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Happy 67th Birthday!

 

To My Favorite Person in the Whole World

 

 

 

 

Our Trip Home

Day 14 – Monday

North Bend, WA, to Missoula, MT

 

 

 This was the view outside my front window this morning.

 

 

 The view from the side window of the cab.

 

 

 We enjoyed breakfast with Chaplain Jerri and his wife Julie

 

 

 Cerwin was not in a hurry to cross Snoqualmie Pass until daylight because of the snow last night and this morning.

 

 

 I was glad we waited.  The view was beautiful

 

 

 

 

 Neither of us remembered Wanapum Dam on the trip west.

 

 

 When we got to the other side, we knew why.

 

 

 This is the rest stop where I fell on my face.

 

 

 The sky in this area was so pretty.

 

 

 

 

 We enjoyed a late lunch with a blog friend http://alanem.blogspot.com and her youngest children.

 

 

 The twins enjoyed seeing the truck.

 

 

 She was following our trip west, and emailed me that we drove right by her town, so we made plans to meet on the return trip.

 

 

 We drove through snow in every state today – Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

 

 

 The temperatures ranged from the high 30s to the low 40’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We saw several deer and elk, but this is the only one I was able to photograph.

 

 

 Sunset outside the Cracker Barrel where we had supper.

 

 

 The view outside the front window when Cerwin parked the truck tonight.  There were mule deer on the hillside, but it was too dark to photograph them.

 

  

 

Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:21  NIV

 

 

 

Heading Home From Chilliwack, British Columbia

Day 13 – Sunday

Chilliwack, BC, to North Bend, WA

 

Our last morning with Dave and Annie

 

They are pleased the hummingbirds found their feeder.

 

 

We enjoyed watching a few during breakfast and lunch.

 

 

After going to church with Annie and Dave, we enjoyed a delicious quiche for lunch.

 

 

 

~~~

 

Chapel Dedication at 3:00 p.m.

 

People began to assemble in the chapel shortly after 2:00 p.m.

 

 

The living/office quarters.

 

 

 

 

The view outside the living quarter’s door.

 

 

This chapel is staffed by volunteers – who were asked to stand beside the chapel for recognition and prayer.

 

 

Dennis Finnamore, Director of Canadian Ministry, opened the service.  There were about seventy-two people in attendance.

 

 

Scott Weidner, TFC President and CEO, prepared our thoughts for the dedication.

 

 

Dedicating the chapel to the Lord’s service.

 

 

This young man , one of the first drivers to accept the Lord in the old chapel, more than a dozen years ago, joined in praying for this chapel.

 

 

 

 

Dennis closed the service with prayer for the chapel, the chaplains, the drivers, and the truck stop.

 

 

After a week of cold, rainy weather, we praise God for a sunny afternoon.

 

 

However, the jackets tell you that the temperature was only in the high 40’s.

 

 

The TFC staff enjoyed seeing Kim (beige shirt) who has served on several TFC chapels, and lives nearby.

 

 

After most of the people left, Cerwin pulled the tractor away from the chapel.

 

 

 

 

He installed a king pin lock so a driver cannot back up to it and pull it away.

 

 

Darlene and Tom taking pictures of us leaving at 4:48 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were blessed with quick passage across the border, and back to our homeland.  It took about ten minutes – and most of that was because of the crossing guard asking us questions about the ministry, and blessing us for serving the Lord! 

There was nobody ahead of us when we got to the border – and nobody behind us.  However, the line coming into Canada was about a quarter of a mile long – and a double line.

 

 

We hoped to see Mt Baker, but think it was coverd in clouds.

 

 

As we approached Seattle, it began to snow.

 

 

We were blessed to spend an hour with Volunteer Chaplain Jerri at the North Bend, Washington, chapel, before going to bed.

 

 

 

Thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!

1 Corinthians 15:57  CEV

 

 

 

Chilliwack, British Columbia

Day 12 – Saturday

Lunch With Friends

Evening Banquet

 

 

We were blessed to have lunch with Wayne & Amy Dueckman who live in nearby Abbottsford.  We met them in the 80s when both served with Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, PA. 

That was fun!  Thanks for taking time to come to Chilliwack.

 

 

We got to see some mountain tops today!

 

 

Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains.

 

~~~

 

Evening fund-raiser Banquet for TFC in the Chilliwack Area

 

Ted Willms and TFC President & CEO Scott Weidner

Ted was part of TFC when we became acquainted with the ministry in the late 60s. 

(Don Hollinger, if you read this, tell Dick Weaver that Ted said, “Hi.”)

