Month: August 2019

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Mama was a Missionary, by Charles Ludwig, Zondervan

A biography of Twyla Ludwig, missionary to Kenya from 1927 to 1960, written by her son. This intriguing story gives insight not only into the personal life of Twyla Ludwig and her family, but into the history of Kenya and its people.

Biography of Twyla Ludwig
Mama was a Missionary

From the time she was a young girl, Twyla Ludwig always knew she would be a missionary. However, she married a farmer who was not even a believer at first. She prayed fervently for him. Finally when she had a severe illness and he feared he would lose her, he turned to God. She recovered and then prayed about missions. Her husband did not want to give up his farm, but finally put it up for sale for a high price, hoping it would not sell. However it sold immediately for full asking price. So the Ludwigs got some training and first pastored for several years in the United States before being sent to Kenya.

Charles was still a young boy at the time, and it is interesting to read about his own experiences living on this remote mission compound. Living conditions were extremely primitive. Water had to be brought on foot from a distance. There was an abundance of wildlife, from lizards, rats and insects in the house to leopards and lions outside. Most of the natives had no clothes. Men had several wives, who were like slaves to them, and it was expected that they beat them regularly to make them work harder. Witchdoctors were who the people went to for any kind of help, and they had all kinds of remedies, most of which made a sick person worse rather than better. For example cutting people all over their skin and then spitting on them. Women in childbirth were often beaten and scolded if the baby did not come out quickly.

Twyla Ludwig saw the dire need for the education of women in Kenya, and started schools for them first on their original compound, and later near Nairobi, working full-out non-stop until her death at the age of 70. She greatly influenced change in Kenya through her hard work and answers to prayer.

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A light lunch in Nanaimo

A five minute walk from our townhouse is one of our favourite places to go out for a light lunch on a warm sunny day.  The reason I say a warm sunny day is because we sit outside, and Sid gets the bowl of chilli from Tim Hortons and I get sushi from next door at Umai Sushi.

Then we meet at a little table on the sidewalk under the shade of a little tree. We share a cup of Japanese barley tea with our meal; mild and perfect with anything.

I like a little box of ready to take out California rolls and yam rolls if I’m not too hungry.  The meals on their menu are delicious too if you’re a bit hungrier, and the restaurant is cozy and nicely decorated.

The famous-in-Canada Tim Hortons chain started out mostly with coffee and donuts years ago. Now they serve all kinds of breakfast, lunch and snack foods over the counter. Donuts of all sorts and muffins, breakfast or lunch sandwiches on biscuits or croissants, soups and chilli that comes with a freshly baked bun.  The chilli is full of vegetables like green peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms along with ground beef and beans. 

A hearty lunch for only a few dollars  each!

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Cinnamon Bun and Tea near UBC

When we make the occasional trip to Vancouver my husband loves to visit his favourite little guitar shop, Rufus music, on Alma down towards UBC.  They have all kinds of guitars and ukuleles, and Sid can easily spend an hour trying out different ones in a little sound room.  I hang out in there with him for a bit, but after a while I go for a walk with the dog through the beautiful residential area, admiring the big old trees and houses.  Eventually I put Bear back in the car and I meander down the street a block to a funky little cafe with delicious aromas of coffee and freshly baked cinnamon buns wafting out the door.

Amazing cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing!

Grounds for Coffee is the name of the shop, and  their coffee smells great, but I like the specialty herbal tea in the afternoon when I have already had enough coffee for the day.  Sharable as a snack, or filling enough to do for lunch, those buns are to die for!  The texture is excellent; soft inside and slightly crunchy around the outside.  Lots of cinnamon, and I thought I detected a slight flavour of coconut oil rather than butter, making them lighter on the stomach.  The cream cheese icing is not overly sweet, and tops them off perfectly!

By the time my husband comes to join me I have read an article or two in the newspapers and caught up on cell phone notifications as well as indulging in a satisfying amount of people-watching while slowly savouring my bun and tea.  He eats whatever is left of it while I tell him the latest news, and we go on our way.

Definitely worth the $7 to treat yourself if you are in that part of Vancouver!

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Trail along Long Lake

Bluff overlooking Long Lake

For a small city, Nanaimo has many beautiful nature parks.  If you crave fresh air, forest trails, lakes, rivers and ocean, with four seasons of the year, this may be the place for you!

My little shitzu and I discovered a new trail the other day right in the middle of the city near our home.  The all-but-hidden entry to it is off of Rutherford Road, behind the new Memory and Complex Care building.  It looks like they may have upgraded the first part of the trail as part of the landscaping back there.   I noticed it when my friend and I were driving by after picking up a pizza from Papa Johns last week, so Bear and I walked down there to check it out.

The first few yards are freshly gravelled, featuring a couple of new wooden bridges over trickling brooks, and benches overlooking mossy bluffs above the lake.  The lake is surrounded by forest, and at the far end you can see a sandy swimming area.  A few kayaks and fishing boats dot the lake.

Continuing along the trail, the gravel peters out into soft needle-covered dirt.  To carry on you need to be agile enough to navigate roots and rocks.  Not TOO difficult–I at 65 years of age and Bear, a ten year old dog with short legs–had no problem!  My husband, though, at 76 and having recently gone through spinal surgery, would be better off sticking to the gravelled area.

Bear and I spent at least an hour meandering along.  We only ran across two people with bicycles near the entrance, but were not too far from the odd fisherman paddling past.  Up above us some branches of the pathway lead to lovely-looking complexes and houses.  I considered going up there and returning home on the road, but it was so refreshing and peaceful enveloped in the quietness of nature, that  I stuck with the trail along the lake.

My senses were being satiated with scents of cedar, pine and fir and reflections of sunlight glinting up from the water, as a gentle breeze wafted the odd droplet of rain onto my warm skin.  But I had lingered long enough and was beginning to look forward to the steaks my husband was barbequing!  Not in too much of a hurry to resist a blackberry patch that we walked through above the mall though!