SUNDAY, SEPT 22

SUNDAY, SEPT 22:

     Our last views of the mountains here in our campground, especially Tunnel Mountain, from which the Tunnel Campground gets its name (so named because when the Canadian Pacific RR first surveyed this area, they thought they’d need to blast a tunnel thru this particular mountain.  They later revised the survey, but the name stuck).  The light on the mountain was exquisite  this morning.

 

      Went to church this morning.  For various reasons, it’s been a while since we’ve done that, and we’ve missed worshipping with fellow believers, no matter where the location.  We’d passed a Presbyterian church right downtown several times, so that’s where we went.  They’re affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of Canada, which seems to have much in common with PCA; they retained their independence and Reformed tradition when many other Protestant bodies joined the union which created the United Church of Canada.

      They are a unique congregation, in that during the summer, and to a lesser extent, during the ski season, their Sunday attendance swells with visitors from all over the world, and from many denominational backgrounds.   The core of the congregation, however, is “a small group of faithful people who love the Lord and want to serve Him in this part of His kingdom.  It is their faithful stewardship of time, talents, and money that makes possible the continuing ministry of St. Paul’s” (taken from their church bulletin). We loved this statement of their calling.  We indeed experienced both of these aspects of their ministry:  we sat next to a couple from Tennessee (whose daughter lives in the Central West End in St. Louis!), and we also visited for a time with one of the elders and the pastor.  Very warm people.  We will remember them in prayer, as they are concerned that their core congregation is growing older, and therefore, smaller.

 

     After the service, we strolled around town some.

 

 

       I showed Bill the river walk that Loretta & I went on yesterday, and we continued on it all the way down to the Bow Falls and the hotel, and back to town.

 

    

Went into the McDonalds to use their WiFi and get something to eat.  We were definitely among the minority there, as English-speaking Caucasians, as was true almost everywhere we went in Banff.  Many, many Asians, many French, lots of other sundry languages.   Stayed there til 5:00, and then we decided we’d better get going, as we didn’t want to be too late arriving at Rob & Karen’s.  Was cool & overcast when we came outside.

     Took us about 2 ½ hours to reach Rob & Karen’s.  Our last glimpses of the Canadian Rockies.  So breathtaking.  We’ll be back!

     Arrived about 7:30.  They have an RV spot on their property (with electricity), so Rob helped Bill back into it.  It took us way back to our days on the ferry, with Rob giving Bill all kinds of hand signals for backing into a tight spot.  When we got out of the truck, I told Karen that I felt we were on the getting on the ferry again . . . where was the elevator to the upper deck?  She laughed.

     We shared a glass of wine and some homemade berry cobbler and shared our overlapping adventures.   They of course got home much, much earlier than we, and even started another trip down to Santa Fe.  Had only been there 2 days, however, when they got word that Karen’s dad had suffered a serious stroke.  So she flew home immediately, and Rob followed with the RV.