Next Steps: Part 1-2-3

Much to my delight I now find myself at home. Every time I travel I reach a point when I want to return to the people I love, which then requires me to also return to this city they live in! So, here I am back in GP.
I am so glad I detoured and found myself "waiting" in Nelson, the two weeks I spent there were necessary for me to finish thinking, praying, processing. And when it finally came time to leave it was because I wanted to be home, and not simply because I had nowhere else to be.
It is easier to return home to GP, and to be excited about it, when you know that your stay will be a short one. To prove that, I will be leaving again this Friday, heading down to Calgary for a handful of reasons and a handful of days, and then back up north. When I return I will try to find some work to keep me busy until Christmas, (if you know of anything...).
So the question now is obviously: What next? And amazingly I think I know and I'm excited about it too! I am planning on moving to Calgary in the New Year to find full-time work, and part-time studies. I am hoping to finish my ABC degree in the next couple years as I have a half dozen or less, classes left. That is part one.
Part two, I am pursuing an intentional community living situation. I have been reading, praying and having many conversations about community living for the last 2 years. And in particular, thinking about forming a community where hospitality and knowing those who are poor is part of the point. Very excitingly I have some leads towards building or finding this kind of community in Calgary.
Part three, this is the part that is a true miracle: Midwifery re-enters my life! Alberta's first approved, university level, midwifery education program is supposed to begin this coming fall, in Calgary! And if all the necessary pieces for that to happen go ahead and happen, then I will be the first to apply for the program! That means starting from scratch, it means four more years, but I have figured out how much I want this and I am willing to start again.
With all these things on the horizon home is a great place to be, I'm here to enjoy my family, friends and the next two months. I am continuing to try to live with the quote "Be Here Now" in mind, I'm trying to learn about waiting and living out my questions, and daily choosing joy.

This Fall

It's Fall! Get out and enjoy it while you can!

Church

Well, it's come and gone - I've had my last Sunday here in GP, and Canada for that matter (and for now). The next time I attend church it will be in a warmer climate, in a different language and a different flavour!
I'm going to miss GP Church of Christ a lot! My home church, my family - there are so many there that I love. People I've grown up knowing, have served with, have learned from. I dearly love our church, and will miss singing alongside them, Alan's sermons, the jr high youth, my quirky-yet-lovable bible study group. All parts of this family that I love.
But as I go out, I know that the love and ministry of the church is going with me. I do not go to Manila alone, along with my midwife-sisters and (of course) the LORD, I go with the heart of our GP CofC. You are ministering alongside me, you are helping me even though I'm far away, and you are a part of any lives touched in the process.
I love our church. I love the Church!

Definition of a Good Day

Now I'm not saying a great day, but a pretty good one includes:

• 1 last day at work,
• 1 Flames victory over the Oilers,
• 1 evening out with Jessica!

Not too shabby eh? Now, from a good day, to a good nights sleep!

PS: only 5 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blizzard!

So GP was hit with the same Blizzard that's ravaging all Western Canada! It came in yesterday with 46km/h winds, a foot of snow, less than a click of visibility and temps feeling about -35! I ended up crashing overnight at my folks, and even got stuck downtown today when I went to work. This is a picture out our side door, that snow is hitting the top of our fence, the drifts all over town are like that. My folks are almost snowed in!
I will be soooo glad to get to the tropics in a few days!

The IceCapades

Skating Dramatics...


Canucks vs. Oilers (uhh, how about neither!)...


And a bunch of Posers.

New Years Day

A beautiful afternoon as the sun disappears for the day.

We spent the afternoon skating on a pond downtown, I love skating despite my complete inability at it. I mean I can move and all that, but stopping and abrupt turns, not so much!!

It was lovely!

Career Day

Today was my first offical "appearance" as a midwife! It was fun. We have an outreach high school in town, some of the students are pregnant and parenting teens, and some are kids who can't go to school for other reasons. As far as I know it's a really good program.
So today I went as a midwife for a "career day" type presentation. My sis goes to the school because of the freedom she has there - and she's the one who got me this strange gig.
It felt really odd to sit in a chair in front of this gathering of girls and to be the centre of attention, and supposedly the one with all the answers! Not to mention that I was representing a career I am only entering and one that is as diverse as midwifery.
A difficulty with the whole thing is that at least half of these girls are pregnant and/or have kids. Which means that birth attendants and other birth choices are two things that are very real to them. But up here in the North, there are no midwives available to them. The only care available up here is a very busy hospital system, and for the lucky few the care of the one doula in town. I had to be careful because for these women - there will be no midwives, at least not now. Instead they will be attended by whatever doctor they can get into, or whichever one is on call - which isn't always what they would choose.
I hope that the future soon brings midwives to GP. And maybe even one or more of these girls will be moved to enter the profession. What I do see is that there is a very real need here at home.

