2 weeks, New experience and Junior high kids?!

Ok So I was just doing some checking on the website of the camp I am going to counsel at in a week and a half-just checking out pictures and dates and things like that-well now they had ages with their categories. I knew I am working with Intermediate and junior but didnt know which ages those implied, well anyways guess which ages I will be working with...yah thats right ages 10-14! THe First group are the junior high. Ages 12-14. Though I am stoked at this oppotunity because connecting with them should be really good and all-but at the same time, just the thought makes me more nervous for it. I worked with Junior Youth 2 years back so I have some experince, but can we ever really have enough? but yah check out main site of the camp!
http://www.tucktime.ca/

But one that note- here are just a few prayer requests prior to it and while I am at camp
-Pray that God prepares my heart for the two weeks there
-Pray that I will be able to be a witness-that God will use me for his work there
-Pray for strength and guidence- again this will be my first time at camp so chances are i will be a little clueless in some area I am sure and alos tired and not knowing what to do
-Pray for fun-that it will just be a time of learning and growing and all of that

Yah thats it for now-I hope to update as I am at camp-but no gaureentees!
until next time have a great rest of week and enjoy the long weekend!
(we are going camping! Woot!)

Thank you's and a challenge

Ok so computer messed up so this is attempt number two for this post. But here is a quick summary of what I had written-I was a part of a conversation this weekend that was on role models and mentorship-either intentially or unintentially. Looking back upon my life and the people who have impacted it-wow there are so many from all areas and walks of life! I know the best thing would be to tell them this personally, but due to some physical distance (as in not living in the area) its tough. THough Family has also impacted me-this will relfect more on the friends throughout my life. But here is a A quick example of mentorship is my little 13 year old brother and this guy heading into grade 12. He was the leader for my little brothers small groups in jr youth (which he loved). Just the time and committment and fun he put into it for that group-sounded like a great time! They acutally had a sleepover this last weekend-I mean really how many grade 12 guys will give up their fridays to hang out with grade 8 boys for a sleepover? I thought it was awesome!
I will start with the first name that pops into my head-
Mrs. Leah Perez! Leah-not sure if you read this-but if you do-thank you! Although I have only known you for a year (not even) what you have shown me and taught me-words can not describe my thanks! I am still blown away at how you, as a third year-took time to connect with me-a first year-this last year at SBC. Our walks and talks-timmy's runs, quarky moments, serious moments-hugs, smiles, all of it. You taught me to be honest with one another-to open up and share worries and thoughts and concerns. You encouraged me my gifts and challenged me to use them for God. You reminded me of my own dreams and destintations and challenged me to never give up on them. My goal for this next year at school- is too connect with a frist year the way you connected with me Leah. I pray that God will allow that! There are days when Belize is just to far! Leah I miss you like crazy! I hope and pray God has Belize in my near future! Thank you so much for everything!

Shelby Rose Third! Shelbs-life was so boring before I met you over a year a go at good ol Holsby! Since then we have gotten to know each other and its been a blast! It feels like I have known you my entire life! Through emails and this past time we spent in ontario and sweden last year-you have challenged me. You have been open and honest with me in your struggles and questions and I thank you for that! Shelbs I see a lot of myself in you in the area of those questions-I too have and continue to struggle with those! Keep looking heavenly and pressing on friend and to quote our good friend Johnny B "See ya at the wedding!"

Lisa Klassen! Oh lisa lisa lisa-when we first met back in grade 7 like I said-you totally intimidated me! Here I thought you were another "brat" and would join the group of "cool" people, but you didnt. I am so glad I got to know you through Ball and become friends! You have been a blessing in my life! My prayer sis! Our talks about God and life have been priceless. You continue to share thoughts and experiences with me and dreams and I thank you for that. I know life isnt always easy, but hang in there! God will use you to do awesome things! I am enjoying working withyou this summer! Always great to see a happy face at work (even when its tough!) Keep on praying friend! Love ya lots

Carleen, Allison, Little Landis and Char! Going into your dorm room at school, always invovled some sort of adventure! Char-I loved our talks and time spent together! Keep your spunk and joy for life! Alli-GO BOMBERS GO! hehehehe-my die hard sask. roughriders fan! What are we to do with you?! jk. Your honesty with me and willinglyness to share-thank you so much! I am eagerly anticipating what next year will bring! Little Landis-always a smile on your face! you challenge me girl-you challenge me to be me-thank you for that. Heres to a great year next year! Carleen! ROOMIE TO BE! I cant wait! We are gonna have a great year! Its been awesome getting to know you! Our love of travel will take us places! Italy sounds great!

