Snowfall

As the snow falls I am reminded of so many things.  God has always spoken to me through His creation.  There is just something about it that speaks to my soul.  As I sit here peering out of the window and the big beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky, I cant help but reflect on from where God has brought us.  

Here we are.  At the training.  It seemed for so long like this time would never come, and here we are.  God knew the whole time!  Just as he knew that today would bring this first snow of the year.  The fact that we are here right now, this very day is not a surprise to God, just like todays snowfall isn't a surprise to Him!  I didn't see the snowfall coming.  I was shocked as I went out to our entryways to get my shoes and saw the winter wonderland outside!  I couldn't believe it!  This is so similar to the point in life that God has brought us to right now...

I chose to believe that God would bring us here in His timing, but I didn't believe Him in my heart!  Just like I knew the snow would yet again fall, but I didn't expect God to bring it so soon. And the joy that I have that we have snow in October isn't always something I have felt before.  I enjoy the snow and winter time, but I often grow weary at the length of these upcoming cold months most of the time.  But this year I find to be quite different.  We are in Ontario.  We are here.  The fact that it is snowing in October is refreshing!  We are in Ontario, of course it is snowing in October.  The snow this early is just another reminder of God providing for us in His timing!

We have been studying through Exodus in our 'Roots' class, and I have been struck by the historical example of Israel leaving Egypt and moving into the dessert.  I find that I am just like them!  As I look back in the recent (and even not so recent past) I see how God has provided abundantly for us, and yet as I face a bit of uncertainty today my first instinct is to cry out to God and question His power and ability to provide for me, just as the nation of Israel did when they cried out in Exodus 16 for food and water.  Yet, even in their unbelief, as they attacked God and His goodness, God was gracious towards them.  He, in spite of their unbelief, provided miraculously for them.  I choose to believe that He will do the same for us.  He is faithful. 

I am abundantly thankful for the beauty that the snow brings!  I am thankful for how God is teaching me through it, and I am so thankful for what He is teaching me.  God is good.  God is faithful, and God is the ultimate provider and for that I am thankful.  

Working as a Team

We just started a class on Team Work.  It has been great so far!  We have been put into groups that are to act as our 'team'.  We are working as if we are going into the tribe together.  We have been going through a document that helps to answer a lot of questions regarding how we will work together as a team and how we would handle different situations.  Questions like: what are your teams expectations of field leadership?  What will you do if you have an issue with a co-workers, or what steps will you take to resolve the conflict?  What is your opinion on having national coworkers (co-workers that are native to the country you are serving in)? Ect...
Its great to start to think about establishing a team and beginning the process of working together with one!  We have so much to learn and its so much fun to begin this process!  :)

Mitch and I have been reminded every single day why we are here.  It is, at times, difficult not to feel completely overwhelmed by the task at hand.  We are not capable of doing all this!  But in those moments of fear we are reminded that He is our strength.  He is the one that will do it.  He will give us exactly what we need in each moment that we need it!  We are just willing vessels to be used.

As we move forward in our classes we are being made more aware of our need for Him.  God has been stretching us both so much, and we would really appreciate your prayers!  He is showing us more of our hearts as well as our attitudes that we need to grow in and we are seeking God to work in our lives in those areas.  :)  It is great to see God working, but it always stings a bit...

 

Pizza, Swimming and Global Perspectives

We are well into our way of our first set of classes.  We have been able to have lots of our classmates over to apartment as we get to know them.  Two night ago we had a big pizza get together!  We all brought things to contribute and made several pizza's from scratch.  What a sweet time of fellowship it was. :)

Us in our classroom.

One of the responsibilities that we have here is to be part of the Afternoon Work Program (AWP) 4 days a week.  All of the students are split into one of two teams: the cleaning team or the project team, and these teams rotate each month to give each student some variety.  Mitch is on the cleaning team this month, and I am on the project team.  The cleaning teams clean everything on campus, not only of the Missionary Training Centre campus but also the NTMC head office.  The projects teams work on building, landscaping, and any other maintenance needs that we can help with.

the sunrise over the lake on campus

The fall weather is slowly creeping in here, but the last couple of days we have had very hot and very humid weather reappear!  Yesterday after we all finished our AWP most of our classmates and us went for a very refreshing swim in the lake!  It was so fun!  A lot of the youth, either staff or students kids, were swimming with us too!  

