Notice of Address Change

I've moved to facebook. You should too.

If I go on another adventure then I'll probably post on here more but while I'm in Victoria it seems funny to me to post on here.

home sweet home

I'm back here in Victoria as of a week ago (April 20th). So far I've just been recovering from what felt like 6 months of cabin leading. My job was a joy and a challenge and i'm thankful for some time to rest and reflect on the happenings of this past year. I've learned so much about leading people, mentoring, and myself, mostly through my mistakes. It's a tough and painful way to learn, but possibly the quickest and most effective (oh darn). I've learned that when you are leading people your words are so important so pick them carefully and think things through before you speak. I've learned to listen more and ask good questions, while saving advice for when it's requested or absoultely necessary (I tend to be an advice giver just like my mom). I've experienced my weaknesses and my limitations through being at the very very end of myself, many times. That's not a happy place to be . . . it's pretty ugly actually. I think I'm at the beginning of learning how to let God do work in people rather than try to over advice them out of their problems. Mentoring is a delicate dance between standing back and letting God do the work and challenging people to grow. I haven't perfected that dance but I know that it is a very prayerful process. Overall I had a fabulous year amidst community, adventure, service, and learning. I'm finding that I'm missing my students and the friends that I've made in the other site leaders. They have blessed me and have been a big part of this special time in my life. If you're reading this, I love you guys (yes, all 35 of you site twoers). Leave a comment so I know where you're at.

For now I'm just chillin at the casa de mis padres (my parents house). I've rummaged through and wittled down everything that I own so now i finally feel like I've moved in! I've made a couple of trips to the thrift store with garbage bags of useful things for someone else. I've done lots of mending and i have more sewing to do as I bought patterns and material for 2 dresses. One must be prepared for the battery of summer weddings that are swiftly approaching (congrats Meg & Frank and Ruthie & Matt!). I've visited with a few friends Megan, Frank, Marijka, Rachel.....and of course Mr. tspray himself. All I can say is it's good to be off the phone and in person. phewf!

So I'm looking for work. . . but not too soon. I just want odd jobs for the summer and a real grown up job in the fall. I'm looking for a condo with my parents . . . and I'm looking for a roomate (anyone interested in livin' with lil ol me?). I'm looking to connect back up with friends and in many cases am waiting for them to come home from wherever they are. I'm looking for a bible study, the right group of people for this time in my life.

That's all for now cause I gotta do my taxes. Yippie!

Debrief in the Peg

I'm back in Canada! Right now I'm in the computer lab at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), the wonderful institution which gives me employment. We have finished grad and the students are gone so now we are debriefing as staff. This includes everything from spending time in the board room talking about how things went logistically, to walking through the park to a coffee shop to chill and chat. I'm going to miss my fellow leaders who I've really grown to love and appreciate.

I'm coming home soon.... in 2 days to be more specific. I'm really looking forward to spending time hanging out with people and reconnecting with my family, friends, and church. To all my friends out there in Victoria, are you still there? I think there's always some uncertainty as to
who is still around and how lives will (or perhaps won't) fit back together. I know that God has been faithful to bring people into my life and I know He will remain faithful.

I can't wait to see you all! (I really have no idea who reads my blog so perhaps there are some people who are reading this who are not from Victoria so I'd like to give a lil' shout out to you. thanks for tuning in wherever you are)

Coming home

Hello Everyone!

I have 2 more days in Guatemala (in a high security facility mind you) and then I´m flying back to Winnipeg for grad and debrief. I´m super tired so if you´re one for praying, please pray that i can make it through and not just that but conclude this whole year well with my fellow staff and students.

I´ll be back in Victoria soon but I know that I´m going to be hibernating for at least an entire week. i´m going to be watching ALOT of movies and sleeping.

sweet

Coban and Travel weeks

These are photos from the past 2 weeks of my life. We have one week left in Guate and are using it to debrief our whole year together and enjoy the grandious festivities surrounding Semana Santa (Easter week). There will be lots of processions and el fombras.....wait for the pix to understand what those are. This is also my last week to catch up with the fabulous chicas that I mentor. I'm looking forward to some good chats and yummy food. After this we will be returning to Winnipeg for a few days of grad, then staff debrief and then VICTORIA for me! Exciting much? This has been an incredible adventure but I am looking forward to some well needed rest and some "normalness". (these photos are in order from most to least receint)


Becky (a student) and I are having the boat ride of our lives along with the rest of our group. We were getting very wet and sore bum-ish on the ride between Livingston and Porta Barrios. Fun times indeed.

