We survived a very full weekend with over 3,000 youth and leaders in attendance. Though the weather was not always in our favour, I am still thrilled with all that happened. From our organizing end things went well - there were no show-stopping glitches, we learned lots and no one died! I was certainly very physically tired, but on an emotional / spiritual level I felt full of energy. My greatest moment came on Saturday when I stole away to the back bleachers of the arena and looked out at thousands of people having their own meetings with God. It caused me to be still and just watch - the moment felt like it was too full of power to allow itself to be missed. The moment was flawed, noisy, slightly chaotic with that many people, and still beautiful.
Amber and I agree that we have learned so much thrugh this experience. On a practical level we have learned what it is like to dream, plan, organize and realize an event of this magnitude. It was also a good lesson in seeing the value in seemingly empty tasks. All of the meetings, letters, e-mails, phone calls and maps added up to something more than just paperwork. This is a great lesson to remind myself of in the future as I am faced with tasks that have more long-term value and are perhaps a bit boring in the moment.
Every year at Historymaker several missions projects are highlighted. This year Amber and I were one of the four. It was encouraging to know that so many people were praying for us, thinking about us and even gave in an offering.
We want to thank everyone who volunteered, encouraged as we ran around, showed their support financially or took the time to pray for us. It was empowering.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
rEVOLution
BC's youth convention is called Historymaker. This year the theme is "revolution" with a focus on the word "love" at the core. The desire is for young people to recognize that every long-lasting, innovative and life-giving movement began in love. Moreover, the hope is that people come to understand that a revolution of love is not something beyond them, but in fact can be a very everyday action.
So I come bearing prayer requests:
-for the vision of Historymaker to be realized (and for some fun times too)
-for heightened learning abilities in regards to language study (we are already so fortunate to have found great teachers)
-I am having passport troubles! Please pray that I receive my passport prior to May 30th...very helpful for the upcoming honeymoon and life abroad.
I am incredibly excited for this weekend and will share all of it's happenings!
So I come bearing prayer requests:
-for the vision of Historymaker to be realized (and for some fun times too)
-for heightened learning abilities in regards to language study (we are already so fortunate to have found great teachers)
-I am having passport troubles! Please pray that I receive my passport prior to May 30th...very helpful for the upcoming honeymoon and life abroad.
I am incredibly excited for this weekend and will share all of it's happenings!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
A Little Island Time
BC’s provincial capital is a great place with aged European style buildings, small shops and street side cafes. We have just concluded TimeOut (an event designed to connect children, youth and young adult pastors from across the province). It was great to see over 100 people attend and have a chance to recharge amongst their peers. For Amber and I it means that there is only one more major district event left to help run – Historymaker (BC’s youth convention). Time is moving at an unreal rate. In just over a month, we will almost be done the in-office portion of our apprenticeship AND we will be married!
Last Saturday I proved that my acrobatic skills are far greater than even I realized. Along with 15 of my friends, I rented a scooter. Now contrary to what you may think, these scooters were quite manly and could do up to 70km/h. At one point I tried to pull a rather quick U-turn to get ahead of one of my friends. Unfortunately, I misjudged the turning radius of my man scooter and connected with the curb. Suddenly I found myself having an experience akin to Superman as I sailed head first over my handle bars. I flipped feet over head and one witness swears my head was at least 5 feet above the ground. At the last minute I tucked my head in and simply summer salted across someone’s front yard only to pop up onto my feet at the end of my roll. It seemed as if I should have arose to the applause of a circus crowd (accompanied by a “ta-da”) as a leaping performer would do.
There was not a mark on me, alas the same could not be said for my rented scooter of power. When we got back to the rental company, they did not notice the damage and technically their policy places the responsibility on the staff to note all damage. I had also paid for the $6 insurance. So I left without saying a word. As we were walking away, one of my friends told me I would feel guilty. I shrugged him off…until about 2:00pm the next day when I found myself standing at the counter explaining all that I had done. Because of my belated honesty I was not required to pay, but I was asked to tell people all about their business – so if you are ever in Victoria , than rent from BC Cycle; they have a wonderful assortment of scooters!
It was embarrassing. It was humbling. It was a good reminder that I need to be responsible in all areas of life. It was a learning moment that as a Christian I am not meant to simply satisfy the bare minimums of integrity, but to live at a standard beyond the norm.
