Everyday this week I have seen evidence of the gradual arrival of spring.

I had complained at how slow the snow was disappearing and how anxious I was to put away the boots and parkas in exchange for my fun summer wardrobe!  But I am thankful for the little things.  The robins, the meadowlark, the sparrows and the geese bring me joy.  The appearance of ground and grass lifts my spirits.  I can't wait to see the young shoots of irises, tulips and other perennials.  And the leaves!  I am craving that fresh green that tempted us when spring had sprung in BC a couple of weeks ago.

And everyday this week I enjoyed the pleasures of my morning devotions.  Reading Scriptures is like planting the seeds of God's Word in the soil of my heart. The Lord was giving me special glimpses of Himself and His wisdom.  He gave me wonderful delights from Philippians, Romans and Isaiah. I've been listening to a couple of different series of daily devotionals and  it has been such a treat.

Just like He unfolds the beauty of the seasons, He reveals His truth little by little.  We cannot handle it all at once. In His graciousness, our loving heavenly Father teaches us what we need when we need it!  

So as I soak in the wonders of spring, I am also soaking in the marvels of God's mysteries...one day at a time.

 Spring!  Will it ever arrive on the prairies?

This is the question of the day.  Just when we all get our hopes up that spring has sprung, another winter blizzard blows in and dumps new snow!  We wonder if God forgot to flip the calendar page and begin to send the warmth of the sun and to turn the grass to green.  Why is winter taking so long to let go?

Spring's delay means I haven't put away  my winter clothing and footwear.  It means we are still driving with our studded winter tires.  It also means I just removed the Christmas lawn lights that were buried under several feet of snow!  Only yesterday I could roll our garbage and recycling bins to the side of the house where our driveway is finally reappearing.  

But something happened that gave me renewed faith that God still has spring in store for us here on the Canadian prairies: I heard a robin singing its heart out!  I opened the door leading to our deck and tried to locate the robin in the poplar tree out back.  There he was, hanging onto the branch for dear life, feathers ruffled in the wind and singing his mating call with great gusto!  The robin can't be wrong; God instilled in this little guy the instinct to sing in a mate.  It must be spring!

I also feel a sense of renewing in my spirit.  We have just acknowledged five years of serving as Director of NCEM.  As we evaluate the changes and new initiatives, I feel encouraged!  At times, the travel and extra load of ministry has been heavy.  At other times, we have felt the strength and leading of the Lord so clearly and feel so privileged to be leaders at this time in history!  As we just finished the Annual General Meeting for NCEM last Thursday, it was very obvious that the mission family is getting more involved in the business of NCEM and growth is happening.  The Board was re-elected.  Awards for service were given.  New candidates and Board members were introduced.  What a blessed time to be serving Jesus Christ in His harvest field.

Another sign of spring in Regina is the opening of a certain ice cream stand, The Milky Way.  Maybe today would be a good opportunity to celebrate spring with a "Flavour of the Day" cone!  And to celebrate the goodness of our God in the seasons of life...

 Day 10 - is it only the tenth day away from home?

Being away this long has its affects on us.  We forget where we are when we wake up in the night and wonder: which way to the bathroom in this hotel room?  Not remembering the room number and using the key card on all the doors until one lights up!  Becoming used to eating in restaurants and preferring to eat in or go to a grocery store and make our own meal.

So staying two nights in one location at Radium was a wonderful, restful opportunity. We had one more visit in Three Hills, AB on this day (Wednesday) so it was nice to feel refreshed and ready to end our tour well.

The alarm woke us up at 7 am.  Groan!  We had showered the night before so all we had to do was get up, dress and pack up our belongings.  Funny how quickly we can spread out our few items when we stay 2 nights in one location!  We gathered our phone chargers, filled empty water bottles and coffee travel mug and checked out.  

I felt a little sad leaving our mountain paradise.  I smiled when a couple sheep blocked traffic as they crossed the road.  We wound our way through the canyon by the hot springs.  The weather and roads were mostly clear along our intended travel route so we drove on.  We soaked in the mountain views, the awesome snow-covered peaks and flowing river below.  We noted the tall, bare evergreen trunks, evidence of forest fires of years gone by.  The clouds hung low and played peek-a-boo with the Kootenays.  The highway was two lane and in good condition all the way until it joined the fourlane heading to Banff.

