LAST Kaleo blog

This is my last blog of Kaleo!!!

I really cannot believe how fast this month has been. Time is flying and I just realized that a week from right now I will be in Ontario 3,000 miles away from beautiful B.C. It is very sad but days like today I am just so thankful that I was able to come live out here for 8 whole months. This week was another 24/7 prayer week which was amazing. What an amazing way to finish off the year by spending a week to pray and thank God for everything He has done and to ask him for strength for going home. This week I spent quite a bit of time working on the last papers and school assignments.

On Wednesday we went white water kayaking which ended up being fun but I was really scared to go. I realized that when I was seven I saw a documentary on a white water kayaking trip that went very wrong and I remember being traumatized by watching it thinking I will never do something like that where I could fall into cold water. Well I faced my fear and realized it wasn’t too bad and it actually ended up being really fun. It was on a beautiful river and the water was cold but because we were constantly moving our hands paddling I wasn’t that cold. It was a great experience and I am very glad that I went with it and didn’t skip out. I think that is a huge thing that I have learned this year. There are so many things that I don’t feel like doing, or I think I wouldn’t be able to do it, but then once I just do it, I am ALWAYS glad that I did and when I don’t I regret it.

So Wednesday night we had our last youth night. It was very sad. Youth went well though. During our debrief Stevie was talking about how he has seen certain kids change and become more respectful and more interested in God. It is so encouraging to hear that because sometimes I feel like there is no hope for these Crofton kids, but then when I look at the big picture I realize that God is working at Warmland and that the kids are changing. Over the three years that Warmland has been there, kids have changed. Praise God that there is hope for them. I will continue to pray at home for the kids and especially girls that I have gotten to know they will be close to my heart.

Friday night Claire and I hosted a gr. 6 six girls Warmland sleepover at Kevin and Mel’s house. We weren’t expecting too many to come and because it was such short notice only 2 of the girls ended up coming. It was so great though. It was one of the girls birthday so Claire and I got little prizes and we made cupcakes and decorated them. The night was just really fun and we had a good talk with them about boys, about life, family, lots of things. One of the girls ended up telling us some of her story and we all prayed. It was really cool because at youth group the girls are always so hyper and full of energy that they never want to go deep, they just want to have fun. So it was really amazing to have a deep talk with them while still having such a fun night. The pictures at the bottom are of the sleepover.

Saturday Marissa me and took some of the girls for a hike up a mountain outside of Duncan. It was so incredible. It was a beautiful day and there was a cool cross on the top of the mountain. This past week I have just loved being outside. Whether it was kayaking, hiking the mountain, biking to Chemainus, walking along the ocean, all of those things I was able to do this week and I am so thankful for times like that. Like I said, God has truly blessed me to have been able to live in this province on this island for the year.

Today was my last Sunday at Warmland. We all went with Stevie and to Sunday school to hang out with the youth one last time. It was sad and we gave them lots of hugs goodbye and took pictures. I will be praying for Warmland and thanking God for that church and continuing to pray for more growth.

Thank you for praying for me at Kaleo all year. I appreciate it so much and God has truly taught me so much about Love, hope, life and Himself. I am so excited to go home and spread the love that God has given me to give to others.
Have a great week, and God bless you!

HOLY WEEK

Happy Easter!!! The Lord has risen! (He has risen indeed; ill pretend to hear you say that)

This week was very busy and I cannot believe that in now less than two weeks time I will be at home in Ontario! That is becoming more and more sad to me. ahhh But I am enjoying these last few weeks so much and I am so excited for what is left. So this week we had Christian World view class which was.......interesting. I liked our professor but the class was not that interesting to me. Some of it was, but some of philosophical issues were a little over my head. Nevertheless it was still important topics to be covered.

So, this week we actually got to attend youth and it was so great to be back and see all the kids again. The five of us Kaleo students planned out our whole youth for that night. We planned beginning games, a skit and lesson, a snack, and then followed by one last game. I think the kids really enjoyed the night and know they had fun. I am praying and hoping that what we said will really stick with them and that God will continue to work in that youth group.

On Thursday night we had a Passover dinner which was SO fun. I had never done anything like it and I loved it. It was very cultural and everyone was excited and into it. It gave me more of an understanding of Jewish culture and how Jesus used to live. It was great and I would love to have another Passover dinner next year.

Good Friday was a stormy day, which I thought was appropriate. We had Chapel and then our Christian World view exam. Saturday night we watched the Passion of Jesus Christ and had I seen that movie before but this time it affected me so much more deeply. After everything we have been learning this year watching that movie made me realize that it all comes down to that deep unconditional love and the message of the cross.

Today I helped out with the kids in Jr. Church and I was actually able to tell them a little of the Easter story. Most of them just wanted to tell me about how many Easter egg hunts they had already had, which was very sad but it was still good for them to see how excited I was about Jesus rising from the grave and how that is more important than chocolate.

Overall this has been a great week, Easter is my favourite holiday, simply because it means so much to me and I am reminded of what an AWSOME God we serve. Thank you so much for praying for us, please pray that everything that God wants to happen for Kaleo in these last two weeks will happen according to his will.

God Bless