Chapter Seventeen

Travel (A)

This is undeniably a long chapter containing so many wonderful memories that warm my heart as culture drew me in to learn more through many life-altering sights, scents, and experiences. Most importantly, I need to share what God did during my travels – not so much through me but through the combined efforts of those I traveled with. I want you to feel what I felt. I pray that someday you can see what I saw. I pray your heart will be moved to experience some of the same passion compelling you to step out of your comfort zone and into a sacrificial faith walk with God. He will always show you greater things than you could ever imagine! Many of those "greater things" will flood your heart with heart-rending compassion.

When I was quite young, we would vacation on lakes in Michigan so Dad could fish and the rest of us could enjoy the water. But, somehow Dad learned about the great fishing in Canada and decided we would take a week and go to Stoney Lake not far from Peterboro in Ontario. That was my first exposure to "international" travel although it was for pleasure, family time and loads of experiences in nature. Surprisingly, Irwin Inn still operates today and at least one of the Irwin boys I used to dream about are still there.

I first learned to water ski in Stoney Lake. Dad caught some of the largest muskies in Stoney Lake. Mom enjoyed the Lodge and the grounds where she could watch kids and enjoy some leisurely time. It wasn't too many years later that Dad bought a boat for fishing and water skiing.

We often vacationed with other families from church or relatives. We grew up in a close-knit blood and spiritual family. It reveals the importance of a church family as children grow and learn how to live in a community.

Dad loved the water and passed that love on to me. After I graduated, I rode the bus home from work; we always passed a boat sales business. I would sit by the window and dream of having my own boat. In fact, I wanted to buy my own boat before I dreamed of buying my own car! It was only a dream, but it was a strong one. Even today as I look back, one of the things I wish we had done as a family was to get a boat and take vacations like my family and I used to take. There was nothing to compare!

Dad and the DeVries families decided to try another lake in Ontario they heard was more than suitable for fishing and water sports. They made reservations at Elsner's Lodge and we loved it. Our cabins were closer to the water, Dad's boat was at his fingertips so he could take off any time, day or night, to sink his hook and bring in the fish.

It was at Elsner's Lodge where my husband and I spent a long weekend that embarrassed my Mom to death. I shared this before, but we went on a day-long fishing tour with a guide. I remember bringing in some large fish; the guide knew exactly where they were and how to catch them. We stopped at a small private island and the guide prepared a lakeside lunch for us, complete with fish we had reeled in that morning. My husband ate more fish and fried more potatoes than we had ever witnessed. Obviously, he knew something about my soon-to-be fiance that we didn't know! And, not surprisingly, my mother was not happy. It was the beginning of a long and lasting unhappy relationship between them!

There's so much more I could share about our vacations in Canada. But there was another opportunity to go there. An internet friend suddenly lost her husband and she was all alone. So, I drove from Willard to the Toronto area to be with her for the funeral and memorial service. It was a very difficult day for her; I knew I had to be with her and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't gone. It was just one of those things you know you have to do! God blessed her, her family is being restored and her heart mended. I'm so thankful to God that I was familiar enough with travel in Canada that making the trip wasn't a big deal for me. My Dad had prepared me for such a time as when it was needed most.

The year was 2003 and Potter's House Sanctuary Choir was planning an international music ministry tour to England, France and Switzerland. First stop was London.

We stayed at the Best Western Hotel on Adamson Road. The photographs indicate the hotel has been upgraded since we were there. The rooms were tiny and not very roomy, each with two single beds. There were bathrooms in each room complete with a shower. But, it looked so odd and was not at all like our bathrooms at home. There was a Starbucks close by that many in the choir took advantage of on a daily basis while in London.

The Church of God has very few churches in England. We were privileged to minister in song at one of them. The remainder of the time in London was spent sight-seeing and learning more about the culture, architecture, and history. We were privileged with tickets to see the original Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in London ... it was amazing!

We visited Buckingham Palace and watched the changing of the guard (from a distance). And, we had an opportunity to tour a crypt where many of England's historical figures were buried. Another amazing sight! We rode the Eye of London and walked around the Parliament, rode the subways and experienced taxis. It was an amazing few days in London.

From England to France ... under the English Channel!

Once we arrived in France, we took a bus to Paris where we would stay for the next few days.

Suddenly we were challenged. The language was different. We needed to stay with someone who could, at the very least, read French. I soon learned it was a good thing I had a basic understanding of French as I would have to ride the subway alone when I was separated from the group. (I stayed behind one morning because I was sick but felt better after a nap and some meds. I wanted to catch up with the group.)

We visited some awesome sights. We sang in an old stone church (similar to the one pictured below) that had awesome acoustics. No heat. No a/c. Nothing in the structure but some wood benches and chairs. It was barren which reflected much of the the spiritual condition of France. I don't remember if anyone came to listen, but it was a dynamic spiritual experience for those singing.

We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We saw the Arch de Triumph. And, if you've ever wanted to go on a wild taxi ride, you MUST go to Paris! The drivers there are crazy, driving on sidewalks, passing anyone who dares to slow down and get in their way, and honking their horns along the way. Not only were we hanging on for dear life, we were praying boldly and loudly for safety, not only for us but for anyone who might be in the way!

