Alberta Bound...

Today I was indeed Alberta Bound. We finished up our TeachBeyond Orientation last night and I was able to fly home. We ended our orientation week with a bang! (Literally!) We finished our last session before supper time and had our dedication service scheduled for the evening. Well...about twenty minutes before that was to begin girls started rushing past our door. Someone finally stopped and told us that we needed to get to the basement because the tornado sirens were going off! I had no idea what to do! I was in the middle of deciding what to wear so I had my dress pants and dress on. As we left the dorm I grabbed a pair of flip flops, a hoodie, and my phone. I had on quite the outfit!

We made it to the basement of the main building and waited it out until they lifted the alert. By now it was raining pretty hard. However, I decided it was necessary to go back and finish getting ready as I looked like a mess. On my way back it was raining even harder! What an eventful evening!

Our God is so faithful! He watches over us daily and provides for our every need. That night he kept us safe and still allowed for us to come together in community and celebration.

This past week was one of preparation. We spent time together in worship, prayer and fellowship - something that helps us in preparing our hearts for the present day and what is to come in the future. We also spent time in the classroom, learning about Christian Education, living/working together and financial support. While some of it was nitty gritty stuff that had to be done (like paper work) each bit is essential.

God uses each and every situation to prepare us for what is next. Sometimes it isn't evident, and sometimes it is. It's so cool to look back and see how God has worked. If you would have told me 8 months ago that I would be preparing to move overseas - I probably wouldn't have believed you. BUT - our God is so good and I am so excited for the ways He is working in my life and in those around me.

I am ready to go hardcore in these last few weeks in anticipation to moving to Germany at the end of July. Please continue to pray that God would be at work in the hearts of those He wants to come alongside me in this incredible journey.

Psalm 86:12

"I will praise you, O LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever"

Just the beginning...

Here I sit in hot and humid Minneapolis! This is probably the hottest weather I have been in all year! :)

I am at TeachBeyond orientation for this next week. Yesterday I met my two roommates for the coming year at Germany....Heather and Jennifer! It seems more real as we can actually spend time together and have been talking about house items (like plates with geese on them!)

Along with meeting Heather/Jennifer I have also had the opportunity to meet the staff that have been helping me in this process for the last few months. Its great to be able to put faces with names. I have also met others who are going with TeachBeyond to BFA and many other places! Its so cool to hear their stories and how many of us share quite similar backgrounds!

It's been a wonderful 24 hours so far! I have loved being able to get together in small groups and just pray for each other. We have all been going through similar things as we prepare to move and are raising support so its really nice to be able to come alongside each other and encourage one another.

There's only about 6 weeks left until we need to be at BFA. I am looking forward to this journey God has called me on and just how it unfolds in the next few weeks!

"Nothing happens by accident, everything happens for a reason." (quote from one of our fellow TBer)

So long for now...

Tonight was a rather bittersweet night. It was our last youth night. Both I and the youth pastor are leaving within the week so there were lots of goodbyes.

We spent the night playing games and chatting about our weeks events. After we played for a bit we got together to pray for one another. It was really cool! We talked with the kids who were recently baptized and asked how they were doing. We then found out around 6 more of the youth are already starting baptism classes! There are amazing things happening in the lives of those youth! It was really neat to spend some time in pray and encouragement to end off our time together. We then finished off the evening with hot chocolate at Tim Horton's. Mmm :)

While it was sad to say goodbye to the kids I have spent so much time with in the last year and a half, I know God is at work in both their lives and my own. He has great things in store and I know this isn't a goodbye forever, its just a so long for now.

I have a total of 3 1/2 days left at work! It is amazing at how fast time is going. This weekend will be a relaxing weekend spent with the girls camping in Elkwater. I plan to turn off the cellphone and look forward to the great fellowship we can have this weekend. Our God is so good! I am thankful for this time to unwind before packing up once again and heading to MN next weekend. Life has been crazy and often stressful but things are coming together and I look forward to the future while at the same time cherishing the present.

B