No Opportunity Wasted

Hey everyone!

After a wonderful Christmas season and a very busy New Year, we decided it was time to drop you a note to fill you in on the details of our adventures as inner city missionaries.  There are some big and exciting changes for us to share, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!

The Dusty Cover

As many of you know, we have been working hard over the last year to open The Dusty Cover, a used bookstore designed to help us missionally engage our community.  After months of delays by the city government, we were finally given the go ahead and opened in early February.  While the bitterly cold weather has limited foot traffic, we are already seeing a steady flow of regulars, especially the local kids, who stop by twice a day!  March will see the beginning of our kids programs in partnership with Urban Potential ministries.  Jamie's brother, Troy, designed the website, which has already won several design awards.  Check it out at:



On an important side note, one of the kids at the bookstore who we have come to know really well (as he also lives across the street from us) has recently suffered a great loss.  His older brother, a boy of 13, was shot and kill in our neighbourhood recently.  This family has struggled against all kinds of challenges to maintain a home and life in our community, so this loss has definitely impacted them greatly.  Please pray for the family and the community, as well as how we might be Christ's agents of love during this time.

This is the kind of relationship that the bookstore allows.  Creating a welcoming, safe place to build genuine friendships with our neighbours so that we can begin to serve and love them in their real life struggles and needs.  It helps invest in a community that has been abandoned by many churches over the last 20 years.  Through the bookstore and our other ministries, we are able to partner with the remaining churches and ministries in mutual support and prayer.  We are really excited about the future of The Dust Cover.

Christmas With Kangaroos

This Christmas, we were blessed to be able to spend Christmas with Kim's family in Australia.  Only able to visit every four to five years, spending a month Down Under with loved ones is really special for us.  It also has the added bonus that Christmas lands in their summer, meaning it was a break from Winnipeg's brutal weather.

Our first week in Canberra saw the  celebrations of Caitlyn’s graduation from High School (we still think she was the hottest one there) and speaking at Kim’s home church.  The whole family headed up to Brisbane for Christmas with the extended family.

It was an amazing time of hanging out and seeing family that we haven’t seen since our wedding but for sure the highlight was having all seven of us together for almost 2 weeks.  From there we headed back to Canberra for our last week.  In all it was a wonderful and restful time for both of us, with the only draw back being it went by way too quickly.

Thanks Mum & Dad, Josh, Cait & Ally (and Splodge) for a great holiday!  We love you!

Other YWAM News

We are also excited that our team keeps growing.  Recently we welcomed a new staff member, Lindsey, who was a student on our last Discipleship Training School (DTS).  Lindsey will be serving as Kim's assistant, which will free Kim to focus on her increasing responsibilities in local and international leadership within YWAM.  Welcome aboard, Lindsey!

With a team of five full-time staff, we are very encouraged how committed this small group is to the ministry, the neighbourhood and to each other.  After 6 years of ministry in Winnipeg, we feel especially grounded and prepared to serve God in this community.  We still need to see the team grow, but we are very encouraged.

With Spring & Summer on the way, we are also gearing up for our Mission Adventures programs.  The Mission Adventures summer program combines the best of short-term missions with Bible camp discipleship.  If you know any young people (17 and older) who would interested in being on our summer staff team, impacting the lives of young people to know God and make Him known, send them our way!

Kim has really been enjoying her new role as a member of the Mission Adventures Network North American Leadership Team.  Recently she has been helping to organize a network gathering in Vancouver for this coming Spring.  Pray that the details come together and that the missionaries are inspired and empowered through this gathering.

At the same time, we are preparing for our October Discipleship Training School, which promises to be life changing.  With plans to return to Uganda for the outreach phase, we are praying that God will bring the right students to us for this coming season.  Again, if you know anyone interested, send them our way:

www.ywamwinnipeg.ca

We truly believe that God is leading us into a new and exciting season of change, both personally and with the ministry.  With increasing responsibilities in the mission, both locally and in the wider organization, we appreciate the friendship, love and prayer you all extend to us so consistantly.  We hope to hear from you, so drop us a line.

