On Our Knees

 

We have spent a LOT of time on our knees this week! First praying that the new Shumway baby would “hang in there” for just a few extra days before being born so we could finish our work up here in Canada with President and Sister Eyre who have been presiding over the Canada Toronto East Mission for the past three years.

We quickly realized what an amazing job they have done with their wonderful missionaries and just a few things that they won’t miss when they get home…namely getting things out of the fridge on their knees (Hedy is 6’3'’ and just can’t find anything in the fridge without getting down on her hands and knees).

 

Plus there’s all that food to pack in the car for every zone meeting. This time we had all baggage too!

 

 

And we can be assured that all of these missionaries spend a huge amount of time on their knees as well. What a terrific army of young men and women who have given their lives to the Lord for 18 months to 2 years, totally dedicating themselves to the service of others!

 

The senior couples who come absolutely astound us!  After owning their own homes for many years, they leave their families, grandchildren and new babies, pay their own way, find an apartment and furnish it and then go to work building up the church in their little area of the vineyard.

 

Just to let you know how small the world is, this dynamic duo are in-laws of Jan and Randy Paul and their uncle is our home teacher!

 

Besides missionary work, we quickly remembered that Canada is the capital of the world of hockey!  We had dessert one night at the Wayne Gretsky Restaurant, complete with lots of WG paraphernalia. From the time he was a little kid that guy must have spent a lot of his life on his knees on the ice!

 

In between times on our knees thanking the Lord that Saydi was not in labor yet, we got took a ferry from Kingston (about 3 hours from the Toronto Airport where we are speaking tonight) across to Wolfe Island where hundreds of windmills were doing their thing.

 

Still the bleak midwinter! These are sheets of ice that the ferry is cutting through as we floated on the ferry to the island.

The whooshing sound directly under these giant things is exhilarating!

Everywhere we go….there is hockey! The Islanders are hoping for a hockey arena and built this reminder to the residents….

 

All that time on our knees paid off!  We are now at the airport in Toronto, catching a flight 4 hours earlier than our scheduled flight and still hoping we can make it to Boston in time to see the baby pop in. Looks pretty likely right now! Hooray for Saydi and that patient little baby! 

We just finished our last speech with a darling couple and many public relations people who have dreamed of having a parenting seminar in their area for many years. We  were blessed to be with them!

 

And bless Chris and Hedy, who are presiding over this mission and whose knee pads are almost worn out from spending so much time praying for their dynamic missionaries.

We look forward to having them home in less than four months…knee calluses and all!