We love to travel and have travelled to several different countries. We have been to all 10 Canadian Provinces. John has been to 49 of the 50 Unites States (missing Hawaii).

Many of our vacations have been spent camping. In 1999 we took a trip across Canada. Eric had graduated from High School and Liesel was entering her final year, so we packed our camping gear in our new van and drove across Canada. On our way back we drove down through the Unites States. In 4 weeks we drove 18,500 km, drove through parts of 10 Provinces and 27 States.

On the year of our 25th wedding anniversary we went to Europe. Liesel was living in Switzerland so we met her in London, England. After spending a few days in Zurich we (along with Liesel) took the train and traveled to Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France and Italy. We had an amazing time.

Liesel moved to Dublin, Ireland in 2005 so in the Spring of 2006 Debbie took her sister Serena and they visited Liesel at DCM in Dublin. The weather was cool, but it was a great experience.

In the Spring of 2007 we marked our 30th anniversary and we once again went to Europe to visit our daughter. We then took Liesel with us as we took a week of vacation in Egypt. Spending a week on the Sinai Peninsula was a highlight. Staying in Sharm El Sheikh we hiked up Mt. Sinai, experienced a camel ride and a Bedouin Dinner (on Liesel’s 25th birthday) and snorkelled in the Red Sea. Back in Ireland we visited Kilkenny and spent a weekend at the Aran Islands.

In April of 2009 we again went to visit our daughter in Ireland. We took one weekend to visit County Meath, then traveled north to visit Northern Ireland and then west to Donegal. For a second weekend we traveled to the south-west of Ireland and visited Killarney.

In February of 2011 John had the opportunity to travel to Australia to visit his brother who teaches at North Queensland University in Rockhampton. John enjoyed playing 13 rounds of golf in 12 days. He also had the chance to visit friends near Brisbane.

To celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary we travelled to Ricon de Guayabitos, Mexico to spend a week at Decameron Los Cocos resort.

In September, 2012 we once again flew to Dublin, Ireland to visit our daughter. Together the 3 of us visited Scotland for the first time and then spent a few days in England where Debbie and Liesel took in the Jane Austen Festival.

Toward the end of February, 2015 we again traveled to Ireland. This time our excursions took us to Lismore, Hook Head Lighthouse, Galway, Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch. In 2016 we stayed in North America – traveling & camping in the NW USA and in the summer John flew to Manitoba with his brother Lloyd.

The summer of 2017 saw us joining our son Eric, his wife Leanne & children, Lucy & Cohen in flying to Ireland to visit Liesel. After a couple of days we all flew to Portugal. While there we spend a few days in SW Spain and included a day in Morocco. Returning to Ireland we enjoyed a week visiting “the west” including places like Sligo, Strandhill, Kerry, Ring of Kerry, Skibbereen, Dungarvin, cycling the Waterford Greenway. In February, 2019 we spent a week in Playa del Carmen with our son Eric, his wife Leanne & our grandchildren, Lucy & Cohen.

Just before Covid 19 became a major travel problem we once again spent a week in Puerto Vallarta. During the following summers we camped throughout southern BC. In December of 2021 we joined our son Eric and his wife Leanne as well as our daughter Liesel for a week in Akumel, Mexico. In March of 2022 John had a week off on his own so drove down to Reno & Death Valley. In January of 2023 we once again went to Mexico with our kids – This time to Mazatlan for the first time.

We have been on several missions trips. John went to Nairobi, Kenya in November of 1998. Working to upgrade the computer equipment, John led in daily devotions for the Trans World Radio staff and taught a daily 2 hour class at Carlyle College – Church Army Training College in Nairobi. In September, 2010 Debbie & John joined a team from three churches in Alberta to lead a retreat for missionaries at Lake Garda, Italy. Then went on a visioning tour of Romania. In January of 2017 John facilitated a course for DAI in Dehradun, India. Just over a year later in March of 2018 John again facilitated a course for DAI, this time in Yangon, Myanmar.

We have been to Colima, Mexico twice. Our Church in Westbank partnered with Hogar De Amor (children’s home) in Colima. We established lasting friendships through this experience.