Bill & Norma Jean Jancewicz

Tentmakers

Northern Translation Brief 28Apr2014

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Bill Jancewicz

Our Dear Partners and Friends,

We have been working on a new newsletter that fleshes out the details of our work and new ministry developments for First Nations mother-tongue Bible translation, but we have a pressing need related to the big picture that we would like you to join us in prayer about today.

Several persons in the Naskapi church and community have been reading the Bible in their own language more and more in the past few years since the dedication of the New Testament, and God has really been speaking to them in their heart language. More and more they desire to have Gods Word in their lives and to continue the work on the Old Testament, and reading the Bible to their children.

At the same time, there remain several other First Nations languages that are related to Naskapi that still do not yet have adequate access to the scriptures in their own language. To address this need, the Canadian Bible Society is partnering with Wycliffe and First Nations church leadership to convene a gathering with a view to building capacity for Bible translation in these languages.

The Naskapi who have been involved in working on their own translation could have a motivational, inspirational and partnering role with their Cree-speaking brothers and sisters who do not yet have the access to the scriptures that the Naskapi enjoy. Several Naskapi speakers are eager to come an share what it has meant to them, and to share the load by training or mentoring.

So we have been communicating with the Bible Society and church leadership to participate in these meetings, which are scheduled for June 9 and 10 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. We were hoping that a translator or a Naskapi lay-reader or church leader could come.

But here is the issue-today we realized that one of our Naskapi language specialists, Old Testament translator Amanda is planning to have her wedding day on June 7 (so she obviously can’t come!) But we were also hoping for Naskapi church lay-readers or translators to come.

However, of the main Naskapi church lay-readers, one (Cheyenne) is mother-of-the-bride, and another (Marianne) is the bride’s aunt. Silas, the church deacon (and our main translator), is officiating at the ceremony!

Yet, I have heard from Cheyenne again today and she feels that God would really want her to be at this Bible Translation gathering too, and has asked me if it would be possible for her to travel right after the wedding, and to arrive on the second day of the gathering.

She is praying about it, and so is the whole wedding party getting ready for a June Naskapi wedding.

We would ask you to pray about it too. Pray that everyone can have a wonderful day at the wedding. And then,

Pray that Cheyenne, and possibly Marianne or Silas or one other Naskapi can get a flight out of Schefferville the next day, and traveling via Montreal and Saskatoon, can arrive in Prince Albert in time to share what God has laid on their hearts about how He speaks to them now in their mother tongue.

Pray for all the participants of the meetings, for the bishops and other church leaders, and Bible Society and Wycliffe representatives (that’s us, Bill and Norma Jean) that we would listen to each other and to God and learn just how He is drawing these Nations to Himself in the language of their hearts, and how we and the Naskapi people are going to be used to help bring this about.

Thank you for your prayers. God is hearing and answering!

We are eager to share more of how God is at work in our lives and the lives of those we serve.

Love, Bill and Norma Jean

Northern Translation Brief 09Apr2014

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Bill Jancewicz

Our Dear Partners,

Even though we are still living here in Aldergrove, BC where Norma Jean is working hard on her MA studies, we are still working with the Naskapi translation team in Kawawachikamach.

The celebration of resurrection day is nearly here, and this year marks a special Easter for the Naskapi community. We have completed the final book in the Walking With Jesus series, ᒋᓴᔅ ᑲ  ᐅᓂᔅᑲᑦ The Resurrection of Jesus, printed and delivered in time for Easter at Kawawachikamach.

The Walking With Jesus series was a literature promotion and scripture translation initiative sponsored by the Bible Society in the early 1990s, that consisted of a series of six booklets containing scripture portions from the Gospels that could be translated “shell-book” style for multiple languages and produced at lower cost because of the volume printed. The Walking With Jesus series played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Naskapi language project for Bible translation in 1993, and books 1, 2, 5 and 6 were completed at that time. These were the first books ever published in the Naskapi language.

George Guanish working on the Walking With Jesus books in Bill’s office in 1993

For various budgetary and human-resource reasons, in the middle 1990s the project was set aside by the Naskapi Development Corporation (NDC), in order to focus on pursuing other language development projects. Still, the booklets that were produced found a niche readership within the Naskapi community, and were distributed through the NDC, the church, the school and the local store. Meanwhile, as we slowly moved ahead with other language development and translation projects locally, the Bible Society discontinued the production of more booklets in the series. Consequently, books 3 and 4 were not completed.

