Saying good-bye is always hard.

Leaving will be hard, as always. The last few days have been incredible and it's always hard to leave when you've made such good friends and when God is moving so much.

The weekend was incredible. We went to a wedding Saturday night that didn't even start till 9pm! And was very formal. Lots of fun seeing different traditions and dancing to some latin music.

Sunday was TONS of fun!!!!!!

Lindsay and I at the Paraguay/ Brazil Soccer game. A once in a lifetime opportunity! AND Paraguay won 2 - 1!!!
We were given the tickets from Dr. Poeletti who works with the Futbol association here, so generous. We met him at his house to walk to the stadium with him and his kids. His niece and her husband were also there and they are moving to LANGLEY in December! What are the chances! And Dr. Poeletti brought face paint to paint Paraguayan flags on our faces....but only painted mine and Lindsay's faces. The environment of the stadium was unlike anything I have ever experienced!!! When Paraguay scored, the place was beyond INSANE!!! Everyone jumping up and down and hugging everyone! Whoever was in reach you hugged and high fived. It was crazy. And there was a small section of Brazil fans and they had riot police up both sides of the section to protect them from the Paraguay fans and at the end of the game, they had to wait to be the last ones out of the stadium for their protection. hahaha so different from home.

Today was our last day and we had such incredible meetings. We met one last time with the Selection team that is going to the World Cup in New Zealand. And the coaches are just so encouraging when it comes to Josefina working as a chaplain for the team. They're very excited about it.

And tonight we had the first meeting of the first key volunteers for AIA Paraguay. This is a group of people that our team has meet the last few weeks, christian players, that want to use their futbol to reach their team mates and community for Jesus! We had 8 people come out plus Avelino and Josefina (aia staff). 7 girls and one guy. All of them have such an incredible heart to serve and to share Christ with their country. None of them could stop smiling for all God has done in the last few weeks. They have a lot of work ahead of them but are very excited. We had 70 girls over the last few weeks indicate that they want to know more about Jesus. INCREDIBLE! Something only God could do. This small group of people are going to do amazing things here in Paraguay. It was hard to leave the meeting knowing that I'll just be watching from the sidelines now. I'll have stories about a few of these people in my newsletter when I get home.

Well, it's almost midnight and I have to be up in 7 hours! YIKES! And two days of travel ahead of me. Oh but I will be hitting the beach in Miami :) YEAH!!!!

Will be back in Canada late Thursday night. LOve you all!!!!

Now to face our new friends at the airport to say good-bye..... there will be lots of tears......

A quick update

Hey Everyone,

I really don't have tons to update on right now... but thought I'd let everyone know I'm still breathing :) haha

We have had a busy few days since the team left, just tons of meetings. All of them have been very good!!! We got Josefina in as the chaplain to the U17 Selection team that will be heading to the U17 World Cup in New Zealand. And we had a meeting with the head of the Olympic Committee here and it looks like Avelino will be the chaplain for all the Olympic athletes.

Some fun stuff...... we had an evening off and it is incredible how cheap things can be here.... we got a large pizza from Pizza Hut, three movie tickets, Popcorn, M&M's and a bottle of water all for under $20!!!! It's insane!

Tonight we are going to Josefina's niece's wedding. It's a formal occasion and doesn't even start till 9pm!!! It'll be a late night.

Tomorrow night will be one of the biggest highlights of the trip (fun wise). Lindsay and I have been given free VIP tickets to the Brazil/Paraguay game!!! The city is already going crazy with Paraguay parafanalia... I'll have to find a jersey by game time to wear. It's going to be insane! But so much fun. If you happen to be watching it look for me in the crowd hahaha. VIP section you never know...hahaha.

I'll update after the game, I'm sure I'll have quite the stories. :)

Indiscribable

Me at Iguazu Falls Brazil




This is not a pic from the internet! I was THERE and took it!!!! BEAUTIFUL!



Sunday morning at 1:30am we got on a bus (a very nice bus) and headed to Brazil. What an AMAZING trip. We are supposed to have Visas to get into Brazil but God blessed us so much and we were able to cross the boarder without them.







We did this trip just to spend a few hours at the Iguasu Falls, one of the top three falls in the world. And wow!!! Just before we got there on the bus we sang the worship song "Indiscribable" and how appropriate. We saw Gods handy work at it's best. I have never, nor do I think I will ever see anything as beautiful and maginficant as these falls. The song says





"Indiscrible uncontainable, You put the stars in the sky and you know them by name, you are amazing God. All powerful, untamable awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, you are amazing God."





I can't find the words to discribe the beauty that we saw. We turned one corner and it was breathtaking, the first sight almost literally brought tears to my eyes! And one of the girls that was on the trip last year said "this is nothing, just wait" and she was right, every turn of the path as we got closer and closer it got more and more amazing! And don't worry I have plenty of more pictures.. haha I only took about 60 at the falls. And none of them will do it any justice. You can't possibly catch all this beauty in a picture.



On our way back we stopped at Ramon's house. Ramon is a man that sat next to Graham (my boss) on the plane from Brazil to Paraguay and he invited all 30 of us to his house for a BBQ! It was so good, but really who invites 30 strangers to their house for a bbq???? haha. It was great.

The team left this morning and I have one more week here. It was very hard to say goodbye to them at the airport. They are an amazing group of young ladies that God used in such powerful ways here. I don't think any of them left Paraguay the same as when they came. There was a lot of tears and some good laughs too. I know I'll keep in touch with quite a few of them. It was such a blessing getting to know them.

Gotta run. Tomorrow Lindsay and I will have a low key morning and then jump into a week of A LOT of meetings... and hopefully that includes getting tickets to the Brazil/ Paraguay game Sunday night!!!! WOOO HOOO!!!

Love you all

Soccer Clinics

I just have a few minutes to type here...let´s see what i can get in.

