New Hampshire

Upon seeing the missionary wife’s status of Chinatown and of the Brooklyn Bridge, I am thankful: thankful to be here in the Great Whites with the pinkish hues of the sky and the mountains in shades of grey blues as the sun sets. Laurence will soon bring hot tea to drink here on the deck, and I’m wishing for my sweater.

We rode the 1950s-era Mountaineer train today over the Saco River, through the woods, on trestles to the Crawford Notch station, a 4 1/2 hour ride. On the way back to the vacation rental, we stopped at Crawford Notch State Park to grill hamburgers. It’s one of those prettiest spots and interesting to see the notch from the mountain ridge and then from the valley floor. This beautiful place is even lovelier in fall.

Yesterday we visited the former home of the poet Robert Frost. Maybe I could write poetry if I could sit on the porch where he sat with such a magnificent view of the mountains. (Seriously, I could not!) We also saw where the Old Man fell off the mountain in 2003. Who remembers when he fell?

The only meal we ate out in the past week was last evening when we had pizza. I feel certain it was God’s providence that brought us to a place in Lincoln, NH, where two other Mennonite families (each with 11 children) were gathered around outdoor tables. We easily made all kinds of connections.

This makes me think of how we drove from the Vermont Islands to the White Mountains, coming within four miles of Minister Dale Becker’s Vermont home. We dropped in on them right at supper time. Bless Dale and Lucinda as they had a place in their hearts and home and enough food for us. This too, felt like God’s providence. Tomorrow we will worship with the Vermont/New Hampshire brothers and sisters. We are eager to be with ‘our people’ and to hear the Word.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost

A blessed Sunday to you! Berniece