Last Saturday I proved that my acrobatic skills are far greater than even I realized. Along with 15 of my friends, I rented a scooter. Now contrary to what you may think, these scooters were quite manly and could do up to 70km/h. At one point I tried to pull a rather quick U-turn to get ahead of one of my friends. Unfortunately, I misjudged the turning radius of my man scooter and connected with the curb. Suddenly I found myself having an experience akin to Superman as I sailed head first over my handle bars. I flipped feet over head and one witness swears my head was at least 5 feet above the ground. At the last minute I tucked my head in and simply summer salted across someone’s front yard only to pop up onto my feet at the end of my roll. It seemed as if I should have arose to the applause of a circus crowd (accompanied by a “ta-da”) as a leaping performer would do.
There was not a mark on me, alas the same could not be said for my rented scooter of power. When we got back to the rental company, they did not notice the damage and technically their policy places the responsibility on the staff to note all damage. I had also paid for the $6 insurance. So I left without saying a word. As we were walking away, one of my friends told me I would feel guilty. I shrugged him off…until about 2:00pm the next day when I found myself standing at the counter explaining all that I had done. Because of my belated honesty I was not required to pay, but I was asked to tell people all about their business – so if you are ever in Victoria , than rent from BC Cycle; they have a wonderful assortment of scooters!
It was embarrassing. It was humbling. It was a good reminder that I need to be responsible in all areas of life. It was a learning moment that as a Christian I am not meant to simply satisfy the bare minimums of integrity, but to live at a standard beyond the norm.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
SPARKing a Little Something
This past weekend Amber and I got to be a part of an event designed to engage pre-teens. SPARK Kelowna was an amazing time where nearly 300 pre-teens came together and it was a great time. The energy level was off the chart, the sumo suits were plump, the luggage was overstuffed for a 2 day event and the air was nearly chewable (because that is what you get when you sleep that many people in one building).
We did not know it but The Darce (our friend / boss Darcy McAlister) had a little surprise up his sleeve. He called us up in front of the whole crowd and explained what we are in the midst of living out. He had every person, adult and pre-teen, in that place come forward and pray for us. With the mic in the hand of a pre-teen, and little hands climbing like spiders up my arms (to meet Darcy's instructions for people to put their hands on our shoulders - talk about asking the impossible of a 3 foot pre-teen facing a 6'2" guy), I became slightly overwhelmed in an emotional way. The honesty and simplicity of their prayers was striking.
As if this was not enough, Darcy gave us a basket to hold and invited people to give to missions through us. Pre-teens and leaders came forward dropping coins and small bills into the basket. To them, it was a fortune. If they did not have money to give, they were told to give us a hug. Ever been hugged by hundreds of people in just a few minutes? Despite one unfortunate back swing which caught a girl in the face, the moment was one of the most humbling I have ever expereinced. There was such a stillness in me, as if this grandiose outpouring of pure well-wishing was too much for my body and all it could do was pause and soak in it.
And so here I sit - still vibrating with energy - marvelling at what these pre-teens will do as they grow. I find myself staring at my world map not so starry eyed anymore, but purposefully. Not only am I going to Slovakia, I am being sent.
Thank you so much to everyone who gave, spoke a kind word, prayed or hugged. You've done more than you realize.
We did not know it but The Darce (our friend / boss Darcy McAlister) had a little surprise up his sleeve. He called us up in front of the whole crowd and explained what we are in the midst of living out. He had every person, adult and pre-teen, in that place come forward and pray for us. With the mic in the hand of a pre-teen, and little hands climbing like spiders up my arms (to meet Darcy's instructions for people to put their hands on our shoulders - talk about asking the impossible of a 3 foot pre-teen facing a 6'2" guy), I became slightly overwhelmed in an emotional way. The honesty and simplicity of their prayers was striking.
As if this was not enough, Darcy gave us a basket to hold and invited people to give to missions through us. Pre-teens and leaders came forward dropping coins and small bills into the basket. To them, it was a fortune. If they did not have money to give, they were told to give us a hug. Ever been hugged by hundreds of people in just a few minutes? Despite one unfortunate back swing which caught a girl in the face, the moment was one of the most humbling I have ever expereinced. There was such a stillness in me, as if this grandiose outpouring of pure well-wishing was too much for my body and all it could do was pause and soak in it.
And so here I sit - still vibrating with energy - marvelling at what these pre-teens will do as they grow. I find myself staring at my world map not so starry eyed anymore, but purposefully. Not only am I going to Slovakia, I am being sent.
