In God's Time

Time seems to be something I simply cannot get enough of. I feel like I am running behind my own life just trying to catch up. Life has been very busy here and keeping in touch with everyone at home has been a challenge. This past week we had class on Tuesday and on Thursday - Camp Ministry with Jim Badke. I enjoyed these days of class, and learned lots about the Camp Ministry. I was very busy throughout the week applying to Universities and getting all of my transcripts and info sent along with each. I barely made some of the due dates - it felt great to get that out of the way. The week was also very busy with homework, some from Theology of Mission, some from Camp Ministry, and some from Introduction to Theology which we are taking this week. I enjoyed spending time with my roommates this week, one night we went into Duncan and sat at Starbucks and visited - this was such a blessing! On Friday night we had an event here at Qwanoes for all of the youth groups in Cowichan Valley. I was blessed to sing with Russ throughout the evening. It was fun to hang out with the ladies of Cobble Hill and show them where I live and my room and they were able to meet my roommates. This evening was tons of fun. On saturday, we went to play soccer with our youth group in the afternoon, and unfortunately, Justin (intern) and James acquired false information when seeking directions - so lets just say it took a while to get there:) but once we got there, it was lots of fun, I loved hanging out with them and playing soccer. On Sunday, we went to church - and it was a really sweet time of worship and fellowship. It wasn't long before we found ourselves back there for the Bridge. The Bridge was a good mixture of fun and learning. Lech (Pastor) talked to us and the youth about the heart of worship, then we praciticed, then ate supper there (which was amazing!) then the service started at seven. It went very well and some of the Kaleos came too - and that was a huge blessing. I am looking forward to theology this week!

Mount Washington!!!!!

I absolutely loved our week at Mount Washington! I woke up at four in the morning on Monday and realized the power was out! So then I was afraid to go back to sleep because my alarm wouldn't go off. So I listened to the wind and watched the lightening and it was absolutely gorgeous! I reminded of God's power. So my roommates and I got ready in the dark with headlights at four thirty in the morning on Sunday! It was actually a lot of fun, then we went to breakfast in the dark and packed the vans in the dark. Before we left we sang "How Great Is Our God" together in the lobby here and prayed for the week of head. We prayed for safety, fun, learning, and growing. We prayed for God to go ahead of us to Mount Washington to keep us safe and watch over us. we got there around eight on Monday and got our rentals - then hit the slopes, it was absolutely gorgeous. I have never been in the mountains in the winter before and it was stunning! There was lots of fresh powder too, so conditions were favorable. At lunch we all ventured to the Lodge that we were staying in - this lodge was absolutely gorgeous! It was a great big log lodge and had lots of room for everyone. Laura (our cook) and Dave came along to cook for us and the food was delectable all week. Tuesday we did more snowboarding and Wednesday we went snowshoeing. Snowshoeing was way more fun than I expected! We traveled up the mountain on the chair lift and then snoeshoed down in the back country. The snow was gorgeous and it was so much fun to walk through it. We stopped around noon to make snow caves, this was an awesome time too. Unfortunately our Student Life Leader injured her shoulder at this time - so pray for a quick recovery for her. She was taken down the mountain by a ski doo. Wednesday night we went tubing and that was amazing! Thursday and Friday we snowboarded again. Friday was crystal clear and you could see all around from the top of the mountain. I loved basking in God's creation! Each evening we spent time together in "chapel" times. These times were incredible, we sang worship songs and one night we named everyone in our group. Kaleo gave me the name "radiant" - this is a name for me to grow into. we also talked about the ways that we see Jesus in one another - this was a really sweet bonding exercise too. I love that we kept the focus of this trip on Jesus and on the work that he is accomplishing in our group more than anything else. There were even hot tubs in the lodge - this was greatly appreciated as it didn't take me long to be sore from boarding! All in all - God was so good during this week and I am incredibly thankful for that experience. I felt like it changed the dynamic of our group somehow - for the better. This next week we are continuing the Camp Ministry Class with Jim Badke - lots more to learn!

Camp Ministry Begins!

This week we started the Camp Ministry Class! I have been involved in the camp ministry since I was young - and have a heart for this mission of God's. I love the joy that comes along with the good news at camp as the excited campers move into their cabins where God has been things planned! I have experienced many difficult staff situations and found it helpful to hear Jay talk about how to avoid conflict within a staff team. Unity is such a huge part of having a staff team! I enjoyed diving into the dynamics of camp with Jimbad. We did tons of group work which made the days of class really fun. We've also got tons of homework on the go - so that's been busy. I told my testimony on Friday morning. Everyone in Kaleo shares their testimonies so that we can understand and know each other better. I was kind of nervous to do this, but found it incredible to share my life with these amazing 26 friends that God has blessed me with. At Cobbel Hill we are now doing the Bridge, which is an evening service done by the youth of Cobble Hill. It was awesome to dive into that and enjoy hanging out with the youth there. I am excited to see that continue throughout the year! Sunday night was busy with packing for Mount Washington - here we come snowboarding!!

