Combines, Rest, and Whatever...

There’s something about driving at night and seeing the field’s full of combines. Now I don’t know much about farming and the timing of everything, but it’s pretty. the other day as I was driving back to my parent’s place from dropping a friend off in Steinbach, I was blown away by how beautiful it looked with the lights of the combines and the dust in the night sky. Literally, I saw more than fifteen combines on my hour and a half drive. The pic above is from a different day, but I thought for those reading who have never seen one, there it is :P.

Other than admiring the beauty of the Harvest season, I've been trying to get a grasp on this new life of no longer being a student. For my job, it means getting different clothes cuz as of now, all my clothes were found in the free box at school or at MCC. It also means growing up in a different way. I'm starting my first real job, not that I've not worked in the past; but even in the midst of my time as a waitress, working at a day care and the many other jobs I've had in my teenage years this one is...well, real. ha.

I've been trying to rest. I've just finished four years of college, thankfully coming out of it with a bachelor's degree and some pretty satisfactory grades. I never realized until recently that it's taken a lot out of me. Who would have thunk that 4 years of cramming my brain with learning would be tiring? ha. As you can tell my articulation skills are suffering at the moment. I can't seem to make sense, let alone make sense of the things around me. In the midst of schooling, life has also been going on at an alarming pace and I'm finding that I'm only catching up with it now. I'm not sure how to do this resting thing, but I've found that all the sleeping in and having fun that I've been trying to do hasn't been working for me, but only adding to my stress. This is a scary thought as in a week or so I will be meeting the fellow staff at the school and in 2 or so weeks (give or take) I will be finally interacting with the students at MCI. The students God has been preparing me for. Scary thought, but I know that He is bigger than any of my fears and worries. If you think of me, I'd love prayer. I'm doing good, I just need to calm down and trust that the Lord knows what He's doing. I can say I trust Him, but it's the letting what I say be true also in my actions that I'm struggling with. How can I say that I trust that He's taking care of me if I'm always anxious? I can't.

This has turned out to be longer than I had originally planned, but maybe that's ok. Kinda vented a bit, and let the world know a bit of where I'm at. It's not smooth like poetry, but it's there, take it as it is.

Life is a dashing and bold adventure....

If you let it be. Since arriving back in Manitoba, I have struggled to let this be true in my life. I’m quickly being reminded that even in the monotony of life there are still many epic moments waiting to be realized and had. There are roads that have not yet been traveled, images I have not yet captured on my camera, images that are too glorious to be contained on a piece of paper, intimate moments with the Lord that happen in every moment that I could miss if I don’t keep my heart and eyes open. To sum it up, I am challenging myself to live like I’m seeing everything for the first time, treasure every moment, wonder at everything I see and experience, and in doing this to be aware of the awesome works of the Lord all around me. How can I go on living like the green on the grass in my parent’s back yard was put there by accident? How can I ignore the majestic prairie sunset, or the smell of rain before it falls? I refuse to be blind to the miracles around me. I am so thankful for God’s patience with me as I learn and re-learn lessons like this one. He is so good.

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth…

....almost the 8th

Sitting on the couch wondering why my stomach and head feel the way they do, although there are many things that could account for it; like the high amount of sugar intake today and lack of pure H2O I’ve taken in.

In less than 24 hours my feet will touch Manitoba concrete and make their way into my parents Dodge Caravan. The events leading up to this experience are many beginning at my college graduation…

Mom told me about this job opening at a Christian boarding school in Southern Manitoba, not far from the town I where I was born. This led to me applying for the job, and long story short, I have acquired said job. But wait, there’s more. Two weeks after I walked across the stage of the Hildebrand Chapel to receive my hard earned degree in Christian Ministry mixed with a few other things, I flew here, to BC to work at Camp Qwanoes. Since that day, life has been full of adventure, hard work, rodents, boats, new experiences, tears, tents, permadirt, amazing friends, and a whole lot of learning from the Man upstairs.

Tomorrow morning I will say a few last “see ya laters” and make my way to the Victoria airport. Exciting? Not quite yet, but it’ll get there. There is so much to be done before work starts on September 1^st and so many adventures to be had. Not to sound cheesy, but it’s gonna be great.

It’s like leaving one life for another…or one ministry for another. Anyhow, I’d best get some sleep before the trek starts tomorrow and before I stay awake until tomorrow comes.

Firsts of Summer 2010...

- Driving a convertible

- Eating calamari

- Going to Saltspring Island

- Cracking open a muscle and taking the guts out for fish bate

- Taking a fish of the hook

- Climbing 95 feet

- Knee boarding

- Going off the blob

- Super-toter and Saturn

- Experiencing the Parksville Sandcastle Competition

- Ride in an ambulance

- IV

- Learning to skateboard

- Having a picknick in a dingy in the cemetery pond

- Camping at Mystic Beach/on the beach

-Sleeping at the Boat House

Confessions of a 21 year-old Tractor Driver:

1. I have a job! ..K not really a confession, but I'm stoked! I'll be working at MCI (a private Christian boarding school) in the fall.

2. Yesterday after a long day of driving tractor at the Skyscraper in the Challenge Course (if you want to see a pic I'm sure you could find a pic of the swing @ www.qwanoes.ca) ..I stuck around to help Amelia take down all the equipment. The last thing left to do was to drive the tractor back to the Maintenance area and park it. In our excitement, I forgot to un-attach the swing chord from the back of the tractor and hence, I pulled the chord 95 feet up the pole.

3. This morning I climbed up said pole...to the top and hooked a beaner to the chord so it could be pulled down back to the ground.

4. I think I may no longer be afraid of heights.

5. It's turned out to be a wonderful day.

Just a Spoon Full of Sugar...

Since arriving at camp, I have been serving in almost every area here: kitchen, maintenance, the office, challenge course, and a few others. At first I found myself rather frustrated with a lack of consistency and a feeling that I was never placed in an area that I could put my gifts to work. It took me a while before I remembered that I'm not here to serve me but to serve others. The Lord also reminded me that I did after all, ask Him to teach me to be selfless...gently. He has been teaching me, and He has been so gracious with me.

This past weekend was family retreat. One evening, my friend Jordana and I were babysitting three kiddos. One of the girls asked us to tell her a Bible story because she had never gone to Church before and wanted to go to hear the stories. She was so thankful when we did and asked to hear "the story about Jesus on the cross" the next night. I guess sometimes I forget that we truly are reaching the unreached here, even at a Christian camp.

Today was my day off. I went with three friends into Duncan for the afternoon. I had the privilege of driving my friends standard sports car around Duncan as we searched for different unique stores to check out. It was a great afternoon that ended with crusing through some back roads on our way back to camp.

Tomorrow I will be spending the day serving on Maintenance and then in the Challenge Course, and then probably back on Maintenance. I love being outside here.

Nomads Land

The journey from Manitoba to the Island is one to be remembered. Arriving at the Winnipeg airport at 6am, traveling with a friend to Vancouver and being picked up by two brothers was so sweet. Next it was time to learn a new game...Crib...and I will say that the other team got SKUNKED! Then we hit up the beautiful Stanley Park for a picnic and some Frisbee...next stop the Tawassen Ferry terminal. There's something special about taking the ferry....can't quite put my finger on it, but it is epic. Shortly thereafter we arrived at camp excited for whatever we were to encounter next...