I haven't written a post in two weeks because I was on reading break and instead of only including half of the break I have decided to include the whole thing. first of all only 13(!) days till I am on my way to Argentina. It's hard to believe that this trip has come up so fast. I am excited to go. Please pray that I would be able to do the work that God calls me to do and that I will step out in faith to do effective ministry with the Argentine people. Also pray for my brothers and sisters going to India. I went on a hiking trip with them to train and man it is going be physically demanding. Pray that they would find strength to cary on an important task of prayer through a dark country.
For our overnighter we had a great time bonding with the whole team. I have to admit I was a little jealous of the India team going to Mystic Beach, but its all good. I think I will be heading there after I get back because I get back a few days before the other team. However I'm not letting that get in the way rather I'm going focus on whats ahead. We went over what we are going be doing and its going be some cool stuff. Were putting on a retreat, doing more hands on stuff, putting on an overnight camp and lastly but not as important we will take in the sights of Argentina. I hear its beautiful so I will try to get my photography skills up and running. (No promises though) I feel a lot more content about Argentina and I'm excited to see whats in store for my team.
For reading week I had the privilege of going to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Shoreline Washington. The graciously opened up there home for there "favourite" west coast nephew. I took a 2 hour and 45 min ferry ride to seattle. I got to stay in the apartment over there garage for the week. They embraced me with open arms and it was a good time for me. I needed to be away from camp to be rested, something I have trouble doing. It was a refreshing weekend and I was excited to spend it with family. My uncle and aunt reminded me of a young couple again. It's only them two at home so I got to be the child for the week. I think they liked that. It was nice that I got my own space, something that I didn't get a chance to have at home during christmas. I have to admit I didn't do a whole lot of homework done but that's okay because I needed rest most importantly. I got to run errands with my uncle and got to take in the sights and sounds of seattle. There are so many STARBUCKS in that area. It truly is the Tim Hortons of Canada, which i guess is american now....
On Saturday we took a trip to south Seattle. There we went to Pike's Market place, which was packed with people. I like going to markets so I enjoyed it quite a bit. I even got a shirt from my relatives, which had Starbucks on it! The very first one too. Those who are reading don't fret.. my allegiance hasn't switched from tim hortons to starbucks. We also went to go see The King's Speech. An excellent choice of film if I don't say so myself. Sunday was a slack day and was a day of rest for the three of us. It was a good day. On Monday we went to downtown Seattle again. This time we went on an underground tour of the city. It's rather remarkable if you ask me. The city was burned down in the late 18 hundreds and to stop the tide from wiping out the streets, the mayor decided to raise the city up a whole 15 feet! We took a tour of what Seattle looked like before and it was so cool. It's declared a historic site now. It was just so cool and really blew my mind. After that we went for India food (India team, I'm jealous but not really because we get an Argentine bbq... bon apetite!). We then went up the Seattle Space Needle. I was truly a tourist that day as I didn't go up there the first time I was there. The next day I spent attempting homework and hanging out with my uncle and Aunt. Kudos to my uncle and aunt who gave me a good week of rest and relaxation. The week seemed to fly by as I'm already back. And what an adventure it was to get back to Kaleo! (It involved a boat, a soaker, a bus, a car, and hate to say it, STARBUCKS!)
It was a good week for me to step back and debrief in a way about my time at Kaleo. A lot of good has come out of this year. I had a phone chat with my Dad and I felt content about saying I am good. He read my struggles and it has been good for me to express them. I feel I can hide a lot of my true emotions. I feel when I write on here I am able to express them a lot more. I think we will go through trials and temptations but if we persevere a lot of good will come out. As I am changing I am even seeing a lot of good out of the summer. A summer which was the hardest thing for me to do.
I will end with James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
2/23/11
2/15/11
Where Has The Time Gone...
It seems like it was just yesterday when I last posted. The weeks are going bye faster and faster. It's quite a sad thought that it will be ending so soon. Where has the time gone...
