A Hug for Saskatchewan

"I want you to drive around the perimeter of Saskatchewan. It will be

like giving it a hug from Me." Another challenging assignment from

my Father. 

 

While doing this I was to perform various acts of intercession at

strategic points along the way. I actually drove around the bottom

half of the province, as the main roads and populous are in this area.

Nevertheless, this was a provincial assignment which benefited its entirety.

 

Severe drought and infestation of locusts that year made 2 Chronicles 7: 13-14,

relevant scripture for this assignment. 

 

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble

themselves  and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

 

As the time neared for my departure, I removed the back seats from my van and made a cozy bed.

I took my friend's precious little dog named Cookie along for company, and headed out on August 19, 2002.

 

Every assignment has its own unique set of challenges. The day I was to begin this assignment, I stopped in Edmonton to see a friend at his office. I returned to my van in the parking lot, put it in reverse, but it would not move! It was so obvious that this was an attack of the enemy, but I was determined. I said, "Well, I'll just park where I won't have to back up! I am going on this trip!" I put the van into neutral and pushed it backwards with one foot. I jumped in just in time to apply the brakes so I wouldn't hit the cars behind me, and headed for the Saskatchewan border. 

 

I entered the province through the border city of Lloydminster, continued on to North Battleford, and spent my first night at a campsite there. It was after midnight when I settled into my cozy little bed in the back of my van and was soon asleep. But around 3 a.m. I was awakened when all of the interior lights came on! Warfare! I knew my battery would soon drain. I prayed and drifted in and out of sleep until sunrise. The camp slowly awakened and eventually some very kind fellow campers gave me a jump start and I was on my way.

 

I pulled over to the side of the road just outside of town to pray and anoint my tires; something I should have done before entering the province. As I did this, the Lord spoke to my spirit and said, "Every place upon which your foot (tire) shall 'tread', I have given unto you." Joshua 1:3. (smile)

 

I drove to a farm north of Glaslyn, where I'd lived as a child. Nearby is a First Nations burial site that has not been marked or honored. The lady that lived on the farm now, greeted me with a big smile. I explained that I wanted to see the old dugout area and she gestured for me to follow her. She lead me through thousands of grasshoppers and overgrown shrubbery. The area was barely recognizable. I poured some anointing oil on the land and prayed a prayer of repentance on behalf of those responsible for the disrespect and neglect of this site. We made our way back to the house, and after a little visit, big hugs, and promises to keep in touch, I continued on.

 

That evening I drove north to Meadow Lake. I was told that a neighbor girl from my youth, who is a few years older than I, was living there with her husband. I didn't have a phone number or address so prayed for guidance, and drove down the small main street. It was around 8p.m. and still light outside. There was a man jack-hammering the sidewalk at the entrance to a Mission store. I stopped and talked with him. He was a Christian and knew them but wasn't sure where their house was. Just then we saw an older couple out for their evening walk. They knew exactly where my friend's home was, and directed me to it! I drove up to the house to discover they had just arrived home from their holidays. They weren't going to return home until the next day but felt they were to go home early. 'Thank You Jesus!'  I spent the night and we had a great catching up time. My friend's husband shared valuable information about our First Nations People managing their own mills. He himself is a manager. He shared some of the history and process of training and empowerment for them. We had a tender time of prayer before I left.

 

From there I drove to Green Lake, Big River, Debden, Shellbrook and arrived in Prince Albert around 8 p.m. and drove to Rick and Lois Martin's home. I met Rick in Dawson Creek when he`d spoken at a Full Gospel Business Men`s banquet earlier that year. He is a country singer and has won the Saskatchewan award for that. He shared Sunday morning at my friend Anita`s church and then we took him for lunch. He said to stop in when I came to Saskatchewan and he would take me to Batoche, the historic battleground.  

 

``Batoche is the battleground of Gabriel Dumont and Louis Riel. History tells us rapid change, accompanied the opening of the west for settlement in the late 1800`s. As a result, by 1885, tensions were high in the Metis community of batoche. Frustrated by lack of government support in addressing the issues of encroaching settlement, land surveys and decimated buffalo herds, the Metis were determined to defend their land. Led by Gabriel Dumont & Louis Riel, they clashed with the north-west field force. The confrontation culminated in the Battle of Batoche. Out-numbered and short of ammunition, the Metis surrendered after four days of fighting. Bullet holes, still visible in the rectory, serve as a testament to the struggle for land and recognition."

Taken from: National Parks and National Historic Sites of Canada in Saskatchewan.

 

We went to the site on Friday August 23, 2002. It was a very hot day. I stayed after it closed and Rick had left with his daughter. They had driven out on his Harley.

 

I walked to the edge of a ridge and waited.... and prayed. "What Father... what would you have said, prayed, repented of... here... now?" A prayer of repentance welled up in my heart and poured forth concerning all the bloodshed and injustice.

 

I had a small plastic bag with me. The Lord then said to scoop some of the soil into it with my hand. The land was very dry and hard so I loosened some of it with a small stick. As I put the first handful into the bag Papa said, "Take three scoops. I will show you what to do with it when the time comes."

 

I anointed the area with the two oils, myrrh and sweet apples, and drove back to Prince Albert. I spent the night and then left the next day to continue on. 

