Traveling extensively around North America has given us many unique opportunities, and one of those has been the many examples of God’s creation that we have been privileged to see.  And in several cases, we have actually lived for a while in an area, using it as a base, while Papa works with many churches and families in the greater surroundings. In that way, we have been blessed to experience many different cultures and regions, and we have learned to appreciate the beauty in each place.

Just last week, we were out on some tiny far-flung Islands in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, where the voice of the sea is always present and the salty wind blows constantly… and a few months ago we spent time in the Hill Country of Texas, a dry land of rugged beauty and warm-hearted people… and there are the beautiful rolling-hilled farmlands of Indiana and elsewhere… and the almond orchards of California… too many places to count.

And there is the desert. I have always loved the desert too.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." -Psalm 19:1-3

Thankfulness Day 17: Last Hikes of the Season

This has been a fabulous season for hiking. The Fall colours were amazing this year, and there is no better way to appreciate them than to see them from above! This picture was taken on the top of Hunger Mountain (which is practically right in our backyard), and as the sign says, it is only a few miles away from Stowe Pinnacle, which wins the prize for our favorite hike this season. One of these days we hope to take the Skyline Trail, which connects the two peaks, and adds several more winding miles through the Vermont woods. Yesterday we discovered that there is already slippery snow and ice on some of the trails... I am so grateful for a wonderful Fall hiking season, and I am very much looking forward to upcoming winter excursions!

-Ems

Thankfulness Day 16: Safe Travels

This is just a quick picture snapped while we were on the ferry the other day... it was very sad to leave the Islands, yet I am grateful for God's blessing of a fruitful trip and many long miles of enriching conversations. Now we are back in Vermont, and there is a fire in the fireplace, dinner on the stove, and the opportunity to be gathered around the kitchen table as a family again. God has been very gracious to us, and I am thankful for His continued mercies. It is so good to be home!

Thankfulness Day 15: A Good Last Day

It is our last day here on Les Iles de la Madeleine. Actually the last day is over, and now it is late, and we are finishing packing. There are two piles waiting by the front door: the pack-in pile, and the ferry-pile, to which we've made sure to add important things like chocolate and Settlers of Catan...

Darkness has settled over the Islands, and there is a quiet calm to the air. It is actually the literal calm before the storm, as there is a big one scheduled for tomorrow. Sometime during the night, the wind will hit, that Islands wind that always smells of fish and salt and happiness, the wind that catches your breath away and causes you to stand half bent over with the force of it. I am greatly looking forward to the ferry tomorrow, and I am also hoping that it will be a smooth crossing. :)

This morning, Ike and Papa and I sat over coffee at Tim Horton's, listening to the jabbering of French all around us, and happy to once again be a part of the pre-breakfast crowd of Islanders-at-Tim's. We talked, among many things, about why we are so grateful for the life God has given us and the opportunities we have to serve Him. This trip has been short, but we have been blessed to see God mightily at work in several people's lives as He draws them ever closer to Himself.

And I am grateful for an amazingly beautiful day today. When the last appointment was over and we had said all of our goodbyes, the four of us kids and Papa climbed Butte Ronde and just stood for a long time, looking over Havre-aux-Maisons, and the little piece of land that is Les Iles de la Madeleine, and the blue-grey sea that stretches away to the horizon on all sides. It is a precious place here - there is a reason why the Islanders call our little village of Havre-aux-Maisons "Île aux Trésors," or "Treasure Island." Although if you ask me, I remain convinced that there really is a treasure, and that it definitely lies buried in a certain mysterious rocky spot on Butte Ronde... :)

But for now, it is time for bed, as we will be up and boarding the ferry in just a few hours!

-Ems

Thankfulness Day 14: Pictures Taken by Augs

I'm really grateful that Augs has been taking so many amazing pictures this trip (as always). And few places, if any, could rival the beauty of Les Iles de la Madeleine...

[a random shot of Ike when the guys were out taking pictures]

[shipwreck at L'étang-du-nord]

Thankfulness Day 13: Christian Fellowship

Here is where we have returned winter after winter for ten years. For the opportunities to serve the living God, we returned, sometimes with reluctance because of the sacrifices that we knew lay before us, but always with gratitude for the beauty that He set before us and for the warmth of the French people who could not understand that Californians would love their wild, isolated island archipelago in the cold season.

From this deck, over the hill, past many steep cliffs, across the water to Ile d’Entrée (you can see it there in the distance)  the miles of sea stretch out beyond the horizon, out into the bold depths of the Atlantic. Between the Gulf and the Ocean lie two islands that still belong to Europe, though they hug the shores of Newfoundland.  There is where I want to go next, though I am thankful for this return to the Magdalen Islands.  I am thankful that there is a presence, however fragile or tiny it may be, of Christianity here, but there on those islands of France – where are the believers?  Where is the fellowship that one Christian can have with another?

The isolation of this place from the large churches of America is almost palpable. We must be ever thankful for the fellowship we enjoy on the continent, and we must pray the Lord of the harvest that He will send more workers to His fields.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes: 

"The prisoner, the sick person, the Christian in exile sees in the companionship of a fellow Christian 

a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God. 

Visitor and visited in loneliness recognize in each other the Christ who is present in the body; 

they receive and meet each other as one meets the Lord,

 in reverence, humility, and joy. . . . 

It is true, of course, that what is an unspeakable gift of God for the lonely individual is easily disregarded and trodden under foot by those who have the gift every day.”  

- Ems

Thankfulness Day 12: A Painting Lesson

The other day we had the opportunity to visit a long-time friend here on the Islands. Annie is an amazing artist, so we were very happy to receive a painting lesson from her!

Ike, me, and Ibs, receiving instructions from Annie on how to get started 

This is the painting we were trying to copy

Ready to start!

Etienne (in the middle) is a great friend, and I love practicing French with him. :)

We had a grand time painting, and went home very inspired to start working on some projects!

- Ems