Quebec: No language barrier for God

God has shown me recently just how far his love stretches to all people—every language, every age and every race.

Ellie DentonUnlike my previous weeks at Frontier Lodge, most recently I worked in the French camp instead of the English camp. I was informed of this exactly one day prior when the kids arrived, giving me plenty of time to fill my head with insecurities and reasons why this would go horribly wrong. I was so quick to forget God’s promise, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

The week began with some obvious challenges such as many exchanges of blank, confused stares between the campers and me as we attempted to communicate. However, despite the language barrier, God provided opportunities for me to reach the campers another way. The experience taught me how incredibly important to invest in people—both believers and non-believers of all ages.

It was amazing to me how the campers responded when I took the time to play with them instead of watch them from a distance and love on them instead of smiling awkwardly as a result of our lack of verbal communication. By the end of the week, the campers were completely comfortable and had even taught me some of their language. The Lord even provided me an opportunity to teach my campers a Bible verse in English. Praise God!

Overall, it was an experience like no other to hear a chapel message, hear campers singing Bible songs, hear campers quoting Scripture and praising God in a foreign language. While I was stretched in ways that were way out of my comfort zone throughout the week, I was humbled and reminded that my God is a loving, generous and faithful God to all who call on his precious name. 

Ellie Denton, a student at Texas A&M University Commerce is serving with Go Now Missions at Frontier Lodge in Quebec, Canada.