The Lowest Day

I knew there would be low days - it is inevitable. But some valleys are lower than you could ever imagine. Circumstances pile up one ontop of another and there you are at the bottom. Faith that God knows the way through this deep valley is all that I am walking on today. Faith that the one who PROMISED to be faithful will actually BE faithful and will guide me through this time. It has to be true now or it is not worth Christ's death for. So, today I will put one foot in front of another and keep taking one breath after another - that is enough.
There is a better home, a new city, another country that my hope is laid up in. Until then, denise

Tuesday May 22

Its my 49th birthday today! And yesterday my sweet husband ordered 24 long stemmed red roses! During the morning walk I recieved a phone call from a florist asking me to stop by when I walked through town that day. Paul was disappointed because he had asked them to deliver them on the road. That would have been shocking! But, the roses speak to me of his EXTRAVAGANT love for me. Thank you Paul.

Paul's parents, his sister Joy and one of her daughters, Hannah have driven up twice now to visit us on the road and bring us gifts of food and other necessary items. Thanks to them we have a little item that tells us if there is wireless available in the area. We also have lots of Tim Horton gift certificates. Thanks!

If you ever find yourself in Port Carling make sure you stop into this beautiful restaurant! Ella, her husband and lovely daughter were more than hospitable to us when we landed on their doorstep an hour before opening time. They gave us free breakfast and a large donation to the walk! What a special time we had together. Ella said that she had been a long distance runner but now her hip was bothering her. I am sure she has enough to do with this enterprise under way.

I wanted to share this with you all. What interesting things I pass along the way. This tree must have grown around a rock. It reminds me of the Ents from Lord of the Rings.

Al stopped us on the road to bring us words of encouragement and friendship and give us a donation to the walk! Thanks Al for your smile. God bless you.

The Ontario flower, the trillum, is blooming on the forest floor everywhere. It is against the law to pick these.

This makes me so sad. Please take your garbage home and deal with it. Dont dump it in someone else's back yard!

Just walked by the Shawanaga River today. Near Pointe au Baril, ON.

First time for everything

Tonight I was afraid. We met a group of 5 men three times throughout the day and I felt rather stalked. So I asked Diane if she would mind if we could spend the night in a hotel. Here we are and there happens to be wireless internet! It is the May 24th weekend so I expected to not be able to find a hotel room but the first place we stopped at was able to give us a room. Pricey enough, but it is very, very clean.
My feet are sore with blisters. Someone suggested tea bags and I meant to do that tonight but I forgot them in the RV.
What a great day today. Perfect weather and I talked to Steve at CJVR on his morning show and Logan at CJVR for his news spots.
Yesterday, I ducked into the woods to go pee and Diane drove past me without knowing where I was. When she couldn't find me she started to panic. I felt terrible when she finally came back and with tears in her eyes said, "I was so happy to see that orange vest! I didn't know what I would tell Paul." We decided if I ever do that again I would leave my vest and sticks by the side of the road for her to see.
Scott phoned me today. He was caught in a traffic jam near Cobourg because of a bad accident on the 401. He was on his way to my brother's Bookstore Cafe to do a gig there and then spend some time with Uncle Al. He was feeling trapped. We talked about when Paul & I are windbound while canoeing and how irrational it seems but I get that trapped feeling too. We have everything we need and only need to wait out the weather but its not as easy as it seems. It was nice talking and it was nice that he called me to chat. He called back later estatic with his freedom. He had taken a risk and used an emergency vehicle turnaround and got into the west bound lanes. HE WAS FREE! He couldn't believe his joy as he navigated through small towns to get to Al's. It was so nice to share that moment with him too.

Pics of the week

Here are some picture of the past week.



Breakfast in the Endurance taken this morning (May 18). Diane is an amazing support to me as she spends so much time making meals and having it ready for me when we are done for the day. Thanks Diane, you are a servant of God.