Fast-forward to 2007, and the dedication of the Naskapi New Testament: The Bible Society partnered with the Naskapi Development Corporation for the publication of this truly significant book. You were there to share the excitement with the community on September 16, 2007, when the Naskapi population at large was introduced to a book that they valued greatly, and were just starting to appreciate just how much it meant to them. This marked the beginning of a period of deepening community interest in Naskapi literacy, language development, education and literature. Several NDC projects in partnership with the Naskapi school, daycare, and church were initiated at this time that resulted in the acceleration of the release of book titles being produced and read in Naskapi in the community. The Naskapi community needed books, and they needed good books, and right away, too.

So the Translation and Linguistics Services Department at NDC revived the “Walking With Jesus” project, and entered into a special agreement with the Bible Society to produce the “missing volumes” in the series: Books 3 and 4, the “Parables” and “Teachings” of Jesus.

Books 3 and 4 finished in 2010

In June of 2010, we signed an agreement with the Bible Society for the use of the Illustrations in the Walking With Jesus Series, and work begun on completing the series that was begun 17 years earlier.

Thanks to the advent of “print-on-demand” publishing services, our tiny department now had the resources it needed to produce bookstore-quality resources in small quantities needed for the Naskapi community. Also at this time, Norma Jean Jancewicz completed a literacy course at SIL at the University of North Dakota, and immediately applied what she learned to the production of quality literacy materials for Naskapi children at the Naskapi childcare centre and at the school. Also, now that the New Testament was completed, our department could focus on Old Testament readings and work towards the completion of the complete set of Sunday lectionary readings with the local Naskapi Anglican church.

But it was the inspiration that was directly related to the Walking With Jesus series that had one of the most significant impacts in our community. Kyle, the young grandson of Ruby Sandy-Robinson, the Administrative Director of the Naskapi Development Corporation, was heard at home reading from Book 3 of the Walking With Jesus series in Naskapi. Ruby was so moved and inspired by the fact that her grandson could read the story of Jesus in his own language (having learned to read through the result of the

Kyle Shecanapish reading “The Good Samaritan” in Naskapi

Naskapi curriculum program at the school) that she also was encouraged to increase her own efforts to learn to read her own mother tongue better. She says that her own desire and subsequent ability to read the scriptures had their foundation in her late father, Deacon Joseph Sandy, reading the Cree scriptures to the family when she was a girl–but it was her own grandson reading in Naskapi to her that helped her realize that being able to read the scriptures herself in her own language were indeed a blessed possibility. She actively encouraged the Translation and Linguistics Services Department at NDC to not only complete the two “missing” Walking With Jesus books, but to also complete a revision and re-issuing of the entire Walking With Jesus series in Naskapi. Here is a video of Kyle reading, which has been such an inspiration to his grandmother Ruby (and others) in the Naskapi community:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vimqT144lg

So over the past three years, we have made steady progress on the publication and review of the complete set of the Walking With Jesus books in Naskapi. These books have become a centerpiece of literacy education in the Naskapi language, being used at home and in the school, and have also been used in several adult-literacy initiatives over the past several years.

Serving with you, Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz

Northern Translation Brief: First Nations in Canada

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Bill Jancewicz

Our Dear Partners,

As you are all aware, the Naskapi Bible translation project is just one of dozens of languages across Canada still spoken by First Nations people. Some are so closely related to Naskapi that we understand them and they understand us very well–such as the Mushuau Innu in Natuashish, Labrador or the Northern East Cree at Whapmagoostui on Hudson Bay. Still, there are many other communities across the north part of Canada clear west over to the Rocky Mountains where there are people who speak related dialects that are like each other but less and less like Naskapi.

Some of these languages have had a long history of Bible translation work in them, like Plains Cree, Moose Cree, Montagnais, Atikamekw, Algonquin, and Southern East Cree, with translated New Testaments or whole Bibles in those languages.

Some of these languages have work going on by our contemporaries and colleagues even now, and people who have waited for many years are just hearing the gospel in their own mother tongue for the first time.

Yet still some speakers of these languages are still waiting for translations in their own mother tongue.

