It was hard, the third year, when new people came to live on the farm and there weren't as many needs; we had already invested in animals, fences, hand-operated machines, etc. Now, all they had to do was to fix up their cabins; we had, originally, felt to build all of them the same, so nobody could see who was rich and who wasn't - we would all be the same.

Now, the new people didn't have the same "vision" for the farm, as we had. They made their cabins quite liveable; installed showers, saunas, hot tubs, had real furniture, comfortable chairs, etc. I think there were a lot of bad feelings involved, because of all of this; but, it too, was something that each of us had to deal with - it was inside of us, and it had the opportunity to come out...and now we had to deal with it.

We didn't have as much to do in the winter and so we had the opportunity to have more Bible studies...they were well-received by most people. One of the elders was of the persuasion that, if we met our brother's needs, someone would always meet our need. We gave that all we had...and found, unfortunately, it didn't always work.

I remember, one winter, all we had at our cabin was green firewood and we could hardly keep our fire going; our neighbor had an excellent assortment of every kind of firewood and plenty of it. Then, there was a time that all we had was dry firewood and the cabin was too hot. Some were always doing for others, and not really caring for their own household - which, is not what the Bible says to do; and others were just taking care of their own household, which is not what the Bible says to do...so, both of us had a lot to learn.

One time a Father Ministry came to the farm to minister. He was eating lunch with all of us, at the Tabernacle; and, he called me over to his table. I was always afraid of him, because I heard he could discern just what we were thinking and knew exactly where we were "in the Spirit"...I wasn't all that sure, myself, and didn't want anyone else to know! So, when he called me over, I was really worried.

He asked if I had felt to go to the midwife course that would be held in Mississippi; I had felt to. And, then he asked if I had visions to confirm my leading...I didn't; so, he offered to get the visions back in Florida, where he lived (when he wasn't out ministering around the world).

A few weeks later I received a hand-written letter from him; he always took the time to have a relationship with people, he cared; that really impressed me. He included the visions in his letter, and said how it was a very confirming word for me to go to the midwife course.

Later, I was informed that it also had to go through the local elders, they had met in regard to it, and felt the farm couldn't afford to send two of us - the nurse was already going. That kind of burst my balloon, because I thought confirming words was the "last word"; I found out differently.

I was called in for 5 of the birthings at the farm. One of the elders didn't feel I was to be at one of the deliveries, and said so...when the time came, he was off camping somewhere and I was asked to be present (mostly they wanted me to be there in case I saw a vision that might show how it would progress). So, I was present and had a vision that it would be a safe and fast delivery; I told the Dad, who was also an elder...it put his mind more at ease.

Later that evening, the camping-out elder came back and asked to see me when the delivery was all over. I went to his cabin and he said for me to sit down...I didn't know what to expect from him. I sat there forever, and he sat across the room forever...he didn't say a word, just stared off into space. After about half an hour, I told him that I would be going, if he didn't have anything else to say to me. There was no reply, so I left...I never did hear anymore about the whole thing.

Another delivery was about to happen and I was called off from making a meal. This woman was a close friend, her husband was there (as all the husbands were), nothing seemed to be happening. The husband and the nurse went down to the Tabernacle for supper; I stayed with their older and the "Mom". All of a sudden, it was "time". I sent the daughter running down to the Tabernacle, to get the nurse and husband; they got back just in time.

The baby was big, but he came fast...he didn't breathe...the Mom was in distress because of it. The nurse tried everything for the baby to breathe, but he didn't; he was just like an old-fashioned, rubber doll - and was kind of a purple color. The Dad took things in hand: he rebuked that "spirit of death", in Jesus' name...and right then the baby took a big gulp of air; letting out a hearty cry. It was really beautiful the way the whole thing happened, and we all grew in faith through it all.

I always enjoyed the outdoors and felt to do something with the young girls, outside. We went for walks across the fields and into the bush, sometimes. One day we went down the river, on the farm side, to where we were dumping the small amount of rubbish that we had, occasionally; there was a huge bus dumped down there, someone had come to Canada in it and it couldn't be fixed to run any longer.

We had a good time at the river and then decided to go back to the farm in a different way - this time, through the dump area. I saw this "plop", a "pie" made by something close to human in composition - it was still warm, hot vapors were coming from it, into the cold air. I walked around it and quickly led the young girls back to the farm...saying the bell was about to ring for supper.

When we were almost to the Tabernacle, I made the mistake of saying that we had crossed a "pie" made by a bear, down at the dump...like all young girls, everywhere, they proceeded to run, ~SCREAMING~ on the tops of their lungs...all the way to the Tabernacle. That caused quite the sensation all around the farm - I thought the parents would never again allow me to take the girls anywhere again, but they did.

There was a young girl who was kind of shy, and I began to notice that she loved to play the guitar (could play quite well). When I got together with the young girls, she would play when coaxed long enough...she would just "beam" and you could tell that she really liked it.

One day our cassette recorder was sitting around the cabin, within our reach, and I took it out; I asked how they would like our singing to be recorded - they were real "hams" and squealed with delight. The girl played her guitar and we sang; it sounded so good that many of them wanted copies of the tape. Years later, after we had left the farm, I learned how outgoing the girl had become; she now played the guitar at meetings and even led the praise service. She was a delightful young person.

The men still had to go out at the coldest part of the year, to get firewood; that's when the snow was an advantage and the logs could be dragged easier by the horses. Some of the women, in the kitchen, would pack them a lunch with a lot of hot tea. The men didn't enjoy the extreme cold, but they did enjoy those winter picnics - they took out their lunches around a campfire, and they would put their sandwiches (that had frozen solid by that time), on the end of a stick, hold them over the fire, defrost and then toast them - they were delicious, especially when they were peanut butter or grilled cheese. This was a good time for them to "revelate"... which is saying what the Lord had been speaking to them, lately. It was a time of real growth in the Lord, and coumlattery (sp?) between the brethren.

Joe made a lot of trips to town, shopping for the farm; he had come to know a man who lived there, was in similar kind of work (as Joe used to be in), he went to the local Pentecostal church. This man and his wife had come out to visit the farm, once. We heard that this man, his wife had been in a plane accident - his small plane had gone down on a frozen lake; they were in bad shape. He felt to go into town to help there, if there was a need. He spoke to the elders, they said to find out if there was a real need - there was; no relatives to help, no church people could help...so he offered.

The offer was gratefully accepted and he spent a few weeks with them. The wife's jaw was wired shut, she had to drink through a straw, the husband had broken bones and frost bite; Joe did everything for them and their family. The husband said to let him know if there was ever anything they could do for us; Joe was just thankful he had heard from the Lord and gone ahead.