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

One Quiet Saturday Afternoon...

The countdown is on and it seems like each day is busier than the next... This week was quite a busy one and I find myself home alone this Saturday afternoon taking in the quiet.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It's encouraging to know we can find rest in our Almighty God, the Creator of all things. In getting things ready for Germany and trying to wrap things up in Canada I am finding it harder and harder to have a moment of quiet. This Saturday afternoon as I am touching up my presentation for next weekend I hear the still small whisper saying to me to take a few minutes and rest in Him.

Blessings on you,

B

A Not So Happy Mother's Day...

This weekend started off pretty well....

The whole family was getting together to celebrate Mother's Day/Grandma's 75th Birthday.
We had lots of fun on Friday and Saturday, playing lots of games and eating lots of great food!

We went to see Iron Man 2 Saturday night and stayed up playing games for about an hour after we got home. 3:00 AM Sunday morning Mom woke me up to take her to the ER. Her kidney pain was pretty bad. We spent all night in Emerg as they tried to contain the pain. 8:00 AM their admitted her and she has been in the hospital ever since. There's not much to report other than they did a CT scan today and confirmed that there is still kidney stones there. They have put her on a new BP med that will hopefully help the stones move on out.

If you could be praying that God will be with Doctors as they try to help her and her pain and pray that my mom will reconnect with God during this time!

Thanks!

B

Banana Splits and Skits

Guten Abend to you all!

Today was a very lovely day! First, I woke up on time - always a good start! We weren't short at work today so I was able to get a lot accomplished and not pull any hair out. It was this evening that was really ever so delightful!

I got home from work around 5:22, at 5:31 we sat down to a very delicious shake n' bake chicken, fruit salad, cheesy potatoes, and corn! Mmm....Let's just say, you sure don't eat like that when you are living on your own. It was so great! After supper we piled into the truck and into town we went - Bethany College (a Bible School in SK) has a travelling team called the "Bethany Players" who stopped in Coaldale on their tour. It was so cool see them act out the main gospel events from the perspective of Peter and Andrew. It was a neat reminder that these aren't just stories in a book, they are REAL, REAL people went through those events! What a crazy journey it must have been to follow Jesus! So worth it though!

Once we got home it was onto Banana Splits! I honestly can't remember the last time I had had one of those. Mm Mmm (I'm a fan of eating if you haven't figured that out by now :P)

Just when I thought I should head on down to my room to get ready for bed - everyone was in the living room! It was time for family devotions! I personally have never had devotions with my family and so this was a very special time for me. We read from Proverbs (which, spoke right into our lives! Of course! ) and then each family member took a turn praying! This was something new to me. Not the praying part, but praying as a family. Super cool! They even spent time praying for me and my life as I move to Germany. How encouraging!

I am so absolutely blessed to have this family in my life!

Blessings on you all!

B

Diffusion and Osmosis????

Hello!

Wow! Today is May the 4th already, where has time gone?

I believe the countdown to Germany is around 87 days or so! I am getting so excited!

When I last wrote to you I had yet to move out of my house- and now I have been for a few days already. Living with another family has been absolutely amazing! You don't realize how many family traits you miss when living with a couple of friends. Every night we sit down and eat supper together! That in itself has been great. I loved the chatter around the dinner table tonight as we had spaghetti and strawberry spinach salad. Siblings were joking around with each other, parents were asking about everyones days - I had missed this!

God has been so good to me! He always has been but I have noticed it quite a bit lately, as I should more on a regular basis. I have been a little concerned about finances for Germany lately - don't get me wrong - IKNOW and trust He will provide, it's just hard being patient and waiting as the countdown is on. He has shown me even in the past few days not to fret - with things like gas/rent/dentist bills being miraculously paid for!

I like being independent and not having to ask people for help, which isn't always a bad thing - but God has been teaching me lately that sometimes He provides through other people. Sometimes trusting God means that we understand He will provide, but in His own timing , and in His own way.

I have loved getting to know the other girls going to BFA this fall! It seems more real when you talk to others who are going through some of the same things you are as moving to another country doesn't happen overnight.

Tonight I went and helped one of my youth girls study for her biology midterm tomorrow. Apparently I knew less about Science 10 then I thought??? Just when we thought we had Osmosis down pat... we came along diffusion which threw us for a loop! While I am glad I am not back in high school, I had fun coming up with analogies that would help her remember and understand concepts, for at least tomorrows test :)

For now - Gute Nacht!

B