News
A Vision Tour… around the Gaspé Coast
by David Dobson
Director, Fellowship French Mission
A trip around the Gaspé coast is a must for everyone who wants to enjoy some of Canada's most beautiful scenery in a rural maritime setting. Starting from Pointe-à-la-Croix, just across the Restigouche River from Campbellton, New Brunswick, this 450-kilometre journey includes breathtaking views from seaside cliffs, picturesque fishing villages with colourful, clapboard houses and, of course, the mighty Percé (Pierced) Rock. The winding road towards Rimouski hugs the shoreline almost all the way revealing more splendid vistas on this "bon voyage"!
I recently took that trip (May 18-20, 2009) with three travel companions: Don Wilson (Fairview Baptist, Lindsay, ON), Stewart Black (Glengate Allliance, Niagara Falls, ON) and Gilles Saulnier (Église Baptiste Évangélique de Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert, QC). Our main purpose for going was not to enjoy the scenery, but we enjoyed it anyway and we were truly inspired to worship the Lord. We were four men on a three-day mission. Our mission was to visit the leaders of five mission churches in order to encourage them, to help them with their building needs, if possible, and to make plans to send a work team to New Richmond in the coming months.
We started early on Monday morning from the Montreal area and arrived at Rivière-du-Loup in time for a late lunch. Th
e work at Rivière-du-Loup was launched in June 2006 under the leadership of Fellowship French missionaries Hugo and Lyne Éthier, and now numbers about 70 people. Hugo was there to meet us for lunch and show us two buildings (an empty Anglican church building and a former car dealership) that he considers as potential places of worship for their growing church family. It was a great joy and inspiration to spend several hours with Hugo as he shared his vision for reaching his beautiful, but spiritually needy city of 30,000 souls.
Late Monday afternoon, we crossed into northern New Brunswick and then back into Quebec in the early evening, arriving at New Richmond about 8:00 p.m. The ladies of the church had prepared a wonderful lobster feast for us. After supper, we began the serious business of measuring, evaluating and advising them on how their renovation project could be a success, and what help could be forthcoming. Don Wilson, an experienced building contractor, led this vital aspect of our visit. In addition to his professional credentials, Don has led FEBInternational work teams to such places as Japan, Chile and Poland. This first day of our trip ended after midnight—a long day, but a worthwhile one.
Tuesday morning we headed north to the town of Gaspé (population 15,000) where we met with Fellowship French missionary Israël LeGuédard. Israël showed us a convenience store complete with cold storage, which has the potential of being renovated into a place of worship. As a team we sought to encourage Israël, and we also saw the possibilities he saw through the eyes of faith.
On Tuesday afternoon we continued north towards the rugged St. Lawrence coastline, where the wind blows almost constantly. We stopped at Matane (population 15,000) for supper with Fellowship French missionaries Israël Godfrey and Maurice Cloutier. Israël and Maurice represent the younger and older generation of f
rancophone leaders in Quebec. Together they have teamed-up to advance the mission work at Matane, while seeking to plant a new church at Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, 80 kilometres to the east. Following an excellent supper with these steadfast soldiers of Jesus Christ, we drove to Rimouski (population 45,000) and arrived there near midnight.
On Wednesday morning we visited the church building at Rimouski in the company of Fellowship French missionary Claude Beaulieu. The Rimouski church building is a former sports store that was "converted" into a very functional place of worship. However, there are still a number of unfinished areas, and so once again our team was put to work evaluating and advising on the best way to finish the facilities.
Later that day we arrived in the Montreal area. It was the end of our “vision tour” for Gilles Saulnier and for me, but Don and Stewart pressed on. "Stu" arrived at his home in Niagara Falls about 2:00 a.m. What a privilege it was to travel with these choice servants of the Lord on this wonderful vision trip. As we look to the future, we trust that a strategic work team will result from this tour and that others will get on board for their "bon voyage" on the Gaspé coast!