Canadian Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

With thankfulness in our hearts, we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with Canadians this year!! There are 2 other Canucks on the campus, so with our families we ended up being 12 around the table.

Steve, who is in his 2nd year of working in our kitchen - continually produces lots of yummy meals with a smile - brave woman, I am, inviting him for a meal. Being multigifted gifted, we also find him in the classroom from time to time. Although he spent most of his life in South American, his mom is Canadian and that is where he was born. Come on over Steve with your wife and 4 kids.

Cindy grew up in Montreal, met her Dutch husband in the States and has been living in the Netherlands the last 4 years. Now they are both students here. Great - they and their 2 children qualify too!

After singing our national anthem together around the piano (I was pleasantly surprised how well the other 9 did) we found seats around our extended table and began to enjoy the turkey and trimmings. Ranging in age from 5 months to 59 years, it sure resembled a big family. We are so thankful that it worked out, and we had that time together. God has blessed us abundantly with family, friends, good health and best of all a personal relationship with Him. Why wouldn’t we want to take time to thank Him?

Our celebration needed to be squeezed in-between work detail (which ended at 5:15) and the fellowship groups (which begin at 7:00), but it worked out fine, since being good Canadians, we began on time and made the most of the couple of hours we had together.

Monday night is also the evening we get together with the Volunteers - so we soon were on our way to our next activity too. We thought this would be good timing for a social night. We ended up in the bowling alley and those young people, bless them, allowed Ragnar to win one of the games.

Then we went on for a cup of coffee and most of them choose ice cream to go with it. The waiter remembered us, and asked us if we had been there this time last year? Wow - what a memory - or I wonder what kind of impression we had left?!?!

Circular Hike

When we heard that a 10 km. hike was planned for the 1st Saturday in October, we decided to join in on it. 34 of us gathered at 11:00 a.m. to begin the big circular walk.

Ready to go. The weather couldn’t have been any better - perfect temperature for T-shirts and shorts.

Walking along the canal, thru pastures, small villages and farm land, provided lots of opportunities to chat with the students and coworkers.

We all took a packed lunch along and enjoyed munching away while we rested beside a pond.

I’m glad to have learned that new trail and have wandered down that way since then. What a perfect way to spend a beautiful autumn day.

First Week of School

The new school year is off to a good start - the students now have their noses to the grind - classes - homework - work detail keep their days busy - especially those who are married and have families. Time for socializing always seems to be able to be worked into the schedule though.
At first we are sure we’ll never get to know them all, but that gradually changes as we interact with them. Our friend from Italy. Following lots of introductions and announcements the 1st morning, the kitchen staff serves a great BBQ.

The following Saturday the students did a walk around to most of the staff houses. Since we were still in the middle of some renovations in our home (more about that another time) we had them join us for a chocolate fondue in our back yard. They came in groups of 7-10.

The following Saturday night we had our first Open House for the school year. The floor was finished and the furniture back in place. We had over 60 come that night - definitely standing room only for lots of them, but people did come and go at various times. It was a great beginning and we look forward to many more over the next months.

We’re also back to joining them for coffee break each morning, eating one meal a week in the dining room and having them join us for a meal in our home 2 at a time, so although we don’t know all of them off by heart yet, we have a good start and trust it won’t be much longer ’til we know each of them on a 1st name bases.

Hodge Podge '11

Before beginning to write about the new school year, I thought I’d take a quick look through our photos and choose 10 things from last year’s activities to share. There is no way I can write about them all, so I just choose randomly.

1 - Len and Chris, friends from the local area, are so kind and helpful. They are willing to get involved and help ease the load wherever possible. Not only are they generous with their time, but everything is done with a smile - whether it is making coffee for a group of volunteers, helping students with language, guiding others in buying a new car or stuffing envelopes when our quarterly magazine is ready to go out. Here we are in their home, having just enjoyed a yummy lasagna meal and ready for dessert.

2 - On our last evening together with our Volunteers from last school year, they surprised me with a Willow Tree Figurine. What a lovely remembrance. I think of them often as I see it on our mantle piece and especially when it needs dusting. I just loved their creative wrapping paper. Each girl decorated one side of the paper - card and gift wrap in one.

3 - Faroese Warm Up - Ragnar is often asked for his expertise when it comes time for the students to practice their phonetics. Here he is with 2 couples getting used to Faroese sounds before they move into Mission Simulation and the real work begins.

4 - The shed in our back yard looks much brighter after a much needed coat of paint.

5 - Eastgate Union - the church we attend in Louth - about a 20 min. drive from our home. We so enjoy fellowship with a great group of people and getting to know many of them. We have been invited to lots of their homes, and we also love to reciprocate. Here are the families that have joined us the last 3 Sundays.

Isherwoods

Littericks

Chaufours

6 - Winter months bring out the knitting needles. Just a couple of the sweaters I did this year for the girls.

7 - My daily walks often take me on a path around our neighbour’s farm. I love roaming the countryside that surrounds us, enjoying the nice fresh air along with a variety of scenery. A few shots from one of those recent walks.

8 - My friend Sue invited me over for a ‘cuppa’. We enjoyed a nice long chat while munching away on a bowl of strawberries. The walk down to her home from where I parked follows a beautiful stream - and it actually continues on under their house.

9 - St. James church in Louth, has the tallest spire of any medieval parish church in England. 198 steps take you up the tower. I have been up there several times, enjoying a view of the city in every direction.

10 - Garden Season is over for this year. We have enjoyed lots of lettuce, rhubarb, turnips, beets and much more from our garden this summer. Ragnar recently dug up the last of the crop and now we have lots of veggies in our freezer.