Some pics from the last seven kms and celebration

The Melfort Journal gave the Simple Steps Walk front page coverage. You can read the article on their website, "DeGraaf Welcomed Home from Simple Steps Walk."

Thank you to Cindy Neilsen for taking photos. Here is a brief overview of the day.

I will write more but for now...

I will write more about getting home tomorrow - hopefully - I still haven't even taken my things out of the RV! But tonight just before I go to bed I want to share my heart with you.
I want to tell you something I am thinking about right now, that I have been thinking about all day…not that I can tell you everything…but I can tell you that our God is so incredibly amazing (words are so pitiful) that He can take what was completely broken, ruined, shattered and like He has turned back the hands of time, repair it!!! Today, I have seen this in my own life. It is true – NOTHING is past his healing, NO ONE one is past his touch. He is the God who is called, “Create Anew.” This God is our God forever and ever.
Sleep peacefully in His arms of love and forgiveness. For He has said, "There is nothing you can do that will change how I feel about you." THAT IS WORTH LIVING FOR my friend.

7 km more to finish

This road is now acting as a breakwater. I guess the drought is over. Thank you Lord.
Can you see the two grain terminals in the background - thats Melfort! Almost there.

Friends join us from Burlington, Ontario and walk the last couple of kms yesterday.

Approaching the end of the second last day! Sleeping at home tonight.

Today we walked to the junction of Hwy #41 and #41A. That's where we will start tomorrow. People are going to join us for the last 7 kms and we will end at a park where we will have entertainment, a program, a chance for us to say thank you and a celebration.

I am pretty disoriented tonight but I know that I will begin to find some balance as time goes by. My mental health plan includes writing thankyou notes to all who donated, spending time organizing our home, and then in November 1 we leave for Burkina Faso to visit the Village of Hope.

As we approached the last 2 kms today a strange woman approached me and wanted to give me a donation! She turned out to be the Director of Careforce International and I just mistook her for a strange person because she's from Ontario :) She had come for the celebration with 3 other of our friends. What a blessing to see them!!

All I could say was, "Look what the Lord has done!" I will try to write in a couple of days about my feelings etc - right now I am dizzy with the events of the day and tomorrow coming up.

Love you, denise

Denise on Bcast

Listen here to Denise speaking at the Briercrest Bible College chapel service on September 10th.

Bcast

Lot's of Help Covering Familiar Territory

Yesterday Denise and Diane (Paul writing again for Denise) started the day walking just west of Yellow Creek along Highway #41.

They were joined early in the day by Etta Taylor who walked all the way to Ethelton (approx. 25 kms). Here they are walking past the old McCloy Creek train bridge.

Diane had the joy of the company of a few passengers throughout the day. One of them was one her Sunday School students, Tyrelle Audette, who also walked over 6 kms.

As the day progressed the crowd increased to include Linette Audette and Brian Stevenson. Throughout the day many people from the community stopped to bring words of encouragement and give donations.We finished the day at the town of Ethelton, just 27 kms from Melfort. We could see the grain terminals to melfort on the horizon. Great job to everyone who joined the walk! In the evening we were treated to a warm meal and a visit from some of our friends from the community. Thank you to Brain & Linda Stevenson for their generous hospitality.

Three Days to the Completion of the Walk!

Here's where the day started. Walking North-east on Highway #41 into the rising sun.

Stacey Meyers joined Denise (Paul writing here again) for most of the day. She walked 21 kms with Denise. Great job Stacey!!! Wednesday was a busy day for visitors. Many friends from Melfort and region stopped to bring food, offer words of encouragement, pray and make donations. One group was from the town of Meskanaw. They brought hugs and left a generous donation for the Village of Hope.

I showed up around 5PM. It looks like I'm doing all the work here, but don't be deceived by appearances. Denise still has plenty of energy for the remaining 50 kms. We were treated to a warm meal at Denis & Victoria Borsa's home at the end of a long day of visiting and walking. Thank you to everyone who brought words of encouragement and acts of kindness to help make it through another day on the journey.

Only 4 more sleeps!!!

