Just around the river bend....

I had quite the week. I got back last night from hanging out with Sue McKinney for five days. It was pretty incredible. I met Sue almost five years ago during the first summer I worked at camp and was amazed with her ability and knowledge around Girls camp. Though I did not know her that well, I was incredibly excited to spend a few days with her and to celebrate my first American Thanksgiving. I was kind of anxious at first, but I figured that I am pretty good with getting along with most people, and I have plenty of practice staying at people's houses that I don't know. So, I felt the peace of the Lord and stepped into this new adventure with great enthusiasm.

She picked me up Wednesday afternoon and we went to her place in Emporia for the night. Unbeknownst to me, she had arranged for a semi-interview with a guy she would like to see work at camp. So after raking up her leaves in her yard, we walked down to the pizza parlor (Emporia is the quintessential American small town with the brick buildings all down main street with windows decorated for Christmas and people strolling down the sidewalks and saying 'hi' to everyone. It was amazing!) and met up with Kade.

He is a super amazing guy! Wow! He was an old student of Sue's and she always thought that he would love to work at camp. They have often had conversations about faith and spirituality, and he has such a compassionate, servant heart that he is a very rare person indeed. I told him all about camp, who we are, what we stand for, what are programs are like, what the community is like, etc.He was also very intrigued about the fact that I was down here at IHOP and asked me to share about my time down here. It was such a great experience to feel the Holy Spirit working and speaking through me as I was given wisdom about what to say and share, how I could encourage him, prophesy over his life and I got super passionate, even tearing up. Kade just took it all in. At the end, he also teared up as he thanked me for sharing and as he expressed his delight in knowing that I was so happy. He also said how he wants to learn more about Jesus and to find that kind of fullness of life and satisfaction in God. I am very excited for another American to possibly join us out on the island this summer!

Thursday was American Thanksgiving and so we drove down to Wichita to Sue's sister and brother-in-law's place where I experienced my first major American holiday. Wow. It was wonderful and I realized again that Canada and the USA are very different... They go all out! In the backyard fire pit, homemade Wassel was brewing over the fire as a warm welcome to the day. Inside, we were the first to arrive, so after the introductions, I began helping with the meal prep. They adopted me right away and I felt at home peeling the potatoes, decorating the butter, arranging the veggie tray, setting out snacks swapping recipes. After the rest of the in-laws arrived, the other ladies took over their duties and I got to know some of Sue's nieces and nephews. They are great. Laura, her niece, surprised the family by flying in from Florida and arriving just as we were about to eat. After a short Thanksgiving prayer we ate! The conversation centered around politics and local sports. Even grandma got into it with passionately talking about KU basketball, knowing all the players names and details; I was quite impressed.

I helped do the dishes, which apparently means that I am officially now a part of the family and they would like me to join them for Christmas...or any other time I might be in the area. It was great to be with them and feel so welcomed.

Sue and I traveled back to Emporia and left early Friday morning for her cabin. What a fabulous time! It took five hours to get there, and we talked the whole time. I learned so much about American history, the stories from that area, geography, folklore, and saw great little towns and back roads all over Kansas and Missouri. Among some of my favourite sites, the nuclear power plant in the middle of nowhere, surround by nature preserves was my favourite, along with Cassvilles' "Joe the Plummer."

Her place is nestled in the Ozark, and it felt like being in a different world. It was so beautiful, and remote, and ...backwoods? I'm not quite sure how to describe it accurately, but some of the places look right out of a movie or history book. Some people continue to live fairly remote and simple mountain lives, living off the land.

It was beautiful up at here place - a total retreat in the mountains, and just down the street from the amazing Table Rock Lake. It was spa like with all the immenities of a hotel, but in the wilderness. I could go on and on about all the cabins/homes/lodges/mansions that were around there, but it would take hours of needless tiny details. The diversity in landscape and vegetation was incredible and I tried my first wild black walnuts and hickory nuts. I wish we could grow those in Manitoba!

She wanted to show me the whole area, so Saturday afternoon and evening, we drove through the mountains and into Arkansas to some tourist towns hidden away. It was great and wished that I could have taken more pictures. We passed a zoo and the Ozark Bamboo Forest - which seemed kind of out-of-place to me, but I guess it works. I had some of the best Italian food ever and then we went back. Sleeping in, reading, writing, sitting around the fire drinking tea, eating amazing food, going for hikes, driving golf carts and seeing the first snowflakes of the season were all highlights. She was so gracious in driving me back to Kansas City yesterday ...she drove a lot this week (I think we were in the car a total of 15+ hours in five days) and we stopped on the side of the road so I could buy fresh pecans...wild, fresh off the tree, and they taste so amazing!!!!! (I am eating some as I write this blog).I was able to do a lot of reflecting and simply relaxing. I lead a pretty amazing life. My life has been far from boring or predictable, and I am learning daily to simply trust in the Lord for His guidance and provision, and to open to all the little promptings of the Spirit. The friendships, opportunities, experiences and adventures that seem to appear around every little corner are blessed invitations to learn more about my Creator and to explore more of His beauty and love. God is so gracious and good. Wow. I am blown away with the lovingkindness of our Lord and am so excited that I still have 21 days down here. I am sure they will be great and can't imagine what might be around the bend!