Seeing as we left Seattle late, we arrived in Chicago behind schedule. Our plane landed at 5:50 AM, the very time our connecting flight was to begin boarding. Not a problem, right? Wrong. The gate we were to unload from apparently had an issue and wasn’t running properly so we had to back up and move to a different gate, thus using up more of our quickly running out and precious time.
By the time we unloaded from the airplane it was 6:20 AM, the exact time our flight was scheduled to leave. Needless to say, we hustled as fast as our luggage burdened bodies would carry us and made it to the gate in record time. It was still after our flight was supposed to leave, but we made it!! Praise God! We were informed that they were waiting for the luggage, not necessarily us, but we made it nevertheless. We practically ran onto the plane and were hardly seated before the plane began taxiing down the airstrip.
It was cloudy and raining when we left Chicago but as we ascended into the sky, we passed through the layer of storm clouds and into a beauty beyond compare. It was the calm ABOVE the storm. If we can look just beyond the storm, past the clouds into the sun shining behind and have hope, we can have the peace of knowing that God has all things under His control.
It was as if we were in a whole other world. Nahum 1:3 says that the “clouds are the dust of [God’s] feet” and I could practically see His footprints softly embedded into the white terrain.
The entire flight only took around 45 minutes and we were back on the ground in no time at all. We exited the plane, headed toward the baggage claim area and said hello to the families awaiting our arrival. After gathering our luggage and saying goodbye to the group, Amanda, Kyle, and I climbed into Kyle’s mom’s car and headed back to their house. I was only at their home for a short while before I climbed in my own car and began my journey home around 9 AM.
I stopped at Boeing (after a very confusing and frustrating trip to the place. I’m not very good at directions when I’m tired haha) to see my brother Dusty before continuing home. After our short hug, hello, and chat, I climbed back in my car and made it home without a hitch. I slept almost the entire afternoon and later that evening hung out with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephew. My trip was officially over, but the lessons I learned, the growing I experienced, and the memories I made will never leave my heart and mind.
“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147:4-11
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Monday June 7, 2010
Our last day in Vancouver began at 8 AM with our usual breakfast and lunch making, our devotional at 9 AM, and followed by lots and lots of packing. Jeanne arrived around 10:30 AM bringing a bathroom scale to weigh our luggage (which had to be under 50 lbs) and her camera to take one last group photo. After the taking of the picture, I went back to packing, ate my lunch, more packing, and then a bit of cleaning.
At 4 PM our group, except for Elyse who was staying a week longer because she came a week later than the rest of us, headed toward the main gate of PLBC with all our luggage. The bus arrived around 4:14 and after checking our passports with the driver, we headed toward the United States border.
We were soon through the border and began our trip to Seattle/Tacoma International Airport and arrived around 9 PM. Our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 11:55 PM and it was a good thing because it took forever to check in due to scores of military men and women checking in to the same airline.
After checking in, receiving tickets both to Chicago and St. Louis, and going through security, we set our carry-ons at Gate 9 and began to look for something to eat. Brett, Laura, Christina, Marisol, and I spent our last few hours eating with Liesl before she boarded a different flight headed for Kansas, her home state.
We headed back to our gate and waited to board at around 11:25 PM. However, we didn’t actually begin boarding until 11:55 PM when our flight was scheduled to leave. They allowed the military personnel to board first and as they did, we all began clapping. A sense of pride for our country welled up inside me as we showed them the respect they deserve for all they have done.
Callie and I managed to orchestrate us sitting by each other on the flight home. As I sat next to her on the plane, we both had awful feelings arise in our stomachs. I have flown several times and never have I ever felt as I did at that time. Extremely nervous and ready to rush off the plane. Callie and I began praying and continued to do so as we finally took off at 12:20 AM and continued to do so for a while into the flight until finally we both fell asleep.
I later found out that Kyle, who was sitting several rows ahead of us, had felt the same way. He sent a text to his mom telling her to pray for our flight. She awoke to his text (at 2 AM Central Standard Time) and began praying. It was crazy and definitely in God’s hands.
At 4 PM our group, except for Elyse who was staying a week longer because she came a week later than the rest of us, headed toward the main gate of PLBC with all our luggage. The bus arrived around 4:14 and after checking our passports with the driver, we headed toward the United States border.
We were soon through the border and began our trip to Seattle/Tacoma International Airport and arrived around 9 PM. Our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 11:55 PM and it was a good thing because it took forever to check in due to scores of military men and women checking in to the same airline.
After checking in, receiving tickets both to Chicago and St. Louis, and going through security, we set our carry-ons at Gate 9 and began to look for something to eat. Brett, Laura, Christina, Marisol, and I spent our last few hours eating with Liesl before she boarded a different flight headed for Kansas, her home state.
We headed back to our gate and waited to board at around 11:25 PM. However, we didn’t actually begin boarding until 11:55 PM when our flight was scheduled to leave. They allowed the military personnel to board first and as they did, we all began clapping. A sense of pride for our country welled up inside me as we showed them the respect they deserve for all they have done.
Callie and I managed to orchestrate us sitting by each other on the flight home. As I sat next to her on the plane, we both had awful feelings arise in our stomachs. I have flown several times and never have I ever felt as I did at that time. Extremely nervous and ready to rush off the plane. Callie and I began praying and continued to do so as we finally took off at 12:20 AM and continued to do so for a while into the flight until finally we both fell asleep.
I later found out that Kyle, who was sitting several rows ahead of us, had felt the same way. He sent a text to his mom telling her to pray for our flight. She awoke to his text (at 2 AM Central Standard Time) and began praying. It was crazy and definitely in God’s hands.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sunday June 6, 2010
Breakfast was at 7:30 AM Sunday morning. Yes it was only 30 minutes earlier than usual, but it felt like hours. The church we were attending was Living Water Chinese Baptist Church in a suburb type area. We were in Vancouver somewhere but I really have no idea where.
We attended the English church service downstairs while a Chinese service was taking place directly above us at the same time. The English service was directed obviously towards their English speaking congregation. This congregation was made mostly up by the children of the people in the Chinese service.
After the service, we hung around for a while talking with the people and playing ping pong. Laura, Liesl, Marisol, Christina, Callie, Brett, and I soon headed up the street and uphill to the business part of town that offered places for lunch.
We were all very indecisive but eventually settled on a Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. Marisol and Callie went across the street to McDonald’s and headed elsewhere after eating. Pho is a type of Vietnamese noodle soup with meat and who knows what else in it. It was delicious, but difficult to eat with chopsticks.
After eating we walked down the street to a 7-Eleven so Laura, Liesl, and Christina could buy coffee. I found more of the chocolate candy called Bueno and bought some for my family. I was introduced to it first in Australia five years ago and hadn’t found it since. I was excited to find it once again.
We caught bus 16 for our trip home, the same bus we took to get to the church. However, we missed our stop and ended up getting off at a different station. Instead of a 20 minute bus ride, it turned into at least an hour. We eventually made it back to PLBC and in time for our debriefing at 6 PM with Kelly. He and Jeanne gave all of us a group picture taken at Burnaby Mountain Park and a 2010 Vancouver Olympic flag.
After debriefing was finished, a group of us gathered to pray for Liesl and her job in Australia. We then prayed for Sarah, her father, and her up-coming mission trip to Ireland. It’s a wonderful thing knowing that we can all band together to support our sisters in Christ through prayer as they go out of serve.
When we finished praying, a large number of us headed down a few blocks to the Time Out convenience store. Some hadn’t had supper and were very hungry. They ordered pizzas while others bought candy, slushies, or ice cream. When we returned to PLBC, we swapped pictures of our trip and hung out until 1 AM on our last night in Canada. It was hard to believe our trip was practically over.
We attended the English church service downstairs while a Chinese service was taking place directly above us at the same time. The English service was directed obviously towards their English speaking congregation. This congregation was made mostly up by the children of the people in the Chinese service.
After the service, we hung around for a while talking with the people and playing ping pong. Laura, Liesl, Marisol, Christina, Callie, Brett, and I soon headed up the street and uphill to the business part of town that offered places for lunch.
We were all very indecisive but eventually settled on a Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. Marisol and Callie went across the street to McDonald’s and headed elsewhere after eating. Pho is a type of Vietnamese noodle soup with meat and who knows what else in it. It was delicious, but difficult to eat with chopsticks.
After eating we walked down the street to a 7-Eleven so Laura, Liesl, and Christina could buy coffee. I found more of the chocolate candy called Bueno and bought some for my family. I was introduced to it first in Australia five years ago and hadn’t found it since. I was excited to find it once again.
We caught bus 16 for our trip home, the same bus we took to get to the church. However, we missed our stop and ended up getting off at a different station. Instead of a 20 minute bus ride, it turned into at least an hour. We eventually made it back to PLBC and in time for our debriefing at 6 PM with Kelly. He and Jeanne gave all of us a group picture taken at Burnaby Mountain Park and a 2010 Vancouver Olympic flag.
After debriefing was finished, a group of us gathered to pray for Liesl and her job in Australia. We then prayed for Sarah, her father, and her up-coming mission trip to Ireland. It’s a wonderful thing knowing that we can all band together to support our sisters in Christ through prayer as they go out of serve.
When we finished praying, a large number of us headed down a few blocks to the Time Out convenience store. Some hadn’t had supper and were very hungry. They ordered pizzas while others bought candy, slushies, or ice cream. When we returned to PLBC, we swapped pictures of our trip and hung out until 1 AM on our last night in Canada. It was hard to believe our trip was practically over.
Saturday June 5, 2010
As of Friday evening, we didn’t have any grand plans for Saturday. Some people mentioned going to White Rock, a place not far from PLBC and near the ocean with a beautiful view. I had never been there so I was all for visiting the pace.
However, Saturday morning brought excitement and the announcement that we were traveling to Granville Island to go kayaking. I still wanted to visit White Rock and they promised that we could go after kayaking.