In His Peace,
Jamie & Kim Arpin-Ricci

Since our last update, Kim & I have both had some changes. First, I retired my (e)mergent Voyageurs blog and began blogging at A Living Alternative. Also, after some time off, Kim has returned to regular blogging.

Check them out!

P.S. Pray for us, as we are currently attending our international adoption training retreat! More news to come soon!

(Click Here for PDF version with picture)

Hey everyone,

Greetings from the Peg! After a very good but very busy summer we finally have a chance to breathe and catch up on everything in our life, so there is a lot to report. There have been some good times and some hard times, but through it all we feel fortunate that we are so well loved and supported by all of you. So, we hope this helps you get an idea of all that you are helping us do through your prayer, friendship and financial support. Enjoy!

Mission Adventures Summer

Once again our intensive Mission Adventures (MA) program took over our lives for the summer, but what an amazing summer it was. We had three great teams over July and August from Burnsville, Minnesota, Kitchener, Ontario and Pambrun, Saskatchewan. Not only were the students amazing in their readiness and excitement to see Jesus' heart for the inner city, but their wonderful leaders led by example, stepping out of their comfort zones and trusting God to lead their teens into challenging and powerful ministry.

As the single busiest and most intense time of year in our ministry, the MA summer program could not have happened without our awesome full-time and short-term staff. Imagine the hours and energy of summer camp with the training and logistic of short-term missions, and you will just begin to understand all that they did to make the summer such a success. Despite all the hard work, we had so much fun. But don't take our word for it. One of our teams kept a blog of their experiences which you can read about here www.winnipeg2007.com/blog.

The following was written by Tara and Bethany from Kitchener Gospel Temple:

Man oh man, what a crazy ride! Yesterday was TOTALLY DIFFERENT, so many ups and downs - one second, everyone was happy, the next second, everyone was like, "Pass the Kleenex!"

So Martha ended up in a tent… we had to do a bunch of team-building games. Everything from crossing oceans made of acid to, well, putting up a tent while blindfolded (hence, Martha ended up inside a collapsed tent, blindfolded - thanks to Bethany).

On most of our games, the other team ended up doing better, because apparently we have trouble with "listening"… well, that and the people who are great at listening ended up with "non-speaking roles". Great. But we learned a lot and the games helped us get so much closer as a team as we learned how we react to situations and saw each others strengths and weaknesses. There were so many good lessons like, we've got to use the WHOLE team, together, or we won't complete the task.

The best (and worst) was the "untangle the human knot game", where most of us ended up in each other's armpits (Pastor Ryan said, "that's the smell of team unity…") - what a whiff… not sure what that odor was, but we all felt like skipping snack.

The evening session was about the crucifixion of Christ, and learning about purity. It was really intense and we could just really sense the peace of God in the sanctuary. It was the first time I (Bethany) really felt God's presence, and it was so cool… we just stayed after and prayed together and just took it all in. I (Tara) think we really finally opened up with each other and just praying together was really good.

When we were praying after, we were all finally in the spot where we were like, "We're in this together", and nobody was afraid to pray out loud or anything. We had so much unity and all the "emotional issues" of Day 2 finally came to a close, and we were just… a team. It was kind of like our "spiritual kickoff" to what we're here to do.

I (Tara) was really excited during our night team-time because we did this exercise where we passed around a piece of paper with our names on it and we wrote down the things that we could see God doing in the lives of that person. It was really cool, because it wasn't fake, but it was just so encouraging.

We're like one big family, and I think everyone had such a significant experience with God and with each other as a team last night… we're so "tight" now.

Today we're going to go on a prayer trip, and I (Tara) really think that this is so important, because it's God that does the work, and taking the time to pray before we start our outreach is so important. I (Bethany) think that this trip isn't only about us helping others, it's God helping us.

