Camping and Seeing God

This summer, our family went on a long-awaited camping trip. After being confined in-place for almost 2 years, it was good to be out and driving around. Mind you, we do live in a beautiful place which made most of the confinement bearable, but as a family, we were happy to be in the road again. Prices for hotels were going to be quite high, so we decided to camp. Fortunately, we found a cool tent for 4 people on sale at InterSport! We bought a few more items, and then we were off.

Now, you should understand that because this is Europe, “camping” is not quite the same as what we are used to in Canada, and even the USA. We pitched in between big RVs and trailers wherever we went. But, despite the non-wild feeling of the places, it was good to be sleeping under the sky, with fresh air, and the same midnight stumble to the central bathroom for a bathroom stop. We all had a great time, and didn’t even have any family fights setting up the tent, and taking it down. THAT was actually a lot of work, thus we have no pictures of it because by the time it was up, or down, we were ready to get in it, or ready to leave.

We camped a bit on our way to the yearly WEC conference, and for this I am grateful. I heard the news my mother’s health was poor, and that she might pass into God’s presence soon. We tried to see if the kids and I could get back in time, but it was impossible. So, Aug 11 my mother did die, and went to be with Jesus, and reunited with her hubby. It was a heavy blow. All of us were stunned. We had postponed a video chat just a week earlier, thinking we would chat after the conference. Well, here it is 2 weeks or so later, and we are home, but the shock is still there. Please pray for my family, and for those of my brother and sister, as we all press on in a world without our parents.

Cookes Overseas, this time in Paris.

We visited Paris after the conference with a goal to visit Uighur restaurants. We were aching for some good spicy food. We found three, and ate at each, one per night. Oh! You can check out my IG account to see the restaurant fronts if you want. When we were first considering coming to France, we of course had put Paris on our list of potential places to live. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an option, partly because of how international the city is. But we are always impressed by (ready for something that sounds silly) how many French people are there! We rarely talked with anyone but French people, so it was a relief, in a way, to rediscover that the French capital is still very French and not only or primarily international.

It was good to get home eventually. The kids discovered that they are not as small and compact as the last time we went on a long car trip! So, if God wills, we will be looking into buying a larger vehicle (we don’t have a car, and in fact we’ve never had a vehicle when we’ve been overseas!). We had to go retrieve our two guinea pigs, Sunddee and Fizzgigg, from a kind lady who watched them for us. The giggly pigs were happy to see us! And, we were back into a routine, of sorts. Cleaning, sorting, and also getting ready for school.

So, I will end this post with a small request, one which applies to many of you too. Please pray as Liberty and Van re-enter school. Liberty is starting an important year in the French school system, the last year of her academic division – college. Van is in fact starting his first year of the same division, college. So, there will be new and bigger stresses for each. Due to laïcité there is very little content about God, which also means that the students, their home lives, and the entire atmosphere, is very godless. There is lots of immorality. They also deal with a surprising amount of anti-foreigner sentiments. Yes, its true! Despite how “western” and advanced and open France is, there is a constant stream of anti-foreigner feelings, including a particular anti-Americanism. It is pretty tough at times for our kids. But I am proud of them. Even though at times it seems it would be easier if they weren’t Christian, they both do their best to stand against sexual immorality, cheating, bullying, and even despair (suicide is not uncommon amongst the student body). And this is even a Catholic school, where you would think there would be a little more awareness and seeking of God, if not spirituality. But when the teachers are cruel, mock students, and care little for spiritual things, and the kids come from a home-life which also doesn’t include God, what can you expect. Pray for them!! And for the students and teachers.

A week ago in Paris

It had come true, those words spoken to us by those who had lived in France before us. We had expressed our desire to live in Paris. It made sense: It was the capital, what better place to start a new ministry. But we were told, “Everyone thinks they will go to Paris. You will see that it is not as crucial as you think. You will see, its draw over you will wane. Give it time.”