While in Paris, two of our team members were victims of pick-pockets and lost their billfold and passport. This caused quite a problem since it would take longer to get temporary passports than we had days left in our Paris tour. Thankfully, they were able to go to the Embassy for help but ended up staying behind until they could legally leave France.

We boarded a boat and rode down the Seine and past Notre Dame. What a magnificent sight!

We spent an afternoon at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Mona Lisa original was on display behind glass and heavily guarded. We could have easily spent a week there taking in all the artwork inspired by God, penned by mortal man, creating and crafting images reflecting His glory.

From Paris, we took a bus through France and into Switzerland, finally reaching our destination. We were in Lucerne!

It was a beautiful bus ride from Paris to Lucerne. Rolling hills. Green grass. Still, it felt odd riding on the left side of the road, but it was as if we were nudging closer and closer to the mountains in the distance. Once we got to Lucern, we found a quaint city with a river running through it.

The air was crisp but the scenery was breathtaking! Little shops and cafes were everywhere. Our hotel was very Swiss-like in appearance. The window in our particular room looked out on the snow-covered mountains.

All through our time in England, France and Switzerland, I was amazed at the amount of bread people eat! The bread was served at every meal, and often there were tables set up with a large assortment of breads with butter or other toppings to choose from. As someone who loves bread, I was in a good place. I can be a bit picky about eating some foods I'm not familiar with so making a meal of bread was perfectly suitable for me.

A beautiful landscape welcomed us to this comparatively small town. Once again, the language was strange. This time, however, I had no clue how to read or interpret the language. Staying with the group was imperative!

Two things we did stand out in my memory. First, memory was the clock store. The building was filled with cuckoo clocks. Two floors of them! From the massive Grandfather Clocks to the tiny desk-sized cuckoo clocks. At first, it was delightful. After a while, however, it became a bit bothersome. I was trying to purchase a cuckoo clock to bring home but between the language and the noise, all I could do was hand them my wallet and let them count out the money (we were using Euros). That little shop also hailed a large display of Swiss Army Knives – I brought a couple home for my men.

The other significant memory was dinner at a restaurant with a heavy Swiss culture. The music! The dance! The instruments! The yodeling! And, of all things, a Riccola horn just like the television commercials! Many wore Swiss costumes and boasted the steins filled with their favorite drinks. It was a fun night before our scheduled departure for Frankfurt the next morning.

It was dark when we left Lucerne so we didn't have an opportunity to see much of the landscape on the last leg of our tour. It had been a great time making many rich and lasting memories. But, most of us were tired and ready to return home. I seem to remember it was raining when we arrived at the airport, and very cold.

We arrived in plenty of time to catch our plane. Some team members slept in the terminal, others explored the unfamiliar airport for food, coffee, and souvenirs.

Our flight took us to London where we had a connecting flight to Baltimore and then finally to Columbus. By this time, I was not in good shape physically and needed a wheelchair to get from the plain to the baggage pick-up.

During the entire tour, I was not well. I missed a lot because of pain and weakness. At the time, I was taking high doses of Neurontin and other pain meds but they all seemed to exacerbate my physical condition. I had just had a bad reaction to NSAIDS before we left and was still in recovery mode. But, I'm still not sure at the time of writing this that my problem was fibromyalgia. I have come to believe my heart condition was the source of a lot that I had always attributed to fibro. All I know is that every trip I went on was impacted by my physical issues, leaving me with regret upon regret. Life simply hasn't been easy!

Ever since my husband returned from his time in the Navy, he has talked about his love of being on the ship. While we knew he could never go back to relive his days on the Princeton, we found a great deal on a cruise to the Bahamas that was within our budget. Our tickets were bogo which included airfare from Cleveland to Miami, a rental car, and a cruise with all its glorious splendor! We couldn't resist, so we booked our trip.

We were on the Carnival cruise ship and were able to get a room with a window overlooking the water. While the window was small, we could look out and see nothing but water for as far as the eyes could see. Our room had 2 single beds but we didn't mind. The important thing was that we had a small room with a private bath and all the amenities we could imagine!

The food was amazing! We had one formal dinner to attend which required a tie for men and a formal for women. I had never been so dressed up since my wedding day! After spending the days in the sun, I was sunburned and my husband was very tan! As we sat at the formal dinner table, the photographer came around to capture the special evening. We have an album with photos of the entire trip; we'll have to dig it out and share some more photos.

When we got back to Miami, we had a rental car and went on a paddleboat Jungle Safari. It was so neat! We were able to see some multi-million dollar homes with huge yachts moored in front of their waterfront homes. It's beyond me how people can have so much money while the typical American lives from dollar to dollar. We visited an alligator farm and saw lots of other wild animals in the "jungle"!

That week went way too fast. The trip to Florida, the cruise, the paddleboat, the drive from coast-to-coast across Florida (alligator alley), and back home again. The return trip came all too quickly.