Spirit River, Alberta, Canada

Good Morning, another beautiful day.... 27 below this morning.
but beautiful sunshine! We are having a wonderful time here
with Calvin and his family (Loren's nephew) Marsha left us know that Chase made it safely to Alaska. Jaylene and Marsha and their families were all home with Craig for his birthday last saturday! For all our friends at home, we will be thinking of you all sunday enjoying the pork and sauerkraut dinner on sunday! Again, thanks to all for keeping in touch with us. And it was sooooo good to talk with Arla and our sunday school class on sunday morning! Until next time....
Happy New Year to all!
J.Loren and Wanda

Hi from Alberta

Just a few photos of the beautiful time we are having here in LacLaBiche, Alberta.

These photos were taken walking in their drive (at -30 degrees (F.)

and the deer was taken from their kitchen window

Having Christmas dinner with Harv and Ellie and their family today.

and she made these delicious half moon pies for us!

again, thanks for keeping in touch!

until next time....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

A special greeting from LacLaBiche, Alberta, Canada
Loren and I had a chilly walk this morning, it is 30 below, but the sun is shining
and it is beautiful! We are having a wonderful time here with Loren's brother
and family. We left the 5th wheel in Cantril, Iowa and left there Tuesday morning.,
drove 30 hours and arrived here at Harv's Wed. afternoon. sure happy to be here!
Will try to get back on schedule again with blogging, but do not have access to
internet too often, but keeping busy on the canner which is just great.
so wishing all our family and friends at home and many, many, many friends
that we made in the past 3 months. love you all, and
Happy New Year!
In Service for Him, Together we Can....
J.Loren and Wanda

sorry....

Hi, again, I will try again to add the photos that I wanted to put with these blogs
my ride came to take me back for lunch
and you know... i can't miss that!!!!
love to you all
until next time.....
Wanda

backing up a bit...

our trip from Nebraska to Oklahoma we stopped in Kansas.
We had a great evening and delicious meal at the home of John and Joyce Yoder. Also,
Mo Yoder, and Raymond and Mary Yoder were there. A fun time of sharing many memories. We all had breakfast in Hutchinson before leaving for Oklahoma.

on the job....in Hydro, OK

If you think stirring turkey is easy, all you "Big Valley" friends....
see you at Peachey Meats in February :)
(i can think of a quite a few strong men (cousins in particular)!!! :)
It was 70 degrees here yesterday, but today in the low 30's and windy
and getting colder
I hear it is quite cold at home also.
We still continue to thank God for dry roads.
Our plans are to leave here and head for Fairview, OK on wed. morning.
until next time
In Service for Him.... together we can
J.Loren and Wanda

Henderson, Nebraska

Nov. 30 - Dec. 4 was not "just" another week... what wonderful people, again!!!! Was privileged to work along side, and make so many more friends! They also set up wireless for us, which the canner guys and Loren and I really appreciated. So many there at the church went above and beyond to make us welcome there. When we arrived at the church and was welcomed by Brent Swartzendruber he showed us where to park the 5th wheel, in his father's back yard.... my high school typing teacher???? Larry and Rozella Swartzendruber, what a wonderful time of reminiscing. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and fellowship with them and their friends. They also
enjoyed showing us their treasured painting from the Big Valley. Thank you also, Royce and Carol for the super delicious sunday dinner and fellowship. Enjoyed so much visiting with your mother, Elva (and thanks again for the article and the cookbook, Elva). Also to Joyce, I am so happy with my haircut! You are the best!!! .... and Hi to Ron. Remember that trip to Big Valley!