Olivia-coffee sometime k? We shared struggles together and there were times when I knew you knew exactually how I felt! Thanks for being someone I could talk to! Really appreciate it! Keep on being you! Hang in there and if you are around steinbach at all next year-come visit! Miss ya

Niki McCorkindale (just so people know I am refering to another niki!) Lets take the dogs out again sometime k? Thank you so much for being someone to confide in! Your honesty about not knowing answers to questions I have given you-at the time annoyed me, but now I am so thank ful for-it showed me I dont need to know everything in life! It is a continuing process-we are always learning! You are an amazing women of God and are doing super awesome things with our youth here in town! KEep up the awesome work! Praying for ya!

Kelsey and Jayne-when I think of Ontario- along with other things- I think of how the weekend was "all about Jayne" and the crazy car rides from Kelsey! You guys challenged me to be me-no matter who I am with or where I am! I am glad you got to see me at a different level. Thank you for everyting

Becca! oh becca! I miss you! I too, saw a lot of myself in you. I feel I could relate to you. We both had our bubbles but we also both managed to invaded each others and become really good friends! I will totally miss you in dorm next year! You HAVE to come visit! Keep being you and remember no ring till you are 20! hehehehe!

Erin-Oh erin-what about you! You have helped me out so much-i dont know where to start! God is and will continue to use you! Keep on letting him! Thanks for being the person I could turn to regarding my inital worries about school, but also thank you for forcing me to get out and make my own connections and not allowing you to be someone I could fall back on if all else failed-I credit a lot of this last year to you for that reason! You are totally in your comfort role as head CGL next year! Keep it up! (though I take not reponsibilty if I cause trouble hehehehe! It was carleen, not me!)


That is just a small list of people-there are so many more- My goal for this next year at SBC and even for camp-is to become a mentor for those around me. To hopefully influence others the way these people have influence me. I can not do it alone. But with God and prayer I can!
Have a great night and a great week!

I don't understand...

So short story...one thing I do not get...ok so there are many things, but here is one thing that I dont think I will ever understand-really-what is the point of getting drunk?
Theres one person who I work with at work, that I know will be very tring yet come the rest of the summer, and has been already... But back to the original question. Last week this idividual was talking about this one party going on at a local club in winnipeg-this person would NOT stop talkingabout it all week-there were a few people who were having parties there-so whatever yesterday I asked her how it was- and she said "good-as far as I can remember..." ok so keep that in mind, then today this person shows up more tired then usual and I asked her about last night (there was a slow pitch game going on and they sometimes play) anyways turns out a few of them went to someone's house and sat in their hot tub outside till 1AM-with a few drinks and all. First my question is-why-if you are gonna do it anyways-would you on a monday night especially when yo know work is busy and you are working the next day? I just dont get it. So this individual was complaining all day about how sore they were and tired etc etc Like really-if any one should be tired- it should be me-working 10hours a day etc-but anyways it was just so annoying listening all day to that and everything...how am I suppose to last all summer if I have that sort of attitude around me for a fair chunk of the day? I know we are suppose to love our neighbours-we are called to, but why is it that peopel we know and went to school with (this person is close to my age)harder to love and get along with then total complete strangers? I dont know...its just a thought- in the mean time..you could pray for me about this individual...thanks

food, rain, sunsets and rainbows!

Just a few pictures from friday night hanging out with SBC friends! DIdnt take a lot of pictures but here are a few! REally good time!

Blogspots.

Here are a few blogspots from friends that I follow-often really good insight, prayer requests or pictures! Just for interest sake
http://www.daughterofchrist85.blogspot.com/
http://mccorkindale.blogspot.com/
http://thinkingandmusings.blogspot.com/
http://alexandereport.blogspot.com/
http://summeradventures2008.blogspot.com/
http://janineandrea.blogspot.com/

Yah so check those out! If I forgot someone-let me know!

