A Stirring of Memories

A Stirring of Memories

One evening I was watching one of the nature channels on television. The program was of an explorer who goes about trying to find animals that are thought to be extinct. His quest took him to Newfoundland to look for a white wolf that was thought to be extinct for over thirty years. He first met an 80 year old man who lives in Newfoundland and kept two wolves, but not ones that were indigenous to the Island. He was familiar with wolves.

The two set out searching one arm of the eastern coast, but when they were unsuccessful there, they moved their operation to the northern part of the island. After several more days of searching, they found tracks, scat and several thermal images that prove there are still wolves in some isolated areas of Newfoundland.

I have said all of this to say much of the scenery felt familiar to me. Quite a few years ago a young man named Tim wanted to see what Newfoundland and Labrador were like. He was thinking of establishing himself as a missionary in this area of the globe. My good friend Norman Lee Johnston was our Pastor at the time and very keen on supporting missionaries. He decided to take the young man to visit that part of the world. My son Andrew, my daughter Amanda, and myself were fortunate enough to make the trip with them, making the drive from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, through the northeastern states, and into Canada. We camped in Maine before crossing the border into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, then taking the ferry to Newfoundland.

Back on dry land, we traveled the length of Newfoundland from the southern coast to its most northern tip. All of this was to say that much of the scenery that I saw on the television program brought back the memories of a dear friend who recently passed away and of friends that we met on the trip. I miss my dear friend Pastor Norman Johnston. I also miss a missionary couple that we met on our trip, Buzz and Judy Ferguson. Just to let my missionary friends and families know that they are thought of and that they remain in my prayers. Buzz has also passed, but here's a shout out to a lovely lady Judy.