Shave and a hair cut, two bits...

So december 1st has come around and so I have "started the first day of my career". And I love it. My teachers are so great, they are pretty funny and very talented. I have about 4 teachers 3 guys and 1 girl. So far I have learned 3 hair cuts and 2ish styles. I an't wait to go back next week and learn more. My school is located in the middle of historic Gastown in Vancouver. It is so pretty al around it. And yesterday on our break we were walkig aroun the school a bitand there were model with thei makeup artist and they had full body paint on. It was a little awkward tosee,but it was cool cuz they were amazing pictures of basically whatever ou could imagine. There are so many talented students at the school. I have also made some friends with the girls I amg oing there with. Everyone is pretty quiet so it has taken a while for us all to branch out a bit, but you know, it's only the first week. I feel like such a poser out there cuz I'm like this girl from a small town in the big city now and have to dress up to go to school and whatnot, it's just weird. But yes, I LOVE the school. I even get to keep 2 mannequin heads at home that I can work on in my spare time.

I go back to work today for the first time in over a week. I am excited, i've been having dreams about it. haha. But it shoudl be good. And then on Monday i start work at Starbucks for a little money so that I can continue to pay my rent. haha. So I am littl enervous about that, but the people that I have met from there seem prety nice, so it should be good. I am very excited to come home for Christmas. It is going tobe a short visit,b ut I am very excited. I have been thinking about it alot lately and I had a dream about people form home for the first time I think since I';ve been out here, so that got me more excited.

Well, there are alot of funt hings going on in Vancouver in the month of December so I am hoping to hit some of those up before I come home. The festival of Lights or whatever its called is coming soon if not already here and there's this thing in Stanley Park so I have get my butt in gear and go check some of these things out. Anyways I shoudl start getting ready for work. Until next time. Be safe and have fun.

Grandview Corners

I just can't seem to escape Stettler. All weekend long I was working at the new location for La Vie En Rose in South Surrey. It is located in an area called Grandview Corners! It was a really long weekend but yesterday was our Grand Opening and we did pretty good, so it is exciting. Our store is big and we carry discount stuff but then also nice stuff from the boutique. So it's a win win! I love working with the girls there they are so nice and fun and I actually get excited to go to work everyday! Whenw e told the people in the mall location where we were opening another store the other shop owners were jealous cuz we are in south surrey and that's where all the wealthy people live, so they come in and spend more! IT's so great! But in the complex it is kinda like an outlet mall idea mixed with a strip mall idea. It is nice and cozy, just looks like a little neighborhood. And across the street there is a monsterous Walmart Super Centre! Massive. So yah i like working there.

Last night I went to my friend Brianna's birthday party so that was fun, but short. But one of her guy friends that we hang out with was there and he has one of those quick senses of humor so i laugh pretty hard at him. Afterwards we made plans to hang out sothat will be fun, i like hanging out with him, but it's kinda awkward when bri's not there just cuz she's our connection.On Wednesday I get to hang out with Amy so I am so stoked about that. We never have the same days off so I don't get tos ee her very often. But she only works til 2 and i have the day off so I will just meet up with her then. Other than that, not much new here.

working=messy house

So it's been a while...I have gotten a job, just in case you didn't know. I got a job at La Vie En Rose, it is a lingerie store. I love it! It is so much fun and the girls that I work with are alot of fun too. Most of them are East Indian but they are so hilarious. None of them have the accent though. haha. My boss at the new store's name is Aruna and my manager is Tracey. Tracey reminds me of my old singing teacher Rhonda and I love her. This coming weekend I have a bunch of 12 hour shifts because we are moving into the outlet store that is just being finished in south surrey. So it is goign to be closer to my house and whatnot. And it is an outlet so it is cheaper, we are carrying a guys line, and then we will also have stuff from the boutique. So it is going to be a lot busier too. I am getting full time hours right now so it is reallyh good!

I went to Victoria this last weekend for a day to see my parents. It is was nice, i had fun. Dad, brianne, and I went for a carriage ride and that was really nice. I want to now take mine and Justin's friends Drew and Lynn (who are married) to Victoria and go on the romantic ride. I mentioned it to them and Lynn is totally game but Drew is being more realistic i guess. So yah....In Vic we wen tout for Seafood and that was really good. And then on Saturday i worked and Sunday I hung out with Justin and Lynn because Drew was gone for the weekend. It was alot of fun. Saturday night after work me, lynn, and Katy had a girls night and made brownies and had them warm with ice cream...it was GLORIOUS!

My friend Becca is here form Alberta this week, so that is cool. I am excigted to see her. But that's abotu all thats happening. Thursday of this week i have off and i think it's pretty busy i get to go to chapel, we have our Life group reunion dinner, and then I am going to the church to listen to this really good speaker and her husband. So it will be a good day! Anywyas, that's a wrap on me here...messy house, sore feet, but money in the bank! so it's all good.

Thanksgiving time again.

Louie Giglio













Chris Tomlin













David Crowder Band














David Crowder













So the wonderful turkey filled time of year is quickly approaching once again. The leaves are changing colors and falling off the trees, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are returning to Starbucks, and as you drive down the road you see fields of orange where there are currently thousands of pumpkins residing....I love fall!

