Home Sweet Home: Summer 2016

Summer 2016 has been an interesting (and strange) summer for me.  The funny, and slightly ironic, thing is I’ve barely left my small Mennonite home town that I’ve grown up in.  This summer marked the first summer in 3 years that I have worked full time hours.  That simple reason, played a large part into me ‘staying put’.  However, even with working, I have been able to maximize my evenings, weekends and the long weekends to their fullest potential.  In turn, I have not felt as though I have somehow ‘missed out’ on summer. For that, I am thankful.
 

Unknown to me at the start of it, summer 2016 also proved to be a summer in which I would continue to wrestle intensely within my own heart.  While I still stand by what I have said in earlier posts about being at peace with where God has me now, I’ve been realizing lately that I have this ongoing need to ‘process’ key events over the last few years of my life to help me continue to grow personally and spiritually.  Thank you to those who continue to walk alongside me in this rollercoaster journey.  As part of this journey, I am trying to figure out different ways in which will allow me to share/process/heal/learn from the many adventures.  In the past, I have always turned to journaling privately- recording thoughts, feelings and emotions of a certain place, moment, story, or event.  Capturing moments on a photograph, has also helped in this as well.  Thank you to a wonderful APP called “Timehop”, each day I am treated to photos, posts, status updates and much much more on a daily basis.  

So what does any of this have to do with anything?  

There is a saying that goes, “Home is where the Heart is”.  While I don’t disagree with this statement, I find that it brings about a whole new set of challenges and heartaches-especially when one’s heart is scattered around the globe.  I find myself asking, ‘If home is where the heart is, what happens when your heart isn’t in one exact place-but in multiple places on earth?  What happens when we are in one location, doing what we love to do, but our hearts yearn to be elsewhere with the people who are there”?  If home is where the heart is, then where is my home?”

“Timehop”, along with a recent post by a world race teammate, recently got me thinking to the people, places, cultures, stories, emotions and events in which I have not chosen to share for whatever reasons-specifically in regards TO my World Race experiences.  So, I have decided that, at least once a month, I will post a blog about the country I was in three years ago while ON the World Race.  I am not quite sure how this will fully take forum yet.  Some months it may simply be a photo blog, while others maybe a combination of race blogs I posted at the time along with personal journal entries.  Other months, may simply highlight my teams ministry contacts and share about the on going work that they are continuing to be apart of.  After all; it is through them and their wide range of passions and ‘callings’, that have truly inspired and taught me about life and what it means to live a life of sacrifice.

Seasons of Change (God's Grace)

.I forgot how much I missed the changing of seasons; specifically winter to spring and summer to fall.  There is a sense of awe and wonder that I get as I watch the bare trees slowly start to get their buds back and, before you know it, those buds blossom into flowers or leaves.  Flowers that will later turn into young fruit as it begins to reach maturity.  Leaves that will grow large and provide shade from the intensity of the summer heat, to the earth below.  Within the change from summer to fall; those young fruits will become food to humans and animals alike, providing valuable nutrients to the body.  Those leaves that once provided shelter, will turn brilliant colours of red, oranges, yellows and more before knowing that they must fall to the ground because if they were to stay on the tree throughout the winter, the weight of the snow upon them, may pull down the entire tree.
Today is May 29, 2016.  It's early Sunday afternoon.  Church this morning consisted of familiar pews, youth led worship and a message spoken in English by a local pastor.  Lunch followed and I can now feel the cool breeze, mixed with the warmth of the sun, upon my skin.  The leaves are out and the birds are singing and in this moment, I find my mind wandering back to a small plot of land; filled with laughter and sounds of joy coming from 150+ kids.  May 29, 2015 I was in another country, in a very different part of the world.  The ground I walked upon wasn't filled with green grass, rather the ground mainly consisted of rocks and sand.  Instead of young apples on the fruit trees, I would find myself under the massive leaves of the banana trees.  My Sunday's consisted of 'kid led' churches followed by afternoons of photoshoots and bible study time with the young teens.  As I pause to reflect where I am now, to where I was last year this time, I miss those 'carefree moments', my 'kids' and everything that came with it and I know that apart of me will always yearn to be back at my 'home away from home'. 

