Today was my first day to actually have to turn back from a paddle. I managed to fight my way against wind and current for about four miles, around Cape Tormentine to Cape Spear. The main problem was the strong current going against me at 2 to 3 kt, and little chance for improvement. That’s a major issue when you’re trying to make 18 miles by lunch time. And I really did not want to miss my appointment for lunch and prayer in Port Elgin.
After surprising my family back at the campground, I made arrangements for the change in plans, spent some time writing, and let the kids have one last swim at the beach (with the jellyfish). My wife informed me that the strong winds had split one of the tent poles. So it wasn’t clear how usable the tent would be now. Then I had to say goodbye to my family again.
I had plans to meet for lunch with the Morgans from the Maritimes House of Prayer ministry (in Moncton) and a friend of theirs from Port Elgin. I found the restaurant and was soon joined by the Morgans, another couple from Moncton, and the family from Port Elgin. We shared about how God is moving in the area and then went out to Fort Gaspereau to pray. It was a great encouragement to see how God was putting a burden in the hearts of the LeCoeur family to put down roots in Port Elgin and trust Him to bring revival. In particular, Sarah brought a small map of the town that she had painted showing the homes and businesses to pray for. She also told about how Port Elgin had developed its reputation as a worldly drinking town for sailors during its heyday and had declined with the changes in industry over the years. The Morgans are also an inspiration. Besides their current prayer ministry and missions trips, Evan made an epic prayer walk all the way across Canada about 10 years ago, taking 209 days.
The LeCoeurs showed me a boat ramp in town that would give me better access to the water with the very low tide level. Then I rode the tidal current out into the strong southwest winds that were still blowing. I had a fairly hard paddle for a couple miles across shallow open waters to get near the last point of New Brunswick before the provincial line at the Tidnish River. After that, I was able to finally cruise along with the wind at my back. When I crossed the staked channel entrance to the Tidnish, I figured I had made my entry to Nova Scotia. I kept paddling until I got to the ruined breakwaters at Tidnish Dock Provincial Park. It’s at the site of a failed attempt to marine connection between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy. Although the engineering challenge seems small compared to many other projects, it was stopped due to financing problems. I’m glad that God’s work is not dependent upon the whims of a few self-important financiers.
When I finally pulled in to the beach at Amherst Shore Provincial Park at 7:43 pm, I was tired and apprehensive. I had a long 15 minute walk to get up to the campground (which I expected). It was nice to see the Subaru, find out that my campsite was already paid for, and find that the park staff were ready to bend over backwards to help me. The staff even offered to secure the kayak and bring my paddles up for me. I was frustrated though that I had two voicemails I needed to check and there was absolutely no cell service in the area. I quickly set up my site (a handicapped one), and started driving to find where my phone would work. The tent worked better than expected with the broken pole, but did look a little awkward. After several kilometers of driving, I was able to get through and discover that both calls were just my wife saying hi. Still no contact with any pastors in Nova Scotia and no shuttle for tomorrow. I resolved that there was nothing more I could do under the circumstances. Some hot supper (as the propane ran out) and a nice shower finished off the evening. I really feel like I’m starting from scratch now in this new province. I’ll try to use tomorrow to get my bearings and figure out what God has in store.
Partner: Maritimes House of Prayer (Prayer Mountain)
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