This week, we have an opportunity to meet and discover how God is at work in many of these communities across Canada, and how we might be used to help all of the First Nations language speakers in Canada to have adequate access to God’s Word. Representatives from the Canadian Bible Society, our own field director, and other interested parties will be meeting together with us all day on Thursday at CanIL (the Canadian Institute of Linguistics) here in British Columbia to:

Pray together
Share how God has been at work in the existing projects we have all been involved in
Look at the big picture of how God is at work in all the other language communities in Canada
Discuss how we may be used by God in our partnerships together with the Bible Society, SIL/Wycliffe, and the First Nations communities that are still waiting for God’s word in their mother tongue, and continue to help the Naskapi with their goals

On Friday, Bill and Norma Jean will be meeting with our field director to pray and discuss our ways we can work to best meet the language development needs of many communities including and beyond Naskapi.

On that same day, Bill and Norma Jean will be celebrating the work that God has done in the Naskapi project with a presentation to the entire staff and student body at CanIL, and challenging them to consider how they might be involved in the work that remains in Canada in the future.

Later that day, we will join our field director meeting with some of the linguistics students who have expressed an interest in First Nations language work in Canada. Maybe God will use some of them to join us in the work.

You can pray with us,

that we will be sensitive to God’s Holy Spirit as we meet together this week,
that God will continue to work in the hearts of First Nations communities who we would partner with to do translation work,
that God would open our eyes so that we can see where the fields are ripe,
that He might send more workers into His harvest field here among the First Nations languages of Canada that are still waiting to hear the Good News in their heart language.

Serving with you,
Bill and Norma Jean

Northern Translation Brief 22Jan2014

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Bill Jancewicz

Pray for Silas

Our dear partners,

Most of you are familiar with Silas, our friend and Naskapi translator that we have worked so closely with over the years. We continue to work with him from a distance on translation projects that we exchange by Internet and email. He has also been serving as an ordained deacon at the Naskapi church, a busy Naskapi Nations councillor, and the lead translator at the Naskapi Development Corporation. But recently we received a message from him that he is very discouraged, long term and painful health issues have got him down, and he recently shared with us that he is thinking about resigning.

All we are asking you to do is to pray for him. Pray that God will help him, encourage him, and remind him that He loves him, and that with God’s help Silas will make good choices.

We have appreciated his friendship and partnership in helping to make God’s word accessible to his people. Right now he just needs to be lifted up in prayer. Would you do that for him?

Blessings, Bill and Norma Jean

Our 2013 Christmas Card

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Bill Jancewicz

Dear Readers,

Ever since 1975, I have made our own Christmas Cards. This year you can be in on some of the creative process. Each year, we try to focus on the significance of the birth of Christ, and for the past 32 years or so we have also included a reference to our current location (on the back–usually a picture of our house or apartment, but for a few years it was a picture of a VW mini bus). For the past 25 years or so we have also included a reference to Naskapi, too. So with some of these traditions to follow, we are provided with a kind of template.

“Peg” the one-legged Chickadee

Still, one needs an idea. While considering several ideas, we were being visited by Chickadees at our window bird feeder. What’s could be cuter than little birds? It wouldn’t be the first time we had a bird on our cards, and I was already thinking of a connection to a Scripture verse and the birth of the Saviour. But then something cuter still did show up: Besides the dozen or so Chickadees and other birds frequenting our feeder, we started to be visited by a sweet little Chickadee with only one leg. She was a little more timid than the other cheeky birds; she would wait on the wire much longer than the others until she was sure to have a safe landing on the feeder, and then she would come, get her sunflower seed, and fly off.

She was also special to us in that we could tell her apart from the others. She had to lean over to one side to keep her balance, but that did not stop her from coming for the meal provided. So several times a day “Peg” (Norma Jean named her) would visit, linger on the wire, come down to get her single seed and then fly off. We have seen her come every day now for weeks since we started taking notice. Once I got a good picture of her, I got to work on a pencil portrait (Norma Jean replenishes the sunflower seeds each day).

We do indeed put candles in the window–we like to do that at Christmas time, so I added a candle to the sketch, and then “Merry Christmas” in the “Christmas Card” font (inspired by “It’s a Wonderful Life”), and so the front of the card was done.

