During the first years of the Jacksons’ work at Lac La Bidie, Bill regularly drove to the NCEM offices at Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, to record his messages in Cree for the Indian Gospel Broadcast. The trip was 195 miles one way, but the outreach across Canada made the long trip worthwhile. Also, although the Jacksons worked independently, their goals and principles were similar to those of NCEM. They appreciated the fellowship and prayer support of NCEM staff members who understood the difficulties and disappointments of pioneer missionary work. 

        The family’s summers became tightly scheduled around Bible camp ministry which involved Bill both as Camp Director and Bible Teacher, and often required him to counsel people, too. Besides looking after their children, Shirley helped in the kitchen as well as by teaching, and counseling. It was always a busy time, as the camp sites had no appliances or conven­iences. Yet, it was usually a time of spiritual reaping as individuals came to know the Lord and put their trust in him. 

        By 1963. the Jackson family took it as a matter of course that they would be spending much of July and August traveling together. Bill’s truck had been replaced with a Volkswagon van, a vehicle in which they could all sleep if necessary. Faithfully, that Volkswagon labored through the cold of winter and the heat of summer bearing Shirley, Bill, and their children to places of ministry. For example, after holding their own local Bible camp at Lac La Biche, the Jacksons and the Stewards drove about three hundred miles to Twin Lakes Bible Camp in Northern Alberta.

	In 1963 the first camp was held at Twin Lakes, a beautiful wilderness area in northern Alberta. Bill and Clarence Jaycox had talked about starting a camp there. Then a young couple, Carroll and Cathy Hill, came into the area to minister. They were very interested in starting a camp.         The Hills lived about forty miles from the chosen site and, that summer they put a tremendous amount of work into the camp. The first few years, quite a few kids who didn’t have parents at camp were looked after by camp workers.
Some came to camp with horses and wagon.
Bill took some workers from the Lac La Biche area, including Ray and Jan Sparklingeyes and a school teacher, Irene Haglund, who volunteered to cook. There were about fifty to cook for, including kids and staff. Irene did all the cooking on an open camp fire. There was nothing in Irene’s university experience to prepare her for that.    The next year, Bob and Darleen Steward joined the camp workers. Bob brought a two-ton farm truck with him. The truck had a kitchen built on the back and proved useful in carrying tents, portable light plant, and lots of
	Joe and Alma Laboucan arriving at camp. Ken Antone beside wagon.
	people. In later years, the arrangements werechanged so that each family cooked for themselves. The extra kids who came were looked after by relatives or friends.         This family camp is operated by a board whose members come from local Native churches. The operation of the camp is kept simple. Everything is under canvas and people bring their own tents to sleep in. As described earlier, they also do their own cooking, and eat in family units. Meetings are held in a large tent which can accommodate about 300 people. Often, others join them in the evening to make the crowd even larger. The back flap of the tent is then left open so the overflow crowd can hear.          Some Interesting things happened at camps, especially at Twin Lakes. On two separate occasions a baby was born right  right there at Bible camp. In the first instance, Darlene Steward,
The Ward and Letendre families with Tom and Kene.

who is a  nurse, stayed with the birthing mother most of the night. Then, with the help of a Native midwife, she delivered the baby. Apart from the joy of the event, the birth was not given too much attention. After all, mothers in these parts had always given birth in somewhat similar circumstances.

       Bill and Shirley also remember a wedding being conducted at Twin Lakes Bible Camp. In fact, they recalled an amusing incident which happened during the ceremony. Two ladies were standing off to the side trying to find out why their camera wouldn’t function.

        “If anyone knows of any reason why this union should not take place, let him speak now or forever hold his peace,” the minister, Clarence Jaycox stated. He then paused.

        “This thing won’t work!” The frustrated statement came from the lady with the camera. Ignoring the wedding proceedings, she spoke up at precisely the wrong time. Her comment, which sounded like an answer to the minister’s words, made the audience smile. However, the minister did not hear her, so the wedding proceeded. 

        “We nearly had a funeral at the camp, too,” Bill added. “A bootlegger drove by, quite close to the camping area. He may have been drunk and his car overturned. Smashed wine bottles littered the ditch. The man broke his back. We used my vehicle to drive him to the nearest landing strip, from where he was then flown to hospital. On the way to the landing strip, I thought he might die. I spoke to him about the Lord, but he was mad and cursed me.” We heard that this man died a few weeks later.” 

        Baptismal services were another highlight at Twin Lakes Bible Camp. People who had been converted to Christ noticed that, in the Bible, it was ‘believers’ who were baptized and that baptism was an outward sign of an inward change. Wanting to do things God’s way, they took the opportunity to be baptized the Bible way. 

        It wasn’t always easy for workers to get to the camp site. Today, instant communication through telephone and fax is taken for granted. People expect fast transportation, such as car, boat, or airplane. In the 1960’s, some people came across the trackless land in horse-drawn wagons to camp at Twin Lakes. Judy Matheson, NCEM worker from New York City, wanted to come from NCEM headquarters to help at camp. 

        “She got a plane ride as far as Peace River,” Bill said. “There was no ride out and no way of phoning us. She found a pilot who was flying past our camp. So she put a note in her travel bag, deep in there, under all her clothing.” 

        Very early next morning the campers were wakened by a plane circling over the site. Then, something dropped from the plane. It was brought to Bill who was Camp Director. “Maybe there’s a note in the bag,” he suggested. “Maybe somebody wants us to meet them or something.” Opening the bag, he couldn’t see any note on top of the clothes. Probably reluctant to empty out the woman’s clothing, he abandoned the search. Fortunately, one of the women was more thorough and found the note. “Am waiting in Peace River. Please come and get me.” A car was sent to Peace River and the willing worker finally got to the site. 

        When Twin Lakes Bible Camp was finished, the Jacksons and Stewards loaded their belongings, piled aboard their vehicles, and headed off to another Bible camp located at Jeannette Lake In Saskatchewan. This site had permanent buildings and was loaned to them for the week by the evangelical churches around Meadow Lake.