THE BIBLE - OUR GUIDE

Well I am back in Welland, Ontario for Christmas and it is good to be home for a couple of weeks or more, depending on when the next work project begins out West.

Reading the Christmas story with Kris and Michelle and the kids last night reminded me once again of the great truth "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." May this life-transforming truth be your greatest experience and joy this Christmas.

Olie helping me read my part of the Christmas story

In the cab of my rock truck, posted just above the sun visor, is this small yellow sticker.

 The triangle with the exclamation mark in it is the symbol for caution. On the right is the symbol of a book to represent the service manual for the truck (which is missing in my truck). The label is to be a constant reminder to take caution to look in the service manual if you do not know how to do something or if you need information on anything.

For me this symbol is a constant reminder of the importance of the Bible in my life for teaching, guidance, explanation, understanding, and correction. Without the Bible I would not know about the fall of man into sin, God sending a Savior in Jesus Christ, faith to become a new creation in Christ, and the hope of eternal life which is not a deceptive hope but the only true hope after death. How can we not worship God and rejoice in Christ Jesus, especially at this time of year when we are reminded of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like the coming of Spring, eternity is right around the corner. May you live 2014 in the light of an eternal eternity.

STILL ALIVE

Greetings family and friends. Yes, I am still alive and much looking forward to getting home for Christmas. Working in -40 degree weather can do that to a guy.

After the airport job I went to Ben and Ashley's in Nipawin and was off for 36 days. Getting to know Ben and Ashley and Vance on a family level was worth the time off.

Now I am working about 30 km West of  Lloydminster. Lloydminster is a single city in two provinces, bisected at the fourth meridian, with the largest border markers in the world, . (Commemorating Lloydminster's distinctive bi-provincial status, a monument consisting of four 100-foot survey markers was erected in 1994 near the city's downtown core.) The town I am working near is called Kitscody (population 967). We are building a pad to expand a hydro substation. I am driving a 40 ton Rock truck.

I also purchased the company truck I was driving as the company was getting rid of that truck and some other vehicles and machinery. So now I have wheels and also get a per-Diem amount for the use of my truck when I am working.

I am not sure how long I will be home for Christmas break but hope I can stay until mid-January. It would also be nice to take a holiday for a week somewhere in the hot Sun during that time but we will see if that works out.

I hope to see a number of you soon. Remember Spring is just around the corner, but the streets are a little longer out West.

May the truth of Jesus Christ our Savior coming to earth to save wretched sinners like you and me through His death and resurrection warm your hearts and cause your lips to move in worship to the God of Grace. Soon, very soon, we are going to see the King. Let that thought put a smile on your face today.

WAITING

God has always rewarded my waiting for His time and circumstances. I especially see this in the great jobs I have had over the many years. My contract job with the gas company in Welland after returning from Europe after I became a Christian. My job at Solar Systems in Vancouver when going through Bible School. My job at General Motors after returning to Welland and finishing my "apprenticeship" at Rosedale. My job at JT Plumbing in Nipawin after returning from schooling in Chicago. And my job at Orchid Automation in Cambridge when we came back to Ontario. All of these were rewarding jobs which led us from Welland to Bible training in Vancouver and Chicago and then back to Welland and to the pastorate at Rosedale for 12 years. Now I am waiting again and know that I will not be disappointed as I look to the Father. In His time and circumstances He continues to lead. I have not worked for 24 days now and anxiously await what is coming next both for work here and for what next year will bring in terms of mission service. Winter work is just being released so the oilpatch is starting to come to life again.

I remain in good health but am recovering from a cold. Still keeping busy with small repairs around the house, reading, prayer and trying to memorize Matthew 24. I will keep you all posted and hope to see you at Christmas.

MORE TIME OFF

 I am sending this quick update from Nipawin, Saskatchewan where the province is anticipating a win over Calgary tomorrow and a trip to the Grey Cup next week. They take their CFL seriously in the West. I have been off for 13 days. Over those days I have been able to do a number of small projects in Ben and Ashley's house including a new floor in Vance's room.

I was also able to replace a furnace for one of Ben's friends. Now it is time to get back to paid work. Please pray for a job opening that will last until Christmas and then I can make the long anticipated visit home for Christmas.

Besides a winter cough and cold all is going well. God is good and my eternal hope is growing each day into a certain reality. May the love of God consume you.

LIFE THROUGH A MIRROR

For my last twelve days in camp I was driving a 740 CAT truck. Sometimes dumping my load required that I back up using mirrors. It is impossible to look out the back window of the truck to back up because of the huge 40 ton capacity box. Mirrors are the only way to back up this big truck. The problem is that mirrors give a very limited view of what is back there. To give you an idea of what I can see from my cab as I am backing up see the picture below. Notice that in the middle of the picture are two mirrors (you can also see the reflection of other vehicles in the glass and another rock truck ahead of me, but ignore that). The large mirror is for close range viewing and the small mirror for a longer, broader view. But you can see how limited the scope of vision is and how hard it is to assess distances.