Wednesday we did a soccer clinic at one of the First Lady of Paraguays Community Centers. It was so much fun to get to go into a more impoverished area and play with the kids and get to see what Paraguay is really like. We were only there for about two hours but the kids had a ton of fun and at the end we got to give out the gospel bracelets. As well, I got called over by some of the girls to translate and we prayed with six or seven kids to accept Jesus! The people with the community center will follow up with these kids and were very excited. In the afternoon yesterday the girls had two games! They have now played 11 games in 9 days.

This morning we did another socccer clinic, this time in the second most dangerous neighbourhood in Asunicion!!!! We didn´t know that going in...... then our driver stopped at a police station, when I asked what was going on that´s when he told us we needed a police escort! haha! We had two cops drive behind us and while we were playing with the kids we had four cops around the outskirts of the field. And then two rode on the bus with us until we were out of the bad part. I´ve been in some bad areas in south america but that was the first time I have ever needed a police escort! It was a lot of fun though. We got off the bus and a little girl literally jumped on me! And one little girl would not let go of Morgan when it was time to go. Heart breaking

I have to run, we get a treat tonight! We´re off to a bbq restaurant! All you can eat meat.

Oh and last night we got to go to a Professional soccer game (equivalent of seeing the Canucks) It was amazing! We were special guests of the President of the Futbol Confederation of South America....yep once again on tv! hahah we´re celebrities!

I think I may have the best job in the world.....

We have done a lot since the last time I wrote....where do I start!

Sunday night the gilrs played one of the hardest teams they will this trip, against the Paraguayan National U17 team that is headed to the World Cup in October. So they are one of the best teams in South America and we sure did WIN! It was a great game played by all.

We got to spend time with the team afterwards and Janae shared her story, it really impacted the team. I had the priviledge of staying behind and translating for Bri as she shared with a player and her mom about all that Jesus has done for us, and how to have a personal relationship with him. We didn´t get to finish the conversation, as they had to leave, but both mother and daughter had a lot of questions and were adimate that we continue this conversation when we play them again on Friday.

Monday, we got to go for a tour of the National Stadium, it was incredible to see from the field and imagine the stands filled with fans, it would be insane during a soccer game! We got to go down and see the visitors dressing rooms....so I just may have sat in the same seat as Kaka and Ronaldhino (I know i spelt that wrong) haha. Any soccer fan will know who I mean.

Our game on MOnday night was a rough one for our girls. The sportsmanship on the Paraguayan team wasn´t the best. They will fall alot and scream literally like they have broken their leg and as soon as a yellow card is given out they jump up laughing!!!! It´s a little frustrating. We lost that game 3 - 1 but more important was our time with the team afterwards. Shannon shared her testimony ad Graham shared about what it means to put Jesus at the center of your life. We have cards that we had out afterwards so that people can indicate if they have accepted Jesus and every player marked down that they want more teaching about Jesus, and few prayed the prayer (including their coach). THAT is worth losing a game for!

Tuesday morning was incredible, A once in a life time thing and beyond amazing for any futbol fan! We got to go for a tour of the South American Futbol Confederation building, this is the headquarters for all of South American Futbol. Noth only did we get to go for a tour but the President of ALL of south american futbol was our guide! I even got to take my picture next to the American Cup! This is equivelent to our Stanley Cup for those of you that don´t know soccer. All the trophies and cups are in the President´s office, which is bigger than most apartments.

Last night we played abit of a lower level team....I felt bad for our 7-2 win! But our time afterwards was amazing again. Gentri and Sydney got to share with a girl as her friend Sofia (a christian) watched, and she accepted Jesus into her life!

My job is a tough one....watching peoples lives be changed by God´s amazing love! What a rough life!

On a personal note, I am having a great time. A little tired but we all our. My cold is sticking around but getting better. I am loving being able to translate for the team. I have had a few meetings that I have had to translate for and I translate for the girls when they share their stories. It amazes me everytime how I can do this! Stand infront of such big groups of people and speak a different language so easily and naturally! I can´t do it without God and He is with me each and every time.

Today is going to be a very busy day! I am up early to get a chance on the internet and we have a very early start too. We are going to a community center for street kids to do a soccer clinic, have two games right after lunch and hopefully this evening we are going to watch a men´s professional soccer game! We´ll sleep good tonight!!!!

Games, t.v. and radio

Yesterday the girls got to train (weights) with the U-17 Selection team, this team will be playing in the U-17 World Cup in New Zealand in October! It was such a great time watching our team interact with the Paraguayan team and try out their limited Spanish and the Paraguayans with their limited English. There was a lot of laughing and the start of some good friendships. We´ll be playing this team a few times over the next few weeks and will have a lot of opportunities to build into them. After the training session we got to share about why we are here, and Gentri did a great job sharing her testimony. A few girls talked to our players aftewards and said how much her testimony impacted them and how much they could relate to it. Please pray that these conversations will continue :)

Also while we were at the training center Graham was interviewed on tv by the Christian station and we even got to see it later while we were out for dinner.

This morning right after breakfast myself, Graham, Rachel (one of our players) and Avelino (our AIA Paraguay) director went to be interviewed at the Christian radio station! It went really well. And my voice was good, I´ve had a bad cold and first thing this morning I was coughing every time I spoke and had the deep sexy voice, but thankfully my voice was normal and no coughing for the radio. It was a neat experience to be able to translate on a live radio broadcast, a first for me.

The girls have another game this evening and Graham is hosting a seminar for churches on using sp0rts as a community outreach. Tomorrow we´ll be doing some soccer clinics with some local churches, it will be great to get out in the communities a bit more.

Please continue to pray for the girls that they will build good relationships with the other teams, and be able to share their faith. As well as saftey as they play, that none of them will be injured.

