Three weeks have cruised by as our new year jump started!
We recovered from our colds and embarked on our first trip of 2025. It began with a trip to Loon Lake, SK for the funeral of a dear lady who battled cancer. The local rec centre was full and more chairs were brought out as family and friends streamed into the building. The Lord was glorified as tributes and songs were sung. We shook hands with many and stood visiting until the chairs were being stacked.
While at the funeral lunch, Walter was asked by the local missionary/pastor of the Loon Lake Native Fellowship to speak at the church the next morning. Not being afraid of a last-minute invitation to preach, Walter said YES! So the next morning, we took part in the worship service, where the missionary's wife played guitar and the congregation asked for favourites from the song book. The pastor read some Scripture and prayed, then invited Walter to speak. He got fired up as usual and preached on "Storms of Life", which was a very encouraging message. Afterwards, everyone stayed for lunch (leftovers donated from the funeral service) and then we were asked if we wanted to stop by the missionaries' home to use the bathroom before leaving town. You may wonder why they would offer that...we had noticed the outhouse behind the church and knew from previous visits that there is no indoor plumbing in the church!
We drove to Sherwood Park, AB that afternoon and spent the night. The next day we hoped to visit Walter's mom in Edmonton but she had a follow-up appointment after her cataract procedure. Unfortunately, she had some issues that needed attention right away and so we didn't get to see her. At 89 years old, Walter's mom is doing pretty well although cataracts, a case of shingles and other aches and pains are fairly common at her age.
Then we journeyed to BC, enjoying some spectacular scenery through the Rockies and the Kooteneys. The roads were in great shape and the weather was relatively mild and pleasant. It was like driving through a Christmas card as we wound through the forests covered in snow and marveled at the white-capped mountains! Even the little mushroom caps of snow on the fence posts through the national parks was a beautiful sight. In Saskatchewan, snow blows off any post or tree!
We made it to the Okanagan a bit early, so we enjoyed a treat at "Dairy World", which is a Dutch dairy with ice cream, cheeses and all manner of treats and gifts. We picked up some goodies for ourselves and a thank you gift for our neighbour, who is amazing at checking on our house when we are away!
Settling in to our favourite Best Western hotel in Salmon Arm, we relaxed and took it easy for the evening. The hot tub was open and we had a brief soak before turning in early for the night. We had skipped through 2 time zones and going to bed at 9 pm was really 11 pm back home. Don't laugh! The struggle is real!
Wednesday morning we were up and at 'em! I grabbed a yogurt and coffee for a quick breakfast, then we drove the half hour or so to Sunnybrae Bible Camp where Millar College of the Bible has a campus. We had plenty of time to wind our way through construction - the TransCanada highway is being twinned from Calgary to Vancouver so they are working on that particular stretch currently. Arriving just after 9 am, we met the staff person who showed us where to set up our booth and also where the coffee machine was. We chatted with a few staff who came through the dining hall/chapel area. Then students poured in, laughing and talking as they found seats. We sat near our booth and greeted whoever came by.
A small worship team led in some contemporary songs and then Walter was introduced. He spoke 15-20 minutes about what NCEM is, where our missionaries serve and highlighted the "Generation Hope" YouTube/Social Media ministry being launched. Afterwards, several students came by to pick up a free toque or "Gen H" sticker. When the buzzer went to signal the start of the next class, we had only a couple students linger to talk more. We enjoyed some great conversations.
Then we had a few minutes to sit down and grab a coffee while classes were on. After lunch, we had three Metis students lined up to interview for the "Gen H" program. We set up the cameras, lights and a simple backdrop and chair in one of the camp's cabins. Very rustic and no frills. The three young ladies all shared their stories, growing up in their communities and what it means to be Metis and a Christian. It was very special to hear these stories and to encourage and show our appreciation for their willingness to be interviewed! (In a couple of months, the programs should be edited and available to watch on the YouTube channel - type in Generationhope@ncem and hopefully it will come up right away).
It was almost 4 pm when we packed up and left the campus. We wanted to get down the road before dark and find our night's lodging. As we drove eastward, the sun set quickly and even moreso in the mountains! Following semis through the winding, slushy and often single-lane stretches of the highway made for a very tense drive. We got to Revelstoke and booked into the first hotel we found - part of the Best Western chain but more economy version. We had some snacks and leftovers from a previous grocery store run, so we stayed in for our supper and again, called it a day super early.
Daylight found us already packed and loaded in the truck. With travel cups of coffee, we hit the TransCanada. I'm so thankful for Walter's skill and experience driving through the mountains. To my shame or maybe my lack of courage, I've never driven through this part of our great country! Walter navigated the traffic, marveling at the improved roads and passing lanes and bridges through the Roger's Pass and Golden, BC! Apart from pitstops for fuel and bathroom and coffee refills, we motored our way through BC, Alberta and then into Saskatchewan.
Dusk found us just outside Medicine Hat, AB and by then we could sense our own bed calling our names! I jumped behind the wheel and drove four hours without stopping. We had been listening to the audiobook "Left Behind" - a very exciting and inspiring fictional account of the Rapture and Tribulation events foretold in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The miles went by quickly as we covered the 12 hours from Revelstoke to Regina.
God is good! Although tired and spent, we had again traveled safely and with God's presence going before us. We'd had good visits along the way and opportunities to share about our ministry and our passion to reach Indigenous people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
