Little life update

*Just finished my last exam of the three summer courses I took. So glad.
*Took the Québec students back to Montréal by train on Saturday and then hung out there with some other YMCA staff until Tuesday morning.
*Spent an exorbitant amount on a meal at La Queue de Cheval restaurant!
*Stayed in a hostel two nights and then upgraded thanks to Hotwire to the Delta Centre-Ville!
*Had la meilleure massage ever! Another splurge, but so worth it!
*Finally found that wine I looked for last time!! Au marché Jean-Talon! Now need an occasion for it...
*Experienced a fantastic brunch place, thanks to local friend, Val!
*Checked out the wild hippy Sunday Tam-Tam thing in Mont-Royal Park and realized that I am so not a hippy. Who was I fooling in high school?
*Was reminded again that my French conversation skills are considerably lacking. Continuing to consider immersion experience...
*Decided this week to NOT buy out my Civic when the lease ends in two weeks! Even though I kept the mileage real low and kept it all in good shape, the HST makes the buy out ridiculous and too much effort to re-sell to make a few hundred dollars, if I even could! And now that I am a student, I probably really should get a much cheaper kinda car. Gonna check out one tomorrow. The search begins.
*Found out recently that I'm gonna be an auntie again!!
*Been really wanting a dog lately. Resist. Resist.
*Been watching an insane amount of television on dvd. Firefly, Smallville, Alias, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (I always had a thing for Dean Cain as Superman in the 90s) And many of these I bought!
*Also have got into True Blood, thanks to someone's recommendation.
*Our community garden is exploding! Very cool to see.
*I found out last night that I won a draw I entered at the local market for $15 worth of food! I never win things like that!!
*Summer job finishes officially tomorrow! Three weeks ahead with few commitments.
*The humidity has kept me from biking as much as I thought I would this summer. Now I have to push myself.
*I've had cravings for ice cream almost every night this summer!
*The Cold Stone that is inside Tim Hortons in Kitchener, was a big disappointment. I went the other night and the guy really didn't know what he was doing; he didn't know he had a serious reputation to uphold!

That's all I got!

Chinese Checkers Tutorial Video

So this is my lame-o video inspired by the fact that Chris learned Chinese Checkers recently and the discovery that I could not find details online to teach anyone how to play this far funner and superior version of the game. Hope it's not too boring and is still informative! At least there's a funky Derek Webb song to groove to.

Some music...

Check out some new additions to the right (podbean) as I'm currently working on recording some stuff to make a cd for my mom.  But first up, check out my JT cover!  Quite silly, really.

Miami Photos

So in February I went to Miami for four days.  By myself.  Weird, I know.  I had some airmiles I had to use up for a one-way anywhere in the US, but needed a place that wasn't too expensive to fly the other direction.  Originally I had a friend connection for accommodation, but things fell through for her and so I ended up being creative because, well, Miami isn't cheap to stay in as a tourist.  I used some more airmiles for a disappointing hotel, cut way back for one night in a hostel (which was quite cool and where I met some attractive guys from Spain, ha ha) and then splurged for a night at the MIA hotel.

When I learned that my friend had to back out, I figured it would turn into just four days lying on the beach or by the pool reading; it was Reading Week after all and I brought some French and Spanish to study for school.  I had heard that Florida was experiencing a cold winter, but I didn't think it would affect Miami.  I was wrong.  It was cold.  Of course, not as cold as Ontario, but definitely NOT warm enough for my lying-around-in- the-sun plan.  If I was going to enjoy Miami, I would have to walk around to keep myself warm.  And shop for some clothes, because I didn't bring enough warm things.

Camera in hand, I set out to explore.  Not staying right at Miami Beach, I figured out the bus system and was on my way.  Over the four days, I rode those Miami buses A LOT.  What an interesting way to see a place.  I felt like the ethnic minority on the bus, for sure. And Spanish felt like the first language of many places I found myself in Miami.  On the second day I ventured to the downtown and checked out some touristy market and then rode this free little train with the commuters.

I wandered around trying to find a "downtown" and well, couldn't really find anything particularly interesting.  Everything shut down at about 6!  Waiting for a bus back to the hotel area was strange as I was the only one waiting.  And getting off the bus was a little sketchy and it was only 7:30!  So weird.  A big contrast from Miami (South) Beach where I spent Days 1 and 3.



