Category Archives: Travels

July 22, 2010 · 3:02 pm

We made it

And are mostly over the jet lag – I think. This will be short but we traveled north to visit some old missionary friends – Pere Hugo, Chris, Paul and Willy. They live in a different retirement home in a town of which I have forgotten the name and likely would not have spelled correctly anyway. I need to get a map and mark all the places we go I think so I can at least spell them. Ahh, I found it – Zwevegem.
After having lunch with the fathers and talking a while, Paul offered to take us up to Ypres (Ipere in Flemish) so we drove up there and saw the war memorial at Pashendale and then on to Ypres where we toured the old city gate and the restored church. Pictures will be posted soon. It was a great day. We hurried back not to keep Pere Joe waiting on us to find him busy watching the Tour de France. so Father Paul took us for a little tour of Zwevegem – another church, the old city and canal and the “Golden Lady” Got back here to Leuven at about 8pm.

Tomorrow another place to see – this time a hermitage and some of Pere Marcel’s family.

Update: – I really got the name of the place wrong.  We were in Kortrijk.  Pretty close by but a different spot.

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July 20, 2010 · 10:43 am

On our way

This morning came early – the alarms were set for 3:30 and we did wake up!  In fact it is very hard to sleep at all worrying about sleeping through the alarm, in spite of the very comfortable borrowed bed. (Thanks Shaun and Renelle) We picked David up and left for the airport at about 4:10.  Poor David. 

Got to the airport and checked our bags.  Then I sat down and opened my backpack and saw the little video camera.  Instantly I realized that our other cameras were still in the back seat of the car.  So David got to run to the airport twice.  As Leo said, he has high maintenance parents. 

Anyway, here we are in Toronto already waiting in the lounge for our next flight which does not leave till this afternoon.  This is one time I really appreciate Leo’s purchase that gives us access to this space.  He travels enough to make use of it regularly – me about twice a year.  It is nice on a day like this.

Oh yeah, I would wager that Saskatoon has the most vicious mosquitoes in the world.  There is water everywhere around the city – perfect breeding grounds.  Even the doors to the airport failed to keep them out.  But I don’t think they were allowed past security.  Maybe there was enough fresh blood to suck on the hapless folks standing in line to check in.

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July 3, 2010 · 6:42 pm

Canada Day till now.

I am so glad that Canada Day showed up in the middle of the week this year! We had decided a long time ago to close the office on Friday giving us all a nice long weekend in the middle of summer.

I haven’t had time to relax like I have this weekend for a long time. I decided sort of at the last minute to drive out to Alberta to see the Friesen’s in The Field. Best decision I could have made. Good friends, good times and long stretches of quiet.

And see – I planted Lauralea’s garden.  I think there is more gravel than top soil.  We’ll see what grows.

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It’s never too late? Hope the tomato plants survive. They were still looking a bit droopy this afternoon.

I also watched the cross raising.

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Good use for an old fire truck. You could tell they are farmers though – no safety harnesses.

Mostly I read and rested.

My soul may have actually caught up with the rest of me. The winter months have had so much time devoted to studying. I’ve crammed lots of things into my brain but my soul sort of went a bit dry I think. I am feeling a bit like I can go back home now and give the last two weeks of work my best, finish organizing the travel in Europe and pack my bags for the Big Trip.

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June 19, 2010 · 4:13 pm

Done the class and heading home

This past week has been so full. My class took place from 8:30 to 12:30 Monday through Friday except for Wednesdays. I thought when I looked at the schedule that I would have so much time to just relax and enjoy myself. I envisioned joining one of my classmates for a trip down to Millennium Park and maybe a shopping spree or an evening of Jazz.

Not a chance.

I had papers to read and 5 short essays to write but most of all two sermons to prepare and get ready to preach. There was the long process of exegesis to go through before each sermon. Maybe it is better to have a limited number of commentaries to hasten a person through the preparation process – but I had a whole library! And it seemed there was always one book about the subject of the text that caught my eye and was begging to be read.

Each and every spare moment was full of homework. I saw an awful lot of the inside of Brandell Library this visit to Chicago but not much else.

Well, maybe I should qualify that a bit. I did have wonderful visits with my hosts, the Thorpes, even attending their daughter Christine’s son Peter’s graduation open house. What a joy to see this young man who spent a good part of January to March recovering from a head injury, graduate with his class. And there were two dinner’s out with Ruth and another friend – a Persian restaurant with such huge helpings that I had lunches for two days from the leftovers.

I did get in one long walk for exercise on the lovely campus of Northeastern University and yesterday I went shopping. By shopping in a mall yesterday I missed one of the most violent storms of Chicago so I am glad I was not downtown in the middle of Millennium Park after all.

It was a good visit. Three more credits under my belt. Some concerns about my next step in Greek sorted out. Also I’ve been psychologically tested and found to be at least crazy enough to continue towards my MDiv. I am, by the way, not only a 9 on the Enneagram but also an ISFP. In fact, I am such a strong introvert that I probably should not be talking to you like this!

