Woodland Creatures

You might guess that I haven't been doing anything. Haven't been taking a lot of pictures anyway. But thought I would share with you some more pictures of the lovely creatures I enjoyed watching on my retreat. Then I'll post another story to tell what I've been up to. As you can see from above there was a lot, a lot (as my friend Dana would say) of snow. I was happy to see the nice man with the tractor come and make it possible for me to take the car out. But I also enjoyed sitting by the window, watching the woodland creatures who came to visit and to hang out. The deer, of course, were the most lovely - so gentle and timid yet also fun to watch their antics. I never moved fast enough to get a good photo of them leaping down the hill, white tails in the air alerted of danger. But they were not to shy to come several times a day to see if I had put more food in the feeders.




The bird feeder was a busy place and I was also interested to see if I could figure out the different kinds of birds. Some I knew already, of course, but others I learned from looking them up in the bird book. My uncle was a bird-watcher so I should have some kind of ability in this area, wouldn't you think? I'm beginning to understand why he enjoyed it so much. The little one with the rosy colour on its white breast and black markings on its wings is called a 'Common Redpoll' but I don't think there's anything common about it at all!!

I never knew before what a Grosbeak was. I think this one - with the red head and chest - is called the pine grosbeak. This one, I think, is the male of the species.
Then, of course, you have your frequently seen chickadee, with it's chicka - dee-dee trill.

I know this is a woodpecker, but it was hard to figure out from the book exactly which kind. Is it a ladderback, or a pilated, or a yellow-bellied sapsucker? If anybody knows, I would love to hear from you.
Those of you from Canada are no doubt familiar with the raucous blue jay and people from Toronto are especially familiar as our baseball team is named after them. They are a beautiful bird whose thieving, aggressive personality doesn't match its pretty colours.



I also had a visit from a very cute little red squirrel, as well as a 3 mischievous black squirrels who I named Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The red squirrel reminded me of my Nova Scotia background as that's the kind I knew in childhood. I was surprised when I saw big gray squirrels in Fredericton, and later, in Toronto - big black squirrels. In Moldova the squirrels are red but have very funny, almost rabbit-like ears. I haven't been able to get a good picture of one yet. I'll keep trying, once I return.














It was always kind of a sad thing to see the deer go back into the woods. They seemed reluctant to leave, too - and would often stop and look back up at the house as if to say goodbye.

Consider the Birds...and the Deer

Better than being in the city when it snows is being in the country. I decided that I didn't really want to spend all my Canadian time in an urban setting so I have escaped to the wild for a week. Here I can pursue time alone with the Lord, and in clos er touch with His creation - the forest and its animals - unhindered, except when I choose, by phones and demands of urban life. I arrived here Thursday evening and on Friday it started to snow. It has been snowing all day today and I would have to guess there is at least a foot of snow that has fallen. It is quite beautiful.
My car... er, I mean, Inga's car... is safely stowed in the garage and sometime before the middle of the week I am hoping that some kind neighbour will come and plow out the driveway. I am housesitting for missionary friends who have gone away for the week and they are happy to have someone keep the woodstove going, the plants watered and the deer fed. That's right, I said something about feeding the deer. On a daily basis one can look out the picture window and see the deer make their way up to the boxes where John regularly puts out corn for them. There is also a bird feeder and it is fascinating to see the different kinds and sizes of birds that make their way out of the woods. Nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, bluejays, pigeons, doves, redpolls(new one I learned today - very pretty) all flit to and fro to enjoy the seeds provided for them.Today I was thinking about what Jesus said about the little birds. Remember? He said "Consider the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26) As I sat and watched the birds I started to do some considering - and I want to do a lot more this week. I was reminded to consider the birds and the love of the Father. I was reminded of how Jesus was so eager for people to understand and be aware of the loving care of the Father. I want others to see the Father's tender care for them, too.
Occasionally Louie the squirrel comes along but nobody pays him much mind. I've been warned, though, that if the snowdrifts are high enough he has been known to attempt flying leaps to the birdfeeder. I'll have to watch out for that.
It's all well and good to be at one with God's creatures but they are all safely outside. There is a cat, whom the lady of the house prefers not to allow in the house to avoid cat hair everywhere. The cat has a box in the garage, so is safe from the elements. Unfortunately the only animals that are in the house are skittering between the floorboards above my head as I speak. I am tempted to invite the cat into the house...
Anyway, this is Canada - the wild part - and beautiful it is. The Lord is so good to provide such a place for me to come apart for awhile and spend time alone with just me and Him. And so I settle in, stoking the stove and watching the deer and considering the birds - and the love of my heavenly Father.

