Recovery Ride 2012 – Day Three: a place of healing

As we travelled the Hudson’s Hope Route for Fort St. John on Monday, we were awestruck once again with God’s brushstrokes on His incredible painting. We arrived at SCARS, Wagner Hills Farm’s northern recovery home, late in the afternoon. I hope we encouraged and inspired them as much as they did us. One of our trucks limped into SCARS with a clutch problem, so it was a good thing that Mark, a Blue Seal mechanic, is on the ride! He had the truck up and running in no time. Anxious to get to the Care Village, we headed out around 5:30 pm. As we approached the property we discovered the last 6 km to be too rough for bike travel, so the bikes were left safely tucked out of sight for the night behind a rec centre. The guys piled into Pastor Steve’s pick-up truck. What a sight to see – big, burly bikers grinning like kids! The Joy of the Lord is our strength. As we drove onto the property the presence of God was with us! As in the past, we felt the Holy Spirit hovering over the place. Tired and dusty, we were welcomed with a piping hot turkey dinner, prepared and served by Pastor Steve’s daughter, Shannon. As Robert said, it felt like coming home! Homemade rhubarb crisp, straight from the garden, had us all scrambling for second, third and fourth helpings… Day Three ended with us circling up for prayer, devotions and worship, with Pastor Steve and I sharing the history and vision for the Care Village. As I snuggled up in my sleeping bag for the night, conversation and laughter waived down the hallway to my door! I fell asleep with a smile of contentment on my face, whispering to Papa that this is what this house was dedicated for: a place for men to be still, a place of laughter and joy. A place of healing. I have a sense that a number of our Recovery Riders were touched by God at this place. My prayer is that one day they will return to help repair and rebuild the property, to walk along with those who are lost and broken, and to serve the Lord as He “…binds up the broken hearted and sets the captives free.” (Isaiah 61) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) Amen! MaryAnne Connor (Mac) The 2012 Recovery Ride is – in the words of the Freedom Biker Church of Surrey – truly a “road trip of a lifetime”. In support of the Care Village, we are happy to accept donations to provide that safe haven in Fort St John. The Care Village will be a refuge for anyone seeking recovery from the cycle of addiction or substance abuse, or just in need of temporary respite, away from the struggles of everyday life. If you’d like to follow the journey live, join us on Twitter or Facebook for status updates and images of this wonderful journey.