Dordt College and Sioux Falls, South Dakota

One of the things on my "to do" list this summer was to take a course at Dordt College.  It was only a one week course on Issues in Education.  There were pre-campus assignments and then work required during the week on campus.  Two years ago when I was moving across the continent in preparation to fly to Tokyo, Doug and Diane and I drove around the campus.  Prior to that, I lived on campus for 2 weeks, about 14 years ago.  A lot has changed on Dordt's campus.  It took a bit of getting used to when I arrived this time.  The campus is much larger now, a man who lived beside the campus, willed the land to Dordt.  There were buildings taken down and new ones erected.  Roads were replaced with green space and sidewalks.  Here are some pictures...

Welcome to Dordt College

Welcome sign for M.Ed. students.

The clocktower

Interesting in light of the Issues in Education Course.

I have the same thing on my ring.

This was here 12 years ago, but it's surrounding is a little different.

That sculpture is called The Gift

B.J. Haan Auditorium

John and Louise Hulst Library

East Hall, my first room at Dordt as an undergrad.

East Campus Apartments

The Commons, dining hall.

Campus Center.  The bookstore is in there.

Kuyper Apartments, where I stayed this past week.

De Witt Gymnasium where I went to work out each day.

I drove from Sioux Center, Iowa to Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday, July 18th.  I thought I'd try and get some pictures of the corn and soy beans since there seemed to be a the popular crop. 

Corn

See the cows, outside?

Soybeans

Once I was in Sioux Falls, Saturday, Julie L. and I took a 20 mile bicycle ride around Sioux Falls.  It was a bit cloudy but a beautiful day to go for a bicycle ride. 

Julie riding ahead of me.

We were along a river most of the time.

A controlled water fall, looking up.

Looking down.

Some Canada geese on the side of the path.

The Falls along the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls. 

In about an hour, I will be going to the Sioux Falls airport and travel to Baltimore to visit friends there for a couple of weeks.  I have been blessed to be able to travel so much this summer.  God has given me traveling mercies and pray that I may continue to have safe travels. 

Saskatchewan

It has been a great time so far in North America.  I enjoyed visiting my family in Saskatchewan!  It is always a time of slowing down when I visit there, especially if we go up to Jan Lake!  Fishing is very relaxing.  I caught a total of 5 fish, 4 jacks and 1 walleye.  We kept the walleye and Myrna did cook up for supper that night.  We had some rain while at the cabin.  That wasn't always so bad, as I had to work on homework for the course I was taking.  Here are some pictures I took while in Saskatchewan.  I wasn't as quick with the camera as I usually am, but hopefully you have a bit of the flavour of what my time was like there.

This chicken is contemplating whether to cross the road or not. 

A Canola field not quite at its peak, yet.

Still getting used to the wide open spaces!

On our way to Jan Lake.

 Here is a link to a map that shows where Jan Lake is.

Scenery along the way...

Yes, that's my great niece, she caught the biggest fish, her first one! 

This is a typical scene at Jan Lake.

We kept two of our walleye and took the fish guts with us the next day on the boat.  Nick and Myrna knew where an eagle nested and so when we were close and actually saw an eagle perched on the top of the tree, we dumped out the fish guts and drifted away. 

You may be able to see the eagle at the top of the tree.

 After we were far enough away from the fish skeleton, the eagle flew to go get it. 

The eagle

Unfortunately a gull came along and actually punctured the lung and it sank.  It was pretty amazing to watch though.  

Pontoon driver

Fishing partners!

 It was a great visit to Saskatchewan!  Next up is/was Dordt College!

A bit of Langelaar Alberta history

This post is about the first eight years that my parents lived in Canada.  So, you are welcome to continue reading, but no requirements to finish.

My mom, dad, brothers John, Ben and Case all immigrated to Alberta from Ede, Holland in April of 1952.  My parents were talking about going to three possible places, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada.  The opportunity came to purchase a ride on The Waterman in April of that year.  It was short notice, but if they passed up the chance to go, they would have been bumped down the list.
My mom's brother and sister-in-law were already here in Red Deer, Alberta, so when they arrived on the train, my parents stayed with Ome Niek and Tante Toos for about two months.

First house where my parents stayed in Canada.

When we stopped to take a picture, a lady came out and we talked with her for a little bit, telling her why we stopped.  She said that the house was built in 1905.  She said she fixed it up and used some of the original designs.  Can you imagine two families living in there for two months, six children and four adults?
When my parents immigrated, my dad worked in construction, while also at various times raising animals. 
My parents bought a lot, not terribly far from where Ome Niek and Tante Toos lived.  Dad first built a garage and that's where the family lived while dad was working on building the house.

This is the garage.  The part dad built was where the two green doors are.  The lean-to part was added later. 

The house was framed, but an opportunity came to move to Mirror before it was finished.  During this time dad was working for Louis Victor as a bricklayer.  My brother Nick was born prior to moving to Mirror. 
When the family moved to Mirror, it was a farm share rental opportunity with the Wildeboers. The farm was rented from Henry Nice.  Dad and mom had pigs that they took care of here.

The house is no longer there.

 The house was old when the family moved in.  It was poorly constructed and stories were told of being able to see through the walls.  It would have been located in the trees, before the existing garage, a little to the right. 

The shed.

This shed was there when they lived there.  I thought that was pretty neat.  They lived in the "house with see through walls" for a year when the Wildeboers moved away.  Dad and mom and family moved into the other house after the Wildeboers moved out. 

This was the other house on Henry Nice's property. 

Mirror is a small village.  Here are a few pictures of what it looks like now.

While they were living there, they attended the CRC in Alix.  The small number of families met in what is now the public library in Alix.

A small group of families met in this building most Sundays.

Four times a year the families would meet with the Woodynook CRC so they could partake in Lord's Supper.  When they met in Alix, different men would read sermons.  Dad was one of those men and apparently mom played the organ!
The last place the family lived was in Lacombe.  There was an empty house and some land that the Martina family had available and offered that to dad and mom.  They moved there.  Unfortunately the house is no longer there.  The trees surrounding the house were still there, though.

The house was located in that clump of trees. 

This was the one room schoolhouse that my brothers attended when they were in Lacombe.

That was the end of the tour.  I had been to the different places before, but hadn't paid attention or remembered all the details.  It was good to see all those places.
Afterwards we did stop at Gull Lake and Sylvan Lake.  I do not remember visiting Gull Lake very often, but do remember visiting Sylvan Lake, although it has changed quite a bit since those days.  

Gull Lake was high and choppy today. 

On the way home we stopped to pick up some cheese.  Interestingly enough, this store had a lot of Dutch items for sale.  I just couldn't resist!

Dubbel zout drop!

Speculaas! 

It was a great day!  I enjoyed touring around Central Alberta and listening to the history of Wynand and Engbertdina Langelaar's eight years of adventures!  It was evident that God was their constant companion!