We began our uneventful transit to Granville Island. HA! As if anything is uneventful with the people with whom I was traveling. Our group consisted of Laura, Liesl, Christina, Marisol, Brett, Vu, Jared, Jonny, and myself. We were never sure of our directions and viewed it all as an adventure and part of the journey. :)
We arrived at Granville Island around noon. Our first priority was to find the place where we could rent kayaks. After locating the store, we told the man behind the register that we would be back after lunch. Our priorities directly after we left were to find a washroom and then eat our lunch.
While waiting for others in the washroom, Christina and I meandered into a few trading stores. These stores sell items made by people in villages all across the world. The money earned then goes back to the villages and the people. The stores and merchandise they contained were amazing!
After spending a few minutes in these stores, Christina directed me to the pier where everyone had already begun eating their lunches. We arrived just as one musician was collecting his supplies to leave and another was taking his place. The new musician began playing and as soon as our lunches were finished, a few in our group began dancing. Brett and Jared were waltzing by themselves and the girls wanted to learn.
After a bit of dancing, a woman also sitting on the pier (named Margaret I believe) spoke up and mentioned that she knew several different ballroom style dances. She offered to teach us and we greatly accepted. I stayed seated on the bench taking videos while most of the others danced. She danced with both Brett and Jared, doing the Waltz, Foxtrot, and the Cha-Cha while Liesl and Laura waltzed behind them. Liesl was then paired up with Jared and Christina with Brett. It was very entertaining to watch.
On our way back to the kayak rental store, we were distracted by a large crowd gathered around a man with a microphone and a 12 foot unicycle. We watched him for approximately 15 minutes as he entertained the crowd, eventually climbed up the unicycle, rode it and, at times acted like he was going to fall. We enjoyed the show and quickly left when it finished with our sights set on kayaks.
We rented our kayaks, four doubles and one single, for two hours. Laura and Liesl, Brett and Marisol, Jared and Vu, and Christina and I made up the doubles and Jonny kayaked in the single. We were excited for only Brett had ever kayaked, but no one had ever kayaked on the ocean!
We were told the best thing to do was kayak in one direction for an hour and then turn around and kayak back for the 2nd hour. When we made it out into the harbor, we turned right, heading toward open water. The view was gorgeous from our boats in the water. It definitely made everything seem so much bigger.
Christina and I had a blast kayaking together. We strove to hit all the waves and found ourselves getting a bit wet in the process. My jeans were soaked by the time our two hours ran out.
Kayaking in doubles made me re-realize how important it is for people to work together. I sat in the back, so I steered most of the time. Many times, the direction Christina wanted to turn was lost in the wind, so I had to learn to read her movements. I adjusted myself constantly to make things work.
I also noticed that while we could still move while only one was paddling, we travelled what seemed like light speeds faster if we paddled together. It seems logical and obvious and it is. However, it doesn’t fully sink in until you put it into practice. We were made for relationships. And if we were made for relationships, we were made to make them work. We simply have to get over ourselves to see and fulfill the needs of others.
After our two hours of kayaking were up, I went to explore the public market that is supposedly very popular. The place was filled with various venders, selling items from fresh fish to bread and cheese to handmade stuffed animals. One place I choose to make a purchase from was selling little pastry type desserts. I had a chocolate pastry topped with raspberries. It was delectable!
Around 3 or 4pm, we began our trek home. It was too late to go to White Rock so we decided to eat at a place called Wings for supper. We took Liesl out as a going away type party. A few weeks after arriving home from Vancouver she would be beginning her 6 month long job in Australia.
When we arrived back at PLBC, we wanted to go to a park so we could build a fire and roast marshmallows. However, it was dark and we knew that most parks closed at sunset. So instead, we headed over to the steps by the Christian school, lit a candle, and roasted marshmallows over the flame using chopsticks. Brett eventually began playing his guitar and some began singing.
I headed to bed around 11:30 or so, knowing that the next day would begin earlier than the others and probably be just as long if not longer.
However, Saturday morning brought excitement and the announcement that we were traveling to Granville Island to go kayaking. I still wanted to visit White Rock and they promised that we could go after kayaking.
We began our uneventful transit to Granville Island. HA! As if anything is uneventful with the people with whom I was traveling. Our group consisted of Laura, Liesl, Christina, Marisol, Brett, Vu, Jared, Jonny, and myself. We were never sure of our directions and viewed it all as an adventure and part of the journey. :)
We arrived at Granville Island around noon. Our first priority was to find the place where we could rent kayaks. After locating the store, we told the man behind the register that we would be back after lunch. Our priorities directly after we left were to find a washroom and then eat our lunch.
While waiting for others in the washroom, Christina and I meandered into a few trading stores. These stores sell items made by people in villages all across the world. The money earned then goes back to the villages and the people. The stores and merchandise they contained were amazing!
After spending a few minutes in these stores, Christina directed me to the pier where everyone had already begun eating their lunches. We arrived just as one musician was collecting his supplies to leave and another was taking his place. The new musician began playing and as soon as our lunches were finished, a few in our group began dancing. Brett and Jared were waltzing by themselves and the girls wanted to learn.
After a bit of dancing, a woman also sitting on the pier (named Margaret I believe) spoke up and mentioned that she knew several different ballroom style dances. She offered to teach us and we greatly accepted. I stayed seated on the bench taking videos while most of the others danced. She danced with both Brett and Jared, doing the Waltz, Foxtrot, and the Cha-Cha while Liesl and Laura waltzed behind them. Liesl was then paired up with Jared and Christina with Brett. It was very entertaining to watch.
On our way back to the kayak rental store, we were distracted by a large crowd gathered around a man with a microphone and a 12 foot unicycle. We watched him for approximately 15 minutes as he entertained the crowd, eventually climbed up the unicycle, rode it and, at times acted like he was going to fall. We enjoyed the show and quickly left when it finished with our sights set on kayaks.
We rented our kayaks, four doubles and one single, for two hours. Laura and Liesl, Brett and Marisol, Jared and Vu, and Christina and I made up the doubles and Jonny kayaked in the single. We were excited for only Brett had ever kayaked, but no one had ever kayaked on the ocean!
We were told the best thing to do was kayak in one direction for an hour and then turn around and kayak back for the 2nd hour. When we made it out into the harbor, we turned right, heading toward open water. The view was gorgeous from our boats in the water. It definitely made everything seem so much bigger.
Christina and I had a blast kayaking together. We strove to hit all the waves and found ourselves getting a bit wet in the process. My jeans were soaked by the time our two hours ran out.
Kayaking in doubles made me re-realize how important it is for people to work together. I sat in the back, so I steered most of the time. Many times, the direction Christina wanted to turn was lost in the wind, so I had to learn to read her movements. I adjusted myself constantly to make things work.
I also noticed that while we could still move while only one was paddling, we travelled what seemed like light speeds faster if we paddled together. It seems logical and obvious and it is. However, it doesn’t fully sink in until you put it into practice. We were made for relationships. And if we were made for relationships, we were made to make them work. We simply have to get over ourselves to see and fulfill the needs of others.
After our two hours of kayaking were up, I went to explore the public market that is supposedly very popular. The place was filled with various venders, selling items from fresh fish to bread and cheese to handmade stuffed animals. One place I choose to make a purchase from was selling little pastry type desserts. I had a chocolate pastry topped with raspberries. It was delectable!
Around 3 or 4pm, we began our trek home. It was too late to go to White Rock so we decided to eat at a place called Wings for supper. We took Liesl out as a going away type party. A few weeks after arriving home from Vancouver she would be beginning her 6 month long job in Australia.
When we arrived back at PLBC, we wanted to go to a park so we could build a fire and roast marshmallows. However, it was dark and we knew that most parks closed at sunset. So instead, we headed over to the steps by the Christian school, lit a candle, and roasted marshmallows over the flame using chopsticks. Brett eventually began playing his guitar and some began singing.
I headed to bed around 11:30 or so, knowing that the next day would begin earlier than the others and probably be just as long if not longer.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Friday June 4, 2010
Our final Friday was also spent at SFU selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts. However, we were not able to walk around and sell them as we had done on Thursday. One of our groups that was out selling was approached by a security guard, informed that they were soliciting and that we were the cause of some complaints, and to go back to our table where we had to stay and sell. We were almost in a bit of trouble, but praise God that all they did was reprimand us!
Seeing as we were limited to our selling places, a group headed out to the SkyTrain/city to sell and sell they did! Between the two days, we sold approximately 140 boxes out of 150.
A group of 6 had also set out that morning to try to fix the clutch of a friend’s car that morning but did not have success. The super glue would not stick and they believed that a piece was missing.
At 4:15 PM, we packed up our leftover doughnut boxes and selling tools and began our journey to Kelly and Jeanne’s house. It was only a 10 minute walk to their condo and we were all soon in the lounge area awaiting the Louisiana team and Kelly with the pizzas.
They all soon arrived and we began our supper of pizza, wings, salad, and lattes or mochas. It was delicious! After eating many of us headed outside to explore and enjoy the beautiful weather. We were told a park was near so we set off to find it. Brett, Brian, Marisol, Katie, Amanda, and I were distracted by a spot with a beautiful view and then two playground spring toys that resembled bugs. We spent several minutes riding these intriguing toys and laughing as we watched each other fall off of them.
We finally continued on our way in the supposed direction of the park. Brian, Brett, Marisol, and I walked father than the others and we came upon what we thought were raspberries. We began picking and eating them. Some were delicious and had a taste that resembled blackberries while others were extremely bitter. We picked the bushes clean and then began our trip back seeing as we never found the park.
On our way back, we stopped to pick yellow flowers that were soon woven into head circlets that resembled those from Ancient Grecian times. We placed them on our heads and behind our ears and after taking a few pictures, began on our way again. Several people stared at us curiously as we walked down the street. It was rather entertaining.
