Autumn! Wow! Leaves really do change to gold, red, and orange. The trees look as if they are on fire and it is beautiful to see a street covered in bright yellow leaves. Isn't God amazing?

Our time on the farm was great! Josh and Ryan got to help dig fence post holes and I dismantled part of a fence. We were fed wonderful healthy food and came back very refreshed.

We are busy working on a term paper (one of several for the semester) that is due on Friday. In Philosophy tomorrow we are discussing Augustine's Confessions Book 7 and the nature of Evil. Then in Scriptures we are going to discuss several sermons written by John Chrysostom. Josh has decided that he wants to keep up his Latin even after we finish here and would like to get several works in Latin to read. There is a History account by Bede from 700-ish that Josh would like to have in Latin if that is the language that it was written in. Does anyone know? We probably need Mark or Vince to help us with this project.

Did you know that the liturgy of "high church" has its roots in synagogue worship? I had always thought that liturgy had developed its "distant" feeling (my first impression only as I have experienced beautiful worship in liturgy also) over the centuries, but it actually came about as a way of worship that the first Christians (Jews) were used to.

In art we learned that the Church (I am not sure on the details as this is something that I want to look further into) developed a "formula" by which icons such as Mary and the saints were to be depicted by. Their concern was not realism, but the meaning behind how the icons were painted. For example, Mary is shown with a small mouth (showing humbleness), long skinny nose (not sure what this shows), and large eyes (I think representing innocence). All of these characteristics were intended to convey ideas about who Mary was and not how she really looked.

What I am learning is really filling out my knowledge of the Early Church and is helping me to appreciate early Christian thought and works.

Hi! I've been busy at school, but I have had a little spare time to make some things for the baby. I just thought I would show them off!
Here's Teddy in the baby sling I made. No baby yet, but our dog sure fits it well!


And here is the Diaper Holder that I made (below it is a snow suit for winter time):


It is nice to be able to make a few things. Many thanks go to my Mom-in-law who gave me the sewing machine.

We are off for the weekend to a sheep farm! It is the Canadian Thanksgiving and a family is having us over. It will be nice to be away from the city for a while.

Fast Update!

Ok, sorry this will be short, but we need to go do research on a paper.

Josh, Ryan, and myself spoke Sunday to the church we are attending about missions and were so blessed to have the church pray for us that we could continue to follow God's will. Then that afternoon a lady from our church brought over some baby winter clothes. :) Our little Canadian won't be an ice cube after all!

This weekend is Canada's Thanksgiving and a family that is associated with the school has invited us to their farm to celebrate. We are thankful that so many people have accepted us so readily!

Also, on a prayer note, some money that we were depending on has not come through. Last week we spent quite a bit of time being distracted about it and we really want to refocus this week on doing what God has put us here to do. Please pray that we can trust God's provision and just live each day in His grace.

Love you all out there. Sorry these have become even more infrequent but we are going to try and do a better post soon. Thank you for your comments and prayers.

Our birth supplies came in the mail yesterday! The things that we will need to have this baby at home are here and so now all we need is a baby! We still have some time though since the baby is not due until Oct 27. Please don't bother me on that date if the baby is not yet here... It is perfectly normal for women to go over their dates and there is a fair chance that I will myself. We have been doing prenatals just like a health care provider would do if we were still in the US and the baby has been doing great! Heart rate is good and strong, growth is right on target, my blood pressure is where it is supposed to be, and we even ordered urine strips so we know that is doing well too! :) The baby has been very active and I think it is starting to realize that it will one day run out of room. Every so often I have to massage a little part (foot? knee?) back down since it is sticking straight up. Even though I am constantly amazed at how much my belly has stretched, it is not made of elastic and so sometimes this little baby's stretches hurt! :) Anyway, with the birth supplies came an unexpected customs/duty fee! No more ordering new stuff for Janiece! If anyone can clarify exactly how duties work I would appreciate it. I think it is just on things that are brand new... anyway, some help in that would be nice so we don't have to pay any more large fees.

Tomorrow Ryan, Joshua, and I get to speak for a little bit on missions to the church we have been attending. One of the many things that Joshua really wanted to learn while he was here was how to speak. God is already giving him opportunities for that!

For everyone who is curious about the weather, it has gotten cold here! We now wear our coats outside and yesterday evening I wore gloves to walk to the post office! The leaves on the trees are changing to beautiful colors. They say it usually doesn't snow until sometime in November so we still have some time for our blood to thicken up.

We miss you all and send our love.

Visas!
Horray. Many thanks go to God for finally working things out for us to get our study visas. For those who don't know, we have been "living" here as visitors while waiting on a lot of financial stuff to be worked out. We had to prove to Canada that we would have enough money to live off of and pay tuition while here in Canada. Much love and appreciation go to my mother who did some finagling in order to help us get our paperwork in order. The result of quite a bit of stress and some phone calls is that we begin this weekend with our visas! Good thing also because I am just over 36 weeks pregnant and if this baby were to come (as it is physiologically able to at this point) we need to prove that we are here legally. God is very good in His provision even if it isn't in our timing!

We continue to need your prayers for God to cover us and lead us. We still face spiritual attacks and sometimes find life overwhelming. Life is good (not because any events may be good, but because God has given it to us), and it is nice to wake up in the mornings knowing we are where God has placed us.

Beauty
In philosophy we discussed how the sopist movement in Greece has similarities to the relativism (post modernism) of today and how Plato attempted to put back together what the sophists had torn apart (especially definitions). Then comes the beautiful part. Remember how God named everything... how He is what gives meaning and definition? Well, that all starts so poetically in the first chapters of Genesis and continues (to an end we still anticipate) in the Word mentioned in the first chapter of John. "God spoke, and God spoke finally with His Son."