Oh and just a side note...it´s FREEZING here!!! Only 5 degrees and none of us packed for this temp so we´re dressing in layers. HOpe you guys are enjoying the sun back at home.

Hopefully I can get some pics up here soon.

Love you all.

First couple of days in Paraguay

The trip here was honestly very exhausting, it was over 40 hours of travel, and I didn´t sleep at all on the planes. But we made it! And everyone had very good spirits throughout the trip. I do have a cold now but everytime I turn around someone is giving me vitamin C pills, it´s quite funny. I¨ll be better in no time.

The first couple of days have been great. The team is really clicking and everyone is getting a long so well. The girls are so passionate about being here and sharing their faith with the people of Paraguay. We played our first game today and when it was almost cancelled because of rain, the only concern the girls had was that they would still get to go and hang out with the team so that they could share Christ with them. We did get to play the game and these girls are amazing! This was their first official game playing as a team and they have only had 5 practises together in as many days, and they won!!! The other team even had 11 girls on it who just qualified for the U17 World Cup! I was very impressed with them. Afterwards, we got to hang out with the other team and just get to know them abit. We will be playing and training with this team three or four times over the next few weeks so the relationships will grow and we´ll have plenty of opportunities to share God´s love with them. We also have Anna back with us, she is a Paraguayan national that played with the AIA team last year and through her experience accpeted Jesus into her life. The few girls that were on this trip last year were in tears when she met us at the airport.

As for me and my job here... I´m very busy... being a translator for 25 people isn´t a small task! But it is a lot of fun!!!! I get to hear and help the girls share their stories.

I have to run, there is a line up for the computer. BUT my travel blog is never complete with out a toilet story..... we´re south of the equator and the water in the toilet does go the other way when you flush! Yeah, that´s my entertainment hahaha. OH... and i have HOT water in my shower!!! Oh, the Lord is good to me :)

More to come.......

Getting ready for Paraguay

Picking up six girls plus luggage in one van!!! We fit! just.....




This week is turning into a whirlwind.....I don't really know if I have the right day of the week...haha... but being on the organizing end of a big trip has been exciting and interesting. I've been helping with organizing flights, visas, and working one on one with a few of the girls to prepare for the trip.





We have already seen miracles in that three girls recieved visas for Paraguay in unheard of speed! The most amazing one arrived in Ottawa at the embassy at 11:30am and was processed and at Purolator by 2:30pm! Wow, God can do big things! Now we're praying that they arrive in Vancouver tomorrow for pick up. haha, it never ends.






The team has had a great first few days together just hanging out together. The first night we had a short time of worshipping and got to hear Jamie share of his past tour experiences and the way he has seen God work through what we always think are hiccups but it's really God making His plan work out despite what agendas we have.


My small group is great, I have five girls that I will be meeting with and walking through this adventure with. They're great girls and they are ready, willing and excited to see how God is going to use them in Paraguay.


We sang this song tonight and I think it's very fitting for us getting ready for this trip.

Take my Life and let it be
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to thee
Take my hadns and let them move
At the impulse of Your love
At the impluse of Your love

Take my fee and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee
Take my voise and let me sing
Always only for my King
Always only for my King

Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages for thee
Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Not a mite would I withhold

Take my love, my God I pour
At they feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
Ever only all for the
Ever only all for the


This is my prayer for this trip. I hope to update the blog along the way. I"m off to the airport now!!!!!

Bangkok and Hong Kong

We had a few days in Bangkok and it was really good. We staying in the Baiyoke Sky hotel which is the tallest building in the city, with 85 floors!!!! Our room was on the 49th! The view was incredible. Monday, while everyone was in meetings, Janis (my boss' wife) and I took off to explore the city. We went to the Grand Palace and temple. The temple is mostly made of gold! The grounds are huge and it took us about an hour and half to get through it, and even then we skipped over some things. The buildings were incredible to look at, either covered in gold or very detailed mosaics. It was a super hot day and you have to wear ankle length pants and sleeves (short sleeves were fine) and we were told that flip flops weren't acceptable either but they were....so my feet were sweating for no reason. Once we finished in the temple we were debating whether we wanted to find a market or go for a long tail boat ride. But decided we didn't really have the time for the boat ride. So we jumped in a Tuk Tuk, which is a motorcycle with a little cab attached to it. Great way to breath in all that smog! It was so much fun though, we weren't planning on taking a LONG Tuk Tuk ride but it ended up being about an hour! We got a really good rate to get to a market but there are a few stores that if the driver stops and we just go in and look he gets free gas coupons. So we agreed to stop at two of the stores and he was very grateful and gave us the ride for free. We ended up only getting maybe 10 mins at the market before we had to be back at the hotel. But the adventure was worth it, we had a lot of fun. OH and Sunday night we had a SUPER good dinner on the 79th floor of the hotel, we had a private room where a group came and sang to us and the tables were set up so beautifully! AND THE FOOD! it was amazing, it was edible and I didn't have rice!!! Well, besides the rice in my delicious sushi. It was so nice to have some food that was tasty not blah! After dinner five of us (Samantha, Chris, Janis, Graham and I) decided we wanted one of those wonderful Thai foot massages again....well, the place we ended up in was umm, guess you can just say it was sketchy and a bit gross, the massage was ok but the enviroment and stuff around us were very entertaining, Sam giggled almost the entire time. We walked away with some great stories at poor Chris' expense.
Our last night in Bangkok we went to a night market, which was very big and so much fun!!!! I barley spent any money and came away with so much stuff!!!! By the end of the night I was so tired and wishing I was going straight home, and skipping over a night in Hong Kong. Now I'm glad I didn't.
I arrived in Hong Kong and was still undecided as to how I was going to get to my hotel. As I was looking into it I met a lady from New York that was staying in the same area as me so we took the train together and then I hopped on to a free hotel shuttle from the train station. The traffic in Hong Kong is BEYOND insane! We didn't go very far but it took forever to get there! It is bumper to bumper, I don't know how any of the cars move! I found my hotel so easily and got checked in with no problems, and the room is really nice too. I found my way to the Star Ferry (this was on last seasons amazing race) terminal to cross the harbour over to Hong Kong Island. The harbour is incredible! It's so busy with ferries, yatchs, bardges, cruise ships! The sky line is breath taking with all the tall buildings. Once I got over on the ferry I got on a public bus to Victoria's peak where I took a tram (furnicular? tram) up the mountain to a view point of the city. By the time I got up to the top it was dark and the lights of the city were breath taking!!!!!! So colourful and just so many skyscrapers, I think a few of my pictures turned out. I got back down the peak and across the harbour just in time for the laser show! Every night at 8pm all the buildings do a laser and light show, it's kind of like our symphony of fire but with the lights of the buildings, spot lights and lasers all going to music!!!! I"m really hoping my videos turn out cause it was really impressive, with lights of all colours running up and down buildings and lasers dancing through the sky! I've had a great time so far. It's 9:30pm and I think I'm ready for bed and will just wake up when I wake up. I have to head to the airport around noon tomorrow so I don't think I will really put to much effort into doing much in the morning, except relax...that makes sense do nothing right before my 12 + hour plane ride. Well, Starbucks and McD's are right outside my hotel so a walk to Starbucks will definetly happen in the morning. :)
I'm almost home and I'm excited to get there. See everyone real soon :)

