We are SO Married

June 9th was everything we could have wanted and more. Though the skies decided to provide their own version of light refreshments, the day was wonderful. It truly is powerful, overwhelming and energizing to see family and friends all displaying their love and support by their presence. We were honoured to have people who came from across the Fraser River, the country, the border and even the Atlantic, to be with us.

And as if a wedding, food and a ridiculous amount of meriment was not enough - then there comes a Honeymoon. We admit we have quite the travel bug and so exploring a new place, language and people group was exciting. Even more exciting than gesturing through conversations, white water rafting or a close encounter with a coral snake while hiking, was driving our wee rental car on the mountain roads of Costa Rica...Matthew did well except for one minor visitation with the side of a large pick-up truck. All ended well and we were pleased with Amber's decision to opt for the extra insurance (it's like she knows!).

We have returned to Matthew's home province to spend some time, indulging in further celebratory events, with family and friends...and to do some further preparation for our upcoming transition to Slovakia.

Today we had another big lesson on our road to heading overseas. We lent our car to a much-beloved and highly responsible friend in B.C. to use while we were away. Our trust in our friend still remains strong, however, we are now quite skeptical of all other drivers. I am not sure what the odds of being T-boned by an RV from Alberta which was rented by an Italian tourist are, but somehow it happened. Our friend, despite a swift blow to the face by the airbag, is alright (and we are glad - anytime you walk away from an accident, it was okay). Sadly, our car has been laid to rest at some unknown car impound awaiting our return for its proper burial.

INSERT MOMENT OF RESPECTFUL SILENECE

The lesson: we seriously never know what is coming next, but we take it all in stride and honestly believe that God will work something out for our best interest. Now the really hard part is actually believing this and not agonizing.

The question: anyone know of a decent car for sale?

Marriage - YES PLEASE

Lo and behold - here comes our first delve into the world of blogging. Starting new pursuits seems to be a life theme lately, so a new blog fits well.

June 9th is coming quickly and we are all set to be man and wife. In some ways we feel like bad spouses-to-be because we are not panicking, nervous, or even overly excited. To be honest it all feels very natural. After three years of dating, being together just feels so normal. We are a little worried that other people are more excited for our wedding than we are!

It is our race to the starting line. Our marriage marks a whole new place in life. Presently, we know eachother as well as we can outside of marriage. Soon we will have a chance to re-explore our relationship on a whole new level. Could anything be more alluring? It also marks the final push towards life in a new cultural context. We are confident that we are entering our greatest adventure together.

We are better together.

Convention: More than a Survival Story

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.