This next picture is the same view as above standing by my mirrors using my eyes (actually I would see even more than this picture shows with my eyes). Notice how much more panoramic and clear I can see and how much easier to assess distances.

Paul said in  1 Corinthians 13.12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly,  but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known". Hang in there brothers and sisters the full panoramic view of our salvation will soon be upon us.

Sometimes when I try to back up with my mirrors I get so disorientated I do not know where I am in relation to where I need to dump my load. I have to stop, step out of my cab and physically look back and get re-orientated.

The Word of God is so very important to me because it daily provides that eternal re-orientation that guides me through the day. For now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face. I have goose bumps and tears in my eyes as I type these words. Take some time today to think about the fullness of your coming salvation. It will brighten your day.

Let's put up with the mirrors of our present sinful flesh, our worldly circumstances and the limits of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Clarity is promised and is coming. I can't see face to face now but until that day arrives I will "drive with my mirrors clean and aligned". What an amazing life with God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord we have been given the privilege to live.

FAREWELLS

Today I am on my way to Nipawin SK, to Ben and Ashley's. I hope to finish the trim in their house and help with a furnace installation for a friend. That work should take about a week. Then I hope to be back to work with the company I am presently with. For now they do not have much work so I have applied to a few other companies because I want to work until Christmas before I return home.

The airstrip job is over. I thank God for giving me a competent, humble, patient and caring boss. I thank God for the friendly and helpful people I was working with. I also thank God for all that I was able to learn on that job and the daily sense of God's presence. Living in camp was a positive experience and I thank God for a competent and approachable camp manager.

It will be refreshing to have a week off after 23 days of work. Even though I will be doing work it will be like a holiday with family. Vance is now two years old and it will be good to see him again as well. Ben is heading home today so it will be great to spend some time with him.

Thank you for praying for me and for Gloria, and for all the care you have shown to us. I hope that in the not too distant future I will be blogging from Africa or some other part of the world where I can serve the local church and bring the Gospel to those who have not heard, in the name of Christ.

BRIGHTS AND GREYS

Written on Thursday, October 31st.

This morning the sky was grey and gloomy. Being so far up North the days are getting very short. The Sun does not rise until 8:30 and sets before 6. I am on the road by 6 am. I can literally see from day to day the days getting shorter.

Driving into the Sun early in the morning

Anyways it was gloomy for most of the day today but yesterday was a bright sunny fresh day, the kind of day that just makes you feel good. Today was one of those days that just makes one want to go back to bed.

God gives us all kinds of days because He loves us and wants us to grow up into Christ. All "sunny" days would make us very shallow people. All "gloomy" days would make us bitter and miserable people. I regularly meet shallow people focused on themselves and material comforts, and bitter people filled with ingratitude. They have missed something very important through the brights and greys. They have missed the purpose of their existence which would take them above circumstances and into an eternal hope and true meaning for their lives.

When our center is Christ and our will is to please Him above all other things no matter what the cost, the sunny and the gloomy circumstances of life, the brights and the greys, all work together to make us into a beautiful picture of Christ. With no true center in Christ we are prone to be formed by our circumstances rather than the Word of God and the work of the Spirit of God in us. Daily we must come back to the center and source of our life and then we can let the brights and greys do their work of forming Christ in us.

"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure". (Philippians 2.12-13)

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ...to become conformed to the image of His Son". (Romans 8.28-29)

"Rejoice in the Lord always." (Philippians 4.4)

"In everything give thanks." (2 Thessalonians 5.8)

Saw mama moose and her baby today by the road

MAKING THE GRADE

When you think about it, most things have a standard that needs to be met. Sometimes not meeting the standard is not a big deal. Like when you are not tall enough to get on a ride or you do not have enough cash on hand to buy that delicious doughnut. But at other times not meeting the standard is more costly. Like failing grade 6 (does anybody actually fail these days) or exceeding the speed limit and getting a big ticket or failing your emission test.

We have standards to meet at the airstrip as well. To have the airstrip level we need to add or remove clay to reach a certain standard which is called grade. When gravel is put on the clay to provide a smooth finish for the planes to land there is another grade to be met. Imagine trying to land an airplane on an airstrip that ignored grade.

All over the airstrip there are grade stakes to mark the standard that needs to be met.

Some of these stakes require clay or gravel to be removed. That is a cut stake marked with a blue ribbon and the amount to be removed written on the side.

