DADS BIRTHDAY

Today is my dad's birthday!
I am glad that Ican be home for this occasion.
To celebrate, we will be having dinner and CAKE with my grandma this evening.

My mom bought my dad a nice new coat.
Guess who decided to open this gift?

 

That's right, my dog loves wrapping paper!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

OTTAWA / QUEBEC

10 HOURS...
The "Expedition" team left Dunham, Quebec very early this morning.
It only took us 10 HOURS to get back to the school. (5:10 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.)
Not long after our arrival, I jumped in the car for the final stretch home!
I get to spend 2 days at home before going back to school for our next trip.

What have we been up to?

Ottawa, Ontario
Here, we were introduced to a christian program at the University of Ottawa.
While our stay in Ottawa was short, we got to experience a lot!

We got to explore the campus through various activities.
After dinner, we had a small bible study before calling it a night.
The next day, we participated in a tour of parliament!

 

Later, we had the chance to apply what we had learned in the bible study.
In John 4, Jesus talks to a Samaritan women about the "living water".
While many students were not christain, we asked about "thirsts" in their life.
This proved to be a very challenging task for me.

Before we left Ottawa, we walked around the campus praying for the school.
By 10:00 p.m. we were in Montreal!

Montreal, Quebec
Here, we stayed with a lovely couple who work together as marriage counsellors.
For their ministry, they provide a week-long retreat for couples.
Throughout the week, they challenge the couples to learn and grow as one.
The goal is to teach the couples how to care for each other's hearts!

During our stay, the "Expedition" team worked at preparing the house for ministry.
The home was divided into 4 separate living spaces.
This allows for privacy between the couples who are on this "retreat".
In order to make room for the couples, jobs were quickly assigned.
Personally, I was in charge of painting the exterior railings which I enjoyed greatly!

Our contribution to this project was greatly appreciated by the host couple.
They were so kind as to help with meals, to teach, and to allot time for exploration!
We got to spend an afternoon discovering Montreal!
The squirrels were very friendly, gently taking nuts from our hands!

Dunham, Quebec
Keeping with the same type of ministry, our team moved to help another couple.
Here, we worked a lot harder as there was more to be done.
This newly built home required much care before opening for marriage retreats.
The host family was amazing. They were so kind and generous!
We were spoiled with great meals and snacks through out the day.

 

The past 10 days have been amazing.

The "Expedition" team was able to help indirectly with various ministries.

Exploring each new task, we took this as a learning experience.

We all walked away with a new understanding of what it means to "serve others".

This has been a great opportunity, thank you for reading a long!

 

UPDATE

As you may have read in the last post, my grandfather recently passed away.
With this in mind, I did not post anything in regards to school.

At this point I would like to continue sharing my experience with you!

To begin, here are a couple of reminders:
   1. You no longer need a password to comment on this blog!
          * If you would like to comment, click on the word "comments" below the post.
          * Comment as: "anonymous" or "name" to comment without a password!
   2. The program also has a blog! www.ebcexpedition.ca

Moving forward...
On September 20th, the "Expedition" team left for Stayner, ON.
We spent four days at a youth camp.
There was a lot of set up to be done on the first day.
Later, over 800 teenagers arrived.
Worship, lessons, meals, and games filled the weekend.

Unfortunately, I came home to some sad news.
My grandfather had passed away while I was at the camp.
This was extremely difficult. Why did this have to happen like this?
I went home for the funeral but returned to school the next day.
Thankfully, I have a strong team supporting me through everything.
I was reminded that I need to trust God even through the darkest of times.

         The Lord is my sheppard, I shall not want...                               "God saw you were getting tired,  

         He leads me beside quiet waters...                                             and a cure was not to be.
         Even though I walk through the valley                                       So He put His arms around you,

         of the shadow of death,                                                               And whsipered 'come to me'.

         I will fear no evil,                                                                         A golden heart stopped beating,

         for You are with me;                                                                    Hard working hands now rest.

         Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me...                                God broke our hearts to prove to us

                                                              ~ Psalm 23                              He only takes the very best."

This past week was very interesting.
We spent 2 FULL days helping at a soup kitchen! (13hrs/day)
I helped with the food room where guests could pick out groceries for the week.
I got to see so many different people and hear about their struggles.
What an amazing experience. We are so blessed with all that we have.
In addition to helping at the soup kitchen, we also learned a lot through seminars.

On October 2nd, we are back on the road again!
The "Expedition" team will spend 2 days in Ottawa and 8 days in Quebec.
We will be exploring our nations capital and helping with various tasks.
In Quebec, we may get a little messy as we work to finish construction projects.

Off we go...
The next post will be after this 10 day trip!
I will be adding pictures for that one!

 

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 !!!

COTTAGE TIME

We got home from the cottage a couple days ago.
What an amazing week. I enjoyed every minute of it!
If I didn't have a million things to do at home, I would have loved to stay!
It was really nice to spend a week with so much family and fun.
Alot of my aunts, uncles, and cousins were there along with my immediate family.
We did a lot of fishing and swimming. My brother and I even went TUBING!

Here are some pictures:


 

ZOO

We went to the zoo a couple days ago. I had loads of fun looking at all of the animals and spending time with some special people!

Here are some pictures:

30 DAYS LEFT

What's Up ?

I have spent the last couple of weeks working and doing odd things here and there.
I haven't done a lot in regards to school but I am starting to get excited !

Today, August 6th, is the one month mark. I have 30 days until I move out.
The count down begins ...
Scary or exciting ... I don't know ...

In other news ... Tomorrow is my last day of work !
As much as I have enjoyed my time there, I am ready to move on.
I can spend the rest of summer doing the stuff that I want to do.
I should probably get my school/travel stuff together.

We are going on vocation soon ...
How exciting ... can't wait to get away with the family.