Wintery Beacon Events

Chuck, Carla & a couple of dummies

     Although January had a few weeks of bitter cold and kept our teen numbers down to 20 or less some days, it was still a busy month for us at the Beacon. For two consecutive Mondays thirteen of us did First Aid training in Don's basement.  Using dummies brought by Darlene Jackson of the Red Cross, we learned and relearned all sorts of emergency routines for; choking, loss of consciousness, bleeding, sunstroke, stroke, broken limbs,

Rick and his quiet friend

heart attack and breathing emergencies.  This was because Youth For Christ wants staff to have First Aid training. (So all those things might happen to young people? Perhaps we older folks are more likely to need this intervention ourselves.) 
     So listen, if you feel a sudden heart attack coming on, and you're downtown... just step over to the firehall beside the Beacon.  They do this sort of thing all the time.

The Kroesbergen Men cruise to musical excellence

 
On the 24th of January we held our First Annual Musical Fundraiser for the Beacon with a concert at Fellowship CRC.
   With free use of the church and donated musical entertainment by the Kroesbergen Family, Dan Koets & Shawna Cournyea of the group Wisdom, plus Don Harnden, our own organ-playing volunteer, there was something to hum along to for everyone.
    Despite bad driving conditions, the night was perfect with excellent music, Beacon Bits of information, and a generous crowd shelling out over $1 300 for the evening.

Rene catches a snooze while Lance looks on

    Further along, on the January 30th P.A. Day, four of the Beacon boys (Lance, Dustin, Sean and Jacob) went with me to ski on Mont Ste. Marie in Quebec. I am not a regular skier but went because they asked me (comic relief?).  To make sure we could meet the 4:30 am bus in Bloomfield on time, we borrowed Rick's van and I got the boys from their houses around midnight on Thursday. We slept a few hours at the home of Sami Lester's parents, who went to all kinds of trouble to make us comfortable. Sami is the director of Prince Edward County Youth for Christ, (like us, a satellite of Quinte YFC) and Sami organizes this yearly ski trip. Joining about 25 others, we bussed our way through Ottawa to the resort at Mont Ste. Marie in the Laurentians.  

     The ski resort is worth the long drive, especially with excellent prices for budget-minded youth. The Beacon had also contributed a bonus to those four who signed up for this initial trip, hoping that next year many more will want to come.

   The day was sunny and bracingly cold, but our boys didn't seem to notice and happily skied and snowboarded the day away.
   




With two large chair lifts and some smaller ones at Mont Ste. Marie, and since their schools had a regular school day, there were few crowds and short line-ups.

Kudos to Dustin and Lance, who stayed with friends who were slower skiers and were good company throughout the day.

We returned home starting at 7:30 PM and a young pastor, David, gave a message during the bus trip back home that was very moving.

The day still didn't end quickly, with a dead battery and keys locked into the van we were trying to boost (guess who?) delaying our departure from Bloomfield by another hour. Returning home late and somewhat sleepy, I also managed to drop my cell phone onto Jacob's driveway while dropping him off. Thankfully it was found intact the next day, good as new. For me it was a long day, but the boys will say they just had a good time. Isn't youthful perspective great?

Spirit Borne, another satellite ministry of Quinte Youth For Christ, visited Fellowship CRC in Brighton last weekend during a road-closing blizzardy day. Too bad for those who missed it; the show was very nicely put together and a credit to Rikki-Anne McNaught, the director and the cast and crew, many of whom are from the Brighton area.

Brighton Youth interested in training to be a Spirit Borne cast member will be able to apply in March for this opportunity. 



Most of our regular Beacon youth just enjoy the place as a safe haven and it is hard to predict how many may be starting a journey to greater faith. But for the few who are developing a deeper belief, there are leadership opportunities coming all the time.  On Feb 22nd, Today's Teens Conference in Oakville will have lots for youth and youth leaders to learn about. Contact me (Rene) or see me at the Beacon for more information.

For anyone considering whether to support us with help, time, prayers or finances, please visit us at The Beacon and see for yourselves what is going on there.  Call 613-475-4064

Tuesday - Friday 11:00 - 1:00
Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

God bless!