Some are fill stakes with a pink ribbon to mark the fill level and the amount of fill written on the side.

 

 But there are also those stakes that make the grade. They are marked with a blue and pink ribbon together and 0-0 written on the side of the stake. (ERW stands for edge of runway). This part of the runway is justified, that is declared right in relation to the standard.

 Justified, I so love that Bible truth and the reality it brings in relation to God. Declared right with God. The greatest lie on earth is that we can work to make the grade and earn justification with God. One of my favorite handout booklets is "God Does Not Grade on a Curve". The great truth is that we are all sinners in need of God to justify us through Jesus Christ. Jesus took the punishment our sins deserved so God could forgive us. Jesus kept God's standard perfectly (he made the grade) and then God placed the righteousness of Jesus upon us so that God could declare us right with Him. What a marvelous truth. It gets richer each day. God will keep us justified and cause us to stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy through Jesus Christ our Lord (from Jude 24,25 my favorite benediction). Making the grade in Jesus Christ must keep us worshiping for all eternity. You have it all. Rejoice and worship.

MUD

I was off work on Sunday because of a "rain day" and am off again today (Tuesday) because of rain last night and this morning. The problem is not the rain but what the rain does to the clay at the airstrip. Just walking a few feet so cakes and weighs down workboots with mud that it is hard to walk. Machine tires and tracks slip and get clogged in the mud and work is dangerous and little gets accomplished. In fact to attempt any work in this mud is to produce more work in repairs after the Sun comes out. Better to not disturb the job site until it dries on its own and then get back to work. So brings another day in camp.

 I was reading Jeremiah this morning and how God was completely fed up with Israel's sin, and the judgement that He was going to bring upon them because of their relentless idolatry and rebellion against God. I thought of the mud that so easily clings to boots and machines after a rain and how the mud impedes any progress. It is the same with our sin. When we allow sin to cling to us by submitting to temptation and then continuing in sin, we impede the work of God in us and become fruitless.

God's solution is His Son. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ we can repent of our sin and receive God's forgiveness and once again walk in the newness of life that is ours in Christ. We can walk in a world full of sin and not have sin "cling" to us and impede us. Instead we can walk in true love and holiness and bring Glory to God with fruitful lives.

Excavator stuck in the mud up to his doors

IT IS FINISHED

As I think of the airport project in its final weeks I remember the words of Jesus "It is finished". As Christians we all recognize the words "It is finished" as the cry of Jesus from the cross before He committed His spirit to God. God's plan of redemption of mankind from the punishment and power and eventually the presence of sin was finished. Three days later the resurrection of Jesus would validate man's redemption and complete the process of death to sin and new life in Jesus Christ.

God began to work out the plan of redemption, which I believe was conceived even before man fell into sin, immediately after Adam`s sin. God completed the plan with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since then the Gospel is being proclaimed in all the world and when that task is complete Jesus will return and establish His eternal kingdom and the new heaven and earth.

The plan to refurbish the airport here in Kirby is also coming to an end. Topsoil is being put back on the hillsides and soon on the shoulders of the airstrip. One more layer of gravel needs to be put on the airstrip and then an oil seal. Drainage pipe accesses are being completed. Soon the planned airstrip will be in use.

Replacing topsoil on the hillsides

Half of airstrip looking South

Since arriving here this last time I have been driving a 40 ton capacity rock truck called a CAT 740, and a John Deere tractor pulling a wobbly used to pack gravel.

740 Rock Truck

Tractor pulling Wobbly

Remember each day as you face your circumstances that the plan of God is finished and you are part of that plan. God is only working out the final details as the Gospel is preached in the whole world as a testimony to the nations. Then the end will come. (Matthew 24.14).

BACK AT CAMP

Early Saturday morning (12:15 am) I arrived in camp ready to get up at 5 am to go to work. I did not expect to get called back to work until after the Thanksgiving weekend since I had been off for 11 days and this camp job was not busy. I am not sure how long this stint will last. I was busy at Ben's cutting and fitting baseboards when I was called to work.