The Waiting Game

Last week I expected to be in Moldova by now but surprise, surprise, I am still in Canada. In Toronto, to be exact. In Toronto where my doctor is and where medical stuff happens. Waiting for an appointment with a specialist. Sigh. Some things are just better tended to in one's home country, so I decided it was better to stay and see things through rather than head back and have problems later. So, that's why I'm here. When there are more details to be shared, I will share them.
The down side - aside from anything medical - is that there are things I am supposed to be doing in Moldova and work that is waiting for me there. I missed saying goodbye to Viorica, who is off to serve in Angola. I will miss the beginning of our 'Challenge into Missions' course and the responsibilities that I have for teaching in that. I'm missing a leaders' meeting tomorrow and a visit from some colleagues next weekend. But mostly I'm missing my dear friends there. If anyone from my team is reading this, be assured that I will come back as soon as I possibly can. Mie dor de tine! Fiecare!
The up side is that God has given me a gift of time. An unexpected, unscheduled month to serve and honour Him in a way different than I had expected. But His ways are not our ways, and when He drops these gifts in our laps, we just need to lift them back up to Him in gratitude and with a prayer for wisdom in using them. My desire is to redeem the time. So before I make a thousand appointments and schedule coffees and plans with friends, I intend to spend at least a few days just being. The Lord has once again provided for my needs, with a home to stay in for the month, while the owners are away. My Heavenly Father has always taken such good care of me - how can I help but thank and praise Him? Even in the face of my uncertainty. He knows the plans He has for me.
So - what have I been up to? Well, a week ago Friday I had lunch with my dear friend Karen and her mother, who is also a good friend. One of the great things about Toronto is the many, many different kinds of restaurants. We went to the Mongolian Grill where they cook things (I suppose) Mongolian style: on a big round grill. You go and choose what you want - meat, vegies, rice or noodles, sauce - and then they cook it in front of you. Very cool and very tasty.
So, other than that, what I haven't told you about was the great Missions Conference last weekend at Yorkminster Park. It really went well and it was a great opportunity to touch base with a lot of different friends and to hear some wonderful speakers. There was a pastor visiting from Kenya, who shared with us some of the situation there right now in the wake of all the election upheaval. Another highlight of the weekend was a gift that was given to me by a friend - one of the Sunday School teachers. When I visited the Sunday School the previous week I had shown a picture of how muddy it gets in Moldova at times. She asked me what I wear at such times and I said that I keep my winter boots in the car in case of mud. She brought me a lovely pair of rubber boots, modelled in this picture, which I will be sporting next time it rains! In this photo I am also wearing my Moldovan hand-embroidered blouse and standing in front of the display booth that I had prepared.

Telling the Story

No photos tonight as it is late and I really should already be in bed. But I just wanted to stop by briefly and say hello to my friends and faithful blog readers. Thanks to Karen from Missouri for her note - hope you received my e-mail. :-) My time in Toronto seems to be pretty occupied and next weekend is my last one here in Canada. This weekend I had the opportunity to meet with some of my supporters and answer their questions about my ministry. Then this morning I visited the children's Sunday School in my church, sharing photos and prayer requests with these little ones whom I know will remember me in prayer. I have meetings this week with CBM, with the church Board of Mission, and several coffees and meals with friends.
I am hoping that if there are others whom I have not had a chance to visit, that you might drop by the Mission Expo next weekend: www.missionexpoto8.com and see what is happening in the world of missions. I will have a missions display set up so come and visit me there! God bless you all!