So we certainly gave it time. Two years in fact. Time did its work, with the help of life. We were busy living in the south, finding a rhythm and a flow there. We were getting used to living there, not Paris. We walked around our new city, but not as much as we had walked around Paris.

You see, one thing you never hear about Paris is how eminently walked it is! It seems like every guidebook we read, every review online, they all assumed we would take the metro, just like everyone else. They gave detailed instructions on how to buy the correct type of ticket for the metro, the pros and cons of a booklet, to keep in mind zones, and family options. Until the day we decided to not take it. Why? ALL THOSE STAIRS.

On the map places may not seem far by metro, but it doesn’t take into consideration all the walking you have to do to take the metro. You have to walk to the station, then down flights of stairs, then to the turnstiles for the tickets, then down more hallways and down more flights of stairs to get to the platforms. Hopefully we read the signs right and we at the right platform. Then you stand in the metro car, swaying, hoping the dude playing his guitar doesn’t head your way to ask for change, getting angry when you don’t give him any. (Well, for one thing, we don’t have any change! All we have are cards to pay for things.) Then, you have to get off the car and realize the platform exit is at the far end of the platform, then up more stairs, some winding hallways, more stairs, then the final exit turnstiles, only one of which is working for those leaving, causing a jam. Then, for good measure, one last flight of steps up to the city where you realize… you are on the far side of plaza from where you wanted to be at. More walking.

So with all the walking involved in taking the metro, one visit we decided we would walk. So we did! We walked from the Arc de Triomphe all the way to Montmarte and the Sacre-Coeur basilica. Google Maps says its 4.3 km, just an hour walking. It would take almost that long to do the whole walk-metro-walk routine, so we walked. And we saw bits of Paris that the guidebooks can’t tell you about, because no one has ever walked there! But les Parisiens do. Ever since, we walk through Paris whenever we can.

But last week was my first time back in Paris in over a year. And I was shocked by how touristy it appeared as I walked out of the Montparnasse train station! Glittering lights everywhere! Garish signs! Almost begging me to come and partake of their coffees and treats. All I could think was, “This is not Bayonne! It isn’t even… France!” It had happened. I no longer looked at Paris through the eyes of a dreamer, but through the eyes of one who has walked far less glamourous French streets, the streets Parisiens escape to when they escape the dreaming tourists flocking to Paris, those for whom all the glitter and glamour are displayed. I found I didn’t like; I didn’t need it. I had seen and tasted of a France beyond flashiness, and it was this France I had come to love. Sadly, I had no time to touch that side of Paris. I was only passing through this time.

Maybe next time.

train

Safe travels

You wouldn’t believe it. If we had known what was in store for Michelle before her journey back to North America… we may have opted out! But praise to God for his calming presence, Michelle persevered through many obstacles to reach home. Here is the itinerary we expected, followed by what happened:

  • Air France:
  • Feb 27: Biarritz BIQ to Paris ORY airport, followed by a cross-town bus to get to the next airport Paris CDG. She had 4 hours to do this, which should be enough time.
  • Paris CDG to Montreal, with a 2 hour layover.
  • Montreal to Toronto, arriving at midnight Feb 27/28.
  • A 5 hour stay at the airport (it’s too short a stay to pay for a hotel)
  • American Air:
  • Feb 28 6 am flight from Toronto to Dallas DFW, arriving at 9 am
  • Dallas DFW to Tyler TYR, arriving at 11 am, Feb 28. Easy peasy.

It started at the airport here in Biarritz. Michelle checked in the night before, then received an email that her flight was delayed. So we made a call and the agent on the phone told Michelle she was booked on a slightly later flight. That would work but Michelle would have one hour less to make the cross-Paris trip to change airports. We went to bed a little worried.