Happy Elephants

Hello again,

Today is our last day of the conference. Things have gone really well. It's another packed day of sessions etc, but we do get our two hour break in the afternoon and we're going to a craft market. Yeah, tacky souvenirs :)
Yesterday I actually got to ride an elephant!!! There was probably close to 50 of us that went, and it was incredible. It's really wierd to drive down the road and see an elephant in a field like we would see a cow at home. The place that we went to wasn't in the best condition, you get on the elephant and they take you on a 20 min ride down a dirt path. Our drive jumped off part way through the ride to take pictures and I got to slide down on the the neck of Sumbat (our elephant). It was so cool!!!! Just the pace of the walk is really neat to feel. After the ride there was another elephant that I got my picture taken with, I got to sit on his tusks and then he picked my up with his trunk!!!!! AMAZING! I have some really good pictures of it all. But I"m using a pretty old computer so I can't get them on to my blog or facebook :( So everyone will have to wait till I get home. The funniest part of our time with the elephants was Carl..... he is a larger man and wanted a picture taken on the tusks and being lifted up. While he was in line the elephant seemed to be eyeing him and we were thinking he was worried cause Carl is a larger man. Well..... he wasn't scared...... he actually really, really liked Carl. We'll let your imagination fill in how we knew. But I don't think I have laughed so hard in my life! Even the chinese people around us were pointing and laughing to the point of tears. I don't think Carl will be living down this story for a very, very long time.
After dinner last night I hung out with our Latino representatives for a bit and practised my Spanish and now have places to stay in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Columbia, Paraguay and some more friends in Honduras :) At about 10pm a group of six of us went for Thai foot massages! This was just over an hour long and was incredible. It was a full leg, arm and back massage....and it only cost $6!!!! Unbelievable. We may be heading back tonight, it's a great treat right before bed, and after shopping for a couple of hours we many need it. Reid is the guy that has set up the elephant ride and the massages, he's the guy to travel with, finds all the great places to go and great deals to go along with it.
Today is my last full day in Pattaya and tomorrow we head to Bangkok until Wednesday morning. I can't wait to see the city, I've heard it's pretty fun.

Giving up on learing to speak Thai

Hello Everyone! I have finally figured out how to get onto the internet here! I am having a great time and just game inside to coold down! It has to be around 35 degrees today, yes life is rough. The conference has been amazing!!! The first night we got here we caught the tail end of the ACE (athletes, cities and events) conference, which was a world wide conference of all sports ministries (not just AIA). There were over 700 people attending this conference from all over the world! I went to a bit of their last evening session, and it was AMAZING to see that many people from all over the world (some countries I have never heard of) worshiping God together! All of them here for the same purpose, to seek God's will in how to reach people with His love. Our conference AIA World Leadership Conference started on Wednesday and it has been so busy ever since. I was helping with a lot of the administration side of things, getting gift bags ready and paper work ready for check in...those kind of fun things. We have about 130 people here, from 65 different countries. I have been a greeter for the sessions and we have had fun trying to greet each person in their own language. I have given up on Thai though....after three days of saying thank-you to the Thai staff, I learnt that I was really saying Good Morning... yeah I'm sure some of them had a good laugh at the dumb white girl. Wednesday and Thursday I had about 30 mins to an hour of free time, we've just been walking on the beach and exploring the streets around us. Pattaya is a very big, busy city and unfortunetly is the one of the largest sex trade tourism cities in the world; needless to say it's not a very pretty city.
Today I have a bit more free time and a lot of us are off to ride elephants!!!! I can't tell you how incredibly excited I am!!!!! Apperently they will even let you sit on the trunk and the tusks to take pictures!! I'll feel like I'm on Top Model!! haha :)
Tomorrow for free time we have a 90 minute shopping trip to a hand craft market, you know how much I LOVE tacky souvenirs :) yeah!!! Tomorrow (Saturday) is our last day in Pattaya and Sunday morning we head to Bangkok for our Global leadership meetings, there will only be 30 of us for these meetings.
This time has just been so amazing to meets so many people from all over the world that are using the gifts and passions that God has given them to fulfill their greatest passion...to reach out to people with God's love. I live in a multi-cultural country but I am still blown away when I look around the room and see 65 different countries represented, a true rainbow of God's creation sitting right infront of me.
Well, I have to go now....gotta get ready for my elephant ride! I hope everyone is doing well and I'll try to write more later :)