Snow Day!

This is an official Snow Day! It hasn't stopped falling for over 24 hours, and I couldn't even tell you how many inches we've got!

I figured everyone would stay home today - but proving that we are truely people of the North, everyone was out anyway, business as usual. We had a steady day at work, even though we had to shovel the walks 3-4 times in twice as many hours!

Take note of the snow on top of the fence!!

I was driving to work this morning, going real slow, all was very slippery, but going well. And all of a sudden with no particular change in driving I was no longer facing forwards and moving but completely jack-knifed, on the tracks and - not moving. By the grace of God there was a bit of space between me and the folks behind me, and they did not slam right on into my lovely ride! Scary roads, when 2 of your tires are near bald! I must say the Lord had mercy.

Now, just so you know - there was no snow on the ground when this started up yesterday. And this was early this morning, its been going all day since then too!

Despite all the snow, or maybe right along with all of it - life is going good. I'm enjoying my job - we have a lot of fun, and with such cool stuff to sell, why wouldn't we? And come Tuesday I'm picking up country dancing! Looks like the next 6 weeks will be a hoe-downing good time! And by then it will be Holiday season, although its already beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Rosie-Around-The-World

So I was at work today - did I tell you that I'm working? I have a job at a cute shop called Valhalla Pure, its like a mini-MEC or REI, we sell outdoor sports equipment and clothing, and it looks like it will be fun!

Anyway I was at work when this women came in and it turns out that she's the woman who is running around the world to raise awareness and funds for Cancer research and some childrens charities. I'm serious she's actually running around-the-world! Her name's Rosie Swale-Pope, she's a rale-thin 60-year-old and she has been runnning now for 3 years and is expecting for it to take about one more. She's made it from Wales, across Europe, Russia, the Himalayas, Siberia, down through Alaska and today she's in Grande Prairie!! This woman is hard core! (if you see on the map - you can see her route, she's moving to the east, wrap around the edge..., but obviously she's made it further then even the map shows, cause she's currently at the little yellow dot.)

So she was a lot of fun, and we got to outfit her with a few essentials, like a Thermarest for the cart/tent that she carries behind as she runs, she sleeps in this thing, and keeps warm with big animal hides! She decided she needed to replace her Thermarest. Anyway it was one very neat experience to meet this courageous, and determined woman. Her personal motivation is that she lost her own husband to prostate cancer, and she wants people to get regular check-ups and not wait too long. (So she's running AROUND THE WORLD!). Okay, as you can see I'm in complete shock over this enormous feat. She said she went through times in Siberia where she would go 6 weeks without seeing other human beings!

Wow, wow, wow! So check out her website by clicking on her name or on her picture. Go, Rosie, Go!!

Two of my Three Roomies

This is me with my little Grayson!

I get to see and snuggle him everyday.

Today while I was wearing him in the sling

he even fell asleep for me,

I'm a proud Auntie!

Me and my new roomie Jenn (Gray's mom)!

Life Goes On

Home life.
I'm settling into my new digs - I have the pleasure of staying with my dear friends Jenn and Jeremy and their lovely Grayson. And for the first time in what seems like forever I have my own room - a giant one, in which there is plenty of room for my things, and a desk for all my texts. I have a permanent place to study my little heart out! Today I was walking across my room when it hit me that I was still in my room, and I thought, if I've been walking for this long, surely I must be in another room! OK, now you're thinking its obnoxiously large, its not, its pefect.
And I'm hoping to hook up with a part-time job. Actually I have one if I want it. The only catch is that pesky little need for a vehicle. I'm naively hoping I can make it on a bike. But really I know it won't happen - winter is coming, dark comes early. Not good. Hoping for that car.
I'm also hoping to sign up for a ballroom dance class too. Actually I'm pretty set on it, but it too is hinging on the whole car thing.
As for now, once again I have my little bro for a week - as my folks vacay. So I'm playing "mommy". I'm sure something picture worthy will occur this week. I promise you some then. And for now enjoy a handful of pictures I have from this summer, click here.

Arrival!

