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Call to Prayer for Mistissini, Quebec

A lit candle sitting on top of a Bible.


Dear friends,

We write to you today with hearts that are both overflowing with gratitude for God’s work and heavy with grief for the community of Mistissini, Que., located approximately 600 kilometres northwest of Quebec City.

We thank the Lord for His gracious and powerful recent outpouring upon the youth and young adults in Mistissini and the surrounding area. This spiritual awakening began in mid-December 2025 and continued through to mid-January 2026, featuring daily evening services that grew from local church buildings to the community arena to accommodate as many as 1,600 attendees. We share the incredible praise report that over 500 individuals have come to faith in Jesus and over 360 water baptisms took place during this time. During this outpouring, youth participated in prayer marches throughout the community, and local police even noted a period of unusual quiet regarding domestic disputes.

However, we must also issue an urgent call to prayer regarding a sensitive and heartbreaking tragedy that has since touched this community. On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, a fatal double shooting occurred, claiming the lives of two young men, aged 29 and 30. In the aftermath of this violence, which prompted a temporary community-wide lockdown, two 17-year-old local boys were arrested.

Our hearts are heavy with grief for the community of Mistissini and the Cree Nation and we stand together with them during this difficult time. As we remember the recent move of the Holy Spirit that brought so many to Christ, we ask you to pray that the same grace would provide comfort and healing now.

Please join us in praying for:

  • The families and loved ones of the deceased as they navigate this profound loss.
  • The two young men who were arrested and their families, as the community grapples with the involvement of its youth.
  • The local community and church leadership as they look to serve the grieving.
  • The local police, as they work to maintain safety and order.
  • The continued spiritual strength of the hundreds of new believers, that they would be beacons of peace and hope amidst this tragedy.
  • Local PAOC pastor Alex Coonishish Coon and pastor Reggie Neeposh (director of the Quebec District Native Council) as they seek to provide direction and Spirit-filled counsel to local community members and surrounding communities.
  • Other local church pastors and leaders within Mistissini and the broader Cree Christian community that they too would be used of God to provide comfort and offer healing during this time of profound grief.

We trust that the Lord, who began a great work in Mistissini just weeks ago, will remain present with His people through this dark hour.

David Wells, PAOC General Superintendent

Dan Collado, Indigenous Peoples Coordinator

Brian Egert, Mission Canada Director

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