We ran into a group headed to the park (and actually knew where they were going) so we joined them. We found the park only to leave 10 minutes or so after arriving because we had buses to catch. We made our way back to the lounge, said goodbye to the Manires and the Louisiana team, and set out for the bus stop. While waiting for the bus we played Frisbee in the street and had to pause every time a car came but enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.
We finished our last work day in Canada. It was very bitter sweet for us all.
Seeing as we were limited to our selling places, a group headed out to the SkyTrain/city to sell and sell they did! Between the two days, we sold approximately 140 boxes out of 150.
A group of 6 had also set out that morning to try to fix the clutch of a friend’s car that morning but did not have success. The super glue would not stick and they believed that a piece was missing.
At 4:15 PM, we packed up our leftover doughnut boxes and selling tools and began our journey to Kelly and Jeanne’s house. It was only a 10 minute walk to their condo and we were all soon in the lounge area awaiting the Louisiana team and Kelly with the pizzas.
They all soon arrived and we began our supper of pizza, wings, salad, and lattes or mochas. It was delicious! After eating many of us headed outside to explore and enjoy the beautiful weather. We were told a park was near so we set off to find it. Brett, Brian, Marisol, Katie, Amanda, and I were distracted by a spot with a beautiful view and then two playground spring toys that resembled bugs. We spent several minutes riding these intriguing toys and laughing as we watched each other fall off of them.
We finally continued on our way in the supposed direction of the park. Brian, Brett, Marisol, and I walked father than the others and we came upon what we thought were raspberries. We began picking and eating them. Some were delicious and had a taste that resembled blackberries while others were extremely bitter. We picked the bushes clean and then began our trip back seeing as we never found the park.
On our way back, we stopped to pick yellow flowers that were soon woven into head circlets that resembled those from Ancient Grecian times. We placed them on our heads and behind our ears and after taking a few pictures, began on our way again. Several people stared at us curiously as we walked down the street. It was rather entertaining.
We ran into a group headed to the park (and actually knew where they were going) so we joined them. We found the park only to leave 10 minutes or so after arriving because we had buses to catch. We made our way back to the lounge, said goodbye to the Manires and the Louisiana team, and set out for the bus stop. While waiting for the bus we played Frisbee in the street and had to pause every time a car came but enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.
We finished our last work day in Canada. It was very bitter sweet for us all.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Thursday June 3, 2010
We spent our Thursday at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts to help raise funds for Kelly’s daughter Melissa. Melissa is spending 6 weeks in the Philippines helping the local missionaries this summer and we were able to help her obtain around $550. Go to melissaannetrip.blogspot.com for more information about her trip and for updates if you are interested.
Callie and I ate delicious Japanese food for lunch. We were stuffed by the time we uncovered the bottom of our bowls yet somehow found room in our stomachs to eat a few doughnuts before the day was over. When we finished selling for the day, I headed back to PLBC with Callie and Alayna to chill and watch a movie before worship.
While waiting on Callie to begin the movie, Alayna and I played a bit of pool. On two different tables. Against ourselves. I think I played so badly that I lost to myself. However, it was fun and something I hadn’t done in a long time. When Callie arrived, we began Mighty Ducks 2 but weren’t able to finish before we headed up to the A-frame to begin worship at 9 PM.
After worship, which proved to be rather convicting, I went to my room and didn’t finish the movie. My brain and heart were heavy with what Seth spoke on and I needed some time for reflection before heading to bed. I soon turned in, realizing that our time in Canada was quickly coming to an end.
Callie and I ate delicious Japanese food for lunch. We were stuffed by the time we uncovered the bottom of our bowls yet somehow found room in our stomachs to eat a few doughnuts before the day was over. When we finished selling for the day, I headed back to PLBC with Callie and Alayna to chill and watch a movie before worship.
While waiting on Callie to begin the movie, Alayna and I played a bit of pool. On two different tables. Against ourselves. I think I played so badly that I lost to myself. However, it was fun and something I hadn’t done in a long time. When Callie arrived, we began Mighty Ducks 2 but weren’t able to finish before we headed up to the A-frame to begin worship at 9 PM.
After worship, which proved to be rather convicting, I went to my room and didn’t finish the movie. My brain and heart were heavy with what Seth spoke on and I needed some time for reflection before heading to bed. I soon turned in, realizing that our time in Canada was quickly coming to an end.
Wednesday June 2, 2010
Our last campus day was Wednesday. My team and I were able to visit three campuses that day, two being planned and the last one being random. Langara College, a relatively large campus with many students, was our first stop. However, we didn’t stay long seeing as we had a full day ahead of us. We stayed long enough for Adam to wade through a small fountain after a duck, to eat lunch, and try to obtain the information we needed.
After that we headed to Vancouver Premier College in Vancouver. The college was small and we were soon on our way. While walking around, we spotted Gateway College and decided that we might as well check it out seeing as we were here anyway.
Once we finished there, we headed up the road to the mall in hopes to set up Soularium. We were shut down and decided to go back to City Central Mall where we knew we could set up Soularium and not be asked to leave.
We arrived, split the pictures into two groups and essentially set up two Soulariums at opposite ends of the Food Court. After a while we decided to put the two picture groups back together in hopes of more conversation. It worked. Several people stopped by our table and we had many conversations.
Adam and I had the opportunity to talk with a young lady named Lee for approximately an hour about what she believed (nontheistic but open to religion), what we believed, and many other things. She went to Sunday School for a few years and knew the basics, but said that nothing really stuck. She didn’t see any hard evidence.
It was then that I showed her the book I had recently been reading, The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and explained that he conducted his own investigations about the accuracy of the Bible and what is said about Jesus. As the thought of giving the book to her entered my mind, Adam silently mouthed to me that I should give it to her. So, I did. She acted grateful and said she would definitely read it.
We talked with her for quite a while before she finally headed off to meet her boyfriend. After she left, Adam made the comment that we should have gotten her contact information so we could at least keep in touch and maybe even discuss things further if she has questions. We headed off in the direction she left in hopes to find her. We did and exchanged information. We packed up and headed back to PLBC soon after.
That evening after debriefing, Laura, Liesl, Brett, Marisol, Christina, and I began watching Transformers 2. While watching, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a small creature entering the room. I pointed at it and yelled (not screamed, there is a difference) and it ran away. I believe it was a rat. :-/
About 30 minutes later, it tried to come in again. I noticed it and then heard Liesl scream which caused both Marisol and I to scream. I wasn’t scared and Marisol didn’t even see it, but we still screamed. We all retired to our beds after the movie (and rodent excitement) was over.
After that we headed to Vancouver Premier College in Vancouver. The college was small and we were soon on our way. While walking around, we spotted Gateway College and decided that we might as well check it out seeing as we were here anyway.
Once we finished there, we headed up the road to the mall in hopes to set up Soularium. We were shut down and decided to go back to City Central Mall where we knew we could set up Soularium and not be asked to leave.
We arrived, split the pictures into two groups and essentially set up two Soulariums at opposite ends of the Food Court. After a while we decided to put the two picture groups back together in hopes of more conversation. It worked. Several people stopped by our table and we had many conversations.
Adam and I had the opportunity to talk with a young lady named Lee for approximately an hour about what she believed (nontheistic but open to religion), what we believed, and many other things. She went to Sunday School for a few years and knew the basics, but said that nothing really stuck. She didn’t see any hard evidence.
It was then that I showed her the book I had recently been reading, The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and explained that he conducted his own investigations about the accuracy of the Bible and what is said about Jesus. As the thought of giving the book to her entered my mind, Adam silently mouthed to me that I should give it to her. So, I did. She acted grateful and said she would definitely read it.
We talked with her for quite a while before she finally headed off to meet her boyfriend. After she left, Adam made the comment that we should have gotten her contact information so we could at least keep in touch and maybe even discuss things further if she has questions. We headed off in the direction she left in hopes to find her. We did and exchanged information. We packed up and headed back to PLBC soon after.
That evening after debriefing, Laura, Liesl, Brett, Marisol, Christina, and I began watching Transformers 2. While watching, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a small creature entering the room. I pointed at it and yelled (not screamed, there is a difference) and it ran away. I believe it was a rat. :-/
About 30 minutes later, it tried to come in again. I noticed it and then heard Liesl scream which caused both Marisol and I to scream. I wasn’t scared and Marisol didn’t even see it, but we still screamed. We all retired to our beds after the movie (and rodent excitement) was over.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday June 1, 2010
As a result of visiting all of the major campuses in the area and coming so far with our research, Kelly allowed us to come along with the Louisiana team on a World Religion Tour Day. We travelled up to SFU to meet Kelly and the team and soon headed for Richmond. A Hindu temple, a Sikh temple, a Baptist Church, a Buddhist temple, a Jewish Community Centre, a Muslim Mosque, and a few other churches, all within a mile of each other, line one side of a street that Kelly calls God Road.
We started our tour at the Hindu temple and listened to a Hindi man as he told us about his beliefs. From there we stopped at a Sikh temple for a few minutes before heading back to the Buddhist temple for a real, full blown tour. We were taken all around the temple including to the private worship room of the live-in monks at the temple and had the statues of Buddha explained to us.
However, I’m certain that we didn’t retain the names of the Buddhas or for what they were worshipped. Nevertheless, it was very interesting to learn about all of the different religions and be able to experience their places of worship.
After the tour, the temple offered to feed us supper. I opted out, not sure if I could handle eating noodles after my experience on Sunday. Some foods were still affecting my stomach and I didn’t want to risk it. Instead, I went with Laura, Liesl, Christina, Sarah, and the entire Louisiana team to the Richmond Mall and ate KFC at the food court.
We had a good time chatting with the LA team and getting to know them. I had been talking about buying ice cream for a week or so and finally had the chance to do so. I bought myself a small Double Fudge Cookie Dough blizzard from Dairy Queen after as dessert. It was delicious!