When we arrived at the Biarritz airport the fun started! Michelle was informed that she not in fact booked on the next flight but was placed on standby only. Well, that wouldn’t work! We explained how she had a connecting flight to Toronto from Paris, and if she missed this first flight she’d miss the Toronto flight, which in turn would make her miss the Dallas flight. The agent was surprisingly calm and kind and began to look for other options. These included taking a taxi from Biarritz to Bordeaux where she could make it to Paris in time for a later flight from Paris to Toronto, but she’d still miss the Dallas leg, and she’d still be on standby at Bordeaux, thus potentially not getting ont he flight AND being stuck in Bordeaux; leaving in an hour for a multi-city journey around France, getting her to Paris again in time for a later flight but once again too late for the American Air flight to Dallas. It wasn’t looking good. Michelle needed to get to Paris to get that one flight.

Suddenly, I wondered if trains were running. The flight cancellations and delays were due to a storm, but maybe trains would be running. I checked and there was one train, leaving in 45 minutes, that would get Michelle to Paris in time for the original Paris-Montreal-Toronto flight. So we asked the agent to confirm that Michelle could skip the Biarritz leg, take the train, and still be able to take the Paris flight. Normally, this isn’t possible. But the agent got on the phone, talked awhile as we kept looking at the time. then, she typed something into her terminal, and handed Michelle a boarding pass for her Paris flight! Michelle could skip BIQ-ORY, as long as she made it to Paris in time for the flight! Amazing! So we raced to the bus stop and hopped on the bus going to the train station downtown.

A bus has never felt so slow. But we were blessed by technology – the France train system has a mobile app, so while we sat on the bus we bought a train ticket for Michelle. Thank God for that because by the time we got to the station the lineup to buy tickets was really long, and she had 10 minutes to spare. We find her track, stand there breathlessly, and thank God for this option. The train pulls up, Michelle hops on after we pray for her, and off she went, thinking the worst was over. In four hours she would be in Paris.

Michelle on the train to Paris

Michelle got to Paris fine, and took the metro to the CDG airport. It didn’t seem to crazy, and her flight even departed on time. But then later I looked online…. what…. her flight from Montreal to Toronto… CANCELLED???

Sure enough, due to the huge winter storm in Ontario airports were canceling flights left and right. And the worst was that Michelle had no clue! Well, she did a little before landing. She landed in Montreal around 9 pm Feb 27, and amazingly she was met by an Air France agent at the gate. Michelle was one of the few with connecting flights, and Air France was working hard to help those passengers. They put her up in a hotel, paid for her dinner and breakfast, and generally were so helpeful. Except for the agents on the phone, again. Michelle was being given options such as staying in Montreal all weekend, or flying to other cities before Toronto, but days later. This was terrible because missing the flight to Dallas would basically mean she would have to skip her Texas visit. It would simply be too expensive to buy another flight now. Suddenly, an email arrives saying her American Air flight from Toronto to Dallas was delayed, also because of the storm, and so we could change the Dallas-Tyler leg for free. Wow. Ok, but first we had to get her to Dallas. After more time on the phone it was clear there were no options. All Michelle could do was go to bed.

The next morning, early, Michelle gets up, eats a good breakfast, and calls from her hotel to the AA number. MIRACLES! In the middle of the night a huge Dreamliner from London to Toronto had to land in Montreal. The weather had cleared enough that that huge plane was going to be able to leave early. Michelle could get on it if she wanted. YES YES YES! It was so big it could take the equivalent of three other planes’ worth of passengers. Everyone who made it on board was cheering and happy. They made it to Toronto!

Now, remember, the AA flight was also delayed, so Michelle went to the desk to try to work something out. She was told there was no option to get her to Dallas that day. Strange. So I go online and find a flight leaving from Toronto to Chicago to Dallas… could she not get on that? It was the ONLY flight to Dallas from Toronto that we could find that would get her to Dallas in time for the last Tyler flight. She asks the agent and they tell her yes, they had thought she wanted a direct flight. Because it was a delay that the airline made there was no charge to go through Chicago, and we could then change the DFW-TYR flight to 9 pm without any charge. Shortly after, Michelle was back in the air. Phew. What a roller coaster of emotion.