In fact, Day 1 was great because I met a local who hung out and wandered around with me for hours.  We checked out lots of vintage clothing shops and then had Cuban for dinner.  He was an interesting, musician dude (shout out, if you're reading Adé).  I ran into him when I was crossing the street to get a better view of the line up to see Celine Dion at her movie premiere.  Never did take the picture, but saw the limo pull up and then saw Celine, her hubbie and son across the street.  Interesting tangent...I kept hearing francophones all over Miami Beach.

Day 4 I checked out Coconut Grove, a supposedly artsy area.  It was kind of just lots of yachts, restaurants and expensive shops.  Came upon the Barnacle Historic State Park pretty much just as it was closing.  Wandered around and took pictures of interesting things.

I spent the third day walking along the entire beach of South Beach, down to the southern most tip and back up in through the middle of town.  And now I know what Vanilla Ice was talking about "A1A Beachfront Avenue", although I didn't really go on that as a walker.

Cute British family.

Dude modelling some underwear I guess.

A bearded man just chillin'.

And there you have it.  My Miami trip.

Oh, I also had: stone crabs, a Peruvian fish dish, an empenada and Cuban coffee.  Ate Subway once and immediately passed the Whopper Bar and was sad to have missed that experience.

Short thoughts...

Was driving home tonight from a dinner with friends and a visiting family who are missionaries in Asia and doing some thinking.  First, was thinking about me and kids, how I'm more into them than ever (I played with their little girl for a long while and spent some time with some friends and their babies earlier today).  I truly like being the auntie.  (At the same time, it's not easy having to wait to be a mom.)

Second, I caught this short shpeal on the radio about our hearts and how we can use our passions to determine what our ministry can be.  Funny because I used to say the same thing at the YWAM DTS's I taught at.  And here was a little reminder for me to think about this again.  What came to my mind was how I've always enjoyed hanging out and talking with those in the downtowns of cities, whether they be homeless or not.  Just making friends and acknowledging people.  I've enjoyed those conversations in many cities around the world, particularly in my culture (including Canada, US and England).  Yet, I haven't really found a way to incorporate this into my own life in my own city.  I think I'm gonna try again.  (I know it's not easy though as a single woman--had some interesting, tricky experiences when I moved to Kitchener's downtown in 1999 and tried to be "friendly like Christ" to those I met (who seemed to all be men).)

Third, was thinking how I should follow through with this Mexican family I know here and spend some time hanging out and practicing Spanish.  This week while presenting to high school French classes and evaluating applicants' level of French (for my summer job), I was struck again with how far I have to go in my own learning.  My speaking [confidence] sucks!  When I have the option (like we do here), I revert to English.  Erg.  Even in Montreal last month, I attempted to find this yummy wine and gave up trying in French and switched.  Then didn't speak much French again after that.  Well, I ordered my lunch of crêpes....

The program I'm in encourages the students to study "abroad" for the third year.  I keep looking at it, but right now I'm mostly interested in going to Quebec City, to Laval.  France just seems to far for me right now.  We'll see.  I have some time.

This week I got clearance from the department for an exception: they're going to let me study Portuguese at another school and count it toward my degree!  Yay!  Very happy about this.  Wasn't feeling the existing options (Italian, German, Arabic).  And Portuguese was one of the languages on the list of goals that partly got all of this started.

Ok, fourth.  I've been wanting to post this song, because I like it and keep playing it over while driving. I doubt if the video is any good, but just take a listen.  (Notice the Canadian accent on "shouted".  It actually took me awhile to figure out what the word was!)

Matt Maher, Alive Again

My Summative Letter

In September I started writing a letter of thanks and reflection to send to my home church in Wasaga Beach who supported me as one of their missionaries since 1998.  Their financial support came to an end in September with my decision to finish with YWAM/Global Youth Network and go back to school full-time.  Well, I didn't finish the letter or send it off until I had another chance to work on it--today!  Even today, six months after my initial reflection, it was good to read over what I had to say about the time with YWAM/Global.  Thought I'd paste some exerts from it here:

September 7, 2009

It’s amazing to consider that it was eleven years ago this month that I moved to England to set out for my mission training school with Youth With a Mission (YWAM). Certainly there have been many different and new chapters in the years since, but as I lay in my hammock on this pleasant eve of my twenty-ninth birthday, I most definitely feel the closing of one book and the anticipation of beginning a new one. This summer I took some time to re-read my journals from over the years, searching for things that God spoke to me. I wish to now build on that and to document a refection of sorts, for myself and for those who have so faithfully supported me on this journey.