At least it was delicious until the ride home. While still on the Canada Line, only about 20 minutes after my meal, I began to feel sick once again. The ice cream didn’t settle well and I didn’t fare well either.
We didn’t have a time of debriefing that night so I rested and went to bed not long after we arrived back at PLBC.
We started our tour at the Hindu temple and listened to a Hindi man as he told us about his beliefs. From there we stopped at a Sikh temple for a few minutes before heading back to the Buddhist temple for a real, full blown tour. We were taken all around the temple including to the private worship room of the live-in monks at the temple and had the statues of Buddha explained to us.
However, I’m certain that we didn’t retain the names of the Buddhas or for what they were worshipped. Nevertheless, it was very interesting to learn about all of the different religions and be able to experience their places of worship.
After the tour, the temple offered to feed us supper. I opted out, not sure if I could handle eating noodles after my experience on Sunday. Some foods were still affecting my stomach and I didn’t want to risk it. Instead, I went with Laura, Liesl, Christina, Sarah, and the entire Louisiana team to the Richmond Mall and ate KFC at the food court.
We had a good time chatting with the LA team and getting to know them. I had been talking about buying ice cream for a week or so and finally had the chance to do so. I bought myself a small Double Fudge Cookie Dough blizzard from Dairy Queen after as dessert. It was delicious!
At least it was delicious until the ride home. While still on the Canada Line, only about 20 minutes after my meal, I began to feel sick once again. The ice cream didn’t settle well and I didn’t fare well either.
We didn’t have a time of debriefing that night so I rested and went to bed not long after we arrived back at PLBC.
Monday May 31, 2010
Monday morning I was still feeling the effects of eating those awful noodles the night before. After eating breakfast at 8 AM and making my lunch, I headed back to bed. We didn’t have devotions until 11 AM and my team didn’t head out until 12:30.
Once we did head out, we took the bus and SkyTrain to Winston College in Burnaby. It was only a 45 minute commute at the most and we were soon searching West Broadway for the college. When we found it, we were slightly discouraged for it was a tiny school with very few students. We gathered our information and then I headed back to PLBC to rest and hopefully get rid of my stomach ache. The rest of the team stayed out to survey the community and also in hopes of setting up Soularium.
I travelled back to PLBC and laid down for a much needed nap at 3 PM. I awoke at 6:42 PM aware that I had almost missed my Skype date with my parents and brother. I quickly changed my status to online and called. I was able to chat with them for an hour or so and then my sister for yet another hour. It was wonderful to talk with them knowing that in about a week I would be home and able to see them.
After our 9 PM debriefing, I readied myself for bed and soon crawled under my covers ready for a restful night of slumber and thankful that I was able to do that.
Once we did head out, we took the bus and SkyTrain to Winston College in Burnaby. It was only a 45 minute commute at the most and we were soon searching West Broadway for the college. When we found it, we were slightly discouraged for it was a tiny school with very few students. We gathered our information and then I headed back to PLBC to rest and hopefully get rid of my stomach ache. The rest of the team stayed out to survey the community and also in hopes of setting up Soularium.
I travelled back to PLBC and laid down for a much needed nap at 3 PM. I awoke at 6:42 PM aware that I had almost missed my Skype date with my parents and brother. I quickly changed my status to online and called. I was able to chat with them for an hour or so and then my sister for yet another hour. It was wonderful to talk with them knowing that in about a week I would be home and able to see them.
After our 9 PM debriefing, I readied myself for bed and soon crawled under my covers ready for a restful night of slumber and thankful that I was able to do that.
Sunday May 30, 2010
Our Sunday morning worship was with The Point Church at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. That morning while boarding the bus down the road from PLBC, the driver asked me if we were all from the Bible College. I told him that we were, thinking for some reason that he knew we were simply residing at the college for a short time and not attending.
While bouncing along with the bus and minding our own business, we suddenly heard a voice over the bus intercom system. The bus driver greeted us as Theology students and then began a lighthearted quizzing of the Bible. Needless to say, we were all pleasantly surprised and I do believe he became our favorite bus driver of the trip! He reminded us to “love one another” and bid us a friendly farewell as we exited the bus.
Once we arrived on the SFU campus, we met up with Kelly and his family. The worship service was located in one of the lecture halls in one of the many buildings of SFU. We were introduced to an array of people, some being from The Point and others a part of the recently arrived 9 member mission team from Louisiana.
Church began around 11 AM with music led by two SFU students and a message from their pastor, Victor, on how to live everyday missionally (mission minded and hearted). Some of our group put together a sketch portraying how without God, love means nothing even to those that are hurting and searching. It was very heart wrenching and spoke to many people.
After the service, we packed up our things and the church equipment and took it to the Interfaith Centre Office in another of the SFU buildings. Once finished, we began our trek to Burnaby Mountain Park where we would eat our lunch and spend our afternoon.
The spot in the park where we settled overlooked both the city and the mountains. It was absolutely gorgeous. Some people began playing games such as Big Booty (a concentration game) or ultimate frisbee after eating. Laura and I set off to explore more of the park.
Neither words nor photographs can describe the grandeur of the view we witnessed or the awe of God we experienced while exploring. Mountain springs filled with fresh water from melted snow raced down the fir tree covered mountains sides into the low valleys and rivers below. Distant mountains appeared hazy as if shrouded by clouds and mist and the closer snow capped peaks poked mightily into the sky.
Around 3 PM I went with Kelly and Jeanne to their home (which is practically on the SFU campus) in order to talk with him about the possibility of returning as a student missionary in the near future. We talked with Yun Seon Choi, the planter of the Korean Church Place of Loving People and another member of her church for several hours. If I were to come back next summer, I would spend my time working with the PLP, being involved in their church services, and helping with English Conversation Classes.
When we finished talking and at 5 PM, we began our travels back to SFU campus for another service at The Point. After the service, most of the group headed back to PLBC while the rest of us, including the Louisiana team and members from The Point, headed out for a night of sushi.
Scott, a student as SFU one of The Point members, sat at our table to help us order. Most of us, besides Laura, were new to sushi and had no idea where to begin. I found I really enjoy eating sushi, but am not partial to tuna or salmon.
Near the end of the night we were all stuffed but still had food to eat. We were told that we had to pay extra for the food we didn’t finish. The restaurant did this to discourage the wasting of food. So we stuffed ourselves.
At one point Laura and I began to tackle some kind of weird soup. I slurped the noodles into my mouth and soon found that I didn’t like them. I had no place to spit them out, so I pushed on and almost throwing up in the process.
I didn’t feel all that well after consuming those noodles. I was told I was very pale and looked horrible. That pretty much reflected how I felt for the rest of the evening. After paying, we rushed outside to catch our bus to the SkyTrain Station. However, we missed it by a few minutes and Kelly drove us down a short way to catch it so he could go back to the restaurant and ferry everyone else to the station.
Kelly managed to get 2/3 of us to the station before we had to board. It was late and also the last SkyTrain running for the evening. The other third of our group had were in a friend’s car that was blocked in by cars in the parking lot and therefore had to be driven back to PLBC by Kelly.
When we arrived at King George SkyTrain Station, Paul, the Sikh expert and father of Kelly’s daughter’s boyfriend, met us to take the rest of us to PLBC. We arrived back at our lodgings at approximately 1:45 AM and soon all headed to bed knowing that we didn’t have to begin our next day’s work until 11 AM.
While bouncing along with the bus and minding our own business, we suddenly heard a voice over the bus intercom system. The bus driver greeted us as Theology students and then began a lighthearted quizzing of the Bible. Needless to say, we were all pleasantly surprised and I do believe he became our favorite bus driver of the trip! He reminded us to “love one another” and bid us a friendly farewell as we exited the bus.
Once we arrived on the SFU campus, we met up with Kelly and his family. The worship service was located in one of the lecture halls in one of the many buildings of SFU. We were introduced to an array of people, some being from The Point and others a part of the recently arrived 9 member mission team from Louisiana.
Church began around 11 AM with music led by two SFU students and a message from their pastor, Victor, on how to live everyday missionally (mission minded and hearted). Some of our group put together a sketch portraying how without God, love means nothing even to those that are hurting and searching. It was very heart wrenching and spoke to many people.
After the service, we packed up our things and the church equipment and took it to the Interfaith Centre Office in another of the SFU buildings. Once finished, we began our trek to Burnaby Mountain Park where we would eat our lunch and spend our afternoon.
The spot in the park where we settled overlooked both the city and the mountains. It was absolutely gorgeous. Some people began playing games such as Big Booty (a concentration game) or ultimate frisbee after eating. Laura and I set off to explore more of the park.
Neither words nor photographs can describe the grandeur of the view we witnessed or the awe of God we experienced while exploring. Mountain springs filled with fresh water from melted snow raced down the fir tree covered mountains sides into the low valleys and rivers below. Distant mountains appeared hazy as if shrouded by clouds and mist and the closer snow capped peaks poked mightily into the sky.
Around 3 PM I went with Kelly and Jeanne to their home (which is practically on the SFU campus) in order to talk with him about the possibility of returning as a student missionary in the near future. We talked with Yun Seon Choi, the planter of the Korean Church Place of Loving People and another member of her church for several hours. If I were to come back next summer, I would spend my time working with the PLP, being involved in their church services, and helping with English Conversation Classes.
When we finished talking and at 5 PM, we began our travels back to SFU campus for another service at The Point. After the service, most of the group headed back to PLBC while the rest of us, including the Louisiana team and members from The Point, headed out for a night of sushi.
Scott, a student as SFU one of The Point members, sat at our table to help us order. Most of us, besides Laura, were new to sushi and had no idea where to begin. I found I really enjoy eating sushi, but am not partial to tuna or salmon.
