Hello, friends,

I just wanted to let you in on an exciting event that the children will be able to participate in. Pastor Bohman of Bethel Baptist Church is also a pilot. He wants to be a blessing and take the family up for a ride. They are really looking forward to it. I can hardly wait to see their faces! Although, it is going to be hard to take pictures if I am going to be on the ground!! He usually takes about 3 people at a time. But I think I will pass on this little experience. The chilren said, "Come on, Mom, you should fly! You will have a great time!" But I get motion sickness WAY TOO EASILY! So I am going to enjoy taking pictures of the excitement instead. I am happy that way. I also told the children that I will be on more than enough airplane rides in my life, that I definitely don't need to add extry ones!!:) So, they are to go flying through the sky tomorrow afternoon. We are all looking forward to it.

Psalm 113:1,2

Have a wonderful day,

Love,

Ida

Hello, Friends, Thanks for stopping by to check in on us, but most importantly, thank you so much for your prayers. We greatly appreciate them!

Well, this past Sunday, we had the privilege of worshipping with Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington in the morning, and then with Harvesters Baptist Church in Delaware, Ontario. We enjoyed being in each service. I felt terrible because we arrived at Heritage in plenty of time to set up the display table and the projector and all of the technical set-up for the dvd presentation. Not a problem so far, right? But we did not feel the need to take the laptop because we used the portable dvd player instead. Well, we realized much to our HORROR that the dvd was in the laptop bag. Fortunately, we were only 10-15 minutes away, so while Alan taught S.S., I quickly drove home and retrieved it. Thankfully, it was not that far away! The people were so friendly and many asked questions regarding Togo, so we greatly appreciated that. I felt very much at home with Heritage.

After the morning service, Pastor and Mrs. McQuiggan had us over for a delicious lunch. We really enjoyed the fellowship there. We laughed. A LOT! Mostly at ourselves. Needless to say the afternoon flew by, and before we knew it, we had to head out and drive the 1 1/2 hour to Delaware. It rained the whole time. But we were all tired, so the drive was a quiet one.

When we arrived at Harvesters, we were there about an hour before the service started, so we were able to get the display board set up and have a really good visit with Pastor Wood. At that time, Mrs. Wood was playing piano for some singers, but when she was finished, she came over and talked with us. I had only ever met her once, and it was just in passing, but that night, we had a great conversation, and I really enjoyed getting to know her. There were some familiar faces in the church, so it was nice catching up with people we had not seen in a while.

I must agree with Alan when he publicly said last night that the congregational singing there was PHENOMENAL! Their building is an old Methodist (I think) building with a high wooden ceiling. And as the people sang out, you could clearly hear all four parts. Now THAT is WORSHIP! We were so glad to have witnessed that. It was a great night! After the service, there was a fellowship, so we enjoyed meeting new people and getting to know others better. It was a great day in the house of the Lord. Thank you, pastors and churches, for being so kind, and making pre-field ministry so enjoyable for us!

Psalm 113:1,2

Have a great day,

Love,

Ida

Hi, friends, thanks so much for praying for us and thinking about us! We really appreciate you all!

Thanks, especially for praying about the citizenship progress. Up until now, it seemed there was no progress. But suddenly, today I received notice to appear on April 15 for a test. YEEHAAWW!! Just last week I was talking to a friend of mine because I was worried (my lack of faith) that maybe these dates would fall during the time of our travels. And she said, "Oh, no, that won't happen. The Lord will take care of that for you!" I am so thankful for friends like her that keep me in line.

On another subject, as I stated in an earlier blog, yesterday was the only Sunday that we did not have a scheduled meeting. So we decided to attend New Hope Baptist Church in Tillsonburg. Wow, do they ever have a beautiful building! But even more important, the people there were so very friendly. Then we went on to Simcoe to spend the afternoon with Alan's mom. Pastor Bohman had Alan preach. The neat part is that his message spoke to some hearts. He preached on Matthew 19:1,2, about following Christ and not giving up. After the service, someone testified to him that that is exactly what she was planning. To give up on what she was doing. In tears, she told him that she needed to hear that message. My heart was blessed. Financially, the Lord took care of us, and we appreciate Pastor Bohman's being so kind. Brendin went on their teen afterglow, so we joined some of the parents in the gym for some food and fellowship. It was a late night, but we had a great time. Well, I will sign off for now.

Have a wonderful day,

Psalm 113:1,2

Love,

Ida

A couple of days ago, Alan was able to purchase online our plane tickets for Ghana. We will be travelling all day long, but, fortunately, we will arrive at night the day after, so hopefully we will be able to get a good night's sleep. We will fly from Buffalo to Detroit, then on to Amsterdam, where we will have a 5-hour lay-over. Then we will fly directly from Amsterdam to Ghana. We plan on spending a couple of days in Ghana, and then travel to Togo and then Benin.

I am SSSSSOOOOO excited!! We leave 2 months from tomorrow. Alan, Brendin and a friend of ours who will be traveling with us will go to Toronto tomorrow to get their visa. I am going to go ahead and get my visa through my U.S. citizenship, so I have to apply for the visa online. If I get approved, then I have to mail my passport to the States. Hopefully, that will not take too long.

