Ministry Update :: July 30, 2014

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Troy

Back in the West

We are back in Alberta after a very busy trip to Ontario and New Brunswick. Our trip spanned 3.5 weeks, many thousands of kilometers, and many, many encouraging visits with people.

Throughout the trip our kids did very good despite the travel, different sleeping arrangements, and meeting lots of new people. Naomi and I were very thankful for this and it made the trip much easier! Along the way they got to meet and play with lots of other kids, which was usually followed by comments like, “Will we see them again?” and “I’m going to miss them.”

Watching our plane

Most exciting thing about flying seems to be the tv…

Silly travellers

Ontario

In six days we made stops in Stouffville, Huntsville, and Owen Sound, staying two nights at each location. We were able to visit with some of Naomi’s family as well as many friends and supporters. On the Sunday we were thankful for the opportunity to fellowship with old friends (and make some new ones) at South End Fellowship Baptist Church in Owen Sound where we were involved for five years. I was able to give an update to the church on what is happening with our ministry and talk to a lot of people.

On the way to the airport that afternoon, we made a quick stop in Guelph to visit a friend from my youth. We were able to update each other on what the Lord has been doing in our lives in the last 20 years and it was a very encouraging visit.

Family in Huntsville

Fun Friends

Cooling off at WOLBI where we used to work.

Durham

At the petting Zoo in Stouffeville

South End Fellowship ready for VBS in Owen Sound

Visiting friends in Durham

Former neighbors

New Brunswick

The pace slowed down a little bit in the Maritimes, but there were still lots of people to invest time with, especially family normally only seen by webcam.

Some of the highlights for our family: seafood, visiting the coast 7 times, PEI, visiting the beach where my family had a cottage when I was a kid (more pics on our blog), lots of time with family and friends.

We gave updates at two churches in my hometown of Sackville, New Brunswick. Main Street Baptist Church is my home church and sending church, and Wood Point Baptist Church, a sister church and the first church I ever preached in. We were also able to crash the MSBC church picnic!

In our last ministry update we mentioned going to the opening of the park named for my father, but unfortunately it was not completed in time for our visit. We hope to stop by the Bill Johnstone Memorial Park next time!

Visiting my family

Story time with Grandma J

Breathing in that wonderful salty air!

Renewing old friendships at the church picnic

Anne with an ‘e’

Island girls

PEI Sunset

“Coincidentally” running into other missionaries from my home church on PEI.

Touring Sackville

Canada Day in Sackville

Family Time

Great Grandma J

Maritime delights that we ate: shrimp, Cows Ice Cream, Lobster rolls, grilled balogna, mussels, clams, and other deep fried seafood goodness!

Thank you!

Our trip (I hesitate to call it vacation) was so packed that we couldn’t cram much more into it anywheres (notice the proper Maritime plural of where). Our visits were often too short but the fellowship was sweet, and we hope to come back again in a few years.

Thank you for your prayers as we travelled, for the hospitality of those we visited with, and for the good memories of our time away from home.

Keep up to date with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gstroynaomi

P.S. The week after we got back we put a new roof on the house! Thankful for the Lord’s provisions and to those who helped and for safety as we worked on two roofs.

Interesting in supporting the Johnstones? Please visit oneinsixty.com

Seven Beaches

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Troy

Living in central Alberta doesn’t give us many opportunities to get to open water. Every once in awhile we find ourselves at a lake, but it just can’t compare to the ocean. I enjoy that salty smell, and water to the horizon too much. On our trip to the Maritimes we made sure we were able to dip our toes in the Atlantic. We visited seven beaches, some sandy, some rocky. Our first trip was less than 24 hours after landing at the beach in Cap-Pelé, just over the dune from a seafood restaurant. Mmmm…

Two days later we were back, just up the beach from the first place, but this time with swim suits.

itsy bitsy hermit crab

big hermit crab

More fried clams

Two days later, we went to a very different beach, this time on the Bay of Fundy. It was a cool, windy day at the Hopewell Rocks, but we enjoyed lots of beach combing.

Incoming tide

Hopewell Rocks

Ellie

Adelaine

Ethan

somebody’s shoes

Two days later (seems to be a theme…) we went to Slacks Cove, also in the Bay of Fundy.

Slacks Cove

crazy family

From Naomi: “I love this picture, not just because of the crazy kids and amazing husband in it, but because it was taken at Slack’s Cove. Slack’s Cove is the beach where Canada’s first Baptists arrived and settled. They founded the church that eventually became Troy’s home church of Main Street Baptist Church. It reminds me that just as the faithfulness of those 7 little-known individuals several hundred years ago is still bearing fruit today, so the Lord will help us bear fruit that could impact others long after we’re gone, as we walk with Him. So, keep keeping on!!”

The next trip was a brief stop on the New Brunswick side of the Confederation Bridge.

On the other side of the Northumberland Straight are many lovely Prince Edward Island beaches. On our way back home, we stopped by Chelton Beach Provincial Park just before sunset.

levitation

Jellyfish – like an eye

E insulting the waves to make them bigger…

Seacowhead Lighthouse

The last and final trip to the Atlantic was to my old beach, Masons Beach. This is where I spent lots of time as a kid at our cottage. A small, (mostly) quiet beach for long summer afternoons. It was nice to take my family to a spot where I have so many memories.

The tide was going out, but we still had fun hunting hermit crabs, finding shells, and sharing stories of ye olden days. Thanks to the Pooleys for hosting us and the awesome surf-n-turf supper. And the great memories!

A hermit crab changing shells

Eating clams and mussels picked from the beach

We came back to land-locked Alberta with a few kilos of shells, beach glass, drift wood, a heavy bag of sand, and lots of great memories. So long, ocean, sea you in a few years!

New Roof!

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Troy

It is raining outside this morning and I am very thankful to be sitting here under a new roof. When we bought this house four years ago, the home inspector told us it would need a new roof in a few years, and this was the year. It was really past time for many of the shingles on the back side of the house.

We spent one day doing my roof and two days doing a roof and garage at my father-in-law’s house. Thank you to my new friend, Amorel from Fortress Roofing, and John, Andrew, and Steve for your work on our roof and John’s. Great working with you and great to have it done!