Maritime Connections

Since my last posting I have covered a lot of territory. I preached in 2 churches on Vancouver Island and I also had an awesome visit with a college friend, Marianne. We hadn't seen each other in 30 years so we had a lot of catching up to do, some of which we did while walking on beaches and some while cozying up with Marianne's border collie, Spuds. It's interesting that many of the people I have stayed with are dog-owners. Now why is that, do you suppose? Thanks, Marianne for such a great time and for sharing your doggie with me.
After preaching twice on Vancouver Island I returned to the mainland and the following Sunday I preached at Hillside Baptist in North VAncouver.It was a real pleasure to be there, and to meet the pastors and the enthusiastic members of that church. I took advantage of the visit to that side of the city to make a trek up the mountain on a gorgeous sunny day, for a spectacular view. Vancouver truly is a beautiful area and I was constantly awed by the mountains.
At the end of January I packed up my belongings, grateful for the accomodations some dear Christian folk had generously provided. I said so long to my daughter and her family, to my son and to my brother and his family - and I headed all the way east.
What a great time I had in the Maritimes! A bit of a whirlwind but I so enjoyed reconnecting with dear friends at Acadia, at West End Baptist in Halifax, and at Kentville Baptist Church. It was wonderful to stay in the home of some of my oldest and dearest friends, Barry and Anna, and catch up on all the news that neither of us are good at communicating on a regular basis. And - I got to cuddle their dog Cinder too! One of the coolest events in Halifax was a luncheon hosted by a friend of my mother's and to which a bunch of Mom's friends from my growing-up years were invited. It was a real treat for me to see my favourite grade school teacher, Mrs. Stone. But I had to keep reminding myself that I am an adult and not 12 years old! It was a great time, though, and thank you, Joan, for planning and hosting this special luncheon. (see above)
In Fredericton I went walking in the snowy woods with my sister Beverly, who also pampered me by taking me for a pedicure. :-) That was before she asked me to come and talk to her puppet group about my ministry in Moldova.
I was excited to see and to hear about the good things God is doing in the Maritimes. If you want to hear the sermon I preached at the Acadia Divinity College chapel, you can find it online. I'll find the website and post it here later. Anyways, it was wonderful to be in the Maritimes.

I had a few days in Fredericton with my sister and a visit with my brother and his family, as well as with my aunt on the south shore of Nova Scotia, and my sister-in-law in New Minas, NS. While at my aunt's place in NS and having brunch with her wonderful neighbours, I asked my sister and Anna-Clare to poze for me, so I have to include that photo. See on the left. Thanks, ladies!

It was wonderful to have a social evening organized by dear friends in the Wolfville area and to reconnect with people I hadn't seen in ages. Thank you so much, Judith, Lorraine, and Kevin! Eventually I had to squeeze all my stuff back into my 2 suitcases and fly away to Toronto.
But now here I am in TO, where I was so warmly received and welcomed by my sending church. And the other bonus inToronto is my son Ben. I get to visit with him and hopefully share in a bit of his life. I will also have time to visit with my mother, who is not far away in Hamilton. I know this month is going to go quickly and already I am thinking more and more about being back in Moldova. But I am enjoying myself and so grateful to the Lord for filling my life with so many dear friends. A couple I know have let me stay in their home while they are away, so I am enjoying having my own space, but also getting some great exercise shovelling all the snow that - like God's mercy and grace - keeps falling and falling here in Toronto.

Greetings from Vancouver Island!

So here I am on Vancouver Island, far on the west coast of Canada. Strange, when this weblog is supposed to be about Moldova! However, I just wanted to check in as I know many of my loyal readers may be wondering what I’m up to, now that I am on furlough.

Just to fill you in, after a great Christmas with my family, I am now doing official “deputation”, which means I go to different churches to raise prayer and financial support and to report on the ministry in which I am involved in Moldova. Last Sunday was my first Sunday preaching, as a missionary, in a Canadian church. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Ward Memorial Baptist, a small Vancouver church with a decidedly international flavour and a warm welcoming atmosphere.

This Sunday I will be preaching in two churches here on Vancouver Island. I came a few days early to meet some colleagues and do some networking. I enjoyed hearing the Baptist pastor and author, Mark Buchanan, speak at a ministerial about the process his church is involved in of reaching out to First Nations people. He spoke of justice issues and the importance of the church owning the ministry of reconciliation with those who, in this case, are their close neighbours. Often, it seems to me, Canadians tend to ignore or avoid native issues so it was very encouraging to hear that a church is actively addressing the injustices of the past and the mistrust of the present. I also met with a colleague who, as a single woman, adopted two Romanian orphans many years ago, and again I was encouraged to see and hear of ways that Christians are actively seeking to live out the gospel and to share the abundance with which they have been blessed. These two examples show that the sharing of abundance is not always in a material form, i.e. giving money. The wealth we have consists also of relational blessings and spiritual resources, psychological well-being and an understanding of justice. Canadians in general are materially wealthy compared with many nations, but they are also wealthy socially and psychologically and educationally. I am more aware than ever of the Scriptural exhortation of the reason for wealth: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” (2 Corinthians 9:11a) The second part of that verse goes on to say, “…and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” That has been true of me in the sense that I have been at the receiving end of much generosity on the part of family and friends and fellow believers who don’t even know me. Their generosity is not something I can repay, but it does result in thanksgiving to God. And Lord willing, I will make an effort to pass on those blessings to others as I have opportunity.