Near the end of the night we were all stuffed but still had food to eat. We were told that we had to pay extra for the food we didn’t finish. The restaurant did this to discourage the wasting of food. So we stuffed ourselves.
At one point Laura and I began to tackle some kind of weird soup. I slurped the noodles into my mouth and soon found that I didn’t like them. I had no place to spit them out, so I pushed on and almost throwing up in the process.
I didn’t feel all that well after consuming those noodles. I was told I was very pale and looked horrible. That pretty much reflected how I felt for the rest of the evening. After paying, we rushed outside to catch our bus to the SkyTrain Station. However, we missed it by a few minutes and Kelly drove us down a short way to catch it so he could go back to the restaurant and ferry everyone else to the station.
Kelly managed to get 2/3 of us to the station before we had to board. It was late and also the last SkyTrain running for the evening. The other third of our group had were in a friend’s car that was blocked in by cars in the parking lot and therefore had to be driven back to PLBC by Kelly.
When we arrived at King George SkyTrain Station, Paul, the Sikh expert and father of Kelly’s daughter’s boyfriend, met us to take the rest of us to PLBC. We arrived back at our lodgings at approximately 1:45 AM and soon all headed to bed knowing that we didn’t have to begin our next day’s work until 11 AM.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Saturday May 29, 2010
Friday night we decided that we wanted to go to the beach no matter the weather. So Saturday morning when the sky was grey and the clouds were spitting a light mist, we held to our decision.
We began our trip to the beach front near UBC around 10:30 AM. We took a bus, then another bus, the SkyTrain, the Canada Line, the Canada Line again (we went too far and we had to back track), then another bus, and finally walked a mile or two to a huge flight of slippery stairs that led down the beach.
The view was breath taking. The water seemed to stretch on for forever and it was almost impossible to distinguish the sky from the water due to the almost matching shades of grey. The sand was littered with rocks, shells, and a few scattered crab legs. Many of us began our visit by searching for seashells to take home as souvenirs.
After a while, I climbed upon a huge pile of rocks, each covered with tiny black mussels and seaweed, to obtain a better view of our surroundings. Shortly after, I heard Liesl exclaim that she noticed something swimming in the water. My focus turned in the direction she pointed and I saw the water swirling as if something has recently submerged.
I made my way closer to Brett, who was also standing on the rocks at the edge of the water. We waited patiently for the appearance of this creature while the others, still on beach, tried to figure out what it may be. After its second appearance, we decided it must be a seal. This brought about excitement and the furious snapping of pictures each time that the seal broke the surface of the still water.
Eventually we noticed that the sightings were becoming closer in distance and closer in time to the point that we realized there must be more than one seal. At one point, they both (we think they were mates) broke the surface at the same time. We spent the majority of our time in awe of these two wild, yet curious, creatures. We all felt extremely blessed to have witnessed the seals in their own habitat.
We spent a few great hours at the beach and after realizing we were cold and hungry, we began the daunting climb to the top. I’m not sure about the others, but the stairs made me realize how out of shape I really am. Once at the top, we noticed a sign that said seals are often found eating and sun bathing on the beach and not to disturb them in their activities.
We made our way back to the bus stop, boarded the bus, and stopped in town to do a bit of looking around, possible shopping, and using the washroom. Most of the stores were either expensive or closing down for the evening, so we soon made our way back to the Canada Line and SkyTrain where we ate our supper.
We began our trip to the beach front near UBC around 10:30 AM. We took a bus, then another bus, the SkyTrain, the Canada Line, the Canada Line again (we went too far and we had to back track), then another bus, and finally walked a mile or two to a huge flight of slippery stairs that led down the beach.
The view was breath taking. The water seemed to stretch on for forever and it was almost impossible to distinguish the sky from the water due to the almost matching shades of grey. The sand was littered with rocks, shells, and a few scattered crab legs. Many of us began our visit by searching for seashells to take home as souvenirs.
After a while, I climbed upon a huge pile of rocks, each covered with tiny black mussels and seaweed, to obtain a better view of our surroundings. Shortly after, I heard Liesl exclaim that she noticed something swimming in the water. My focus turned in the direction she pointed and I saw the water swirling as if something has recently submerged.
I made my way closer to Brett, who was also standing on the rocks at the edge of the water. We waited patiently for the appearance of this creature while the others, still on beach, tried to figure out what it may be. After its second appearance, we decided it must be a seal. This brought about excitement and the furious snapping of pictures each time that the seal broke the surface of the still water.
Eventually we noticed that the sightings were becoming closer in distance and closer in time to the point that we realized there must be more than one seal. At one point, they both (we think they were mates) broke the surface at the same time. We spent the majority of our time in awe of these two wild, yet curious, creatures. We all felt extremely blessed to have witnessed the seals in their own habitat.
We spent a few great hours at the beach and after realizing we were cold and hungry, we began the daunting climb to the top. I’m not sure about the others, but the stairs made me realize how out of shape I really am. Once at the top, we noticed a sign that said seals are often found eating and sun bathing on the beach and not to disturb them in their activities.
We made our way back to the bus stop, boarded the bus, and stopped in town to do a bit of looking around, possible shopping, and using the washroom. Most of the stores were either expensive or closing down for the evening, so we soon made our way back to the Canada Line and SkyTrain where we ate our supper.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday May 28, 2010
Instead of going out to colleges and universities as usual, we had a day of prayer at PLBC on Friday. As usual, breakfast was at 8 AM and devotions at 8:45, but then we had free time until 11 when we began our first segment of prayer.
We were to spend two portions of our day in prayer with one segment being an hour and the other, after lunch at 1 PM and lasting until 3 PM.
The first section went by relatively quickly as I spent some time in Bible study and prayer. After approximately a 30 minute lunch break, we all began our second session.
I personally found the time very rejuvenating and restoring. It was wonderful being able to spend some quality time alone and uninterrupted with God. I know spending that much time (3 hours!) with Him should be a must and a priority in my life, yet somehow I manage to fill my days with other things. Some are seemingly important and others possibly worthless.
At 4:30 PM, ten of us set out for the Place of Loving People (the Korean Church) for a night of intercessory prayer. We arrived around 6 PM and they were VERY excited to see us. They fed us Korean food (I wish I could remember what it was called) and it was very delicious. Because there were so many of us, we didn’t get to eat very much and were all soon very hungry.
The praise team invited Brett to join them in their singing and they very graciously put up the words of the songs in English on the projector so we could sing along too. After the singing, we began the prayer time. The lead singer (I forget his name ) led us to topics on which to pray and then we individually prayed out loud, some in English, most in Korean, or silently.
These people have some of the most beautiful hearts I have ever experienced. Their name truly and accurately describes who and what they are, very loving people. After the service, we stuck around for a short time and fellowshipped with them before heading on our way.
We made a stop at Metrotown Mall for frozen yogurt, but soon resumed our journey because it was getting late and the mall was closing.
Due to the weekend bus schedule and the late night, we had missed our bus back to PLBC. At the King George SkyTrain Station, Lauren, Jared, and Vu caught a cab and split the fare. However, Brett, Christina, Liesl, Laura, Sarah H, Sarah M, and I walked 24 blocks to Fraser Highway at 152nd Street where we came upon a friend who offered us a ride.
After using the washroom and purchasing candy and our day bus passes for Saturday at Safeway, we climbed in Chris’ car, reducing the travel time from an hour to 10 minutes. He had to make two trips, but we were ever so thankful for a rest and his kindness.
We were to spend two portions of our day in prayer with one segment being an hour and the other, after lunch at 1 PM and lasting until 3 PM.
The first section went by relatively quickly as I spent some time in Bible study and prayer. After approximately a 30 minute lunch break, we all began our second session.
I personally found the time very rejuvenating and restoring. It was wonderful being able to spend some quality time alone and uninterrupted with God. I know spending that much time (3 hours!) with Him should be a must and a priority in my life, yet somehow I manage to fill my days with other things. Some are seemingly important and others possibly worthless.
At 4:30 PM, ten of us set out for the Place of Loving People (the Korean Church) for a night of intercessory prayer. We arrived around 6 PM and they were VERY excited to see us. They fed us Korean food (I wish I could remember what it was called) and it was very delicious. Because there were so many of us, we didn’t get to eat very much and were all soon very hungry.
The praise team invited Brett to join them in their singing and they very graciously put up the words of the songs in English on the projector so we could sing along too. After the singing, we began the prayer time. The lead singer (I forget his name ) led us to topics on which to pray and then we individually prayed out loud, some in English, most in Korean, or silently.
These people have some of the most beautiful hearts I have ever experienced. Their name truly and accurately describes who and what they are, very loving people. After the service, we stuck around for a short time and fellowshipped with them before heading on our way.
We made a stop at Metrotown Mall for frozen yogurt, but soon resumed our journey because it was getting late and the mall was closing.
Due to the weekend bus schedule and the late night, we had missed our bus back to PLBC. At the King George SkyTrain Station, Lauren, Jared, and Vu caught a cab and split the fare. However, Brett, Christina, Liesl, Laura, Sarah H, Sarah M, and I walked 24 blocks to Fraser Highway at 152nd Street where we came upon a friend who offered us a ride.
After using the washroom and purchasing candy and our day bus passes for Saturday at Safeway, we climbed in Chris’ car, reducing the travel time from an hour to 10 minutes. He had to make two trips, but we were ever so thankful for a rest and his kindness.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday May 27, 2010
Thursday morning my team and I set out for CDI College of Business, Technology, and Healthcare in Surrey. The trip only took about 30 minutes and we were soon at the bus stop directly across the street from the one building school. We walked in the building and saw the entire college in approximately 3 minutes and saw maybe 3 students walking around.
I tried to talk with the receptionist who then sent me to another lady who informed me that we needed to make an appointment if we wanted to obtain any information. I relayed this message to Seth and we left the college.