This week was a pretty solid week. I didn't think I had to change this year, but I was wrong. I have changed a lot and I'm excited about it. I let go of a lot of things and understand that i needed change this year. It has been a year of Grace and as much as I didn't think it was, it is and it keeps going back to that year. Outside of the out trips and class weeks I feel I have wasted a lot of this year in terms of building on a intimate relationship with God. On Tuesday night Tyler really brought up that guys aren't taking initiative and that the spiritual aspect of our time here has essentially not been here. It was a good reminder for me because I wanted to grow in my walk with God and by not being in the word or in prayer I am failing. There is two months left. Two months of Grace for wasting this year. I am going give my all to God and finish off strongly.
This week we had two days to rest and prepare for three days of camp ministry. It hasn't been a class I was looking forward to, but it was pretty good. Sid Koop came to teach about camp and youth ministry. He is a youth pastor in Lethbridge, Alberta and he is truly a man after God's heart. I felt encouraged by him. I wish I would have learned some of the content before working at camp because that would have been very helpful for me.
On saturday we went to town to do a photo scavenger hunt. It was pretty fun but the most important thing was hanging out with the community which hasn't always been happening.
Church was really good as well on sunday. Pastor Mark preached on what worship is and how it is to be done. It was also a good reminder for me because I'm not very good at worshiping. It helped me to know that it is about worshiping God and if there is a song I don't like I have to remember it is about worshiping God. After Church I went with the Argentina team to Melissa Holland for our teams overnighter. I am so pumped to be going. I finally have an idea of what I'm going be doing :).
This week was a pretty solid week. I didn't think I had to change this year, but I was wrong. I have changed a lot and I'm excited about it. I let go of a lot of things and understand that i needed change this year. It has been a year of Grace and as much as I didn't think it was, it is and it keeps going back to that year. Outside of the out trips and class weeks I feel I have wasted a lot of this year in terms of building on a intimate relationship with God. On Tuesday night Tyler really brought up that guys aren't taking initiative and that the spiritual aspect of our time here has essentially not been here. It was a good reminder for me because I wanted to grow in my walk with God and by not being in the word or in prayer I am failing. There is two months left. Two months of Grace for wasting this year. I am going give my all to God and finish off strongly.
This week we had two days to rest and prepare for three days of camp ministry. It hasn't been a class I was looking forward to, but it was pretty good. Sid Koop came to teach about camp and youth ministry. He is a youth pastor in Lethbridge, Alberta and he is truly a man after God's heart. I felt encouraged by him. I wish I would have learned some of the content before working at camp because that would have been very helpful for me.
On saturday we went to town to do a photo scavenger hunt. It was pretty fun but the most important thing was hanging out with the community which hasn't always been happening.
Church was really good as well on sunday. Pastor Mark preached on what worship is and how it is to be done. It was also a good reminder for me because I'm not very good at worshiping. It helped me to know that it is about worshiping God and if there is a song I don't like I have to remember it is about worshiping God. After Church I went with the Argentina team to Melissa Holland for our teams overnighter. I am so pumped to be going. I finally have an idea of what I'm going be doing :).
2/8/11
Let It Go..
I am finding it rather difficult with coming up with a blog post this week. I have been avoiding writing one for the past couple of days. I guess I have had lots on my mind. Well here goes nothing and it might be a lot of jumping from here to there, but I will try my best.
So for the past little while I have been in a down time. I am struggling with thoughts of why I am here and struggling with my walk with God. On Thursday, my intern Tyler shared his story with Kaleo and it really impacted me and really made me think. Perseverance was a big thing that I got out of his story. After his story I just went to my room and wept. It was built out emotion that came out after hearing Tyler's story and what I have been struggling with. I need to persevere through this year. It is a hard year for me and like I said last week it is not a gap year. It is a year of growth and foundation. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4. This verse in James came up after and it just really felt like this is what Kaleo is for me. It is a trial and I can't just look to whats going happen rather i have to persevere through each day and really give my all to God. I have been holding back a lot this year and God is telling me that I have to let things go. I didnt really know what to do so for one I deleted all the emails I have been holding on to. I have also talked a lot about how good last year was for me, but in that I failed to see the bad times as well. For these next two months that I have here I am going give my all to God. I have been learning that this is not about me, it's about the community here. Jim talked about the body of Christ and how if one part doesn't do its job the whole body suffers. As i sit back and not speak out I am making the body suffer. I am learning to let go. I am having a more positive outlook on whats in front of me. It's hard when there is a lot of negativity but being negative doesn't solve anything. Maybe Kaleo wasn't what I was hoping it would be but it is a year of grace. Grace is something I am also learning. At first I like it is not a year of Grace, but it is what it comes back to. I am so thankful to be here.