Drinking Starbucks in Hong Kong

Well, it's 8:00am Tuesday morning...for those of you at home it's only 4:00pm Monday afternoon! I am drinking my decaf tall soy Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks as we wait for our flight to Bangkok. The flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong was smooth, long but smooth. I slept for only about 4 or five hours...each at one hour intervals. But I still somehow feel rested. I watched three movies..."I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry", "Hairspray" and "License to Wed". I had plenty to keep me occupied for the 13 hour flight!! I'm glad the next one is only about three hours I think. Well, since I've just been on a plane all day there really isn't anything exciting to type yet. Looking out on Hong Kong from the airport, all I see is smog. I can't wait for the return trip when I get to stay here for a night and actually get to see the city up close and breath in that fresh smoggy air.
Well, bye for now....next time I'll be writing from Thailand sweating in 35 degree weather...enjoy the rain and wind storms everyone!!!!!

Time to breathe?

My sister and I
for formal night

On the cruise

Well, I had an absolutely fabulous time on my cruise! We were on the ship for five days and four nights, the entertainment, food and ship were great, but even better than that was my travel companions. My sister was able to join me, thanks to our fabulous mother watching the kids during the day till Jay got home. And there were 12 other from my work that came on the cruise as well. It was so much fun spending time with each of them and getting to know some of their spouses a little bit better.


My favorite part of the cruise was getting to dress up every night and go dancing after dinner. My wonderful sister and my friend Katie stayed and danced with me till 2 am most mornings....they looked beyond tired. But I thank them for letting me dance till my hearts content :)
I paid dearly for the week off of work. This past week was extremely busy at work trying to get things organized and ready for Thailand. I leave tonight and think I have everything ready. This is going to be interesting.... I have never had to have things ready for a big conference before, but I'm pretty sure I'm ahead of the game, if I'm not....it's too late now :). The place our conference is at is right across the street for a beach and I am praying that I get to step foot on the beach at least once :) One of the most interesting parts of this trip is going to be my day in Hong Kong. On my way home I have chosen to stay in Hong Kong by MYSELF for a night.... this should be interesting. I am staying in a hotel that was recommended by at least five different people, so it must be good. And have suggestions of things to see, but this is the first time that I'll be in a really big city, by myself, where I don't know anyone or know the language! It will be an adventure :) At least I know I'm going to a nice hotel so if all else fails I'll enjoy a few movies if I get cold feet to go explore on my own. I don't think I'll have time to sit, relax and breathe until I get to Hong Kong, I hope I'm not going to be too tired to enjoy it.
Anyways, I pray that everyone is doing well, and if I have internet access I will do my best to update my blog.
Enjoy the rain while I enjoy weather in the high 20's hahaha

Traveling again! A cruise, Thailand.... all in a month..WOW!

The last couple of months have been a rollercoaster of emotions. I had some very good days and some very heartbreaking days.

My family has seen some better seasons, with the loss of two aunts and a cousin with in two months. We miss Pat, Louise and Angi very much. Voids in life that will not be filled. But with God's grace and comfort everyone is getting through.

The good days have been very good. I started my new job with Athletes in Action (AIA) at the beginning of September and I am loving it. It's so much fun being an admin assistant in a ministry, surrounded by people that are passionate about what they do. Getting to hear the stories, every day, of what God is doing around the world is amazing. After only a few weeks I found out that I was going to Thailand for a World Leadership Conference!!! I am SO excited, we have approx 150 AIA staff coming from over 60 different countries. In order for me to go on this trip I had the daunting task to raise support for my flight, I needed about $1,600 and only had a month and a half to do this. Well, my God is a big god. I was very nervous that the amount that I needed, if it all came in, it would be down to the wire! But Like I said my God is a big god, and He loves to surprise and wow us. Through friends and family that share the same passion that I do, over $2,000 came in in only two and a half weeks!!! I am blown away and deeply touched by everyone's support! With this job I will get to go on other trips and projects and will have the opportunity to do hands on Ministry once again. I am so excited! God knows my passions and has put me in a job that I enjoy and that I can use my gifts in. I'll most likely even have the opportunity to go on project to Paraguay where I can use my Spanish!!! God knows how much I love to translate, and knows my passion for Latin America! This year is going to be a fast paced interesting one!!!

Tomorrow starts a few weeks of extrem CRAZINESS! I leave on a cruise tomorrow morning...get home, and home for a week and then am on a plane to Thailand! I am really looking forward to this cruise, there ar 14 of us going and I am so excited to spend time with each of them. And am even more excited that my sister is included in that 14! Tammy and I always have some interesting stories when we go places together, and some very good laughs.

Stay tuned for some more exciting stories of travels.... cruising....Thailand and a day on my own in Hong Kong! That one should be interesting, if not terrifying!

What's next.....

Last weekend I had the chance to visit a senior couple from the church I grew up in, Mr. & Mrs. Kielan. We had a great visit, I love hearing their stories. I had the opportunity to thank them for the impact that they have made in my life. If it weren’t for Mrs. Kielan and two of her friends (Mrs. Wolfram and Mrs. Miller) I don’t know where I would be today. They were persistent little ladies; I would go to church with my Grandma JUST to keep her company, nothing else. Well, these three little ladies, every Sunday would insist that I check out the youth group. Finally I went, just to get them off my back, I had full intentions of only going once to say that I had checked it out and didn’t like it, there done. But I loved it and it was there that I learnt that God loves me, so a journey began to seek out God and get to know Him. It wasn’t till years later though that I learnt that being a Christian was so much more than a life style or belief system but a personal relationship with God himself. Today I walk, run and crawl my way through life with God guiding me through. All thanks to three very persistent ladies, and it was awesome to get to say thank you to one of them.