We sat outside for a few minutes trying to decide what to do. We were either going to go back to PLBC to receive a new assignment or going out into the community to set up Soularium. Seeing as it was already 10:30, we figured it was almost too late to begin again. So we decided to make the best of our situation.
While sitting, two men from a different country (go figure) walked by asking for directions. We didn’t know where the street was located off the top of our heads (duh, we don’t live here! haha), but I pulled out my map and was eventually able to point them in the right direction. We figured we were in the right place at the right time, even if it was only to help give street directions instead of life direction.
A few short minutes later, we headed down towards Tim Horton’s in hopes of setting up Soularium. After realizing it wouldn’t work in there, we caught a bus down to City Central Mall and set up in the food court. Jonny and Adam went to the closest coffee shop, called Blendz, and set up a sign like before saying they would buy coffee if a person would share their story.
Sarah M and Sarah H manned the survey table for most of the time while Callie and I sat on a random bench reading and trying to talk with the people who sat down next to us for a rest. We had several people stop by and take the survey and chatted with a few people on the benches. Sarah H was able to give a Bible to a man that had gotten out of prison that very day! It was wonderful!
While sitting on the bench and facing a luggage store, I noticed a man wearing a red Canada hat enter that was acting strangely. I continued to watch him as he strolled around the store, proceeded to pick up a wallet from the selection placed on one table, and shove it in his back pocket. Before I could really even process what had happened, he lifted his head and looked directly into my face. I froze and freaked out for a few seconds.
I looked down at my book and continued to “read” as if I had seen nothing. I watched him as he suspiciously walked around the store a bit more acting like he was browsing through the phone cases. Eventually he left and headed toward a different store, Zellars.
I immediately went over to Callie and told her what I saw. She told me to find and tell the mall security. So I set off to find them. However, I could not and soon went back to the food court.
Just a few minutes after arriving back at the food court, a loud beeping sounded over the speaker followed by a voice saying “May I have your attention please. There is an armed situation in the mall. Please stand by for further instructions.” This continued on for several minutes and all I could think about was the suspicious man in the red Canada hat that had stolen a wallet and the fact that I never found a security guard.
A few minutes later, we saw two mall security men running toward Zellars. Finally a voice came over the speakers saying the issued had been resolved. I still wonder if it had anything to do with that man.
Our group reconvened at 3:45 PM and headed toward the SkyTrain station to begin our journey back to PLBC. That night we had our debriefing at 8 PM and worship at 9 PM. Seth spoke about waiting on God, something I know I struggle with more than I wish I did.
He hit home by stating that, “Waiting is not the same thing as doing nothing.” Just because we are in a time of waiting does not mean we should be in a time of inactivity! I believe this message hit home with many of us in the room that night. I know it did for me.
I tried to talk with the receptionist who then sent me to another lady who informed me that we needed to make an appointment if we wanted to obtain any information. I relayed this message to Seth and we left the college.
We sat outside for a few minutes trying to decide what to do. We were either going to go back to PLBC to receive a new assignment or going out into the community to set up Soularium. Seeing as it was already 10:30, we figured it was almost too late to begin again. So we decided to make the best of our situation.
While sitting, two men from a different country (go figure) walked by asking for directions. We didn’t know where the street was located off the top of our heads (duh, we don’t live here! haha), but I pulled out my map and was eventually able to point them in the right direction. We figured we were in the right place at the right time, even if it was only to help give street directions instead of life direction.
A few short minutes later, we headed down towards Tim Horton’s in hopes of setting up Soularium. After realizing it wouldn’t work in there, we caught a bus down to City Central Mall and set up in the food court. Jonny and Adam went to the closest coffee shop, called Blendz, and set up a sign like before saying they would buy coffee if a person would share their story.
Sarah M and Sarah H manned the survey table for most of the time while Callie and I sat on a random bench reading and trying to talk with the people who sat down next to us for a rest. We had several people stop by and take the survey and chatted with a few people on the benches. Sarah H was able to give a Bible to a man that had gotten out of prison that very day! It was wonderful!
While sitting on the bench and facing a luggage store, I noticed a man wearing a red Canada hat enter that was acting strangely. I continued to watch him as he strolled around the store, proceeded to pick up a wallet from the selection placed on one table, and shove it in his back pocket. Before I could really even process what had happened, he lifted his head and looked directly into my face. I froze and freaked out for a few seconds.
I looked down at my book and continued to “read” as if I had seen nothing. I watched him as he suspiciously walked around the store a bit more acting like he was browsing through the phone cases. Eventually he left and headed toward a different store, Zellars.
I immediately went over to Callie and told her what I saw. She told me to find and tell the mall security. So I set off to find them. However, I could not and soon went back to the food court.
Just a few minutes after arriving back at the food court, a loud beeping sounded over the speaker followed by a voice saying “May I have your attention please. There is an armed situation in the mall. Please stand by for further instructions.” This continued on for several minutes and all I could think about was the suspicious man in the red Canada hat that had stolen a wallet and the fact that I never found a security guard.
A few minutes later, we saw two mall security men running toward Zellars. Finally a voice came over the speakers saying the issued had been resolved. I still wonder if it had anything to do with that man.
Our group reconvened at 3:45 PM and headed toward the SkyTrain station to begin our journey back to PLBC. That night we had our debriefing at 8 PM and worship at 9 PM. Seth spoke about waiting on God, something I know I struggle with more than I wish I did.
He hit home by stating that, “Waiting is not the same thing as doing nothing.” Just because we are in a time of waiting does not mean we should be in a time of inactivity! I believe this message hit home with many of us in the room that night. I know it did for me.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday May 26, 2010
The morning of May 26th proved to be an interesting and patience practicing morning for many people on our trip. Our entire group, yes all 27 of us, travelled together to UBC, University of British Columbia due to the simple fact that the campus is HUGE! During the regular schooling year, the university enrolls approximately 45-50,000 students. Needless to say, all 27 members of our group were greatly needed and appreciated.
As excited as we were to see the campus we had heard so much about, the trip there made many want to turn around and go back home. We missed three buses due to an array of issues such as not knowing where the bus stop was to having half of our group missing (on two different occasions) when the bus arrived.
Nevertheless, we managed to arrive via the Canada Line (a newer version of the SkyTrain) and the 99 B-Line bus straight into the campus of UBC. Pretty crazy that it has its own bus. Well, more like 10.
We finally met up with Pastor Craig O’Brien, the main person involved in the UBC campus ministries, Suzanne, and Rich to talk about the campus and begin our research and outreach for the day. After lunch we split into our normal four groups and headed out to conquer the campus.
My group and I headed toward Region 3 which turned out to be the Engineering and Sciences section of the campus. After settling down in one of the buildings and setting up Soularium, Callie, Jonny, and I set out to prayer walk half of the region.
We headed back to the building that temporarily housed the other three and switched off. Just like them, we had many people stare at our table and the pictures as they passed by, but no one would stop to take the survey. We headed back over to the cafeteria area for a time of debriefing around 3:30 PM.
After that, we essentially split into two groups for our free evening. On our way to the Canada line station, I sat next to a man on the bus who, after a bit of conversation, revealed that he was involved in the program at UBC that trained Baptist pastors. It’s wonderful to find fellow believers amidst the vast lost-ness that encompasses most of Vancouver.
The group I was with headed towards Olympic Village and we weren’t sure what to expect when we arrived. We didn’t necessarily see what was so Olympic (or village-y) about the place, but alas, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. It’s all about the journey! :)
Our supper was at a small restaurant that served both Chinese and Western (hamburgers and such) dishes. The role of greeter, waiter, and cook were all fulfilled by one small Chinese man. Our orders were quickly taken and quickly served despite the large number (ten) of our group. Most of us ordered some kind of hamburger while Liesl tried to order beef stew. However, he didn’t have beef stew and so she agreed to accept his substitute of minced beef. Liesl didn’t really know what she ordered, and to be honest, it wasn’t any clearer when the plate of food arrived. We all enjoyed our food, save Liesl, who ate mostly just the mushrooms mixed throughout her food and the French fries from the plates of others.
On our way back to PLBC we stopped off at Metrotown Mall for a taste of frozen yogurt. We arrived back at base and essentially wound down from then on until our heads hit our pillows for a much needed and desired night of slumber.
As excited as we were to see the campus we had heard so much about, the trip there made many want to turn around and go back home. We missed three buses due to an array of issues such as not knowing where the bus stop was to having half of our group missing (on two different occasions) when the bus arrived.
Nevertheless, we managed to arrive via the Canada Line (a newer version of the SkyTrain) and the 99 B-Line bus straight into the campus of UBC. Pretty crazy that it has its own bus. Well, more like 10.
We finally met up with Pastor Craig O’Brien, the main person involved in the UBC campus ministries, Suzanne, and Rich to talk about the campus and begin our research and outreach for the day. After lunch we split into our normal four groups and headed out to conquer the campus.
My group and I headed toward Region 3 which turned out to be the Engineering and Sciences section of the campus. After settling down in one of the buildings and setting up Soularium, Callie, Jonny, and I set out to prayer walk half of the region.
We headed back to the building that temporarily housed the other three and switched off. Just like them, we had many people stare at our table and the pictures as they passed by, but no one would stop to take the survey. We headed back over to the cafeteria area for a time of debriefing around 3:30 PM.
After that, we essentially split into two groups for our free evening. On our way to the Canada line station, I sat next to a man on the bus who, after a bit of conversation, revealed that he was involved in the program at UBC that trained Baptist pastors. It’s wonderful to find fellow believers amidst the vast lost-ness that encompasses most of Vancouver.