While I am on Vancouver Island I am also doing some sightseeing. I was only in Victoria once before and that was when I was a child. This afternoon I took a bus tour, just to get an overview. Now I have to work on my message for Sunday, so this will be short. Enjoy the photos – Victoria is a lovely city, and as you can see there are many indicators of the presence of several First Nations people groups in this area.

PS – Please feel free to make comments on my page and remember you can do it anonymously but it is nice to know who is commenting.

PPS – To Corinne and all my Dutch friends – please note the Carillon tower, which was donated by the Dutch community of British Columbia in honour of Canada’s 100^th birthday in 1967, and the cornerstone was unveiled by Queen Juliana. Across the street is the Peace Tulip Garden which commemorates the Canadian troops who liberated the Netherlands at the end of WW2.

A Day with Alejandro

Last week I very magnanimously offered my daughter a day off.  And I spent a good part of the day with my grandson all to myself. We went to the beach and the first thrill he had was banging on a yellow metal bench. Ah, the simple delights of a child! Eventually, once we got the swimmingly big falling-off boots changed to sneakers that fit and made use of the stroller as a pushcart to keep him focused, we made our way to the beach. A child’s best playground, even in January! Alejandro quickly mastered the art of picking up rocks, persuading his grandmother to pick him up, and then attempting to throw them into the water. The other option he mastered was picking up rocks and passing them to his grandmother so that SHE could throw them more successfully into the water. He laughed at the resounding plop when a big one landed in the drink. On the way back to the car a seagull flew in and landed right on the fence beside us – apparently to have a silent conversation with my delighted grandson. Finally the gull crowed a gull-y goodbye and we parted company.

Back at my little seaside suite, Alejandro was content to eat Cheerios and to chase a ball around. He enjoyed munching on fishy crackers and playing with the dinky cars I had bought for him. Before we headed for his home, he browsed multiple times through Grandma’s brag album which featured guess who? Alejandro, of course! We had a wonderful day together and as soon as I put him in his car seat, he fell asleep. When his mommy arrived home, I’m not sure which of them was happier to see each other. But the good news is that I believe Marah will be willing to let him go with Grandma another day soon.

When I got back to my place, oddly enough my body was aching and I went to bed far earlier than my customary time. Guess I must be getting old.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas has come and gone and now I find myself on the brink of 2008, thankful for all the ways God has blessed me. Of course, in recent days those blessings have taken the form of family members and time together with them. On Christmas day we sat around the dinner table with all 3 of my kids, my grandson, my son-in-law and his brother, and my 88-year-old mother. Mom flew out to Vancouver from Hamilton to join us for Christmas, and to enjoy her role as great-grandmother. Little Alejandro was a bit puzzled by all the various aspects of stockings and gift-opening, etc. He was glad to get some of his new things but his mom had to help him open most of his gifts! I think my adult children still have as much delight in receiving gifts as they ever did. We had a lot of fun filling one another's stockings - a long-standing Christmas tradition in our family. Our family circle was completed by the very active participation of my brother's three pets - 2 dogs and a cat - as we are house-sitting in my brother's home. The animals ensure that there is never a dull moment (should one ever arise!).
Alejandro by the Christmas tree