NuMb

I was listening to my Ipod on my way to work this AM (at 6:55 AM I might add! Crazy earlier) anyways, the song Numb came on by Linkin Park. THis is a song I have heard over and over, but for some reason, the words just seemed to click now...perhaps explain partially what I am feeling. Check it out and note comments at the end

"Numb"

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)

[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control
Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
And every second I waste is more than I can take

[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

And I know
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you

[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

I should add that not all the lyrics describe it, but some, such as the ones that are bolded, do. The first line, about being faithless-really stuck out. Now let me explain this a it-its not that I am losing my faith-cause I am not- but the whole idea that just cause I go to Bible school-I have it all together and life is great and all-but really, its a lot tougher then most people think. Who am I? Who are you? Who do we want to be in this world that calls us to put on masks and not be ourselves, to instead confirm to the world and its standards. WHen really, who are we to set standards? God has set the standards for living-read it its called the Bible-right now, i'll admit, I have been slacking on my bible reading and devo time, and am still working through Psalms...but I am still learning, still growing. Last night I had an amazing discussion with a good friend of mine-just listening and talking through problems with her, it was awesome-God is still at work, he still is reaching people and being Who He is!

Masks

One thing I have been struggling with lately are masks- not the kind that you physically put over your face like at olden day parties or dress up but the kind that other people dont see, but that you know are there. Why have I been struggling with this? this post kind of goes hand in hand with the post titled "Who am I"- who am I? Does it depend who I am around? Co-workers? family? Friends? WHich set of friends? I feel at times that I am putting on the mask of what people expect of me, depending who I am with. I am not sure if you get what I am saying, but I KNOW other people struggle with this as well. I am trying to figure out not necessary with who, but where I feel most like me and honestly...I am not sure. Work is so much a routine that yah I feel like a robot (well not always, but somedays), home too is a routine-nothing that exciting (which is just fine). I hung out with friends which I grew up with today in the city-it was good for what it was (wedding shower) but I've said it before and will say it again-we are all at such different spots in life (not necessarily a bad thing and in some cases, its a good thing), but it makes connecting and realiting to each other a lot harder then I initally thought it would be out of high school. again I am blown away at how quickly people can change. Again Ontario was amazing May Long-but that too its an experince that I find really hard to explain because no one else here knows those people or the things that we experience together both in Sweden and Ontario-which is great in sense that its our own special connection-but its hard knowing how to act becuase that is the only area of life in which we know each other. Then THere is SBC-we basically spent 8 months together-growing,laughing, learning, struggling all together- I think just for that reason-I am the most my self there. Just becuase we are around each other 24/7. Though it did take me a while to open up and become myself as well (which I think is normal)
THis doesnt apply to to just different friends, but family as well. Gatherings and all. Its like there is some sort of expectations perhaps? I am not sure
The question is which mask will i put on today?
WHen it should be; How can I work at breaking down those masks when All I really want is to just to be me always?

Pondering a thought

One thing that I have come to enjoy is just sitting back and watching the people around me. This evening was no different. I was at my brothers Junior high spring concert and just walking out, listening to other peoples conversations around me (in a non creepy type way). A group of girls were talking about flats (shoes) and the arches they have-this short cameo converstation put a ponder of a thought in my head. When do we start caring about the things around us and realize how huge the world is? I think back to a year a go where I was...June 5 2007 I flew home after my stint in Europe. I left in March having no idea what to expect, and came home still now knowing where the next section in life would take me, but I came home different-changed even. I can never fully described what happended inside of me while I was in Europe. I gained so much-new expereinces, new knowledge both bibilically and just in life, new understanding and appreciation for old things, new culture and an appreciation for my own,new faces and friends (Who I still treasure dearly).
THere is so much knowledge out there waiting to grasped and learned. I wonder where those girls will be a few years down the road. Will they settle for the life they have here in Altona, Manitoba, or even Canada? Or will the do something phenomenal in todays world? Find a cure? solve the issue of world hunger? Or even things that appear to have smaller effects, but are just as important-help improve the local community, change someones life, say the right thing that needs to be said? I think of the people who have affect my life (waaaaaaaaaay to many to name but I hope you know who you are!) and I dont know where I would be without their love and support.
I wonder where life will take me in a few years. Where will I end up? What will I be doing? I of course, have my hopes and dreams, but again those are mine, not God's. My job is to listen and Obey him.

So thats just a little thought for the day/evening-Take it for what its worth.
It made me pause in my tracks and think