We aren’t in Canada too often, so when we are, it’s a special treat. This time, our weekend conference was just barely over the border, but if you’ve been reading the posts, you’ll see we also went to Vancouver Island (which is where we are currently).

Friday set up went well, and before we knew it, dinner had arrived. Our coordinator had fixed a delicious dinner and surprised us with a special dessert from Dairy Queen.

Anna started with a cold that hit her voice about Wednesday, and she was being careful not to talk much to save it for singing Friday evening. It was amazing listening to her sing: you never would have guessed she had any voice problems! I remember when we were doing the Red Deer, Alberta convention, the same thing happened, and her voice sounded crystal clear—truly an answer to prayer. Music went pretty smoothly, except for twice when an unnamed individual bumped the microphone which caused a loud clunk and those singing jumped.

Saturday morning dawned a sunny day, a treat after so many rainy ones! The Lord brought many families to the conference and the day went by in a whirl. One family had driven from over 6 hours north to come, and they had a neat testimony on how the Lord moved them up from California.

The book tables were swamped almost the entire day, so we kept extremely busy. We had encouraged people to make the purchases earlier on so that we could pack up since we had a ferry deadline. Hearts were open to the message shared (although the message and things shared were new to many of the families), and we pray the Lord will bring lasting fruit.

We don’t say this lightly, but we really believe that this trip has had so much more fruit than other trips, and we feel this is a result of all the prayer. We know specifically many who are praying; we are so grateful. One young man told John recently that he had felt strongly prompted to pray for us Thursday night, and that very night John had an opportunity to talk to a young man who was struggling (an understatement).

John and Anna gave the Unity session this weekend.

We were too busy this weekend to take many pictures, but we still managed to squeeze in some!

The coordinator's family brought in quite a few chairs, since the church didn't have the # that was needed.

Mom with the coordinator

We just received a testimony e-mail from our coordinator, and they shared from the e-mails they are already receiving that lives were truly changed and young people have been saved. It makes us almost weep with joy! Praise the Lord!

Sarah

”… but I desire fruit that may abound to your account” (Philippians 4:17).

We are so grateful for your prayers thus far on our journey; we have truly felt them. We are coming once again with a prayer request. One family member (Mary) has come down with a bad flu/cold. It hit her hard, and we know when one person has something, the rest are very susceptible to catching it. Please pray for the Lord’s healing on Mary, and that He would somehow protect the rest of us, and if we do get it, that it would be a milder version. It’s hard when speaking/ministering to be sick; she did such a good job tonight even when she wasn’t feeling well.

Thank you! We’ll keep you updated!

Sarah for the rest

“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick” (Luke 5:31).

We had the unique experience and privilege of riding the ferry to cross over to Vancouver Island yesterday evening right after the conference. We hurried to pack up after a whirlwind conference (a report on a great conference later) to make a 7 p.m. ferry. Arriving around 5:30, we had family Bible time in the bus while we waited to board.

Sarah for the rest

Driving down the plankway to the ferry.

This is where everyone parks on the ferry. We were the first in our lane, so we drove right to the end, and it was perfect for the best view as we docked at the end.

We all wanted to go out on deck, so we walked up several floors to the outer deck. Inside the passenger area, it was amazing how many people were milling around: eating, working on their computers, sleeping, talking, and more. Yet, as soon as we stepped outside, we had almost the entire deck to ourselves. I guess the Canadians prefer to be inside rather than outside, or maybe it's just the tourists who enjoy being on the deck!

Christopher and Joseph on deck, with the lights of the shoreline behind them.

Three younger Maxwell guys.

The family on deck...

After a few minutes outside, several of us opted to go back to the bus (one had a cold), while the boys and Mom spent much of the rest of the ride outside. For those of us down in Uriah, it was a very interesting feeling as the boat occasionally turned and Uriah would lean.

Christopher took this one as another ferry passed.

I thought this was a neat picture as I walked up to the bus after being up on deck.

As the boys were coming back to the boys, they received an invitation to go into the "crew only" section right near the bus. They also had a good chat with a crew member who was up on deck as they were going through a strait.

