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Lambchop & Molasses

Published July 3, 2019

Introducing the two newest members of our family: Lambchop & Molasses.

This particular adventure actually started the day after we arrived, when the kids woke us up exclaiming, “The sheep are coming today!”

We knew there was the potential to care for some sheep on the property, but both we (and our landlord!) were surprised how quickly that materialized. Thanks to the kindness of a family in our new local church, we now wake up in the morning to release the sheep into a half-acre of grass, and coax them back into the barn at night with some molasses and oats.

They honestly don’t require much maintenance. Kathryn bubbles with delight whenever she sees them — or any other animal for that matter — and the older kids love feeding them leaves from the apple tree. That beign said, Alfred came in the other day crying his eyes out and screaming, “Lambchop tried to eat me!” He had gone to feed Lambchop (the male, white-faced one) some leftover pieces of apple, but it seems Lambchop was more interested in nibbling at Alfred’s yellow shirt. The friendship has since been restored!

In our last update, we hinted at seeing the start of changes within our family. As Paul puts it:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Indeed, we know these changes are for the better, but not all of them have been pleasant. Moving away from our friends and family, our church and neighbourhood communities, and even the familiarity of our local farmers market: all of this change hasn’t been easy.

It’s almost as if we pushed a giant “reset” button in our lives, turning all the lights back on and showcasing those weaknesses that had just disappeared in the noise of a busy life. We’re actually rather glad for all of this. Just as a tree bears more fruit after it has been pruned, so we look to the LORD to use us more effectively as a result of these trials.

Pray simply that we would not tire of the challenge, but rise to the occasion, set aside any distractions, and fulfill God’s plan and purpose here in this new place. Each of us need the LORD to keep us on the straight and narrow way, and we’re so grateful to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for making that possible!

All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6
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“Go New Places”

“Go New Places”

Published June 15, 2019

On Wednesday, June 12, a moving truck from AMJ Campbell showed up with three of the nicest movers we’ve ever met. No offence to all you wonderful people who have helped us move over the years, but they brought their own truck, did all the heavy lifting, and required no pizza afterwards!

Let’s rewind a little bit.

Friday, May 31 saw Charity and the children helping to close out the final Super 60’s of the year.

On Saturday, June 1, we enjoyed all of our friends and family who came to our open house. In an attempt to make this day fun and exciting (instead of somber and depressing because we were leaving), Charity came up with the idea of buying a helium tank + balloon kit from Costco. It seemed to work! We also praise the LORD for overriding the weather that day and holding off the rain for all the kids to enjoy being outside with the balloons, bubbles, and chalk.

Sunday, June 2nd we said goodbye to our church family. Or, rather, our church family said goodbye to us — circumstances prevented us from being physically in the auditorium that Sunday morning, but I think Pastor Andy said some nice words. God knew what we needed at the time, though we were disappointed not to be in the room.

The week following saw us beginning to pack, but the effort only really began in earnest once I wrapped up my work week. Four straight days of packing and re-packing commenced, including Kijiji sales, a garage sale, dump runs, and a last minute effort to sell our upright piano to avoid the associated moving costs. (Spoiler: it’s presently on its way to PEI!)

Notwithstanding the usual difficulties between siblings, our children were amazing throughout those days of packing and moving. Anne stepped up to take a bigger part in caring for Kathryn, and even Kathryn seemed to understand that something big was afoot. I think she’ll be a hardier little girl as a result..

When all was said and done, the house in which we’ve built a home over the past seven years stood empty.

Three days of travelling, and we once again sit in the dining room in which we started this blog almost a month ago. It hasn’t all been fun. We’ve shed more than a few tears over more than a few trials. We’ve put 1800km between some of our closest friends and families — there’s no easy solution to that.

As we wrestled with these difficulties, Charity reminded me that just as we can trust God to open doors, so too can we trust Him to close them. We thus conclude that this remains God’s will for our lives at this time. How long we cannot know. Yet, as we had hoped, changes are already happening within our family. More on that another day.

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Austin, Texas

Published May 31, 2019

This past week, I had the privilege of attending Percona Live, an open-source database conference held in Austin, Texas this year. It’s always tough leaving Charity and the kids behind, but I do enjoy the adventure of going somewhere entirely new!

I won’t bore you with the technical details of the conference, but let me share a few pictures instead.

Outside of the conference, I had the opportunity to enjoy traditional Texas BBQ and Mexican dishes. I was also staying right next to the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, and took the opportunity to view the bats — as hard as it was to actually see them at dusk. One minor regret: I didn’t take advantage of the many scooters around town!

As I was walking to dinner Wednesday night and enjoying the beauty of the many mature trees planted along the sidewalk, I came across a sad scene. I didn’t think to take a picture, but before me was a tree cut down to just a gnarly stump in the ground. Surrounded by its healthy peers, the following verse came to mind:

Give not thy strength unto women,
nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

Proverbs 31:3

This verse comes from the final chapter of Proverbs, and complements the many verses warning a man to remain faithful to the wife of his youth and avoid the destruction that comes from laciviousness. The image of this tree before me contrasted with the the imagery of the opening chapter of the Psalms:

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalms 1:1-3

I give God the glory for blessing me with the wife of my youth and — by His grace — preserving my strength and prospering my ways!

In Christ,
Jesse

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We’re home!?

We’re home!?

Published May 25, 2019

for I have learned, in whatsoever [province] I am, therewith to be content.

Phil 4:11b

On our way to PEI last week, we took the trip slowly, leaving Monday after our homeschool coop, and spending the night with wonderful relatives in the Ottawa area. Tuesday was our longest stretch of driving, staying a hotel in New Brunswick. Wednesday left just four hours to drive to our rental home, making for a light drive and plenty of sunlight to unpack and explore our new surroundings.

This week, on our return to Waterloo, we really just wanted to “get the trip over with”. It’s not that we regretted having to return, but merely that we didn’t look forward to another three days in the Honda Odyssey after only a week on the island. Towards that end, we left Thursday night at 4:30 PM ADT and arrived Friday morning at 11:30 AM EDT. Given Google Maps estimates the drive at around 17.5 hours, doing it in 20 hours is pretty efficient!

Naturally, we’re now exhausted, but it’s been our pleasure to spend time with “adopted family” visiting for the weekend. There’s something special about God piecing together two unrelated trips to bless us with encouragement, good conversation, and a competitive game of Rook!

We are still excited about the move, but still uncertain given everyone and everything we are leaving behind. If God hadn’t been so clearly involved in planning this adventure, we’d have given up a long time ago. For now, we walk by faith, waiting for His next step in taking us to PEI for however long He wishes. Pray that we would remain faithful and trusting, and especially that we could be a blessing to those among whom we will find ourselves.

In Christ,
Jesse, Charity, Anne, Christopher, Alfred & Kathryn

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