing our traditional way of life based on hunting and fishing.  Our people welcomed the early prospectors to our region and escorted them throughout the territory helping them to survive in the sometimes harsh climate.  As mineral deposits were identified in increased quantities, more people entered the territory.  Mining camps gave way to settlements which eventually gave way to towns.  As the mining activities increased, our people came to be seen as an obstacle to industrial growth.

We were forced to relocate our villages time after time to make way for new mines.  Between 1920 and 1970, our people were forced to relocate no fewer than seven times.  We witnessed our villages repeatedly destroyed.  And we were left, scattered, to live in deplorable conditions as "squatters" on the land we had occupied since time immemorial.

Sam Bosum, Chief, Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation
 

The Dreamcatcher Legend

A spider was quietly spinning his web in his own space.  It was beside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother.

Each day, Nokomis watched the spider at work, quietly spinning away.  One day as she was watching him, her grandson came in.  "Nokomis-iya!" he shouted, glancing at the spider.  He stomped over to the spider, picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

"No-keegwa," the old lady whispered, "don't hurt him."

"Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?" asked the little boy.

The old lady smiled, but did not answer.  When the boy left, the spider went to the old woman and thanked her for saving his life.  He said to her, "For many days you have watched me spin and weave my web.  You have admired my work.  In return for saving my life, I will give you a gift."  He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.  Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gently in the window.  "See how I spin?" he said.  "See and learn, for each web will snare bad dreams.  Only good dreams will go through the small hole.  This is my gift to you.  Use it so that only good dreams will be remembered.  The bad dreams will become hopelessly entangled in the web."
 

Dates:  The LAMP week-long Vacation Bible Schools are held during the months of July and August.  These are the two months of the year when the children are out of school.
 

Location:  Since the communities based out of Red Lake, Ontario are chosen by the Minnesotan's (who can blame them), we pick communities from the next-closest base, which is Thompson, Manitoba.  There are still plenty of communities in need of VBS teams.
 

Curriculum:  LAMP will supply teams with a workbook, which includes a skeletal plan for each of these lessons, craft activities, discussion questions, and games.  Teams may choose five of these for use through the week, or they may use all ten (as time warrants).   You are not limited to the crafts and games suggested in the workbooks.  Feel free to select songs, games, or crafts that you are comfortable with.  It is recommended, however, that you not stay too far from the content or intent of the supplied lesson text.  They are intended to be non-denominational, and are tailored to be well-accepted by the communities.  It is always better to prepare just a little more than you need, rather than be a little short.  Remember, too, that the key to success for these VBS trips is flexibility.

The teams should be getting together well in advance of  July to get better acquainted, and to formulate their plan of attack.
 

Accommodations:  You will most likely have real beds to sleep in.  Our hosts in Leaf Rapids have a house, with beds, electricity, heat, and indoor plumbing.  They even have a washing machine and dryer, so 3 days' worth of clothes can be "recycled".

In Leaf Rapids, there is a large building in the center of town, called the Town Centre.  Inside the Town Centre are grocery store, a department store, a drug store, a jewelry store, and a couple of restaurants.  They are all closed on Sunday and Monday (except for the restaurant at the hotel).  The Town Centre also houses the government offices, the school, the library, the hospital, the Post Office, the bank, and the ATM machine.

Northern Manitoba is on Central Daylight Time during the summer, which makes their time the same as Indiana time (Eastern Standard Time).  The electric mains are 120 Volts A.C., 60 Hz (the same as in the U.S.) so no power adapters are needed.  All appliances will work properly there.
 

Weather Conditions/Clothes:  The weather in July will probably be in the low to mid 70's for a high, although it has been known to get into the 80's (and on rare occasions, the mid 90's) in July, and one year it snowed in July.  In case it does turn cold, you should bring at least one set of cold (chilly) weather clothing.  Also bring one set of rain clothes - like a parka.

The one thing that northern Manitoba has plenty of is bugs.  So you want to wear long pants, and maybe even long sleeve shirts.  (Bring a pair of shorts, too, for relaxing indoors.)  Deep Woods Deet helps keep the bugs from biting, but they are incessant.  The following passage may give you some idea of how pervasive are the bugs:

The western shore of Hudson Bay is one of the least-populated places on earth, and no wonder.  By the time you've traveled north to Churchill, Manitoba, the great boreal forest has petered out and only the rocky, lichen-covered tundra remains, stretching for a thousand miles to the northwest.  There are really only two seasons here: the long and unimaginably harsh winter and the shorter and more miserable bug season, when clouds of mosquitoes and blackflies can drive both man and caribou to the brink of insanity.