The group I was with headed towards Olympic Village and we weren’t sure what to expect when we arrived. We didn’t necessarily see what was so Olympic (or village-y) about the place, but alas, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. It’s all about the journey! :)
Our supper was at a small restaurant that served both Chinese and Western (hamburgers and such) dishes. The role of greeter, waiter, and cook were all fulfilled by one small Chinese man. Our orders were quickly taken and quickly served despite the large number (ten) of our group. Most of us ordered some kind of hamburger while Liesl tried to order beef stew. However, he didn’t have beef stew and so she agreed to accept his substitute of minced beef. Liesl didn’t really know what she ordered, and to be honest, it wasn’t any clearer when the plate of food arrived. We all enjoyed our food, save Liesl, who ate mostly just the mushrooms mixed throughout her food and the French fries from the plates of others.
On our way back to PLBC we stopped off at Metrotown Mall for a taste of frozen yogurt. We arrived back at base and essentially wound down from then on until our heads hit our pillows for a much needed and desired night of slumber.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday May 25, 2010
After breakfast and our usual morning devotion, Kelly came to chat with us, see how things were going, and receive our feedback. We shared both uplifting and discouraging stories and talked about our schedule for the next two weeks.
We are officially at the half way point of our trip. Weird. The first week went by really slowly and the second week sped by rather quickly.
My team set off for Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Langley, a town directly east of Surrey for our days’ research. After arriving, we headed toward the administration part of the university to obtain our usual information. The campus was tiny and the amount of students we encountered was even smaller than that, possibly miniscule.
We weren’t able to obtain the information we needed and after being told to contact the main campus in Surrey, we decided to try the cafeteria in hopes of finding students. We were still unsuccessful. Adam, Sarah M, and Sarah H decided to stay at the cafeteria and eat their sack lunches while Jonny, Callie, and I went down the road to a cheap Chinese and Thai restaurant. Adam, Sarah H, and Sarah M took Soularium in hopes of finding a place to set up.
After lunch, we headed toward a place that seemed promising, New Life Christian Counseling. However, the lady was in a session and couldn’t meet with us at the time, so we said we would return in an hour. We stopped by the Chamber of Commerce and talked with a nice lady that was able to give us a large chunk of information in regards to the city of Langley.
We found the other three set up at a coffee shop, drinking coffee, and praying that someone would come in and see their sign and take the offer of “Tell us your story and we’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
Jonny, Callie, and I set off towards the Willowbrook Shopping Centre that we were told was just down the road, but we never arrived. We came close, but decided that by the time we set foot inside, it would be time to head back to catch our bus back to Surrey. We dejectedly walked back the way we came only to get caught in the rain. We stopped at Tim Horton’s for some coffee and to rest after our long walk. Praise God for umbrellas and coffee shops!! :)
So far the day felt very discouraging and unproductive. The other three had just about as much productivity as we did. They sadly reported that no one told their story, but a few people did show interest. We headed back to PLBC around 4 PM.
It’s so incredibly easy to become discouraged when we frequently do not receive any kind of affirmation from the work we are doing. Kelly shows his appreciation for the work we are doing and the time we are saving him by doing all of this research and travelling. Sadly, that is easy to forget amidst the hustle and bustle of the every day. Please be in prayer for us in the aspects of encouragement and our abilities to focus as we continue our work through the next two weeks.
We are officially at the half way point of our trip. Weird. The first week went by really slowly and the second week sped by rather quickly.
My team set off for Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Langley, a town directly east of Surrey for our days’ research. After arriving, we headed toward the administration part of the university to obtain our usual information. The campus was tiny and the amount of students we encountered was even smaller than that, possibly miniscule.
We weren’t able to obtain the information we needed and after being told to contact the main campus in Surrey, we decided to try the cafeteria in hopes of finding students. We were still unsuccessful. Adam, Sarah M, and Sarah H decided to stay at the cafeteria and eat their sack lunches while Jonny, Callie, and I went down the road to a cheap Chinese and Thai restaurant. Adam, Sarah H, and Sarah M took Soularium in hopes of finding a place to set up.
After lunch, we headed toward a place that seemed promising, New Life Christian Counseling. However, the lady was in a session and couldn’t meet with us at the time, so we said we would return in an hour. We stopped by the Chamber of Commerce and talked with a nice lady that was able to give us a large chunk of information in regards to the city of Langley.
We found the other three set up at a coffee shop, drinking coffee, and praying that someone would come in and see their sign and take the offer of “Tell us your story and we’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
Jonny, Callie, and I set off towards the Willowbrook Shopping Centre that we were told was just down the road, but we never arrived. We came close, but decided that by the time we set foot inside, it would be time to head back to catch our bus back to Surrey. We dejectedly walked back the way we came only to get caught in the rain. We stopped at Tim Horton’s for some coffee and to rest after our long walk. Praise God for umbrellas and coffee shops!! :)
So far the day felt very discouraging and unproductive. The other three had just about as much productivity as we did. They sadly reported that no one told their story, but a few people did show interest. We headed back to PLBC around 4 PM.
It’s so incredibly easy to become discouraged when we frequently do not receive any kind of affirmation from the work we are doing. Kelly shows his appreciation for the work we are doing and the time we are saving him by doing all of this research and travelling. Sadly, that is easy to forget amidst the hustle and bustle of the every day. Please be in prayer for us in the aspects of encouragement and our abilities to focus as we continue our work through the next two weeks.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday May 24, 2010
All across Canada people were celebrating Victoria Day (Queen Victoria’s birthday) with parades, parties, fireworks, etc. The normal things people do on national holidays. So Callie and I decided to celebrate as well seeing as we had the day off.
We began our celebration by sleeping in until 9:30 AM or so. It was simply divine! Around 11 we headed to the bus stop and arrived in Chinatown at approximately 12-ish. We weren’t hungry at the time, so we began our search for cheap Canada merchandise. It turned out to be relatively easy and we felt satisfied with our finds. We also stopped at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park, a real Chinese garden even with rocks imported from China! It was pretty, but small.
After walking around for a few hours in the tourist part of Chinatown, we somehow ended up in the residential section where the only things being sold were food items such as veggies, dead fish, and lizards on sticks. Needless to say, the smell was grotesque and we hastened to leave this part of town.
Then we ended up on Hastings Street, the bad part of Chinatown. We quickly turned around and followed our noses back to the markets and eventually found ourselves back in the touristy section.
Even after the gag-reflex inducing sights and smells at the Chinese markets, our stomachs began to complain of hunger. So we stopped at a Chinese bakery and purchased a Mango Cream Roll. We hurried to a small coffee shop where we had stopped earlier so we could consume this hopefully delicious food item.
The first bite was interesting and sent our taste buds for a loop. However, all the following bites were eaten with pleasure and with minimal talking.
We began our trek home with nothing out of norm occurring. We were, of course, the minority on all transit vehicles. But even this is losing its weirdness and slowly become natural for us, or so it feels.
Upon our arrival at PLBC, we simply chilled. We hung out for a while and then headed out to find our supper. We had our hearts (and stomachs) set on Chinese, but the closest place was closed. We were forced to buy toasted subs that simply did not meet our standards.
The rest of the evening was relaxed and ended with a small, unplanned yet wonderful time of worship.
We began our celebration by sleeping in until 9:30 AM or so. It was simply divine! Around 11 we headed to the bus stop and arrived in Chinatown at approximately 12-ish. We weren’t hungry at the time, so we began our search for cheap Canada merchandise. It turned out to be relatively easy and we felt satisfied with our finds. We also stopped at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park, a real Chinese garden even with rocks imported from China! It was pretty, but small.
After walking around for a few hours in the tourist part of Chinatown, we somehow ended up in the residential section where the only things being sold were food items such as veggies, dead fish, and lizards on sticks. Needless to say, the smell was grotesque and we hastened to leave this part of town.
Then we ended up on Hastings Street, the bad part of Chinatown. We quickly turned around and followed our noses back to the markets and eventually found ourselves back in the touristy section.
Even after the gag-reflex inducing sights and smells at the Chinese markets, our stomachs began to complain of hunger. So we stopped at a Chinese bakery and purchased a Mango Cream Roll. We hurried to a small coffee shop where we had stopped earlier so we could consume this hopefully delicious food item.
The first bite was interesting and sent our taste buds for a loop. However, all the following bites were eaten with pleasure and with minimal talking.
We began our trek home with nothing out of norm occurring. We were, of course, the minority on all transit vehicles. But even this is losing its weirdness and slowly become natural for us, or so it feels.
Upon our arrival at PLBC, we simply chilled. We hung out for a while and then headed out to find our supper. We had our hearts (and stomachs) set on Chinese, but the closest place was closed. We were forced to buy toasted subs that simply did not meet our standards.
The rest of the evening was relaxed and ended with a small, unplanned yet wonderful time of worship.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday May 23, 2010
Our plans for Sunday were to attend The Church of Loving People, a Korean church made up of mostly young people. However, at the bus stop, Christina and I had to head back to PLBC because she was rather ill and desperately needed rest. We arrived back safely and after she went to lie down for a while, I headed to my room for some of my own rest and relaxation. I know we both would have loved to attend the church, but I also know it was meant for us to be here.
I was able to talk with my mom and dad, my sister Amanda, my brother Ben, my niece Mikah and nephew Noah, and Claire all because I had to stay behind. It was amazing and much needed! I spent some much needed time in Bible study, read from a few of the books I brought along, and did my laundry.
When the group arrived back at the college, we all just hung out. Some played sand volleyball while others played cards or on their computers.
At 9 PM we headed into the A-Frame for our Sunday night worship. After some wonderful time spent singing, Seth opened up the floor for those of us that may have something to share. Some shared verses and others shared lessons they had recently learned or were still in the process of learning. I decided to share what I had been reminded of that very morning.
During my Bible study that morning I had been reading in Haggai about how the people’s plans were not going as they wanted. God said through Haggai in 1:9, “ ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.”