Had the time of my life riding this horse....something Blanco was it's name. I got to go really fast...a gallop perhaps? Evidently i know very little about horses.

Riding in the back of the pickup (cause that's legal in Guate) at speeds that I should not share in case my mom is reading this (hi Mom, I'm being really safe here in Guatemala and I'm taking my vitamins every day :). On our travel week we set up an Amazing Race for the students and we had a tough time staying ahead of them!

The staff team: Patricia, Lina, Lars, and Steve

Site 2 in front of the famous ruins in Tikal, Guatemala. Where's Patty?

My group was doing 3 different service projects in Semesche. Here we are planting forage crops to feed this Mayan family's animals (chickens and rabbits) so that when they eat them they will get more nutrition. These crops also prevent soil errosion and as a result the family doesn't have to spend half a years wage to buy chemical fertilizer. It was really cool to be a part of this project cause this is the stuff that i learned about in my degree....finally there's some practicality! Oh, and we were living in a very traditional community so the girls had to wear skirts....later you'll see my lovely (and by lovely i mean ugly) 50 cent skirt which i will shockingly not be bringing home. boo hoo.

Lina (my co-leader) and I shared a hard wood bed for 3 days. Unfortunately she got bed bugs from the blankets she used. Check out the corn drying! Corn is HUGE in their culture. They eat it every meal in various forms.

Our whole site piled on to this big truck and hung on for dear life down the rough windy road between Semesche and Coban (the major city close to the little village we stayed in).

sitting around the fire with my Mayan host family. no electricity, just candles.

My Mayan host family in the little remote village of Semesche. There's that skirt I was talking about!

The past 2 weeks

I´m coming back to Vic at the end of Apirl. I´m really looking forward to being back home. I´m missing Tim lots and am getting pretty tired eventhough the things that we´re doing are really really cool. Last week we stayed with Mayan families in very minimal housing, with food being cooked over a fire and very cold and rainy conditions. despite this it was a fantastic experience. we were helping in some development projects and really being cared for by the people in Semesche. the family that Lina and I stayed with was incredible.

This week we´ve gone caving with candles (most amazing experience of my life!), floating down rivers in tubes (and through more caves), lots of cliff and bridge jumping into the water, hanging out in Semuc champy which is a beautiful place to swim and hang out in pools of blue water in the jungle, and hanging out at a cool hipy hostel in the bush. today i went horse back riding and it was so fun. I got to gallop which i have never done before! In the past week we have been doing the amazing race with the students as we´re traveling in the north of guate. The students have raced through tikal (famous Mayan ruins in the north of Guate), and cities further north like Poptun. we´ve had kayaking races, bean and torilla eating contests, crazy cheers and mascotts, photo taking challenges, riddles, and running and swimming races. it´s been pretty cool.

After this week we are heading back to Antigua for a debrief week where all the students and leaders are going to share what this year has ment to them. then we´re returning to Winnipeg for some grad stuff.....staff debrief and then home!

I can´t wait to see all of you amazing Victoria folk. you´re pretty awesome. I´ve get some great photos which i will share later!

PHOTOS!!!!!

Tina and I having breakfast at the fanciest hotel in Antigua, Casa Santa Domingo. It was a beautiful place!




Somehow I always take out my camera when I'm with Kim. Here we are in Antigua at a roof top cafe called the Sky cafe. You can see the volcano behind us (faintly) and a very typical run down colonial building.





This is the cutest kid in the world. i don't know how she does it. Her name is Elizabeth and we played little games on the work site lots like putting rocks in a basket and pretending it was food. This is an incredible memory for me.





This is my small group and the family that we built a house for with Habitat for Humanity. This was an incredible experience for me. I was so honored to be welcomed into the lives of the people in this family. They are amazing.



This is my JOB! I'm mentoring one of the fabuloso students on our site. Kim and I are in Monterrico and our whole site is staying in beach bungalos. Needless to say I'm living a tough life ;)



Hanging out on the street in Antigua with a lady.



Tina, Lina, and me at the beach in Monterrico.




My co-leader Lars and I had a fancy dinner at Las Palmas




I'm making tortillas in a Mayan village. This was a really cool experience. We learned how to make coffee (right from picking it off the plant to ground coffee).