I already had considered the connection to the Saviour born on Christmas day: In the Sermon on the Mount He talked about how our heavenly Father cares for birds, and encourages us not to worry about what we need–because He cares for us too. So I quoted Matthew 6:26 in Naskapi and in English, formatted them in the top of the card, and summed up the Christmas message in the bottom of the card. Jesus saves us from many things: and the birds are a reminder that knowing Him we need not worry about things, either.

Like I mentioned earlier, it is our tradition to put a picture of our home on the back of the card, along with our contact information. Since I already sketched the cottage we are renting in Aldergrove BC (featured in an earlier blog post here), I simply re-used that picture and added the address and our e-mails for the card back.

We had the cards printed at a “Staples” outlet, I did the folding, stuffing and labeling, and then had them in the mail to the USA and overseas on Monday, 9 December 2013 (down in nearby Lynden, WA) and mailed out to our Canadian friends on Tuesday from the post office at the Co-op in Aldergrove, BC.

We will be staying here at our little rented cottage for the holidays this year. Nicodemus will be staying with us until the next semester starts for him and Norma Jean at Trinity Western University in Langley, later in January. We (and “Peg” the one-legged Chickadee) hope that you and yours have a very merry (and worry-free) Christmas!

Love, Bill and Norma Jean

Translation Brief 19Nov2013 “FAQ”-3

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Bill Jancewicz

Our dear partners,

This is the third follow-up to answer Frequently (F) Asked (A) Questions (Q). Thank you for your response to FAQ-1 and FAQ-2, and for the great questions that you have asked to keep this going!

Another question that (understandably) many people are thinking about is:

(3) “So… what about the Naskapi Translation?

The short answer is that it’s “still going on”… and more of us are sharing the load.

Most of you will remember the remarkable story of “The Fantastic Four”, describing the new “Naskapi Language Specialists-in-training” that were recruited, hired and trained by Bill to work at the Naskapi Development Corporation. They are all young (in their 20s) and enthusiastic about their work, and each one has taken on the translation of an Old Testament book of the Bible in Naskapi. They are following a training plan in which they study translation principles, Naskapi history and culture, history and geography of Bible times, and Naskapi grammar, along with practice in using some of the computer technology that has been set up so that they can type in Naskapi and organize and edit their work.

Amanda is assigned to the book of Joshua, Kissandra is working in 1 Samuel, Kabimbetas is working on 1 Kings, and Medora will be starting on 2 Kings soon. These are all stories of the history of God’s relationship with Israel.

In addition, Tshiueten, who has worked as a Naskapi translation intern now for about 3 years, has made significant progress through the book of Exodus, the “prequel” to all those stories, the beginnings of the nation of Israel.

Silas is still the senior translator, and besides his own work on the Psalms and his service as deacon at the church, he reads through and revises the work of the younger translators.

Bill interacts with the team several times each week, answering questions and teaching sections of their training plan, and also mentors and guides them into the correct spelling and other translation procedures. But they are gaining experience and their enthusiasm at the translation office at Kawawa is an encouragement to all their co-workers.

Also, our friend Rene Labbe, a former pastor from Quebec City now works as a science teacher at the Naskapi school. He comes by each week to present an inductive Bible study on the period of history and the books of the Old Testament that they are working on. We are so grateful for his involvement with the translation team.

The very first books of scripture that were translated in the 1990s, the “Walking With Jesus” series, have met an important need for beginning and intermediate readers of Naskapi. These are transitional readers that have large print and colorful illustrations, comprising six short (32 page) books that contain highlights of the life of Christ. These have recently been completely revised and the last book of the series “The Resurrection of Jesus” is in the final checking stages. These books make reading the Bible familiar and accessible to children and adults who are motivated to learn to read in their own language. The local radio station also plays audio-book versions of these that Bill produced as MP3s.

The books of Naskapi Lectionary readings, the cycle of readings that are read each Sunday in the Naskapi church, have been through one complete three-year cycle as of the end of this month. Bill worked with Silas to revise and correct the “Year A” book over the past several weeks, and it is now ready for it’s re-release for the first Sunday of Advent this December 1.

The first book of the Naskapi Legend series, “Kuihkwahchaw: Naskapi Wolverine Stories” was completed this summer, and Bill is working with the translation team and consultant linguists to prepare the second book, “Chahkapas”, which will be completed early in 2014. These books not only provide good quality reading material in Naskapi, but also give a glimpse into the traditional storytelling genres that is such an important part of Naskapi culture. These two latest books, along with several others were illustrated by our daughter Elizabeth, and we have hopes that she will continue to be invited to participate in the development of these literacy materials. While the main location these books are distributed is at the Naskapi Development Corporation office in Kawawachikamach, anyone can find them on-line as well at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/naskapi.