From Arctic Dawn, The Journeys of Samuel Hearne, 1795

Expenses:  As for expenses, Servants of Christ has budgeted $6000 for our LAMP mission this year.  This is to cover the cost of flying teams up and back (fuel, maps, etc.), craft/teaching materials, and shipping.  If each team spends $200-300 on crafts and a like amount on shipping, there should be no problem.  Of course, items should be reasonable (no TV/VCR combo, etc. HA HA).  But songbooks, bibles, paper, crayons, glue, etc. - items adequate to teach and enrich the children - are all acceptable.  The only expenses that individual team members would pay themselves would be an occasional meal, souvenirs, and things of this nature - truly personal expenses.  Lodging and some food will be provided by the communities.  Team members may need to provide their own lunch.
 

Buying in Canada:  VISA is accepted almost everywhere in Canada - almost no one accepts MasterCard.  So bring your VISA credit card with you.  Also, using your VISA card automatically takes care of the currency exchange problem ($1 US equals about $1.50 Canadian).  Leaf Rapids has an ATM machine for extra cash. You can bring $50 Canadian if you wish, but since most places take VISA, and there is an ATM machine available, it is simpler to just visit an ATM machine should you need some Canadian cash.
 

The Trip Up and Back:  One member of our church is fortunate enough to own his own airplane.  Lindsey Hahn, who owns a Piper Malibu Mirage.

Lindsey hangars his airplane at Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, located at approximately 96th Street and Allisonville Road.  From Allisonville Road, you can turn onto either 96th Street (if coming from the south) or onto Willowview (if coming from the north).  Once on Willowview, follow it south until you get to the hangar area. From 96th Street, you can turn north onto Masters Road, which is the first road west of the railroad tracks (just west of Interstate 69), if coming from the east.  If coming from the west on 96th Street, Masters Road is the first road past Willowview.  Once on Masters Road, follow it north to the hangar area.  At the hangar area, turn east onto the road that goes between the hangers.  Lindsey’s plane will be just east of the new hanger (not shown on the photo), which is the large hanger closest to the runway and on the north side of the road (your left).  You can park in the large parking lot at the end of the road (you will be parking right next to the taxiway and runway).  Leaving your car for several days will not be a problem, and your car should be OK.  Of course, use common sense on security – as with any other location, do not leave temptations in sight, and be sure to lock your car.  Having said that, your car should be as safe as it is in front of your home.

Teams usually try to leave early on Saturday morning (say, 8:00 a.m.).  Lindsey will specify the exact times.

Following is a typical trip up:  The trip up usually involves three legs.  Each stop for refueling lasts about 45 minutes to an hour.
        Leg one - Indianapolis to Eau Claire, Wisconsin (about 3 hours).
        Leg two - Eau Claire, Wisconsin to Red Lake, Ontario (about 3 hours).  Here we go through Canadian Customs, and also eat lunch.
        Leg three - Red Lake, Ontario to Thompson, Manitoba (about 2 hours), or proceed directly to Leaf Rapids (another 45 minutes).

If the weather is not bad, and there are not strong headwinds, teams can expect to arrive at Thompson/Leaf Rapids by around 7 p.m.  Bad weather means Lindsey will either have to fly around it (longer day) or wait it out on the ground (longer day).  Lindsey is a very conscientious and meticulous pilot - he takes no chances in what he does.

Following is a typical return trip:  The return trip is two or three legs.  Each stop for refueling lasts 45 minutes to an hour.
        (Short leg - Leaf Rapids, Manitoba to Thompson, Manitoba (45 min) to refuel for the trip home)
        Leg one - Thompson, Manitoba to International Falls, Minnesota (3 hours), where we go through U.S. Customs.
        Leg two - International Falls, Minnesota to Rockford, Illinois (or directly on to Indianapolis - 3 1/2 hours total)
        Leg three - Rockford, Illinois to Indianapolis.

If teams depart by 8 a.m. they will probably be home by 5 p.m.  Actual trips up and back are subject to Lindsey's planning, and of course, the weather.  Since the planes must carry a full load of fuel, and must also carry a survival kit, this leaves very little capacity for passengers and luggage.  Therefore, each passenger needs to total out at about 220 lbs. - including themselves and their luggage.  EJ and I usually take about 3 days' worth of clothes and wash them midweek.  We also take the travel size toothpaste, shampoo, etc., to minimize on weight.

As always, the weather can be unpredictable.  In consideration of weather conditions, your pilot may opt to make a minimum number of stops and/or make only very brief stops in order to take advantage of optimum flying conditions.  This may preclude eating.  As a result, you may also want to bring a (packaged) snack or sandwich with you on your trip in the event that food is not available at the airport when you stop to refuel.  Not only might this come in handy, but it may also help to keep your trip as short and as safe as possible.  A reminder that the eating on the plane is discouraged.
 

