August 2021

BEING GOD’S ANSWER TO THOSE IN NEED FOLLOWING THE LYTTON FIRE

Characters of various shapes and sizes, at all ages and stages of life, with different skin tones and fragrances flocked to her home, ate her husband’s Filipino food, and conversed in lawn chairs—a vibrant, joyous atmosphere permeating the air. Children ran around while adults lined up to fill their plates with more tasty treats.

“Sit over here, Pastor,” Elaine motioned towards a comfy outdoor armchair and put a paper plate piled with Pancit and vegetables in my hands.

“Eat! Eat!” her husband, Elden, ordered.

“Thanks so much, Elden! You and Elaine are the perfect team; this is real Sabbath afternoon hospitality.”

“God is so good!” Elaine motioned with her hands outstretched. “We love sharing His love…You know what I mean, Pastor?”

“Oh, yes, I can see how you share His love so freely.”

Over the countless years I have known Elaine Roque, the love of Jesus never stopped overflowing from acts of service as a nurse, Community Services Leader, Student Life Dean and Manager at Fountainview Academy, health coach, and ADRA ambassador. Whatever hat she wears, the outcome is the same: by exercising her gift of hospitality, people are moved closer to Jesus.

Recently I read an NAD online article about Elaine coordinating meals for evacuees from the town of Lytton, BC, whose homes were burnt to the ground by a wildfire. I immediately called and asked, “How are you doing, Elaine? I read the article about you helping the people who fled from the fire in Lytton.”

“I’m fine. What article?”

“It is a news article written by the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It says, ‘Elaine Roque… led the charge in coordinating meals for evacuees.’”

“’Led the charge!?’ That’s funny.”

“That’s what it says. You ‘served 200 tired, hungry evacuees.’ Why is that funny?”

“I just don’t even think about it. When I got home that day and ADRA called, I just didn’t think of it as a big deal. You know, I really felt bad for the people; it was a big deal for them: they lost their homes. But it wasn’t a big deal for us. That’s just what you should be doing.”

“What was it like?”

“People were just shell-shocked. In the late afternoon when they started fleeing, the people came to the rec centre, but because the centre didn’t have any air conditioning, a lot of people just slept out on the grass under the trees, and they were just happy when we brought an actual meal. I’m excited about Camp Hope providing a place for them to stay because it’s important for these people to see a church opening up their hearts and providing a wonderful place for people to stay.”

This is just what Elaine does: she connects with people in her community and helps wherever she can be of service. I asked Elaine about her work as a health coach and how she prepares meals for people in her community every day.

“We currently serve between 120 and 150 people every Tuesday at the Friendship Centre in Lillooet. We have started this because of COVID, and it’s just carried on. We cook all plant-based foods, and we’ve been doing cooking classes online for Lytton, Lillooet, Ashcroft, and Merritt too. People really love it.”

The more we talked, the more I realized how helping the evacuees from the Lytton fire was simply another drop in the ocean of her ongoing acts of service, which flow naturally from a heart filled to overflowing with the love of Jesus.

“[She] who loves Christ the most will do the greatest amount of good. There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon [her] heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.” – The Desire of Ages, p. 250

For twelve years, René and I lived 20 minutes’ drive from Lytton; we conducted outreach programs in their town and connected with the people of that community. So, for us, it was heart-wrenching to hear the news that 90% of the town was burnt to the ground.

“It’s really eerie when you start coming down that hill towards Lytton,” Elaine told me, “And looking ahead, there’s very few buildings or anything standing there. It’s just nothing—nothing! It’s quiet. There’s BC Hydro trucks trying to get services up and running again. There are no cars driving by…and no one is allowed in the townsite without a police escort. The hot wind was blowing badly to whip up the fire. It was insane! But it is, of course, blowing worse now because there is no town there. My heart really goes out to those people who lost everything.”

After many sleepless nights, this crisis inspired Donald Glasgow, the owner of a hobby farm in Lytton, to realize what really matters. When friends and firefighters came to rescue his animals from the flames, he confessed: “I came up with the three F’s: Faith, Family, Friends; that’s what’s important. The material things…” he tearfully choked out, “they can be replaced.”

Please, join us at It Is Written Canada as we pray for the people of Lytton, BC who struggle to make sense of this devastation. Pray that they will find comfort in Jesus, Who alone feels their pain and weeps with them.

Not surprising, the name “Elaine” means “sun ray, shining light, and my God has answered me.” May we all shine God’s light of love through unselfish acts of service, and by living our prayers, become God’s answer to those in need.

~ Mike Lemon