Starting A Family

As most of you know, we have been trying to start a family for more than three years. After an early miscarriage, we haven't had any success, despite the fact that all of our tests came back with positive results. While the doctors cannot explain the problem, we feel that now is the time to pursue the next step. After much prayer and consideration, we believe that we are to begin the process of international adoption.

The challenge and cost of this process is daunting. As our finances have been increasingly stretched over the last few years, we know this will only happen through God's provision. We want to ask you all to stand with us in prayer and support as we take this important step. If you would like to help us in raising the funds to make this happen, we would be very grateful. We cannot do it without your generosity and prayer.

We Say Goodbye To 2 Staff & Hello To 2 More

After 5 years of serving with us, our very first full-time staff member, Paul Iverson, retired and said goodbye to us. It was sad to see Paul leave, especially for Jamie, as Paul has been one of his closest friends since his first day at YWAM Winfield a decade ago. Wanting to be closer to his family, Paul moved to southern Ontario. We were sad to see him go, but excited for this new stage in his journey.

We also said goodbye to Ellen "Ree" Pashley. Ree was a student in our very first Discipleship Training School (DTS), deciding to come back on staff for two years. During those two years she has been one of our hardest workers. With an amazing gift to engage and befriend people of all walks of life, Ree is someone we admire for her passion for serving God and loving others. Whether they were new immigrants, neighbourhood kids, members of gangs or serving time in prison, Ree only saw people who were loved by God. She will be greatly missed, but we know God has big things for her as she re-enters her college education.

Even as our staff shrank, the promise of growth has us very excited as well. Art Funk, a Manitoba local who has served with YWAM throughout the US, is coming on board. After serving as short-term summer staff with our MA program, he decided to join our full-time staff later this month. We are also thrilled to announce that he proposed to our other full-time staff member, Michelle, and they are to be married next year.

We are also experiencing an amazing, full-circle moment as we welcome Brenden "Brennie" Knight to our full time staff. When we first started the ministry in Winnipeg in 2002, Brennie came with his youth group to participate in our very first MA program. After returning several times over the years, we maintained a close friendship with Brennie. He joined us as a student in our last DTS, going with the team to Uganda. He returned to inform us that he wanted to join our staff. He is a very welcome addition to the team.

Keep us in prayer as there are several others who are considering joining us later this year, early next year. As the ministry grows, our need for committed, passionate missionaries grows with it.

Going Home To Australia for Christmas

It has been five years since we have been to Australia together to spend time with Kim's family. It is so important for us to make this trip, but the drain on our resources kept it from happening sooner. With the long and very expensive process of getting Kim's Permanent Residency finally behind us (Praise God!), we were able to make it happen this Christmas.

Unfortunately, after saving flight points for over five years, we discovered that, while we had saved more than enough points to cover the flights, they had no point flights available, so we were forced to purchase the tickets at full price. In the end, we felt it was a purchase we needed to make, as spending time with our Australian family is very important to us. A great deal needs to happen before we can leave (anyone want to baby-sit a dog for the holidays?), but we are really excited about the trip.

This Is So Much More Than A Bookstore

After months of preparation and dreaming, YWAM will finally be opening The Dusty Cover used bookstore and coffee shop in the next month. Kim could not be prouder of seeing one of Jamie's dreams come to fruition. With all the books priced, categorized, alphabetized and shelved, with the coffee and tea equip in place and with volunteers eager to pitch in, we are almost ready for the big opening. We know that this space will be a place where our inner city neighbours can come and build genuine relationships, where the kids can feel safe and welcomed, and where we can learn to be Christ to our community.

We still have a great deal that needs to happen. As always, we need a steady flow of books to be donated, especially non-fiction. Also, as our goal is to be a missional space and not a money-making business, we are still looking for people, churches and businesses who want to sponsor the store. Above all, keep us in your daily prayers as this is a truly unique and challenging endeavour.