Ironically enough, I am once again finding myself in a season of change despite the fact that really nothing in my life HAS changed.  I am still in the same town, working the same job as I have been now for the last 10 months, attending the same church, hanging out with the same youth 'kids', walking the same streets I've walked basically all my life, frequenting the same small town coffee shops where everyone knows everyone and waking up each morning to basically the same routine each and everyday. Here's the thing though, I LOVE IT and there is no place I'd rather be than right here, right now.

So what is this 'season of change' that I am in?  In short; its learning (and then embracing) the change of the little things in life.  Things like the seasons physically changing from one to another.  It is learning to 'see' God differently and to seek Him in the 'normalcy' of everyday life.  It has been amazing really, as I have learned to slowly open myself up to Him more and more within the last 10  months since returning from Africa last July.  Through the recent journey, there have been many ups and downs along the way.  There have been moments where I could do nothing but pray in desperation while there have been other moments of giving thanks and rejoicing in the victories that were won.  It has not been a journey I have walked alone as God continues to put 'random' people in my life at the precise right time.  People that He has used (and continues to use) to challenge, support and encourage me in my own walk with Him (whether they realize it or not).  Through this process, He continues to remind me that He created us for community, to live in relationship with one another and, ultimately, HIM. 

As I look Heavenly ward towards the sky, I can see the bright white clouds passing by across the blue sky, taking on a variety of shapes and forms along the way.  Even in that, God's fingerprint is evident.  In the season of change that I am finding myself in; a new 'realization' comes to mind...every breath that we take, is a gift.  It is a precious gift that we do not deserve or are of worth to receive. 

But isn't that what God's Grace and, ultimately, love is all about? I am convinced now more than ever before; that HE is LORD and my lips will praise Him no matter what season I find myself in.  With every breath HE graciously gives me, I will proclaim who He is.  My life is His and His alone.

still alive I am!

wow so i appoligize for not updating this more! its been a while! Thing was that for the month of july i had little internet access and the time i did have, used it for sending emails to those at home....that way i knew people would be getting updates....but i appoligize for not keeping this more updated!
how to sum up the last 4 weeks....i have no idea...what comes to Mind though is that God is faithful and He will continue to be always. camp was amazing. the first kids camp saw close to 100 kids and it was neat seeing how camps were runned there. for myself, i was involved with sports in the am and i even got to teach american baseball which was sweet, and then swimming in the afternoon. on those hot hot days that we had, swimming in the river was greatly appreciated! teh water was oh so nice! then i was also involved with various camp games and course taking lots and lots of pictures. I found that the Ukrainian-Russian culture is very interesting! Very superstitious...such as females can not sit on any cold surface cause they think it will make you infertile and the baboshkas yell at you to get up if they see you sitting, along with other things...very interesting. it was great connecting with some of the kids and teens as well as some of the leaders. I learned a lot but i know it will take time for me to process it as well...i have not had acutal down time like i know i need since i have gotten here....sensory overload even though it has not always felt like that but i know its there and i will only be able to fully breathe once i am home in a week as of yesterday (which i am looking forward to. even being just back on canadian soil i am looking forward to that).

after camp, spent a few more days in sumy and then we got to take the 5 hour train ride back to kiev where we spent one day with a family from camp getting a tour and taking lots of pictures and all of that. what an amazing city! lots of neat stuff and people and history! I never knew ukraine got hit as hard as it did in the second world war!! it was intense!
One thing I know i am learning is to appreciate more of where I come from, from my past history and dare i say i am even becoming glad and proud to be mennonite?? wow that is an improvment!!!