Hosts

Our trip, from Nov. 12-30 we did not take our 5th wheel, so a very special thank you and a very Merry Christmas to our Hosts and their families in
Mountain Lake, MN - Jim and Diane Dick
Winkler, Manitoba, Canada - John and Agatha Redakop
Freeman, South Dakota - Delmar (Bud) and Verda Saner
thank you again to each of you for opening your home and hearts
to us as we were in your communities. We have many wonderful memories
and hoping to see each of you in PA sometime!
In Service for Him.... together we can!
J.Loren and Wanda

Thanksgiving Day

A special thank you to Gib and Joyce for telling their friends in Freeman, that we would be in the area over Thanksgiving. Enjoyed a delicious dinner with Burt, Eileen and daughter, and Ray and Anita Neufeld and daughter. The Kaufmans also have recently sold their dairy cows, so an afternoon of farming stories was very interesting and made for a fun afternoon!
A Very Merry Christmas to you and your families!

Nov. 26th

We were so blessed to visit in the home of Maynard and Barb Yoder. Maynard worked on the canner in 1985-87. Unfortunately, a few years ago, he was involved in a devastating farm accident, followed with a stroke. He is a true inspirations, he and his wife and two children. The children were helping at the canner in the morning with their school classes. Loren and I feel so very truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be in their home. Another "unexpected blessing" on that visit was (after an accident in 1987 with the MCC truck hauling cans out west) find the fly wheel that was signed by many MCC workers in Akron. Also, Maynard said to send greetings to his great uncle Paul Bender. Thank you, Maynard and Barb, for a wonderful visit!
Christmas Greetings to you and your family!

Freeman, South Dakota

Back Again!!! sorry about the delay! Just being overwhelmed by so many friends, memories, and "food"......
The canner guys also get involved with other jobs on the site,.... and they also get to snack!!
Had the opportunity to visit with a former canner, Stan Hofer 1991-93. And I want to send
a very special Christmas Greeting to my new friend, Preston and his family!
have been trying to get some photos on this, but not working,
will try later!!!
love to all,
wanda and loren

Freeman, S.D.

Back again, sorry about the delay. Nov. 25th. Canner guys also get involved with other jobs on the site, and... they also get to snack!!! Had the opportunity to visit with a former canner, Stan Hofer 1991-93. And I also want to send a special Christmas Greeting to my new friend,

Preston and his family. :)

Freeman, South Dakota

Our visit in Freeman was great. Meeting so many new people again! The food is wonderful!!!

We have been so blessed with our host family, Bud and Verda Saner, we were treated like family there! They took us to the Museum there in town, a wonderful tour. Thanks for the cookies, we sure enjoyed them on our drive to Kansas. And we are still enjoying the games you made! Thank you Bud and Verda!

Trip to Freeman, South Dakota

Left Sunday morning for South Dakota, what a wonderful time we had in Winkler, met so many

new friends, and had a very gracious host family. We are looking forward to having the host families we had in Mountain Lake, Winkler, and also Freeman to come to visit PA!

It was a beautiful day for our drive on sunday. We saw alot of deer and also a snowy owl.

Monday morning we visited the Corn Palace and a few other places before coming to Freeman

to set up the canner. Visited the Thrift Shop and Ten Thousand Villages here in Freeman.

Also today, (tuesday) we had the opportunity to visit and tour the Heritage Museum here,

it was fantastic. So much to see. It also had different buildings and full of many very

interesting things. Thanks to Gib and Joyce we are invited to their friends home here in

Freeman for Thanksgiving dinner. thank you Gib and Joyce! Again, thank you to all for

remembering us in your prayers and keeping in contact with us. We really do appreciate

it very much. And to the parents of these four young men on the canner, they are doing great,

I admire them so very much! It is great to have the opportunity to work along side of them!

Again, thank you and A Wonderful Thanksgiving to All!

In Service for Him....Together we can!

J.Loren and Wanda

A Dedication in Memory of Harry Dyck

What an honor to meet Mrs. Dyck and her son and daughter.

They are the owners of Winkler Meats where the canner

was set up in Winkler, Manitoba. Another week of very warm hospitality, food, fellowship and making new friends. It was a

privilege to be a part of the dedication and singing "How Great

Thou Art" with all his family and friends. It was a very memorable time for us!