First of all, know this. When I was sixteen and still learning to recognize God’s voice, I felt Him call me to “full-time ministry”. That call became specific and led me to train and work as a missionary as soon as I finished high school. On the journey, I heard God broaden the definition and I now know that my “calling” is no different than any follower of Christ: to minister first to God’s heart through intimate relationship with Him and second, to serve the world, wherever I find myself.

Second, God is faithful and has proven that He can be trusted. The clearest demonstration of this faithfulness has come to me time and time again through practical provision. The choice to train and then work with a missions organization who (at first) did not pay its workers (did later, but less than what is considered necessary in our country), granted me the fantastic experiences of trusting in Jehovah Jireh, of living simply and in community, of creatively using my talents for income and of humbly making my needs known to the body of Christ. I have noticed that it is our experiences of interaction with God that enlarge our revelation of who He is and, since I have so many testimonies to His provision, the truth of His faithfulness in this area has finally been driven home for me! (There are other areas of His goodness that I still doubt, of course, but I trust that my faith will keep growing.)
...

Sometimes I wish I were more of a storyteller. I know that the stories from these experiences would be more meaningful than just a list of what I did. I’ll never forget the woman who taught me the best lesson I could have ever learned about gratitude. She was a First Nations woman, sitting on the streets of Toronto one frigid February day. We sat together and she told me that every day when she awoke, she would give thanks to the Creator for another day of life. Thankful for life, while she had no home and not much of anything.

Then there was the man in Thailand who invited our team into his home, gave each of us a very old Thai coin and then told us how thankful he was for our help after the devastation of the Tsunami. He was thankful to God and he decided to believe in Jesus. And our team was there only to build. No one ever once spoke about Christ. Of course he knew that we were working with Pastor Wasan (the funny little man who said of Durian fruit, “Smell like hell, but taste like heaven!”) who was such a strong witness of the gospel of action—working still to host teams to rebuild. He didn’t care if the team was made up of Christians or not.

And of course, the two places I have been to the most: Manaus, Brazil and New Orleans. I remember New Orleans before Katrina. And I remember it eight months after, when it was still a very big mess. And then a year after that, when it was STILL a big mess. Driving the streets and feeling like I was in a developing country. Seeing row upon row of white trailers and water marks on the buildings. Trying to write a song to express my feelings. Sadness and anger at the same time. That city is definitely in my heart.

It has been such a neat experience to watch an orphanage grow in the Amazon. To see it after receiving its first four kids, to help build, to see new additions, to see more children come and to see children go (sometimes to be adopted, but sometimes they run away back to the streets). To watch the YWAM workers give much blood, sweat and tears and to hope that they find their reward.

March 13, 2010

Amazing (and embarrassing) how long it's taken for me to complete this letter of reflection! September brought my first year as a full-time university student, which, while also holding a part-time retail job, I found to be a very different pace of life. But here I am finally with a free weekend!  

Many people ask me what I plan to do after this. I don't have a plan other than to continue enjoying the journey and to discover the answer at the appropriate time. Yes, I really had no plan, nor even the slightest idea that I would not be working with Global Youth Network this year, but when new things began to unfold, I knew they were right. Many of you know that the last few years have not been easy in my family and, although there isn't a lot of change in the situation, me being “more than just ok” has been able to come about since I made a few decisions for change last year; God has graciously given me newness of life.

This morning I read something from Henri Nouwen that I'd like to share:

We must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new. Imagine that we could live each moment pregnant with new life. Imagine that we could walk through the new year always listening to a voice saying to us: “I have a gift for you and I can't wait for you to see it!” Imagine.

Is it possible that our imagination can lead us to the truth of our lives? Yes, it can! The problem is that we allow our past, which becomes longer and longer each year, to say to us: “You know it all; you have seen it all, be realistic; the future will be just another repeat of the past. Try to survive it as best you can.” There are many cunning foxes jumping on our shoulders and whispering in our ears the great lie: “There is nothing new under the sun...don't let yourself be fooled....”

So what are we to do? First, we must send the foxes back to where they belong: in their foxholes. And then we must open our minds and hearts to the voice that resounds through the valleys and hills of our life saying: “Let me show you where I live among my people. My name is 'God-with-you.' I will wipe away all the tears from your eyes; there will be no more death and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past is gone” (see Rev. 21:2-5).

We must choose to listen to that voice and every choice will open us a little more to discover the new life hidden in the moment, waiting eagerly to be born.

'Hold onto the promise, the stories are true: my Jesus makes all things new! The dawn is upon you.'   

O Jésus, je vous prie...

New song post (check out the new podcast link on the side "Podbean") --->
It's a "Kyrie" from Haiti.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.