I left Nipawin just before 4 in the afternoon and knew that I had to drive through some very desolate highway at dusk and into the night. On my journey to camp I saw 27 deer and twice had to brake for deer crossing in front of my truck and once the deer appeared in front of the truck so fast I did not even have a chance to brake. Fortunately that deer was the last of three and had the sense to keep on running. I praise God for His mercy in not hitting those deer and not having any flat tires or mechanical trouble. I arrived at camp which is 7 km off the main highway and has no street lights, and in the midnight darkness saw a million stars. I have never seen a sky with so many visible stars. A sight like that must drive the believer to worship and the unbeliever to believe there is a God. "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." (Psalm 19.1)

Tonight we had Thanksgiving Supper at camp. It would have been nice to be with Gloria and family, and friends. I want to wish everyone a gratitude filled Thanksgiving weekend. Let us Praise God for Who He is and for what He has done, and for what He will yet do in fulfilling His purposes. Praise the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

UPDATE

I have been off since last Monday. Monday was a rain day at camp and as it continued to rain the job was shut down on Tuesday and we were sent from Camp. I came to visit Ben and Ashley and Vance in Nipawin, SK. Today is Sunday. I was able to attend the Alliance church with Ben and Ashley this morning, my first service in two months. They were inducting their new Pastor. This afternoon I am waiting for a call to a new, non-camp, work site between Provost, AB and Macklin SK to begin work but the call has not come. Pray as I will need to find accommodations and will be making my own lunches and meals.

While here at Ben and Ashley's I was able to do a number of tasks for skim-coating water damaged walls in the bathroom, to re-piping a dryer vent, fixing some counter plugs which had not worked in two years, and other odds and ends.

I have also enjoyed getting to know my grandson Vance who is just under two and Poochy his faithful side kick. Here are a couple of pictures of Vance and Poochy.

I will send an update when I get resettled.

DANCING

Today (Sept 19/13) I was attentively listening in on someone’s conversation. I listened to them for 10 hours. The conversation was still going on when I left. That conversation was so refreshing to listen to and stirred my vivid imagination. It was moving and stimulating. Now let me explain.
I was diverted to the road reconstruction crew this morning. The road crew operate their CB communications on a different channel than we use at the airport construction site. It just so happened that another construction crew from a different company, working who knows where (I found out where the next day) chose to use the same channel as our road construction crew. And so for 10 hours I followed this one conversation as I worked.
The conversation was between a spotter on the roof and the crane operator on the ground who could not see what was happening on the roof and was completely guided by the spotter to move his boom, and lift and lower his load.  Both the crane operator and the spotter were well experienced. It was magic to hear them work together and to imagine what was going on. It was like the working out of a symphony, note by note. They were in perfect sync even though the crane operator could not see what was happening on the roof and the spotter could not see the crane operator below. Everything was done with prearranged words familiar to both of them. It was like a beautiful flowing dance between the spotter and the crane operator as together they moved each truss to its designated place.
Since this was my first time on the road crew running an 815 packer I had to be told a lot of things and made a few blunders. But by late afternoon I was "dancing" with the grader and we got into sync and I began to anticipate his movements and he mine. I noticed this same kind of synchronised dance about a month ago between two dozer operators who were working together on a berm. They moved toward and away from each other, sometimes coming within inches, as if the whole thing was choreographed. It just gives me a sense of joy and satisfaction inside to see such things. It also reminds me of how I am to live in sync with God through His Spirit, a dance of life filled with peace and joy and harmony as I abide in Him. One day the dance will be perfected, when there is no more sin and we have perfect bodies and minds and souls to respond to God. Until then we can abide in His amazing love and strive to be in sync with the Father every day.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE RIGHTEOUS

[I am leaving camp this morning (Monday) for some time off, returning to work on Friday. I will be visiting some kind friends in Ponoka who are willing to put me up for a few days.]

Last Wednesday all workers for the company I work for were called to a 9:00 AM meeting. There were over 50 of us present. We learned that we were going to be tested for alcohol and drug use then and there with a zero tolerance. The testing took 4 hours to complete. The big boss told anyone who knew they were not going to pass the test to get in their trucks and leave. That was the end of their employment. One fellow left. I know of three in my crew who failed and were dismissed.

I just so happened that in the morning while I was working (I start at 7 AM) that I was thinking of how God might show unbelievers around me how His children are blessed by their Father. In one way this showed the blessing of the righteous. Those who profess to be followers of the God of heaven should have no problem with a zero tolerance drug and alcohol test. I pray God may make those around me aware that as a believer this test was no threat because of the lifestyle believers are called to. Others have to play "dodge the bullet".

There is another blessing of the righteous. That blessing is called persecution. Many of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world suffer and are killed for naming the name of Christ and possessing a Bible. Praise God many are finding truth and life in Christ and know that Christ is worth living and dying for. I hope that is how you feel about your Savior and your loving Father God. Why should we be embarrassed and ashamed and fear marginalization and humiliation? We have the truth, we have perfect righteousness in Christ, we have the great and true hope of eternal life. Those around us are in darkness, deceived, and spiritually dead. Their ways lead to death and ours to life - the blessings of the righteous. To remind yourself of our persecuted brothers subscribe to a weekly email from Voice of the Martyrs and pray for the requests sent to you <http://www.persecution.net/about-pnp.htm>.

Become more aware of what you truly have in Christ. Rejoice, stand tall, be joyful because you know that your way, which may seem so narrow, unsophisticated, old fashioned, goody-goody, and empty to the world, is the way of true life and blessing. Do I hear a LOUD AMEN and GLORY TO GOD?

Created by our Father to show His Glory

...your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value then they?

COMMUNICATION

Here are some new terms of communication I have been learning: push back, wing (or win) row, grade, subcut, cut, fill, apron, rip, sheepfoot packer, an 815, a 336, blade it, kill key, a lift, seal it.

Each cultural group has its own terms of communication or language and construction is one of those groups. In fact each type of construction has its own terms of communication.

I want to take this thought in two directions. First with regard to the unbeliever and second with regard to the believer. We as Christians, especially if we have been Christians in the church for a long time and have had little contact with unbelievers, can use the language of our cultural group and miss communicating with the unbelievers we come in contact with who are outside of that group. When I first came to the job site I was told to take my machine to the subcut. That was familiar language to my boss but a strange language to me. I had to ask and now I know where the subcut is and what it is and why it is called a subcut. When we communicate with unbelievers we need to use terms they will understand or if we use biblical terms we need to explain them in words and illustrations they will understand. "Now go get me an 815".

Second as believers we need to provide the Holy Spirit with a language so that He can communicate with us. The Spirit's language is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Word of God. When we place the Word of God in our minds through memory or familiarity with the Word, the Holy Spirit has a language by which He can get our attention and direct our paths. Learn the language of the Spirit by becoming evermore familiar with the Word of God.

Here are some communications from the camp road.

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THE BORROW PIT

"Borrow Pit" was not a term I was familiar with when I first heard it. I have since found out there are a number of them around. Can you guess what a Borrow Pit is?

A Borrow Pit is where we borrow pure, clean (no sand or topsoil), clay. Of course we just "borrow" the clay to use in the construction of a road, a lease pad, a pad for a new plant, or in our case an airstrip. Pure, clean clay is important to build a solid foundation so we borrow that clay from the Borrow Pit. (See Borrow Pit).

Yes, we do pay the Pit back. Only we pay it back with all the bad dirt we cannot use because it is too wet, poor quality or sand. No we do not bury topsoil. Topsoil must be stripped and kept aside and then replaced when the job is done. Here are some of the terms I hear on the radio in my vehicle for the stuff used to payback the Borrow Pit - slop, junk, crap, s***, bad dirt, waste, garbage, dump, muck, pit material, in the borrow.

At one time our Borrow Pit was about 60 feet deep. Now it is nearly full of unusable dirt. We are also responsible to reclaim the landscape after the pit is full to make the site look natural again. Some Pits are not filled and left as ponds but still need to be returned to a natural state.

Our Borrow Pit

Debris waiting to be pushed into the Borrow Pit

I thank God today that Jesus Christ is my Borrow Pit. From Him I have received the only righteousness that God accepts. In Christ I am pure and clean and accepted in the presence of a Holy God for all eternity. Jesus Christ took my sin and in exchange gave me the gift of eternal life and justification. Praise God that He has provided a Borrow Pit where eternal life can be exchanged for the filth of our sin. I will thank God forever. One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5.21, "For our sake he (God) made him (Christ) to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him (Christ) we (me) might become the righteousness of God."

After the Borrow Pit is reclaimed the site may look even better than before it was excavated but it is full of useless and unusable dirt. We can make ourselves look good and acceptable to God but only God can make us righteous and justified before Him, and He does that through the work of the cross. Those who put their trust in God to save them through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are new creations not sinners dressed in new clothes.

RAIN DELAY

When Ben and I arrived at camp on Friday afternoon, August 30th, after spending the rain day in Fort McMurray, we met with a big surprise. It had rained hard most of the night and was still raining when we arrived back at camp on Friday afternoon, so the oil company CNRL, who contracted the company I work for to build the airstrip, decided to close down the job for a couple of days. That meant that we had to leave camp because the oil company pays the cost of our stay in camp. No work means no camp, which means no food and no bed. In a moment Ben and I, along with 60 others, became displaced persons, wandering workmen without a home.

Resourceful Ben rented a hotel room in Lac La Biche for us for two days. We did not want to drive 10 hours to Nipawin, SK only to be called back to work in a couple of days. We spent a leisurely Friday evening and Saturday, eating and sleeping. I found an Evangelical Free Church to visit on Sunday morning but at 9 am Ben got a call to come back to work and pump water from the flooded work site. The job site was severely flooded from over 3 inches of rain. Clay does not drain well so pumping was in order. So Sunday I drove back to camp with Ben but I was not called back to work so I picked up my truck and drove 10 hours to Nipawin to stay at Ben's house (Ashley his wife was in Welland visiting Gloria and the family). On Monday I was able to visit relatives in Nipawin. On Tuesday I was called back to work and drove 9 hours to camp and started work on Wednesday morning, September 4th.