I have quite a bit to be thankful for this year too. God has been doing cool things in my life and just drawing me back to him, romancing me if you will, and it has been so good. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. It all started at the Passion Tour this last monday. Chris Tomlin (a Christian singer/songwriter), David Crowder (a Christian band), and Louie Giglio (a speaker) were all there and thousands of young adults were invited for free into GM Place and we basically just worshipped God. They are traveling all over the world and are heading to Seoul, Korea next and so we got to pray for them and we got to pray for Vancouver and it was just so cool to have that many believers in one building. Plus there was unsaved people there and so that was sweet. I just got released at the concert during Chris Tomlin's version of Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) it's a cool song that I would suggest listening too. So yah overall that "concert" was really good and I loved every minute of it! And so continuing my list...I get to spend Thanksgiving with my sisters but not at home, at THEIR home, so that's a little weird, but cool. And I get to spend some time with my boyfriend who is currently golfing and left me here alone for the morning...I have multiple churches here that I like and are considering going to, and I live so close tot he school so I am able to go there for Chapel every thursday becuase I am still unemployed.

I have been reading the Psalms lately and over and over again I am reading WAIT FOR THE LORD or PATIENTLY WAIT FOR THE LORD. It's a little frustrating at times, but I know that I need to wait for the Lord and he will blow me away with what he has in store. Sometiems i get a little frustrated cuz i haven't found a job yet, but then i remember yesterdays reading or I go to the bible today and read WAIT FOR THE LORD. So that settles me.

Well, that's about all I've been doing, so til later...

Fun Friends, funny films, and free furniture!

Wow, this title couldn't have worked out any better if I'd planned it!... Well I got to hang out with my friends Brianna and Mike today. We went for lunch and went to Petland which was very enjoyable...they kittens were soooo cute! I loved them. I wanted tot ake them all home with me. And last night me and Justin went a movie with Drew, Lynn (newly wed couple that's good friends with Justin), and Reigan (another couple that lives right by Drew and Lynn also from the school). I wanted to go to beverly Hills Chihuahua, but no one else did so we went to this other western o ne that they wanted to see. I told them it was going to be lame andn they didn't believe me. IT WAS SOOOO LAME! So tonight I am goin to the Chihuahua movie with Justin and he has to go cuz he drug me to that movie last night.... I am so excited for it though! I just love Chihuahuas.

I am currently waiting for Justin to come over so we can go to Port Coquitlam and pick up some free furniture for me. My old roomate's mom is moving to a smaller place, so she is giving away a dresser, nightstand, table, tv, and desk and I need all those things, so it's quite perfect. We are going to do that, so it will be fun in the rain...

Tomorrow I get to try out a new church, possibly my new permanent one...If I decide to stay there I will join the worship team. One of the teacher from my school (one of my faves) is the worship leader there so i would get to sing with her and that would be glorious! I also get to play some basketball after church and do some laundry. YAY! In the evening I think Sheldon Leschert is coming over and we are going to watch Italian Job so this weekend has been packed with friends, but I am excited about it. I love having people to hang out with al the time and a place to call my home! God is good.

Safe and Sound in BC

This is a picture from the drive up.



My Kitchen





My Living room/Kitchen area


My bedroom

My bathroom






So it's been a while since I've written (as I saw looking back) but i promise to be more regular in writing...But from the title you can see that I am in BC. I moved out on Monday and found a house on Tuesday and today (Wednesday) I have been moving in, cleaning like mad, and organizing my things.I am almost done but lacking a couple essential things, but i am going to make due til i can pick one up cheap somewhere or whatever...I am not really too worried. My basement suite is small, but i think it could be really cozy. And by that I mean REALLY cozy. lol. it's pretty squisy, but its ok, i don't need alot of room. I live about a block and soem from my old school so it is nice and close...not necessarily what i wanted for commuting purposes, but its all good, i may move when school starts. I am going to upload soem pictures of my place too so you can see it.





I have hugn out with Justin (my boyfriend) a bit, so taht's been good. It's so weird to just be able to go over to his house or go visit him at work just anytime i want. I went to look at a place in Burnaby last night so then i went over the church he works at to visit him and that was nice. I beat him at a game of one on one we were having...and i was wearing heels!haha. He said to bring my runners on Sunday and we can play this other guy he works with...lol. Should be interesting anyways. Justin wants me to go to the church he goes to and a bunch of other people from our school go to. So i will go and try it out, i think i will like it (I've never been there), but I still like my church so I might switch it up. I've gone to the school a couple times and visited the people there. I have yet to see Amy or Brianna yet, but i think i might hang out with Amy tomorrow and maybe Bri tomorrow night...so it shoudl be good. I think either tomorrow or Friday (whichever I am not hanging out with the girls) I am going to apply for work. but that's down in Vancouver.





Anyways, so far my stay here has been a little stressful (trying to find a place and all) but i guess it can onlly get better. I would liek to ask for your prayer in a job. i want a really good one that I will enjoy doing for at least 2 months til i start school, if not longer and into the school year. Thank you all fory our support!

At last...

So for those of you who don't know, I am back from Thailand! I got back about a month ago, but I figure you know that already. I am here in Stettler still waiting to start my job for the summer. I am going to be helping dad and so right now I am just doing yardwork and maintenancy things. Stettler is boring and I relaly want to go back to BC but I guess I have to tough it out until I am financially ready to go back.

I have discovered before I left and now upon my return that I get heart burn from almost everything, so it is really annoying. I am taking some of these pills that the doctor gave me and I have tums sitting somewhere every where I go, so it's sad, but it's life I guess. it's not good for my voice though so that's not good.