Trying To Make Ends Meet

With the recently achieved immigration milestone, the increasing expenses of ministry and the looming costs of adoption, we are understandably staggering as we consider the future of our finances. Over the last few years, in addition to having our ministry expenses increase, we have seen a steady decline in our missions support. So many of you already give so very much to support us, which we are grateful for. In order to continue to serve God in our ministry, we are working to see our support raised significantly without asking more of those who already give. Please pray with us in the face of this big challenge.

As always, we cannot overemphasize how humbled and grateful we are for all the prayer and support we receive from you all. You will never know of all the lives you've impacted through your partnership us, from the inner city of Winnipeg the communities in Uganda and Thailand to the young people from all over North America From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you and God bless!

As always, let us know if you are going to be in the Winnipeg area, as we would love to connect for coffee or a meal. Thanks again and all our love and prayers.

In His Peace,
Kim & Jamie Arpin-Ricci

If any of you are in supporting us financially, you can do so through YWAM Canada's Project Funding office. Make your cheque or money order payable to Youth With A Mission and include a separate note with our name on it. Do not put put our name anywhere on the cheque. Send cheques to our Project Funding (see below info). If you are interested in giving on a monthly basis you can send in post-dated cheques or use our pre-authorized payment method. If you are interested in receiving a pre-authorized payment agreement form please email or call our donor office with your name and address.

They send out income tax receipts to donors monthly or annually. You can also give (without receipting) through the PayPal link on the sidebar. Any and all support is appreciated, especially in this time of increased expenses and ministry responsibilities.

Project Funding
PO Box 57100
2480 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V5K 5G6
CANADA
Ph: 604.436.4433 Fx: 604.436.4466
Email: donorservices@shaw.ca

 

(Click here to download PDF version with pictures)

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Winnipeg's West End! We trust this finds you well. It has been nearly a year since we've written, for which there is no excuse, so brace yourself for an update. So much has happened over last several months, as we have seen God's faithfulness to us and to our community. It is our hope that you will be encouraged and challenged as we share some of our journey.

Mourning A Friend, Celebrating A Life

In our last newsletter we asked you to pray for our friend and neighbour, Pst. Harry Lehotsky who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sadly, Harry died last November surrounded by his family. We have been moved by the response people have had in support of Harry and his ministry here. Thousands of people came together to raise funds to pay off all the outstanding ministry expenses for the church's projects. As a testament to his service to God and his community, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. We'll miss you, Harry.

Mission Adventures Impacts Thousands

One of our key programs here in the city is Mission Adventures (MA), seeing hundreds of Christians mobilized into missions every year. Last year Kim was asked to join the Mission Adventures North American Leadership Team where she will help to shape the program to impact the lives of thousands of people serving God in missions worldwide. This is a great honour and one that I (Jamie) know she well deserves. Keep her in prayer as she serves in this new context.

Our MA program continues to grow, with teams coming from all over to serve God. This summer we will be offering our second MA Summer program. It's a lot of work, so your prayers are needed. Kim has also been working so that within the next year, we will be able to offer outreaches to every continent (except Antarctica- sorry Happy Feet!). We currently offer outreach to Canada, Thailand, Kenya and South Africa.

YWAM Gets A Face Lift

With the growth of our ministry, we realized that the YWAM house was not big enough to meet our needs. So, after much prayer, we've rented a store-front (522 Sargent Ave) out of which we have our offices and run our programs. This has served to give us a more public presence, with a steady flow of neighbours dropping by daily. What we love most about our location is that it is at the heart of the most culturally diverse neighbourhood in the province! Going to the nations has never been easier! If you are in the city, drop in.

Discipleship And Missions In Uganda

This January we started our second Discipleship Training School (DTS). The DTS is the 5 month entry level program into YWAM. It is a hands-on missions program that allows students to engage ministry beyond just ideas and theories. Our new office allowed us to develop the DTS even more, seeing our 6 students (3 men, 3 women) shaped into missional leaders. After 3 (cold) months of living, training and serving in our inner city community, the team headed to Uganda for their 2 month outreach.