So now it is New Year's Eve and I am celebrating it quietly. The month ahead holds lots of challenges for me as I visit various churches in the Vancouver area to share about our ministry and mission in Moldova. And I am conscious that in Moldova, tonight people are celebrating what generally is the largest celebration of the Christmas period - New Year's Eve. Moldovans of the Orthodox tradition will not even be observing Christmas until January 7. New Year's eve is a time of great feasting and partying. Carolers will be coming to people's doors for the next week or two in Moldova to sing seasonal songs and recite poetry. It is expected that children come to the door, ringing a bell and singing or reciting poetry with the expectation of receiving food or money in appreciation of their efforts. Do Canadian children even still memorize poetry?? And we used to carol in the neighbourhood when I was a teenager, but do people still do that anymore? Or is that a regional thing?
I'm not sure if reverse culture shock has struck yet, but I certainly do feel the materialism of our culture. I was thinking today of the fact that in Moldova, when life is hard (which it often is), people look to the west or to some other country or situation, thinking their happiness is to be found there. But here in Canada, if life presents challenges or difficulties people generally don't look to go somewhere else, but they look to the malls and E-bay and acquiring more stuff to satisfy their quest for happiness and fulfillment. Or they seek to change themselves in some manner, to make everything alright.
Do we all seek to escape the difficulties and challenges of life? Or do we receive the challenges, along with the benefits and joys, as gifts from the Lord, meant for our growth and well-being? James said "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you are involved in various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance (or the ability to endure). But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) How often are we willing to learn endurance? ... to hang in even when the going gets rough? Who knows what benefit it will be to ourselves and probably to another when we make the effort to stick with it, even when 'it' isn't comfortable, pleasant, or easy?
I know of a young woman in Moldova who returned to her home village rather than leaving the country. As a result of her endurance and her choice to seek the welfare of her family and her village rather than 'escaping' and seeking her own fortune, there is now a church in that village. There is a feeding program for the elderly and a children's program for the poorest children of the village.
My hope and prayer for myself and for my children is that the majority of our decisions will not be based on our own happiness but on the possibility of improving someone else's lot in life. As we have received so much in our lives, we need to look for opportunities to give to others. May your New Year 2008 be filled with the joy of giving!

Grandma's Coming for Christmas!

It was the day before I was to leave to come home on furlough, starting with Christmas with my family. I had decided to invest in a national Moldovan costume and the woman at the place where they make them was very helpful. She was also very busy and she mentioned, on the day I ordered the blouse, that she was leaving the next week. The same day as me, in fact. So on the very last day as I was frantically trying to get everything done, including cleaning and moving out of my apartment, I went to pick up the blouse. Speaking to the woman, ‘Doamne Maria’, we discovered that we would be on the same red-eye flight to Frankfurt in the morning. And sure enough this morning at 4.15 a.m. we met again at the Chisinau airport. She actually came and found me and we chatted together. She was a bit nervous as this was her first time flying to the US by herself. She, like me, was going to visit her children, who were studying in the States. Her son had been there for 9 years so she and her husband had visited before. It is not an unusual thing in Moldova for parents to be travelling to visit children who are living, studying, working in the US.

In fact, once we got on the plane, I was sitting across the aisle from another Moldovan woman. She leaned over and asked me where I was going and if I speak English. It turned out that she too was travelling to the US to visit her children, and her grandchildren. But she was especially nervous as she had never travelled there alone and had never gone through the Frankfurt airport. And she didn’t know any English. French, yes, but English, no. She asked if I would help her figure out where to go to make her connection. I confidently assured her that the Frankfurt airport was not too complicated, even though it is big, and that the signs are well-marked and that there is an information booth. She seemed re-assured and very grateful that I would help her find her way to California. (Later, we discovered that the airport was being renovated and nothing was simple for anyone, even seasoned travellers.) As we disembarked from the plane and got on the bus it turned out that the 3 of us women – 2 grandmothers and a hopeful – were sitting together on the bus. I indicated that I knew ‘Doamne Maria’ and as they were sitting side by side, they begin chatting. Both being native Moldovan, conversation between them came much easier than with me in my limited Romanian, and I was pleased that they seemed to be connecting. Elena, the other grandmother, seemed to be touched by something they were discussing and she was wiping her tears with one hand at the same time as she held on to a giant ‘walking’ doll that she was taking to her little granddaughter. In the other hand she clutched her purse and other hand luggage. I smiled as I thought of the outfit I had bought for my grandson on the last day on a whim. Later, I was concerned as I saw her heading off alone down the corridor that someone had indicated, towards a different connection than mine. I was glad I could at least say a prayer for her and know that God would also help that grandma to get to her little ones for Christmas.

Yes, Alejandro, Grandma is coming for Christmas, like so many other grandmas all over the world who eagerly look for opportunities to be with their precious ones. For weeks, no, months, I have been waiting and planning and buying a few little things as I dream of the moment I will finally hold you in my arms again. I can hardly wait to see how big you have grown – and walking now too! I am curious to see if you will remember me from when I sang to you on my visit in the summer. I look forward to playing with you and cheering for you and baking together with your mommy and laughing at your antics. I look forward to being part, if only for a short time, of the joyful and loving home of which you are blessed to be a part. I want to be a legend in your life and a haven for your heart. I want you – and others - to know how precious you are to me and I want you to understand that in an even greater way, you are precious to our heavenly Father. And I hope that after this – and for years onward – you and your siblings and cousins will be happy and excited to know, as often as it happens, that “Grandma’s coming for Christmas!”