A BBQ Lamb Dinner - Our 4th Dinner Invitation on a Native Reserve

After the church service, we bought lunch at the Convenient Store, one of the five gas stations /convenient stores in this remote reserve community. The convenient store offered its customers a pretty good selection of sandwiches and snacks from which to choose.

M.'s house is located on a pretty big property

Afterwards, we drove to M.’s house and spent the rest of the day there. While many of my team mates stayed indoor, S., Y.Y. and I enjoyed the mild weather outdoors.

Enjoying the mild weather and great conversations outdoors

As we were waiting for P. to bring a live lamb here for a BBQ dinner,  we helped setting up the tent and spent some time chatting with our host and learned a lot about Cree customs and cultures.

One thing I learned and admire about the Cree culture is how much they care and help each other and their family members.

We met a few local families. Almost in everyone of these families, they look after or adopt another young person into their families in the native way.

They feed this young person who often drops by or lives with the family as if he/she were a part of the family.

I was thankful that I could spend an entire afternoon getting to talk with and know some local residents.

 I met W.’s two children a couple of times and they were very polite and great to talk with.

Pk. enjoys being in the woods and displays great hunting and skinning skills of animals.

Working in Edmonton on renovation jobs, he was home for a few days while we were visiting his home town. He took our young people hunting and he was the only one who was able to hunt anything!

F. - a grade 12 student who likes photography.  I let him use my camera and he went around and got a few good shots of the BBQ lamb party.

 I also enjoyed talking to M.’s children and got to know them a little bit more.

K., is a receptionist at the H. Centre.

She is a great cook and made the most amazing desserts and macaroni salad and other delicious dishes for thirty people just like that.

Sh. – The younger sis of K., is studying in a  school in a nearby town.

We had a good chat the first time I was at her parents’s house. But this time she was not there as she went to Edmonton for a show with her aunt.

Finally, P. and J. brought in a live lamb carried on its four legs tied to a stick.

PK. and Rom. cutting the lamb for BBQ

When they began the process of slaughtering and skinning  the lamb in the yard,  K. and I fled into the kitchen trying to avoid the bloody scene.

In no time at all, the guys were able to slaughter the lamb, skin, cut it up and put the pieces on the barbecue.

M. was worried that P. might not be able to get the lamb in time to her house for the BBQ, therefore she bought and roasted a huge ham, prepared a big bowl of salad, veggies and dips for us.

A BBQ lamb feast was awaiting for the hungry crowd!

M. & family - the most kind, generous and welcoming host I have ever met!

This was the second time this week M. hosted and cooked dinner for our group - fifteen people in total!

I never knew someone who could be so kind, generous and welcoming to  a large group of complete strangers!

M.'s family was involved in feeding us and making us feel very welcome during this week.

We thanked God for the opportunity to meet,  and fellowship with the local people of this remote community. We  learned a few things about the aboriginal culture and got to know a couple of families really well!

It was the best part of our western Canadian trip and it was a real privilege indeed!

R.T.
4th Dinner Invitation
Alberta
May, 2016