Misty Maples Syrup Farm

I love field trip days! It is a day I get to practice French, not be stuck in a classroom all day, be around friends, and get to be a tourist...all in one event! The coveted trip of the year? The syrup farm or "cabane à sucre."

We got to "tour" a Maple Syrup farm and learn all about the process of making syrup (in French). I would like to share with you a little about the process.

A hole is drilled into a maple tree that is at least 30 years old. Then, a tap is placed into the hole to allow the tree's water to drip out. The nectar gathers into buckets attached to the tree. The buckets have covers to prevent anything from contaminating the liquid. Unfortunately for us maple syrup lovers, syrup gathering is only available in certain temperatures and only for a few weeks during the year. This is why it is so expensive!

We were allowed to drink some of the water. It tasted like refreshing water, with a hint of sweetness.

How much water does it take to make syrup? Forty (40) gallons of maple water equals one gallon of syrup! The syrup at this farm just happens to be boiled by hand on site.

Depending on how long the water is boiled will yield a different grade. The darker the grade, the thicker the syrup. Which is better quality? Well, it all depends on the person. Some like it thick and dark, while others like it thin, clearer, and runny.

The highlight of the day? A traditional Canadian candy: Tire Sur La Neige (maple taffy on snow). Hot maple taffy is poured on the snow. Using sticks, you roll the syrup up on a stick and eat (with or without peanuts)! Yum!

Pouring the candy

Rolling the candy

Mmmm! 

Kevin is enjoying his with peanuts

Happiness is...

"...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

-Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776

HAPPINESS!!!

Here in Québec, Canada, we have a TV, but it only receives 1 channel. We never watch it (even if we did, at this point in our French learning we wouldn't understand much of it). When we returned to East Tennessee for our Christmas break, we watched TV for the first time in nearly 4 months. Even after this short amount of time, we found our perspective had changed. We weren't a big fan of commercials before, but now we realized at the heart of it, the only reason we were watching a program was because we paid them to tell us what we needed to buy so we could feel fulfilled and happy. Over and over, we were bombarded with the message that we should chase our own happiness with reckless abandon.

This is a big trap many people have fallen prey to (myself included); the trap is believing the world’s definition (more specifically the U.S. definition) of what it means to be happy or successful. My wife and I fell for this lie. At one point, we felt “successful” and we were, by the standards of many. We had a nice home, above average income, two cars, a big yard, a TV, a dishwasher, 2 dogs and so much stuff stored in the attic and basement that we didn't have any more room. And yet, happiness and contentment eluded us. God asked us to step away from our cushy jobs and re-evaluate where we placed our identity. Voilà! We wound up in international ministry.

One of the neat things about the journey into international missions is learning a new language.  Many phrases and idioms of one particular language translate-but with a slightly different twist.  An excellent example is the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.  In English, many versions read “blessed are the poor in spirit, mournful, meek, etc., etc.”  In French, however, it reads “happy are the poor in spirit, happy are those who mourn, the meek, etc.” Hmm. That’s different.  All in all, “happy” is mentioned roughly 30 times in the bible and only about half were about how to be happy.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13).  

 Don't miss understand me, there is absolutely nothing wrong  with pursuing the things so eloquently written in the Declaration of Independence. Indeed many times throughout the Bible material things are blessings from the Lord, it's even more OK to be thankful for them. Certainly the "Smack Chop" or "Sponge-wow" are great products that can make life easier, but realize that inanimate objects and certain life styles are not things to give us an identity. 

The world is desperately searching to find its identity, the meaning of life….It will continue to fail miserably so long as its identity is tied to possessions or a certain life style. I am afraid as the world seeks to finds its identity outside of Christ, the more we as Christians will be influenced to do the same. Happiness and fun are not our priority, Christ is our priority. Instead of searching for happiness, we must search to first and foremost "...seek first his kingdom an his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:24). 

First Day on the Road!

Monday morning, we had great plans! Get up bright and early at 7:30 AM, shower, get dressed, finish packing and loading, say our good-byes, and drive away from our old house at 9 AM. They were great plans, weren't they?

Sunday evening, mama had a headache but worked through it with the grand idea she will get plenty of sleep that night to take care of it! Nope, baby had other plans! So, 7:30 AM rolls around and our alarm clock is ignored and the snooze button becomes our best friend. Around 8 or so, we finally get up and get showered. My mom comes to spend time with the baby while I pack. Kevin has to run errands so we can get on the road. 9:30 rolls around and is soon forgotten as Mark (Kevin's dad) comes over with the truck and trailer to finish loading us all up.