Just like that we were out of the high altitude and cruising on the fourlane.  Alberta-bound!  We covered some of the same ground as our initial drive out to BC and so we didn't stop but just enjoyed the drive.

As we left the mountains, they were partially hidden behind cloud/fog.  The prairies opened up before us and strangely I didn't feel that same sense of relief I used to when leaving what felt claustrophobic to me!  Soon we were approaching Calgary and some construction zones.  We missed our turn to catch the Stoney Plain Road north.  So we drove on the TransCanada/16th Avenue right through the big city!  That's how it always used to be and it turned out to be a bit of "memory lane" as Walter pointed out old familiar sights.  We passed by Peter's Drive Inn - resisting the temptation to grab burgers and milk shakes like we often did in our dating/early marriage days!  It was only mid-morning and we were to have lunch in Three Hills at noon.  We kept going!

We took a back way to Three Hills and avoided traffic.  The wind had picked up and snow flurries arose.  But we arrived on time for a lovely lunch.  Our meeting was with two sisters who are interested in ministry with NCEM.  It was such an encouraging couple of hours and we finally said good-bye at nearly 3 o'clock.  I will be expecting an application or two in my email!

Our momentum was beginning to wane as we headed east.  We kept an eye on the weather app/highway hotline and decided not to take the TransCanada as we normally would.  Staying north would seem to avoid the winter driving conditions.  A spring storm was hitting southern SK/ MB!  We got as far as Kindersley, SK (spanning 3 provinces in one day!) and booked into our favourite hotel chain, yes, you guessed it:  Best Western!  They gave us a 20% off coupon for Montana's next door and we ate a late supper.  Tasty!  

Walter had a couple of phone calls to make before we could call it a night.  I got into PJ's and did my almost-daily blog.  It felt good to know we were on the homestretch.  We snuggled under the blankets and fell instantly to sleep!

 Day 9 - Monday... I slept pretty well even though it has been a new bed each night! It was nice to sleep in a bit.  I am getting spoiled with having breakfast provided and no dishes to wash.  I made the bed once in 9 days!  I might think I am a queen or something and expect this lifestyle all the time!

So we left Merritt and drove the lovely highway to Salmon Arm.  We still had a couple of connections to make at Sunnybrae campus of Millar College of the Bible and we happened to show up again just at lunch time. It was hot dog day!  Our visit with the director of the college went very well, plus a couple of students sat at our table, too.  The director of Ethnos Canada was speaking at their chapel that day.  NCEM has some partnerships happening in First Nations ministry with Ethnos and it was timely to make that connection.  God seemed to make these "coincidental connections" all along our journey.  

Our next stop was Radium, BC.  That was our plan on the return trip and as it turns out, the construction between Golden and Calgary is or soon will mean road closure. So it was perfect that we take the route through Radium to get to Calgary.  The road was quiet, little traffic, and the mountain views gorgeous.  We saw a few deer in the meadows.  I saw a sign for mountain sheep and wished to see some. But I have no idea what the habits of sheep in April might be so it was just a passing whim of a thought.  As we drove into Radium, we saw the hotel we had booked but missed the turn. As we pulled ahead to find a turnabout, we came upon three sheep munching grass on the boulevard.  Then up further, we saw a dozen or more lounging or grazing.  God gives such good gifts and fulfills even the silliest desires of our hearts sometimes!

Walter was completely zoned once we got into our room so I ordered take out.  We enjoyed wings, sweet potato fries and salads.  The time change meant it was 10 o'clock somewhere and we crawled into bed early. And no alarms needed to wake us up the next morning!

Day 10 - I slept until almost 9 am and boy, did that feel great.  The hotel restaurant offered tasty breakfast options and we both ordered the no-carb special: two eggs, ham, bacon or sausage, tomato slices and avocado.  Delicious!  