Walking through a peaceful woods on a small winding road I heard a train approaching from a long distance off. It came closer and closer. The woods were so thick that I couldn't see it but knew that it was running parallel to the road. Then it blew it's whistle. The sound crashed through the woods and my shoulders shot up, my head ducked down, my knees bent and I couldn't even breathe. You would think that I would be ready for the next time it blew, but it was as frightening as the first time! The train is gone, but the shock is still with me.

I wondered if that whistle was supposed to make people get off the tracks - it made me freeze in shock and confusion. I don't think I could move even if I knew the danger it warned of.

The end of the little forest road was at Torrance. This cleft rock was just outside of that town.

On the rainy day we had two visitors, this is Ian. He was riding his bike from Manitoulin Island to Barrie. We turned around to chase him down and then invited him into the RV for a coffee. Diane is a wonderful hostess.

Sarah, Simon and Gabriel came all the way from Barrie to visit us and bring us lunch - which we ate for two days. It was so exciting to talk about Mike and Sarah's call to missions work in Mozambique! You don't often see young people entering the missions field FULL TIME any more and I was so happy to see a young couple with two little ones drop all that is in their hands to say yes to the call of God. Remember, "If God calls you to be a minister, don't stoop to be a King." May God bless the Thessien family with all His provision and joy!

After a full day's walk, The Fry Guy gave us a free supper and a free place to stay for the night and plug in too! Always exciting when we get electricity!

Morning departure (6:00 am ) from Hamlet, ON. The Severn Canal goes through this vacation land.

Sunday, May 15 at Craigleith Provincial Park on Georgian Bay. It was very moving when I came over the last hill on Airport Rd and saw the shores of Georgian Bay. I had walked from the shores of Lake Ontario to the shores of Georgian Bay. Just one of many landmark moments.

Before the launch of the walk we stayed at my sister & brother-in-law's (Ron & Joan Germain). They had a new batch of puppies and Diane spoiled one little one that wasn't well. They are both beautiful creations of our heavenly Father.

Well ok, I have 2.5 more hours on the road to go today so I am on my way. Lots of love to all.

From Muskoka Lakes, denise

Passing Through Cottage Country

This week D&D have been passing through the beautiful cottage country of the Muskokas. They have not been able to access wireless internet so I (Paul) thought I would post some pics of the beautiful landscape that they are seeing everyday. Below is an ariel view of Morrison Lake (borrowed these photos from www.morrisonlake.ca).

The next photo is a satellite view of the same lake. To the east of the lake you can see the route they travelled today (Southwood Rd.). The large island in the lake is called Mile Island.

They are travelling northwest and should reach Parry Sound by the weekend. Today Denise walked her 250th kilometer! Tonight they are parked 10 kms. south of Torrance at the junction of Southwood Rd. and Old Stone Rd.

Tuesday May 15

Simple Steps Walk May 15, 2007 Written in Barrie ON
Kilometers covered: 28.1 km
After walking from Anten Mills to Hwy 12 we went into Barrie tonight. I am realizing (with Paul's help) that I can't do anything after walking until I have eaten. He is right. My brain is fuzzy, can't make decisions, I am a mess until I have eaten. So I have to work that into my schedule.
I apologize to all who have not received any emails. It is only because I don't get to a place to send or receive emails often. So, don't think I am ignoring you - I am mostly just walking.
Pastor Michel called today to encourage me.
The day went by quickly and I felt strong the whole way. I am fading now though so I will say goodnight.