Border Crossing:  To cross the border, you should have at least a picture I.D. (driver's license, etc.) and a copy of your birth certificate.  A passport will also do, but is not required.  In addition, LAMP will provide each team member with a letter of introduction explaining your purpose in Canada and the fact that you will be volunteering your services.

You will also need to provide the Lindsey with your full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security Number so that he can make prior arrangements with Customs (US and Canadian) as to who is on the plane.  This helps eliminate most of the hassle at border crossing.

As for bringing home souvenirs, etc., you are allowed to bring back $400 worth of items duty free.  It is a good idea to keep all souvenirs and other items that you purchased in Canada separated from the rest of your items, just in case the Customs agent wants to see what you are bringing back into the country with you.  This has never been an issue, but just in case you are asked, you will already have these items separated from the rest of your things.  There are certain restrictions on items such as fish, game, plants, etc.  If you do some fishing, be sure to get what they call a "Conservation" fishing license ($22 Canadian), and to check with the pamphlet they'll give you for details on catch limits and amounts you can possess/transport.
 

Shipping:  Due to the weight restrictions on the airplane, you need to ship your VBS materials to Canada ahead of time.  Allow at least three weeks for the items to get from Indianapolis to your community in Canada.  When shipping the items, I have found that regular U.S. Post Office shipping is the most effective and probably the cheapest.  Be sure to mark on your packages "Gifts" and "LAMP Vacation Bible School, c/o (      )" to help reduce or eliminate the duties that Canadian Customs charges.

The addresses for the two towns are:
     Leaf Rapids, MB, Canada R0B 1W0
     Snow Lake, MB, Canada R0B 1M0
 

Links:  The following web sites can provide additional information about the local communities, the local weather, and travel information:

            Leaf Rapids
                Town of Leaf Rapids website
                Map of Leaf Rapids
                Leaf Rapids Community Page on Cancom.net
                Leaf Rapids Public Library
                Leaf Rapids Christian Fellowship (Church)
                Report on helicopter crash at Leaf Rapids
                Current Lynn Lake weather conditions (70 miles NW of Leaf Rapids)
                Current Lynn Lake weather conditions and forecast
                Current Thompson weather conditions (132 miles SE of Leaf Rapids)
                Current Thompson weather conditions and forecast

            Snow Lake
                Town of Snow Lake website
                Joseph H. Kerr School, Snow Lake
                St. John Lutheran Church, Snow Lake, Snow Lake
                Current Flin Flon weather conditions (80 miles W of Snow Lake)
                Current The Pas weather conditions and forecast (80 miles SW of Snow Lake)
                Current Thompson weather conditions (130 miles NE of Snow Lake)
                Current Thompson weather conditions and forecast

            Thompson
                City of Thompson website
                Map of Thompson
                Cold Weather Testing

            Churchill
                Town of Churchill website
                Churchill Community Page on Cancom.net
                Churchill Northern Studies Centre
                The Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba
                Churchill - Polar Bear Capitol of the World

            Manitoba Weather Conditions
                Current Forecast for central & northern Manitoba
                Extended Forecast for Manitoba
                24hr Forecast Map of Canada
                Graphical Operational Forecasts for Canada
                Satellite Picture of Manitoba (visible)
                Satellite Picture of Manitoba (infrared)
                Map of Current Canadian Temperatures
                Current Snowcover Map
                31-Day Snowcover Animation

            Miscellaneous Manitoba Information
                Map of Manitoba
                Canadian Wildfire Network
                Canadian Wildfire Daily Updates
                Manitoba Daily Wildfire Updates
                Manitoba Conservation Fire Program
                Manitoba Highway Conditions
                NOAA Significant Event Imagery

            General Travel Information
                U.S. State Department

            Cree Information
                Cree Language
                Dreamcatchers
                A Visual Record of Northern Manitoba's Cree People
                Spirituality and Dreams: a Blend of Native and Christian Traditions

              Cree Communities in the Leaf Rapids area
                Nelson House - Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation
                Granville Lake Town and School
                South Indian Lake

              Miscellaneous Church and LAMP Information
                Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP - Canada)
                Servants of Christ Lutheran Church
                S.O.C. LAMP VBS website
                lamp-vbs YahooGroups website

            Miscellaneous Vacation Bible School and Crafts Information
                Children's Ministry Network - lots of good V.B.S. ideas
 

I hope that this helps with your planning.  If you have any other questions, Cynthia Bell and I will try to answer them for you.

In closing, let me say that we are very excited about this year’s LAMP Vacation Bible School ministry, and on behalf of all of the children that this will serve, offer a heartfelt thank you for helping to make this year's LAMP Vacation Bible School mission a success.