Winkler, Manitoba Canada

Nov. 15, Saturday. Arrived in Winkler sat. evening and have the privilege of staying with

John and Agatha Redekop and daughter, Susie. We attended church with them on sunday morning. We have had a very warm and caring welcome here! Sunday evening we joined the canner guys and some committee for a steak barbeque, delicious! Monday I had the privilege

of going with Agatha to her Bible Study group and Loren enjoyed visiting with John at his place of business. Last evening, we had the privilege of being in Peter's home. A delicious supper and a fun evening of fellowship with the the boys and the Reimers. Today, Tuesday, Loren and I drove around the area and enjoyed seeing the community....

and the (for those who know me) I thoroughly enjoyed a Tim Horton iced cappachino!!!!!

This evening we are invited out for supper with Winkler MCC Meat Canning Committee and the "boys"! Then tomorrow we start canning pork. Again, looking forward to meeting and working along side new friends!

Mountain Lake, Minnesota

Nov. 12, arriving in Mt. Lake, a great trip, drove around town, visited the MCC Thrift Shop, Ten Thousand Villages and then off to the canner site at the Elmendorf Hutterite Colony. We are staying with Jim and Diane Dick and they are showing us a wonderful time here in the community... they drove us "around" the mountain in Mt. Lake, and we invited them to Belleville and we would take them "over" the moutain! Also, a friend Edna, wants to say Hi to her classmates in Henderson, Nebraska. Working along side Miriam at the canner, a teacher at the colony, she invited me to visit her school class. Loren and I had the opportunity to tour the colony where they did their canning, the shop where they made hog sorters, and we also visited with "grandpa" the oldest person in the colony. Was a wonderful experience in Minnesota!

In Service for Him... Together we can!

J.Loren and Wanda

Milford, Nebraska

Nov. 11th, we are finishing up the canning at Milford, a great time here, meeting so many wonderful gracious people again. Had the opportunity to help a bit in the kitchen, was great! Peter, Josh, Steven, and Viktor are finishing up the paper work and ready to move on to Minnisota. Loren and I also toured the Salt Mines, the elevator ride down, down.... as in 650 feet down, and in the dark elevator???? i made it and was happy to be back up again, but was also glad that we did it! very interesting! The opportunities that we are having are unbelievable! we are soooo blessed!

Wed., Nov. 12, up early and left for Mountain Lake, Minn., was a very nice drive up, did have

a bit of rain, but mostly, just cloudy. Starting to see snow on the ground and alot of deer.

to be continued.....

In service for Him... together we can!

J.Loren and Wanda

Big Valley Friends

Just wanted to include this photo in our blog. Was good to have a short time to visit with John and Joyce Yoder. It is a cool, rainy day here in Nebraska. We are continuing to meet so many wonderful people, and had a first here...... had sauerkraut pizza

and it was delicious!!!!! Loren had the opportunity to run the sealer on the canner today. He was looking forward to that.

I had the privilege of working with a few of the ladies in the kitchen this morning. Was good to do that again! Have to tell you a bit about our trip to Hutchinson..... people should know better than to give me directions - North and South -

so I get directions, and tell Loren to turn "right" onto this gravel road.... after about 4 miles, I

realize that right was North, and we wanted South???? well, here we are narrow gravel road and the 5th wheel behind us..... so we see a farm ahead where we should have enough room

to turn around, BUT, before the farm is a bridge withan 8 Ton limit.....i'm thinking, we are

around 12 Ton. so I didn't say a word until we were across the bridge, turned around and

back across the bridge again!!!!! God is soooo Good! (the last time I gave wrong directions

was when we hit the deer!!!! I guess someone has to keep a sense of humor, and it wasn't me!

but all is going fine and we are having a great time! Yesterday we walked around the campground where we are parked, was a beautiful sunny fall day.

Thanks again to all who are keeping in touch with us

it is very much appreciated!

In Service for Him... together we can!

J.Loren and Wanda

Hutchinson, Kansas

Another great community and many more new friends! The weather is beautiful and sunny, but very windy. This is our last day in Kansas and will be off tomorrow morning for Nebraska.

