Caughnawana Fishing and Hunting Club, Established 1899

For the last five years or more Mark Peterkins of One-Way Ministries has tried to get me on board with his annual fishing trip to a member only lake in Quebec. The Caughnawana Hunting and Fishing Club was established in 1899 but goes back much farther than that – as far back as the 1700’s. Wealthy Americans like Vanderbilt and his friends would board a New York train and take it as far as Manawaki, Ontario where he and his group would be met by Indians and pack horses. From there they would ride another hundred or more miles through very rough terrain to Lake Caughnawana about 120 kilometers from Temiscaming, Quebec, north of Deep River. Even today Temiscaming remains rather at “the end of the line.” Passenger

trains don’t even go up there anymore and for this reason Mark rented two Jeep Cherokees for the six of us who traveled in convoy from Ottawa. It took about six or more hours to get to Temiscaming. Once we arrived there we were met by John Friesen and his young friend Matt who came from near Huntsville and the Muskoka Bible Center. After meeting up at the ESSO station the roads became increasingly more difficult to maneuver. By the final turn off which took us the final fifty-eight kilometers the travel might be called, “off-roading.” In fact it is so “off-roading” that we followed a young male moose (still bigger than our car) for a short distance. He outran us. This is so remote an area that you must stop at a kiosk, give your name and identification, car license and so forth just in case you fail to come back and check out.

We arrived on Monday, took a brief rest and then squared up our gear, met at the water’s edge and went out on the barge for a couple of ours. We took turns with some just sitting in chairs and basking in the warm sun. Fortunately, on the water there are not so many black flies and mosquitoes so one has a slight chance of basking in the sun. I must warn the readier that there is always direct correlation between the amount of fish one catches and the thickness of the biting insects. Bugs are absolutely thick!

I did catch the first one, a speckle just a little over a pound – a perfect pan sized trout. This doesn’t sound like much of a fish when compared to some of the salmon and trout I have caught in excess of twenty pounds but when you have him on light tackle and a fourteen foot fly rod the fight is really something! They have the ability to bend a rod double. One more was picked up by John before we went in for supper.

Caughnawana Lodge is a private club where each of its limited seventy members must pay an annual fee of $1,500. (There is an additional cost per day to stay in the lodge with gourmet meals provided.) This means that fish stocks are quite abundant with different lakes hosting different species and different restrictions. In Caughnawana there were both Lake Trout and Speckles but just over the hill in Green Lake there were only Lakers. There are huge ones but they are rarely caught since they run in deep water and only flies can be used. Heavy metal plugs are not allowed. By July the fishing is pretty much over as the trout head into deeper cooler waters. One has about a two month window in which to catch fish – lots of fish.

I was with a great group of guys, Mark of course and his colleague Jerry O.. I rode down with Richard L., while in the other car were Steve H. and his son Matt. Arriving in Temiscaming and meeting us there were John F., and his co-worker, Dan. After an amazing meal put together by the lodge hostess, Jane, we settled in for an evening of informal discussion.

The next morning after a hearty traditional fish camp breakfast we put ourselves into three boats and took off across Caughnawana, docking at one side of a mountain, gathering up our stuff and hiking over the mountain to a wharf on the other side where four more boats awaited us. After getting them launched and started we all put on our various flies, divided the lake up and set out to try our luck on the Green. It turned out that white was the color of the day and within a short time I had hooked six and landed five, all of them almost identical in size. We had planned to gather on a small island for lunch where Brian our guide would have a shore lunch ready to go.

Brian, our host and guide

In all and with another two hours remaining we had amassed a catch of about fifteen, one short of the limit. Brian cleaned them up and fried them over a blazing campfire. Along with homemade bread and baked beans we had a marvelous, tasty and filling lunch. This is an authentic Canadian experience that perhaps less than ten percent of Canadians ever have.

Since there was a lot to do in order to get cleaned up, organized and back over the mountain (by the way, it was fairly easy going south to north but almost straight up north to south. I almost croaked.)  Again, we faced another great supper, this time, steak, mashed white and sweet potatoes, stuffed bell peppers and more.