About a week ago I got back form BC. I went for 2 of my firneds' weddings. It was so nice to see all my friends again and the weddings were beautiful! I was so glad that I could go! I got to go to the home group that I had been going to this last semester at school and it was so good, I felt so at home there. It was like as soon as I got there I just felt like so warm and comfortable like this was homy for me. I love it! So i definitely want to go back there when i go back to BC. And I love the leader Jaki! She spoke on the day that I was there and she is so wise, I love listening to her! I wish i could've spent more time with her too, but everyone is busy these days with jobs and church and weddings and whatnot. But I got to hang out withs ome people from the missions trip so that was fun!

Anywyas this is what I have been up to the last little while. Sorry for the lack of updation!

Vacation Time!!!

So we have come to the end of our official ministry work. Of course we are witnessing everywhere we go, but we aren't stopping at any more churches. We are back in Bangkok for a night and then we head down south. We are going to Hua Hin for about 3 days. Down there we are going to the beach, going elephant riding, kayaking, and maybe a littl ebit of waterfall jumping. It is going to be scary but fun! I am glad that we had a couple days to just kind of chill and whatnot before we cam eback.

Ministry has been going so well. Our DRIMES are getting so good and we have had to do a couple special numbers. The poeple from our choir at school sang Holy Holy Holy accapella andit was so nice. We have done that a couple times and yah poeple like it! I didnt' really know lots of the people before I came here so it's relaly neat to hear everyone's testimonies and know a littl ebit about them. It is has been so good! I am sad to leave, I love it here... But anyways, I may update you all from Hua Hin, but who knows I might be sooo busy! So until later!

Fang!

Hello all! So last I wrote I was an invalid in my room for days on end, but today i write to you not as a prisoner, but as a free person! I am no longer having to be in my room. My rash is not completely gone, but but it is good enough to be out and about. YAY! We went to Chiang Mai after Mae Sot and I love it. It has alot of white people because apparanetly it is a really big touristy town and alot of the old missionaries go retire there. But we went to nice market there and our hotel was really nice. We only stayed there for a night as a lay ove rand then the next day we went to Fang! It was about a 4 hour drive with switchbacks most of the way. Fang is surrounded by mountains and so we had to go over and through them to get here, but it is so beautifu7l. It is just a quite city and everywhere we go we have to be travleing through the countryside.

Yesterday afternoon we went to the church toplay with the children. They are so cute. I love them. We basically just made sock puppets, made balloon swords and animals, and they got to pick out a couple books that we brought over. I was just about to grab the balloon pumps and the bag of balloons away from the guys by the time we were done. I sat there with my ears plugged! I can't stand it but all th eballoon activities are over, so yay! I never want to hear another balloon squeak ever again in my life. It's like dad and the tearing of the cloth!!!! Boo. In the evening we went to a church, we thought it was going to be the same one, but the drivers took us up to some hill tribe about 45 min away. We did some music, 2 testimonies, 2 DRIMES, and we prayed over the children, and the pastor and his family! It was really cool. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and we prayed for one guy to get over his addiction of alchol and I believe that he will be healed. It is so cool. The children and the people in general here have such huge faith! Today we just went and played with the children at another hill tribe. There were so many of them, but it was alot of fun. We told them bible stories, did some DRIMES, and played games with them, it was fun. I took tons of pictures...

Tomorrow we are on the road again, another church heard that we are here and what we are doing and they want us to visit their church too. So that means an 8 hour drive for us tomorrow, back through the mountains!

Anywyas, God is doing such great stuff here and I love it. Last night the pastor mentioned one of his visions for the church to me and I think it's so cool, he told me to pray about it and really think about it. So I guess that's what I need to do. I also would like prayer for the team to keep on going. We only have o ne day of ministry left, but we still need strength and endurance. Prayer for the drivers of our vans, it is dangerous driving in the mountains and the rules of the road are a little different that here. Sometimes we have 3 vehicles across on a one lane highways! But it's fun! I like it! I feel safe, so yah... Yah, but other than that, i will write when i can! Thanks so much for your prayers!

Mae Sot

Hello! So I am here in Mae Sot and it is beautiful. The church and our hotel is out in the middle of now where basically, but it is beautiful. I love the country side. We have gone to the church and performed a graduation ceremony for the pastor there. They providced lunch which was good becuase it was noodles for a change, instead of rice! We went to an orphanage here and I love the kids there. We were only there for an hour, but we played games, read them a bible story, made a craft, and then they sang a song for us and then we sang a song for them. After that all we prayed for them and then the children prayed for us. They were so pure of heart and so sincere and so kind and generous with everythign they have. It was soooo good to see! I would really like to go back there to play with them.

The last week or so I have had pretty bad heat rash and a couple days ago they were sooo bad, like my body was covered in them and they were itchy. So yesterday mornign I wento the the hospital to see what it was and it is either allergies to something or it is heat rash. So I have to apply some lotion and stay inside where it's cool for 3 days! I am on day 2 and so bored and it is driving me nuts cuz I want to be out side building and playing with the chidlren, but ic an't. I guess I will just have to ocntinue to pray it heals and be patient. On monday we are heading to Chiang Mai and then to Fang. Hopefully I will be better by then. This trip is going so fast, we are over half way done. Anyways, I will post you again soon when I know more.

PS

I forgot to give you a littl ebit of an update of what is to come....

