Over the long Family Day weekend in February, we were part of an evangelism and discipleship retreat at a local Christian camp called No Ordinary Weekend. Sponsored and hosted by some local business people, we had around 65 adults and 50 kids under the age of 10. It was an opportunity to get away from daily life and distractions, and take a dedicated time to learn more about the central message of the Bible. Even child care was looked after by some Bible school students who taught the kids using GoodSeed’s children’s evangelism book, The Lamb.
The adults covered the new “No Ordinary Story – The Series” set of books. While these books are still being worked on and are not officially published yet, we had handmade copies for everyone. Each booklet is about 43 pages long and broken into 10 chapters, with each book taking about 60 minutes to cover. 
The eight main books are:
- No Ordinary God – Who is the God of the Bible? What is he like? (introduction to God’s character as revealed through the creation account)
- No Ordinary Evil – Why is there so much evil in the world? Where does it come from? ( the fall of man, sin and it’s consequences)
- No Ordinary Faith – Why is faith so important? What’s the big deal about trust?
- No Ordinary Rules – Does God keep his word? What is the right way to live? (Abraham & Isaac, Moses and Exodus, giving and purpose of the Ten Commandments)
- No Ordinary House – Is there a way out of this mess? What’s with the tent? (sin, works won’t do it, the sacrificial system, the Tabernacle the Prophets)
- No Ordinary Birth – Who was Jesus anyway? How can we be sure? (birth of Jesus, start of His ministry)
- No Ordinary Death – Why a Cross? Can a dead man live again? (death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus)
- No Ordinary Plan – Why the lamb? Is it really that simple? (putting it all together)
We also covered two other books:
- No Ordinary Book – What’s the Big deal about the Bible?
- No Ordinary Return – Where is Jesus now? Is he coming back to Earth again?
The No Ordinary Weekend (NOW) went very well. We were so encouraged to see so many intent on gaining a clear understanding of the Gospel. Many saw their confusion surrounding God’s Word sorted out in their minds; others crossed from death to life during their time with us. What a thrill to see the pieces fall into place for so many and lives changed for eternity! To God be the glory!
One family group came, consisting of two brothers, one with his common-law wife, and the other with a teenage daughter who was very unhappy to be there. None of them were believers. It was clear they had all done some hard living, but they were open, apart from the teenager. By the end of the first day, the young woman had done away with her resistance and had become a keen listener, along with her family. Partway through the sessions, her step-dad said he was just waiting and ready to hear how he could get to Heaven. He was so eager! As the weekend drew to a close, all four members of the family indicated that they had put their trust in what Christ had done on the cross and they are hungry for more!
We were also so impressed to see how many young people sat in the sessions, listening closely. Personally, we were thrilled to see all our children, especially our youngest (aged 10), listening intently and following along. Our girls had two young friends sitting with them who are not believers; we were excited to see those girls also following along. We are praying they will place their trust in the Lord. Please especially pray for their mom, a dear friend, as she tries to help them understand the gospel and what it means for them, as they have other close family members who are strongly opposed to the Bible’s message.
Moving forward, we have a “Next Steps” study starting next Tuesday (March 12). This study will take new believers a little deeper and help them navigate the truths of the Bible for believers. Part of our study will involve GoodSeed’s new book, “The Captive and the King’s Will,” which follows the life of Peter. Our entire family is planning to attend.
Last but not least, so many of you expressed concern for us personally, as we felt a little beset by so many “cares of this world.” December to February had a number of challenges for us! An unplanned bathroom reno, and the day we were to finish the grout in the new shower the furnace died, then a few days after the furnace was replaced, our fridge gave up.
Thank you for your expressions of concern, as well as those of you who spurred us on and encouraged us to keep our focus on eternal things. We need those reminders and encouragements. An update: after 2.5 wks without a furnace during the coldest February since the Great Depression, we are now back to feeling cozy with our new furnace. (Neat story: we later found out that the day before our furnace quit, a supporter had sent us a gift, feeling a burden to help us out in an extra way. Truly, “our Father knows our need before we ask Him.” Matt 6:8). We are thankful!
Once again, we are so thankful for so many of you who pray, partner and encourage us. We are blessed!
Troy and Naomi
In September, I (Troy) made a brief trip to Ontario and New Brunswick. While back home, I stopped in to the nursing home several times to visit my grandparents who had just moved in there. They had been living in their home for 60 years, and only just moved a few months before because of deteriorating health. I took this photo days before their 70th wedding anniversary! This is one of my last photos of them together, as my grandfather, Clarence Wheaton, passed away last week at the age of 91.
Last week we marked a major milestone–our new book was sent to the printers! This book, The Captive and the King’s Will, is a follow-up book to the GoodSeed evangelism books. For years, people have been reading these books and asking us “What’s next?” Hopefully, this book will answer many of those questions.