Kinistin Group Travels to Mexico
FTLComm - Kinistin
February 17, 2000
Seven of the people who's faces appear in this composite picture boarded the trusty
van yesterday and set off on the trip of a lifetime.
Darcey and Neal Alsbach are with the North American Indian Ministries and work with the young people at the Kinistin First Nations community South West of Tisdale. Some of the activities include their Bible study group and various field trips, but the most important and most positive for the people of the community has been Darcey and Neal's work with the Youth Group.
Providing meaningful and positive outings and experience, the youth group has continued to be popular for the many years the Alsbachs have worked in the community.
The van has been provided for use in Saskatchewan with the many mission projects that work on various First Nation communities including one near Brandon. The sponsor for this vehicle is the Thetis Foundation from British Columbia and the house on the lower right is on Thetis Island. Raising funds to put an expensive vehicle like this one on the road is a major undertaking and the young people at Kinistin and other First Nations Communities wanted to send the foundation a message expressing their appreciation for what this van has done for them.
The current project is an outstanding one. Funded by the Kinistin Band seven students were selected based on their grades and performance in school to be a part of this fantastic project. They left on Wednesday for two weeks as they use the van to journey through the United States then enter Mexico at Tijuana and travel down the Baha peninsula where they will spend a week working at an orphanage and getting to know something about the surrounding communities. Neal is at the wheel of the van as you read this, while Darcey is in Pleasantdale preparing for tonight's youth group meeting.
One of the other amazing projects of NAIM is their summer Missionary Institute
and you can see some images dealing with this project in which young people spend
their summer working with families and in communities. A number of this past summer's
people were Korean Americans.
Neal and Darcey are online if you would like to get in touch with them.
Their work and enthusiasm is equally reciprocated with the affection and inclusion
in the community of Kinistin. It is remarkable to see this kind of project and realise
the long term benefits to everyone involved. Those seven on their way to Mexico,
will have this adventure to talk about for the rest of their lives.