Thank you so much to everyone who gave, spoke a kind word, prayed or hugged. You've done more than you realize.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Evaluating Values
Running around in this brain of mine have been a lot of thoughts on values. What do I really value? And how do those values translate into my everyday life?
I wonder about values for two reasons. Firstly, there is a little clock in me that is ticking ever louder. Life is about to change in some pretty big ways. In less than a year I will be married and living in Slovakia. For both Amber and I we have come to a realization that we need to be deliberate in identifying what we value. We want to not just bump into people, but invest in our friendships. We need to spend quality time with family, rather than just getting around to it. We have to pause and appreciate the mountains and the ocean, instead of just driving to our next appointment. A limited amount of time has really made us appreciate every aspect, even the small ones, of our lives here in Canada.
Secondly, there are thoughts of how my values shape who I am as a person. The things I value serve as the framework on which I build who I am. In talking to one of our missionary friends, it became clear that if I am not aware of who I am in a familiar cultural context, than I will never be able to translate myself into another culture. Language, mannerisms, expressions and clothing are all expressions of who I am; but they do not define me. I must truly know myself in order to maintain my identity in a new culture.
This is a work in progress.
I wonder about values for two reasons. Firstly, there is a little clock in me that is ticking ever louder. Life is about to change in some pretty big ways. In less than a year I will be married and living in Slovakia. For both Amber and I we have come to a realization that we need to be deliberate in identifying what we value. We want to not just bump into people, but invest in our friendships. We need to spend quality time with family, rather than just getting around to it. We have to pause and appreciate the mountains and the ocean, instead of just driving to our next appointment. A limited amount of time has really made us appreciate every aspect, even the small ones, of our lives here in Canada.
Secondly, there are thoughts of how my values shape who I am as a person. The things I value serve as the framework on which I build who I am. In talking to one of our missionary friends, it became clear that if I am not aware of who I am in a familiar cultural context, than I will never be able to translate myself into another culture. Language, mannerisms, expressions and clothing are all expressions of who I am; but they do not define me. I must truly know myself in order to maintain my identity in a new culture.
This is a work in progress.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
From Rain to Sun to Snow
In a true display of unpredictable West Coast weather, the past three days have brought everything from glorious (and much needed) sunshine, to rain, to hail and now there are huge, fluffy snowflakes falling to the ground. It is the perfect day to enjoy the great indoors - despite the fact that there is work to be done.
As always, there is lots to do. I've always heard about how much work getting married actually is, but now I understand. There are simply a lot of little things that form some sort of coalition making it all seem like a single big thing. Amber and I have taken the "divide and conquer" approach and are tackling tasks on an individual basis. This has worked out great - we realy feel as though we are right on top of things. At present my biggest stress is suits. After much searching I've yet to find a suit that I love...well, I found one once, but it did not really work out and now no other suit can even coompare - so sad. We are also doing our pre-marital counseling right now and it has certanly led to some great conversations.
District happenings are in full swing. February was certainly a busy month. I do beleive March will bring a pause just before the rush brought on by SPARK (pre-teen convention) and Historymaker (youth convention) in April and May. Then the beginning of June will see us enter the blissful world of marriage. After that life is looking whirlwind-esque until September. Last Friday we hosted a pre-rally for SPARK to spread the word. It was a great night. I really enjoy investing in an event and then seeing people have an exciting and meaningful time once there. A personal highlight for me was dropping prizes from the cat walk onto a crowd of gift crazy pre-teens below!
Another arena of life that I am attempting to grow is the quality time I spend with friends. Investing in others and relationships is never a waste. With less than a year left here in Canada I really want to share this time with those who have walked out this journey with me; and I am excited to connect with new people as I go. I've found that a ticking clock defintely calls for a priority check.
As always, there is lots to do. I've always heard about how much work getting married actually is, but now I understand. There are simply a lot of little things that form some sort of coalition making it all seem like a single big thing. Amber and I have taken the "divide and conquer" approach and are tackling tasks on an individual basis. This has worked out great - we realy feel as though we are right on top of things. At present my biggest stress is suits. After much searching I've yet to find a suit that I love...well, I found one once, but it did not really work out and now no other suit can even coompare - so sad. We are also doing our pre-marital counseling right now and it has certanly led to some great conversations.
District happenings are in full swing. February was certainly a busy month. I do beleive March will bring a pause just before the rush brought on by SPARK (pre-teen convention) and Historymaker (youth convention) in April and May. Then the beginning of June will see us enter the blissful world of marriage. After that life is looking whirlwind-esque until September. Last Friday we hosted a pre-rally for SPARK to spread the word. It was a great night. I really enjoy investing in an event and then seeing people have an exciting and meaningful time once there. A personal highlight for me was dropping prizes from the cat walk onto a crowd of gift crazy pre-teens below!
