As you should know, Art and I love to travel, and we will be on a trip in the early part of June. We are going to the Canadian Rockies. Back in the late 1990s I served a congregation just outside Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for 4 ½ years (5 winters). However, we were quite poor and could not afford to go to the national parks in the Rockies, even though Jasper was just four hours away and Banff was five hours away.
Our plan was always to go back and to travel to those national parks. Back in 2020, we planned to do this trip. We had all the arrangements and the reservations made. We were all set for our trip at the end of June in 2020, but of course Covid hit. We held out hope until the middle of May when we finally had to decide that we could not go. There was no vaccine that early in the pandemic, and the Canadian government was not allowing visitors into Canada, so we had to cancel all our plans.
It is now 25 years since we moved back to the States. We have traveled to different parts of Canada, but we have not been back to Edmonton. We are very excited. We will be visiting with friends along the way and in Edmonton. We are looking forward to seeing how things have changed in the old neighborhood. We have plans about what we want to visit while in the area. And (miracle of miracles) the Edmonton Oilers are still in the Stanley Cup playoffs!!
We are also excited to be among the mountains for a few days. We will be in Jasper and Banff and then we will travel south to Waterton Lakes and Glacier national parks. Mountains are grand and glorious and always remind me of the incredible nature of God. “I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121)
Several years ago, Art and I decided to try to visit all the national parks in the United States. We each have a tee shirt that has the national parks listed on it, and we are marking them off as we go. Each park has its own unique glory. Each one has its own history. And we have had a lot of fun exploring each one. We want to appreciate what our great country has to offer. We have also been to a few in Canada so we can appreciate what that great country has to offer, also.
Wherever you go, all those places become a part of you. The experiences are incorporated into our brains. The memories are priceless. I wish all of you good travels and wonderful memories.
Pastor Beth
920-562-2853
