the race is on

 The farmers have been on the fields for a few weeks already.

 Yesterday it looked like they were on the final push to get the seeds in

before the rain arrives.

 When I first met Howard and he talked about the farmers in southern Manitoba

 planting in April, I was shocked.

 Where I'm from, in northern Alberta, planting didn't start until

the end of May and often went well into June.

The long growing season up north makes up for the "late start"

and in the end it seems that things even out quite nicely.

the main event

Here. she. comes!

The professor smiling so warmly at Bethany is Howard's cousin's wife.

Receiving her degree from "Uncle" Gus.

 It's hard to believe we have a university college graduate.

She is an amazing young woman.

Cousins. Oh ya.

 

 Grandma.

The very proud family.

at the banquet

 Graduation weekend finally arrived this past weekend.

This final year for Bethany was the most demanding yet.

I don't think I have ever heard the word "overwhelmed" more often

from one person

than I heard it from her this year.

But of course, in the end, everything it took to get this this point was worth it.

Today she left for choir tour to the UK.

She was one very excited young woman to be going back to Europe.

Graduating brought her to this day and so it truly was worth it!

 Two graduates and one "wanna-be".

 Receiving her music performance award.

 She was also inducted into the Honor Society of the

Association for Biblical Higher Education.

This award was given to four of the graduates.

It recognizes:

Intellectual achievement

Christian character

and

Leadership Ability

We are very proud of her.

graduation #1

 On Thursday morning Beth and Katy received their

TESOL certificates.

 All the intense hours of classes, course work, lesson planning

and teaching paid off.

We are so proud of our "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages"

graduates!

a dear soul

 photo credit - Michele Phoenix

Last Sunday - Easter Sunday morning - we received word from Germany that a dear

friend and colleague from BFA

had died suddenly from complications after a routine hip replacement surgery.

She was 51.

We will miss her - her love for life and for others.

We will miss her laugh and her overflowing joy.

It's been a week of remembering who Mari Ellen was

and how much she meant to us all.

She loved the Lord with all her heart

and somehow it seems fitting that He took her

on Easter Sunday.

Mari Ellen meant very much to us individually and as a family. 
We worked closely together for several years. 
I was constantly challenged and inspired by her wide open heart, her teachable spirit, and her humble competence in walking with people through the hardest parts of their lives. 
Mari Ellen consistently chose obedience over personal comfort, and took real risks in ministering to others selflessly and courageously. 
Mari Ellen was a trusted and trustworthy professional colleague and friend. 
She loved: her family; her support network; her friends and colleagues; 
those she served; and above all, her Lord Jesus, whom she came to love more and more deeply through the years. 
Our lives are better for having known her. 
She is missed already.

Howard

historic winnipeg

Because Winnipeg is quite an old city by Canadian standards

every so often you come across

beautiful bits of history

like the St. Boniface Basilica-Cathedral.

 Built in 1818 but destroyed by fire in 1968

the remaining walls and facade have been cleverly restored

and incorporated into the new building which stands inside

the old walls.

 

  

 There is a lot of history on the grounds here...

...including the grave of 

Louis Riel -

a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies.