Canada eh?!?!?!

Hello from the freezing country of Canada. Tuesday found us crossing the border into Canada...where the weather turned bitterly cold!!!
We arrived at the church and the weather was going from cold to colder. My host family lived on a farm so after dinner we were all invited to go watch the Uncle bring the horses in for the night. I was excited about that. They are Belgium horses, they look like clydes dales. I believe the Belgium horses are the kind the Amish use for plowing. Then we picked the eggs from the chicken hatch...walking back was absolutely freezing. I could not feel my hands. But this was not the coldest weather we were to encounter....that happened in Moose Jaw, SK. Thursday where the thermometer hit NEGATIVE 40 degrees. Negative 40 degrees is the only temperature where Farenheit and Celcius are equal to each other. That is the coldest it has been so far.

There are only a few notable differences between Canada and the US. The fact everything is on the metric system here. Last Wednesday I had a day off the host family lent me their truck. I was following behind them and I looked down at my speedometer and it said I was going 100...I flipped out. Then after a moment I remembered it was 100 kilometer per hour so in reality I was only going between 60 or 70. Also they use the Celsius scale here...so now all the conversions I learned and thought were pointless, that I'd never use them......I'm using. Thank you Mr. Thomas for teaching me the things I thought I'd never need and in fact they are now quite useful.


I believe the cold weather is getting to me...I had the biggest blonde moment of my life. As I mentioned previously my host family allowed me the use of their truck. It was a GMC 4x4...I was happy. Well I went to the store, I was looking for nice snow boots to protect my little feet from the crazy cold. I did not find any so I came back out. I walked to the truck and stuck my key in the door hole but it would not go in. I fiddled with it and then pulled up the handle...it was unlocked. So I climbed in and sat down. I looked at the floor and thought, "I don't remember this truck being that dirty." I didn't pay much attention to it however because after all it was a work truck. Then I looked behind and thought "I thought the truck was bigger than this, hm..." Then I looked in the rear-view mirror and there behind me...one row back...was the truck I had come in. I jumped out and walked over to it. I laughed and laughed...I still chuckle when I tell the story. After climbing in to the right truck I stick my key in the ignition and the battery is dead; I had left the lights on. Luckily the church was right next door. So I called Jenny and she came over but then I could not get the hood open, so then we went back to the church and Uncle Vic came back with me. He got the hood opened and the jumped it and off I went. It was a crazy hour or two that day.

Today also was my day off and so after waking up I went to Beth's house. Well at least the address that was next to her name where her host family was suppose to live. I was so proud of myself I found the house using a map and the address not getting directions from anybody or anywhere. I walk up to the door...probably with a little extra kick in my step and ring the door bell. I asked if Beth was there and the lady looked at me and said "um...no" I said "oh okay I must have the wrong house." I called and found out that was their old address they had moved. I found the correct house though.

Those are my Canadaian stories eh?!...Oh I've also learned there is a difference between the Canadian eh and the African eh? The African eh is used at the end of a question and normally expects an answer. The Canadian eh...is more retorical...said in question form to an obvious questions. Ex: you walk by a room with a bunch of kids in it and you say "there are a lot of kids in that room, eh?!"


Well I guess I have not updated my blog since before Christmas. We had a great Christmas; we were in Nebraska at a church camp. Christmas Eve all the kids recieved brand new church clothes...this is their first set of Church clothes for us. They yelled and screamed and yelled and screamed and then that night we went to sing two songs for a church and they wore their new clothes. The next day, Christmas day we opened presents. The kids had little notes and small little stockings on the tree with a candy cane and a toy.


Then my family sent fanny packs and they kids loved those... Socks, chapstick, rulers, new gold one dollar coins...they loved it. We hid them all and they had to search for the one with their name on it....they had a blast. The rest of the day was filled with sledding (being pulled by four wheelers), a wonderful Christmas dinner; served by the owners and their family...there were a lot of them. Then to end the night we took turns hitting the pinata. Either that night or the next we watch the Lion King. Then on one of our days we went to the movie and saw the Chipmunks Christmas and went bowling and then to McDonalds to celebrate all Birthdays from Ocotober to December. Oh and while at camp I learned how to cook African food. I learned how to cook Chipati...this was not easy. I was on my feet for six hours cooking. It started by making the dough...not buying dough and making it from there. No no, starting from flour and water. After kneeding and makeing the dough I had to roll the dough up into little balls about 60 or so of them. Then the next step was to use a rolling pen and flatten all the dough balls and put oil on them. After applying oil I rolled them back up into something that could be compared to a cinnamon roll. from their Beth took them, then once I had been upgraded I also got to...take the cinnamon roll looking clump of dough and make it into a perfect flat circle where you had more oil. I was not allowed to stay here for long...I scared Beth and Rosette with my interpretation of a circle. So then it was on to the final stage the frying pan. Beth showed me...she took it laid it in the frying pan and then used her hand to turn it...I said "Beth I'm going to burn my hand." She said, "ah try it" I did and I never burnt myself Praise the Lord.


So that is my Christmas and cooking experience. I hope everyone had a great Christmas!