June 20, 2017 Stories Upon Stories -

David Burkholder pulling his son Lynn Burkholder
 in a wooden box he crafted which
they called "The Ark"

My Father in law has stories upon stories upon stories.  The other day as I sit at his kitchen table I am overcome with emotion. He is telling me yet another one and I am about to wail. He informs me has something to get in the back room. This makes me smile, it just might be a back room getaway to give the daughter in law time to compose herself.

I am overtaken with gratefulness for the life he and his wife were privileged to live and I have been privileged to know. I am remembering the times in their modest, Red Lake, Canada, home. This is a place filled with love and always with music wafting from the Moody Bible Christian radio station streaming out of Winnipeg. The home is peace and I relish in all things peace. My tears flow.

I am in a candy store, feeling the love, and all I want to do is share all of this with you. I have payed attention to the stories over the last thirty years. And I am always asking for more details. I have listened to my mother in law and her siblings at family reunions. I have listened to them reliving memories with their former missionary friends. I have even spent time alone with their friends and family. And I am now thankful for all I know as I am helping my father in law pull together a book. It is a task with a mountain of stories before us.

Typical scene for the pioneer missionaries called
to the North Country

"Dad, I do not think there is anything for you to write. Instead you are surrounded by your written material. Our job will be that of curator and editor. You are sitting on a treasure trove." So Dad and I begin a blog and he calls it: Walking Ojibwe Trails in Ojibwe Moccasins. Our goal will be to post what we find and hope that maybe you and others might be able to help us with some fuzzy details. And beyond that, his earnest desire is that you will be encouraged; encouraged to hope, dream, pray, and maybe even consider following the call in

to mission work.