Hello everyone!
Lanae Paetkau here!
I hope this letter finds you blessed and well. My intention is to share with you what God has been doing in my life and invite you to be involved in what God is doing in my life.
As many of you already know, I grew up in Ukraine as a missionary kid with my parents John and Leanne and siblings Alicia and Daniel. I just finished a year of Bible school at Torchbearers Germany center, Bodenseehof. God willing, this summer I will be working and serving at Brightwood Ranch, which is a summer camp outside of Edmonton Alberta. However, this is no ordinary summer camp. Brightwood Ranch is associated with Hope Mission which does inter-city missions in Edmonton and Calgary, and therefore, Brightwood Ranch is a mission-camp, whose main focus is reaching out to foster-home kids and teens and sharing Jesus with them. This is an extraordinary opportunity and I am very privileged and very grateful to be involved in this ministry. After this summer at camp, I hope to go on to either nursing college or Bible college in the fall.
In order to explain all of this, let me give you some background.
Ever since I was twelve, God has been laying missions on my heart. For some reason, nursing has always been on my mind; I see it as a great opportunity combined with missions.
As the years have gone by God has worked on me and grown me. He has blessed me with the opportunity to be involved in many ministries, including taking care of horses and learning the art of horseback riding plus traveling. Through these experiences, a passion in me has grown for helping people, riding horses, and sharing Jesus; specifically to use horses to help hurting people and share the gospel with them.
I believe God created the horse and He created Man, and He made them perfectly to fit and work together. It is amazing how God can use animals to bring Himself glory and draw people closer to Himself! I have experienced how God can use horses to impact all kinds of people: invalids, orphans, kids from problem homes, foreigners; anyone!
One experience in particular touched something in my heart: it was at our English camp at Sumy Grace Camp, and for the first time at camp we decided to take the kids horseback riding at a nearby local stable. While at the stable one kid commented to me ‘Wow, this is so amazing; I have never touched a horse before!’. Then I realized, most kids and adults will never touch a live horse or experience riding one. I realized that God can use horses to reach out to people with His love and bring them to Jesus. As a result of this conviction, I am hoping in the future to go on a short term mission trip with Horses for Orphans, and am strongly considering a future of missions work involving medical work and horses.
God is amazing and His plan is bigger and better than our plans.
Thank you for letting me share with you what God is doing in my life. Please pray for me as God leads you. Prayer is powerful because we have a big God!
Thank you for your involvement!
God bless you!
In Christ,
Lanae Paetkau
Specific prayer requests:
-smooth transition into Canadian culture
-Wisdom at camp, both in relationship with the staff, the kids, and with the horses.
-Wisdom in regards to school in the fall
-That I would have a growing hunger for God’s word and would read my Bible and pray more.
More info:
www.thepaetkaus.net
http://hopemission.com/summercamp/
http://hopemission.com/videos/brightwood-ranch-summer-camps/
http://www.horsesfororphans.com/index.htm
A ps from Dad
A brief update.
Lanae is now in Canada and has gone to serve at Brightwood Ranch. We are so thankful for how God is working in Lanae’s life, helping her to grow and move forward each day. Her plans for the fall are to attend Millar Bible College’s satellite campus in British Columbia for her second year of bible college studies. She will be receiving some funding for serving at Brightwood Camp, and has the opportunity thru the camp to raise funds for her fall studies. Please read this letter from the camp explaining her ministry and the opportunity to be part of it.
Hi Lanae, have a good summer at camp. We will be praying for you. Stay off the ground, while riding. Love to read about your further adventures. Love Auntie Mabel
Thanks for the note. I will pass this on to Lanae