I was also going through pictures this week and I came across this beauty of a pic. It has a lot of meaning behind it. I see a lot of myself in this picture. I am on the fence right now. The look that is on the boy's face is of uncertainty. This is an uncertainty of my faith. I am on the fence right now but I am learning. A wall is definately coming down slowly but surely and i am ready to get off that fence that i have gone back on. I keep thinking of the prodigal son story. I think I used to be the younger son being more care free and not really caring and now i feel as though I am the older son and what his attitude was and I feel like i need to be more like the father in that story.
Yeah I keep losing my train of thought and thats mostly whats been on my mind the last little while. I am excited to see what God has in store for me. I know I have to surrender myself to God. In order for me to have a relationship with God is going have to require me to surrender to him and to let go of whats holding me back from doing so.
This week I had Intro To Christian Theology. It was a pretty good class and it was interesting learning about the different views towards different Christian topics. I am not one for debates so thats the one thing I didn't really enjoy. I don't like the whole calvinism/arminianism debate because for me i feel that in the end it's not going to matter. I have to take what I know who God is and then maybe think about those views. I feel when we just come to a conclusion of who God is based on these views we are just going generalize who God is and put him in a box which is something we can't do. There are going be certain questions that can't be answered and were just going need to have faith and God. It is all grace.
So for the past little while I have been in a down time. I am struggling with thoughts of why I am here and struggling with my walk with God. On Thursday, my intern Tyler shared his story with Kaleo and it really impacted me and really made me think. Perseverance was a big thing that I got out of his story. After his story I just went to my room and wept. It was built out emotion that came out after hearing Tyler's story and what I have been struggling with. I need to persevere through this year. It is a hard year for me and like I said last week it is not a gap year. It is a year of growth and foundation. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4. This verse in James came up after and it just really felt like this is what Kaleo is for me. It is a trial and I can't just look to whats going happen rather i have to persevere through each day and really give my all to God. I have been holding back a lot this year and God is telling me that I have to let things go. I didnt really know what to do so for one I deleted all the emails I have been holding on to. I have also talked a lot about how good last year was for me, but in that I failed to see the bad times as well. For these next two months that I have here I am going give my all to God. I have been learning that this is not about me, it's about the community here. Jim talked about the body of Christ and how if one part doesn't do its job the whole body suffers. As i sit back and not speak out I am making the body suffer. I am learning to let go. I am having a more positive outlook on whats in front of me. It's hard when there is a lot of negativity but being negative doesn't solve anything. Maybe Kaleo wasn't what I was hoping it would be but it is a year of grace. Grace is something I am also learning. At first I like it is not a year of Grace, but it is what it comes back to. I am so thankful to be here.
I was also going through pictures this week and I came across this beauty of a pic. It has a lot of meaning behind it. I see a lot of myself in this picture. I am on the fence right now. The look that is on the boy's face is of uncertainty. This is an uncertainty of my faith. I am on the fence right now but I am learning. A wall is definately coming down slowly but surely and i am ready to get off that fence that i have gone back on. I keep thinking of the prodigal son story. I think I used to be the younger son being more care free and not really caring and now i feel as though I am the older son and what his attitude was and I feel like i need to be more like the father in that story.
Yeah I keep losing my train of thought and thats mostly whats been on my mind the last little while. I am excited to see what God has in store for me. I know I have to surrender myself to God. In order for me to have a relationship with God is going have to require me to surrender to him and to let go of whats holding me back from doing so.
This week I had Intro To Christian Theology. It was a pretty good class and it was interesting learning about the different views towards different Christian topics. I am not one for debates so thats the one thing I didn't really enjoy. I don't like the whole calvinism/arminianism debate because for me i feel that in the end it's not going to matter. I have to take what I know who God is and then maybe think about those views. I feel when we just come to a conclusion of who God is based on these views we are just going generalize who God is and put him in a box which is something we can't do. There are going be certain questions that can't be answered and were just going need to have faith and God. It is all grace.
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