Now with God’s guidance in life another adventure is about to begin. I have been working with Campus Crusade for Christ in the Finance Department for two years now and it’s been a lot more fun than I thought working with accountants could ever be. I have worked with an amazing team and now have some life long friendships. But now it’s time for a change and a new challenge. I was nervous to quit the Fairmont and take off to South America, and now God has set a new challenge in front of me. I am transferring from Finance to our Athletes in Action ministry. Could you get two departments that are any more different than these twos??? The job description is huge and intimidating and more than one person has told me that I am nuts for making this move. But I know for a fact that God’s hand is in it and it’s Him who is leading me there. And who am I to argue with God. This week I had the chance to be up in Whistler at the AIA meetings and got to meet a lot of the people that I will be working with. They are all amazing people with a huge desire to serve God and tell the world about His love for them. I’m so excited to join this team and be part of their ministry. I will officially start in AIA on September 4th. Let’s see what God is going to do next!

I’m going to try really hard to update this blog more often now. A lot of people have been harassing me that I don’t do it enough. So here goes my best shot……

Starbucks, babysitting and infections

It's been awhile since I have posted here and a few things have changed. I am a bit busier now than I used to be. I got myself a second job! Yes, I do believe I am insane. I am working part-time at Starbucks, the addiction is back full force. I just can't help myself with my discount it's easier to justify!!!!! So far I haven't really felt it change my social life or been too tired. It's been fun, I've enjoyed learning how to use the machines again and interacting with the customers. I think I was really missing that people connection. Having a second job will hopefully help me get out of debt enough to get me back on a plane! I can't believe how stir crazy I get in such a short time. I just got back from Europe in October and I already really, really want to get on a plane.

This week I'm off from Starbucks which is a good thing. Charlene and Dave (my roommates) are in Mexico for the week and I am taking care of Raynae (their five year old daughter). They left yesterday and I have survived my first two days. She's a great kid so it's not a tough job. Yesterday she had a birthday party at Castle Fun Park and then I took her to a fair. We had SO much fun on the bumper cars, by the third time on them she was driving all by herself.... although we were going in a lot of circles. Today in church we got to watch Deep Sea, the IMAX movie. Since Dave wasn't there to lead worship, they changed things up a bit. The movie was amazing, I don't know how anyone can watch something like that and say that there is no God. God's existence and His hand in creation is the only explanation there is to how amazing this world is and how it works. After "church" we went to the zoo with my friend Ann and her daughter Emily and niece Faith. The girls literally ran around the entire zoo!!!! They all looked so incredibly tired afterwards. YES, mission accomplished!!!

I guess the most "exciting" thing lately is last Thursday a beautiful infection popped up on my thigh. Went to a clinic and the doctor just told me to put hot compresses on it and that would be good enough. By the weekend I could barely walk and my entire thigh was swollen and red, with all the clinics closed or with really odd hours for the long weekend, I had to wait till Monday to get in and get some antibiotics. It has gone down but is not gone completely. I went to my family doctor on Friday and he confirmed that it is in fact staff infection (I know that's not the right spelling for this), and he thinks this steams all the way back to the staff infection I got in Ecuador TWO YEARS ago!!! The first few months I was home I was on antibiotics six times for staff infections that just kept popping up all over my body, the last time being an extremely bad ear infection. But doc said that your body can store staff for quite awhile if you don't totally get rid of it. So it's decided to pop it's ugly head up again. He extended my antibiotics for another week, being 17 days in total!!!! I am really praying that this just kills all the staff in my body. The infections are so painful and ugly. With this one I have been so exhausted, I don't know if it's the antibiotics or just my body fight so hard against the infection. It's still swollen a bit and the doctor has threatened to drain it if it doesn't go away soon. For those of you how know me well...... that is really NOT an option for me!!!!! They will have to put me out or tie me down to get a needle that close to me to drain my leg! Disgusting and immunization shots are hard enough for me!!! Anyways, that my gross gory details...I actually saved you the really bad stuff, my sister actually has a picture of my leg! YUCK!!!!!

Well, I will once again attempt to post here more often. Life just gets in the way sometimes.

Good bye PUKING!!!!!

I write this post with tears in my eyes, tears that are really beyond tears of joy, God has set me free from a stonghold in my life. Some of you know bits about my story and other know nothing. For about 6 years I suffered from anxiety or panic attacks. These attacks would occur at any time and sometimes were debilitating. Even going out for dinner with my closets friends would bring on anxiety attacks that would send me running for the nearest washroom to throw up. It was easier to stay home. Well, about two and a half years ago, (Sept. 13Th, 2004 to be exact) God healed me of my anxiety. This was the day I left for my trip to Ecuador. Since I have been back I have been adjusting to this new found freedom from anxiety, and it's been weird but very cool. It's been almost two years since I've been back and there was a couple of situations that I've probably subconsciously been avoiding. These situations would be the biggest triggers for an anxiety attack and would bring on the worst attacks (involving throwing up in parking lots, pulling over on the road to throw up etc). And I guess in the back of my mind I doubted how real or how much God healed me. Did his healing in my life have a limit? Why would I really deserve this healing? Well, in the last couple of weeks I have found myself in these situations. And in my sinful human nature I doubted God's faithfulness and his healing in my life. God gently reminded me of his love and patience with me. My life verse is Philippians 4: 6&7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request before God, and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your heart in Christ Jesus". God covered me with an amazing peace in these situations. I had a "normal" level of nervousness and at some points was totally relaxed. It was the strangest most foreign feeling for me, it was liberating. I am truly thank God for the years that I suffered with anxiety, they were the hardest most frustrating years but they brought me to my knees in front of Jesus. I was 100% helpless and had to learn to rely on God. And he has carried me through and has shown me his faithfulness, despite my doubts. He sent me angels disguised as friends, who really let me lean on them and they carried me through with their prayers, they fought on my behalf when I couldn't fight on my own; and I know they are still praying for me. It's been such growing process and I know that God is beyond amazing and will always be there to hold my hand and carry me through; my doubts are nothing compared to God's love and compassion for me. He has healed me and I am eternally thankful to him and give all the glory to him!!!!!!