Donors, Radio, Blisters

Simple Steps Walk Monday, May 14, 2007 written in Anten Mills, On
Kilometers covered today: 25.1
We slept in and got a late start as planned today. I finally started walking at 8:45 am in Stayner. Diane caught up with me soon after and in good time cuz the morning is full of washroom breaks. Sometimes I really get frustrated with how many times I need to get into the RV to use the washroom.
The day went by one hour of walking at a time. The breaks that we planned (before leaving) to be 15 minutes have turned out to be half hour breaks. So the day goes by and I am usually just finishing up by 5:30 or 6 pm. I am hoping that this will change as we move into a routine and my body gets stronger.
I have two blisters, one on each heel. But it would have been unreasonable to think I could get away without any the whole trip. They haven’t caused any problem – they are just sensitive but don’t inhibit my walking at all. One thing I do when I finish for the day is have a foot bath. This started with Jay doing this for me for the first three days while we were staying there. Thanks Jay.
Some good news came today: Running Room is sponsoring the walk with 2 pairs of Kayano running shoes and some technical shirts!
Also, Darren stopped to talk to me today. When he drove by he noticed the signs and turned around to come by to get a donation envelope! Then a couple of hours later the Barrie Christian Radio station called for an interview! Darren had called them to let them know about the walk. They called back again and said they were going to sponsor the walk. So tomorrow we are going to drop by to pick up a sticker to put on our vehicle!
Tonight at the end of the walk was a chip stand, “The Fry Guy”. Diane did her magic and asked if we could park in his drive way and plug in – of course he said yes. We were so excited to have some of his French fries and I ordered “The Hungryman(woman)” which had chicken strips too. When Diane went to pay he wouldn’t take the money! Supper was on him. I told him that every night we ask God to provide a place for us to stay and he was our angel tonight. He thought he had more devil in him than angel.
Tomorrow we will get a very early start and hopefully make it to hwy 12. We will also go down into Barrie to visit the CAA office and the Christian radio station. Maybe Jayme will be able to get it worked out so that I can pick up that stuff from Running Room too.
God’s provision is astounding! Thank you Lord.

Week 1 Down 145 km

View of Hamilton going south on hwy 6.

Kelly and Denise walking on Monday May 7.

One of the many hills north of Orangeville on the Airport Rd. I have started using my walking poles and it has seemed to bring a consistancy to my pace and taken pressure off one of my heels.

Simple Steps Walk Sunday, May 13, 2007 written in Anten, ON
To summarize this week is simple, it was a miracle. I have trained, yes. In the part of Saskatchewan where we live there are no big hills. Since January my training has taken second place to recovering from an injury and to the Saskatchewan winter weather (-35 degrees is a ripe for injury). So since then I have been moderately training. I thought for sure I would need to work up to the 25 km per day required. But, the week went by day by day and except for taking a day off for getting a tire changed on the RV (Thank You Glen Colling!) we were able to do 30 km days from Thursday to Saturday. These kms were done at the same 5 km/hour as the others but Aiport Road is a road of huge hills and valleys. I am so glad no one warned me about this road. I was able to take one hill at a time. It was on one of these hills that I felt the presence of Jesus in a way that I have never experienced Him before.
Some of the highlights of the week were:
1. The launch, pretty overwhelming but a good day
2. DeGraafs meeting us before Stayner on Saturday
3. Glen Colling replacing a tire for us on Wednesday
4. A farmer getting out of a bin (he was putting seed into the seeder from the bin) coming through the field to give me what he had in his pocket $70
5. Patrick the Viceroy guy who let us stay on his construction site and plug in for the night.
6. Saw the new Spiderman in Collingwood on Saturday night
7. The presence of Jesus as I walked the hills
8. Erin radio station reception: they treated so nicely and did an interview
9. Erin Chocolate shop: free chocolates thank you guys
10. Christy and Jay Lehman gave us a new camcorder for the walk.
11. Graham Line and kellie’s husband installed a satellite tracking system
12. Charlotte McAlpine presented me with a beautiful quilt from the Careforce Office
13. Moe from 1Hour Signs on Harvester Rd, Burlington donated a caution banner!
Saturday night we pulled into Craigleith Prov Park and stayed for two nights. It was great to dump our waste and fill up our water tank. The Sabbath was excellent. I really needed the break. We didn’t even go to church.

Summary of Week One

Denise hasn't been able to find a wireless connection, so this is Paul writing. She asked me to do a summary of Week One.

May 6: On Simple Steps Walk Launch day They covered 10 kms. from Compasspoint Bible Church, Burlington, to the small town of Lowville. That evening D&D shared the SSWalk with the Crossroads Community Church in Burford. They traveled back to Carlisle to park over night in the driveway of Jay & Christy Lehman.