It feels good to be settling back into the Kaleo community here on the Island! last week we started the second semester with a class called "The Theology of Mission", taught by Professor Tim Stabell. He was a wonderful professor who had tons of experience in the mission field so he brought SO MUCH to the class and to this place. I was reminded of the importance of the Great Commission and how each of us, as followers of Christ are called to bring others into the wonderful light of Jesus. The class explored the call of Mission from Genesis all the way to Revelation. I loved this class! We then proceeded to Missions Fest which was in Vancouver on Friday. The sessions were amazing and I loved the worship! We got there Friday evening and heard Will Graham speak, who had some great things to say once he got into his bible. We then drove to a small church in Vancouver where we slept! It was such a blessing to have such a nice place to stay! It was really fun hanging out with the girls there too! I love our sleepovers like that. We went to sessions all day on Saturday and went to downtown Vancouver for lunch, I'd never been there before. It was beautiful! I loved it. The sky train was fun! On Sunday morning some of us led worship in the church we had been staying in. This was such an amazing opportunity and true blessing! It was fun to fellowship and worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ in this Baptist church in Vancouver. Good to meet people and talk about our big God! Unfortunately on the ferry ride on the way home from Vancouver, there was a medical emergency so we had to turn the ferry around and the ride ended up being very long, but I enjoyed being with everyone, it was lots of fun! I loved the prayer times and good talks that I was blessed with throughout the weekend! THis next week, we are starting the camp ministry class with Jim Badke! I am looking forward to all God has for us to learn during this class!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!!

My last week at Kaleo before Christmas was filled with homework and fun! I spent the week working on a field Ed paper, as well as a Church Ministry paper. The church ministry paper was about women in ministry. I found it interesting to dig into this controversial issue, and pull out the truth. Our professor, David Ernst encouraged us to go into this paper with an open ind, not a set opinion. I enjoyed having this mindset because it allowed me to have an unbiased attitude towards my findings. I am currently sitting in the Edmonton air port, waiting for my delayed flight, thi kking back to fond memories made while at Kaleo this semester. I can think back to Strathcona, where we were all just getting to know each-other while hiking up Mt. Albert Edward. What a crazy adventure! I remember enjoying the amazing beauty of British COlumbia thatw was still so new to me. Then there was SALTS, what a crazy experience that was. This was a challenging out trip for me because I was not feeling well but looking back I can remember key bonding moments during the trip with man y of the other Kaleo students. My favorite trip of all was definitely the surf trip. This was my favorites trip because by this time, I ha gotten to know everyone and it was like going on a sweet adventure with twenty  eight of your closest friends, as opposed to people that you don't know. I also loved being in the ocean during this trip and enjoying God's amazing creation! Such an amazing experience. The small church we stayed in in Uclulet was a special place too, full of special memories. I also really enjoyed the classes that we have taken this semester. Spiritual formation started this year off with a bang! I loved hearing Marv Penner share his wisdom and experiences with us as we journeyed through that course. Then of course there was Hermeneutics with Merrill Duck. I loved diving into the word during this class and searching for truth and meaning. THis was also such an awesome blessing. Then came Old Testament, what a class that was! I loved our group project of making a film of the Old Testament main events. Doing this truly brought our group close together in so many ways, and we are left with such a cool video! Las we took the Church Ministry course, and this one was definitely dear to my heart. God really used this course to teach me lots about the church ministry and how much he loves his church. I can often get annoyed with the way that we try to run our churches in North America but I was reminded that God loves his church as it is his bride. The relationship between GOd and the church is a model for a husband and wife relationship. I love that! t the beginning of the semester Jimcompared Kaleo to a bunch of rocks rubbing off each other and molding each other. I have definitely seen this unfolding in myself and in my classmates. God is working in us. He has big plans for semester two! Merry Christmas!!!!

Foundations of the church!

This past week, we took a course called, "The Foundations of the Church Ministry." I absolutely loved this course! It was incredibly informative, and I feel so much more informed about how I can contribute to Christ's church and be part of the solution for a healthier church. Our professor's name was David Ernst, he himself had spent ten years as a pastor in the church ministry, so he had tons of stories and experience to share with us. One day, we had a panel of pastors and their wives come in to share their experiences and opinions about the church. I totally enjoyed their insights and honesty. This was so helpful as we as Kaleo students begin to contribute to God's church ministry in a big way. One of the biggest things that my eyes were opened to is the fact that God has given us the church as a vehicle to spread his word. It is kind of like a tool, and God gave us a special design to follow in our churches! Its important to stick closely to that design as we strive to change to adapt the times and be seeker sensitive. I really enjoyed being poured into this week and soaking in this class! It was a real blessing and I truly believe it has changed my view of Christ's church, and of individual church organizations all over the world. I am preparing to go home on Saturday December 5th, and its beginning to sink in that I am actually going home. I am going to miss this place SO much! But am looking forward to coming back in January with great stories of what God teaches me as I head home! God bless!

Take It To The Lord In Prayer

This past week was a week of 24/7 prayer. I absolutely LOVED this week! each student signed up for at least one hour of prayer every day. We used one room for these special prayer times where students placed writings and pictures on the wall to express our prayers. I truly believe that God moved in a miraculous way this week among the hearts of kaleo students and leaders this week! It was really cool for relationships here to be built and strengthened while we paired up for prayer sessions for some of the time slots. I appreciated better getting to know some of the girls here through this experience as we shared our hearts and hopes and dreams for kaleo. I felt like the week went ridiculously fast as I have been battling a cold for a while now and there was lots of homework to be done, so for me the week went by in a blink! I spent most of it in the library or in bed. I can't believe it is nearly December! I am looking ahead at only 2 weeks left here in my first semester at Kaleo, it is so crazy to think about that! When I look back to the first week, it is absolutely crazy how far we have all come, as a group and as individuals. I think back to SALTS and Strathcona as we were all just getting to know and understand each other. Funny how hearing each other's testimonies has helped immensely in getting to know each other. As I look back over the semester, I see the marks of Jesus hand in my life, helping me through tough times and enjoying the good time with me. God is so so good, and is at work at this place. I am looking forward to next week's class: The Foundations of the Church with David Ernst. I think it will be a very good class!