But as we packed up the van and said our final farewells, we had one last adventure to look forward to. Just before crossing the border into the United States, we stopped to see Niagara Falls. As we approached we could hear the thunder of the water crashing over the falls in the distance. Drawing nearer, the magnificent view opened up before us, and we soon understood why this is such a popular tourist attraction. We made sure to  get a family picture since all 10 of us were there.

Our entire family being together and the drenching spray, cool steady breeze, and breath-taking view all combined to provide a spectacular climax to a fabulous family vacation!

The petroglyphs are ancient carvings in rock, estimated to be between 500 and 1100 years old. Their origin is debated, but generally accepted to be from the native Algonquian Indians, who call them Kinomagewapkong, or “the Teaching Rocks”. At first glance they appear to be a confusing jumble of shapes, lines, and figures that one would suppose to be based on superstition. But thinking of the effort that one would have to take to deeply etch something in stone makes me think that it may be something more. Mom pointed something out to me that I had not noticed. There was a carving of a boat with eight figures in it, one was very large, three were shorter, and four were smaller yet. “Wow” I thought, “The flood in ancient records once again!”

There were also carvings of snakes, which are thought of as evil enemies coming from beneath. That obviously reminded me of Satan and those that belong to him. As Jesus said, “Ye are from beneath… of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (John 8:23 and 44 and also 1 Peter 5:8). The powerful thunderbird is thought of as the guardian of the people, creating lightning and thunder and wind. The fog is said to be his clothing, and when the fog is very thick, Thunderbird has come down to consume the enemy. In Scripture, David wrote of Jehovah being his fortress, deliver, refuge, and savior who came down from above with thunder and lightning, wrapped in dark waters and thick clouds of the skies, delivering him from his enemy that was too strong for him (2 Samuel 22:1-28). Jehovah also came down with lightning, thunder and smoke on Mount Sinai to deliver His law (Ex. 20:18).

Then there was the “Nanabush”. I read about it quickly and moved on. Later Daniel excitedly told me what I had not noticed. Why had I not seen it?! He is a respected “spirit” who taught the Algonquian people to hunt and fish. Wasn’t it Jesus who said follow Me and I will make you fishers of men? He possesses supernatural power, and his greatest gift was showing them how to use plants for medicine. Wasn’t Christ not only the healer, but the giver of both eternal life and access to the tree of life? (Rev. 22:1 and 14) He was said to have a human mother and a spirit father – the virgin birth! He also has the power of transformation, accepting the limitations of the form it takes. It was Jesus Christ who “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, event the death of the cross” Phil. 2:7-8. See also Hebrews 4:15. Furthermore, some have even called “Nanabush” a trickster, just as the Lord Jesus was and is falsely accused – Mark 3:22 and Matthew 28:11-15.

It was amazing to see remnants of the gospel right  there, coarsely portrayed in the stone and in the unwritten Algonquian teachings handed down through the generations. It makes me wonder: could Ontario’s native people have known the gospel in the past? Was that the important thing they wanted to pass on to their descendants? Could it be that their ancient wisdom knew what was needed for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life, and could they have been looking for Christ to be the fulfillment of it? If the carvings are European then perhaps the good news had come to them and they had attempted to record it for their children. Some day, I believe, we will know; perhaps when the glory and honor of the nations is brought into the holy Jerusalem (Rev. 21:26). This we know for certain, that Jehovah is God, and He offers eternal salvation to all people through the gift of His only begotten Son.

It was a pleasure to  attend church with  the Van Essen’s on Sunday. The openness and friendly atmosphere made it a special time! We enjoyed a walk and picnic lunch by a lock. Some of us had never  seen one before this vacation. We were fascinated to watch the boats enter the lock from the side of the  waterway where the water level was lower.  The gates closed behind the boats and the lock filled with water up to the level of water on the other side of the lock. The gates opened letting the boats sail out onto the higher water. The whole process took about 15-30 minutes.

Then the Van Essen’s took us to see the highest  hydraulic boat lifts in the world - The Peterborough lift lock.  The difference in water level was so drastic (65 ft) that the boat lifts actually moved up and down like an elevator! They were huge!

But it was more then just  site-seeing because the time spent getting there and back was filled with edifying conversation. What a blessing to spend time with such a spiritually uplifting family.

During our visit I had the opportunity to chat with one artist, Marc Gagnon, who for several years had been the President of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. As we discussed art, he made an emphatic statement that went something like this:

"You cannot fully appreciate
a work of art until you
get to know the artist."

This struck me as being quite profound. I believe it is true on a much deeper level than what was perhaps originally intended.

As we enjoyed several hikes through the great outdoors during the remainder of the day, the fingerprint of the Master Artist was quite evident on His creation. Everywhere we went there were reflections of His beauty, order, and creativity. But these reflections were only visible to those who had eyes to see them.

You cannot fully appreciate creation
until you get to know the Creator.

"The invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20).

Waking at 4:30 in the morning on Friday, August 15, we drove all the way from Salem WV, to Kawartha Lakes ON, a leisurely 13 hour drive. On the way, we stopped for a short time at Lake Erie. Some of us had never traveled along the Great Lakes, so to feel the unceasing lakeside breeze and see the vast, unending expanse of water was a new experience. The road-side pullover was not exactly extraordinary in appearance; but with family, it became a very memorable place indeed, especially when we identified a Bald Eagle soaring nearby.

We really didn’t know what to expect when we arrived in Canada. Most of us had never been outside the US. We cruised into this “foreign” country with eyes and ears open to taking in the new surroundings.   Here are some of the things we noticed: First was the traffic! We hit Toronto at rush-hour and experienced first hand the fact that 3/4 of the Canadian population live within 90 miles of the US border.  We noticed that road signs were in both English and French. It was also strange seeing  signs reading speed limit 100; we quickly learned to  translate from miles to kilometers. As we continued north out of the densely populated areas, we began to notice the striking  geographical changes. The countryside was broad, rolling and forested. Farms and fields were scattered through the coniferous forests. The setting sun reflected off of countless lakes and obscure marshes.

Finally we arrived at our destination at the northeastern tip of Stony Lake where the VanEssen’s greeted us with warm, Canadian hospitality.  God had pro-tected us on our journey on the first day of our vacation and we were excited to see how the Lord would continue to work in the next few days, for indeed, He did!

We had an amazing, once-in-a-life-time experience come to our little town in West Virginia. A group from Florida who raises zoo animals travels around to educate people about animals. It was a Safari on wheels! Esther, David and I decided to go down and spend an evening seeing it. It was small, of course, but it had some rare animals that were fun to see. My favorite part was when they let us take our picture with a baby lion! We also were able to see a white tiger,  black leopard, Bengal  tiger, big albino python, kangaroos, a camel, and the rare endangered ring tail lemurs. David and Esther also got great chances to draw the animals  while I took  pictures. We were glad that we could see such special parts of God’s wonderfully creation without having to go very far.

Job 12:7 “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:”

Between twelve and fifteen families attended totaling about 140 people. Not only did families from Virginia show their dedication to seeking God’s best, but also travelers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

It was so encouraging to see fathers and sons writing out their family goals. What a sense of purpose there is when families hear from the Lord and are unified in working toward His plan for them. We were blessed to see the openness and responsiveness to God’s Word as the final authority in life. There was also much joy as we joined in singing, praying and sharing fellowship together.

How exciting to meet so many like minded families who are listening to God’s call to come out from the world and seek God’s best! For more details and pictures be sure to read the Hynes and Wilkes overviews of the weekend!