It takes a lot to motivate a middle-aged couple with four children to go from a five-bedroom, four-bathroom sprawling home in comfortable suburbia to a two-bedroom, one-bathroom “bit of a dump” in the rural reaches of northern Ontario. In fact, as John and Janet Reynolds relate, anything less than a call from God wouldn’t have persuaded them to make such a drastic move.

The Reynolds family heard this call at The Meeting House, a Brethren in Christ Church in Oakville, Ontario, where the teaching pastor, Bruxy Cavey, speaks often about the importance of living as Jesus did. “Following the birth of our handicapped son (Jesse) sixteen years ago, I really struggled with religion and so many religious things the church stands for. What eventually resolved it for me was realizing that my faith needed to be based solely on Jesus,” John explains. “Bruxy taught us to look at Jesus’ life and how He is all about relationships. We knew we had to act on that,” Janet adds.

And act they did. Though they had little idea of what it would be like to work with the youth of the Aroland First Nation, they sold their house in the Toronto area and moved to Nakina, Ontario. Since then, John says that they have “learned a lot about the background of these kids, and there’s often no father figure in their life. Many are raised by their grandparents who are tired and worn out.” 60 percent of aboriginal children live in poverty, and suicide rates are five to seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-aboriginal youth. The Reynolds know they can’t make everything right for the youngsters with whom they work, but they can show them Jesus’ love and help them understand that life is worth living.

A lot of what the Reynolds do happens in a rustic, 16 x 40 foot building dubbed “The Shack,” which John built on the Aroland Reserve using money left over from the sale of their house. The Shack functions as a wood-working shop, complete with a planer, table and miter saws, a drill press, and various hand tools. In only a short time, the Shack has provided a space for young people to gather and socialize, drawing a crowd of 20 to 30 teens most evenings and as many as 60 additional young people during holidays.

John spends almost all of his summer and many of his weekends camping and kayaking with the young people he’s gotten to know at the Shack. Also, he has a prospector tent and woodstove that make winter trips, such as cross country skiing and snowshoeing into the back country , possible. Extended trips to Lake Superior in sea kayaks provide opportunities to teach survival skills and an appreciation for the wilderness.

In addition to wilderness journeys, the Reynolds have embarked on the even more difficult journey of fostering children, mostly 14-year-old boys. This experience has brought the couple great joy and many sleepless nights. John honestly admits, “Although we didn’t really feel that fostering was our strength, we were told that there was a great need because of the number of kids that nobody else would take.”

To show their foster kids and the other children of Aroland what it’s like to lead a love-centered life, John and Janet often make the eight-hour round trip to Thunder Bay with them for a weekend. While there, they enjoy a number of different activities together, such as bowling, swimming, rock climbing, and skiing. “We want them to experience life with us,” Janet explains.

When asked if following God’s call to Nakina has been worth it, both John and Janet reply with a resounding “yes.” “[Our ancestors] literally shattered the lives and communities of the First Nations people, and we need to be willing to stand up and ask what we can do to make amends,” John says.

As for how long they will remain in Nakina, John simply says, “forever.” And forever is probably just enough time to continue to show the love of Jesus to the Aroland First Nation.

For more about John and Janet Reynolds’ ministry to the youth of Aroland, go to www.peopleservingpeople.ca.