Celebrating Both Countries

Being an American and now living in Canada, I get the neat opportunity to celebrate both countries each July! Canada Day takes place on July 1st and is the celebration of Canada becoming a country. This year, a group of us from church went down to the Charlottetown Waterfront to watch the fireworks. We arrived before it got dark and enjoyed fellowshipping together over a game of Phase 10. It's always great to watch fireworks!

Though I'm usually not in the US on July the 4th, I still like to celebrate my home country's day of independence in some way. Seeing that my new friends, Kendall and Freda, are American and would not be home on July 4th, we decided to 'host' a 4th of July cook-out for the Wednesday night prayer group. In Canada, you don't hear the term 'cook-out'. It's mainly just a BBQ, but not what us Southerners would consider BBQ. BBQ here is just hot dogs/hamburgers cooked on the grill. Us gals wanted to do more! We had a menu of BBQ chicken, burgers, baked beans, potato salad, chips, sweet iced tea, pecan pies, and a US flag cake, with some things provided by others. We enjoyed planning the evening and everyone seemed to have a great time of fellowship and food.
I thank God for the honor I have to celebrate two wonderful countries and how neat to sing both countries' anthems in one night, as we did on July 4th!

Meet Kendall and Freda

On June 17, Freda and Kendall walked into my life. They are our summer missionaries from Alabama. What a joy it is to have them around to assist us in all sorts of things at the church, but I think that more than anything, I love their company, zest for life, laughter, love for the Lord, and sharing our Southern ways! Now, I'm not the only one who sounds different around here~just kidding! These young ladies are a breath of fresh air for me and God knew I needed them at this point in my life. It can get pretty lonely down in the church basement and we have tons of fun together. They take me back to being in my twenties and we're just silly together. In just a few weeks time, we have made wonderful memories together & they are so willing to do whatever we ask of them. They were with me as I was looking for a car and finally found one. With having them here, I am also taken back to two of my summers in college, doing exactly what they are doing. I can't help but wonder what God might do in their lives. There is no way that I would have ever imagined that 11 years ago, during my summer in Montana and getting to take a mission trip to Cochrane, Alberta, to work on the seminary and help with VBS at Bow Valley Church, that I would 'still' be in Canada. Of course, 9 years ago in Vancouver, BC, might have played a part as well! Girls, thank you for following the Lord this summer and blessing my heart!! Can't wait to see what God continues to do in and through you this summer and the years to come!!! I LOVE Y'ALL!!!

My New Car

Well, for some reason I am just now posting pics of me and my new car when I have had it over a week! It is such a blessing to have this freedom again, to get a wonderful deal on the car and insurance, to have plenty of room to haul kids and youth & whoever (can seat 6) when needed, and to get good gas mileage. Thanks to all those who have been praying! It doesn't quite feel like mine yet, probably because it wasn't what I was expecting to find, but I am pleased with it and have received great compliments on it. When I test drove it, the FM radio was working, but after picking it up, only the AM worked. That about drove me crazy, so without a CD player in it yet, I have pulled out some tapes! While fast forwarding a tape the other night, the FM radio is now working, so needless to say, I won't be pushing that AM button again! Watch out PEI, Ellen is back on the road again!