At around 11:30, my mom, step-dad and I say our "see you later's" (we plan to be back in October for fall break with family).

Now, we frantically shove everything that will fit into the trailer and hit the road....at 12:24 PM! So, we drive and drive and drive. 3 miles later, we stopped to grab some food. Now we drive and drive and drive, and about 15 miles from home we ran into a traffic jam. That is okay, the baby is ever patient as we pick up speed and drive and drive and drive. We made it about 45 miles (in an hour an a half) and she had just started to nod off when BOOM! The vehicle behind us, a tractor trailer (you know, the big 18-wheeler?), gets rear-ended by a U-Haul (you know, the kind you drive in?)! It was such a powerful collision we felt the concussion in our chests. YIKES! Now, the baby is fussy because her nap has been interrupted and Kevin and I had a sick feeling in our stomachs and we say a quick prayer for the U-Haul driver, whose rear end can be seen above the tractor trailer. We heard that part of the interstate was closed for about 6 hours for clean up.

After driving forever, we make it to Blacksburg, VA where we meet up with the man who helped us start this journey - Brian Behal! Our MAF recruiter!

After eating dinner with him, we head to a hotel nearby. Grand total: 5 hours away from home. Time it took Adah to sleep that night: 5 hours! Poor baby couldn't sleep and when she did, it was fitful! I am just glad we decided not to drive to Washington, D.C. all in one day. Adults can do a 10 hour drive, babies can not!

Second Day on the Road...to be continued.

Bittersweet Beginnings

I don’t often write descriptive entries about daily life, but I wanted to share about our journey to Canada. Part of being a missionary is the journey and the lessons learned along the way. Everything, both good and bad, should be shared as a way of being honest about how God is working in our lives. That being said, today marked the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We are officially missionaries on the journey to language school, which will aid us in the field in Africa.

This trip actually began on Friday evening, August 17^th. Volunteers from our home congregation (Highland View) came to help us set up for the biggest yard sale of our lives by pricing items and just spending time with us. On Saturday, August 18^th, we sold most of our belongings. More volunteers from a local church supporting us (High Places) came by to help us with setting us, selling, managing the items, loading items for people who purchased said items, and packing up our leftover items. What a huge help! We could not have done it without them! On top of that, one of our friends came by to mow our lawn!

Sunday, August 19^th, our home congregation gave us a going away commissioning service that brought tears to our eyes! It was complete with a slide show of our journey with the church! Afterwards, Kevin, Adah, and I gathered at the front of the church and everyone crowded around us to pray over us! I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the building! Then, it was completed with a potluck meal! Yummy! Do the blessings stop there? No! Many more volunteers from church came to our home at 6 PM to help us finish packing, load up the trailer, and clean up our now almost empty home! I can honestly say we would NOT be on the road now if not for all the help! I only wish I had thought to take a picture or two!

This brings us to the good-byes. Since we will be able to visit home, Kevin and I do not feel like it is a real good-bye. It is more of a “see you later.” We are on the road now and it just feels like we are going on another Ministry Partnership trip or a vacation (maybe we have been on the road too much)! Since we are technically going away to school/college, we will be home for Christmas. But for our family, it still feels like good-bye. With a 12 week old baby, our family is saying good-bye to this age, this moment in her life, this impressionable time where she is constantly learning. But we understand that sacrifices are to be made for the glory of God. It does not mean they are easy. There is a saying that I really like: God does not call the prepared, he prepares the called. We are called and he is preparing us for our journey to Africa. He is who is comforting us now during these bittersweet beginnings.

I Apologize in Advance...

I had the best of intentions! I have been working on a blog about Spiritual Warfare, one on Cultural Intolerance, and even a controversial one about the LRA (might not post due to graphic nature). Kevin has a few more posts in the work about What Is a Missionary, parts 2 and maybe 3. But something has halted all of this....

Packing! Ugh! First all, we are packing to move out of our house. It is officially on the market!

We are going through all of our junk...ahem...stuff to find things to get rid of to avoid having to look at so many things! On a side note, we are having a yard sale on Saturday, August 18th at 8-2! Second, we are packing for our move to Canada! This is also an ongoing process with packing for Africa!

Have I mentioned how hard this is to do with an adorable 10.5 week old who just wants to play?

And we only have 10 DAYS LEFT!!! Wow!!! So, I apologize in advance for our soon-to-be hiatus of intellectual posts. Next week, my guest post for Intentional by Grace will be out and I hope to have a preview and link posted here. Once we hit the road (August 20th), we plan on making our 20 hour drive to Canada a mini-vacation. So, if we stay at a hotel with free internet, I hope to bombard you all with unique photos!