God has been calling us to get involved in Uganda, especially given what they have suffered after more than 20 years of internal warfare, with children regularly kidnapped and forced into becoming child soldier. Everyone needs to hear about the love of Jesus, but few need to experience that love more than a generation who have been forced to murder, rape and destroy their friends and family. Please keep this nation in your prayers and find out how you might get involved.

While in Uganda, our team was able to serve in many capacities. In addition to sharing the Gospel in word and discipling local Christians, they served in many other practical ways, such as helping at the HIV/AIDS clinics run by YWAM there. One of our leaders contracted malaria, but was easily and cheaply cured by medication. It was sobering to our team to realize that millions still needlessly die from this treatable disease for lack of access and money. Needless to say, all were changed by their time in Uganda.

A Real Page Turner

We are excited to announce a new missional project that Jamie is spearheading- The Dusty Cover Used Bookstore. A challenge in our community is finding places to meet ones neighbours. The community centres are over-worked and businesses are profit driven. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment (that is not sales driven) where people can come and read, chat, study, etc. Coffee will be by donation and the books are free to be read in the store at no cost or purchased at very reasonable rates.

We also hope to meet many of the felt needs in our neighbourhood. Seeing the link between illiteracy and crime, we will offer after school reading/homework clubs. With diabetes skyrocketing, we will offer food/nutrition skill classes. To help those who selfless serve God in our inner city, we will offer quality, free ministry training. These are just a few of the ways we are planning on reaching our community through the bookstore.

To get this done, however, we need your help. We need books of all kinds, especially for kids. (Please no Harlequin, Readers Digest Condensed or magazines). We have a surplus of Christian titles at this time, but all are still welcome. If you have any books to donate (now or in the future) let us know. We also need to find individuals, churches and businesses who want to financially support this project so that we can minister to the people without having to focus on making a profit.

One Tough Aussie

This year has been especially full for Kim. As most of you know, we have been working to get her Permanent Residency, which has been a long, expensive process. However, as of last week, after yet another meeting and a sizable cheque, Kim was approved for PR! Thank you all for your prayer and support for us through this.

Kim also underwent surgery last week. As we have not been able to conceive after our miscarriage, the doctors decided that exploratory surgery was needed. All other tests we have done have come back positive, so the doctors don't expect to find anything. We won't know results for 6-8 weeks, so please pray for Kim's recovery and for our hopes for a family.

Jamie's Keeping Busy

The past year has been a full one for Jamie as well. Through his writing and speaking, he has been involved in serving local Christians, especially in what it means to live missional lives. Addition to the bookstore, he is also well into the manuscript for his second book, which he hopes to have off to the publisher before the end of this year.

Recently, Jamie organized an event to challenge the church to become missional leaders in our communities. Bringing in author and speaker Alan Roxburgh, we had an exciting evening exploring what it means to be missional. The diverse representation from local churches was encouraging, as was the positive feedback from participants. Jamie is already working with others to plan another event for this Autumn.

What's Ahead For Us

Change is a constant that we are quickly learning to accept- the coming months being no exception. In addition to the summer program and the bookstore, we will also be seeing several new staff join our team. We recently said farewell to Paul, our first staff member, as he retired last week. We are going into the coming year with an intention to develop our ministries to more effectively live and proclaim the Gospel, all the while equipping the church to do the same.

As always, your prayer and financial support have been a real blessing. Through you, God has provided for us, even in the face of what seemed hopeless. We want to honour you all for partnering with us in our mission. We couldn't do it without you. Please continue to prayerfully consider how you can stand with us. With increased leadership responsibility and expanding ministry, so too ministry expenses rise. Not only does your financial support help with our basic needs, it also helps fund the very ministries we operate. Above all, pray.

We promise to stay in better touch this year. As always, let us know if you are going to be in the Winnipeg area, as we would love to connect for coffee or a meal. Thanks again and all our love and prayers.