Tomorrow we leave for Mae Sot and it takes 8 hours to get to Chiang Mai. We are staying there over night and then co ntinuing onto Mae Sot. We wil lbe there for 3 days I think working in orphanges and the music team is doing a Worship Arts Seminar for the day. We may also be building a wall of sorts for them there. We are then going to Fang and I think we are doing the orphange thing there too. And for about 3 days. We are then travelinbg back towards Bangkok with a brief stop at some place that starts with a P. There are monkeys that run wild there that you can feed and take pictures with and whatnot, so yah we are going to stop and do that. We will get to see the Floatiing Market too which is cool. Maybe we'll see a couple Komodo Dragons as well, I hear they dwell there. We will come back and spend a day here in Bangkok and then we are going down south for the last couple days of our trip to do debriefing and have a relaxing time. We are heading to Hua Hin and doing adventerous things like maybe some elephant riding, or kayaking. I thin kwe might be going to look at some waterfalls too, and of course hit up the beach too. We have invited the Pastor here and his family down there as a treat because we love him. So that will be alot of fun. There is also a translator (Woon) who is ocming with us and I love her, she's so sweet! So I look forward to the times ahead and updating you....

So until then...

Leaving Bangkok!

Hello all! So it's been along time since I wrote on here, I appologize. Things have been really busy here and I havne't had time to get to the internet cafe at all! Things here are going so well. I love it! Where do I start....

Well, we are done our construction work on the church. We layed down and tied rebar on it. We have finished digging the septic hole. And on Sunday they came and poured the cement for the third floor which we were working on. It is the Sanctuary so that worked out cool that we were the team that got to help build that. I got to help with English registration the other day too. It was neat because the children/adults have to write a test to see where they are at and then we do an oral examination and it's neat to ask them questions and see how much they know. Some poeple are soooo smart! we got this one boy and he was soooo cute! HE left the table cuz we were done and then he came back cuz he wanted us to keep asking him more questions. So cute! I also sad in on a class and it was really cool, I think I might like to teach!

This last Friday we took a trip to the Univeristy here. It is the biggest in the world. It has 500,000 students but it is sooo ocheap. It only costs 20 baht (75cents) per credit hour! and to rent a nice apartment it is 2000 baht a month, so that is cheap also! But anyways we went there with some of the Thai young adults from the church and did our DRIMES for them. After we did some DRIMES we would go into the crowd with a Thai and tell them the gospel and stuff and then we also invited them to the church service that night. It was really cool, the language barrier was tough, but good. Then that night we got about 5 people fromt he Uni to come and it was such a good service. We did another DRIME and then our team was in charge of worship for part of it and it was cool! I love it when they sing their songs in Thai but they also have an english translation, it's so cool to hear at the same time!

On Sunday night the Thai Young Adults invited our team to the movie with them just for fun and relaxation. It was in english with Thai subtitles so we were able to understand it! We went to Iron man and it was relaly good, most of the people from our team, if not all, really liked it! And it was so cool to hang out with the Thai's. Their theatres are so nice and Yo, our travel guide from the church, says it was one of the worst theatres in bangkok!!!!

The last couple days have been more relaxing because we are preparing to go up north to Mae Sot and Fang! We leave tomorrow morning! Today we went over the church so that we could dedicate the new church building with the Thai's. We just sang some worship songs and then we prayed over it togther. Pastor (the Thai pastor) thanked us for all the hard work and half the girls on our team started to cry, including me of course, it was so nice! They are so sincere and beautiful. They have such tender pure hearts and I love that so much. i am going to be so sad tomiss them. They don't have anything to give financially or whatever but they thanked us with all their hearts for doing this for them and being in their lives! And then the workers bought us drinks which is so nice because in Thailand if you buy someone a drink it means you are friends with them! keke.

Anyways, this is sooo long, but this is what we have been up to and we are going to be moving up north and I don' tknow how frequently i am going tobe able to check this. So I want to ask you all to continue to pray and thank God for safety so far and continue safety and health. It is a spiritual battle and so we are all constantly getting worn out and tired. Prayer is much needed! Anyways, I will go but I will talk to you all when i can! Much love.

Gone a week!

So my team left a week ago today at about this time (BC Time) so there has been alot happening since then. We have seen some touristy sights, done some shopping at different markets around the city on our days off (Saturday and Sunday afternoon) and done some construction work...

Yesterday was the first day we did construction and it was pretty intense. We are digging a sump hole for them and it has to be about 2 meters deep and about 3 meters wide! So they are pretty big. The one was already partly dug and it was just watery and clay at the bottom but we still had to get it a little more. And then the other hole was brand new and we ended up digging down a couple feet! So it is slow work and in the heat it is pretty tough. But our team worked well together and we would switch off hoeing the dirt when someone needed water or just to take a break. Some of the other girls were tying braces together with wire for the other stories. And some of the other girls yet were inside the church doing registration for English classes starting in the summer. For lunch we had rice and spicy beef and some other spicy meet so it was a good time. I am loving the Thai food here, it is soooo great!

Today we were out and about doing more construction stuff. Today the girls were on the top floor (3rd) on a black surface held up by beams. The black absorbs the sun so it got pretty hot up there ,but we had water and some umbrellas. We were getting handed rebar and whatnot form the guys down a level and our job today was tying all the rebar together once we got it laid. So it was a pretty straightforward job but it was up on the hot roof! But it is always fun that we have such a good group of students to work with. The pastor of the church here (I dont' know his name, we just call him Pastor) is super funny! The Thai's are always joking around and laughing and just having a good time. They are such hard workers and can be serious but they also joke around alot and he is really funny. Another girl that I met and have taken a liking to is a girl named Woon! She is a singer and she's so nice. She is the translator and will be traveling with us up north too, so I am excited to get to know her better!

But overall, I am really really liking Thailand. I love the people and the culture and the food. It is so beatiful. The people are lovely and so friendly! They are always smiling at you. Today one of the other missionaries here told us that the Thai's are always smiling. It's funny to see a car accident because both people will get out of the vehicle and be smiling at each other. Of course it's a I want to kill you smile but they are still smiling. Anywyas I am running out of time here at the internet cafe so I will end this here....I miss you all and will write a gain soon. The internet cafe is near our place and relaly cheap so it works out.!