After a long, rather ardous day, I arrived home last night, pretty late. But home, in one peice, with my luggage. Besides the fact that I had to be at the airport at 5am, everything about my flights was going to smoothly, through to waiting at the gate for my Edmonton-GP flight. And then without warning they hit to the loadspeakers to inform us that ALL Jazz flights have been cancelled for the entire day! ALL of them!
That leaves a lot of people not very impressed, and bunch of people very frantic. So getting our luggage back was a process of 2 hours, which really didn't help those trying tpo fly out on other airlines! Arghh.
But I was not one of those trying to fly out on an other line. I actually had no idea what to do with myself. I was pretty set on getting home, but there didn't seem to be many options. And the airline wasn't offering to give us any help, no hotels, food or transfers! But amazingly as I was talking with my fam, Ben realized that he had a friend driving back from Edmo. And with a quick call he had secured for me a ride home! I just had to get myself into Edmo - so one $60 cab ride later I was loading my stuff into Kos's car and on my way home!
It really sucked that they canceled our flights, and that I now have to be on the phone for hours on end to try and sort out my ticket. But in my hour of need - God provided at just the right time! I really couldn't believe how well, how timely everything worked out. I'm home now!!
Praise God!

Coming Home!!

Here it is finally. The NEWS of what I am doing a mere 3 weeks from now, (confirmed only this morning)!
I am coming back to GP! For September-December I'll be home and I'll head out to the Philippines come January.
A little different than I had originally planned - but I'm feeling more and more comfortable with it now. In fact God is really getting me excited for some time at home. I'm hoping to work part-time, study full-time (lots more school work to do with midwifery, even after we finish up here), and hang out with the jr. high kids at church.
So I'll see you sometime after September 5th!! More news to come check the church Chronicle.

More Than I Could Ask For

I finished work yesterday - the end of another era in my life. Yes it has been 4 years that I have working on and off with Pembina Pipelines in 3 different towns, and now, with any luck, I will not work for them again! Pembina has been good - fun people, comfortable job, good money. To be honest I'll miss my FSJ/WC/GP work buddies, but I am thrilled to be finished! I never want to hear the words "Micro Main" ever, EVER again!
But I must report on a bit of the fun that I've had this week. Every so often something special happens that makes your week. Well, to be honest this week I had about 6 special somethings, pretty lucky if you ask me.

1. Sunday was a beautiful start to my week. My BBQ blessed the socks off me, I hope you all realize that. If people think its just about the fact that I raised more money then I could have ever hoped that isn't it. It was that God moved in people to give, He was working in them. It was that people were saying to me, and demonstrating to me that they love and trust me, and see God working through me. Wow.
2. One of my work buddies (he's over 50, don't worry) decided he'd miss me (or maybe was just really happy to see me go) and celebrated with giving me roses! I may be shallow folks - but flowers do make me happy. They just make me smile. What a sweetheart!
3. I also found out that my folks are going to splurge for the digital camera I've been dreaming of, Nikon D50 here I come! This is an SLR camera like the one I own, but digital. Although I really love traditional cameras, I am so thrilled that I won't have the costs or restrictions of film. This means a million more pictures, better pictures and easier sharing right here for you!
4. On Wednesday night one of the bosses at work and I took her 2006 Ford Mustang convertible out to a nearby religious colony (just a random detail) for dinner. The food was good, the company was good, a great time. But did I mention that I got to DRIVE her brand new 2006 Ford Mustang convertible (top down) on the highway! Woohoo!
5. A couple months ago the WC office gave me a gift certificate as my going away gift and they told me to use it towards an iPod, something I was happy to obey. So I told my new boss that he needed to match it (as a half-joke), and well - he did! So yesterday I had the fun of picking up my very own 30GB iPod. Now I can take my music/pics/videos with me to any corner of the globe!
6. Yesterday came and went and it was my last day at work! The FSJ office gang were just as sweet as the WC crew. I received a donation for midwifery school, a card and cake! As well as the offer (threat), that the guys could line up for kisses, it was really funny, but you probably had to be there.

It has been a really special week. I look ahead though and there are only 5 brief days left here in this place that is my epic-center, my home. Despite what my passport might tell you, leaving here is hard. It is something that makes me feel kinda cold inside, anxious, ick. I'm choosing not to think about it, I love travel and missions and all of these things I'm blessed to be a part of, but God has planted me here at home. Not that I need to stay - but I know and feel my roots. This year has been one of the best of my life, Pembina included. God has helped me step back from the last few years and put in place the things I learned, and learn some of the things I missed. Leaving my friends and family has never been harder.