In His Peace,
Kim & Jamie Arpin-Ricci

If any of you are in supporting us financially, you can do so through YWAM Canada's Project Funding office. Make your cheque or money order payable to Youth With A Mission and include a separate note with our name on it. Do not put put our name anywhere on the cheque. Send cheques to our Project Funding (see below info). If you are interested in giving on a monthly basis you can send in post-dated cheques or use our pre-authorized payment method. If you are interested in receiving a pre-authorized payment agreement form please email or call our donor office with your name and address.

They send out income tax receipts to donors monthly or annually. You can also give (without receipting) through the PayPal link on the sidebar. Any and all support is appreciated, especially in this time of increased expenses and ministry responsibilities.

Project Funding
PO Box 57100
2480 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V5K 5G6
CANADA
Ph: 604.436.4433 Fx: 604.436.4466
Email: donorservices@shaw.ca

We are SOOOOOOOO sorry for the overly long delay in updating the site here.  However, stay tuned because an update is on the way!

In the meantime, check out our DTS blog to see how our last few months have been filled:

www.winnipegdts.blog.com 

Our ministry wouldn't be able to happen without the generousity and prayer we receive from people like you. Over the last year, we have seen a slow decline in our support, which has already begun to limit our ability to serve in our current positions. Therefore, we would like to ask you to prayerfully consider how you might support us in this ministry.

Should you decide to support us, please make your cheque or money order payable to Youth With A Mission and include a separate note with our name on it. Do not put put our name anywhere on the cheque. Send cheques to our Donor Office (see below info). If you are interested in giving on a monthly basis you can send in post-dated cheques or use our pre-authorized payment method. If you are interested in receiving a pre-authorized payment agreement form please email or call our donor office with your name and address.

They send out income tax receipts to donors monthly or annually.

Dear Family & Friends,

Greetings our beautiful inner city neighbourhood. We trust this find you well, as you are all in our thoughts and prayers daily. As usual, life has been blazing ahead of us, keeping us on our toes. Since you last heard from us, we have been going through a trying season. God has been faithful throughout, so we are confident that He can use all things for His purposes. We hope this letter will give you a sense of how where we are at and how you can pray for us. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the read!

Invisible Children of Northern Uganda

Recently, God has been calling us as a YWAM team to respond to the terrible realities of northern Uganda. Caught in a 20 year civil war with a rebel army, thousands of children are being abducted and forced to be child soldiers by this cultic militia, with the government troops only marginally better. Further, due to instability, more than a million Ugandans have been forced to live in "refugee" camps within their own borders, with thousands dying daily from disease, violence, etc. While there is not space here to go into more detail, needless to say we were moved to respond to this hidden tragedy.

Most of our team were inspired by the documentary "Invisible Children", where three regular guys chronicled their powerful discvoery of these children. In response, two of our staff created the Gulu Prayer Project which called people around the world to join in non-stop 336 hours of prayer (2 weeks) for Uganda. As a result, we saw people from more than a half dozen nations join us in this endeavour of prayer and advocacy. While the event is over, many are still praying daily and are asking for another organized event, which we plan to run again this Fall. Further, three of our staff will be heading to northern Uganda in October to serve the people, as well as make contacts for hosting future missions teams.

Since the launch of the Keep Kim In Canada Campaign, we have been blown away by the amazing generousity and support we have received from so many of you. However, we have also been receiving several emails asking for two thing. First, people want to know more background on the situation and our ministry. And second, people want an update on where we are at with the campaign. Let me try to answer both here.

As most of you know, my wife & I are the founders and Co-Directors of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Urban Ministries Winnipeg. We were planted here by YWAM Vancouver several years ago, moving our home & ministry into the inner city community of Winnipeg's West End. Over the last years of pioneering, we have also becoming increasingly involved in regional leadership within the mission, which has been a real blessing.