BANGKOK!!!

Hello there all you readers! I am thrilled to be writing this to you from Bangkok, Thailand. I am loving it here so much. It is so hot and really humid it is great! Right now I am at the church. We had a morning service in Thai and then we had lunch here, and then I just finished teaching some people how to sing!!! Crazy! All those years of music lessons really paid off. Now I don' tknow what the group is doing but I am up here in Michel-lyn's office writing emails. So yay! Ok, so thai food is amazing, i love it so much. I have tried so many new things but they are all so delicious, i love them.

Our first full day here we went to the Royal Palace (Thailand still has a King) and toured around and that place is amazing. It is all made up of tiny colored mirrors all hand cut and what not, it's so crazy! I took alot of pictures so i know some of you (mom) will enjoy lookng at that! I even took some of the shrubberies. Then we just took alot of modes of transportation to get back. In one day we took the sea bus, tuk tuks, skytrain, and a bus. All of which wwere super cool and pretty crowded!
The next day we went shopping and I bought so much stuff but it is so cheap. I got a real leather wallet for like 15 dollars...and a sweet purse for liek 3 dollars. Yah, it's sweet I love it! And then yesterday we came to the church to clean it up for the service today. And then we went home and crashed it is hot so it drains all your energy out of you.

Tomorrow is when we actually start construction. The guy who is "lookign after" us name is Yo and he is super cool. he jokes around with us and everything, it's fun. The Thai people in general are all joksters and super funny it is suprising but fun. And there are english signs posted everywhere and almost everyone is able to speak it so it's pretty easy to get around. On our second day here we saw an elephant just walking donw the street (with a rider) of course on the road of our guest house, it was pretty sweet. And then last night we were eating dinner and an elephant and a rider and a persona came right up to the door of the restaturant. They have bags of food that they ask you to buy to feed their elephant, it's cute, but yah i wouldn't do it.

so much has happened while we are here and i am getting closer to people alreacy and I am totally enjoying it here and actually getting used to the heat. I look forward to going down south to the beaches and whatnot, but that is for the end of the trip. IT will also be neat to go up north to the little towns and teach english to the gaffers. keke. Oh yah and we might get to go to the forests and jungle up north where Rambo was filled by Burma. So that would be cool too!But yes, Dennis is trying to get some wireless internet so that we can check it at the guest house but yah, we haven't done that yet. But i guess if that doesn't happen i might just have to go without or else come check it when we are at the church. But I guess I should head back to the group.

I love you all, and I look forward to seeing you again...

The Airport

So I am in the airport...so exciting. But yes, just a quick one to let you know that we are boarding in about an hour and I am so excited. I will try to write on here as much as I can. There are couple computers along so yah.... oh, i love you all and I will talk to you soon! Have a good month and I would appreciate a ton of prayer! :)

Stress

The worst time of year to do any thinking is at this time. I usually try to leave all the thinking alone til after all the schoolwork and exams are done, but this time it seems NOW is when I need to make the most decisions or think and analyze things. I have been thinking so much about all my realtionships lately. It's so hard near the end of the year to keep trying to maintain the friendships that you have here. After 2 weeks who knows how often I am going to be seeing these people, I just want to concentrate on my work or other stuff and not work at the friendships, but I know now is one of the most important time to have friends. And it is very important to make new friends too, which I have been working on, and thoroughly enjoying.

One of the big things I have recongized in myself this semester, partialy becuase people pointed out, is just the fact that I have stepped out of my comfort zone a bit more. I asked God last semester or at the beginning of this semester to help me to do that so that I could further his kingdom....Thailand!!! Different things that I have done or thought about doing even is so not what I would have done before and I know that I am only doing it now because God has encouraged me and given me the strength and I am so thankful for it. I am becoming the person that I have always wanted to be and the person I think God wants me to be too. Thailand is a huge step for me, who knows what will happen there? Who will I meet? Maybe going on this missions trip will help me to see a different calling on my life from what I had anticipated.

One thing I wish I was more gifted in was the theological area of the church and Christianity. I know the basics, but I have a paper due on Friday on a statement of faith of a cult compared to a statement of faith of orthodox Christianity. I am dreading starting it just cuz I don't knwo much about that. I know there's research and everything, but still.

But anyways, I thank God everyday that I am here. Making new friends, hanging out with old ones, learning things beyond what I ever thought I would study at school, growing closer to God and learning new things about him all the time. Anyways, I am so thankful I came back for a second year at school here. It has been long, but I have grown so much! So thanks be to God! :)

Almost done..

Well, Easter was good. I went to my friend Amy's house and we just watched ALOT of TV, went to church (which was sooooo good by the way!), went to the park to take some pictures and for a walk, and then yah, just hung out. It was realxing. But I was glad to get back to school and have familiarity and stuff again. I was so homesick this weekend though, I wanted to go home to Stetts so badly! I miss it alot! 2 more months. :) This week has gone fast though, just back at the school work and now everything is starting to sink in that we have like 3 weeks left of classes and then itis exams! WOW!