May 7: They continued to travel straight north on the Guelph Line from Lowville to Darbyville covering a distance of 19 kms. That evening they returned to the home of the Lehmans to park for the night.

May 8: Continuing straight north on the Guelph Line from Darbyville crossing #7 highway and proceeding to County Rd. 124. They ended their walking day at a little town called Ospringe, covering a total of 24 Kms. Once again they returned to the Lehman's home for the night.

May 9: This was a day for getting some necessary tasks completed. In Oakville, they had one of the rear tires replaced and looked after some other errands and appointments before parking for the last evening at the Lehamn's RV park.

May 10: Denise felt that she wanted to make up for the lost time on Wednesday, so she walked 31.5 kms. Passing through the Town of Erin and finishing the walking day at the junction of Airport Rd.

May 11: Proceeding north along Airport Rd. they begin to encounter some very steep hills, especially through the Hockley Valley (see photo below; these photos were borrowed from www.bowjamesbow.ca who gives a overview of the drive along Airport Rd. from Toronto to Stayner).

At the end of a long day they had completed 30.5 kms. at the town of Mansfield. This night they stayed in the Walmart parking lot in Orangeville.

May 12: Saturday was a challenge because of the rolling hills of Simcoe County. Mom and Dad DeGraaf met them on the road with a very generous care package and loads of encouragement. They traveled north to the end of Airport Rd. in the town of Stayner (the photo below shows the approach to the town).

Here's the corner where they finished their walking day covering a total of 28 kms. The total kms. for the week was 142.

From Stayner they drove 25 kms. west to the Craigleith Provincial Campgrounds on the south shore of Georgian Bay. There they found a campsite within walking distance of the shore (below is a photo of the shale rock shoreline).
May 13: This was a rest day at the campsite and doing some necessary shopping in Collingwood.

Passing Through the Town of Erin, Ontario, May 10, 2007

Today D&D passed through the rural town of Erin, Ontario (Km.63). They were greeted with a warm welcome by everyone they met. At the local pharmacy they were given permission to stay in their parking lot and another resident invited them to park the RV in his drive tonight.



On Main Street they stopped at the post office to get a post mark in their journal and the postal attendant made a donation and encouraged them to go to the local radio station, Erin Radio, 101.5FM, across the street. There they met Jay Mowat, who hosts a daily program called, Main Street. The program highlights interviews with the people who contribute to the character of the town of Erin. I think the interview with D&D will be aired today at 5PM Ontario time (3PM Saskatchewan time). You can listen on line by going to erinradio.ca and clicking on the Listen Now button. they also visited a chocolate shop where the owner gave them some goodies. Sugar is fuel! They are hoping to do 30 kms. today to make up for the lost time yesteday. If you are following on a map, their goal for today is to reach the junction of Charleston Rd. (County Rd. 24) and Airport Rd. (County Rd. 7), just 4.5 kms. south of the town of Mono Mills (the bearings are N43 55.050 W79 55.873).


Here's a pic of the kind of countryside they are enjoying as they travel. The temperature has been in the high 20s.

Paul 4 Denise

Short update

Hello good friends and neighbours!
This is the first time in a long time that I have been able to update you on what is happening.
I have walked 10 k on Sunday, 20 k on Monday and 25 k on Tuesday. My base training is paying off as I have no pains, no aches - but I do sleep well.
Today, we are in Burlington as Glen Colling got us a new rear tire as one of the four was worn and bald. He owns a garage but because it was a dual tire he got a tire service to replace it with a brand new tire! Thank you Glen.
Also our last prayer request was answered as Jay & Christy Lehman bought us a digital camcorder! It is excellent quality. Thank you guys.
And our RV is now outfitted with a satellite tracking system. Graham Line purchased the unit and Bert Allen installed it. Bert will also try to keep a map up to date online.
We met Scott for lunch today and said goodbye as we won't be turning around anymore! I'm coming home.
Did another interview with CJVR this morning. I am so grateful for their interest and coverage.
Well Diane is waiting for me in the RV as I finish this up. God bless you all and keep us in your prayers! Denise

Launch Day, May 6, 2007

Here's some pics of the Launch that started at CompassPoint Bible Church, Eaglesfield campus, Burlington, Ontario. Thank you to Michelle Varga for taking these pics and sending them to Paul to post on the blog.