In April, we will be in 4 missions conferences, which we are very much looking forward to. That is only 2 weeks away. So we have two more weeks of normalcy (is that even a word?). This is exciting!!

Have a wonderful day!

Psalm 113:1,2

Love,

Ida

Hello, everyone! This past Monday, we met the Harris family from Welland and we traded 2 girls for 2 boys. That's right. Still had 4 children, just all boys. We had a great time with them, but I surely missed my girls. But they also had a great time at the Harris home. Isn't it funny how that with your own children, they are not allowed so many treats in one day, such as staying up till midnight (which, by the way, I am STILL paying for:), candy, donuts, and not having to drink as much water as they would normally have to, as well as taking time out to take them to different places? But when their friends come over, things get a little different, and they are allowed a little more freedom? From what I understand, the girls were able to stay up late, too, and had their own special treats. I am glad that they all had a great time, whether at home or at their friend's home. I really love how all these children get along so well, no matter what they are doing. But now, things have to get back to normal, and we have GOT to get Bethany back to her schooling!

We did go to the States today on the spur of the moment. We wanted to help Bro. Eagles by picking something up for him, but we also had to get a couple of things checked out. Our efforts for our errands were in vain, but we were able to pick up the tracts for Pastor. All week long, the weather in Southern Ontario has been P.E.R.F.E.C.T.!! We were glad to be out and about, soaking up the sun as it smiled down its warmth. I love this weather!!

Psalm 113:1,2

Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Hello, friends, thanks for praying for us!

Well, we just finished another weekend of presenting our burden. But I pray that more than that, we were able to be a blessing to those that we came in contact with. I know that I was blessed this past weekend. On Sunday morning, we were at Lighthouse Baptist Church, and after the service, we joined the pastor and his family for a great lunch. I really enjoyed being with Mrs. Payne. She was a great blessing to me. A young lady from the church joined us as well, and I enjoyed getting to know her, too. They have 4 daughters, and they all got along well with our girls - the boys were not interested in doing any girlie things:)

That evening, we were blessed to be with Berean Baptist Church. Unfortunately, Pastor and Mrs. Uren were not able to be there because they went to help their daughter and their son-in-law, who has been suffering from blood clots. I know that many people around the world have been praying for him (Jon Roswell), and many prayers have been answered. Jon was able to go home, which is a BIG answer to prayer.

The church was friendly, and we saw some familiar faces, so it was nice to catch up with some people whom we have not seen in a while.

Both churches were only about 20 minutes from Hamilton, so we did not travel too far. We have no scheduled meetings at all this next Sunday, but I am praying that the Lord will fill up one or both services, even though it is such short notice.

Psalm 113:1, 2

Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Ida

Hello, friends! Thanks for stopping by today! The children and I had a great time skating today! Bethany is doing REALLY well! I am really proud of her! The other kids were all naturals. It seemed that they put the skates on and never looked back. Now if they fall, it is usually on purpose. To slide. I don't get that, but hey, they enjoy it. But it has taken Bethy a while. She has been taking some lessons from her big brother Brendin, who by the way, seems to be an excellent coach! Anyway, when the kids aren't skating around me, I find it peaceful and am so thankful that the Lord has given us this opportunity.

Hello, friends, thanks for stopping by today. I pray that all is well with you.

I just wanted to let you know of a praise, and to encourage those of you who have prayed for lost loved ones for many years, to NOT GIVE UP!! Pastor Barry and Jennifer Rutherford in Trail, B.C., have been praying for their loved ones for many years, and just this past Monday, their brother accepted Christ as his Saviour!! What a blessing, and we rejoice with them. I am sure that they are on cloud nine because of it. Please pray for their brother, that he would grow in grace, and that his life would be a testimony to his wife and parents.

It is amazing to see the change in a person's life once Christ has gotten a hold of the heart!

Please continue to hold Esther Elliott in your prayers. I don't know if you have seen the update, but Daniel said that he was talking to Esther's hospice nurse, and both agree that her time on this earth is not long. Pray for the parents. They need God's grace. Her siblings, too, need the Lord's comfort.

Psalm 113:1,2

Have a great day!

Love,

Ida

Thanks, friends, for checking in on us today. We really appreciate your prayers and are thankful for all of your thoughts and kind gifts.

Right now, my heart is H E A V Y!! It has been that way for a while. You see, although Canada is not the country I was born in, it has been my home for the last 15 1/2 years. It is the home of my husband and all four of our precious children. We are blessed to be here. In this land, we are free to worship, get an education, get any kind of job we wish...the possibilities are endless. God has been GOOD to this country!!

