Halls Harbour

Halls Harbour, Nova Scotia

 Heather and Erica

While in Nova Scotia, we have the great privilege of staying at "Harbour House” a beautiful getaway home owned by our friend Heather and her husband John. Built in 1835, the outbuildings and house stay on the scenic cliffs of this rocky harbour on the spectacular Bay of Fundy. We deeply appreciate Heather and John’s generosity, as our family enjoys living near the water for the next few weeks!

Ava, ready to explore the harbour and the rugged coast line

Daddy and Emma touring the oldest buildings in the community

Low Tide in Halls Harbour

The dramatic tides force many local lobster fisherman to anchor, timing their arrival and the off-loading of their catch with the tide

Tristan, Ava and Heather’s son Ben off to explore the caves

Looking for crystals in the caves

heading back

Mommy and girls on a beach walk

On the Ground

"ON THE GROUND"

Heather, Judy, Joann, Coral and Erica with

Mama Turtle, at the 140

We have had a full and wonderful weekend of orientation and preparation with the New Minas team as they have started pulling together their ministry plans with Erica. The ladies will have a variety of experiences over the next two weeks as they come along side Canadian Baptist Ministries self help group projects in Nairobi and with the Guardians of Hope.

The ladies working through plans to help

strengthen the Noor self help group

Ava, Emma and Joann "African Style"

We want to thank everyone who has been upholding this team in your prayers. Please continue to pray as we prepare for the upcoming women's self help group conference this Wednesday and Thursday.

Welcoming Brianna Crowe

This weekend, we are welcoming Brianna Crowe who will be a volunteering with us over the next three weeks in Kenya. Brianna is from Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, and excited to be in Africa for the first time.

Ava feeding a giraffe

We had a fun time seeing elephants

and giraffe with the girls

Curious Warthog

Build a Bear

Emma and her best friend Lauren Myers at "Build a Bear" at the MicMac Mall in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

One of the great joys of being back has been reconnecting with friends. Our family has been blessed with some great times with our friends Andrew, Kelly, Lauren and Leah Myers. This past weekend, we met in Dartmouth and made the pilgrimage to that modern dream destination -- Build a Bear!

First you pick a bear...

... then you stuff it with love (mostly of the fluffy cotton variety, but our kids kissed and placed for satin red hearts into each of their bears).

Some teddy bears prefer coffee!

Enjoying Starbucks with Andrew

...Leah not sure what all the fuss is about.

Finally everyone dresses their bear,

chooses the perfect name

and registers their bears online

Tristan with his adopted "Moosey"

The girls with their new bears

Build a Bear Workshop

"Where Best Friends are Made"

On the Road Again!

Emma at the wheel of the Blue Nose II

in Lunnenburg, Nova Scotia

These sailors look like trouble

Games back at Camp

Saying Good-bye to our friends before they

left for the long drive back to Washington, DC.

Mahone Bay

Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Raymond, Ava and Chris playing

Peek-a-boo in a flower garden

Tristan with Rev. Sherrolyn Riley's goldendoodle puppy, Pepper, at the Mahone Bay Baptist Church

Erica with our friend Reta Russell

at the Mahone Bay Baptist Church

We were delighted to get back to the church and see pastor Riley and members of the churches prayer group and Ladies Aid who happened to be meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Aaron had a great time taking the kids up to the churches balcony to ring the church bell for old times sake. When Tristan was a preschooler, he use to help daddy ring the bell before church.

Scenes from Mahone Bay

We also want to share our appreciation to Donnie & Bev Ernst for opening your home to us and for all the games you played with our children. We had a great time being back in the Bay and seeing you!!

Anderson's Island

The Wollers, Kennys and Anderson

families at Aylesford Lake, Nova Scotia

One of our highlights of the week with the Wollers was a trip to Aylesford Lake to visit a beautiful group of islands owned by our friends the Andersons. We had a great time motoring over to their main island for a barbecue and swim.

Krista and Erica at camp

Ella, Chris and Scott enjoying a

beautiful sunset over the lake

Ava saying good-bye!

Thank you guys for a great day!!

Peggy's Cove

Fun with our friends the Woller family

On Tuesday of this past week, we journeyed along the south shore to visit the picturesque fishing harbour and lighthouse at Peggy's Cove with our visiting friends. We had fun scrambling over the rocks, getting a little wet, and warming up with the local fish chowder.

Our kids on the move

The Wollers

(Cathy, Chris, Spencer, Raymond, Stuart, and Tim)

The Kennys (Spot the poser!)

Enjoying the beauty of Nova Scotia

Bayside Camp

Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia

This past week, we met our good friends, the Woller family from Washington, D.C., and enjoyed a week together in Nova Scotia. We were blessed to be hosted by directors Ben & Charity Trites and the staff at Bayside Camp near Ketch Harbour.

"Wow Hill" over looking the new Bayside Camp

In the late 1990's, we had visited the original Bayside Camp while we were serving at West End Baptist in Halifax. Over the past 11 years, Bayside has relocated to a beautiful 100 acre woods on a breath taking lake in Sambro, about 30 minutes outside of Halifax. It is amazing to see how much this association of churches has done since breaking ground in 2008. The new Bayside Camp is incredible!

The "Spruce Grove Village" of beautiful new cabins

One of the big features of Bayside Camp is the pristine lake whose deep still waters are peaceful and relaxing to enjoy in quiet moments AND,with the Camps new water park, a riot of fun and adventure with kids!

Having fun in the refreshing waters of Bayside

Even with the chilly June water temperatures of 59-62 degrees, we were in the Lake almost every day this week rain, sunshine or fog!

Tristan getting dowsed by Tim Woller in the epic

water battle of Dads versus kids

Seth Nylen and Ava get in on

the water fighting action!

Stuart and Emma after a big day on the Lake

Raymond Woller enjoying some quiet time by the Lake

Cathy Woller, Emma and Spencer canoeing past the islands

The quiet end to a great day