Today, and for the next two days, we will be attending the Global Perspectives seminar here.  NTM reps from all over the country have come and we all get to gather together and learn about what it means to be globally focused.  Some of the topics discussed today were: women in ministry (a very different view-point than normally discussed), how to choose a field and we had a time of prayer which centred around praying for more labourers to join with us!  What a sweet time of prayer that was!

We greatly enjoy seeing what God is doing in the world around us, and we look forward to the next two days to hear more about what God is doing... :)

3 Pictures

Our home for the next 18 months,

Learning how to do this...

So that even they can know Him.

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Exodus 9:16

Am I Prepared???

     I sit in the laundry room, listening to Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons" album.  Singing along to the songs in worship, and in awe of my Lord.  It is often through music that I reflect on the big and important things in my life.  As I sit here, I cant help but me in utter amazement as to where I am.  I am finally here!  In Durham Ontario, at the missionary training centre and we begin classes tomorrow.  Wow!

     Matt Redman sings "You are faithful, God you are faithful!  You are!", and I am reminded just how true that is.  It is by no power or ability of our own that we are where we are today.  We tried for 4 years to get here, and we just couldn't.  It wasn't until we gave it up that God gave it to us, in His perfect timing.  Saying that He has been faithful to provide for us is the biggest understatement!  We are humbled and encouraged by those who have given to us so far, and to see how God has provided for us the very things we have needed in the time we have needed them is amazing.

I cant help but stand in awe...   

     I have been reflecting on where I am at, and what God has brought me through up to this point in my life.  I want to take every opportunity here to grow and learn.  I have so much to learn, and this is an amazing environment to help me in that.  Am I prepared for this?  I believe God has been preparing us both for a very long time to be here.  I love looking back and seeing the trials we've faced, and to see how God has used them to grow us both in different ways.  He is faithful. 

 I simply pray that I will learn, in every avenue I can... 

Retreating and Impending Travel

Mitch and I returned from the senior high retreat last friday.  It was an amazing week filled with wonderful fellowship, spiritual rejuvination and tons of time enjoying Gods beautiful creation in northern Montana!
The first day we were there we went river rafting on the Flathead river (the river that A River Runs Through It was filmed on).

We also spend part of a day cliff jumping at a nearby lake.  It was such a beautiful day, and the water was the perfect temperature!

Tatum (one of the other leaders) & I swimming after jumping off the cliff

On the third day that we were there we spent the day in Glacier National park.  It reminded me so much of Alaska in some ways, and had a beauty all its own in another way.  We had moutnain goats come right up to us as we were hiking, and even got to have a snow ball fight on the last day of July!

Overlooking Glacier National Park

A mountain top meadow in the park

A little ground squirrel having a snack

A momma and baby Mountain Goat 

a lone goat

mountain top pond

It was a hot day, but what a beautiful view!!!

Mountain wildflowers along the trail

As the month of August has come we are reminded of our time left here.  We have been so blessed by our time spent here so far and we cannot believe that it is winding down.  We are helping with our church's VBS this week, and next week we hope to spend most of it with friend and family before we head back to Boise in preparation to fly back to Ontario.  We will be back in Durham two weeks from today!  It is SO crazy how the time has flown by!  We greatly look forward to the rest of our time here, and we cannot wait to return to Ontario so we can begin our training.