I have been receiving more money for Thailand so that is a blessing! Thanks all! :) On April 4th we are getting our immuizations done. The doctor and nurse are coming here to the school so we don' thave to go anywhere, which is so good. I think the only shot i have to get is the typhoid one, so that's good :) But we are having more regular DRIME practices so they are getting better and I think we are bonding as a team more. I get so excited to go. Yesterday I was finally able to go to the girls prayer meeting for the trip (i usually have class during that time so I can't make it) but they prayed over me. And of course I started crying (I always do), but it was so encouraging because it was all these first years who some I know and some I don't, and they were saying ho wmuch of a joy I am and how encouraging I am and when I come into the room I just light it up. And it was just so encouraging to hear becuase lately I have felt that I don' thave many friends and people don't really enjoy hanging around me that much. And it was shocking that people said they loved me that much! :) So I am so excited to bond with those girls over the trip, it is so exciting.

Then last night I went to Jaki's homegroup and we had a prayer one. We all divided up into 3 groups and did like prayer stations so it was cool.l I met some of the girls in my group and I actually had a really good conversation with this one girl (only cuz she was an initiator, I'm not!) She might be going to Grant MacEwan in Edmonton next year for music so it was good. Ok, so here's a little history...Jaki , my Resident Leader, I haven't really talked to ehr much this year becuase she is authority and I am intimidated by her but I love her to pieces, liek she is so wise and such a strong Christian that I always wanted to be her friend!I have been more lately but still not that great. But then last night after homegroup she came into my room and asked if she could talk to me. It was a serious conversation and she was so nervous to talk to me and she said she had been wanting too for weeks. So it went over well and we both cried, and then we talked for like a good 30 minutes about ourselves and each other and she was just encouraging me about the way I look and different qualities she likes about me and such and I did the same just cuz we never really talked before. And then I told her i was scared of her at the beginning fo the year but I still reallyl iked her and wanted to be her friend! and so it was sooooooo good! And then when she left the room she kissed me on the cheek! So now we are good friends and I love her so much and i am so glad that she talked to me! So overall, yesterday was really good, but emotional!

I called the car place today cuz I hadn't heard anything and they said the last of the parts came in last night so they will have it done for Saturday or Monday... Grrrr! SOOOOO FRUSTRATING!

Recital is coming up on April 7th so I am excited about that. I think I am singing a french song called "Mon Essentiel" or else I have been thinking alot about "On His Knees" by The New Tradition. I basically do anything cuz the musicians ehre are amazing and can play anything! Crazy! But yah, i am a little nervous for that just cuz i dont' knwo what I am doing yet. But it will be good.

Anywyas, this al the exciting or not so exciting things that are up with my life! The main thing is I miss Stettler and just want to go home, but i guess that time is coming! Til then I will just persevere!

One more month to go

Amy playing her song (practicing)

(me recording in the studio while Carolyn played guitar)

So the recording is over and sounds amazing! I have listened to the CD with everyone's songs on it so many times! I can't wait for you all to hear it! My friends Amy and Brianna are on it, along with my other friends from the class, and myself of course! :) Now it is just one more month of getting assignments in on time and finding things to do to pass the time til I can leave. I know when I leave I will miss it here, but I just am sick of being here on campus (not having a car) and just having to stay up late to get assignments in on time.

Last Friday and yesterday I was over at the IMM house painting. I need to get 22 servant leadership hours to graduate, so I volunteered to paint the IMM house. I have been in there 13 hours and am 2/3 done. I need to go back there tonight and get a couple more hours and do some touch ups and a second coat and stuff like that. I will go back after easter and do the last classroom, so things are going well. Painting brings back both good and back memories, but I think I will miss it this summer a bit. Yesterday was campus cleanup day too, so everyone was weeding, cleaning windows, haulign things to the dump, planting things, powerwashing things, etc. So now we are living on a clean campus and the good thing about that was that we got to miss a day of school, yay, NO THEORY!!!!

I heard from the car guys yesterday, I was supposed to get it back yesterday, but he called and said the appraiser just came to the shop to do the estimate once the car was taken apart, and then it would take 2 days to order parts and another 3-4 days to fix it, so i won't have it til after Easter :( So frustrating, but i guess then is better than never, even though i haven't been able to drive for over 2 months. Things are going well with Thailand. I have raised alot of money, more than I thought, so God is good, and thank you so much to all of you who have been praying and those of you who have supported me, it is soooo much appreciated! :)

For Easter I am going to my friend Amy's house. She has invited me over and they are having a big family dinner on Saturday night, so it might be a little awkward, but I know their family enough that it might not be too bad. But it will be a long time at her house, I am going over there on Thursday night and staying til class on Tuesday morning! But I am just so excited that I have friends who are willing to take me in for Easter so that I am not alone :) After Easter it is almost the end of school. I am done classes on the 11th and then exams start. So yikes! It is coming fast, but then it is Thailand and then road trip with my friend Becca to get home so I am pumped. I don't know where I will work in the summer yet, but I have time, and are not worried!

I guess prayer requests would just be that God will be preparing my heard for missions and just getting me to the spot that I need to be in to serve him properly. I still need prayer as to where I shoudl work in the summer and what I should be doing in the fall. And just that i won't be too anxious this last month, but enjoy the time i have with the people here and do fun things that are memorable! :) Thanks so much!

Hello friends!

It is another beautiful day here in Surrey, BC. I am exhausted, but what else is new. We have had this past week off for Spring Break, only I don't really get it off because it is my intensive, the one I have been looking forward to since last year. That's right, I am in the studio for the next 3 days recording and listening to my classmates record. I had to leave a little early today because the tow truck is supposed to be coming for my car, but I already got to hear Zoe play the piano and hear how they put a percussion track to it in the background. It's some pretty sweet stuff. Tonight my friend Brianna is recording and then Amy is tomorrow morning and I am right after her. So I am very excited about this endeavor. I wrote a song entitle "Your Fragrance in Me" and I am so excited about it. Carolyn Arends (a professional singer/songwriter and our teacher) is playing guitar for me and it sounds a little country so it suits me. I love it. And she even mentioned something about a little mandolin action or something. YAY! And seeing as we dont' have regular classes I have been having sleepovers with my friends Amy and Bri. We stayed at Amy's Mon and Wed night and then tonight and tomorrow they are both staying over here, so there's not much sleep going on, but it is fun!

