The Year Of 2014

This better be done quickly, before I have to change the date.  It has been a good year and we are finishing up with our celebration month as well.  We are enjoying celebrating Christ’s birth and what that means to us  Thankful that it is more than all the hoopla of buying and getting and maybe exchanging.  Celebration is a great part of life, especially in December.   Abner’s, one of our son’s, and my birthdays; then Christmas, and now capping it off -- 54 years of marriage.  We are so thankful for God’s many blessings.

The year  has gone quickly. I think the busier one is, the faster it seems to go.  On Monday we plan to leave for Florida again.  This is the 8^th year that we have gone to help at Wycliffe Associates.  We have been thankful for the ability to go there to help.  I call it being “snowbirds-with-a-purpose.”  Since last year winter had a grip on many of the northern states, we didn’t mind spending time in the south.  Several times we were able to go over to the other side of the state to spend time with John and Bonnie Nystrom, our missionaries from Arlington Countryside Church.  They were totally rehabbing a home to live in and so Abner helped in some of the needs there on several weekends.  We were able to keep busy on jobs at the center and will be looking forward to doing the same again.We will miss seeing our other missionary friends, Dave and Linda Marcy, who have moved closer to family in Arizona but still working with Wycliffe remotely.

We went to Canada twice this year; in the spring and fall.  It is always fun to be with the Bauman side of the family and other friends and relatives. In the fall there was a large Bauman cousins reunion. About 25 of the first-cousins were there with their spouses.

Rosie in the new kitcchen

During the summer we were at UP Bible Camp again.  Abner helped tearing down an old cabin to the studs.  Now it looks quite new again with knotty pine on the inside giving it a new look and smell.  I ended up in the kitchen again and enjoy working together with others to feed the hungry “hordes.”

A Re-made Cabin

When we are at home Abner spends his time doing odd jobs at church, other folks’ homes including our son’s in Chicago, as well as ours.  Some of our missionaries from church have come to stay for a while and we are thankful that we are able to share with them. Besides the house work I have done quite a bit of visiting with the older folks at the church and helping out with some special functions.

We also thank the Lord for good health.  Abner had some cloudiness removed by lazer from his one eye. The results were good and he does not have a hole in the macula again.  I had cataract surgery in the fall and that went well.  Just have to get used to not having to take out my contact lenses at night after so many years of wearing them.

Within the last week we have said goodbye again to family. All but Karen and our grandson, Karl, were here. Both of them live in California and find it a bit far to travel home this time of year.  We all enjoyed being together again and wish it could be more often. It was fun to have 5 of our 6 grandkids here. They vary in ages from 30 to almost 2!

Nola With Grandma

We do love this time of year when we hear from so many of you.  We enjoy the cards, pictures, letters; whatever you send! Thank you to all of you who have written.

Another year has passed; many things have changed, most of the news reports have not been good, and we have lost some good friends who are now with the Lord.

We wish you a Happy New Year and God’s richest blessings.

     Rosie and Abner

The year 2013

It’s been an exciting year for the Baumans!

Really, we are thankful for a good year and being able to enjoy the opportunities of service and the good relationships with many dear people.  Thanks to many of you who have enriched our lives by greetings, visits, cards, calls, etc.  Thank you very much!

As we have done for six years we began 2013 in Orlando, Florida serving with Wycliffe Associates. Both of us have fitted into special niches at Wycliffe and are glad to be able to join about 150 others who want to serve the Lord and share in the work of bringing the Bible to people who have never been able to read it for themselves in their own heart language.

The afternoon before we were to leave Orlando a close friend of ours who lived 2 hours north with his wife passed away suddenly, probably a heart attack.  We went up immediately to spend time with the widow; comforting her and helping to make funeral arrangements, etc.

Our sixth grandchild was born on May 17; a girl: Nola Brooks Bauman. 

How exciting; she is so big already!

In late May we went up to Ontario for three weeks to visit my family and redo a basement bath room for my sister.  In July we went to camp (UPBC) for six weeks. I did some “finish up” work on the new Retreat Center that has been built over the last four years. Rosie worked in the kitchen most days helping with all kinds of baking, like 24 pies for a special “pie night!”

At the end of September we were at camp again for the Autumn Adventure weekend.  We stayed on for five days to help with a cabin renovation project. The leaves were very pretty, though not quite as good as the previous two years. Being in the northlands is always good.