This rain delay may sound tragic but here are a couple of facts that provide a change of perspective. I had worked for 21 days in a row and the rain day counted as a standby day, so that is 22 days. After 24 days we need to take 4 or 5 days off to reset. I was ready to reset physically and by the number of days I had worked. My time off counted as my reset and I got some good rest and got to visit relatives in Nipawin and see the renovations at Ben's house. Now I am back working on my next 24 days.

Knowing all the facts sometimes gives a different perspective to circumstances. Knowing that God is Sovereign is one of those facts which allows the Christian to have a different perspective on circumstances than the unbeliever. Remember when you encounter people in their circumstances you may not know all the facts so lets hold our judgements until we find out all we can and wait on God for Christ's response.

RAIN DAY

Last Friday (August 30th) it started raining hard in the early hours just after midnight and the rain was still coming down in the morning when it was time to go to work. A rain day was declared. We cannot work when there is too much rain because of all the mud and slippery conditions. We would accomplish nothing and it would also be unsafe. Ben and I decided to make the two hour trip to visit Fort McMurray. We needed to purchase a few items and Ben wanted to get an oil change for his truck. We also wanted to visit the "Oil Sands Discovery Center".

Wall-mart provided the items we needed to purchase, oil changes were booking for September 17th so that did not happen, so after lunch we made our way to the Discovery Center to discover what the oil sands are, how they have been recovered and processed over the years, and what new technologies are being used today.

Tar sands are individual grains of sand, each coated with tar, packed together in a large deposit. At first both the sand and the tar were extracted by excavation for separation. That is still done today where the sand is close to the surface North of Fort McMurray. At first drag lines were used and then a rotating wheel of buckets at the end of a boom, and today large, very large trucks, are used.

Ben standing beside a drag line bucket

Standing by the front wheel of an excavation truck and its motor

Front of a large excavation truck

Only 10% of the volume of sand extracted is oil. In the early days the sand was excavated and transported to Edmonton for processing. That was a lot of extra bulk to carry such a long distance. Today the extraction process is done near the excavation.
A better process would be to extract the oil and leave the sand in the ground. That it the technology that is being developed today. Steam is forced into the tar sand through a pipe which causes the tar to become liquid and drain away from the sand particle by gravity. A second pipe at a lower level than the steam line sucks the liquid oil to the surface. This is called "Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage" (SAGD). The oil leases we are working on use this technology so oil wells are only about 20 feet apart because the steam has a limited heating range.

Ben and I had a very interesting and good day together. We drove back to camp in the pounding rain and upon our arrival there received a special surprise. I will tell you all about that next time.

A SOLID FOUNDATION

I have spent a lot of time lately rolling finish grade gravel with my roller packer (see picture of packer in last post). Finish grade gravel is the top surface where vehicles will drive so it has to be solid. I have encountered certain areas in my rolling adventures where my roller packer sinks down below the surrounding grade leaving a deep rut the width of the roller. When I try to roll out the rut by packing the surrounding grade a new rut forms. No matter how much I roller pack this area I can never get a hard even surface. When I try to eliminate one rut, a new one develops. I hope you get the picture.

What is the problem here? Is it the quality of the gravel in this area? NO. Is it the thickness of the gravel that causes these distortions? NO. The problem is that the clay under the gravel in these soft areas is wet and soft. No matter how hard the gravel is packed it will never provide a solid surface until the clay foundation below it dries to a hard pack.

We spent a great deal of time and effort achieving a dry hard clay base before we put gravel on it. This area is full of Muskeg which is a purple watery muck. To get a solid base the Muskeg must be dug out to a hard clay surface and then the hole filled with clay which must be allowed to dry hard before covering with more clay or gravel. In some places the Muskeg is quite deep. A hard surface is especially important since we are building an airstrip for planes to land. No soft patches allowed. A solid foundation is required to provide a solid surface. Today I rolled a short section of the airstrip to prepare it for final gravel and the whole area was solid as a rock. I know there will not be any soft spots when the gravel is applied and rolled.

Muskeg

I have been thinking about the need for a solid foundation all this week. Working with an unstable foundation is frustrating work. In the same way those without a solid foundation in Christ as their Savior and Christ as their life have no solid hope for eternity. My foundation is not in the fact that I know Jesus Christ as my Savior but in the fact that God knows that I belong to Him in Christ. "The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal. 'The Lord knows those who are His'" (2 Timothy 2.19). That is a solid foundation to rest an eternal destiny on. No soft spots here.