I am still as excited as ever about Thailand. We didn't have any meetings for it this week, as some people have gone home for the week. But I have been working on my drimes and just getting really pumped. I know Becca and Serena have started getting things ready for the children and I am helping them out with that, so it is so exciting! But yah, alot of things still need to be done for that, so a lot of prayer is still needed int hat area. But yes, things are going well here.

Not much else has happened since last I wrote so I will leave this here and report back after the recording :)

Sunshine Pictures...

Greg and Josh in the sunshine-we were having a homework sun party on Sunday afternoon.

Me and Amy in the Sunshine

In the Sunshine....

Smiling at each other cuz we are friends :)

Me and Amy & Mine and Amy's handprints in the Volleyball Court :)

Things have been better...

So hello all you out there...As you can see from my title, things aren't going so great. I am kinda down in the February slumps. We have had beautiful weather, but sometimes that just doesn't do it!

Last Thursday in Chapel I was finding it really hard to meet with God. And then we had this speaker that was horrible and he totally just discouraged everyone instead of building us up, so it really sucked. Ever since then I have done things I shouldn't have and I don't know, things are going down hill. Yesterday I got my outline for my midterm tomorrow and I looked it over, and I didn't know anything on it, so I got mad and chucked it across the room and then I went around my room and threw everything around. I cried, and then I had a nap, and then my friend came in and cuddled with me. I felt better after the nap but still not great. A really weird thing happened during my nap though. So Grace came into my room and shea sked if she could pray over the room because alot of the girls had been having dreams of like demonic things and stuff liek that. So she prayed and then we were talking. And I remembered just before I went to sleep I thought someone had come into my room, liek it felt like someone was watching me right over my shoulder and it was like I could feel them there. And I didnt' look cuz I was scared and didn't want to move, but then a little while later it was gone and everything was back to normal. So it kinda freaked me out. But then last night I prayed for a really long time just wanting Jesus to come have a sleepover with me cuz I was so scared and I needed to have him near. And he did and so it was good and comforting, I had a good sleep.

Today just started out brutal, I had theory and we are learning such hard stuff right now and I didn't understand anything we learned today! And then I was just in kinda a bad mood and people in the class were bugging me, and then I had choir. And everyone was just so annoying, the boys never stop talking and the piano player kept messing up and messing everyone else up. I love all the people there but today they were just relaly getting on my nerves. And so I just went back to my room after that and cried! I bawled. And then I wrote 2 songs, so i guess it was ok. But I just had so much bitterness and anger today and it wasn't cool. But I was actually speaking my mind which is good to do and helpful also. So I am praying hard that I will be close with God again and just get over this slump i'm in. Plus my car isn't fixed yet, and I need to find rides to the ferry this weekend to visit mom and dad, and I have a midterm tomorrow, quiz on Thursday, Songwriting on Monday-saturday! So it is going ot be busy and I get no spring break :(. So i guess I would like prayer for this....

Anyways, just thought I would give you the update. Thank you foryour prayers. I love all of you alot! :)

Leia

Has Springtime come?? I think so!

Yes, it is that time of year and it is sooo noticeable. The weather is sunny and beautiful and so are the people. Everyone is so much happier and feel liek they can get outside and do exercise and just be fun again! I love it.

It is midterm time also though, so that makes things a little stressful. I have a theory midterm tomorrow and that's a little intimidating, but I will survive. And next week I have another one. Thank goodness that this semester is a little lighter for me and I don't have any essays due or anything, it is just quizzes and weekly assignments. Tomorrow I am going to Victoria to visit Candice, Grandma Unger,a nd Rissy! i am so excited, i haven't seen them in so long! On Friday I have a bridesmaid dress shopping trip and then my church is doing a live recording DVD and CD so I am going to that, and then I am going to my friends birthday party! Everything is happening, but I love it, I would rather be busy than bored so that I don't get into trouble....ha, not that I would, but you know, hypothetically...

This last weekend our missions team went to Trinity Western University to a DRIME workshop. we divided up into 2 groups and learned 3 drimes each, so it was alot of memorization and it will take a whiel to get them down really good, but they will be good. We are going to be doing them in chapel here before we leave and then we are also doing them like on the streets, in churches, and all around when we are in Thailand. So we have to know them well. I am so excited though, I am not a big acting person, but I love it, they are so much fun! But yah...
I think this is all that is new or anything here. It is so sunny and beautiful and I thank God for that because it makes everyone happy and we can see God's beautiful creation, I LOVE IT!!!!

Days go by...

Hi all! Oh man i have so much to write on, so many things have been happening!!! It's crazy...

So I guess it was since last Wednesday I told the parentals about the car...as you probably all know by now I got in a bit of an accident and so i haven't been driving it for the past like month. That piled on with school, friendships, relationships, and everything else, i have been really overwhelmed which leads to depression i guess. Not severe, but its still there. So Monday was really bad and after Vespers in the evening we had our Thailand prayer meeting and me and Becca were the lucky ones who got to go in the "hot seat" this week. It was cool becuase people were praying for me for things they had no idea were going on and it was super cool. Then on Tuesday I decided i just needed to take the day off and sleep and just hang with God. I know that sounds like a wimpy way to say that I was just skippin class and wanted to sleep. But it really helped, it totally revitalized me and it was just good to sleep in God's presence. I would pray and then fall asleep and i felt bad but i know God was with me during that, so it was so comoforting.