 

An hour's drive north of Prince Albert is a small town called Northside. About a month earlier

I learnt about the diamond find in northern Saskatchewan and the research surrounding it. I was told the exploration site was further to the north. So when I felt to pray at Northside I was a little concerned, but yet had inner peace. Around 4 p.m. I pulled over to the side of the road, took out my small multi-colored blanket, and laid it on the shoulder beside my van.

 

During a prayer time, before leaving on this assignment, I had seen myself laying facedown on the ground, with my arms outstretched, claiming the land and its treasures for the purposes of God.

 

The scripture God gave me to declare is Jeremiah 27:5. "With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please."

 

The multi-colored blanket represented the Joseph anointing. After I prayed and declared the word of God, I anointed the land with the oils, myrrh and sweet apples.

 

Later I discovered that the diamond area is in the Fort a la Corne, and White Gull districts of approximately 230,000 acres. This area encompasses Prince Albert and Northside with the bulk of the mines being just east of Prince Albert. So I had actually driven above the site when I headed east on Highway 55 to continue on the assignment! God is so good!

 

After praying about the diamonds I drove back down to Prince Albert and on to Nipawin, Tisdale, and Hudson Bay. I wanted to spend the night in Hudson Bay but felt to keep driving. The prayer of repentance I prayed there, concerned the unjust and dishonest scales that occurred during the early years of the Hudson's Bay Company, which was established in 1670.

 

I drove on to Preeceville, Sturgis, Yorkton, Melville, Fort Qu'Appelle, and arrived in Regina Sunday morning at 5 a.m. The drive through the night from Hudson's Bay, to Yorkton and beyond, was infiltrated with patches of very heavy warfare. These would last for about 1/2 hour as I drove on through the night, singing and prophesying the blessing of the Lord over the land.

 

Needless to say I was exhausted when I arrived in Regina and then found out there was no room in the Inn! All the rooms were booked because an Arabian Horse show was in town featuring Patrick Swazy and his amazing horses. So I drove to a friend's daughter's house, parked, and slept for a few hours outside in my van. I had planned on visiting her and her husband but not at 5 a.m.!

 

After spending a night in Regina, my friend's daughter commented that the grasshoppers were almost all gone. She said prior to my arrival, when they would open the patio door to  go outside grasshoppers would swarm everywhere.  

 

Regina is Saskatchewan's capital. Before leaving that afternoon, I drove to the government buildings and prayed for the leaders and Jesus' kingdom rule. I also drove past the very

impressive  Saskatchewan Wheat Pool building, now called Viterra, and prayed for God's favor and abundance to overflow as in Genesis 41: 49. I had just driven outside the city when all of a sudden there was a major downpour. It was raining so hard that traffic came to a virtual standstill. Vehicles were pulled over all along both sides of the highway. Rain! Finally!

 

Moose Jaw was next. I arrived there late afternoon, and went to the infamous Moose Jaw Tunnels to intercede on behalf of the atrocities that had taken place there. I walked around the gift area and found a brochure with some great information:

 

The end of Saskatchewan’s prohibition in 1924, provided residents with an opportunity to sell liquor to the still dry United States. Walter P. Johnson, Chief of Police was the west’s most infamous lawman. Under his benign reign, Moose Jaw reportedly became a hideout for American gangsters, and the centre of a well-organized rum-running operation to the United States. Rumour has it that Johnson provided refuge for gangsters on the lam, and in return, those same gangsters ensured that Moose Jaw would remain free from any serious crime.

 

Beginning from the late 19th century, the Chinese immigrants stood out in a new land where hard laws and attitudes forced them underground. Chinese immigration to Canada took on two forms: coolie broker and chain migration. Coolie broker migration involved an indenture arrangement by which the immigrant worked off his indebtedness to the broker who had paid his passage to Canada from China before he was free to seek employment of his own. Chain migration, on the other hand, was common after 1900 and occurred when an immigrant arrived in Canada on his own and worked until he was either able to return to China, or send for his family to join him in Canada.

 

From Moose Jaw I drove west to Swift Current then north to Kyle, Elorse, Rosetown, Bigger, and North Battleford where I spent the night at the same campsite where I had started out. The same thing happened. I got settled in for the night and all the interior lights came on again! Totally exhausted, I prayed for an answer and got one! I began taking out all the lights I could! It worked! The battery wasn't totally drained in the morning, and I was able to start my van. I drove on to Maidstone, Lashburn, Marshall, and through to Lloydminster.

 

The journey from Swift Current to North Battleford was very eventful. There was another severe rainstorm... very powerful. As I drove further north, and the evening progressed, the sky cleared.

 

Throughout the entire trip, the prophetic song over Saskatchewan and for the land, people, and their destiny was 'Princess Saskatchewan'.

 

"How You love to bless and make the last first - the abased honorable - beauty for ashes - You reveal the hidden treasures - in Your time for Your purposes, and honor, and glory. Thank You Jesus for Saskatchewan, and the destiny You have in Your heart for her."

 

As my journey was nearing its end, the Presence of Jesus grew stronger and stronger. I was singing, and pronouncing blessings over Saskatchewan, when I noticed the northern lights in the night sky. They were brilliant! Northern lights are usually a variant of color, but these were all white, with radiant beams streaming down resembling a glorious crown! What a precious confirmation.

 

"Thank You Lord... You crown her with glory. Your beautiful Princess Saskatchewan!"

 

"You will be a crown of splendour in the Lord's hand. A royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you deserted, or name your land desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, (my delight is in her) and your land Beulah. (married) for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married." Isaiah 62: 3 & 4.