Being on the road doesn't mean we are off duty from our other roles with NCEM.  We needed to do some emails, make some phone calls and take care of a few administrative details.  I was processing another Bible college intern.  Walter had an article to write for the next Northern Lights issue.  But we finished our work by noon and then we could enjoy our free time.

We packed our bathing suits and headed to the hot springs.  There were very few vehicles in the parking lot so we knew it would be nice and quiet in the pool.  Soaking away our road stiffness was heavenly!  The wind was cool and seemed to pick up speed as we sat in the canyon.  We found a warm and protected corner in the pool and stayed there for a good two hours.  So wonderful!

By mid-afternoon our breakfast had worn off.  We had overheard the lifeguard talking to other bathers and she recommended some restaurants up the road at Invermere.  We hopped in the truck - although I wasn't really excited to drive too far on this day off!  But a short drive brought us to Invermere.  We cruised around the community and checked out some sights.  The place we decided on for an early supper was "Smokehouse 93" and we were the only patrons there.  "Tacos" were the special of the day; we ordered beef brisket & chicken tacos with a side of dill potato salad.  Again, delicious!  It made me homesick for our own smoked meat treats!

Feeling relaxed from the pool and full from our meal, we collapsed in our hotel room and watched a movie.  A very lovely day.

 Day 8 SUNDAY!

So with 12 hours notice, Walter prepared a message and I warmed up my voice to share a special number!  This was one of those "God moments" where we had planned to just join in fellowship anonymously and God planned to use us when our fellow missionaries needed us!

The Sunday School kids came into the sanctuary while the worship team led in songs to celebrate Palm Sunday!  I loved seeing the little ones wave their branches enthusiastically and the slightly older, taller kids looked embarassed and not as thrilled to be marching in front of their parents.  

I sang a song I could do without too much practice "The Goodness of God" and shared a little about our BC trip.  (Unfortunately my guitar pick-up was crackling so I need to check that when I get home!) Walter shared a message on the Triumphal Entry and challenged this church - complete strangers to us - to be like the donkey in the account whose only job is to carry Jesus. We all have a place in God's Kingdom and we need to find a way to serve and share about Jesus the Saviour.

The congregation was having a special business meeting after service so we ducked out.  Our next meeting was at 3 pm to meet with another retired missionary - we found a Sushi Garden restaurant nearby and enjoyed a delicious lunch!  It was pouring rain out so we enjoyed the warm jasmine tea a while before making our next connection.

Noriki Suzuki is in her 80's and still answers our Tribal Trails spiritual helpline (phone line).  She came from Japan to serve in First Nations ministry in the early 1980's and ended up being one of the first to minister in an Inuit village in northern Quebec.  She freely shared her experiences and memories of the remote communities she was placed in.  Her language study was amazing! She showed us the workbook she developed and used to teach two other single women who served as partners with her in Arctic Quebec. The "alphabet" is syllabic symbols much like the Cree language had been written in and Noriko had a very good grasp on grammar and vocabulary. Because her appearance was like the Inuit people, and her language acquisition was impeccable, Noriko was readily accepted.  How wonderful!  She shared how a former Sunday School boy contacted her to say he was still serving Jesus!  It was a delight to visit with her and enjoy tea and a Japanese cake dessert with strawberries.

Sunday evening found us in Merrit, BC.  We listened to an audiobook to pass the miles.  We settled into our hotel room I did a load of laundry as we vegged in front of the TV.  

And that was Sunday!

 Day 7 - We awoke without an alarm and could slowly greet the day ahead of us.  The sun was shining and spring was all around us.  The tree outside our window was budding.  We saw robins bobbing around on the grass. 

Some of the restaurants were just reopening after the COVID restrictions in BC were lifted.  This day, we ate in the hotel restaurant but on Monday, their breakfast buffet would be reopened.  Yeah!  

I entered the address into Google Maps and we found our way back to the Pearls' home where we had that early breakfast two days before.  Our hope was to interview Rueben and Makayla as prospective missionaries with NCEM.  Through Zoom, two others joined us from NCEM and we proceeded with the interview.  Long story short, we accepted this young couple as new candidates, who want to work on the north Island along with our other NCEM staff!  Very exciting!