So then is the popular topic of Lent right now i guess. So I put alot of prayer into this and i didn't know what to give up, but i finally decided on something due to the constant reminder from God. Well the first thing that I am giving up is makeup. This is extremely hard for me because i love wearing not, not because i think i need it, but because i just enjoy doing it. But i felt that God was telling me everytime i look in the mirror and see my face without make up on it I will be reminded of how he made each person beautiful and perfect in his eyes and that i need to focus as much time and energy on making my heart as beautiful as i usually try to make my face. It is working too cuz everytime i lookin the mirror, i think about it. And then the second thing I am doing (not giving up) and Candice got this from me, lol, but i bought this book and it is called "Give me 40 Days" and you make a list of the needs of others and your needs and then for 40 days you pray 40 minutes a day for others and in turn God will grant you the needs of your heart. So it is pretty intense but I think it will be soooo sweet in the end. Ha, and it was really crazy, made me laugh, that this past Wednesday and Thursday were Spiritual Emphasis days. We got ot chapel for 3 hours each day and there is a guest speaker and stuff liek that. Well, this guy came and he talked on making the heart beautiful....SO CRAZY!!!!! It is totally what i needed to hear so it was incredible. It was really challenging too and it made me realize i have some people that i need to forgive and appologize to and just things done...

So a guy is coming to look at the car today and do an estimate, that will be good. My friends are opening up to me more and it is beautiful. Me and Bri weren't doing that great last semester but she is acutally opening up and telling me things about herself so I am soo thankful for that, an answer to prayer. I am starting to maybe creep outside my comfort zone, i really need to just leep out and yah that's my biggest struggle right now. And yah everything is giong well. I too watched to superbowl, but i went to the States to a guy from the shcools house and it was fun. Super funny and great commercials, i loveit! And then after we played Guitar Hero and stuff liek that, so it was a really good time. So yah, this is long, so til next time...

So many lessons to learn...

So this week hasn't really been the best in some aspects, but I have learned some "lessons" and just realized things about people and about God.

Sometimes we think we know what we want, or what God wants, or what we're supposed to have. But then a certain incident happens and things don't go like we think they should. It is through these incidents that I realize how faithful God is and how faithful he is to keep his promises and never let us down. I put alot of trust in people and it is so disheartening when they let me down and they say trust me on this and you do, but it is just a huge letdown. But when God says that, "Hey Leia, trust me to love you forever and always be there when you need me to comfort you or take you under my wing. I love you through your hard times and when you are running from me, nothing you do will ever change that." It makes me smile becaue I know he won't let me down, when he says that you can count on a follow through. But yes, things happen for a reason and at the time they seem horrible and so intense, but when you actually sit down and think about it, things are so much better. I know that God has such incredible things in store for me and I was just being held back, but now that I am free I can enjoy his plans and rejoice for trusting in him.

Anyways, so learning lessons and enjoying God's company. It's cool.

Back at er....

So obviously it's been a while since I have written...alot has happened. Haha, wow, I don't even know where to start. lol. Ok, so classes this semester I like a lot better and I think it will be a great semester. For classes I have Sightsinging and Eartraining, Event Planning, Chapel Worship Team, Theory 4, Choir, Comparative Cults, Interpersonal Development, Psalms, IMM Round Table, Music Arranging, Dance Foundations, and then for one week I have Songwriting Lab where we actually write a song and record it. So it is busy but it is good, very practical classes. I have gone to one dance class so far and it was really good, I liked it alot. It is just the basical fundamentals of dancing and then at the end of the semester we do a recital and stuff like that.

I am still going to Victory Christian Centre for Church and I am liking it more and more every week. So I look forward to the next time I go there. Last Friday I went to a Young Adults night for the first time and it was combined with the youth and it was pretty good, we just sang, heard a message, and then we played a game with giant balls. So it was a good time. I look forward to going more frequently and actually getting to know some people there.

God is doing alot here this semester too. There was this conference (I didn't go to it but others did, I didn't really know about it til it was too late) and I guess it was pretty intense. LIke the most amazing things happened, sweetness!!!! And one girl needed some money for tuition this semester and one day she just got a receipt saying that this $2000.00 that she needed was annonymously paid and another girl that is going to Thailand for missions received over the amount she needs to go! Crazy stuff like that. Well, and little stuff too, like I've just had my eyes open to like the true meaning of worship, and different passages that I read in the bible and stuff...it's so clear! It's great I love it! And well, I still have stuff to work on and learn it is sooo great and I am making new friends and stuff, I love it!

I am going to Thailand! I have decided for sure that I am going to go. I look forward to it. We are going to Bangkok and helping build a church and then we are going doing other missinoary work in some other places...I don't know which ones yet. But it is going to be a good month! That is in May. And I also get to room with one of my firends so I am looking forward to that too!

But yah...I think this is all, well a short sum, of the things that have been happening around here lately! My parents are in the Caribbean and I am soooo jealous of them...but I guess my time will come! :) I am just glad that they got to go! Candice came to visit me last weekend and that was a good time, we went shopping and hit up Science World. Yah I beat her at all the tests that you can do there like reflexes, grip strength, upper arm strength, she was competative, but I won out in the end. But yes...
til next time...