Mish Mash is easier to spell than Miscellaneous!

Written in Sault Ste Marie, June 10, 2007
We are sitting in the parking lot of a sister AGC church here in the Sault, Bible Fellowship Church. Pastor Craig & Kristi Buckner were warm and welcoming and I was offered to share the walk with the congregation. We were blessed with $365 of donations which are already on their way to Careforce.
The church has unprotected wireless, so we are sitting in the parking lot doing our laptop work, me writing to you. So I wanted to take this afternoon to share some photos that I haven't posted yet - so you can see what we are seeing.

Dad & I walking, Diane driving in the background.

When my parents came up to visit on May 23, 07 my Dad parked ahead and walked back to walk with me. Mom stayed at the car and took the photos. Later that day the door of the RV fell apart and if Dad hadn't been there I really don't know what we would have done. We took a campsite at Grundy Lake Provincial Park, a place where we camped when we lived in this area (south of Sudbury). He jiggered the door up for the night and then the next morning we went into Sudbury to get the things he needed to repair the door (drill, screws, 2x2 piece of spruce, caulking). I am so thankful that God knew that we needed my skilful father to fix our door that day and put it on his heart to come. It was Dad's birthday that day, May 24 and my birthday on May 22 . So Mom brought a decadent turtle cheesecake! Thanks Mom and Dad. It was great spending time working with Dad on the door.

Dad & I working on the door.

I am wearing my bug shirt (and pants) while working on the door with Dad. Since then we haven't had any problems with pestilance. There have been almost no mosquitos or black flies. OHHHHH yes we did! Diane and I were sitting at the table, her coat was hanging on the back of the drivers seat when I spotted THE LARGEST SPIDER I have honestly ever seen. Diane wanted to get a photo....I went in for the kill with the bottom of the kettle. It escaped but reappeared and after putting all my weight on it to kill it under the kettle took a peek and it started running away!!!!! Paul finally got out of the bathroom, cued by all the screaming and excitement. He grabbed a paper towel and handily killed the vermit! I believe he used a move he learned from Josh's how to kill an enemy silently tips. Just then my phone rang and it was Steve from CJVR!

Free parking has it's draw backs :)

On Friday May 25, we parked under this hwy overpass. We were tucked away so that no one could see us from the hwy, but when the trains went by (every hour) they were only meters behind us and it was very loud. :) The train in the photo is rolling by at a good speed. Saving money means inconveinence. A small price for a simple life.

Pastor Gary & Marg Landers and Diane, Val Caron (north of Sudbury).

On May 27 we spent the Sunday with Valleyview Community Church in Val Caron (just north of Sudbury). Diane and Pastor Gary and Marg Landers are pictured here in front of their new property, a closed Catholic school who gave the church a wonderful deal on the building. These people have watched over us, prayed over us, blessed us with donations, and took us out for meals, had us in for a shower and a meal, offered us a plug in and a place to park for the night. What a welcoming church! May God bless all of their efforts in reaching out to their community through this new building! Thank you Valleyview for your hospitality!!!!

Paul found the Canadian flag in the ditch and put it to good use.

It is so great to have Paul walking with me. We were pulling the Ranger with a homemade tow bar but somehow (no blame to anyone) it got torqued and Paul is unsure of it's safety. So now, Paul drives ahead 10 kms, parks the truck (he seems to always find a little spot) and rides his bicycle back to the RV, secures it on the back and starts walking with me.
I would be terrified to ride a bike along this highway. This is the shipping lanes of the north and trucks constitute at least 70% of the traffic. The speed limit is 90 but I am sure they are travelling at 100 km/hr. He wears his bike helmet and safety vest but... I am praying for him while he is riding.

An early morning shot along Hwy 17. What wonder and beauty I see.

We saw two or three horse and buggies in this area near Desbarats (50 km east of the Sault).

We are a happy lot, moving along Hwy 17 every day. Some of the truckers have come to know us as they transport between points with regularity. Those ones start honking a long way off and give a big wave. It is beginning to feel like we are part of a unique community. Its a funny aggregate of those who meet over and over as they move along together. I am NOT going to use, "this stream of humanity!" no! I will not. But now I have written it... what shall I do.
(move on to a different topic)

Morning beauty.