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June 10, 2010 · 2:47 pm

Preparing and Peeling (or maybe the other way around)

Today I began to feel the aftermath of the day at the beach in Toronto.  The very bad sunburn mid to lower back has begun to peel.  Of course it is not just peeling.  First it blistered and then it itches and then it peels and will in time (not long I hope) dry up.  So it itches now in places I cannot scratch.

While I am a bit itchy, I am also trying to write an inspiring sermon.  The exegesis they ask of us is fairly demanding.  I will, however know a whole lot more about Hebrews than when I started.

I suppose I should get back to work.  I must be ready to preach this by Monday.  My theme sentence is meant to be handed in tomorrow. 

I wonder if I will get any Chicago shopping done this weekend?

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June 4, 2010 · 10:39 pm

Visiting TO

Here I am sitting in Ronin’s room.  He is asleep on the couch.  The flight arrived on time but of course it is two hours later here than home so it is now past midnight. 

Tomorrow we are supposed to go to the beach.  It may rain but I think we are going anyway.  It is so humid here that I’m not sure a little rain will be noticeable.

I have a whole day to spend with this branch of my family and I will savour every minute of it.

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April 25, 2010 · 5:07 pm

Saturday at Anglin Lake

It is Saturday morning and I sit in my cabin looking out of my wide window that overlooks the trees and the lake and once again I marvel at the wonder of creation and the creator. This place where I am staying attempts to preserve the natural ecology of this spot. There are no manmade beaches. The lake lapping up to the roots of trees cause the slow erosion around them tipping them towards it till they bow to the might of the water. The falling of the trees and the natural process of decay that follows provides cover for nesting birds and shelter for the fingerling fish from their ever present predators.

The lake ice is gone early this year and the loons have returned. Perhaps if it were not so snowy I would see them swimming by. I wonder what they think of this late spring snow and the wisdom of their early return?

The snow is still falling – or is it rain? It won’t last. The weatherman is promising temperatures back up to the mid-teens by the end of the week. But this weather provides me with a perfect atmosphere for study mixed with short walks. Last night the fire in the stove warmed this place up quickly. I slept well and late.

This is a good place to renew my connections with the God who is. Nature tends to do this for me. It is a good place in which to study the complex relationship God has had with his people throughout history. The story is so old and was written to a people we hardly can understand from the context of our own culture. I am learning that studying these stories is a complex affair. There is Ancient Near Eastern archaeology to consider, other ancient stories that demonstrate similar ways of telling the stories of origins, battle reports and history. Still, there is a continuous thread that weaves through these ancient stories that teaches us about our sovereign Lord, his covenant with those who he chose as his people through whom to bring his blessing to the world and his requirements of all to love him and live in ways that honour him. It is the history of my own faith and it causes me to wonder at the ways of God.

So, I think now it is time for a fresh cup of coffee, then back to the books. Since I have no internet here, this won’t get posted till Sunday. That’s OK. I needed a break from the internet for a few days.

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January 31, 2010 · 7:55 am

I am still here

Things are getting a bit crazy but I am still here – up in my little study.  Studying.

There has not been a lot of time for anything else although I am speaking this morning.  Fortunately when one takes a seminary class, it provides lots of stuff to speak about.  At least in this case when the class is about the missional church.

The class I start tomorrow may not – Old Testament I.  It will be heavy on history and I am not a historian.  However I have my own personal historian on site and I think he will like me asking him all sorts of questions.

I am also working to finish up my Greek class as quickly as possible to get it off my back.  Three classes at once since I am still needing to write my term paper for the class I took in January.  

I may not post very often.  I won’t likely do anything much but study and work I guess.

 

On the bright side, Leo and I booked our flights for Europe this July.  We are going.  Belgium, Portugal, Spain, England.  Hope we can do it all in 6 weeks. Toronto is on the list to visit as well on the way back.

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January 18, 2010 · 10:23 pm

Back again

I got back from Chicago late last night.  It was a long day of waits in airports starting at 2 pm and ending at about 2 am in the early hours of the morning.

Back at work this morning and it was a busy day, what with one assistant sick.  At least my hand is almost back to normal – except if I push against the first knuckle just so – then it kind of gives out on me.  But I can manage.  And it is getting steadily better. 

The day has been long and I am off to bed shortly.  I am back at the studies – Greek and the Missional church and soon will have to add Old Testament to the mix.  Got to get this Greek done, and the term paper for the missional class before I am overwhelmed. 

And did I mention that I am tired?

 

Nite all.

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January 9, 2010 · 8:04 am

So here I am

Made it to Toronto last night about midnight their time. The flight was good – not full, so I shared a seat with myself.  Every introverts dream seating.

I watched a good Canadian made movie about a single mom from Palestine moving to the US – the challenges of moving to a new place with racial and religious prejudice.  That helped the 3 hours pass faster.  I also read one of the books I need to be up on for my course.

And my book promised for delivery by Jan 8 did not arrive by Jan 8, so I am short on the required reading.  The joys of living in the boonies. 

But anyway, I am sitting here in Rachelle and Asen’s living room while Ronin watches his new DVD and plays with his cars.  He’s a good kid – let me sleep in his room last night on his comfy bed.  It is fun to see him and his mom and dad too.  This afternoon I will let Rachelle do a pedicure and manicure and all sorts of esthetic wonders on me as I visit her at work.

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