The doors opening up as we came close to the shore.

Watching the shore come closer--it was a fascinating experience. There was a little group of people in front of our bus waiting to dis-embark on foot.

Waiting for the pedestrians to leave the roadway before the vehicles were released to dis-embark.

“I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water” (Isaiah 41:18)

Praise the Lord … Around 2 a.m., a tired group of Maxwells went into the border office and waited while the bus was thoroughly searched, and I did some paperwork (to bring the books and things in). The paperwork went smoothly (thanks Jesse and Anna for all your help), and we were released to continue. We are now parked at the church and ready to get some rest.

We are so excited about this weekend’s conference here in Abbotsford, BC (outside of Vancouver).

Sarah

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations” (Psalms 89:1).

Thanks to Christopher for taking this picture yesterday afternoon. Our conference went very well last night, and we’ll be on our way to Edgewood (Federal Way area) today. We’ll be doing a conference there tomorrow evening.

Sarah

“Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power” (Psalms 65:6).

Sunday we had the opportunity to be a part of two church services. We drove from McMinnville, Oregon, to Woodland, Washington, on Saturday night, so it was a last minute decision to participate in the Sunday morning service. Dad preached Sunday morning, and then Sunday night we did music, testimonies, and preaching. On this trip, the Lord has opened many doors to participate in Wednesday and Sunday services, and what a delight it’s been!

A family came early, and as we talked, we were excited: this family does a nursing home ministry twice every Sunday!

Sunday evening--sharing through music and testimony.

Christopher with a father. We think he looks a lot like Nathan .

We had another incredible evening last night in Vancouver, Washington, and we’re headed up to Port Orchard to do a conference there tonight. The clouds are clearing, and we are seeing blue sky, sunshine, and yes, even mountains!

Thank you for praying. Today marks our fourth week on the road–two more left.

Sarah for the rest

After the conference, my heart was so full of gratitude for what the Lord continues to do in each conference in our hearts and the hearts of those who attend.

The pastor’s family provided dinner for us before the conference Friday night, which was a treat and a blessing. Such a group came out for Friday evening, that there was literally standing-only room. I guess the choir seating could have been used, but for some reason people didn’t choose those seats. We love to spread out afterward and talk to people, and what a joy it is to learn more about the different families that come.

The bus has been an extra blessing in the factor of getting more rest on weekend conferences. We don’t have to drive to a hotel and then back again in the morning; we’re “home” already! Saturday morning, we were set up in plenty of time, and since this was a Christ-Led conference, sessions were different than our normal Encouragement conference weekend. So, while John and Anna spoke to the young people, Christopher and some other young men were busy ferrying chairs into the back of the session, as more people continued to arrive!

Preparing for her first session of the day.

Just this past week, we’ve talked to two families who are consistently having their family Bible time. One was as a result of Anna’s blog post on family Bible time in December, and the other was due to Dad’s Feed My Sheep. How that thrills our hearts! Another mom shared with me how Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit has blessed her (and we hear that often).

People seemed open to the message and very grateful for the conference. I think the furthest a family came from was Spokane. I mentioned to Anna that they looked familiar, and they had come to a conference we’d done in the Dalles two years ago!

Christopher giving his balloon evangelism workshop.

John and Anna giving their Dwelling Together in Unity workshop.

We are so grateful that we have these six weeks to minister to others. Some may think we get tired, but that’s not a concern of ours! Jesus gives us the strength we need and times of refreshment in the midst of sharing. We have been around much illness, but so far, we’ve only had one round of colds, and with the exception of one person, we had minor cases.

We look forward to our last two weeks, with about nine more stops before we end the trip, including our adventure out of the country in Canada.

Sarah for the rest

A girl who helped others make balloons!

This time I wasn't helping with pumping up the balloons, but the others did a great job.

We are looking forward to our Vancouver, Washington conference Monday evening.

”Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalms 37:5).

After another incredible weekend, our hearts are full of what the Lord did. We will be catching up on some blog posts hopefully tomorrow, in between church services, rest, and family time.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand” (1 Corinthians 15:1).