Safe Arrivals

There's nothing like contending with busy holiday traffic and heavy semi trucks through the mountains on snowy, foggy, winding, sloshy roads to make you really appreciate arriving safely at your destination. And in case that doesn't make you appreciative, witnessing roadside accidents and vehicles in the ditches will.

It probably goes without saying that we were very relieved when over the holiday season, having spent about 20 hours on snowy roads with poor visibility and having witnessed several accidents, we completed our return trip to my parents' place in B.C. and back without incident!

Don't get me wrong though because despite driving conditions, it was wonderful to spend Christmas with my family in the mountains of British Columbia. Here's a shot of us on Boxing Day at the mall.

My parents, sister, husband and kids.

I know what you're thinking...we were getting in on Boxing Day sales. And if you thought that, then you're sort of right. But that's not all we were doing. We were also celebrating a very special family event: my niece's husband's "Rust" book-signing event. (We did our best to keep from mobbing the table.)

Left to right: Royden & Ruth (my niece), and my sister.

While we were happily snapping family photos, they were busy manning the table. This photo was taken at the end of the 3 hours when the books were all gone, so please bear with the reverse order of photos here.

(Oh, and on the table, pamphlets of the work in Mozambique which Royden and Ruth graciously asked us to make available for distribution that day. So yes, this wasn't "just" an ordinary book signing event!)

Royden's mom, Royden, and table visitors.

A memorial fund established in honor of Royden's father has helped raise funds to finish the bush airstrip at the mission in Mozambique. So it only seems fitting to tell you what comes next.

A donated hangar recently arrived in Moz from the U.S. by ship, it cleared customs (no small task), then was transported by truck to the mission where it was off-loaded. It then had to be literally dragged along the dirt road from the drop off point by the highway all the way up to the airstrip. (Thanks Barb Wayner for the photos!)

The container with the hangar, being dragged along by the backhoe.

Well, the road probably needed to be graded anyway!

Logs had to be put underneath it so it could roll rather than drag over the bridge.

Hangar construction materials from inside had to be unloaded.

(Ron Wayner and crew)
Then the foundations for the hangar were then poured.
A team is slated to arrive soon from the U.S. to complete the hangar's construction.

In the meantime, some final grading and work still needs to be done to finish the airstrip.
It's wonderful to see things going forward!

Last story here. This is Jose, a guard on staff at the mission.

He suffered for many years with teeth that were in very bad shape. So bad in fact that he could hardly chew his food. He used to say, "I am a happy man, and have inner peace, but if I could 'wish' for something more, it would be new teeth!" Well, God was obviously listening because several weeks ago, after quite a bit of work on his mouth, he got new teeth. They will take a bit of getting used to, but what a smile. Thank you to those who helped put this smile on his face!

Jose and Joao (Mozambican missionary serving at the mission).

And that pretty much sums up our news. I'll close this off with a photo of the Lagore family taken on New Year's eve.

Dwight and I with our two kids, far left.
Dwight's parents, Arthur and Gladie, front center.
Dwight's brothers, Steve and Allen, and their families, back center and right.

We wish you all the best, and especially inner peace, for 2012!