However, over the last couple of years, our regular financial support has dropped significantly, in large due to unavoidable financial challenges facing our donors. With the increased leadership responsibility within the mission, our expenses also increased, so this loss has hit us quite hard. It was while we were working to overcome this challenge that the Canadian goverment decided that it was time for Kim to apply for Permanent Residency, an expense of around $2000. Of course, when it rain, it pours. During the same week, we were hit with several unexpected expenses (such as two major appliances dying on the same day).

I asked for prayer from several networks, which I received in excess. An unexpected result was the creation of the Keep Kim In Canada Campaign, dedicated to help us raise the needed funds to keep my Aussie wife to get her Permanent Residency. We have been stunned and humbled by the response. In fact, since it started we have reached the half way mark! While we still need to face the other financial challenges and build a broader regular support team, this has come as a life saver for us. Thank you all for your willingness to stand behind us in our calling.

Should any of you want to receive regular updates of our ministry, please feel free to let me know. You can also check out our personal website for more information. Again, thank you so much for all you have done! We are truly blessed.

Hey everybody,

Greetings from our frozen little corner of Winnipeg. We hope this finds you warm and well after holiday season. We are long overdue on an update, so we'd drop you a note to fill you in. When last you heard from us, we were going into our first ever Mission Adventures Summer Program, which was a blazing success. While we hosted more Mission Adventures teams in the Autumn, we also prepared for the January 2006 Discipleship Training School (DTS). We've also seen a great increase in our staff and programs. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

So, sit back, grab a cup of coffee, relax and join us for this walk through the last few months of our missional journey!

Mission Adventures Summer Program

While we have been offering Mission Adventures year round for some time, this past year we were able to offer our extended Summer Program for the first time. The MA Summer Program offers an extended 4 days training session with top notch speakers, thematic sets & sessions and much more. It is followed by 6 days of intensive urban outreach. With the theme "Bought", we hosted two teams from Minnesota over a period of a month, which was a real success. Interest in the 2006 MA Summer program is already buzzing.

January DTS 2006

After last years incredibly impacting Discipleship Training School (DTS), we were excited to prepare for this years program. Applications were almost doubled, the program had been further developed & improved, and the staff were better prepared and excited for this years school. It was promising to be another great year, with top notch speakers and more intentional outreach opportunities.

Then, within a matter of a few weeks, it all turned around. For reasons outside anyones control (i.e. illness in the family, unexpected loss of income, etc.) the vast majority of our applicant withdrew. After much prayer and consideration, we decided to postpone the school until January 2007. While we were all disappointed, we have decided to accept it as an opportunity from God. Focusing on program & staff development, connecting & serving with other churches/organizations in the city and continuing to seek God on His vision for our ministry, we committed to using this time for the best.

In fact, even now, we are already seeing a significant interest for the DTS in 2007. Our applications are almost as high now as they were a couple months before the school was meant to start. Additionally, Providence College & Seminary, who partners with us in the DTS, have increased their commitment to promote the program to their student base. We are looking forward to a great school next year.


New Staff & Ministries

We have also seen some excellent growth in our long-term staff over the past year. Of our seven DTS students from 2005, three have returned to full time staff, which has been very encouraging. We have also had our first family join the team- Matt & Kristie Beynon and their four wonderful kids, joined us late last year after having served with YWAM on the west coast reserve community of Ahousat (where Kim did her first YWAM outreach). The group, now up to nine, is really developing into a truly missional community.

As we grow as a ministry, we are also beginning to seek God as to where we are to expand in our outreach to the city and the world. Mission Adventures Winnipeg is now offering outreaches in Thailand, with locations on every continent by the end of next year. In fact, we are already putting the finishing touches on a Kenya trip that will soon be available. Matt is heavily involved in the community, offering friendship, pastoral care and lay counselling to those in some of the cities darkest corners. Jamie continues to develop his writing and speaking at an unexpected rate. We are blessed by all that God is doing with and through us.

Christmas With The Flints

We were especially excited this holiday season, as Kim's family flew over to join us for a real Canadian Christmas. Spending just under a month with us here, we were able to show them the sites and give them the cultural (and climactic) experience of a lifetime. While I am sure they had a great time, I am not sure they will make it an annual event. I think they are still thawing out!

