SBC Group eager to make a difference in one of Canada's coldest communities

A group from Steinbach Bible College headed north this week - far north. The community of Kugluktuk is approximately 1000km north of Edmonton. The MissionX program at SBC offers other international, warmer and exotic locations. So why would a student want to escape the Manitoba cold (just when it's starting to warm up) for an even colder climate? Gillian Hunt says for her it's about stepping outside her comfort zone.

"When I think of a missions trip, I want to go somewhere that's completely different than everything I know. Super out of my comfort zone. I just felt that going to Belize and to the Mennonite colonys wouldn't be as exciting for me as going and living with the Inuit for a week. Seeing what their life is like, eating raw everything, the extreme cold - that's more out of my comfort zone than the warm climate Mennonites".

That answer is music to Bob and Trudy McLaughlin's ears, who travel throughout what they call the "60 /70" window. From the coast of Alaska to Greenland the couple visits some of the world's darkest and coldest places as Evangelists and mobilizers. Bob says Kugluktuk is a desperate community.

"Sparsely populated, spiritually dark, vast region in desperate needs".

He adds that the visit from the students makes a huge impact on the community.

"They are hungry for the gospel, they are wonderful people, they are a more loving people and they live literally off of the land".

He says they are proud to be called Eskimoes in Kugluktuk because that's exactly what they are - eaters of raw flesh. McLaughlin says they are a musical and artistic community who wants to share who they are.

SBC President Rob Reimer is returning to Kugluktuk this time around and he says he goes back because of the people and their generosity.