If we get the foundation solid that which is built upon it has the possibility of being solid as well. We have responsibility in this area of building on the solid foundation of Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 3.10-15). Make sure your foundation is solid and then carefully build on Jesus Christ in you.

LIMITED EXPERIENCE

I love to watch skilled people at work. Seeing and recognizing competence is refreshing.

Competence does not have to be directly related to education or smarts, but it is related to experience and attitude, and sometimes enhanced by inborn skills. Everyone can be competent with a determination to do the work right, persevere in learning, and an attitude that seeks to be the best before God.

That is why my eyes can tear up when I see a competent flag person directing traffic with a smile, standing upright, confident, not smoking or listening to music or texting, but consciously doing what they have been trained to do. You do not have to be a brain, doing a job that is highly respected by the world, making a lot of money, to be competent - just conscientious with a right attitude to please God in the task.

Around here I am severely malnourished in machine competence and oilfield knowledge because I lack experience. I have the right attitude and am willing to learn, but experience will take time. The way these men and women run their equipment fills me will humble amazement. If these people were brain surgeons I would have them do the operation, but they are "ho" operators, and "dozer" drivers, and "grader" drivers, and "heavy equipment mechanics", etc...

Reminds me of Hebrews 5.13-6.1, "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefor ...let us press on to maturity".

We all need to train our senses to discern good and evil and to live in righteousness. I have a lot of spiritual experience to gain. I also have a lot of practical machine and oilfield experience to gain as well. Below are pictures of the three machines I am learning to drive. What are you learning spiritually and practically these days?

This is a Packer for making wet clay into a solid base for the next layer of soil.

John Deere tractor with disking unit to break up big pieces of clay before the Packer pounds it solid.

A roller Packer to finish and harden the final surface. This is the machine I am driving the most and am the most skilled in. I am also learning about  how to use this machine with various soils and how to get the best results.

DRAGONFLY

I am not a mystic. Nor do I put much confidence in visions, dreams and special signs. With that said let me tell you about dragonfly. I have been working up here for 10 days now. I have had to learn many things and have made a few stupid mistakes, like taking the wrong machine to another job location and being told on the radio by my boss (which everyone hears) when a short way down the road to turn around and come back and pick up the right machine. Anyway on my first day on the job while trying to run a machine I had absolutely no confidence in driving and maneuvering, I noticed a dragonfly hanging around my machine. Just one dragonfly. I have not seen any other dragonflies around nor have a seen more than one. He or she kept buzzing around my machine all day and brought peace and joy to my heart. Everyday since, dragonfly has shown up to keep me company. By the third day I saw the dragonfly as a reminder of God’s presence being ever with me. A few days back I was having a particular hard day learning how to drive a new piece of machinery. This was at a job site at another location many km away from where I was working the day before and where I usually work. I had the windows of my machine open and dragonfly flew in and gave me a little nudge on the cheek. That was God’s comfort to me. Needless to say I look for the dragonfly every day. Today dragonfly did not show up and I was wondering if it was my time to "fly solo". But after lunch there he or she was, a reminder that God is ever present with us.
Today at my afternoon coffee break as I sat in my machine with the door open, I threw a small piece of apple out the door and behold 5 Northern Shrike landed on my machine and two of them on my door within a couple of feet. When I finished my apple I threw out the core and they scooped it and where gone.
God will always give us special blessing each day as reminders of His ever present Fatherly love to us. "Father, thank you for creating dragonflies and for sending one to visit me each day as a reminder of your love to me and your presence with me. And thank you for the beautiful birds and your lovely creation that surrounds me. You are awesome."

AT CAMP

I am working 12 hours a day unless it rains. Add to that - devotions in the morning, travel to the work site and back, keeping up with emails, showering, and eating. Throw in 6 to 7 hours of sleep, and that does not leave much time for exercise (nothing yet), a study in Luke (which I have started), and this blog.

I want to tell you a little about the camp where I live. This is a beautiful, wide, blue-sky, evergreen wilderness of Muskeg with oil as thick as tar saturating the sand underneath it. Yesterday as I was driving into the camp I saw a little black bear scurrying across the road. We had a mother and two cubs visit us at the work site a few days ago. We have an electric fence around the camp to keep the bears out and a special bear proof garbage can.

Anyways, extracting oil from this tar is what all the effort is about, that and making money by selling the oil. Oil is big business. You can tell by the effort in setting up just this one small camp. This camp has three residences, A B C. Each residence has 47 rooms. There is also an exercise trailer, a recreation trailer, and about a dozen other trailers for bosses, offices, and kitchen staff. There is a large dining area made up of trailers as well. Each room has a bed, sink, toilet, and TV. Two adjoining rooms connect to a common shower. Each room is about 8 by 12 with a window, common A/C and individually controlled electric heater. No boots or shoes are allowed past the front door of each residence so the place is kept very clean. Rooms are cleaned daily, beds made and new towels. There is so much food and variety and variety at meals I am daily amazed.

