Uprooting your family and moving to a new location is fairly stressful at the best of times, but Pastor Conrad Dueck and his young family quickly have settled into their new home in Emo.
Pastor Dueck, his wife, Lois, and their children, Lorianne, 11, Caleb, eight, Joseph, seven, and Stephen, five, and their new five year-old German shepherd arrived just one week ago.
He already has preached a sermon in his new church (Calvary Baptist) and the children have spent a week in their new school (Donald Young).
This past Sunday afternoon, Pastor Dueck, Lois, and the family met members of the congregation and the community at a “meet and greet” tea at Calvary Baptist.
“We’re excited to be here,” he beamed. “This is a great town and we’ve already met so many great people.
“We believe that this is where God has called us to be.
“I didn’t even know this place existed,” he added with a grin.
After former pastor Andrew Hall had given the congregation his notice, he happened to mention to his uncle in Winnipeg that Calvary Baptist would be looking for a new pastor.
His uncle then happened to mention it to a friend who was a member of Pastor Dueck’s church.
One thing led to another and the Duecks soon were on their way to Emo.
Prior to coming to Northwestern Ontario, Pastor Dueck spent 10 years as the children’s pastor in the Osborne Village area of Winnipeg. He previously spent a couple of years as an elementary school teacher on a reserve in northern Manitoba.
“We were looking for a rural environment in which to raise our children,” he remarked. “With three active boys, Emo seemed like the perfect spot.
“Besides,” he added, “I love canoeing and fishing.”
The Duecks’ interest in Northwestern Ontario began a year before—in January, 2007. Lois was convinced that God wanted them to check out the area along the Rainy River, so the plan was to camp at Caliper Lake once Conrad was done work.
The family picked a weekend in August and headed for Emo. It was the Sunday of that weekend that the church announced the formation of the search committee.
Pastor Dueck spoke to one member of the committee and asked for his name to be added to the list. It was that verbal application which eventually led to his new position as the pastor of Calvary Baptist.
Since that visit to Emo, the Duecks have toured Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Their “Adventure with God,” as it came to be called, led them west to British Columbia, and south through the U.S. all the way to Mexico City.
They visited marvelous places, met fantastic people, and together as a family had an experience they’ll never forget.
They have shared their thoughts and experiences on their Internet blog, which can be found at http://dueck6adventurewithgod.blogspot.com
On Jan. 28, 2008, after 17,392 km and 138 days after their Sept. 12 departure, the Duecks arrived safely back in “Winterpeg.”
Then a week ago Monday, two of their new friends from Calvary Baptist drove to Winnipeg with a cattle trailer to help them move their stuff.
“They washed it first,” Pastor Dueck stressed.
Friends from their former church helped load the vehicle.
Using a cattle trailer was great, he insisted, because the three separate compartments were so easy to load, although he would caution others about moving in the dead of winter.
Upon arriving in Emo, they were met by members of their new congregation, who had them unpacked and set up in short order.
The Duecks were amazed and humbled to find not only a nice card signed by the church, but also four boxes of groceries, food in the fridge, and a pail full of some amazing stew.
So how has the adjustment to small town life been so far? As Pastor Dueck wrote in his most recent blog entry: “Well, to begin with, it seems that almost everyone here knows us and now we just have to get to know them!”
“Actually, the people are very friendly, and genuinely happy that we have come to join their great community,” he added.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