Another arena of life that I am attempting to grow is the quality time I spend with friends. Investing in others and relationships is never a waste. With less than a year left here in Canada I really want to share this time with those who have walked out this journey with me; and I am excited to connect with new people as I go. I've found that a ticking clock defintely calls for a priority check.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Apple of Alberta's Eye
For those of you wondering, the afore mentioned Apple of Alberta's Eye is none other than the West Edmonton Mall (to be called The Mall hence forth). Amber and I are currently attending a conference called Transitions - it is a whole lot of training for new missionaries. I must admit that my brain is feeling full as we have been learning lots, but it has all been very thought provoking. Plus, it is super great to have the opportunity to meet soon-to-be missionaries, like Amber and I. Talking with people who are expereincing the same things as us, though each in their own unique way, has given us a lot of new perspective to work through.
BUT, back to The Mall! Yesterday, in a moment of informational overload, one of our fellow missionaries in training convinced the man in charge to take a spontaneous road trip to The Mall. There was great excitement surrounding this moment. Breaks were shortened to make the most of our time, classes flew by as we waited in anticipation and pulses were racing contiually throughout the day! The atmosphere became so intense that people were reluctant to utter the name of The Mall, as if speaking it too loudly would cause us all to wake and fdefinitelyit had only been a dream. And then the moment of departure came...
We piled into the van and we were off traversing the straight roads of Alberta (where we had seen 2 moose - or mooses - only the day before). We drove towards Edmonton with a building sense of excitement and then...we got lost! And to be honest, by we, I mean the driver (whom we shall allow to remain annonymous). Now, I am not criticizing this person but I have to say he had been to The Mall before. And, as if that was not enough, it is slightly ridiculous to have announce to a car load of hyped-up missionaries that you cannot seem to find the largest mall in North America...
One awkward phone call later we found ourselves at The Mall. Nearly bursting from our skin, we charged into The Mall in search of roller coasters to delight us with both twisting and looping. Alas, to our great dismay we found that all of the attractions had closed at 7:00pm and the clock had already struck 7:15pm. In that moment, if you stopped to listen, you could hear the sound of my dreams breaking amidst the ticking of the clock (which had hit 7:17pm by this point in time). After consolling ourselves with Starbucks (I tip my hat to you Cinamon Dolce Latte), we shopped and dreamt of what it would be like to be riding the roller coaster at The Mall.
In lieu, of a roller coaster Iride was offered a dare devil ride on a shopping cart at a Wal Mart in Le Duc. I am still waiting for that ride - you know who you are....
BUT, back to The Mall! Yesterday, in a moment of informational overload, one of our fellow missionaries in training convinced the man in charge to take a spontaneous road trip to The Mall. There was great excitement surrounding this moment. Breaks were shortened to make the most of our time, classes flew by as we waited in anticipation and pulses were racing contiually throughout the day! The atmosphere became so intense that people were reluctant to utter the name of The Mall, as if speaking it too loudly would cause us all to wake and fdefinitelyit had only been a dream. And then the moment of departure came...
We piled into the van and we were off traversing the straight roads of Alberta (where we had seen 2 moose - or mooses - only the day before). We drove towards Edmonton with a building sense of excitement and then...we got lost! And to be honest, by we, I mean the driver (whom we shall allow to remain annonymous). Now, I am not criticizing this person but I have to say he had been to The Mall before. And, as if that was not enough, it is slightly ridiculous to have announce to a car load of hyped-up missionaries that you cannot seem to find the largest mall in North America...
One awkward phone call later we found ourselves at The Mall. Nearly bursting from our skin, we charged into The Mall in search of roller coasters to delight us with both twisting and looping. Alas, to our great dismay we found that all of the attractions had closed at 7:00pm and the clock had already struck 7:15pm. In that moment, if you stopped to listen, you could hear the sound of my dreams breaking amidst the ticking of the clock (which had hit 7:17pm by this point in time). After consolling ourselves with Starbucks (I tip my hat to you Cinamon Dolce Latte), we shopped and dreamt of what it would be like to be riding the roller coaster at The Mall.
In lieu, of a roller coaster Iride was offered a dare devil ride on a shopping cart at a Wal Mart in Le Duc. I am still waiting for that ride - you know who you are....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
