Heading East

Our family visiting with our friend and colleague Sharlene Craig

We enjoyed our last night in Toronto visiting with several friends over supper with Sharlene Craig. It has been a great week here in Ontario but we weren't able to connect with everyone we had wished to see. We were very glad that on this last evening we were able to enjoy some time with Katie Carline and the Rowely family. Katie is the daughter of our team mates Paul and Kelly Carline: She moved to Toronto to study at Tyndale University where she is a second year history student. Katie will be returning to Nairobi next month with three of her friends on a short term mission trip that will include a week with the Iftin program at the Eastleigh Community Centre.

Erica and Zak Rowley

We were also thrilled to see Zak Rowely and to meet his parents. Zak had lived with us in Nairobi for a few weeks last fall and shared with us in the Iftin program where he was a huge hit with the refugee kids and Iftin students. Yesterday afternoon, Zak and Katie took Tristan and Emma to see the 3-D movie "How to Train Your Dragon" -- they loved it! While Ava napped at home with Sharlene, Erica and I had a chance to run some errands and drop in on a few friends.

The girls playing

Today we are flying East to begin visiting churches in the maritimes, we are looking forward to reunions with our family and friends. It has been a long journey and we can't wait to be back!

Ava with Katie Carline

Kiselo Missions Circle

Emma at the Kiselo Missions Circle, Niagara Falls.

On Tuesday evening we shared a wonderful time with members of two different missions groups in Niagara Falls. It was a great opportunity tell others about the lives being impacted by the generosity of Canadian Baptist Churches.

Erica checking on a newly found bird's nest

at the home of our host Ms. Helen Davis.

Ava peaking into the nest...

Robin's Eggs

Butterflies and Water Falls

The Niagara Butterfly Conservatory

When we started to talk to Tristan and Emma about their memories of Canada, one of their fondest memories of our time in Ontario is of an afternoon when we visited the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory in July 2006. Since we were going to be visiting a church in Niagara we left Toronto early on Tuesday to give the kids a chance to re-visit these beautiful places.

Emma -- the landing pad

Q: Do you know what a group of butterflies is called?

Answer: A flutter

Mommy attracting lots of attention from the butterflies

Tristan "the butterfly whisperer"!

Butterfly (English)

Kungu-urumu (Kiswahili)

Balanbaalis (Somali)

Billaacha (Oromo)

Kihuruta (Kikuyu)

Ikinyugunyugu (Kirwanda)

Papillon (French)

The Falls

Mommy and the kids getting a close look at the Falls!

It feels strange for us to think that it was almost four years ago when we last visited Niagara Falls with Tristan and Emma before departing for Africa. The falls may not have changed, but our two eldest children certainly have: Emma was only four years old then (Just a year older than Ava is now), but she still remembers wearing her rain poncho as we ventured out on the Maid of the Mist.

The observation tower over looking Niagara Falls

Daddy and the kids at the top of the horse shoe falls

Good-byes

Our children with Don & Joy Hepburn

On Tuesday morning, we said good-bye to our friends Don & Joy Hepburn after a wonderful week together at their Scarborough home. We are so thankful for the way they have welcomed us into their family and shared their home with our busy little family. It was a blessing to have such support and love as we got over our jet-lag and into our responsibilities with CBM.

Erica with Canadian Baptist Ministries president, Brenda Halk, at the CBM offices in Mississauga

We also finished up our meetings at CBM this week. It was a great time for us to connect with our Canadian colleagues and to discuss our new roles with Guardians of Hope and HIV/AIDS ministry. Please uphold our friend Brenda Halk and the CBM board members as they seek God's wisdom and direction in the oversight of CBM and the selection of a new general secretary.

Church at the Centre

The Scarborough Bluffs

Today we joined Don & Joy Hepburn for worship at Fallingbrook Heights Baptist Church, also known as "The Church at the Centre". We had the joy of sharing a bit of our ministry and story with the church and had a great time getting to visit with their pastor, Ken Park, and members of the congregation after church and into the afternoon.

Aaron with members of the church who participated in a short term mission to Rwanda this past summer.

Erica sharing the story of the women of Noor Creations after the service. We were delighted to have 45 of the Noor "Solidarity Necklaces" purchased this morning by people interested in supporting these vulnerable women.

A sure sign of Spring

Spring Daffodils in the gardens around the Scarborough Community Centre

Emma and Grace Fong

Fallingbrook Heights is also the home church of our friend and colleague Grace Fong. We are so thankful to Grace who has organized most of our time here in Toronto.