We are waiting on news from our church here as to in what way they will be willing to partner with us as we train, and then serve with NTM.  Please join with us in praying as we wait for a response from the elder team.  We are thankful to be a part of the body of Christ here, and are blessed by their willingness to partner with us. :)

Meetings & Montana

     Mitch and I have the opportunity to be leaders for our church's senior high camp!  The camp is located near Whitefish Montana.  We will be participating in white water rafting, cliff jumping, and touring Glacier Bay National Park.  We are really excited to be able to go!  Mitch and I have never been to Montana and we are thankful for the chance to be there for the next week.  :)

     Earlier this week we met with the missions team from our church here.  It was a wonderful time of encouragement and sharing.  We were able to share about our training with them, and discussed the church's ability to partner with us.  It was amazing to see how God has orchestrated the timing, yet again, for us to be able to move towards with our training through the partnership of others!  Please be praying as the missions team will  be sending forth a proposal to be reviewed by the elders team regarding the church's partnership with us.

    Within the last couple of week we have had numerous opportunities to get together with friends new and old.  It has been wonderful to reconnect with everyone!  After we get back from camp we will have roughly 2 weeks left here in Idaho before we go back to Ontario to begin our training.  We are So excited! :)

House Sitters

Mitch and I have been in Idaho Falls for about a week and a half now.  We were able to spend lots of time with my aunt and her family, it was great to catch up with them!  Fishing has become a new favourite sport for them, and we had lots of fun going along with them.

The view from our fishing spot (notice the beaver damn)

Mitch & I giving it a shot

The family fishing it up a bit too!

We also were able to celebrate my cousin Hailey's 13th birthday with her!  We had a volleyball party at a local park and had some other friends and family over to celebrate with.

My aunt and I at my cousins birthday party

Mitch & I with the birthday girl! :)

Mitch with our youngest cousin :)

One of our goals while being here was to be a flexible as possible as we re-connect with our friends and family.  As we have begun to re-connect we have been given several opportunities to house sit, so we have gratefully accepted the offers.  :)  It is exciting to see God provide for us, while providing for those who are seeking people to look after their homes while they are away at the same time.  Its pretty awesome how He has it all planned out, and just provides exactly what we need in the time that we need it. :)

The cost

   The cost of going.  

     This has been on my mind a lot lately.  The price that we are choosing to pay in order to pursue taking Gods Word to the nations...It is a price we are most certainly willing to pay, but I am beginning to feel the depth of the cost.  

     Last week we met our niece for the first time.  The picture below was taken as we were leaving to go to the other side of the state for the rest of the summer.  

A 'Goodbye' picture with our adorable niece 

     We will be able to spend some more time with her and my brother and sister in law before we fly back to Ontario, which we are very excited about!  Man, I really love this picture!  It is such a sweet thing to have a niece, and I LOVE her so much!  Every time I look at this picture I am reminded of the cost of going.  
     I would like to ask for your prayers...as we spend time with those we love we again realize the sting of leaving them behind as we move forward.  For the sake of taking Gods freeing Word to those who do not have it, we go.  

Travels

Here is a picture post!  I figured I would post pictures to explain and show what we have been up to in the last couple of weeks.  :)

Mitch and I had the chance to go to Newfoundland to visit some friends there.  It was so pretty and we really enjoyed spending time with our friends, and seeing the sites we have never seen before.

having a bbq on the beach

a little lake behind one of the banks in town

Mitch looking off over Saint Johns

The most eastern point of North America.  The next land is Europe!

An old armoury

Next we traveled to Ontario.  We packed up everything and set out to travel to where we will be living over the next 2 years while we study linguistics.  We arrived in Durham (the town of the training center) and had a few days to relax and unpack before we headed west to Idaho.  One of the evenings we spent out on the lake fishing for some bass.

We next jumped on a plane and flew from Toronto to Boise Idaho.  My brother and his wife live there and they have our niece who we have not had the chance to meet before now.  We will be in Boise for a few days and then we will be going to western Idaho to visit the rest of my family.  :)

 playing in the morning

 having some fun with the blocks

 So far we have had a great time!  We are so blessed to be able to travel a bit and catch up with friends and family before we start our training in August.  We are looking forward to the rest of our time in Idaho and so thankful for this gift we have been given!!!