The folks here are great, as usual, on our trip, they even have sausage gravy and biscuits for us for breakfast! :) The food these folks make so far on our trip is fabulous! And of course, it is not polite not to try some of everything! right??? Loren, Peter, and I are planning to visit the Salt

Mine Museum. Loren met some of his Yoder relatives here. He is enjoying sharing genealogy!

Sure was good to see Betty Hartzler, we enjoyed having breakfast with her and a fun morning of catching up! Anyone else want to come visit, we would love to have you!!! Thanks again for all who keep in touch, and especially for your continued prayers!

In Service for Him, Together we can....

J.Loren and Wanda

photo is leaving North Newton at the MCC Warehouse

and of Maynard Knepp, MCC Central States Warehouse Supervisior/

Resource Development Assistant

North Newton, Kansas

Good Afternoon, What a wonderful weekend. Enjoyed the weekend with Maynard and Carol Knepp and the canner guys. Also had supper Saturday evening with Frank and Ann Brenneman.

So good meeting new friends and being with people from home. I hear the weather is nice there also, but over the weekend and today is in the 70's. Just beautiful sunny weather here! A new friend we met is on the photo for today. He came driving in on his motorcycle here at the canner site on saturday. He told us that he had visited BMS a few years ago! His name is "slickfester dude" We attended the Tabor Mennonite Church yesterday, a very warm and friendly welcome we received there. Loren had a nice surprise, when the worship team got up to sing, a farmer friend that he knew from Minnesota at the Land O Lakes meetings was in the group. Again, God is so good! We are invited to Elam and Nancy Peacheys this evening, looking forward to that. There are alot of volunteers here today, so Loren and I left for awhile and drove downtown. We visited the Kauffman Museum last week. Thanks again to all of you for keeping in touch. It is a highlight in our day to hear from home!

In Service for Him.... Together we Can

J.Loren and Wanda

beautiful weather

Hi again, after telling you all how chili it was the past few days, and knowing that

you all have had some snow today, thot I should let you know that Loren and I

had a picinic this afternoon!!!

Also found out that our granddaughter's field hockey team made the district

championship!!! Congratulations girls! We love you, and wish you the best

next week!

Until next time....

smiles, from

Loren and Wanda

North Newton, Kansas

Good Afternoon, Friends, what a beautiful sunny day, is to get up to 70 today! Beautiful day, but the canner guys say it is getting very hot in the canner for them. Peter is here telling me that they have 68,000 pounds of meat to can here in North Newton, and they have done 22 1/2 thousand pounds since monday. So far today they have canned 4500 lbs of meat, which would make 2520 cans. If I talk about Peter from Manitoba, Canada, Josh from Gossel, Kansas, Viktor from Huenfield, Germany, and Steven from Chambersburg, PA., they are the 4 young men on the canner. I am very impressed with their dedication, friendliness, and each of their unique personalities. The photo today is with Viktor (waving in the back)! Thank you again, to all of you for keeping in touch with us! So very much appreciated.

In Service for Him, Together we Can!

J.Loren and Wanda

North Newton, Kansas

Hi from sunny, windy and chili Kansas!

We had a wonderful weekend here, attended the Faith Mennonite Church yesterday.

My cousin Barb and her husband from Denver, Colorado were here and we spent some time with them, Loren attended a tractor swap meet on saturday with Stan and his cousin and Barb and I went to Yoder, Kansas to shop!!!!! The photo is of K - 4th grade at the Central Christian School in Kidron, Ohio, I was asked to do a presentation there. What a super group of children, the 3rd and 4th graders did come over and tour the canner then. The experiences we are having our just overwhelming at times, a wonderful time! meeting so many new friends.... Loren is busy helping at the canner again. And I get to visit and if they do not have enough help then I go and help wash cans or put labels on. We sure love hearing from all our friends, keep it up!

In service for Him, together we can!

