True Patriot Love

Wednesday's focus was on the D-Day invasion of June 1944. The first stop of the day was at le Jardin des Canadiens in Caen where eighteen captured Canadian soldiers were executed contrary Geneva Convention rules. Their photos and names were displayed throughout the garden in their remembrance.

Next, we travelled a short distance to the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery where over 2000 soldiers are buried. We paid our respects by wandering through the rows of graves and gathering at the back of the cemetery with the D-Day Juno landing beach in view off in the distance. Mr. Wassink shared a short message based on Philippians 4:6, which was followed by the singing of "O Canada". The spontaneous moment of silence that followed was a powerful moment of reflection for all of us.

At the Juno Beach Centre, we were led on a conducted tour of the bunkers and tunnels which formed part of the German fortifications known as the Atlantic Wall. The tour ended on the beach where we could imagine the scene played out on that historic day. Following that, we went through the various displays in the centre and viewed the film "They Walk With You".

After lunch, we took time for a group shot on the cliffs overlooking the town of Arromanches and the Mulberry Harbour at Gold Beach.

The rest of the day was spent in the Omaha Beach region, one of two locations where American troops landed on D-Day. Upon entering the Normandy American Cemetery, we were struck by the impressively well-manicured grounds and the number of crosses present.

Our final stop of the day was at Pointe du Hoc which contained the remnants of the Atlantic Wall that were destroyed by the Allied naval and air forces. Students were intrigued by the landscape and described the lookout across the water as "breathtaking". Dinner was an exquisite three-course meal of local cuisine. We returned to the hotel once again realizing how grateful we are for being able to live in freedom in our great land.

God keep our land glorious and free!

Maintain peace. Nothing can be gained by warfare. Settle disagreements rather than go to war over them because one war brings on another... 

It was cold, rainy, windy day - a suitable setting for any study of WWI. We began by travelling to the famous Canadian monument at Vimy Ridge to pay our respects to the 11,000 Canadian soldiers who died in WWI and whose bodies were never recovered. We honoured them through the singing of "O Canada" as we overlooked the ridge. The students sang with a renewed sense of conviction.

After exploring the monument and surrounding area, we were split into two groups for guided tours of the trenches and underground tunnels located near the new Visitor Education Centre. These tours were led by Canadian university students and provided us with an inside out look at the warlike conditions of preparing for battle.

We stopped for a grab and go lunch before heading to Beaumont Hamel, the site of the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. This was a tragic day for the British army, including over 700 Newfoundlanders who were senselessly killed in action. We walked through the trenches, across no man's land, past the danger tree, and on towards the cemetery where some of the fallen Newfoundlanders were buried. The caribou monument was a striking reminder of the tragedy that took place in this location.

We made a quick stop at the German cemetery at Fricourt. The black iron crosses marking the graves stood in stark contrast to the white slab grave markers in the British cemeteries. This is the place where the German air ace, The Red Baron, was initially buried. We also made a quick stop at the Lochnagar crater formed from a massive underground explosion set off by the British army prior to the advancement of the troops.

The rest of the day was spent making our way to the Norman city of Caen. It was wonderful to finally feel the warmth of the sun. After a late dinner, we checked into our hotel and looked forward to getting some rest. It was another memorable day of reflection on the tragedy that is war.

From this vast altar-pile the souls of men
sped up to God in countless multitudes;
on this grim cratered ridge they gave their all,
and giving, won
the peace of Heaven and immortality.
Our hearts go out to them in boundless gratitude;
if ours – then God; for his vast charity
all sees, all knows, all comprehends – save bounds,
He had repaid their sacrifice; and we - ?
God help us if we fail to pay our debt
in fullest full and all unstintingly.
               - John Oxenham

In Flanders Fields…

The day started off with a very informative walkthrough of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele. Time did not allow us to read and take in all of the history that was displayed there. Students had opportunities to go through simulated displays of life in the trenches, view weapons used in WWI, and examine various artifacts of the war. Some of us took the opportunity to climb the nearby bell tower, only to have the bell ring right in our ears when we got to the top.

At the British Commonwealth Cemetery, the largest in the world, we took time to reflect by listening to two students recite the poems “In Flanders Fields” and “Dulce et Decorum Est.” We were also moved by the singing of “10000 Reasons”. Our time to pay respect to the fallen soldiers was cut short by an approaching rainstorm.

For lunch, we travelled to the iconic walled town of Ypres, the site of four major WWI battles which essentially flattened the town. Ypres was reconstructed after the war and built as an exact replica of its previous self.   From there it was back on the bus to pay brief visits to the memorial sites at Essex Farm, St Julian, Langemark and Hill 62.

After supper, with the cold wind and rain lashing against our cheeks, we were privileged to witness the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate.  Hearing the sounds of four bugles reverberating throughout the walls and ceiling of the memorial structure was a meaningful experience for us all.  The walls of this building are etched with the names of thousands of soldiers who died in the region and whose bodies where never recovered.

On the return trip to our hotel we enjoyed some impromptu open mike singing.  The melodies of everything from Jesus Loves Me and Edelweiss to Country Road drifted through the bus.

"There is no death. No fearful darksome night. It is the entrance to eternal light."

To begin our Sunday, we headed out to the National Monument Kamp Vught. On our way to Vught, our tour guide prepared the students for what they were going to see in order to make the history from the classroom come alive and bring the experience from our heads to our hearts. We started our visit with a 20-minute walk through the woods following the steps of over 300 prisoners who were lead to their deaths at the execution site in late 1944. Our group left with an unsettled feeling as we walked away.

Back at the monument camp, there were many striking images and poignant moments. One of the most chilling spots was the memorial to the over 1200 children who were separated from their parents and sent on a train to one of the extermination camps.

At the Bergen Op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Mr. Wassink led us in a remembrance of the soldiers who died after D-Day, and made connections to our faith walk as Christians. Following the singing of “Abide with Me” and a prayer, we wandered through the cemetery reading the names, ages, and epitaphs written on the hundreds of tombstones. We were all struck by the young ages of the fallen soldiers. It was a sombre day of reflection and expressing gratitude for the freedom we enjoy as Canadians.

In spite of the heaviness of the day, we enjoyed the countryside while travelling through three countries finally arriving in Arras, France for a diner extraordinaire. As one parent said, "That was amazing chicken!"

Say "kaas"!

Tour van de stad, kaas, klompen, molen, markt, kerk, en kanaal.

We started our day with a satisfying breakfast with lots of cheese and ham! This was followed by a trip back to the Amsterdam city centre to pick up our tour guide, Larai. She gave us a lively and informative historical account of the city and its architectural, economic, and religious development. She had a true gift for making the story of the city come alive!

At the Rembrandt Hoeve Farm, we met Roel, another person with the gift of gab. He had the students smiling and laughing as he described the process of manufacturing both cheese and wooden shoes. After taking a group shot at the nearby windmill, we traveled to the quaint town of Haarlem, the home of Corrie Ten Boom. We were disappointed to discover that we were unable to attend a tour of her former home, but we enjoyed some extra free time around the Saturday market. Some of us also made our way inside the chilly St. Bavokerk to see its extremely large pipe organ.

Although it was raining after supper, we enjoyed a peaceful canal cruise to end our evening which highlighted the beauty of Amsterdam by night.