What the day held for us!
Well my loving wife said stop picking on the food and the hotels so today I will not talk about either one (negatively).
We spent a day on the road and drove pretty hard and made up for the first day of travel which was a low mileage first day. We are about a 1/3 of the way to our destination (1200 miles) as we stop for the night at a very clean and comfortable hotel outside of Saskatoon in the province of Saskatchewan . We are in a little burb called Radisson off of Canadian Hwy 16. I would stay here again even though there is no air (and likely no need for it most nights). It is called Midway motel and does not look like much from the outside but has it where it counts- inside!
We snapped a few more photos today as you will see. The entire drive today is still very similar to the North Dakota drive yesterday. It is very flat but beautiful in its own way all the way to where we now rest tonight. There are homesteads that are abandon all over the prairie. Most look like this which we would consider a "shack" by today's standards yet they provided the needed shelter in that day and time. History of days done and passed by. Those who dwelt in them are long gone and so one day will these homesteads fold in on themselves and no trace will remain. As they go they take their stories with them. What if they could talk? Those old houses might share about the winter that nearly broke the will of the people who raised that house. The house might groan as it recalls the people who made the house a home and as they celebrated a new birth that made the walls ring with cries of new life and then ring with cries of sorrow in pain at the death of their newborn who maybe died before their first birthday as was not uncommon. What were the people like who built and tried to survive in homes like these?
The flat or gentle rolling hills continue this third day of our journey. In Canada much less of the land is used for crop farming. More seems set aside for cattle and grazing as well as cutting the grass for winter feed.
Let me start by saying the guy at the border was really nice and I say that in all honesty. It also all started very nice with the series of common questions of "how long will you be in Canada, why are you traveling to Canada, are you a felon, had a DWI, carrying any alcohol, leaving anything in Canada, have any rifles, shot guns, pistols, pepper spray..."
"No" to almost all the things that needed to be a "no" and an explanation of my new job as a pastor. I had one "yes" and it was NOT to being a felon or busted for a DWI! The one "yes" was something I picked up last minute in Mankato.
I had a gift certificate for Gander Mountain (none in Alaska) and used it on my way out of town. I wanted something useful- hey, there is some bear pepper spray I thought to myself, $38 dollars and have an $80. certificate, BINGO!!! I don't know if it works but it is worth a shot (up to 35 feet away!).
I've read some "experts" who say you should carry a can of bear spray with you and a bell that will warn a bear of your approach so it moves off and you don't startle it. I always wondered about the logic in carrying a bottle of seasoning and a dinner bell into the woods but then again I am no expert.
Anyway, I owned up to the pepper spray. I told him he could have it and throw it away as it was not just still in the package but in the Gander Mountain bag with the receipt. He let me keep it and had me open the truck doors where he nosed around a little. He then turns to me and says: "I thought you said you had no handguns?" "I don't" I replied. "Then why do you have a handgun safe?" That was the other part of my purchase at Gander Mountain. They had these lockable handgun safes for about $30. It was not something I would normally purchase but I was in a hurry and I thought with kids it would be good to have and if I did not want it for that it would be great to throw some money in or some cheap jewelry (since that is what I own) instead of it laying out somewhere in plain view. The safe was in the box still and laying on top of everything that had been loaded the day before. I know what you are thinking but I just could not justify buying $30. worth of hunting and fishing magazines when I don't know how to read above a 3rd grade level. I explained to him I had guns but they were shipped via the mover across the USA, put on a boat and would arrive in Alaska- I hope!
This lead to a request of my movers shipping manifest showing that the guns were indeed listed. I had the manifest (by the grace of God!) but the mover simply put "gun case" down. While I am trying to call the agent or get one of his emails that stated clearly they had the guns the guy moves back to the other car and begins to question Michelle. Guess what- I am in the middle of no where which means....NO signal, not just no data signal but no phone signal. Meanwhile I am envisioning both vehicles, the boat, and everything we own being completely torn apart and laid out for us to put back together on our own searching for something that we did not have with us all because I used a gift certificate to purchase some last minute impulse items!
He came back a few moments later and asked if I had any luck. I said "no". The man replied; "I did not think you would no one gets a signal here" (thanks for wasting my time!!!), followed by "I talked to your wife and she confirmed what you said- move on down the road!!!!!"
YES SIR!!! I am gone and watching my rear view mirror for the next 10 miles to see if he changed his mind!
One of the coolest things we saw today was just before we crossed the border in a little town of Fortuna N.D.! (no this next photo is not it)
From the hwy leading to the boarder crossing we see this old church! We have to stop! Check out these pictures!
As I wind down this post and my day I've been reflecting back on this very cool old church building. I am thinking it is not so cool when you think about the church today and I do not mean this church building! It is a warning to us maybe that the church is one generation from ending up like this building. EMPTY and USELESS.
God's word does not change but the church has been charged with sharing God's unchanging word to the next generation. I believe God will always make sure this happens until He pulls the plug on the whole deal. Having said that I also believe He might not use the church as it stands today. Many of our churches are emptying out and have not only become useless but irrelevant to the culture and generation that in desperation seeks something more and needs Jesus but I believe we unintentionally block it.
Go back and look at the one photo of the front doors of the church. Have we as Christians made it difficult for those seeking to see Jesus as anything but distant and far away when the opposite is true? Steps and doors and thresholds and buildings say "you come to our level and our place and then we will talk." Is that what Jesus did? Is that how others living in Jesus day saw him? The answer is a resounding "no" again and again and again when we look at the life of Jesus!
The trucker I spoke with yesterday who shared so much about his life, we also spoke about faith, church, the world and his worry that because his job at this time in his life requires an "on call" 24/7 for 7 weeks at a time and his worry is if he was still in God's favor. What would you tell him? I believe the best chance of growing in your faith is gathering with a community of believers and learning about our loving God and experiencing the sacraments. What about this man's case? He is already feeling the weight of the law, do we compound it? No need to respond but it is a good thing to struggle with and allow the Holy Spirit to help us work this over in our minds. Are we providing a barrier as a stumbling block or helping him find a way to fulfill what he wants and needs but cannot see a way for it to happen the traditional way. Just....Think about it!
In closing....
....If you thought I was feeding you a big yarn about the butterflies....let the photo's speak for themselves!
Good day everyone and God Bless!!!!
~The Ritchie clan!!!