J.Loren and Wanda

North Newton, Kansas

Just a note to let you know we arrived in Kansas.
What a beautiful country we live in.
Of course, along with the beauty comes animals.....
we got a deer in Ohio and almost got a buck this morning here in Kansas
but God is so Good!..... the deer made a pretty bad dent in my door, but the buck,
decided to not cross the road! so we have alot to be thankful for. So again, thank you
all so much for your prayers! I will try to update more on Monday. My cousin, Barb,
and her husband, drove here to be with us for the weekend from Denver, Colorado
They just arrived so must go, our love and prayers to all!
In Service for Him,
J.Loren and Wanda

Kidron, Ohio

Thanks to the Central Christian School here in Kidron, we can get online again.
Another beautiful sunny but cool day. Our time in Middlefield was great, met so many new friends and enjoyed our time driving around the countryside and stopping at many different shops. Which is what we are looking forward to doing here in Kidron area also. Loren is busy helping on the canner and enjoying every minute of it. When I am not at our display and visiting with people, I also enjoy washing cans and or putting labels on. I was happy to have coffee with my cousin, Ella Mae from Wooster, this morning. Also looking forward to seeing another cousin, Marlin, who is Herb's brother. Thanks to all for the emails and comments on the blog, we really appreciate hearing from you all. Last evening when we got back home, I sat and read all the wonderful encouragement and caring from so many of you that wrote for us the evening of our send off there at church.... thank you!
In service for Him...together we can!
J.Loren and Wanda

Middlefield, Ohio

Loren and I came down town to a coffee shop where they have wireless so we could check our emails and update blog. We arrived here yesterday morning at the canner site and had a very friendly welcome from John Miller who has been working with the canner for years. At the church, Faith gave us a very warm welcome and when Loren went in to check where to park, I decided to get out of the truck, saw the keys were pulled, got out and locked the doors, but didn't look on the console where the keys were laying :( Phoned for AAA and they said they would be there in 45 min., but in the mean time I remembered that I had another set of keys in the 5th wheel!!! I get teased alot, but I just tell them that if that is the worse thing I do on this trip, I will be very thankful!!!!! The photo is of the canner site in Sterling, Ohio.... and of our plane ride which was great. It was a beautiful day, everything was fine until he said don't take that picture until I put the wing down..... from then on it was all down hill, it got hotter and hotter back there in that seat!!! But I did make it down and into to the bathroom! :) The pilot was very good and considerate, thanks Steve!

We had the privilege to have supper in a home last night. Delicious meal and wonderful fellowship. Was raining this morning, but now the sun is out and beautiful.

Until next time....

In service for Him.... Together we can!

J.Loren and Wanda

God is so Good

Good Morning, Today is our last day here in Sterling. What a warm and friendly community.
We have only been at our camp site from 11:00 p.m. to 8: a.m.!!!! Just really learning to know so many people and many different way of life! The people here are very warm and friendly and we have been welcomed into homes, etc. One comment for Joyce.... she told us that if anyone ever asks us to do something, do it! it may be your only time to do it. Well, this morning while I was putting labels on the cans, a gentlemen came and asked me if I would go with their son in a airplane over the community???? So I guess we are on for 12:30 today! What an exciting time and this is only our first stop. This lady has been so generous to allow me to come and use her computer while she went and did some errands. Thanks so very, very much for your comments, it helps me feel like I am not so far from home, family and friends! We will be heading for Middlefield, Ohio tomorrow and then back here to Kidron this weekend. Thanks again for keeping in touch and we love you all! In service for Him, together we can! J.Loren & Wanda

Our time in Sterling, Ohio

Hi Friends, there are no words to express the wonderful warm welcome we got when we arrived here in Ohio! Right now we are in Orrville at the Toy and Hobby Museum. What a place, trust me, I have alot of photos for you all to see. And was I ever excited when I showed them our church's web site and our blog, and saw we have comments on our blog!!!! So thanks to all of you, very much appreciated! Will continue to keep in touch! Helped with the canner yesterday, and attended the Apostolic Church today, 900 in attendance. I could go on and on and on, but we are invited out for supper. thanks again and will be in touch!
In service for Him, Together we can! J.Loren and Wanda

twas the night before......