where am I now? I write this to you from my friends place in stuttgart germany! this is my second full day here and i am waiting for her to get off work in an hour to head out and see more of the city. yesterday was tough cause i just wanted to be home, but better now and acutally enjoying it aswell! |germany is beautiful but like i said, am waiting to fly home monday am at 10>45 well back to london ontario atleast..... i touch down at 1 pm in toronto, toronto time then have to go through customs and catch my final flight down to london ontario for 2 days of debrief and then home on thursday! 6 more sleeps!
yah just an update from the traveling wanderer!
thanks for everything

A week at home

So here a week later at home. First after much much calling, I got my suitcase Thursday Morning and it felt so good to have it in my hands. It wasn't that I really wanted my gifts and all in it, it was the CDS of pictures that I wanted. Of all things not to put in my carry on! Note to self, always keep Pictures and or CDS with me wherever! But its all good. So Home, yah it feels good to be home, although I miss sweden, I miss Holsby and the people. I think that is what made the trip so special were the people. It was amazing, God taught me so very much and for that I will always be greatful! Words are hard to describe the trip, it really is as it was a lot of feelings as well in the experiences. Such as flying by myself for the first time ever, the long drive to holsby, though in reality it wasnt that long! Walking through the concentration camp near Berlin, seeing where all that horror and all went down. Lots of emotions...But again I am so thank ful i was given the opportunity to experience such a small portion of the world! I would so totally recommend it for anyone! Its a huge world out there, full of amazing wonderful people! Live life, experience it to the fullest! God will use each experience both good and bad to stretch you, to challenge you in your walk wiith him. Remember GOD IS ABLE

HOME!

Greetings from HOME!
I made it! Wish i could say the same with my suitcase. But long story short, we were delayed right out of Stockholm for over an hour (mechanical problems we were told), so that delayed arrival in Chicago, so i only had an hour to de board, go through dumb USA customs ( i cut in line, i asked and the people let me to speed up the process), transfer suitcase to final flight, so i did touch it there. Then mono rail to right terminal, went through security ran to where i was suppose to be. I still had .5 hour to wait once i got there. I did this all in 45 minutes I think a new record! But again sadly they didnt have time to load up suitcase. I should have it by this afternoon. The only thing i really want bad out of there are my CDs with pics! Well gifts too, but PIcs are more important!
So please pray!
anways I am off!
its good to be home!

Greetings

Greetings this fine saturday morning! Somewhat blue sky, light breeze, sun poking through, this and that, yah life is decent...oh wait, lets not forget to add flu bug (at least that is what we think) going around. Yah, in girls dorm alone there are around 5 or 6 people sick. There are also a few staff members that are sick as well. When it hit, it hit them. So if you could pray for health and recovery and that the rest of us, myseelf included DONT get sick, that would be awesome, as school is almost done and that would just really suck to end it that way with lots of people sick! Other then that, life is good. We got a group here again so there are once again a lot more people, so again hope they dont all get sick either. I would love to say the weather has been amazing, but it hasnt. Although its not bad at all, in fact i would rather have what we are having here versus it being so very hot at home! Speaking of which, like I said, two weeks from now, school is done, what a scary and crazy thought! That means i will soon be home. How am I feeling with that? humm not sure acutally. Since there is talk of lots of people leaving basically right after school for home, like the 26-28th, i want to go home then also, but on the other note, people are staying on as staff for some of the summer and I think that would eb so much fun and all! So a part of me really wants to stay, and another part really wants to go home. I am still looking forward to Copenhagen adn berlin though, that will be lots of fun! I cant wait to see a few people at home, but come a few days, i know I wil want to come back! IF only it would work to fly home for a day and fly back or someting! how sweet would that be? well I had my stint of adventure, I came and did and still am doign what i want to do and I am so glad i did! Does that make sense? I have Learnt so much about myself, other people, the world in general and God. I wouldnt change it for anything. Sure there are a few things had i known, done differently, but now i know for next time (cause there will be a next time when I Come to europe!) plus I can tell people if they ask! Again all in all its been fabulous and good thing that its not over yet! So until we meet again next month, keep praying, living and just enjoying life, cuase time really does go fast!
cherish it fully!