In October we flew to southern California for a Wycliffe Associates conference and visit with Rosie’s family and our daughter, Karen. Rosie’s sister celebrated her 92nd birthday.  We had an enjoyable time on the coast and in the mountains visiting family and friends.

A few weeks ago we made another trip to Ontario primarily for a nephew’s wedding, but also to work for my sister on another house project.  Karen arrived from California and spent a few days with her brother and his family.  They intended to come to Ontario for the wedding but a bad snow and ice storm made them decide otherwise.  We returned last Sunday with Karen. Monday was a busy day for Rosie and Karen preparing for the family Christmas dinner held yesterday. Most of the family were here; only three missing!

Shaina, our oldest granddaughter, has been with us for a month before heading out for Kurdistan on a six-month contract. She hopes to leave this week, although she has been delayed before. 

That is our year! We hope you have (or had) a good Christmas; and our best wishes to you for 2014.

Abner and Rosie Bauman

2011 The Year of Our Lord

The year goes by quickly and they say that as we grow older the years seem to fly quicker. Abner and I have birthdays in December and with the New Year soon after, we are aware of the passing of time. We are so thankful that we have had a good year with good health, safe travel and the ability to serve our great God.

After celebrating our 50 years of marriage in Ontario at New Years time we picked up the 5th wheel RV for another trip to Florida to serve with Wycliffe Associates. We sure missed the snow (not). Actually, we don't like the snow and cold anymore!

Soon after our arrival in Orlando our friend Jay Newton went to be with the Lord so being her executor I had to fly back home for a week to attend to all the details of her death. Abner stayed in Orlando.

We always enjoy the work and fellowship at Wycliffe and the visitors from the north that come through Orlando. We were there until mid-March and came home to attend to our home and, of course, get reacquainted with our youngest granddaughter, Aylin.

The other four grandchildren keep busy with work and school. We see them every once in a while. Shaina had the privilege of spending the summer in Jerusalem on an internship for her Masters program at Denver University.

Summer time found us again at Upper Peninsula Bible Camp. Abner worked alongside others trying to get the retreat center finished. I was able to help in the kitchen. Abner went back up several times in the fall to help another guy on the kitchen cabinets and later to finish some window trimming in the large dining hall and lounge.

We had a full October, going back to camp for a long weekend to see the fall colors. Abner was the speaker for the Autumn Adventure camp. The colors were beautiful at this retreat time, especially on our pontoon boat ride one afternoon on a river/dam lake near Marquette.

We went to Iowa for the Emmaus Bible College 70th reunion and renewing old friendships. Not too many were there from our years (the 50s) but we had a great time with some long-time friends, some we had not seen for years. After the reunion we headed to California for my sister’s 90th birthday celebration. Can’t believe Anne is 90 and she can’t either! We spent a week out there; some time with our daughter, Karen and my brother, sister and various relatives.

Abner has been helping two of our sons with handyman work fixing up a kitchen and a bathroom. He enjoys working with them. He also does some work for several families in the area. They call him quite regularly; so that keeps him busy! Between our travels he also remodeled two bathrooms in a company shop.

Now we are getting ready for the whole family to be together here over Christmas. It is getting harder for that to happen so we have to cherish these times. Every bed will be used and the table crowded, but it will be fun. I have to start baking! Most of the family shopping is done so now I can coast to the celebration.

We hope this has been a good year for you and that you will have a special Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Your comments will be appreciated.

Home Again

 It is the end of the year already and I never finished our trip report back in October.

After our time in California we visited good friends in Surprise, AZ and then headed to Albuquerque, NM in time for the annual balloon fiesta which is held the first two weekends of October.

We had a good visit with our son and daughter-in-law who love ABQ.  On Saturday morning we got up before five to join the traffic jam into the fiesta parking lot.  We arrived just before seven, in time for the grand opening and the first ascents of multi-colored balloons.   

The first balloons drifted their chasers had to go after them.After the sun rose over the mountains to the east of ABQ the air movement changed so that most of the balloons hovered in the airspace above the fiesta grounds and the city for several hours.  A few came back and landed at the same place where they took off. The phenomena of the air movement, "the box" as it is called, is what makes ABQ one of the premier balloon sites around the world.

After the weekend we left for home with one stopover in Kansas for a night with friends.  