This is a great shot of the beautiful woman whom God is using to raise money and awareness for the children of the Village of Hope (this is Paul writing).

Pastor Michel Ouedraogo, from the Village of Hope, Burkina Faso, West Africa, prays for Denise, asking for God's protection.

Jim Houston, AGC Canada West Superintendent, shares words of encouragement for Denise from God's Word. Pastor Michel and Lydia Ouedraogo are standing on the right.

Denise listens on the cell phone to the children of the Village of Hope in Burkina Faso praying for her as Pastor Michel prays.

Denise breaks the starting ribbon to officially begin Simple Steps walk. She is joined by many others walkers the first day (Jennifer Wilson-Bridgman, the President of Careforce International, is on Denise's left). She was blessed by the support of family and friends who came to see her off (Denise's mom, Ruth Orr is at the left of the picture with her camera in hand. You can check out her blog for more pics).

Sue Page and Donna Leung, on staff at the AGC national office, joined Denise for the first 10 kms of the Simple Steps Walk. Check out Sue's reflections on the day at the AGC website.

Day 7

Photo: Breadalbane Baptist Church, 1816 Paul & Denise's first pastorate located 1 hour east of Ottawa.

Simple Steps Walk Sunday, April 29, 2007 written in Centerville, ON

Three hours of driving east took us through Ottawa and on to Breadalbane Baptist Church in Glengarry County. As we drove up I said to Diane, “Everyone thinks we are from the big city, but this is where we are really from. This is home.”
And it was so good to be home. Before we were out of the RV the door was swung open and an extended arm reached toward me! So much time has passed, so many miles have been travelled but so much is the same. The church was full of sweet faces but a special few were missing. Some were at a meeting in Cornwall, others at a graduation in Winnipeg and one has gone on to be with her Lord.
Photo: Pastor Bruce introduces Denise.

I was blessed with the opportunity to lead the adult Sunday School class and then we went in to the morning service. Pastor Bruce has been doing a 3 part series on Our Resp
onsibility to the Poor. He did an excellent object lesson with ladies serving bountiful trays of fruit, chocolate, cheese & crackers. Although Pastor Bruce explained that there was enough for everyone and that he wanted everyone to sample the bounty of our country the servers only ever served the first two rows. At one point someone did take pity on the rest and threw a bag of rice to one onlooker. The morning was a very powerful statement of our need to be good executors of God’s provision.

Photo: Denise presents Simple Steps Walk.

And this is what the message of Simple Steps boils down to – we need to share what we have with the rest of the world. This life of sharing will lead to a previously unexperienced health for all of us.

After a wonderful potluck (where the kids served the adults dessert before they could indulge- good idea Kathleen!) we left for Denise’s parents home 3 ½ hours away in Centerville (near Napanee). We had a bit of a scare with the oil pressure but everything turned out fine.

Day 6

Simple Steps Walk Saturday, April 28, 2007 written in Centerville, ON

Sleeping in was the first order of the day. Obediently I slept until 10 am. Becky leaves early for work every morning so on Saturday she treasures her morning sleep. While Josh & Becky made a beautiful breakfast of pancakes, fresh fruit and yogurt I chatted with them. They work so well in the kitchen together (along with Massey and Ferguson who lay at their feet the whole time).
At noon, Josh & I started our list of jobs on the RV – change oil & filter, flush water lines, light hot water tank, paint mounts, attach mounts and lights. So we got all that done, and it was time for supper. It had been raining and overcast all day which made us chilled. So when we finally came in a nice cup of hot tea was such a treat! Again, Becky had made a wonderful meal and we sat listening to Josh’s stories.
Sunday was coming and we four looked forward to visiting Breadalbane Baptist Church – Paul & Denise’s first pastorate. So after a short evening we “hit the sack.”