The next morning at eleven we loaded and made our way back to our respective cities.

Guest Post – Random France Facts

France is different.  I often joke with the team: “ohhhh les Français sont bizarre”.  Here are some weird stories/facts:

• “Culte” means “the Christian church service”.  “Secte” means “cult”
• If you’re a guy and don’t want to be picked out as a tourist: don’t wear shorts.
• I grabbed curry on the run and was eating it on the metro in favour of sitting on a bench and missing a train.  I got some REALLY weird looks.  When I asked a friend why this was, she responded “wow.. eating on the run is really not something the French do.  We sit and relax while we eat.”  Turns out this is the case even when it means missing a train and waiting an extra half hour.
• People are LESS likely to smile at you while walking past them on the street than people in Ottawa.  People are suspicious when you do.
• People are far more likely to offer you a place to sit if you have a baby or are old.  Ashley almost always gets a seat regardless of how busy the train is.  In Ottawa, I’ve witnessed a good number of old ladies stand while Mr. shirt-and-tie sat looking on as if she didn’t exist.
• Years ago it was common place for the French to take 2 hour lunch breaks. Now, 1 or 1.5 hours are common.  However, work hours are often lengthened to compensate.  They work 35 hour weeks.
• All kids get EVERY WEDNESDAY OFF from school.  I still have yet to figure out how this works with day care and working parents.  Kids do have a shorter summer and a longer school day.
• Markets are AMAZING.  There is a ton of energy and lots of fresh, inexpensive food to be had.  They usually happen once a week in various neighborhoods and towns.  They cane literally go for miles.  As the day goes on, the deals get better and better as the vendors don’t want to have to lug their food and wares back home.

The market starting at the Metro Belleville, close to the Sans Logis I’m helping with

 

Guest Post – “Is Canada More Rich Than America?”

All the sans logis longingly ask about Canada. “Are their jobs there?” and “Is it more rich than America?” top the list of frequently asked questions.

Of the people I’ve talked to here, they seem very interested in working but after trying for a long awhile, they simply give up. “Even for someone bilingual like me, there are 5 people in line for restaurant jobs here in Paris” said an Algerian man I met this morning. True or not, he simply didn’t have any leads on how to get a job.

Me: “What about something you can do over the Internet. That way you can work for anyone in the world, just limited to someone in Paris”
His eyes lit up.. “what do you mean?”
Well my life is learning French from someone over Skype. She’s a teacher but makes $20 for an hour long class. That’s just an example. Wow… I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a great idea!

A Bangladeshi guy later in the morning jokingly thinks all French people are “mental” despite him being very grateful for having been granted French citizenship. Everyday he stays with a friend, comes here for breakfast, looks for work then plays cricket for the rest of the day. He seems frustrated with this routine. He too got excited about working on the Internet.

Does anyone have ideas of things these guys could do on the Internet for people? Some stuff I thought of:
- verbalplanet.com
- odesk/elance

More food at the Parker’s

About twenty-five years ago we met the Parker family. Nick a veterinarian surgeon and Janet his wife lived some (63 kms) forty or more miles from our church but they would load up in the car and come all the all way from Rockland, Ontario to our church in Stittsville. After awhile they bought land near us in the country and built a house where they raised their four kids. All of them are grown now and away from home.

They now have moved again and we wound up staying in a house only a mile from where they now live. On our first day we went to the grocery store and while rounding the aisle there was Janet. After a quick visit in front of the potato chips we decided to get together for dinner. On Wednesday evening we got around to their place and had a terrific meal with them, their daughter, Megan and guests, close friends of a lifetime, Larry and Leslie Brune. As usual Janet in the kitchen and Nick on the grill produced a scrumptious supper.

The amazing story of Liam Michael Cordell

Raina telling her story

Many people know that about thirty years ago Jeanne and I began praying for couples who could not (for whatever reason) conceive.  In those years we have seen more than twenty-five couples end up with babies.