Residences A and B

No boots beyond this point

What is happening up here  about 85 kms north of Lac La Biche Alberta is just a small picture of the amazing things man can do when he sets his mind to something. Under submission to God this world would be an amazing place, but man is sinful and rebellious against his Creator. This camp is a clear reflection of fallen man and women as well. As believers we have this world's resources and divine power to tear down lies and false religious systems. Let us use the amazing gifts that God has given us to accomplish HIS Purpose. We/You/I can make a difference for good. "So that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works". (Titus 3.8)

NOW GO NORTH

After three days of learning and earning certificates, of probing and testing, and of orientation, I am on my way to camp. I have been fully certificated, testicated and orientated, from my steel toed boots to the top of my hard hat. Today, Friday I started my new job. Here is a picture of all the certificates I earned and the standards I had to meet.

Yesterday they gave me a service truck to drive which is mine to use to fuel and service my vehicle and travel as needed. Notice the big red tank of diesel fuel at the back and the tool box. No diesel stations out in the woods.

What a beautiful 5 hour drive up to camp. I am about 1 1/2 hours North of Lac La Biche, Alberta, near Conklin. I saw a mama bear and her two cubs on the way up. A beautiful Blue prairie sky with fluffy clouds and bright sunshine. Just one of those perfect days for driving through an amazing wilderness country. Made it to camp by 4 and checked in. More about the camp next time. Ben will be my neighbor.

Another aspect of this area that excites me is all the various kinds of equipment and trucks that are zipping around. It is a whole different world up here. Below is the picture of a "remote wireless truck". You just park the truck in the middle of nowhere and "instant internet and phone access". The type of trucks and what they are hauling shows how creative and intelligent man can be and reflects on the wonder of our God in whose image we are made.

I have been reflecting on the wonderful grace of God as I have had to earn my certificates this week. I am so glad that eternal life is a free gift that God gives. And yet there is a focus to our faith and we do need to hear and know about Jesus Christ the Son of God who willingly sacrificed himself for our sins, so that we can make Jesus the focus of faith so that God can give us that wonderful gift of salvation and eternal life. Our task is to make Jesus the Savior and Lord known. I praise God for the opportunities so far. Now for my first camp meal. Talk to you soon.

Tired but in good humour

I am in Lloydminster, which is mostly in Alberta but also partly in Saskatchewan. Sunday I flew to Edmonton via Hamilton and Calgary. Good flights and connections. Had the great privilege of sharing about the gift of heaven with a woman from St Catharines who attends church where my grandkids school is located. Also met two Ontario men going back to the oilfields. There is an incredible amount of work out here.
Yvonne and Tony, friends from a number of Honduras trips, picked me up at the airport and took me to visit the West Edmonton Mall at my request. What an amazing place with ice rink, a massive water park with even more massive water slides, and an absolutely amazing amusement park with the most amazing of all roller coasters `The Mind Bender``. I have found my quest for my 65th birthday - ride the `Mind Bender``. After the mall we visited another couple I met in Honduras who are building a massive straw house in Ponoka. This was a structural experience of 9.000 square feet proportions. I stayed overnight at Tony and Yvonne`s in Ponoka. I went to bed at 11:30 pm and it was still light out, the long days of the northern Summer.
Today, I took the bus from Edmonton (thank you Tony and Yvonne for the ride to the bus depot) to Lloydminster. I am staying at Ashley`s (Ben`s wife) aunt while I do my training this week. She and her husband have three oilfield workers who board here at $790 a month for a room. I am boarding here for a week.
Tomorrow I begin four days of training, testing and orientation. Tired and going to bed early while it is still light out.

Moving West to go East

Welland, Ontario (near Niagara Falls) is not considered to be the center of the world, but it is the center of my world. I was born, raised and educated in Welland, and continue to have family here. I was a Pastor in Welland for almost 12 years and retired in May. The desire of my retired  heart is set toward ministry in the East. I want to spend whatever resources I have left in serving the third world church. But for now God's directed circumstances have led me West to work in Alberta’s oil fields. So what is God doing in my life and what is to be learned from this new adventure? I plan to record some of these thoughts in this blog – East West. For now I am heading West to Edmonton on Sunday morning. I will keep in touch.

You are free to share this blog with others. If anyone wants to be on my email list to receive blog updates email <rtulip231@gmail.com>. I hope we can all grow in God together through this blog.

                                                                                       Ron - Heading West with my heart in the East.