Well, here we are the night before we leave,
with many mixed feelings, but very thankful
that we have this opportunity!
We just were commenting today how we can
see how God works things out in His own time.
Again we thank all of you for your many prayers,
as we were told by Tim that we would
be traveling over 20,000 miles!
We will do our best to keep in touch!
Again, thank you for keeping us in your prayers!
In Service for Him.... Together we can!
J.Loren and Wanda

"send off" party

A sincere thank you to Ken and Betty Hartzler and our Sunday School class, and "Juniata" for the wonderful evening of singing, fun, food, and fellowship with our friends. We are so blessed with a sincere and caring church family. And a special thanks for the words of encouragement you wrote to us. We are saving that to read on our trip!

commissioning service

October 6, 2008 at the Maple Grove Mennonite Church

Thank you to our many friends for their encouraging words and prayers. And to Pastor Alan for all of your encouragement, prayers, and for sharing our excitement the past seventeen months!

Maple Grove Ladies Sewing

These ladies are going to help, along with many others that we will need to help quilt the MCC Meat Canner Quilt.

Thank you to all these special ladies for all their encouragement and prayers!

Gap Relief Sale 2008

We had the opportunity to go to the Gap Relief Sale

on August 9. We were very excited to meet

who built the MCC Mobile Meat Canner out of wood

He is Edgar Lehman from chambersbur, Pa

Edgar is a very gifted craftsman who has been creating many pieces of wooden handiwork.

This replica is a 1:17 scale model built out of oak wood and the result of over 100 hours of meticulous crafting.

trip to Leamington, Ont. Canada

Loren left on Thursday morning at 4: a.m. and returned home Sat. at 6: a.m.

He went to Leamington, Ontario, Canada to pick up the Meat Canner Sealer that was being repaired there, the following Monday we took it down to Akron, Pa

We were able to meet with 3 of the 4 guys that will be working on the canner this year

Viktor from Germany, Peter from Manitoba, Canada, and Steven from Chambersburg, Pa.

They were busy working on the canner when we arrived there. They helped to unload the sealer from the truck.

MCC Meat Canning Schedule 2008-2009

October 10-14 Sterling, Ohio
Oct. 16-17 Middlefield, Ohio
Oct. 20-23 Kidron, Ohio
Oct. 27 Moundridge, Kansas
Oct. 28-30 North Newton, Kansas
Oct. 30-Nov. 1 Buhler/Inman, Kansas
Nov. 3-4 Hillsboro, Kansas
Nov. 6-7 Hutchinson, Kansas
Nov. 10-11 Milford, Nebraska
Nov. 13-14 Mountain Lake, Minnesota
Nov. 19-22 Winkler, Manitoba, Canada
No.v 25-26 Freeman, South Dakota
Dec. 1 - 4 Henderson, Nebraska
Dec. 8 - 9 Hydro, Oklahoma
Dec. 11 - 12 Fairview, Oklahoma
Dec. 15-16 Pryor, Oklahoma
Dec. 18 - 19 Versailles, Missouri
Dec. 22-23 Cantril, Iowa
Jan. 8-9, 2009 Kalona, Iowa
Jan. 12-13 Montgomery, Indiana
Jan. 15-16 Freeport, Illinois
Jan. 20-30 Goshen, Indiana
Feb. 2-3 Berne, Indiana
Feb. 5-7 Berlin, Ohio
Feb. 10-12 Spartansburg, Pa.
Feb. 16-19 Belleville, Pa.
Feb. 23-27 White Horse, Pa.
March 2-6 Hinton, Virginia
March 9-13 Chambersburg, Pa.
March 16-20 Kirkwood, Pa.
March 23-27 Ephrata, Pa.
March 30-April 1 Hatfield, Pa.
April 2-4 Myerstown, Pa.
April 7-10 Sterling, Ohio
April 13-16 Penn Yan, New York
April 20-23 Leamington, Ontario, Canada
April 27-30 Elmira, Ontario, Canada