One couple that we were involved in wound up with three kids in all and two of them were “rough-housing” boys that nearly drove their mother mad. She continued to love us but didn’t want us touching her ever again. Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but partly true. We’ve all made a joke out of the experience.

Truthfully, however, we must say that we have been a part of some incredible stories. Now, we don’t have a 1,000 batting average but it would be fair to say that we are at the .750 mark. I don’t know why some have not managed to conceive. Almost always, I have no idea how things work out as they do. It doesn’t make sense, and I always feel sorry for these folks when prayers don’t seem to be answered. We have come to rest in God on this one and just act in obedience when asked.

The news got out and so Janet and Mike Brown, who attend Chapel Ridge Free Methodist Church, told their daughter Raina and son-in-law David in Wilmington, North Carolina that we did this sort of thing. So one day my Inbox had a message from Raina. I called her and she told us her story (I wish you could hear her story). She asked if they could drive down to Charlotte and have us pray for them. In human terms – if we listened to doctors – her case would seem impossible, and it was. Yet, one Thursday a couple of years ago we met at The Billy Graham Center for lunch (where Jeanne was working at the time) and prayed for them. They went on their way and we didn’t hear from them until they wrote to tell us they were expecting. Along with many others, we prayed throughout the pregnancy that she would be able to carry the baby and that he would be healthy. The neat part of the story is this: We were here in Ottawa at the exact time when Raina and David were dedicating this miracle baby, Liam, to the Lord and we got to be a part of that. God’s timing is amazing!

By the way, when we were here in Ottawa nine months ago, we also prayed for another couple and she and Raina had their babies in the same week. Pretty neat, eh?

We love being a part of what God is doing … all the glory is His!

Gustavo and Elvira / the best Italian food in the city

Bongarzone’s

Questa cena d’sera era incredible!

Gustavo

Lucky us! Gustavo from Calabria (my Italian barber – Planet Hair, Kanata) and Elvira from Sicily invited us over for supper on Saturday night and there we met their friends Cordon Bleu trained baker Charles and his wife Sharon. Gustavo is also a painter of Italian urban and village scenes.

After some “getting to know you” appetizers of pate and caviar, we sat down to five courses (count ‘em!). First came beautiful plates of Antipasti arrayed with Gustavo’s homemade salamis along with artichokes, olives, mixed salad with cheese, prosciutto, and  melone. Elvira’s homemade bread and Gustavo’s homemade wine complemented everything throughout the meal.

The next round was the prima piatta of linguine in authentic tomato sauce cooked to perfection by Elvira. Then, secondo arriviato con (with) asparagus, leafy salad and chicken Parmigiano, all excellent as well. Next came dolce, three different ones – the first was a light almond torte with pears (made by Charles) and another plain almond cake with raspberry sauce! Elvira had made a marvelous cheesecake with a cherry topping and graham cracker crust as well! Just when we thought we were done, out came a plate of fresh fruit made up of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and grapes.

Frankly, we would have liked to have stayed longer into the night but with church in the morning we needed to get back across town, organized and to bed.

A Dutch Gift / The Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa

Tulips! Tulips! Tulips!

Queen Beatrix

During World War II Princess Juliana of Holland was sent to Canada for refuge and safety with her two daughters. Here she lived with two-year-old Beatrix, now Queen of The Netherlands, until its liberation by Canadian troops.

Since that time Canada and Holland have had a close bond. As a way of expressing its gratitude, Holland continues to send millions of brilliantly colored tulips to Canada each year.

They line the Parkway around Dow’s Lake, where our dear friends Bud and Deb Narraway took us for a walk after a lunch of enchiladas at The Lone Star Cafe. Though we came around at the very end of the tulip season, there remained many different varieties in every possible color and combination. Bud and Debbie became Christians around the same time as we did, and our lives have been intertwined ever since. We had lots to catch up on and much to rejoice in as we remembered God’s faithfulness to us, our children, and grandchildren.

