Fire Can't Destroy Spirit
Pat Nixon has shed a lot of tears in the past few days.
The founder and CEO of the Mustard Seed Street Ministry -- which has transformed countless lives -- says that when he received news that the main building of the Mountain Aire Lodge near Sundre had burned to the ground early Monday, he and his wife, Lise, wept.
"We were in Montana for an extended weekend getaway and weren't in cellphone range, but as soon as I was, my BlackBerry went crazy with urgent e-mails and voicemails," said the 47-year-old Baptist pastor on Tuesday.
Nixon, an Order of Canada recipient, says he cried again when he saw for himself the devastation caused by a fire -- believed to be deliberately set early Monday morning -- in the main lodge of the 12-hectare campground-and-motel complex.
The Mustard Seed purchased the site on May 1, 2006, as an innovative way to give homeless people not just a new home, but a means to get away from inner-city life, build skills, work experience and receive counselling.
Wearing a red Mountain Aire Lodge cap -- the kind sold in the shop that was housed along with the kitchen and restaurant in the main building -- a bone-weary Nixon falls into a chair in his downtown Calgary office still smelling smoky from his time around the charred remains.
"It's extremely disappointing, but already we're hearing and seeing wonderful things coming of this," he said.
Members of churches in the Sundre area, about 160 kilometres northwest of Calgary, have been pitching in with the cleanup, as has Suncor, Flint Energy Services and Shell, all "great" corporate neighbours, he said. There's also been hundreds of calls from the Seed's 15,000 volunteers looking for ways to help.
"The gas station pumps don't work, but it's a miracle the gas tanks didn't explode, no people were killed and all of our other buildings are intact," said Nixon, referring to the shower house, staff/client quarters, motel units and campground, which are all still operational.
Nixon smiles his gap-toothed grin as he recounts how the 22 Seed clients who are working at the lodge have already donated $10,000 of their hard-earned tip money to help rebuild the facility that they credit with helping to rebuild their once shattered lives.
Gary Cate, 33, a former methamphetamine addict who spent much of the last decade living on Calgary's mean streets, says his past 14 months living and working at the lodge have changed him for the better.
"I've been in treatment centres, hospitals, prisons, you name it, and they never helped me to kick my drug habit," said Cate, speaking from the complex's one remaining telephone, which is attached to a pole in the middle of a field.
"But this place has worked. It's worked because these people showed me a lot of love and because Jesus came into my life and has transformed me.
"I work really, really hard and very long hours, but I love it," he said, referring to the construction duties he performs at the site.
Cate says everyone at the lodge -- including regular camp visitors and motel guests -- are devastated by the death of Angel, the communal pet golden Labrador retriever who "didn't have a mean bone in her body" and loved everyone.
"For many of us, she was the only pet we knew and we loved her so much. I just can't believe she's gone, and I'm still mad about that," he said.
Cody Caplette, meanwhile, is crediting God with saving his life Monday.
Caplette, 19, says he went into the main lodge late Sunday night to do some work on the computer and fell asleep there.
"Ed (another worker/resident) saw me and urged me to go to my own bed in the trailer. That was at about 3 a.m. The fire happened at about 4:30 a.m., so I could have died had I not gone to my trailer."
Caplette says he had been working at the lodge in the ministry's work program a while back and "kind of messed up," but about two weeks ago, the Seed staff gave him another chance.
"Now God has given me a second chance and I don't intend to ever forget it. I'm going to help rebuild this place so others can be blessed the way I have been," vowed Caplette.