Our next appointment was lunch at White Spot in Courtenay, BC just a few minutes away.  Ralph, the chairman of the Board for Esperanza, met with us.  It was great to hear more about the ministry and the vision for its future.  Two hours later, we felt very encouraged by the hopes to work together with their infrastructure and our personnel.  This is what we love about serving in God's Kingdom!

Walter had received a call a month ago from an old classmate from his Clyde elementary school days.  They live in Nanaimo and had said anytime we may be around to look them up.  So on a whim, Walter texted.  They were free so we found their condo and had a nice visit.  

Time flies when you are catching up!  All of a sudden we realized it was almost 5 pm and we had hoped to catch the 5:55 pm ferry.  We said hurried good-byes and made our way to the ferry terminal.  Whew!  We made it with 10 minutes to spare.  

Riding the ferry is restful.  We grabbed a snack and sat for a bit.  I read more of the book on "The Orange Shirt Story" and then we took a stroll on the deck.  The wind drove us inside again and we made a couple laps before we arrived at Horseshoe Bay.  

I am getting pretty handy at making hotel reservations on the fly.  We got to our hotel in Langley by 8 pm.  Feeling a bit hungry, we went to the 7-Eleven across from the hotel and found something edible.  I wouldn't recommend this as a steady nutrition plan, but it satisfied us so we could sleep.  And that is what we did.

Our plans for Sunday were to attend "The Grove" Baptist church with our NCEM couple who are retiring pastor/Tribal Trails staff.  But at 9:30 pm,  Lyle called to say his wife was sick.  So they weren't able to meet up with us and could Walter preach? So our Sunday was not going to unfold quite as expected  Stay tuned for our next day's adventure!

 So Day 6 continued...

It was raining at Esperanza off and on.  The main mode of transportation around the property is golf cart.  We finished our delicious supper and visited with some of the volunteers who were there working on various projects.  Then our hosts, the Lewises, offered us a ride back to their home at the farthest point from the dining hall.  In minutes, we had avoided the rain and most of the puddles!  We had a nice cup of tea and a visit with Dave and Dianne.  Around 10 pm, we said good night and went to the guest room.  

Being on the shores of the inlet, the Lewises home overlooks the water.  It was dark so we didn't get to appreciate the view until morning.  It rained all night and the pitter-patter on the tin roof lulled us into a  deep slumber!  When I got up and peeked out through the curtains, it almost took my breath away!  The calm ocean water shimmered in the rare sunshine.  Beautiful evergreens stood proudly on the mountains across the channel. I can see why so many people we met felt such peace and blessing at Esperanza.

Breakfast was delicious at the dining hall at 7 am - I tell myself it is 8 am in SK so I can get up and eat at that hour!  The cooks (Michael & April) came and sat with us. They shared their testimonies of faith while we drank our second cup of coffee.  It was special to hear what God has done in others' lives and share a bit of our stories, too.

We had a tour of the property next with our NCEM missionary who is spending a year at the camp/retreat centre.  From the staff houses, kids' cabins and counselling centre and suites to the old post office and original office buildings, we heard the history and ongoing development happening.  Walter was especially fascinated in the hydro power generators (powered by a creek) that supplies power for the entire compound.  The centre had been established by a Christian doctor who started a hospital.  Many in the area were able to access medical care and even dental services.  A few people we met at the Bible study at Ehattis First Nation had been born there!  

Part of the reason we came to visit was to see the place and meet with staff to get an idea of what it is all about.  The next day we would meet with the chairman of the Board and see how our organization could partner with theirs to get Esperanza up and running to its capacity once again!

We did meet with our NCEM couple who is there for a year and enjoyed the fun of their five kids, 10 and under!  They seem to be settling in and finding their roles.  The kids are homeschooled so they are just continuing on as they had back in Saskatchewan.  

After lunch, we boarded a bigger boat, "The Skipper", and we were retracing our trek to Campbell River and Courtenay and eventually Nanaimo. Within three hours we were back in what seemed like civilization and I felt sad to leave the more remote area, and especially the people we met, behind.

