Old Hat, New Sights

It seems time, and lots of it, got away on me since my last post. So let me catch up up on what's new.

First, Dwight returned from Moz safe and sound. Shortly thereafter came down with the prescribed bout of malaria but we treated right away, so he recovered quickly.

Second, we've been doing lots of traveling. But that's not news since we always seem to be coming or going on some or other trip regardless of where we are in the world. One day I'm going to add up all those miles!

So anyway, this is what I've seen a lot of this past month...

Lots of the dashboard, windscreen and highway.

Three weekends ago, we headed out on a trip about 5 hours north to the Grande Prairie/Sexsmith area of Alberta. When the weekend was over, we came back to Edmonton then turned right around and did the same thing the following weekend to visit another church in the same area.

Two round trips at 10 hours each = 20 hours (give or take) in a 10 or so day period. Some people here refer to this as a lot of traveling, but since we're used to 36+ hour round trips, it didn't seem bad at all. Besides, there are divided highways with no pot holes and you can get decent coffee (or whatever) at every stop. Aside from the mild monotony of mile after mile after mile of smooth asphalt, the trip isn't too bad at all.

It snowed the first weekend so that added a bit of excitement along the way. For one thing, poor visibility keeps you more attentive. And for another thing, it makes me dig out my camera because it's pretty and I can't NOT take pictures of snow.

On our way to a rural church in Canada to tell them about the exciting things
that are happening in rural Mozambique right now.

On our way home from our first trip, Dwight thought he spotted horses running in a field. Turns out they were moose so we had to pull over and watch them for awhile. And yes, out came the camera again.

At home we were greeted as we always are by our family and by Mom and Dad Lagore's little dog, Sasha. Even though we come in and go out the front door A LOT, she always greets us excitedly as if it's been years!

While we were home midweek (sometime mid-March), it decided to snow even though the season is already officially Spring. It snowed for about 24 hours.

We had even planned to have a family "braai" (South African term for B-B-Q) which is usually done outside with everyone sitting around in lawn chairs...

Oh well.
Our consistent family theme seems to be "If there's a will, there's a way".

This is on our 2nd trip north. I had to take this photo in a hotel where we overnighted because I was amused by the fact that all the pick-ups back into their parking spots.

So we did too (smaller vehicle far left of photo).

I later learned that these are oil company trucks and it has something to do with company policy. I guess that would explain it.

More interesting things along the highways...

I love noisy, rumbling trains that shake you to the core as they pass by :)
This one's a double decker.

Just about everything is photo-worthy to me.

This week the SAM Ministries board got together for a business meeting and to get an update from Bill and Dwight on their trip.

Dad and Mom Lagore come early to set up every single time.

And everyone enjoys the chicken and her fresh baked buns every time too.

Even though I have a new camera, I found the timer button on it.
Here we all are.
(Left to right: Dwight Lagore, Bill Cairns, Janette Stone, me, Gunnar Myrholm, Patti Green, Mom and Dad Lagore, Steve Lagore, Bill Green, Bob Guzak, Chris and Gary Peckham.)

In Moz, things are full steam ahead as per usual. Work on the airstrip is underway again, new orphans have been added to the program, school is back in full swing, building projects are making progress, people are busy studying, moving, being fitted with reading glasses, and health visits are being done. (Catch up with news here. Also, check out Heather's blog, and Francois' too.)

Oh, and a short term team of 2 (Rick Cogbill and John Topham) are due to arrive in a few days. They will be busy with vocational training, woodshop work, and maintenance facility construction.

And we, here, will be traveling some more. That's old hat, but that's ok since there is lots of good stuff to share about and there always seems to be something interesting or new along the way.

Yesterday's photo: Hats placed on fence posts surrounding a farmer's field.
Company policy?

PS: On Facebook? Check out SAM's new Timeline layout.

Snow and Whiteness

While Dwight, Bill and my dad enjoyed warmer climes last week in Mozambique and Brazil, we in Edmonton got dumped with about 20 centimeters of snow.

Snow presents a few challenges. Unlike rain, it stays where it lands.

And if it's cold out, things can go on like this for quite awhile.

Snow is cold, sticky, and slippery, and in order to carry on with life it has to be shoveled, scraped, and or swept away.

It just so happened that when we got the great snow dump, I had to be at Missions Fest in downtown Edmonton for several days in a row. That meant dressing up for the cold in a heavy winter coat, gloves, scarf, and boots, scraping and sweeping what seemed like a ton of snow off the car, warming the car up so I could drive, then slip sliding my way to the city center along the snowy streets.

Yes, I'm a wimp in winter. But I do agree that snow's whiteness makes it really beautiful... mostly from the warm, dry side of our home's window pane.

Janette Stone (right) in front of the SAM Ministries booth.
She, Patti Green, Carole Argo and I "manned" the booth over the weekend.

When the weekend was over, I left Edmonton for a week in BC with my family.

Leaving Alberta

Arriving in BC

There was some work to attend to as always, but there were good mom-daughter-sister times as well. And of course the view is always so beautiful, even with less white.

It's getting late so I should wrap this post up. Official news updates are on the SAMMinistries website, but I couldn't resist posting a few photos that Heather and others took recently at the annual general meeting in Mozambique.

Since I wasn't able to be there this year, Celestino gave the Health Department report.
What a blessing it is to have capable and hard working co-workers.

At the end of the day, it was group photo time. Judging from this photo, a bit of comic relief was in order after the long day of reports and business discussions. I like it :)

And last but not least, I have to show you the photos I took in the pet store we were in the other day. I love pet stores and always head to the back to admire the puppies and kittens. But this particular store didn't have puppies or kittens. It had fish, lizards, a Ball Python, frogs, tarantulas, and this...

A rat.

I don't get it. They're ugly, plentiful, and one of the greatest pests known to man. Why would I want to buy a rat??

Even the whiteness isn't working right now...


But it definitely helps that he's on the other side of a window pane.


PS: And yes, it is kind of cute how he's all curled up and snuggled in the shavings. But still, ugh.