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If you would like to receive our quarterly prayer/newsletter by email, please contact us at canadianlabri@shaw.ca and provide us with your name, address, and current email. Dear friends of Canadian L’Abri, It was approximately a year ago that I wrote to you announcing a L’Abri Conference to be held in Vancouver B.C. in August 2004. A lot of water has gone under a lot of bridges since that time and on behalf of the Canadian Branch on Bowen Island and the Directors, Doug and Maggie Curry, as well as the Canadian Board, I would like to update you all as to what has transpired over the last number of months. This past year three student terms have been held and over 30 have been residents at the branch on Bowen Island. Also, there were a number of Friday night lectures and Wednesday night Film discussions. Daniel and Hannah Madsen from Denmark have been student/helpers since February and have been a blessing. At the Board meeting prior to last year’s Conference two matters were identified as being our top priorities. One was the need for additional workers to come along side Doug and Maggie to help shoulder the heavy load that they are carrying. The other major need was for additional space in which to house students and staff. Over the past year we have seen the Lord begin to address these needs. Mark and Terri Ryan, who have served so well at the Southborough Mass. Branch, have recently moved to Bowen Island to work along side of the Currys. We are looking forward to the wonderful contribution that the Ryan’s will make to our Canadian Branch. Having another family on the Island is an answer to prayer, but it does put a heavy strain on the limited facilities that we have. At present, modifications and renovations have been made to the existing buildings by Doug and some friends to accommodate the Currys, the Ryans and future students but these are stopgap measures at best. The Curry family has moved out of the main house to make room for the Ryans and future students. They have moved into a tiny summer cabin and their two teenage daughters are living in a yurt adjacent to the cabin. This was the only financially viable solution to the housing problem and will only work for the summer months. There needs to be a house for the Currys before winter sets in. At present this is a major concern for the Currys and our board. We have had the offer from a builder to bring a professional building crew to Bowen Island to put up the outer shell for another building. All of this would be at his expense. We have the architectural plans, and the building permission. The problem is that we do not have the building materials. We need financial donations and/or the construction materials for him to start this building. While some money has been promised we need considerably more before we can start. Prayer precedes giving and while in L’Abri we don’t ‘fund raise’ we do encourage people to pray, so pray on! One of the things that our board has been is a catalyst to send out work teams to various European L’Abri Branches to help with their building and maintenance needs. We would now like to facilitate sending a team to Bowen Island L'Abri. If you would like to be part of such a team or even put together your own team please contact Doug Curry or me. We would be more than happy to speak to you about this. We would ask you to continue to pray for the Curry family and the heavy load that they carry. They have quickly become part of the community on Bowen Island. We are grateful for the way that they have been accepted, especially in the Christian community and for those who have been a tremendous support to them in so many different ways. Pray also for the Ryans as they settle into island life
Canadian L’Abri is poised to reach a new level of stability and ministry potential. Like a satellite being placed into orbit it needs a significant boost to reach this next level. Thank you, all of you who have prayed and given, and continue to do so.
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