However, here is where the heaviness comes in: In the last week and a half, 4 pastors/missionaries have resigned their Canadian churches. I don't know the reasons. I just know that Satan has definitely ATTACKED! One of the pastors has gone to another church to be an assistant pastor. The facts are that there are now 3 preachers without sheep, and 4 churches without a shepherd. Those are the facts. As Alan has called churches in the Nova Scotia area, he has found that there are many works without pastors. I can't stop thinking about this, and it has driven me to my knees in tears several times in the last few days. I have BEGGED God to do something for these men and their wives as well as the congregations. I know they must be hurting. During the last couple of times that we have driven through the Toronto area, I have looked and looked for Baptist Churches. I have seen a couple of mosques, and 1 pentecostal church...but no Baptist churches. Folks, this great country NEEDS the Lord! I have asked the Lord why He would send Alan, who is a great pastor and fantastic preacher to a country so far away, when this country needs more men of its own kind. Please don't get me wrong...Our burden for the Togolese people is VERY STRONG and VERY REAL. And one reason why Alan first struggled with the call to Togo is because Canada has so few Canadian preachers. But the Lord KNOWS what HE wants, and we will do HIS will. All I can do is PRAY!! And that is what I will do. Will you join me? Will you not only pray for your pastor on a daily basis, but pray for other pastors in this great nation? The Devil's attack is real, and although this country is blessed with ABUNDANT materialism, it lacks SPIRITUALLY.

I know that before we became missionaries, I lived in a bubble. Home-school kids, go to church, focus on church family. I did not realize the need for pastors. I lived in a bubble. The Lord has certainly opened my eyes to the sad truth. Let's not wait until July 1 or Gay Pride Day before we think to REALLY pray for Canada. Let's pray fervently EVERYDAY!! Thanks for reading and letting me get this off my chest. Thanks especially for praying with me! Let's expect God to do great things through these pastors and their wives.

By the way, an O.P.P. officer was killed in a shootout yesterday in Southern Ontario. The man that killed him is in his 70's and in hospital. Canada NEEDS the LORD!!

Psalm 113:1,2

Love,
Ida

Hello, friends! Thanks for stopping by to check on us. Thank you so much for praying for us! The Lord gave safety on the road!

Yesterday (Sunday), Bethany and I had to stay home while the others went to church. We picked up a bug of some sort, and although we each had different reactions to the bug, we still were both not well. We are better today, although still a little bit weak.

While we were home in bed, Alan and the other 3 went to Georgina Baptist Church in Sutton, Ontario. This was a last-minute meeting. We had planned on going and just being in their service, so Alan emailed Pastor Dixon and his response was to allow Alan to preach and share the ministry of Togo. That was REALLY NICE of him!! Well, because they are in a renting situation, their service doesn't start until 12:00. So Alan and the kids left in good time. It's a good thing, too. Because about half way there, they blew a tire. Thankfully no one was hurt. When we get an oil change on the van, we usually go to Wal-Mart, and with the oil change they give you an emergency roadside plan for so many days after the oil change. So Alan called the #, but this plan ONLY works if your emergency is any day other than Sunday. They are off that day. So a very nice policeman came to the rescue. He notified a tow-truck driver, who also was very nice. In fact, he even gave Alan quite a discount just because Alan is a missionary. Fortunately, they still made it to the service on time. After the service, they went to the Dixon's house for a really good lunch. They had a great time!

Their evening service was spent at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Newmarket with Pastor and Mrs. Kalbfleisch. They really enjoyed being here, too. I was really disappointed that I could not be there, but we know that the Lord is in control.

On another note, we have just received word that Pastor Barry Rutherford's brother was saved this morning. Praise the Lord!! I know that this has been heavy on his and Jenn's heart for MANY years!! This is fantastic news!

Psalm 113:1,2
Have a wonderful day,

Love,
Ida

Hi, friends and loved ones, thanks for stopping by. I am sorry it has taken some time to blog this week. I know, baaaad me:). Anyhow, last Sunday we had a great time at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Oakville, Ontario. Pastor and Mrs. Howard are such a nice couple, and their church members are equally as nice. The last few churches that we have attended are in rental situations, so there is set-up and take down. Many times, the congregation has to be out of the building by a certain time. That really brought back memories!! That day just happened to be "Banana Sunday". Several people "dressed up" bananas and brought them in to be judged. Our family had the privilege of being the judges, but it was hard to pick, as there were many neat projects! There were only 3 places, but we chose a banana dressed as a butterfly, one dressed as a reindeer, and 2 tied for 3rd place. They were a princess and a baby, complete with a diaper, bib, and a pacifier. They were ALL very cute!! Then, people were to bring in banana-related desserts. That was great because we had dessert BEFORE lunch!!! YEEEEHAW!!

After the room was taken apart, we joined the Howard family for a delicious spaghetti lunch in their home. We really enjoyed the fellowship! They have 2 children, one who is a couple of years younger than Bethany. They got along BEAUTIFULLY!! They are great for each other! I was really impressed. The 3 older children played Monopoly together. So everyone was happy!

That night, we did not have a scheduled meeting, but for quite some time, we had been wanting to join Pastor McQuiggan and Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington. We have know many of these dear folks for a few years, as they had joined us at Faith Baptist for New Year's celebration

for the past few years. It was great seeing them again. We are scheduled to be in their Sunday service in about a month. Looking forward to that:)

Well, I shall sign off now and spend some time with my dear hubby. We love you guys! Thanks for praying! God is good!!

Psalm 113:1,2

Have a wonderful Lord's Day!!

Love,

Ida