Yes we are only four sleeps away from Melfort! We have spent the whole summer (and parts of the spring and fall) walking across three provinces and here we are almost home.
People ask me what I have learned from this experience. I often speak about the surprise that people are not as cynical as I thought but there is something more important. . . I have learned that taking risks is worth the reward of walking with my Lord. Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water and took the risk of a lifetime. He even realized the truth of the risk when he began to sink. But Peter is the only person who knows the experience of walking with Christ ON the water. Knowing Christ like you have never known him before is the reward of risk.
When I started thinking about the walk all of the risks were considered. And if I didn't think of one, someone else would be sure to let me know of a risk that I had overlooked. But the desire to help others and make a difference in people's lives motivated me to step out into risk.
Go ahead and take a risk.
This advert placed by Sir Ernest Shackelton sparked the interest of some 5000 people who responded with a desire to sign up for this expedition. "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."
Are you considering a risky step? If you are following God's direction for your life you will NOT be disappointed! The rewards are worth the effort and risk. The best reward will be postponed until you stand before your Lord and you hear Him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant!"
Don't waste this vapour of life you have been given. I know you have thought about this too. So do what God is asking you to do. Don't keep your life all safe and secure and then in the end find out that it didn't matter.
Take a risk and lose your life for Christ. I promise you He will not disappoint or abandon you.
Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose."
I believe in you, you can do it! denise

On the HOME Stretch!!

On Monday, September 17 (Paul here writing for Denise) Denise and Diane started the final steps toward home on Highway #41. It was a cold, wet and windy day. However, the warmth of many Melfort friends stopping to visit brought comfort and encouragement to the day.

Denise started walking at Aberdeen just south-west of the Louis Dreyfus Inland Terminal.

These two large crosses are a familiar fixture on the road between Saskatoon and Melfort. We (Denise & Paul) took some time to walk up the hill and investigate. They stand as a constant reminder of the thousands of lives of unborn children that have been taken due to abortion. We knelt to pray at the foot of the cross to recommit our lives to God and His service.

At the completion of twenty-eight kilometers we reached the town of Alvena and then drove ahead to Wakaw to be treated to a warm supper at the Crossroads Restaurant (thank you Sandy). While we were eating a trucker walked in with a big smile on his face. Carmen and Diane stayed at the Kenilworth motel, while Denise and Paul returned to Alvena to stay in the Community Centre parking lot in the RV (thanks Alvena for your hospitality). We'll try to keep you posted each day of the progress on this final week.

Disasterous Flooding in Burkina Faso

Torential rain is causing disasterous flooding in Burkina Faso. Check out the following news stories:

Burkina Faso: Lots of Rain, Little Aid (irinnews.org)

Flooding Causes Misery in Several African Countires (cbc.ca)

Saskatoon!

This is Paul posting for Denise. Yesterday was a big day for Denise & Diane. They had two media interviews: CTV News just south of Saskatoon and CJWW just east of the city with our good friend Dan Bushman. Denise walked through Saskatoon and started east along Highway #5 and then north-east on Highway #41 towards Melfort.

Later in the day Denise had an interview with Heather Almas over the phone. Hadrian Manufacturing in Burlington, Ontario, held their annual golf tournament and Simple Steps Walk was the designated charity. The participants raised over $20,000!!!!! (I'm sure Denise will want to follow-up with her own slant on the story).

A weekend in Caronport

DONATION UPDATE!!! $89,600
With only two weeks to go I was able to spend Saturday evening, Sunday and Monday with our daughter and family in Caronport. It has been such a wonderful time with our grandchildren and sharing with Amie and Jon again. They have just moved to Caronport so that Jon could continue his studies at Briercrest. It was nice to see their new house and where they will spend the next year while at school. These are photos from the weekend previous that the kids came to visit me in Regina.
On Sunday it was my privilege to speak at Ashley & Lisa Taylor's church, Sunningdale Community Church in Moose Jaw. (You can see photos on Ashley's blog HERE) They were a warm and generous congregation. They had a special gift ready as well . . . the worship team sang the Brian Doerkson song, You Will Lead Us Lord (the song that the title "Simple Steps" came from) and had a slide presentation with photos of the walk. What a kind and generous gesture. Thanks Ashley and Lisa for all your support!
On Monday I spoke to the students in chapel at Briercrest and felt the Lord filling my mouth with His words. What a humbling experience to know that God is using you. Thanks to Cal McFarlane the chaplain here at Briercrest who invited me to join the students in chapel.
We were then spontaneously invited to speak to a Micro Economics class about the plight of Burkina Faso. Paul joined me for this presentation.
Well, tomorrow I hit the road again. Diane and I have agreed to meet at Davidson at 10 am. Five days of 30 kms to next weekend will take us to Aberdeen (north east of Saskatoon) and then the next weekend we will be home!
Thanks for hanging in there with us all this way! We will continue to blog when we get home as Paul & I will be taking a trip to the Village of Hope i.n Burkina Faso on November 2 - 16. We will put photos and stories from the trip here.