After more than 4 years of being married, we were also very excited that our parents were able to meet each other for the very first time. It is always a bit tricky introducing in-laws to each other, but we were sure they would get along just fine. However, after driving them to visit in Ontario, our expectations were thoroughly met and surpassed, as the two families connected as though they were one. Now we just have to get Jamie's parents over to Australia for a visit.

While in Rainy River, we tried to give them as many Canadian experiences as we could. Some of the highlights were: varsity girls hockey game (far more violent than they expected); ice fishing (see our website for the real "fish tale"); curling (which they picked up quickly, ready to represent Australia in Games); snowmobiling and ice skating (both quite hazardous to Aussie health). We played a lot of game, ate a lot of food and generally had a great time.

Another milestone for us was having Christmas day in our house on Furby for the first time. Jamie's family drove in to join us for the Christmas Eve service at our church, Riverwood Community Church, then spent Christmas with us as well. In a family baptism by fire, the Flint's joined us for the Aprin Family Boxing Day gathering at Jamie's aunt and uncles place. In all, it was a truly memorable holiday. With Christmas behind us, we continued our course of Canadian cultural exposure, which included the local museum, The Forks Market, and most importantly, 5-pin bowling- the true Canadian sport of kings!

It was sad to see them off, but it was an excellent time to share our daily lives here in Winnipeg with the family. We look forward to their next visit (though likely during warmer months. Alas!).

Travels & Opportunities

As is becoming an annual trip, Jamie spent a week in Vancouver teaching on the DTS there on the topic "The Gospel & Missional Community", which was a great time. Part of the school was a group that made up a Hockey DTS, combining the passion and practice of the sport with missions, both locally and in Russia. For any hockey players out there, this is an excellent program with great coaching. It was also a time for Jamie to connect with our sending base.

Kim recently returned from Florida where she attended the annual Mission Adventures Network Conference. This is always a highlight in Kim's year, is it is a time to regain the vision, share resources and connect with her fellow network members. It was especially exciting as she was able to bring three staff with her, who also had an excellent time. The program is going to improve beyond expectations this year.

Jamie will have already been to Kitchener by the time you receive this, to sit on a planning group for the youth track of the Micah Challenge in Canada. The Micah Challenge has been developed by the Micah Network and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in response to a groundswell among evangelical Christian churches wanting to contribute at all levels to the alleviation of poverty and to greater justice for poor communities. Jamie will be posting an update on the trip to our site soon, so check it out.

A Call For Prayer

Recently, we have seen a major increase in our ministry here in Winnipeg, as well as both of us now involved in the YWAM Western Canada Leadership Team. As many of you know, this means a higher demand on us, which also equals higher expenses. Unfortunately, over the past year, as our expenses increase, our support has seen a fair drop. Additionally, the longer Kim is in Canada, the greater need there is to have her apply for permenant residency (we had a couple of scares this year), which can cost up to $2000. Needless to say, we feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Please pray with us as we seek God's further provision. We are continually humbled by how many of you give sacraficially to support us in this ministry, and believe that God will provide as He always does. Click Here for more info.

While we plan to send our updates more frequently, we will also be regularly updating our website, which has been completely redesigned. You can now read our updates and leave comments, questions or encouragements right on the site. Check it out! We love you all and look forward to hearing from you.

In His Peace,
Kim & Jamie Arpin-Ricci

Posted by Jamie:

My wife's family came over for a month this holiday season, which is their first real experience with a white Christmas.  We decided they needed to partake in some truly Canadian experiences (more of which we will share in the days to come), so we took Paul (Kim's Dad) and Ally (one of Kim's sisters) ice fishing on the Rainy River.

Fishing was good, but the stories were better.  Let's allow the pictures to talk for us here:


After several more tellings, it was getting reminscent of Moby Dick.  I guess the ol' fish story is the same the world over.