IN MEMORY

Papa

March 3rd, 1925 - September 20th, 2012

87 years old. Married for 63 years!
Two children. Four grandchildren. Three great grandchildren.

Words could not begin to express the sadness that washed over me.
No words will ever express how much I miss his company.

My grandfather was an amazing person. He leaves behind many great memories.
Papa lived a very special life! I will never forget his loving kindness.

From serving in the Navy to spoiling his grandchildren, Papa could do it all!
Even if he wouldn't admit it, people knew he was a very talented man!
Papa taught highschool for many years, carved, fished, loved his family...
... and that is just a start.
He was a quiet man who never complained; handling each situation with great care.
I will always remember his laugh and the way that he joked around.
It amazes me how one person can do so many great things.

Words could not begin to express the sadness that is so real.
No words will ever express the gratitude that I feel.

I love you Papa!
May we always remember the life that you have shared with us!

Flowers From The Funeral

             Man + Donkey                           Beaver                                  Sheriff

LEARNING A LOT

To start this post I would like to thank everyone who reads this blog.
This experience is far too great to keep to myself. I want to share it with the world!
Thank you so much for being a part of this journey.

In addition to this blog, the program has now started one as well.
At this point, I don't have a lot of pictures so that blog will be useful for that!
*hopefully I can download my pictures soon and add them to this blog!
To view, please click this link: www.ebcexpedition.ca

The Expedition team has created a slogan!
We decided to go with TOUGH LOVE as it holds a lot of meaning.
If someone is committed to a loving relationship, they will face tough times.
Sometimes it is necessary that we face tough times in order to recognise that love.
As Christians, we can not take the easy way out.
We need to love like God has loved us. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us...

T  -  trust God
O  -  overcome our fears
U  -  understand the facts (know the bible / know the circumstances)
G  -  get over yourself
H  -  help others

One of our challenges was to find bible verses that would support each letter in TOUGH. Looking through the bible, we found many cases where this statement shows true.
Our search proved to be very rewarding as we discovered how God wants us to respond in situations. It's so amazing what can happen when you begin to listen to God with a new level of understanding.

In regards to our schedule, we just got back from a camp in Guilford, ON.
We did a lot of challenging group activities such as rock climbing.
... I even went on the zip line!
I am on a very encouraging  team! We really enjoy spending time together.

Back at school, we have a very busy schedule ahead of us.
Between seminars and practical experience, we never stop!
This week we are learning about various ministries.
  *Senior's - spending an evening with people in a retirement home.
  *Children's - running a children's program at a Sunday morning service.
  *Prison - visiting with women from prison as they share their personal stories.
We also spent a few hours working with mentally/physically disabled adults through a  program that offers christian support.

Next weekend we go up north once again.
We will be leading various activities at a camp. The team that I work with will be running a games room. I will also be holding a "girls" night . I'm sure that there will be a lot of nail polish and glitter flying everywhere!

Back on campus, I am finally starting to feel comfortable in residence.
We have spent more time at the school, allowing us opportunity to adjust to life here.
Our day to day activities are becoming much easier as I learn the ropes!
Still missing my family but... I know that this adventure will be rewarding!

I hope that gives you a little idea as to what we are up to.

I will end this post with a video...
This is not my video but I chose it because of the words.
Where God sends me, I will go!
ENJOY!

OUR FIRST WEEKEND

So... Here is what you all have been waiting for...
I have started my journey in the Expedition program!

Thursday September 6th was move-in day.
My mom helped me move into residence and then we went to various gatherings.
The first night was a little rough. The room was quite warm and I was missing my family a lot.

In total, there are 12 students, 2 leaders, and one coordinator.
For certain activities, we split into two smaller groups.

On Friday morning we left at 8:00 a.m. for a retreat in Clarksburg, ON.
I struggled with the whole idea that we had to make ourselves comfortable in residence yet be ready to leave all of the time.
We had a lot of fun at the retreat. The weekend's focus was on team building and leadership.
Our biggest challenge as a team was the caving that we did on Saturday. Our expedition teams went to a hiking site where we explored various caves. We filled our weekend very effectively with little time to rest. We had so much fun getting to know each other!

Back at residence, it still seems a little strange. Everyone here has spent the weekend becoming familiar with the school and preparing for classes.
The Expediton team spent this time doing very different activities.
Coming back to the school was a different experience!
There is a lot of quiet time... which could become a problem for me as I tend to think about family a lot.

Our Expedtion team bonded very quickly. We believe that God has great things instore for us. We are looking forward to all of the ministry opportunities that are in the near future!

Expedition has created a new blog. In addition to this one, you are welcome to visit the programs blog for more pictures and information.
Expedition blog: www.ebcexpedition.ca

WEBSITES

Some websites relating to this years Expedition program :

School
www.emmanuelbiblecollege.ca

Chicago
www.csm.org

Thailand
www.frontierlabourersforchrist.org

Expedition Blog
www.ebcexpedition.ca (NEW)
www.emmanuelexpedition.blogspot.ca (OLD)

ENJOY !!!