Just walking home!

On the way to Thessalon. A beautiful little town on the north shores of Lake Huron. We had lunch there at a little restaurant and were told by locals that a tornado had gone through the night before. I have to tell you about the date square I had there. I asked how big it was and she laughed. It was 4" x 4"x 2"! I must say, WOW! It was excellent. Something I will dream about for time to come. We certainly did hear a big storm (thunder, lightening, big wind) during the night but again we were spared the full brunt of the weather. They had quite a bit of damage done in their town that night. We found the town to be welcoming - in fact at the post office we were invited to come and settle there!

Friday, June 8 - Really early to swim in Lake Huron! Anytime of the year is early to swim in Lake Huron!

Just outside of Thessalon we stayed at a private campground. Both Paul and Diane went swimming!!! Later while walking through the camp people asked Paul about going swimming. The news had travelled around pretty quick. It was a beautiful beach and excellent price ($20). We had showers, emptied our sewage, washed our clothes. But, then when Paul and I slept out in the tent we had to listen to people talking around their campfire until 1:30 am. That comes awfully close to 5 am.

This photo is for Ryan Nelson.

A free wheeling couple from Maine.

Meeting people along the way is one of the highlights for me. This couple are from NW Maine. They won the GoldWing in a raffle. Their licence plate is "OUI 1" (we won). We welcomed them to Canada and answered their questions about the walk. They trusted us with a donation right there on the spot.
We also learned at that picnic site that people do stay overnight at picnic sites and are not told to move along. Thanks to an RV couple from St. Catherines we now have one more option open to us for overnight!!!

On Saturday June 9, Catherine, a reporter with CTV Sault Ste Marie, came out to where we were walking and spent about an hour with us interviewing and filming. The piece ran on the 6 pm news on the same day. I am sorry I didn't think of calling people to let you know to watch. She said we could email her and she'd send us a copy. We had fun doing talking with her.
Diane gave an excellent interview. She isn't often in the front & center but she really shone as she spoke of how the walk has impacted her and hopes it will make a legacy for her family (and newborn grandson). Its great to see my ministry partner being used like that. God also laid it on Diane's heart to speak to some street kids here in the Sault (we are in the city for the weekend, parked in a church parking lot). She went to talk to these kids begging at a traffic light and ended up praying for them right there and then giving them a tract!!!

Diane being interviewed by Catherine of CTV, Sault Ste Marie.

Denise being interviewed somewhere west of Bruce Mines, Saturday June 9, 2007.

We have covered 730 kms so far. This brings us only one day short of being a quarter of the way home! Seems pretty amazing to me. If you do something everyday and put alot of those days together you get something pretty big done in the end!

My sweet kids, Becky and Josh. Thanks to Josh, and his great advice my feet are in much better shape! Its so nice to get to the place where your kids are advising you. This photo taken April 29 at Breadalbane. THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE PRAYED FOR MY FEET!

Something I have been thinking about while I walk:

A good friend of mine said before we left, "I think this thing your planning to do is humanly impossible, but I think you can do it!" What a wonderful blessing. Those words have been an encouragement to me while I walk.

But I know walking 25 km per day isn't impossible. Many people have done bigger things. But something that is humanly impossible is forgiveness. When you have been offended, sold for a bowl of porriage. When someone has gained at your expense it feels like you have no power - like you are a victim. And it is true, if you don't have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is humanly impossible but each of us is called to do it. "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

So many people have said that they wish they could be sharing the adventure with us. But the adventure of trusting God in the everyday interactions of life is waiting for you. He will supply your every need, even the need of being willing and able to forgive.

Your future, my future is in the impossiblility of forgiveness. God bless you as you walk the road with him.

Self portrait.

Well, I guess I have to say goodbye. Its almost time for bed. I will pray for you and I know that you are praying for me. I will talk to you next time I find internet! We were told that north of the Sault there is hardly any cell phone service until you get to Manitoba. So we might have a long dry spell ahead. Don't give up, and neither will I.