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The Countryside of Quebec (Day 5)

Our team out with the truck at a farm
Today was our fifth day in Quebec and it saw our team working in various places around southern Quebec. After our breakfast, we loaded up in vehicles and headed out to the farm country to the south and east of Chateauguay. The church here partners with various farmers to acquire fresh produce each week which they then distribute to families in the food bank. We visited six different farms where we picked up various items including potatoes, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, parsley, celery, cucumbers, spinach, and tomatoes. At each stop, our team was able to meet with the farmer briefly, see the land and equipment, as well as gather food and collect many boxes of items and load them in the church’s delivery truck. This took all morning, and I think everyone appreciated the new experience as well as the beauty of the Quebec countryside.
Unloading through a window, Chateauguay style
            One of the highlights of these farms trips is that our team members got to take turns riding in the delivery truck with one of the church’s volunteers in the food bank, Gerard. Gerard is a gentleman who retired early a few years ago so that he could dedicate more of his time to the mission. His humor and big personality are contagious, and our team enjoyed the time with him as I knew they would. It is great that the students get to meet these volunteers who are so passionate about the work of the mission in the church.
            When we returned from the farms, we unloaded the truck in a smooth fashion and stopped for lunch. After lunch, our team spent the afternoon sorting and organizing all of the food that had been collected this morning. During lunch, Pastor Daniel received a surprise phone call from a food bank director on the northern side of Montreal who was wanting to share food with the church if we were willing to come and get it. So while the rest of the team was packing and sorting the food collected this morning, Pastor Daniel and I rode to the northern part of Montreal to pick-up the unexpected donation of six pallets full of different foods from a food bank there. When we returned 2 hours later, the team had completely separated and organized all of the food, and Pastor Daniel was greatly surprised. The team then unloaded the surprise donation before preparing for dinner.

Haley, Jennifer, and Katie working with Gerard to load the truck
            Since today was Wednesday, the church gathered this evening for its weekly prayer time. Our team joined the prayer gathering, and those gathered sang a few songs, shared prayer requests, and gave testimonies. During the prayer time, many different people from the church offered prayers of blessing or gratitude upon our students, often celebrating and thanking God for “the next generation” of God’s church. I greatly appreciate the way the people here celebrate, love on, and lift up our teenagers. They are so grateful to see young Christians because they live in a place where there is such a small church community, so our students’ presence invigorates them.

            Tonight we have a special treat, as each year, Montreal hosts the International Firework Competition, where different countries are represented and each country gives their own firework display around a particular theme. It just so happens that this week’s team or country is the United States, so we will be going down to the shore of the St. Lawrence River here in Chateauguay to see the fireworks as they are shot off over the river from Montreal! Should be a lot of fun. Tomorrow however is our big day as it is food distribution day. It is an early start (7 AM) and a late ending (7 PM), but our team is motivated and dedicated so I am looking forward to how it will go.

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