Hello. Another week come and gone.
This week I worked maintenance everyday (except for Monday, seeing as it was Labor Day). We worked on tearing off two sections of roof that needed replacing, and then some random odd jobs. Starting tomorrow the roof sections will be replaced, but not by us summer work program people, cause they got pros coming in to do it. I worked hard, and was tired. Every day ran into the next and it seemed like I was running on a sleep deficiency.
But anyway, the weekend came and with it Sat and Sun off. Nice happenings.
Yesterday I was given the opportunity to go up to Montreal for the day. Here at Word of Life we are about 2 hours from the Canadian border and Montreal is another 20 minutes after that. A group of us went, 9 people total, 4 girls, one of the ladies that works in the office, a guy named Scott who has been coordinating activities, and his two younger children
(8 and 11 or something). Had an absolute blast, despite waking up early and almost just going back to sleep.
Started off early, and had an uneventful ride to Canada. At one point we opened the boxed snacks prepared for us by our friends in the kitchen and found no end of jokes. They had put potatoes in with the snacks, mine had some dead flowers, another had an onion and liver, it was hilarious, but there were chips and M&M’s and stuff, so it wasn’t all bad.
We arrived at the border to see 6 semis just parked by the station, and one pulled across the road. The drivers were standing around having animated conversations. One van ahead of us pulled around the semi blocking the road, so we did as well. Seconds afterwards the semi was pulled all the way across the road, blocking passage. After we pulled into the booth, they put cones behind us, again all across the road. We made it through the border and into Canada, but were a mite confused. More on that later.
We parked in Montreal, and walked around a bit in the city. Amazing old buildings up next to skyscapers, and brick/cobbled roads. God blessed with an absolutely beautiful day. We visited a few shops, including a Medieval shop called Excalibur. Upon entering they had swords and battle axes hung along the walls, and a bunch of period clothes, including some gorgeous dresses. Lining shelves were goblets and ornate stuff. Really cool. The office lady, January, bought a dress. Interesante.
Following that we entered some other stores, one of which was a sports shop. They were selling memorabilia from the Montreal Expos, a baseball team that was recently disbanded due to lack of interest and ticket sales. The team has been replaced by the Washington Nationals in the District of Columbia. All Expos jerseys and stuff are collectors items now.
We spent most of the day, however, underground. The Canadians are ingenious. Above ground there rests a large, magnificent cathedral, ornate and all old bricks and large steeple and stuff. Underneath, there is a shopping mall. Back in the 70′s I believe, they undertook to build a mall underneath the cathedral. Utilizing massive excavations, the builders erected large concrete pilings under the foundation of the church, and dug all the dirt from underneath the foundation. So exact was their skill that the church was never moved and remained open during the entire operation. There is an unbelievable picture inside the mall of the church, floating on 8 0r 10 pilings and nothing underneath except a large crater, and a walkway suspended from the front doors of the church to the road 30 some feet away. The mall extends for several blocks in all directions, at some points rising two stories above the ground. Near the church was another old brick builing, that per instructions, was torn down, but brick by brick, each labled, and after the mall was built the builing was recontructed exactly as before. Simply incredible.
“I did not know man could build such things.” – Gladiator
I spent some money on souveniers, found a deck of playing cards in a dollar store that features the Canadian 100 dollar bill, and in a novelty shop found some miniature Peanuts plaing cards that are really neat. Also from the Excalibur shop I purchased a glass mug that has inlaid on the side a shield bearing a dragon, with a sword running behind the shield and emerging hilt on top, point on bottom.
We ate dinner at a decent American style diner, then walked around the evening to see about three weddings post ceremony, as in brides and grooms entering cars and whatever. Enjoyed a nice ride back to the border to discover what the ruckuss was earlier.
It turns out that some lunatic shot a cop in a town close to the border, and during the ensuing manhunt, the border was closed, our van being the last across. The manhunt lasted all day, snipers and SWAT and helicopters swarming all over the BI property, cops with shotguns every 300 feet or so along the road. Eventuall though they found the guy about a half mile from the Bible Institute. Unfortunately the cop shot is in critical condition last I heard. Pray for him, if you would.
Spent the evening watching a movie then went to sleep and just woke up at 1045, after getting some well earned sleep.
Thus ends my tales from across the border.
Nate should be coming back from Georgia soon, so I should probably clean up his room a bit…
Peace.
