Missionaries do the Lord’s work in Rainy River

By Ken Johnston
Editor

A big piece of Mark Mast’s hometown came to Rainy River last week.
A group of 14 teenagers and four chaperones from Drenthe, Michigan arrived on June 23rd to do missionary work in Rainy River.
Mast explained that every year his hometown church, the Drenthe Christian Reform Church, chooses a place to send youth to do missionary work. “They have been to Mexico and Nebraska. This year they decided to come here and do some good!” said Mast.
Mast, a co-paster at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Rainy River, said the biggest project the Rainy River congregation has needed help with is their new church currently under construction on Highway 11. So some extra hands to help out were greatly appreciated.
Mark Douglas put the group to work along side Israel Brubaker of Mine Centre, Ont. installing some 14,000 feet of in-floor heating lines. “It was a huge task and we greatly appreciate their help,” said Douglas.
Now that the heat lines are in place the next step is $28,000 worth of concrete. However, more fundraising is needed to get to that step which also includes another $9,500 to put the concrete down.
In addition to the help at the new church, Mast had some of the teens help him run a Vacation Bible School in Morson.
Some of them also stained the fence and structures at Hannam Park. Others worked on helping local citizens in need. They built the Sandra Ottertail family a new fence, stained her deck and painted her basement. They also helped around Rhonda McComb’s and Leo Boersema’s homes where needed.
“I was thrilled when they told me they were coming,” said Mast who noted that his local congregation would be open to reciprocating some day down the road if they are needed in Drenthe. “They did an absolutely great job!” concluded Mast.
The missionaries were here until June 30th.