Some Sundays

            Some Sundays, like today, are extremely busy from the time a wake until the time I grab a snack and take my medications before bedtime. In the morning, I check my e-mail for something exciting, Snore. Then, I do a quick buzz through of Facebook. I check my blood sugar level, pour and take my meds, then grab a bite of breakfast. Breakfast foods are not my forte and I may eat cold pizza or reheat the rehydrated and cooked Lima beans with a slice of bread.

            Showering, shaving, and doing all of the other bathroom necessities complete, I decide what clothes to climb into for church and Sunday school. This Sunday was the beginning of our missionary conference. We have two missionary families that are visiting. The first are the Minions. No not the odd yellow ones, but real live people. They have been drawn to our Canadian neighborhood of Labrador.

            Labrador has a special place in my heart. Five of us travelled there, probably eighteen or twenty years ago with another young man who wanted to be a missionary there. After driving to the northernmost point of Newfoundland, we rode the ice hardened transport ship, the Northern Ranger to Nain and back, visiting the many small villages and towns along the way. I especially wanted to hear the testimony and the desire of the Minions for this harsh land that is nearly void of the Gospel.

            The next family that will be speaking and sharing their testimony and calling to the country of Greenland will be the Wright family. They will be joining the Shull family in Greenland to help spread the Gospel there. The Shulls have started the only fundamental church in the entire country. It is remarkable that these young people have accepted the daunting task of settling in a non-hospitable environment to share the love of God with these people.

            The darkness in these Arctic areas lasts almost twenty-four hours a day, every day in the winter months. Because there is so much gloom, it reflects in the people using alcohol, drugs, and having a high suicide rate. These problems are very prevalent and a very real hurdle to overcome or to positively influence. I had a taste of the dark winter when I was stationed in Iceland for a year. The lack of sunlight definitely has an effect on the body and spirit of a person.