Many Months Ago

A year ago today: tutoring the children of My Fathers House 1+2 with great difficulty.

11 Months: "Sierra Leone is on my heart. Thats all I can really say. I feel that God isnt letting it out of my heart and mind because He has a plan for me there. I feel that Zambia is just a preparation of whats to come in my life, whatever that may be. Only God knows the plans for my life and I will continue to pray 'send me'" (Quoted from my journal)

10 Months: Was thrown a surprise party that wasn't really a surprise, but lots of fun none the less

9 Months: Took three orphans from their home where their mother passed away the morning of. Also picked up two orphans and their mom who would become the new mother of MFH #3

8 Months: Went to Livingstone/Victoria Falls for the first time. This was also the pivotal point for Kimmer and I. Anything that was hindering our friendship was put to a stop and we praised God under the mist of the mighty falls. We also lived out Kimmers dream to go elephant riding.

7 Months: Home from Zambia, I went back to work today. Debated a lot of issues surrounding a specific someone I left behind in Zambia.

6 Months: Was helping prepare for Handy's wedding as well as heading back to Zambia with my parents.

5 Months: Arrived back home from Zambia the second time, unknowing to this day if and when I will ever go back. I miss them dearly.

4 Months: Interesting day. Today God put a burning passion on my heart. The passion: Sierra Leone once again. Similar feelings to February. I think I argued with my dad at night. He was telling me he wasnt going to go because of his age, health etc. I told him that he was spoiled living here and should go do it because they need him. I probably said this for selfish reasons because I really wanted to go.

3 Months: I became an aunt again to beautiful Jesse Finn in October. Finally embracing being home and the longing for Zambia starts to diminish.

2 Months: I did my first presentation about Zambia to FVC. It was good to be back at the school and see old faces. I probably didnt give the chapel my all because I knew what was coming right after it. I was confronted with the fear of the unknown in regards to my health. Straight from chapel I went to the doctors and about a 2 week process of doing tests and waiting, waiting, waiting, and more waiting happened until I finally got my results. Things were looking brighter.

1 Month: My first time working Boxing day. Lets just say that it was an adventure. I had a line up of 30 women standing outside the doors. By the time I got the doors open, a lineup of 10+ at the till. Wow... It was good to have family home over Christmas, yet it was terribly busy with work.

Today: I have completed 2 weeks out of 7 months of school. I'm getting my diploma in Hospitality and Resort Managment. The classes and material is great but it is a lot of homework. Im still working partime, doing Drime, and am part of a social justice committee at work.

Oh... in the beginning of January I flew out to Virginia to visit Kimmer which was awesome!!

God finally revealed to me why he put the burning passion of Sierra Leone on my heart. The passion was not for me to be lived out, but for my dad. If I didnt have the passion I have felt in the last year about it, I often wonder if he would have gone. Its not like I convinced him, but I think I might have challenged him a bit. Well, he leaves on February 15, 356 days after the passion was instilled on my heart.

In September, I have the choice of moving to 6 different places world wide for a work abroad program with school. My options include Kenya, China, the Bahamas, New Zealand, Australia, or England. I was leaning towards China, but not so much anymore after talking about it with some different people. I hope to head to one of the last 3 there, and most likely England. England gives me the best opportunity to work in the rest of Europe if I choose to do so and globally as well.

So... this is where Im at right now. I thought I should give you all a little update. If anyone of you are downtown tomorrow night, come by the Vancouver Art Gallery on the Robson side to visit me. I will be doing Drime after 7:30!!!

Blessings

Grandpa's 73 Birthday!

Jesse quite content in Great Grandpa's arm















Giggling and laughing for his Aunty!
















Family Photo!

















Uncle Davied playing trains with Reuben. He could
play trains for hours...














Grandpa Bill's 73 Birthday! He flew out from Ontario to spend his birthday with his family here. He usually comes out once or twice a year to visit us. Its nice to see him and we are thankful he makes the effort to come out this way, because he is my only remaining grandparent!
Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

Marisa Hoekstra

Just a short post today. Marisa and Mendelt Hoekstra used to live in our basement suite when we were back in Burnaby many years ago. I remember going downstairs to bring them their mail and I would always be rewarded with dropies from them.

Marisa was just diagnosed with breast/liver cancer that is very aggresive. She is 32 with 3 young children, one that is only 7 months old. She started chemo today and she will be having it for the next 6 months where they will decided what to do.

Please pray for Mendelt, Marisa and their 3 young children as they begin the fight against cancer.

Blessings.

http://marisavanderveen.wordpress.com/ Go here for updates.

Hear Us Roar

Us having too much fun at the souvenir shop...hehe.....












Inside the White House's front door... could that be Bush's head??? Its not, but I like to think it is...:)

DC Pictures Take 3

The Capitol












Kimmer and I and the top of the Capitol barely peering between our heads


















Me infront of the Capitol.. what a tourist!









The Hope Diamond.












Me and the Eisenhower Building

I was having a bad hair day! Kimmer's awesome picture shows my hair grafting to the tree in the distance... Like I need more volume!!!

DC Pictures Take 2

I feel small...really small...














Lincoln Memorial and a corner of the Reflecting Pool


















Lincoln












Bush's backyard.... Rough eh?











Me by the front of the White House

DC Pictures

A single poinsettia with a stamp as a memorial at the WWII Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.










Kimmer's fantabulous photography of the fountain. She is very talented.












Me ruining Kimmer's picture by running through it attempting to smile... What was I thinking!?














Kimmer standing by her hometown, Virginia!















I liked this quote because I feel it talks about Canada being a neighbor to the states and remembering everyone who was part of WWII.

The Nation's Capital

The Washington Monument





Washington Monument viewed from the Capitol and to US Flags flying at half mast with the WWII Memorial, the reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial in the background!


















Here are some pictures of my day trip to Washington, D.C. Kimmer and I got up bright and early and took the train into DC, about an hour and a half away. We got down there, grabbed some much needed coffee and headed to the Metro station and jumped on the subway. We took two Subways to get us to the Smithsonian where we began our tour. We walked from there to the Washington Monument, to the WWII Memorial , too the Reflecting Pool, then to the Lincoln Memorial. We took the same route back on the other side of the pool then headed to the National Museum of Natural History. We looked around there, saw the Hope Diamond (a little bit of a let down since its smaller than I thought). We had some lunch then made our way to Capitol Hill. We had a friendly chat (not!) with a security guard there then made our way to the White House. We stood infront of a building we thought was the White House, but after we were puzzled for a while we realized that it was not the White House, it was the National Treasury. Oops.... Wondered why there was no security around. We saw the president drive by which was cool and then we waited for him to come out of the White House for a press conference, but we were lazy so kept on going. We hit Starbucks then headed back to Union Square and boarded the train back home. It was a great day and we saw just enough to be satisfied! We are very very thankful for the great weather we had!! Lots more pictures coming...

Virginia

So tomorrow I am heading off to see Kimmer in Virginia! I am flying out of Seattle so Im spending some time outlet shopping with my Christmas money before I catch my flight. Kimmer and I are going to take a day trip into Washington DC to go see the sights. Im looking forward to it since Ive never been to that part of the country before. I am most excited to reunite with Kimmer though. She is a sister and friend to me and the only one who understands what I went through in Africa because she was there along side me for which I am thankful for. Anyways.. I will be back next Monday before I start school!

Happy New Year everyone...