Even though Bill keeps pretty busy with his other work [link] our time in British Columbia is giving him some of the margin he needed to bring some Naskapi linguistics and documentation projects further along, like the Naskapi dictionary, grammar, toponyms (names of places in Naskapi territory), maps, the Naskapi Hymnbook revisions, the Book of Common Prayer in Naskapi, and archiving. We are encouraged that there is now a growing staff of Naskapi-speaking language specialist who are gaining some of the skills they need to carry on this work themselves.

Thanks for your prayers for them, and for us.
Serving with you, Bill and Norma Jean

Translation Brief 11Nov2013 “FAQ”-2

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Bill Jancewicz

Our dear partners,
This is the second follow-up to answer Frequently (F) Asked (A) Questions (Q). The response to “FAQ”-1 was so positive that we are thinking that this is the highlight of your week!

The question we get a LOT (especially once folks understand the answer to the first question) is:

(2) “So… what does Bill do […all day long…] ?”

The short answer is that he serves as Norma Jean’s “support staff” **.

But Bill also keeps pretty busy outside of those responsibilities as well. Trinity Western University (TWU), where Norma Jean is enrolled, is also the home of CanIL, a training partner of Wycliffe Bible Translators and the center for SIL training in Canada. Besides the opportunity to connect with and serve along side the staff at CanIL, Bill is also upgrading his skills by taking a class to use current computer software for applied linguistics–language documentation, dictionary-making, grammar writing and preparing literacy materials. So at least two days a week Bill goes to the campus with Norma Jean to attend his classes there.

Bill is also involved in a Consultant Development program as part of Language Program Services for the Americas Area. He is completing assignments related to “Field Linguistics Specialist Certification”. In short, he is continuing to upgrade his linguistics skills to better serve the Bible translation needs of the minority language groups we serve, including Naskapi, Mushuau Innu, Cree and other related languages.
There are also the Old Testament Bible Translation projects that the Naskapi team is working on, which he facilitates from a distance by internet communication with the Naskapi language specialists in the Naskapi community in Quebec. Several projects are just beginning and some are about to come to completion: We’ll be sharing about these Naskapi publications in particular in the weeks to come.
Finally, and related to all of these, Bill is working on needed revisions to the Naskapi dictionary, moving the database to the current language documentation software, working on Naskapi literacy books, and training (via Skype) the Naskapi language specialists to use the translation tools.

As usual, if you have any further questions, feel free to send them to us. Maybe yours will be chosen for another “Frequently Asked Question” answered soon!
Thank you for sharing our vision for everyone to have access to God’s Word in the language of their hearts.

Serving with you, Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz

** “administrative assistant, driver, bodyguard, personal chef, APA guidelines resource, critic, editor, encourager”

Translation Brief 04Nov2013 “FAQ”-1

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Bill Jancewicz

Our dear partners,

A few weeks back we sent out a newsletter [link] to everyone, and from the responses we got from many, it seemed to raise more questions than answers!

So I thought that it would be good to send out some answers to those questions most frequently asked. “FAQ” has become a regular feature on many websites, in an attempt to anticipate those questions (Q) that are most frequently (F) asked (A). Unlike such websites, we had not anticipated the many questions that were raised, but we will take this opportunity to answer those which occurred most frequently since that newsletter.

(1) “Why did you move to British Columbia?”

Most questions like this one were expressions of surprise that we had moved at all! We apologize that we had not made this clearer in earlier messages. Last January [link] we mentioned Norma Jean’s plans to pursue graduate studies of her own to in mother-tongue and multi-lingual education, building on her experience and work with Naskapi and Innu. At that time, she had not yet been accepted into the program at Trinity Western University here in BC, so we were still waiting ourselves for that direction.

At the same time, our son Nicodemus was considering his own transfer to Trinity Western University after having completed two years at Three Rivers Community College in Connecticut. When both Norma Jean and Nicodemus were accepted, our plans started to become more clear.

