This morning I enjoyed re-learning how to make waffles in a waffle-maker at the hotel, cooking one for everyone to enjoy along with their donuts, bagels and scones. Donuts for breakfast! Iced donuts, too, not warm cinnamon donuts. In the USA scones are called "biscuits", which explains why biscuits need to be called "cookies".
We drove to Hope Church, an Evangelical Free church with around 250 people, and arrived just a little late for the 9am service. Joshua, Anna and Abigail were in the same Sunday School class, which was smaller than theirs in Cranbrook; but Samuel's class was bigger. Sam really enjoyed his time there and paid lots of attention.
The sermon was on the danger of thinking that we should try to live for God, that is, to try to earn God's favour. The preacher said, this can make our own efforts and ability and suffering into an idol. Instead, we need to seek a relationship with God, to get to know the true God (Jesus), to belong in him. The sermon looked at several Bible passages briefly, though none in great expositional detail: 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; Matthew 7:21-23; and Philippians 3:3-11. This sermon was part of a series based on a book called With, and was a bit wishy washy for Mr & Mrs Jackson's taste. It would have been good to have more explanation of the last few verses of the Philippians passage, where Paul wrote,
"I want to know Christ -- yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."
Another part of the service was a testimony, like we have had recently at Cranbrook. However, unlike in Cranbrook where the people would speak in person, here the testimony had been video taped on at least three camera views and slickly edited before it was shown to the congregation, even though the young lady who spoke was from this church. The kids were excited to get free hot popcorn after the service, and the church also sells sermon recordings on DVD as well as CD, in professional cases.
After church we visited the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, which was excellent. We were able to learn about the historical importance of the river for the fur trapping trade and for westward exploration and expansion. We also learnt a bit about the paddle steamboat trade up and down the river, and read lots of quotes from Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which we have been listening to on audiobook in the car. see live specimens of many fish and animals we had heretofore only seen on River Monsters on TV. We saw 1m long catfish and juvenile sturgeon, as well as a 56-year-old female alligator whose toothy grin was noticeably more curved than a crocodile smile. One of the best features of the site was the ability to touch some of these creatures in the touch pool, so the kids and Jeff got their hands wet grabbing for 50cm sturgeon and holding crawdads, which are a bit like black and red djoolgies.
We again took the scenic route along the state highway 52 north along the Iowan side of the Mississippi River, with a late lunch at "Greasers" in a little riverside town called Guttenberg. At 5pm we finally arrived at Village Creek Bible Camp. Our good friends the Edwards family drove in 5 minutes after us, having travelled all the way from Kansas in a night and a day. It was a very excited reunion for Mrs Jackson and Mrs Edwards, since we haven's seen each other in over four years, since our last trip to the USA. But of course we had to get the necessary tasks out of the way and soon the kids were off playing under the capable supervision of our camp assistant Sierra, while Mr Jackson and I attended the Newbie Camper orientation. There are so many exciting things planned for this week I could barely remember them all.
We had chapel after dinner, which they call "supper" here. Chapel is twice a day at camp, with morning chapel being Bible talks from Genesis 1-3 and the evening chapel including talks on the topic "Thrive" (live abundantly, be mature in your faith). The kids stay with us for singing at the beginning of chapel and then head out to their own age-based groups for kids' chapel. Last up was a snack before bed, which was an absolutely delicious but also delightfully surprising combination: pretzels with a sort of maple/butter/dip. Already I know the food at camp will be fantastic.
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