The month of travel was delightful and safe.  Aside from one tire blowoout we had no difficulties; just pleasure and marveling at the wonders of the earth.  If you haven't been to southern  Utah it would be a great trip to visit the five national parks and Natural Bridges Monument.

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 In October I went up to the Upper Peninsula Bible Camp again to work for two weeks with 5 or 6 other men.  We were able to nearly finish the siding on the outside and final bits of drywall installation so that insulation could be blown into the attic areas of the one building.

  Since then I have done some handyman projects for other people and also a major flooring and painting project in our own home.  I did my first bit of installing hardwood flooring in our kitchen and family room area by the fireplace.  I am now almost finished with the project--tomorrow should do it.  Just in time for Christmas!

Zion NP and more

Since our last blog we have traveled west again from Mesa Verde in Colorado. Our traveling friends went east to Durango then north to Estes Park for a reunion.

Our first stop was at the Glen Canyon dam on the Colorado River which creates Lake Powell in southern Utah. A one-hour tour of the dam, starting at the visitors center, took us into the heart of the dam, to the electric generators, and a view of the lake

The next day we traveled back into Utah to Zion National Park. We parked our trailer in the campground for two nights. Since public vehicles are not allowed in the canyon we took one of the frequent trolleys. At lookout places we could get off, look around, take pictures, hike a little and then get back on the next trolley.

 Zion NP is an incredibly beautiful park with mountains of rocks on either side of the canyon. At the end of the park the rocks form a natural amphitheater with only the riverbed continuing through the narrow rocks.


  The following day we drove about 100 miles without our RV to Bryce National Park. We were told it would only need to be a one-day visit. Bryce is different; there are hills but no canyons.  The outstanding feature of Bryce is the "hoodoos", the pillars of rock through the valley

 

Leaving Bryce NP we drove through Red Canyon, a small area of rock formations. A few pictures were necessary but that was all. We drove back to Zion for the night and then left for southern California. We debated stopping at Las Vegas but we just saw the "Strip" from the expressway!

This week we have been in Costa Mesa, CA, parked at Karen's house, off the back alley! From here we have visited Rosie's siblings and families. For two days we were up in Lake Arrowhead, about 6,000 feet up in the San Bernardino mountains. Rosie's brother took us out in his boat both days to see the shoreline homes and cabins around the lake.

 On the weekend we will head east again, seeing family and friends along the way, before we arrive at home about the 6th or 7th of October. It has been a wonderful trip so far, and by God's grace, we hope to finish our trip with pleasure.

Thanks for traveling with us.

Abner (and Rosie, too)

Utah and West

It has been a while since the Baumans have done much traveling, at least not vacation traveling! So on September 4, the Saturday before Labor Day, we set out on a trip west; this time to visit some of the National Parks in the south of Utah. On Tuesday we met up with a couple from Oregon that we have been with on several Wycliffe Associates projects overseas. They have an RV too so we planned to camp and travel together for a while.

Embedded in this blog are some pictures from Arches National Park (NP), Canyonlands NP, Capitol Reef NP, and Natural Bridges National Monument. The parks have been amazing, varied, and beautiful; lots of mountains, all kinds of rock, and strange shapes. The scenery is spectacular. We have done a lot of hiking to various bridges, arches, canyons, etc.
One morning the other fellow and I left for a trail at 7 am; before checking out of camp we wanted to see two of the natural bridges we hadn’t seen. The trail took us down into the canyon and along the riverbed for about 3 miles, then up 700 feet of slopes, steps and ladders. It was tiring but a lot of fun and we have scores of pictures to prove it!

Two days ago we came over to Mesa Verde NP in Colorado. The landscape is much different, but the cliff dwelling ruins are very interesting. Somewhere around 1200 AD Indians lived in these hard-to-get-to cliff dwellings and worked the ground on top of the mesas. We enjoyed a very educational day visiting a museum and two of the ancient ruins.



Our next stop will be back in Utah at Zion and Bryce Canyon NPs. Our friends will continue traveling and visiting relatives in Colorado while we head west, eventually to see Karen and Rosie’s sister and brother in southern California before heading east again.

Enjoy the pictures. You can make comments at the end of the blog or on Facebook. Our email address is still: abner_bauman@wowway.com We get our messages along the way wherever we can pick up WiFi connection. We would love to hear from you.

Abner and Rosie