There was a scare that the plane would for Chicago would be delayed, but in the end it left early. And got to Dallas early, and so Michelle could have a breather. She hadn’t slept nor really eaten in 24 hours. But knowing she was close to seeing her parents and sister gave her strength. Sure enough, she landed in Tyler (a city close to where her parents live) at 11 pm. Only 12 hours later than the original plan. Oh, but what a whirlwind!

Michelle in Texas, with Dad

Summer 2017

Here we are a the end of Summer 2017. It has been a full summer for us, and we hope it has been for you too.

Zooming along chinese roads chinese style!

We traveled this summer to a small village 18 hours north of us to visit a student of Shane’s, and her family. It was an arduous journey with many police checks along the way. At each one Michelle and I had to register at that station, and then stand side by side holding up our passports with the ID page visible so the police could take a picture. However, it was worth it once we arrived at the student’s home. Her family was initially nervous because they had never met, nor hosted, foreigners before, much less ones who spoke their language – Kazak. But it was a good time. Liberty and Van especially loved roaming around the property with the younger siblings and checking out the animals such as chickens, chicks, cats, dogs, geese, goats, sheep, and a sleeping guard dog. One highlight was driving for about 3 hours towards the border of Kazakstan in order to watch a 20 km horse race, and the riders were mostly boys aged 10-15.

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The racetrack

Speaking of Kazakstan, we finally made a trip over the border to visit Almaty. You may recall me spending summers there from 1997-2002. There is now no need for a visa for many nations, so we were glad to skip the lengthy visa application process and simply show up at the border! Previous years required the better part of a day to get out of China, and into Kazakstan. This time we were through both sides in…. 1.5 hours. Unbelievable how much more smooth the process is now. While in Almaty Liberty could visit her best friend from earlier Urumqi days.

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We stayed in an AirBnB residence beside a giant mall. Inside this giant mall was a Starbucks and a McDonalds. Now, you can choose to go to these places anytime you want, but for us, it was an amazing experience. The province we live in has had no familiar business like these for years. So it was a treat to order a Grande Bold, in Kazak, as well as Big Mac, in Kazak. It was dizzying really.

On the bus to the border

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Liberty and Van had a great summer, grateful for a break from home school. We all went on many bike rides around the city. Probably one of our favourite memories of this season will be of riding around dinner time (5ish pm) and then stopping for our evening meal at a restaurant, eating a meal, then continuing the bike ride as the sun slowly sets and the street lights come on. Ili is actually fairly bike-friendly, so there are many streets where we can ride on bike lanes. There are still people to dodge, and e-bikes zipping around, but overall it is a safe and fun type of outing. There is also a pond full of goldfish, a turtle, frogs, and it is a fun place to play around. Van also learned how to rollerblade, and Liberty got better at it.

The Pond

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BBQ on the riverbank

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Onward

It is hard to believe, but it is true. We have visas for China. We have plane tickets for China. We have packed our suitcases for China. And we still have love in our hearts for China. On Tuesday April 12 we will board a plane and fly from Chiang Mai to Guangzhou, China, stay there for 4 hours, then continue on to Urumqi. We arrive basically at midnight. Our dear friends are arranging a van to meet us and bring us to a hotel where we will stay until Saturday. Assuming we can get train tickets we will then take a train to Ili, an overnight train leaving Saturday evening and arriving in Ili Sunday morning. Our plan is to have a few days in Urumqi to say hi to everyone, and to arrive in Ili on a Sunday so that we can at least pack a little before I need to teach on Monday.

That is a question we have… the school sent me a class schedule, but has otherwise been non-communicative about what exactly I will be doing. I suppose I will find out as we go. Please pray for us as that mode of learning can get very stressful, especially on Michelle who will be trying to make a home, set a home-school schedule, and figure out the neighbourhood for shopping, transport, etc.

