And So It Began ...

It was 14 years ago yesterday that we awoke early in the morning and in the pre-dawn hours drove the 5 plus hours across the Chilcotin Plateau to arrive at the community of Bella Coola (Pictured below)
The next four years would see us living in the United Church Manse on the edge of the village the Nuxalk people called home ... But our arrival was less than spectacular. The Manse was to be unfurnished and cleaned - neither had happened adequately. Eventually we tracked down the Chair of the Board who was volunteering at the Rodeo, and had the briefest of chats, and watched some of the rodeo (it's self a new event for this old Ontario boy) before heading back to our new home ...

Then M and I, and our year old dog Mindy were left to our own devices to find out about this new community that was to become our home ... There never was anything resembling a formal welcome ... we just kind of arrived and were there. No fanfare, no welcome - NOTHING ... just a house half-filled with stuff and a moving van due to arrive the next day ...

Four years, and two children, two cats, one rabbit and an extra dog later, we left with a casual pot-luck supper as our farewell and headed off to the Lower Mainland ... Our arrival in Langley was marked by a massive gathering of people who helped unload the moving van in short order, and then after our first Sunday, they had a "Pound the Minister" event where they gave us food stuffs to stock our larder ... Little did I know how attached they would later be to the notion of POUNDING the minister - the second time sans the food !!

But it was in Bella Coola where my ministry began ... There is seldom a day that goes by that I don't think about it and the friends we met there ... Our house is filled with reminders of mementoes of our time there ... and one of my most cherished possessions is a Traditionally Painted Preaching Blanket that was given to me by a friend, who is now gone ... I was terrified the day of the fire that it would be lost ... Thankfully it wasn't ...

But it was 14 years ago yesterday - Canada Day that my journey in this United Church of ours began ... I've learned many things, but the next time I move there better be a party planned, or I'm not going ... and if I arrive and there is no one there to say "Hi," I'm getting in the van and leaving ...

It's been an interesting 14 years ... I wouldn't trade it for the world ... but I would do MANY things differently ... but such is life !!

As the Nuxalkmc say - "stut'wan'eetz!" Thank you !!