"Going out in the Bush"

Sunday before last, August 24,  we attended a small branch in Pine City, (south of us by a couple of hours - we call it the "Deep South" - however it is just a bit North of Minneapolis).  They have a great building and their branch is so friendly  The Bishop asked us to attend the youth Sunday School class and pump them up for seminary.  We met a boy named Shawn who was getting baptized that afternoon.  He is 16 years old and Ron asked him to share his feelings.  He said, "I feel like I am getting a big present and when I am baptized I get the gift inside."  He really impressed me with his excitement about joining the Church.  He couldn't stop smiling.  He is already signed up for seminary. I wish I was teaching his class.

This past Sunday we drove up to Canada to attend the Thunder Bay Ward.  It is approximately 3.5 hours north, along the border of Lake Superior.  All of the scenery was so beautiful.  We found the church on a rainy morning and after church we were invited to have dinner at the home of the seminary teacher there.  This part of Canada doesn't seem very foreign.  They have all the same fast food eateries, they have the same lake, they have the same hymns.  But, by golly, it is hard for me to understand why they sing, "Firm As The Mountains Around Us."  (We sang that same hymn last week in Pine City too.)  There are just no real mountains here.  Some words are used differently though.  In Boise when we leave the city we say we are "going to the mountains"; in Duluth they say they are "going to the woods" and in Thunder Bay they go "out in the bush, eh?"

We went last week to orient 2 teachers who were called just in time to start seminary this week. Wednesday's visit was close, a 25 minute drive.  But Thursday's was far, 2 hours each way. And then yesterday we stopped at the Church in Duluth and we saw this seminary room all set up.  We were so excited that a class was really in session, that kids came to seminary after all the planning and stress.  So far we haven't seen an actual class in session and we have only talked to teachers.  But now I know that students really exist and that's what all the fuss is about.

Bryan and Sylvia Pugh (Napervillians) came for a couple of nights.  Bryan had already called to sign up for another mountain bike ride with the guide he liked so much.  We showed them around Duluth and they were impressed with the beauty. Sylvia and I managed to appear supportive of their riding, as long as they didn't make us come with. We did tour of a big ore carrier.  When I see them on the lake they don't look so big.  But when you go inside, it's huge!















We stopped several times on our way home from Thunder Bay on Monday.  First we explored Grand Portage, which is a National Monument, and located on the Ojibwa Reservation.  There are old buildings there to explore and history about the name and more about the portage that is so grand.  We watched a man creating a birch bark canoe. And another man cooking with dutch ovens in the fireplace.  So interesting. Then we went to Grand Marais and looked in the shops and ate lunch.  The day was beautiful by then.  So fun to explore new areas.  We had our car searched when we crossed the border.                        

We are still volunteering at the food bank on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  When loading a van today, I told Ron to hurry and take a picture.  It's the food pyramid!