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith,
the beginning of true faith is the END of anxiety!!!

- George Mullen

Christmas is all over

Christmas is over if you can believe it. I had a fabulous weekend with my family in Richmond. And it all began with them coming out to my church on Saturday night for our Christmas

service. There’s a catch here…. I go to a Spanish church and no one in my family (besides me) speaks Spanish. Even though they only understood about 6 words in the sermon they really enjoyed themselves. Myself and my friend Nadia attempted to translate for them but the pastor talks way too fast. After a special service we always have a big dinner and fellowship time. And we were served Tamole. This is such a very special dish. And my Dad ate ALL of his! He eats so little and doesn’t really like ethnic foods, that must have been some good food, we were all shocked! My friend Jen and her two little girls wanted to take Sydney home with them. Tam said sure but they never did follow through with it. It was great having all of them out with me.

Christmas Eve Mom, Dad and I went to see “The Nativity”. This movie was very well done. I love biblical movies that make biblical people real. So many times we read the bible and are in awe of the obedience and faith that these people had. They were average people just like you and I. Mary was probably scared out of her tree when she said to the angel “may what you have said be done unto me”. Just because she agreed to it and believed it didn’t mean that all fear or doubt would be taken from her instantly. We tend to put the “Biblical Heros” on a pedestal and think that we could never be a woman or man like them. Their triumphs tend to stick out in our mind apposed to their failures, which isn’t a bad thing. But they were human just like us and fell as many times as we do. King David was labeled as a “man after God’s own heart”, he fell into adultery and murder. It is their desire and passion to seek out God and to earnestly follow him and change that impresses me. No matter how many times they fail they look to God and accept his hand and they are lifted up. We will never measure up to what God intended mankind to be. But that’s the amazing thing about God, he loves us just as much anyways. So when you’re reading about David and Goliath or Mary and Joseph and thinking to yourself that you could never have the dedication that they had, remind yourself they probably had the same thoughts and doubts, they were average people just like you and I. But God is BIG and amazing and with him and his strength and power….. that’s when we can do things beyond ourselves, beyond what we ever thought we could do. I took this leap of faith a few times on my trip to Ecuador when I was presented with challenges (like speaking in front of 500 people or eating intestines) and I know for fact that I can not do that, but with God all things are possible and I did it. He never ceases to amaze me. It was great watching the Nativity on Christmas Eve, it really gave me a great opportunity to really reflect on what God has done for us, and the reasons why we celebrate Christmas. He left the comfort and beauty of heaven to be born as one of the lowest of these, he was born into a very poor family and in a stable! He wasn’t born into a royal family in a castle. He was born into an average struggling family. Just for us. He came to experience the things we experience. And then was tortured and killed for us. I am so thankful that he was raised from the dead and returned to heaven to prepare an amazing place for us, a place that is beyond beautiful.

I pray that each of you have had a chance this Christmas to reflect on just how much God gave up for us, just because he loves us that much. Never doubt the strength and faithfulness of God; seek him and you will find him.

Can you believe Christmas is next weekend! Puedes creer que Navidad es la proxima fin de semana!

My Gingerbread house (mi casa de galletas)

The WINNING house (la que gano)
My Trophy (mi trofeo)
I can’t believe that it is Christmas next weekend! It is coming SO fast. I am ahead of the game this year and have all of my shopping done, wrapped and under the tree at my parents house. I don’t think I have ever been so prepared.

Last Friday we had our department Christmas party and we had so much fun! It was our wrap up to our 12 days till the Christmas party countdown and I think everyone really enjoyed it. We drove everyone to the party so they didn’t know what was going on until we got to the place. We were at a beautiful B&B and had a full catered lunch and then a Gingerbread House Competition. Everyone did a great job on their house….. except for Rita and I. We were going for the “advanced” house and one piece fell and broke, OOPS! So we decided if we couldn’t have the prettiest house we would have the most, um lets say “unique” house. The picture above with the melted Frosty would be mine and Rita’s house, isn’t it pretty????? But everyone had a great time!

Monday we had a department meeting and they have started a new employee of the month program, in which the winner gets a “beautiful” trophy and a present. Well, they chose me for the first one. So I now have a very tall and beautiful trophy/ pencil holder on my desk. (picture above). Along with it I got a SkiCard from Cypress!!! I am SO excited!!! I get one free day of snowboarding and every time I go after that I get 20% off the lift ticket, woohoo!!!! I really didn’t know what to say when I got the award… it’s so awkward, they said it was for all the work I did on the Christmas party and everything. But I just had so much fun working on it, and seeing everyone’s faces every morning was just so great.

Tonight I am off to an Ugly Sweater Party. I think I have a good shot at winning. My friend Holly found me a VERY bright and ugly sweater, with BIG shoulder pads. Maybe everyone will be lucky and I’ll post some pics tomorrow. Dave, Charlene and Raynae have some very ugly sweaters too, so picking a winner will be very hard. I hope everyone is doing well and that you’re all ready for Christmas!!!!! It’s NEXT weekend!!! YEAH!!!!!!


No puedo creer que la proxima fin de semana es Navidad! El tiempo esta pasando tan rapido. Pero ya compre todo de los regalos y estan en la casa de mis padres bajo del arbol de navidad, asi estoy preparada por Navidad.