Now, here is where our formal plans ended for the day and we still had some time to connect with folks we know on the island.  I sent a message to a couple who had volunteered with NCEM last summer who live in their RV and winter near Campbell River.  They were available for supper.  We met at the "Driftwood Restaurant" which is a Chinese buffet.  Highly recommend it!  We had a wonderful visit and caught up on life.  While we were enjoying our evening, another friend who is a NAIM missionary, connected and also met us at the restaurant.  He had to catch a ferry to Quadra Island where he lives, so our visit was about 20 minutes.  So we all said our good-byes and went our ways.

The drive along the oceanside was a scenic and peaceful experience. We wound our way among some agricultural areas and ocean views.  We arrived at Courtenay for the night.  

 Day 5 - We enjoy the Best Western chain of hotels.  Nice rooms, spacious bathrooms and free hot or continental breakfast!  With laundry done and a restful sleep, we were ready to eat our morning meal and begin our day.

First stop: CIP. What is CIP, you ask?  California Imports, the only outlet in Canada for VW Beetles, Carmengia's and VW buses!  We drove to the location in Langley and Walter met his new best friend, Gary, who had helped with Walter's first Beetle rebuild.  They shook hands and talked parts, prices and all other manner of "car-guy talk" - and I soon retired to the truck.  Walter placed an order for what Gary recommended for the Pumpkin Project and it may be waiting for us at home when we arrive next week!

Next stop: Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in North Vancouver.  We made it with almost 45 minutes to spare.  Not being sure of traffic and wait times, we wanted to make sure we had some leeway.  At exactly 1 pm, we pulled away from the dock and began our journey across to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.  I had some reading material and we planned to grab our lunch on board.  The trip would take 1 hour 40 minutes and it went by in no time.  It was a calm, cloudy day.

I had bought the book about "The Orange Shirt Day" by Phyllis Webstead.  Very sobering read and I still have over half of the stories of Phyllis and her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother of residential school.

Third Stop: Nanaimo wharf/port.  Just a short drive from the ferry terminal is a lovely oceanside park and walkway.  We enjoyed the clean, salty air.  The daffodils were blooming everywhere!  The grass was green, the seagulls hungry and our walk refreshing.

Next Stop:  Karl & Ana Kruse (and son, Isaiah).  They are NCEM missionaries with a heart for the First Nations people of Vancouver Island...if they could, they would love to reach out to every community.  So they are busy sharing their vision and finding young people to recruit and join their ministry.  We enjoyed a wonderful lasagna supper and encouraging visit.  Then we drove another hour to Courtney, BC to spend the night.  It was a short night - we fell into bed at 10 pm or so and woke to the alarm at 6:20 am.  

Day 6 - Breakfast at the Pearls' home at 6:45 am!

This family hosted us and Karl Kruse for a tasty breakfast in order to meet us.  Their son and daughter in law are applying to serve with NCEM.  We enjoyed a meal and their prayers as we were heading to the community of Ehattis on the west side of the island.  The five of us took two vehicles loaded with supplies for a Bible study and Kids Klub.  We had about 3 hours of highway and then  40 minutes of narrow, gravel logging road into the town of Zabellos.  Across a bridge was the FN community of Ehattiset.  It may have 100-150 people in a very small geographic space on the ocean inlet.  

We met at the dock and had a quick prayer gathering with two other women who joined us for the Bible study ministry.  Then Karl, Rueben & Makayla went to visit some folks and invite them to the study.  Walter and I joined the women to set up the facility for lunch and Bible study.  Just a couple men and a woman showed up.  We thought that was great.  But by the end, the room held 13 adults and 3 children!  Rueben shared some thoughts on John 5 and asked a few questions. There was plenty of discussion and comments.  A couple of younger adults joined briefly then left.  

It was neat to meet a man named Steve.  He had been discipled and mentored by our friend Kevin who used to minister in that community.  Walter took a selfie with Steve and sent it to Kevin.  How encouraging for us to share in seeing people come to know Jesus and still be serving faithfully so many years later!  Kevin texted back that he was jealous of our opportunity to be there and to give greetings to Steve!

