It was a privilege to spend several days resting in the wilderness with five fellow pastors and ministry leaders on a canoe trip centered on spiritual solitude at Massasauga Provincial Park, Spider Lake. Sharing this journey with Mark Diller Harder (our trip leader from St. Jacobs Mennonite Church), Norm Dyck (Crosshill Mennonite Church), Fanosie Legesse (Intercultural Minister), Brian Quan (Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church), and Daniel Tela (Shalom Worship and Healing Center) made the experience especially meaningful.

We went into the wilderness with few expectations, but we returned with grateful hearts and renewed joy.

Throughout the third MCEC Intercultural Pastor Canoe Trip, we enjoyed rich conversations, deep fellowship, and the simple joy of serving one another. Around the campfire, on the water, and along the portages, we shared stories of God's faithfulness, as well as the blessings and challenges we each face in our congregations and cultural contexts.

One of the themes that shaped me and our time together was Jesus' journey of fasting and solitude in the wilderness for forty days before beginning His public ministry. While our experience was certainly different, we were well fed rather than fasting, we were reminded of the importance of stepping away from the demands of ministry to be still, listen, reflect, and rest in God's presence.

More than anything, this journey reminded us that spiritual renewal often comes not through doing more, but through creating space to be with God and with one another.

We went into the wilderness with few expectations, but we returned with grateful hearts and renewed joy. The weather was perfect, the beauty of creation surrounded us, and our souls found rest. I didn't catch a single fish the entire trip, but somehow that didn't matter. Instead, we discovered something even more valuable: meaningful conversations, renewed friendships, quiet moments with God, and a deeper appreciation for His creation. Sometimes the greatest catch isn't found in the lake but in what God does within our hearts.

More than anything, this journey reminded us that spiritual renewal often comes not through doing more, but through creating space to be with God and with one another.

I am deeply thankful for this opportunity and for the friendships, encouragement, and renewal we experienced together. May we all remember to make space to be still before God, trusting that He renews those who come to Him.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul." — Psalm 23:2–3