El viernes pasado tuvemos nuestra fiesta de Navidad por mi departamento de mi trabajo y eso fue el fin de doce dias de juegos y todo. Fuemos a una casa a donde comemos almuerzo y despues tuvemos un competicion para hacer “Gingerbread houses” este es un tradition a donde hacemos casitas de galletas y dulces. Son muy divertidos y muy bonitos. Pero mi casa no fue tan bonita….tratemos a hacer una casa mas bonita de todo pero un parte se cayo el piso y se rompio asi, si no podimos tener la mas bonito, quisimos tener el, como lo digo el mas diferente. Pero fue bien, todos paseron un tiempo tan chevere.

Lunes tuvemos un reunion dentro de nuestro departmento tambien y los jefes comezeron algo nuevo, una programa del emplador del mes. Y yo gane por este mes, asi tengo un trofeo en mi mesa, es TAN bonito, no mentiras es feisimo, pero tambien recibe un ticket por snowboarding! Estoy super feliz! Todo fue por el trabajo que hice por la fiesta, pero lo fue muy divertido para mi a hacer todo los planes.Hoy por el noche estoy irando una otra fiesta de navidad pero esta fiesta es de sacos feisimos! El mas feo va a ganar un premio. Lo que concontre es FEISIMO! Asi hay la posibilidad a ganar! Posible manana voy a tener fotos que puedo poner por este blog tambien.

Bueno, espero todoes estan bien y estan preparados por Navidad.

Snow, Snow and More Snow! Nieve, nieve y Mas Nieve!

The weather out side is frightful!!!!It is BEAUTIFUL!!!! We have so much snow! I haven’t seen this much snow in such a long time. In Abbotsford we have over a foot. Sunday we got to play in the snow for about 45 mins or so, it was so much fun!!!! Making snow angels, running, throwing snowballs….unfortunately I got tackled a few times too. When we got home Raynae and I built a little snow man, which was quite tilted the next day from the weight of more snow. We asked a neighbor to take a picture of the four of us and she said her father had just arrived from India a few days before and this was the first time for him to ever see snow! It was so fun seeing an older Indian man running and throwing snowballs for the first time. Snow brings out the child in all of us, my Mom even mentioned that she really wanted to go and build a snowman, don’t know why she didn’t, you’re never too old to play and have fun.

With the snow has come ice. Getting too and from work has been quite fun! My car was almost completely buried, you could see a slim bit of red at the bottom. And I don’t have the best tires on my car so didn’t want to chance driving. My co-worker Amy and her husband have been my heroes and have given me rides to work this week. I unburied my car a couple of nights ago and at 10am yesterday morning it was just sunny enough that with a few good hits on the door to loosen the ice I was able to open my driver’s side door, finally! I ran the car for 25 mins with the heat on full blast and the other three doors still won’t budge. It’s warming up today, with a high of - 1, oh so warm!!! But it sounds like the worst is yet to come, with more snow and freezing rain expected tonight they are predicting that the roads tomorrow will be worse than they have been all week. We’ll see if anyone makes it into work. It’s crazy driving down the highway and seeing all the cars in the ditches, if it is worse tomorrow I think we’ll be staying in Abbotsford and having a snow day off work.

Unfortunately, tonight is the night my nephews are playing with the Canucks and I won’t make it, very disappointing but I would be stupid to try to drive to and from downtown Vancouver in this.

Despite the crappy road conditions and everything, it is beautiful! I love the snow, it really feels like Christmas is coming now.

The pictures are of my parents house and of Raynae with our snowman. We got a lot more snow out in Abbotsford compared to Richmond where my parents live.

Es HERMOSA aqui! Tenemos mucho mucho nieve! Hace mucho tiempo que veo tanto nieve. En Abbotsford (mi cuidad) tenemos mas de 30 centimetro de nieve. Domingo fuemos a jugar en la nieve, fue tan divertido!!!! Hicimos angeles, coremos, hicimos bollas de nieve tambien! Que chevere! Cuando regresemos a la casa Rayane y yo hicimos un hombre de nieve, pero la proxima dia casi fue a su lado por el peso de mas nieve en sima. Pregunte a una vecina a tomar una foto para nosotros y ella me dijo que su padre llego de India solo 3 dias antes y este fue su primera vez a ver nieve! Fue tan chevere a ver un adulto indio a jugar en la nieve hacienda las bollas y todo. Todos portamos como ninos cuando hay nieve. Mi mama quiso hacer un hombre de nieve tambien, no se porque no lo hizo.

Pero con la nieve hay mucho hielo tambien! Las calles estan muy peligroso asi a llegar a mi trabajo esta semana esta dificil. Mi carro fue bajo de mucho nieve solo podria ver un poquito de rojo por el parte inferior y nada mas! Y no puedo moverlo por la nieve atras del carro, asi este semana vengo a mi trabajo con mi companero y su esposo. Ya saque todo la nieve de mi carro pero con el hielo no podria abrir las puertas hasta ayer, podria abrir solo una! Las otras todovia no puedo abrirlos por el hielo. Hoy hace un poquito mas calor, lunes fue -18 degrados, y solo es -1. Que caliente verdad? Pero manana va a estar peor! Hoy vamos a recibir mas nieve y un poquito de lluvia tambien que va a estar hielo manana por las calles! Asi no sabemos si podemos venir a trabajar manana. Hay muchos carros en la cuneta ahorita y si manana va a estar peor no quiero estar por el autopista!

Lasitamente hoy es el dia que mis sobrinos van a jugar hockey con los Canucks (el equipo de nuestro cuidad) y no puedo irme a mirarles. Es muy peligroso y muy lejo. Que pena.Pero la verdad es hermosa aca, me encanta la nieve, siento mas como lo es Navidad ahora.

Las fotos estan de la casa de mis padres y de Raynae con nuestro hombre de nieve. Tuvemos mucho mas nieve a mi casa que la de mis padres, ellos no recibieron mucho.