Monte Lake, B.C. – August 21-27, 2022

We saw a lot of work accomplished this week by a group of 10 strapping young men, aged 19, from Southern Ontario, all part of the Markham Waterloo Mennonite Conference. They were great workers and sang while doing their work. They also blessed us by singing three-part harmony on Tuesday evening, and for fun they took a few dips into the lake to cool off. They also went for an evening hike above Monte Lake.

A couple surprised us and showed up on Sunday!  I recognized them; it was John & Wil deKleer from Chilliwack. We met them last year at Cuisson Lake. We had room for them and they joined our volunteer team offering to paint. We enjoyed playing games in the evening. John and Wil finished painting the Sundby/Hanton house! Linda Hanton pitched in as well, painting her kitchen. Now we are ready for flooring!

Two houses, Michelle Maisonneuve’s and the Eagers, that needed to be insulated and polyed. That was completed. Michelle house was ¾ drywalled.

At the Peden house, decking needs to be completed and it is ready to be drywalled.

Connie & Bonnie, our cooks, fed us well. We enjoyed some fresh local corn and cucumbers.  Bonnie left for home in Winnipeg on Saturday morning and we picked up a truck that was in the repair shop. Thank-you Bonnie for the good help you were to Connie.

Hal & Linda joined us for supper on Wednesday evening to talk about how they are progressing through their challenges after the fire of last year.

Our last Sheep and Goat scholarship recipients also bleeted away. Abram Reimer and Nathan Bartel served and acted as crew leaders for a good part of their time here. They were a great contribution to the Monte Lake project.

John, the Project Director, spent a good share of time picking up supplies from Armstrong and then delivering them to the sites—he had to try to keep up to the Markham group who kept running out of supplies!

Thank you: John & Wil deKleer, Jeremy Weber, Lewis Weber, Andrew Bauman, Lyndell Martin, Jaeden Weber, Adrian Frey, Andy Martin, Doug Weber, Conrad Brubacher and Jesse Weber.

LTVs: Connie Goertzen, Bonnie Isaak, John & Linda Sawatzky. Sheep & Goats: Abram Reimer and Nathan Bartel.

Reporting:  Linda Sawatzky

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