 

 

The Alliance Church and TFC volunteers prepared a delicious buffet-style meal.

 

 

I understand that there were 340-plus people in attendance.

 

 

Dennis Finnamore, TFC Director of Canadian Ministry

 

 

The Evergreen State Quartet were fabulous.  I wish they lived on the east coast.

 

 

A testimony from a trucking company owner.

 

 

A beautiful quilt that was sold at the auction.

 

 

This wall hanging was another auction item.

 

 

The auctioneer and Chaplain Mike Foisy auctioning a model truck.

~~~

It was a great evening.

 

 

 

All praise to God

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

because we are united with Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 NLT

 

 

 

Chilliwack, British Columbia

Day 11 – Friday

A Relaxing Day for Me

 

It has been cold and rainy during our stay in Chilliwack, and today was no different.  It began to snow while we were eating breakfast.  The temperature has been in the forties.

 

 

Cerwin and Dave discussing the weather.

 

~~~

I chose to stay home with Annie today, and get some of my pictures updated for a PowerPoint presentation at tomorrow night’s banquet.  The men were finishing up a few things at the chapel in preparation for Sunday’s dedication service.  The permanent electric could not be hooked up due to a permit, so Cerwin did it through the generator on the tractor – which usually pulls the promotional chapel, and is set up with a generator.  Dave pressure-washed the blacktop surrounding the chapel so it will be clean for Sunday.

 

~~~

 

The sun was shining during supper, so Dave asked if we wanted to take a drive up one of the mountains.  We love seeing new scenery, so it was not a difficult decision.

However, true to the weather pattern this week, it soon began to rain.

 

 

I did manage to take a few pictures.  The snowline is low in the mountains due to the morning snow flurry.

 

 

We stopped on a plateau partway up the mountain where Dave and Annie’s church has a beautiful camp overlooking the large lake.

 

 

We walked to an area where you can usually have a good view of the lake and mountains, but we saw mostly fog and clouds.

 

 

I love the tree-lined driveway.

 

 

Then we drove farther up the mountain to another plateau, where there were a lot of small farms – some well kept…

 

 

others not so well kept.

 

 

You can see that we are now in the snowline.

 

~~~

I was intrigued by this upper plateau.  It was so flat – just like the valley below where Dave and Annie live.

~~~

 

 You can tell this is an area rich in rain because of the moss-covered trees.

 

 

 

 

Chilliwack, British Columbia

Day 10 – Thursday

The Chapel

&

Harrison Hot Springs

 

 

We continue to hear from truckers who like the good visibility of this chapel.

 

 

The steel for the steps did not come in time for this weekend, so these will have to do for another week or two.

 

 

Cerwin and Dennis (Canadian Director) install the awning on the living quarter’s door.

 

 

Moving chairs from the old chapel to the new one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filling the shelves of the new chapel

 

 

Turning in old keys for new ones.

 

 

Florence and Chaplain Mike Foisy (left) brought Chaplain Bill and Gertude Thomas to the chapel after picking them up at the airport.  Bill and Gertrude are from Edmonton, Alberta.

 

~~~

 

When we finished at the chapel, I went along with Dave and Cerwin to take a large table to Dave and Annie’s daughter’s barn for storage – for use when corn roasts are held at the chapel.

 

 

I photographed some of their pretty flowers while the men unloaded the table.

 

 

 

~~~

 

Toward evening Dave and Annie (our host and hostess) took us on a scenic drive to Harrison Hot Springs – about twenty-five miles northeast of here.

 

It has been cloudy, rainy, and cool since we arrived, but we got to see a few mountain tops during the drive.

 

 

 

~~~

Some pretty things at Harrison Hot Springs

~~~

 

Chestnut blossoms

 

 

This one is open a bit farther.

 

 

A chestnut from last season is sprouting.

 

 

Annie and David

 

 

A view of the mountains beyond Harrison Lake

 

~~~

More pretty things along the walkway.

~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water from the springs is pumped into this beautiful outside pool.

 

 

Supper in a beautiful lakeside restaurant.

 

 

My delicious meal of prawns (shrimp) and mussels.

 

 

This place is well known for sandcastles.  They have just begun building them this season.  There is a cost to get beyond the fence.

 

~~~

 

After we got home, Cerwin and I modeled the Peterbilt hats that Dave gave us

 

I still have my black and blue beard!

It is getting lighter (yellowish green) on the outside.

 

 

Cerwin is looking as handsome as ever.

 

 

 

O Sovereign Lord!

You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm.

Nothing is too hard for you!

Jeremiah 32:17 NLT