In order to better serve the Bible translation and language development needs of Naskapi, Innu and other First Nations people groups across Canada, we have been encouraged by our Wycliffe field administration to continue our professional development which includes completing our graduate degrees. Bill accomplished this during five summers at SIL-UND, and earned his MA in linguistics. Norma Jean started her MA program in August here in British Columbia. The program Norma Jean is taking has components that help broaden her insight into language education for First Nations people, which she has already been involved in for several mother-tongue communities [link], [link]

It has also been a great opportunity to be here where we can connect with Nicodemus and encourage him in his own undergrad program.

Another answer to a “Frequently Asked Question” coming soon!

Serving with you, Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz

Hand-Ground Coffee

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Bill Jancewicz

This summer I completed my MA in linguistics, after 5 summers at the University of North Dakota SIL. I also had the privilege of serving on the SIL administrative staff with Rick Barnes, whom I have come to respect deeply and enjoyed working with. On the day of my thesis defense, he and his wife Linda presented me with a congratulatory gift of two large-size bags of Tim Horton’s coffee beans. He told me that he was a bit unsure of whether to purchase “fine” or “regular” grind, so his solution was to just get the whole beans. Rick was beginning to understand something of my attachment to Canadian culture and the connection to Tim Horton’s coffee during our time of service together, so his choice of a gift was particularly appropriate and appreciated.

After moving across-country to our rented cottage in Aldergrove, BC, we began to search through thrift-stores and second-hand shops for basic furnishings and appliances.

I found a small drip coffee maker at a thrift shop when we arrived here in BC. After that, I was on the lookout for a coffee grinder for my bags of beans. Our son Nicodemus had one, but I never could abide the loud whine and roar from a countertop electric coffee grinder, especially early in the morning. The Internet yielded lots of solutions–even suggesting a mortar and pestle. But then, at another thrift shop I found this little wooden hand-cranked grinder. I think that it was meant to be a kitchen knick-knack–just ornamental. But it does indeed contain the required bean-grinding mechanism.

It is nice to fill it with a little quarter-cup of beans in the morning, spend a few (quiet) minutes of grinding and enjoying the aroma of fresh ground coffee. Then after five minutes of brewing and I’m enjoying a fresh cup of coffee and remembering Rick and Linda’s kind gift, and what it represents (congratulations for a successful Master’s thesis defense).

One of the added benefits of the extra time grinding my own beans is that it gives me a few minutes of time out of a day of distractions to think about the people we care about. Can grinding coffee be a devotional exercise? I think it can when the time is spent in gratitude and prayer.

Besides–“grinding your own coffee by hand” should be one of the criteria on the “Man Card“, but maybe to qualify you’d have to use a hammer. The idea of hand-grinding your own coffee beans suits me, and adds to the serenity and routine of our day.

We are working hard at Trinity Western and enjoying getting to know some of the CanIL staff. Norma Jean’s MA program is a full load, but I am also auditing a linguistics field methods class so that I can become better acquainted with some of the new linguistic software tools that help with language development work.

Time for a coffee. Have one with me?

Canadian Thanksgiving 2013

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Bill Jancewicz

Chex in the Cottage Kitchen

We love this time of year, not the least reason are the two holidays: Canadian Thanksgiving (on US “Columbus Day”) is this weekend and it is also the “peak” of the autumn colours here in Aldergrove BC. We would have snow on the ground by now in Schefferville. One benefit of being citizens of two countries that celebrate the same holiday on two different days is that we can celebrate twice: we will also celebrate US Thanksgiving in November the same way. One of the treats that I put off until these holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) is “TV Snack”, also known as “Chex Mix” to others.

I went to my Fall 2011 post and put the computer in the kitchen so that I could follow my Chex Mix recipe. Click here for everything you need to know about my recipe. The Chex cereals are now available in stores in Canada, so I did not have to plan so far ahead this year. I am still getting used to the stove here in our little cottage, so I burned some of the mix near the bottom. Oh well, live and learn.

We are thankful for our home and God’s blessing on our work and our projects here. We will be having Nicodemus over for Thanksgiving Day, and some of his and Norma Jean’s fellow-students from Trinity Western University. Turkey, stuffing and the traditional foods, and looking forward to time together with family and friends. This year, we will visit some of them by Skype. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving, this month or next. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, this month or next (or both!). Blessings, Bill and Norma Jean

PS: Don’t pick out (only) the peanuts.