Mission Possible 2021 (MP21) Manitoba by Sam Murray

FFC Manitoba kicked off our Mission Possible here in Manitoba. We are visiting Firefighters in Southern Manitoba from March 5th until March 12th. We left Steinbach and headed West. During our visit with an FFC Brother in Winkler, Manitoba we were given a name of a Chief in a near by town, and as John White said "We Just Showed Up". We spent a few hours talking and fellowshipping with Tony Fehr of the Plum Coulee Fire Department, ending our time together with him by praying over him and his department.

In an attempt to visit another local department, we were unable to connect with their Chief and unfortunately had to move on. But God in His awesome plan sent us to another small department in the area, who amazingly had their Chiefs phone number on the door. We were graciously granted permission to see the Darlingford, Manitoba station. Again ending our time laying hands on and praying for their Deputy Chief and for their Department.

This was Day #1, and we are excitedly anticipating what God has next for our team and His mission for us.

This morning our team on Mission in Manitoba left Winkler and headed West. We didn't even get past the parking lot before we were met with opportunity to share Christ and an FFC Challenge Coin with someone in Emergency Services.

We then only made it 10 minutes down the road to Morden Fire Department where we had been blocked for 2 days from making contact. The amazing thing that came from that delay of meeting in that station was we were able to meet with and pray for multiple members of the Morden Fire Department.
Amazingly we have also been able to promote an FFC breakfast happening in Winkler later this month that was only planned the night before and have already had commitments from surrounding departments members.
This evening we took the opportunity to meet with a Steinbach Fire member who is working as a Paramedic in the Western part of our province. We brought supper to his EMS station and fellowshipped and enjoyed dinner with him.
To end the night we hosted our weekly Bible Study while staying in a perfect cabin hidden away in the Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. We shared with those who joined via Zoom, about what has been happening on Mission and what God has been doing in us during this amazing time.
We have made the commitment to "GO" and "Just Show Up" and there is No Turning Back.

Today started out with a time of devotion and prayer in our amazing lodge at Camp Koinonia sitting by the fire. We then returned to Killarney EMS station to meet with and encourage a former firefighter and current Paramedic that one of our members worked with in the past. We were able to reconnect and share FFC challenge coins and FFC patches with the crew there. Finishing with a time of prayer in their station.

Graciously a member of Killarney Fire Department willingly met with us at his hall. He was also a former coworker of one of our team members. We were able to share with him about our mission and what has happened thus far. We ended our time in Killarney by laying hands on this young man who is actively trying to get hired as a full time firefighter in the nearby City of Brandon

We then headed back East a short ways to visit the Chief of Cartwright Fire Department. He shared with us the struggles he recently went through with a battle against cancer and amazingly is now cancer free. We were able to talk with him at length and even met with his Deputy Chief. We shared the story of how the FFC challenge coins came to be and what that means to us. Both Chief and Deputy allowed us to pray for them before leaving. Praying specifically that the Chief would remain cancer free and that both would come to know Jesus.

We finished our day back at our lodge at Camp Koinonia, preparing a typical Fire Hall meal for our hosts Evan and Mara. The on-site manager is the son of one of our team members former Captain in the City of Winnipeg. We felt a call to bless them with a meal, and graciously they joined us for dinner in our lodge. Evan, the on-site manager, is in the process of finishing his firefighter training but has been stalled due to travel restrictions from covid. We prayed over them after dinner and shared with them what we are doing and why we are doing it. Emphasizing that it is only because of the love of Jesus Christ. We prayed for their relationship with one another, and also that they would both have relationship with Jesus.
It has been an amazing trip with so many connections happening that there could be no coincidence for what is going on. All glory to God for this mission and these connections.

Our Manitoba Mission came to its completion with the Dauphin FD. A place that God had laid on our hearts soon after finding out that Interprovincial travel was not possible at this time. We departed our beautiful lodge in Turtle Mountain Provincial Park and headed North.

We were welcomed with open arms and open doors in Dauphin, spending a few hours in the early afternoon with their Chief and a few members. We were blessed to be invited back that evening for their recruit training. This gave us many opportunities to share with their members about what FFC is about and why 4 Firefighters from Southeast Manitoba were spending time with them on a random Thursday evening. Sharing that it is because of Christ's Love for us and our desire to share His Love with others is the only explanation.
We were blessed even further to be invited into their station the next morning for breakfast. Graciously we had been shown their training site after breakfast and had opportunity to pray for and bless their Chief and one of their members. We exchanged contact information with many and also swapped challenge coins and patches in true firefighter fashion.
The road home that day was filled with other opportunities. Prior to going for breakfast at the Dauphin station, we met a young man who was serving breakfast in our hotel. He surprisingly shared his heartbreaking story with one of our members but was cut short by people coming to get breakfast. God laid this young man on this members heart and felt that we needed to return and talk and pray with this young man. After all 4 of us listening to this young man's story of military service and correctional service we offered to pray with him and for him and offered to lead him in accepting Christ into his life as his personal Lord and Savior. He accepted and prayed right then and there to have Jesus be Lord in his life and accepted His grace and forgiveness.
What a party there must have been in Heaven at that moment.
How sweet it was as we had prayed prior to our last couple days that we would not slow down coming close to the end of mission, and God did not disappoint. What a blessing to see someone make a decision for Jesus from what many would see as a random meeting. Praise be to Jesus!

On our way back to Steinbach we stopped at a small volunteer station and felt prompted to stop. After waiting awhile for someone to come meet us at the station we got more opportunity to share and pray with a Chief of the Sandy Lake Fire Department. Again, exchanging patches and sharing an FFC challenge coin with him complete with the story of the significance of the pictures on the coin.
These 7 days were filled start to finish with being led by Christ and having the mission of "Just Show Up", and only He truly knows the extent of His impact in and through this mission that we were so blessed to be part of.
I encourage everyone to seek Him and follow His leading and watch what He does.