Our first Melfort sign

Leaving Regina we saw our FIRST sign for Melfort. It was really a milestone for me.
I walked by these "diggers" as my grandson would call them and thought I would take a photo for him.
This is a photo of a land formation called a coulee.
The restaurant is closing so I can't write any more! Home soon.

The Prince Albert Daily Herald: article about Simple Steps

The Prince Albert Daily Herald: News Walking for children

photos from this week

A morning photo of the moon that didn't want to go to bed for the day.

A very friendly and generous town, Broadview was indeed a pleasure to visit. While returning some recycling this man came over and offered us some water! He and his wife run this water bottling company and they invited us in to see their operation and gave us water. Thanks!
We were blessed with many kindnesses and donations here. The town also runs a FREE camp ground where there is plugins and water at each site.


In the town of Wolseley they had this cool suspended foot bridge. Another generous little town! When we stopped for some propane the owner refused to take any payment and then later we stayed the night (Thurs Aug 30)at a restaurant, Al Kevino's, and they even let us plug in! Thank you Wolseley!!!

In the morning photo above these two combines were waiting to start their day of work and looked so impatient I tried to quell their anxiousness by suggesting I take their photo. (whew)
In the south here the harvest looks like it is nearly done. Not sure what is happening at home in Melfort.

Can you see Regina downtown off on the horizon?

We have really made it to Regina today (Mon Sept 3) and Diane was away for the day. Paul was driving and when we hit the city proper we left the RV at a Husky truck stop and just walked together to our day's end destination which was the intersection of Albert and Victoria Streets.
Diane later picked us up when we were done for the day.

There is some beautiful achitecture downtown Regina. I am standing on the steps of Knox United Church (I believe that was its name).

Another downtown Regina photo. The building behind was originally the Land Titles Office. Thanks Paul for the great couple of days. I admire and respect you more everyday. Thank you for your friendship and committment that is not changed by circumstances.

Just relax and walk!

Hi everyone. As you can see on the GREAT google map that my dear husband has worked so hard on (thanks Paul!) we will walk into Regina on Monday and walk out on Tuesday. I am presently sitting in the RV writing to you from the Husky truck stop on the east side of Regina.
As you know from my other blogs I always have trouble with my mind when I reach milestones - and the Saskatchewan border was no different. All of a sudden I wanted to be home immediately. I felt discouraged and flagging in enthusiasm - it honestly scared me. I thought, "How can I do 2500 kms and then fizzle out when I'm so close to home?" The mind is our best tool and can be our worse hindrance. In the survival acronym S.T.O.P. the first instruction is stop followed closely by think. Survival is a matter of using your mind to provide all you will need to get you through until help arrives.
To make matters worse I was beginning to get a consistent ache in my right hip, and left ankle. It pained to the point that I wondered if I would be accompanied by this new partner until I got home.
So I prayed.
The next day I wore my ankle braces and took the orthopedics out. The hip and ankle pain left without so much as a wave goodbye. Then I took myself to task. Seriously talking out loud to myself as I walked. "Now listen Denise. You can't sprint home! You still have 500 kms to do! You have a job to do just like everyone else and yours is to walk 30 kms everyday. You only have to do that for another 20 days. So just relax and walk. Do your work diligently and without complaining. Look at what a great work environment you have! If you keep up with this bad attitude you are only working against yourself. So do the daily goal and eventually you will achieve your goal of being home with your husband again. UNDERSTAND?" And I did understand and I did settle down and now I am content to walk each day, happily strolling through our great province.
The mind has to be bridled and managed in all circumstances. Where has your mind been lately? And where is it taking you?
New topic: I saw a badger the other day. It was such a blessing to see such a mysterious animal. I have also see three snakes (just garters) in the past week which is surprising because I haven't seen one yet.
Diane is with her family tonight. Today marks the day that Logan (Diane's first grandchild) was introduced to his Baba Hawreschuk. Logan is happy contented little fellow and his mom is a natural. I hope they have a wonderful time together.
Only 16 more walking days! Can you believe it? I am really finding it hard to understand that I have really walked all that way. I know that may seem strange - I find it strange too.
Next weekend I will be staying with our daughter and her family at Caronport. They have just recently returned to school after pastoring a church for 4 years (is that right? maybe 3 yrs?). Anyway we will be at the Sunningdale Community Church in Moose Jaw and then on Monday we will be at Briercrest for their chapel. I will get an extra day off there and then start toward Saskatoon on Tuesday. The following weekend (Sept 16) I will be presenting at Calvary Church in Saskatoon and then starts the one week walk to Melfort. ....