I helped with clean up; Walter gave a guy named Tom a ride home and had a visit with him. Tom's sister from Penticton just passed away and he was pretty shook up.  Driving there for the funeral would take a full day's drive and be quite costly.  Karl left early to get ready for the Kids Klub.  So Rueben, Makayla and I walked from the centre to the school.  It felt surreal to walk the damp streets, gaze up at mountains and evergreen trees, and see the low tide.  I was far from my home but loving the opportunity to see new missionaries in their work!

KIA Klub - what does this mean?  Kids in Action!  And that's not all who are moving fast; Karl, who is 50+ years old was engaging in the games of tag and chase and Pilon Blast!  I gave it my best effort to play but wow!  The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be!  There was fun and laughter and relationships being built with the 8-12 year olds who were participating in the after school Bible club.  Once a month, the leaders bring cake or cupcakes and celebrate the birthdays. While they ate, Karl shared on Galatians 5 and the fruit of the Spirit.  Today's fruit was "peace" and some of the kids gave some pretty good thoughts on what peace is and is not.  Karl shared simply how Jesus' death on the cross can mean peace for those who believe in Him.  Then they all ran around for some closing games before being dismissed at 5 pm.

Walter and I still had more adventures before us. We drove back to the dock at Zabellos and grabbed our overnight bags.  Six adults and 2 kids squeezed into the small aluminum boat called the

"Uncle Paul" for the 25 minute ride on the ocean inlet to Esperanza.

Esperanza is a remote camp/retreat centre with an 80 year history of ministry and outreach to the surrounding FN communities.  The ride was smooth for the first 2/3 until another channel intersected with our main route to cause some bumps!  The kids were laughing and squealing at each bump; me, not so much!  But in five minutes we were on smooth waters again.  Our captain, Timothy Block, guided us into the dock and soon we disembarked.  Supper was waiting for us and the crew who worked at the camp.  A turkey feast greeted us and we were famished!

Stay tuned for more on Day 6...it was a looooooong day!

 Day 4 - God's creation displays His nature and character. What did we learn about God today on our journey west?  

*God is good.  We saw beauty in amazing mountains, rivers, forests and ever-changing skies.

*God is awesome.  His works are perfect and huge and breathtaking!

*God is creative.  He has made the whole earth with ALL its diversity.

*God is powerful.  The evidence of avalanches, flooding and forest fire shows how God controls all of nature and we don't!

*God is merciful and kind.  We drove through all kinds of weather in a matter of hours: sunshine, rain, snow, fog, wind, back to sunshine.  And through construction zones through the mountains.  And we made it safely to our goal.  

*God is love.  I was feeling some anxiety as we embarked on our journey this morning.  Through Bible verses, worship songs and praying friends, I was able to relax and enjoy the drive.  I am glad I can rest in His love for me.

It was a day of incredible sights and an impromptu visit with a former NCEM intern at Sunnybrae Bible College.  After many hours in the vehicle, we felt buzzy and jittery.  A lovely walk down a quiet street in Abbotsford near our hotel was such a refreshing treat.  Green grass and some blossoming trees and plants gave us that needed boost after coming from snow and ice back home in Regina.  

We have had salads for supper in our hotel room while a load of laundry is being done across the hall.  We will be ready for our next few days on Vancouver Island!

 Our supper was delicious and filling at the "Old Irish Pub" where we sat by the stone fireplace.  It wasn't very busy on a Sunday night.  We ordered "Yorkies" and "Squeakers" for appetizers then I had a bowl of beef barley soup and Walter had a Caesar salad with prawns.  The appetizers were more like entrees; Yorkshire pudding filled with beef, horseradish and cheese and the the Squeakers were panko breaded potato, cabbage, bacon and cheese deep fried.  Very yummy!

We walked down to the heart of Banff townsite and back - it was still light out at 7:30 pm but all that walking and a cool breeze sent us indoors before long!  It was nice to relax in our hotel room at the Best Western, where our rewards points helped us get upgraded to a King suite.  

Day 3 began whenever we woke up - and we wandered down to the breakfast room by 9 am.  To our surprise, we ran into our friends, Sam and Pauline, who were in Banff for a family wedding on the weekend.  We shared a breakfast table and enjoyed some fellowship.

