Pearls From Merle

Grettings From Calumet!

No, we weren't lost in a blizzard in the month of March but went off to warmer territory to visit our son and daughter-in-law in sunny Davis, California. We also spent some time in February visiting our daughter and son-in-law at Atlanta in late February. As you can readily notice, we kinda took a break from the winter by going to warmer territory!

The weather has started to warm up and occassionally we see temperatures in the low 50s/60s resulting in melting snow (we now only have 18 inches on the ground instead of 40 inches). The deer are congregating around Eagle Harbor in order to forage for food from the local inhabitants. They are starting to look a little thin and we hope the thaw can provide them with some food once the ground is clear of snow.

We were beginning to see some of the ground and the roadways were dry until today (April 20th) where we are now experiencing up to 6 inches of sloppy stuff.

As a note, we are having trouble uploading pictures on this blog but stay tuned to expect some posts of California scenes soon.

We keep being blessed at Grace Christian Fellowship Church and God is adding to our numbers daily.

Continue to pray for us and our community.

With Our love,

Merle & Gyngr

Greetings From Snow Country!!

A drive-by of the frozen-over Lake Superior yielded us a delightful surprise this week!  Perched high in the branches of a tree were TWO HUGH bald eagles, side-by-side, their feathers puffed-up to keep warm.  After we gawked and whooped like we'd never seen real ones before -- well, we  hadn't except in aviaries -- we hung our heads in disappointment for having left the camera behind.  A Kodak moment, missed!!!!!!!!  (The royal pair loomed very large up there, and a friend here told us, "You know what they were doing, don't you?  'Looking for roadkill.") 

But...as somewhat of a consolation prize, we went to Houghton where....Michigan Tech University just had their Winter Carnival.  The students had engineered a few impressive snow and ice sculptures, all of them themed -- "An Icy Place Gets a Blast from Space."  Some of the displays took a full month to build. Here's three pictures of one. (Even men in black go white in the cold of Yooper Country!!!!!!)

The snow up here is like God's tender mercies -- new every morning!!  Thus far we've recorded 233 inches and we're still counting. January has been unusually frigid but other than being frozen in our house one day because of an iced-up door, we are not kept from our 'appointed rounds' because of it.  We see a certain beauty in the wintery wonderland.  The shoveling gets old, however. 

 Here's an update of the winter of 2008/2009:

 December 2008

  January 2009

 February 2009

Our roof has been shoveled off twice.  Notice the above picture shows the results of having both the house and garage roof shoveled last week. Pretty cool that I can now walk roof to roof between the garage and house. Pretty cool too that you can do snow angels --STANDING UP!!  This is one of the lazier ones in a flock that flew by our house on a Sunday afternoon. The other 3-4 were actually done straight up, in the 5-foot banks lining our driveway.

Grace Christian Fellowship members stay busy making the facility ready to serve others.  It is now wheel chair
accessible and a platform has been completed for the piano and someday a Worship Team. Our projector is mounted. We use it for the Sermons and special video clips. Perhaps the community will join us this summer when we do movies in the church!!

We have had small beginnings in community outreach by providing a place for parenting training by the Life Outreach Center. There's also a weekly study with Phoenix House members -- a Biblical perspective of the 12 Step Recovery Program.

Please continue to pray for us -- we will be taking a little reprieve from the snow by visiting our daughter in Atlanta for a week in February. Come Visit us Sometime!!

 In HIS Love,

The McGees

Dearest Friends,

 It is our sixth month anniversary in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Gyngr and I are very excited about the New Year. Yes, we are getting more assimilated into the culture. We have eaten pasties with catsup and tried  thimbleberry jam; we've hit the cross country trails on skis at least once; we've Trolled Scooped, and Scooped, and Scooped with our PA shovels -- a great activity to get acquainted with our neighbors. Afternoons often find us at the Conglomerate Cafe which offers a wonderful assortment of soups and sandwiches made by Babette, the proprietor. It's got WiFi, meaning we can search the web and keep up with the news while downing a berry pie or cinnamon roll. Occasionally, we must stop at the 5th & Elm Coffee Shop noted for their great coffees and root beer floats (first found by us on following a bike ride in the summer time).

Here, the snow blower may just be man's best friend!! And I am very much attached to this machine which gets daily use. We haven't bought a Yooper Scooper, but see that this type of shovel is probably a cultural wisdom we must soon embrace.

In two months of winter, 152 inches of snow have fallen. So you know we aren't kidding about the wintry world of Calumet. Below is a before and after glimpse of winter here:

Our House In November 2008

 Our House In January 5th 2009

Neighbor's House in January 5th 2009

Kinda scary when you realize that we have four more months of winter waiting us!!!

As mentioned, to enjoy all this white splendor, both Gyngr and I have adventured out to try cross country skiing on the  Swedetown Trails --- located about a half of mile from where we live. I am told that falling is not abnormal for starters but I wish there were easier ways to getting up rather than laying on your back, throwing your feet straight in the air, turning both legs toward one side, and contorting your body to right yourself.

On the ministry front, the Life Outreach Center will soon be using our church facilities for pre-natal and post-natal parenting classes. Also we have begun a 12-step recovery Bible study for the men from the Phoenix House. God continues to work thru the Church to reach out to the community. Please pray for all our endeavors in 2009 including the men's and ladies' Bible study, the Youth Group and other GCF activities.

In HIS Love,

The McGees

From the Carolers at Grace Christian Fellowship Church

Have a Very Merry and Blessed Cristmas and May the New Year Be Grace Filled!!

In HIS Love,

Merle & Gyngr

Yes and now it begins!! Seems like it snows up here on a regular basis. The good news is that most of our snow is lake effect which is light and fluffy. On occasion you may see one of the locals use a leaf blower just to blow the snow off their deck. Here is a typical picture of Calumet and the High School from November through April:

Picture By Mary Drew at Pasty Central

Calumet has started with it's Christmas celebrating with horse drawn wagons and a familiar person in festive attire. Grace Christian Fellowship Church will be caroling December 13th in full Dickens costume.

Pictures of wagon and Caroler Courtesy of Ed Grey Studios 

The Snow blower has been working great and we even have tried the Yooper Scooper a few times. Later in the year we will need to shovel the roof --Great fun!! We have also decided that it is time to learn how to cross country ski.

Grace Christian Fellowship continues to be Blessed by God. In the last month we accepted two as members of the church and Baptized a young couple who have recently come to Christ. We have started a special Men's Study for the men of the Phoenix House and will soon welcome the Family Life Outreach Center to use our facilities for pre-natal and post-natal parenting classes.

Here is our Baptistry beautifully framed in Oak by Jerry Tuovila and prepared for two baptisms.

 May God Bless all your Richly this Holiday Season -- AND MERRY CHRISTMAS From Our Christmas Munchkins!!!!

Santa                                              Rudolf

Let it Snow....Let it Snow... Let it Snow!!!

Love to All 

In HIM,

Merle & Gyngr