Guest Post – “I am nobody”

I really love helping out at the “sans logis” (literally: for those without lodging).  Around the time I got there, in the matter of a week or so we doubled the amount of people coming through for “petit déjeuner”.  Most people simply want cafe au lait (half coffee, half milk) with some bread and jam.  The breakdown of the people that show up:

• 20-30 regulars
• 20 new faces
• 20 irregulars

People have started to express an interest in me as they see that: a) I’m sticking around for awhile b) I am always making an effort to smile c) happy to chat!  On Wednesday, I asked a few of the regulars their names.  Many introduced themselves to me and I to them.  One of the regulars didn’t offer his name so I politely asked his.  “Personne” (literally: “person”) he replied.  “Person” I thought to myself, that’s weird to call yourself even as a joke.  His friends quickly pointed out it wasn’t his actual name.  Later, as I was on the train coming home I realized the second possible interpretation for the same word.. “nobody”.  He introduced himself to me as “nobody”.  My heart sank.

Some of the regulars

Our seating.. it’s not a big place

This center also takes in second hand clothing and has a morning each week where people can come in and choose some clothes.  I was helping them sort through some of the clothing that was coming in.  It was pretty horrible stuff: old bras, lots of pants for gigantic men, blazers and sports jackets.  Really?  Who’s going to want this stuff.  So I’ll put it out there to you people:

How can we get these homeless people better clothes? 

• Calling up corporate (Nike, Adidas, etc) for the different firms for donations?  What would be in it for them?
• Getting hooked up with more Parisian churches for donations?  City halls of small towns around Paris?
• …??

Plus a great picture of us hanging out Paris on the many “bank holidays”.  Made EXTRA LARGE for your viewing pleasure:

Taken by our new friend and team member: Sarah from Memphis!

(Except for the mosquitos) Charming and Quaint Ottawa Valley

The Black Church near Athens, Ontario

Many Americans have never thought of visiting Canada unless it might be to fish in one of its remote, wilderness lakes or perhaps take a ski vacation at Banff or Whistler in the Canadian Rockies. They generally think in one of two ways – Canada either seems rustic where they must hire a dog team and live in a wigwam or, on the other hand, a first class holiday resort. They never get acquainted with the REAL Canada.

For instance, we live in South Carolina, near Charlotte, NC,  a “driveable” 921 miles from the beautiful capitol city of Canada (NO! not Toronto or Vancouver, which are often guessed as the capitol city) but Ottawa, nestled into the fork of the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers.

Ottawa, a city of one million, is situated about two hours northwest of Montreal and four hours northeast of Toronto. Between the months of May and October, Ottawa is one of the best visits you can have without going abroad. January and February are also a wonderful time to visit if you like ice carnivals and skating on the twelve-mile-long Rideau Canal that winds north to south through the city. Great food, shops, museums, and on and on it goes.  Within reach are  the two other major Canadian cities, Montreal and Toronto. Montreal is primarily French speaking and one would have to fly to France for a similar cultural, food, and architectural experience.

The Flour Mill at Delta, Ontario

Still, without the drive to another city, the countryside around Ottawa is dotted with charming Irish and Scottish influenced hamlets dating back to the 1600′s. Driving through the rolling hills you will come around a bend to see a placid lake or perhaps a farmstead with log or stone home, red frame or log barns. I recommend it all as a relaxing way to spend some time and it is, as they say, right next door.

The Jesus March in Milano

I have worked thirteen years in Italy to see this day when Christians fearlessly take to the streets with a collective proclamation the Lordship of Jesus. Unless you have been there, you cannot imagine what a miraculous breakthrough this is. We are putting an end to the bastion mentality. Thanks, Aldo, Mariela, Francesco, Alessia and Gruppo Cristiano Latino Americano in Parma!

Ho lavorato tredici anni in Italia per vedere questo giorno in cui i cristiani senza paura per le strade con una proclamazione collettiva la Signoria di Gesù. A meno che non ci sono stato, non si può immaginare che cosa una svolta miracolosa questo è. Stiamo mettendo fine alla mentalità bastione. Grazie, Aldo, Mariela, Francesco, Alessia e Cristiano Gruppo Latino Americano a Parma!