As we say good-bye to Chiang Mai we asked Liberty and Van what they will miss. They said without hesitation, “motorbikes and songtaews!”.

IMG_20160401_192504_1

flowers and kids

Chiang Mai is a beautiful city, and we were blessed in many ways to have been able to stay at length, again. What was especially nice was the lack of smoky air. Usually at this time of year farmers all over the region burn fields. This results in such a heavy degree of smokiness that you can’t even see the building across the street. People need to stay indoors, or wear air filters if they go outside, etc. But… no smoke! The air has been wonderful, and we are glad for that. On the flip side, this is due in part to a drought that the north regions are experiencing. Please pray God’s mercy fall upon these people.

Homeschool has gone well. Michelle is glad to have been on-schedule, even in the midst of traveling, settling into new homes, and all that is part of overseas life. We participated in an expat homeschool co-op on Mondays. Liberty and Van quickly grew to look forward to Monday mornings when they would get to school and greet their news friends. Thankfully in this last week a few of these friends have been able to come over to our apartment to swim and say their bye-bye’s.

It is not easy for the kids, at least not as easy as they make it look. Liberty abroadThe other day I was explaining to them what our family life in our home would look like with me teaching classes. Even though they did not say much at that moment, Liberty has been asking if we can do this, or that, together as family, because, she says, “you will be so busy daddy once you start teaching, we won’t have as much family time.” I hope this is not the case. But it is a good reminder for me to be alert to how my kids are doing, even if on the outside everything looks ok.

As we move on, be prepared for some internet silence from us. Many VPNs seem to be blocked; social media sites are blocked; we will need to see if we even have internet at our new town! But in the meantime please feel free to keep emailing us, or posting on the blog here, knowing we will see your words of encouragement.

The question of leaving

The other day we had an experience that, upon reflection, made me wonder if I would ever have the same experience in Canada. What happened was that we ran out of coffee. And as I poured the last of the grains into the coffee maker I thought to myself, “Hm, do we get another bag, or no?” And that made me think about the myriad of other items whose purchase is affected by how much time we have left in a given place. Like sugar, flour, other foods. Clothes even are part of the picture. I have a drawer of clothes which I will not bring overseas with us, but will simply wear them out while we are here and then either throw them away, or pack away the more salvagable ones for when we are back in 3 years. The newer clothes wait in the suitcase ready to be used once we get overseas. Toys for the kids… do we buy new ones ‘now’ or will we just need to leave them behind, in which case don’t bother buying them. Our life possessions are chosen by answering the question, “Will it fit in the luggage?”

Now don’t get me wrong; once we are where we will be for the next year or so we feel free to get those things which make a house more homey, and meals more mealy (?), and relaxing more relaxed. But it is during these moments, just before leaving, that we are faced with the question: Do we buy more peanut butter, or no?

Funeral

It is with sadness we announce that Michelle’s paternal grandmother passed away in her sleep Thursday at 10 pm, Oct 16, 2015.

We will be driving down to Jacksonville, TX, for the funeral, and to be with family during this sad time. Michelle’s brother and his wife live near Jacksonville, but her sister Melissa had to fly in from Thailand.

We expect to take 2 days to drive down, the funeral is Tuesday, we will stay a few more days, then depart to drive back to Hamilton.

Please pray for safety.

Waiting for papers

We finally have some concrete news! The person in charge of arranging for our paperwork which we need to use to apply for the visas was on holiday in Kazakstan. We are feeling relieved as we wondered if we were getting a Central Asia “no”: It is cultural to not say “no” directly. Instead, nothing happens and you are supposed to get the hint.

We expect to hear directly from this person in the next week and can them, hopefully, have a clearer idea about the next aimed-for departure date. Thank you for praying with us about this!