Walter had a couple of emails to answer and then we had the day to wander and explore.  We chose to take a walk first and scout out some sights.  The wind was cool and so we decided to grab the vehicle and drive out to Bow Falls.  We hiked around there, soaking in some fresh air and spring sunshine.  I recognized a young lady and we realized she was a Millar College of the Bible student we had met.  It was nice to meet her husband and 1 1\2 year old daughter, who were in Banff for a youth leaders' retreat.  Very nice to see former students we have encountered over the years.

On the return drive we took a different turn and wound up at the "Banff Trading Post" - where we decided to go in and see what treasures they had inside.  Years ago I bought moccasin type footwear with a rubber sole.  This time, Walter found a carved polar bear with two cubs made by a Canadian artist.  They were carved of crystal marble with a jade fish in the mama's mouth!  Lovely!  I purchased a book by Phyllis Webstad, whose story inspired the "Orange Shirt Day" to honour those who went to residential school.  It will be good reading.

Picking up a simple lunch from McDonald's, we went back to our hotel room to eat, change and head up to the main event: Banff Hot Springs!  I had forgotten how long and winding the road is up to the hotsprings but what a beautiful drive.  The sky had been blue with scattered clouds.  By the time we arrived up the hill, the base of Sulphur Mountain, there were a few snow flakes falling!

It was glorious to sit in the waters, stare out at the forested mountains and watch the weather changing every few minutes.  The pool was not busy.  Just a handful of older people like us, two or three families with little ones and some young adults.  But by 4 pm, what appeared to be an elementary or junior high class flooded into the pool.  Our peaceful, serene afternoon was livened up!  They were well behaved but 25-30 students and a few teachers filled up any empty spaces along the edges.  So we wandered out, after having a nice hour and a half soak.  

The drive back into town was pleasant and we discussed our supper plans. I think we are peopled out so we shall order in!  

Stay tuned for Day 4 as we continue to head west...

 A nervous excitement had me unable to eat much for breakfast as we embarked on our first missionary visiting tour since 2020!  Our suitcases have been used for small trips but now we were packing for two whole weeks.  I packed something for every season possible as April in western Canada can mean anything from winter snow squalls to spring rains to sunny warmth.  

We left Regina April 2 and our first stop was Beatty, Sk for a Gospel Jamboree.  Our dear friend Bert Genaille passed away last fall.  In memory of Bert, his wife Liz and many relatives and friends joined in a weekend of fellowship, food and Gospel music.  Walter shared a few words and I sang a couple of songs to honour the Genaille family and the Lord.

That night we spent in Saskatoon.  No use trying to tire ourselves out at the beginning of our trip.  We had a good night's rest and hit the road April 3 before 9 am.

Day 2 we planned to get to the mountains.  We started out driving through fog.  By mid-morning, the sun had burned through and temperatures got up to 9 or 10 degrees Celsius.  Our route took us through small towns and two lanes highways.  We saw several swans and Canada geese, deer and a bull moose with a female.  Beautiful!

Being a Sunday on the road, we joined our church family at Balgonie Baptist via Zoom. Such a blessing to sing along with the worship, share in the prayer time and hear a rousing message by Pastor Shawn on repentance and coming to faith in Christ.  His heart is to fill the church on Easter Sunday with invited family and friends to share the wonderful Good News of the Risen Saviour!  His passion was contagious this morning and we pray for many to join us in two weeks.

And then by late afternoon, we could see the faint outline of the Rockies against the horizon.  Walter got that look on his face that lets me know he is in his happy place!  We drove around Calgary on the Stoney Trail ring road. Soon were cruising along the TransCanada towards those spectacular mountains.  Not much snow except in the higher altitudes.  A clear view of the glorious handiwork of God.  We exited the highway into Banff and found our go-to hotel chain, the Best Western.  

And that catches everyone up to now...we were sitting in the chairs of our hotel room relaxing and enjoying the sights out our window.  But now it is time to hunt and gather.  We will walk the main street and see what food we can rummage together!

Bye for now.