I felt God reiterating the point to me that when I try to do things my way and when I want to go by my own agenda, the things I plan will not go as I wished. But if we follow God’s will and do as He commands, He will fulfill our needs and give us our desires. We still shouldn’t do things for God so we can get our way. Instead, we should have the desire to please Him and bring Him glory. I know this, but I guess I need reminding every now and again. :)
Once we finished with worship, I played a few games of Rummy with Marisol and Mike and learned two new card games, Pairs and Polish Poker. All were fun, but I think I managed to lose almost every hand no matter the game haha.
All in all, I am very thankful for the quiet, slow days amidst the hustle and bustle of city life in which I am now immersed.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” ~Psalm 91:1-2
I was able to talk with my mom and dad, my sister Amanda, my brother Ben, my niece Mikah and nephew Noah, and Claire all because I had to stay behind. It was amazing and much needed! I spent some much needed time in Bible study, read from a few of the books I brought along, and did my laundry.
When the group arrived back at the college, we all just hung out. Some played sand volleyball while others played cards or on their computers.
At 9 PM we headed into the A-Frame for our Sunday night worship. After some wonderful time spent singing, Seth opened up the floor for those of us that may have something to share. Some shared verses and others shared lessons they had recently learned or were still in the process of learning. I decided to share what I had been reminded of that very morning.
During my Bible study that morning I had been reading in Haggai about how the people’s plans were not going as they wanted. God said through Haggai in 1:9, “ ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.”
I felt God reiterating the point to me that when I try to do things my way and when I want to go by my own agenda, the things I plan will not go as I wished. But if we follow God’s will and do as He commands, He will fulfill our needs and give us our desires. We still shouldn’t do things for God so we can get our way. Instead, we should have the desire to please Him and bring Him glory. I know this, but I guess I need reminding every now and again. :)
Once we finished with worship, I played a few games of Rummy with Marisol and Mike and learned two new card games, Pairs and Polish Poker. All were fun, but I think I managed to lose almost every hand no matter the game haha.
All in all, I am very thankful for the quiet, slow days amidst the hustle and bustle of city life in which I am now immersed.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” ~Psalm 91:1-2
Colored People by dc Talk
I strongly believe that Vancouver must be the influence for this song…
“Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir
I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin
I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement
Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin
“We've gotta come together
And thank the Maker of us all
“We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place
We're colored people, and they call us the human race
We've got a history so full of mistakes
And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace
“A piece of canvas is only the beginning for
It takes on character with every loving stroke
This thing of beauty is the passion of an Artist's heart
By God's design, we are a skin kaleidoscope
“We've gotta come together,
Aren't we all human after all?
“Ignorance has wronged some races
And vengeance is the Lord's
If we aspire to share this space
Repentance is the cure
“Well, just a day in the shoes of a color blind man
Should make it easy for you to see
That these diverse tones do more than cover our bones
As a part of our anatomy”
“Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir
I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin
I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement
Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin
“We've gotta come together
And thank the Maker of us all
“We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place
We're colored people, and they call us the human race
We've got a history so full of mistakes
And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace
“A piece of canvas is only the beginning for
It takes on character with every loving stroke
This thing of beauty is the passion of an Artist's heart
By God's design, we are a skin kaleidoscope
“We've gotta come together,
Aren't we all human after all?
“Ignorance has wronged some races
And vengeance is the Lord's
If we aspire to share this space
Repentance is the cure
“Well, just a day in the shoes of a color blind man
Should make it easy for you to see
That these diverse tones do more than cover our bones
As a part of our anatomy”
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday May 22, 2010
Our day off was one filled with some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and been immersed in during my time of existence. Liesl, Laura, Christina, Marisol, Sarah H, Brett, Jared, Vu, Kyle, Mike, Jonny, and I traveled to North Vancouver to Lynn Canyon Park.
While on the SkyTrain, I had the pleasure of talking with a native Vancouver couple whose son attended and recently graduated from Lindenwood University in Missouri.
Once we arrived at the Park, our first endeavor was to cross the suspension bridge. The view from the bridge was breathtaking and can hardly be described in words. The free swinging motion of the bridge frightened many people and they did not stop to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings before rushing to the other side and what they viewed as safety. Little did we know that this was only the beginning of the beauty that we would discover.
Mike and Kyle had been to this park the previous day so we decided to set off in a new direction. We set our steps toward the waterfall we could hear in the distance in hopes to stop and eat lunch beside the rushing water. We never found a spot by the waterfall nor did we stop to eat our lunch.
However, we did find a large creek filled with freezing water from recently melted snow rushing down from the mountain top. Mike, Kyle, Christina, Marisol, and I spent time hopping from rock to rock in the creek, trying to keep our balance and stay out of the water.
After a while, Christina and Marisol turned back and Mike, Kyle, and I continued to climb up the side of the cliff and hike on through the gorgeous mass of trees and undergrowth. We spotted a lean-to down the side of the cliff and decided to have a closer look. We were curious as to whether someone actually inhabited this little shanty. When we were finally level with it, we realized someone did live in it, so we kept our distance and soon headed back up the cliff.
Once back at the top, we found the rest of our groups heading our way. We joined forces and continued on for a short while. We eventually realized that we were no longer on the path designated in the park. Instead, we were on the wrong side and apparently had been for a while.
We finally hopped back over the fence when we came to an impasse and could go no further.
We all crossed the bridge and Mike, Kyle, and I found a trail on the other side headed back toward the creek where we were rock hopping. This side was definitely steeper and required more focus. The trails were much narrower and the undergrowth thicker, causing slips and blunders every now and then. After a while, we realized once again that we were on the wrong side of the fence. Nevertheless, we continued.
When we arrived at the creek, we all felt very accomplished. Our last mission was to get back to the other side of the creek, a task that proved to be more difficult to complete than what we originally thought. First, Mike practically face planted in the water. I’m not sure how he managed to do that, but he did and did it very gracefully. I couldn’t help but laugh then and even now as I recall the memory! :)
We ended up pretty far down stream trying to find a place to cross. A convenient place never really came up, so we ended up using the next best thing…and all ended up in the water. I slipped on a mossy rock and ended up with a green backside and extremely soaked jeans and shoes. Kyle became wet up to his thighs and Mike just became even wetter than he was before.
After crossing to the other side, we realized it wasn’t the other side at all! It was a small little island in the middle of the wide creek. Disgruntled but not giving up, we realized we had to cross the freezing water yet again.
Our search for a place to cross began again and went about as well as the first search…not very. While Kyle was out in the middle of the water and Mike was looking on, I headed upstream a bit to investigate for myself. I was tired of waiting and just wanted to cross. I found a spot that would do and began my journey.
First, I had to walk across a log, hop onto a rock, and then walk across the log a bit more. After the log, I jumped to a rock mostly submerged in the water and waded through the knee high water to the next rock. It proved to be rather difficult to keep my balance and walk while combating both the freezing, rushing water and the slippery rocks beneath the surface.
I finally made it across without getting the top half of my body wet. However, my body from my waist down did not fare as well. I was soaked through and through.
By the time Mike and Kyle even realized I had left them, I was across and resting. They abandoned their crossing and headed toward the spot where I had crossed a few minutes before. I tried to explain to them how I managed to find my way across, but most of the trip was left up to their own decisions. They survived the rushing, freezing rapids (haha) and we were all soon united on the other side. I now understand why the chicken crossed the road…because he didn’t want to go through the creek!
As we were heading back to the lodge/café area, we came across a sign that read, “WARNING: EXTREME DANGER! Do not go beyond this fence. Area is extremely hazardous and has claimed several lives.” Naturally, we discovered this sign after we had hiked all over this area on the wrong side of the fence. Despite our wetness and all the possible dangers, not a single part of the adventure was regretted.
We retreated to the café that had a fire place and tired to dry out and warm up while waiting for the return of the others. Once all together, we headed back to the bus stop that would hopefully take us to supper. We stopped in Chinatown to eat at a small, and obviously, Chinese restaurant.
While waiting on Laura & Liesl to buy marshmallows and talking with Kyle, I was in the process of lowering my hand to a ledge to brace myself when I saw a used drug syringe lying directly below. I quickly jerked my hand away and honestly, freaked out a tiny bit. The needle of the syringe had been bent up and had I not looked before placing my hand, I would have been stuck, subjecting myself to who knows what. I was definitely happy when we continued on our way. We all made it back to PLBC safely with many stories and pictures to share.
In reflection of the day and events, I realized how people say being with nature makes you feel closer to God. While looking at the gorgeous landscape at the park, it made me wonder how anyone could not believe. Such beautiful, breathtaking creation as such could not have simply appeared and it is unmistakable that the earth is God’s canvas painted on to show His power and glory.
I also realized that by spending all (some is great and sometimes needed) of our time secluded in nature is not how we are meant to spend our lives. Thirsty people in the cities are constantly searching for something greater whether they realize it or not. By filling their lives with things such as drugs, they are trying to fill that empty hole they feel inside. We, as believers, know the solution; the way to the living water. And we have the capabilities to show them the way.
While on the SkyTrain, I had the pleasure of talking with a native Vancouver couple whose son attended and recently graduated from Lindenwood University in Missouri.
Once we arrived at the Park, our first endeavor was to cross the suspension bridge. The view from the bridge was breathtaking and can hardly be described in words. The free swinging motion of the bridge frightened many people and they did not stop to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings before rushing to the other side and what they viewed as safety. Little did we know that this was only the beginning of the beauty that we would discover.
Mike and Kyle had been to this park the previous day so we decided to set off in a new direction. We set our steps toward the waterfall we could hear in the distance in hopes to stop and eat lunch beside the rushing water. We never found a spot by the waterfall nor did we stop to eat our lunch.
However, we did find a large creek filled with freezing water from recently melted snow rushing down from the mountain top. Mike, Kyle, Christina, Marisol, and I spent time hopping from rock to rock in the creek, trying to keep our balance and stay out of the water.
After a while, Christina and Marisol turned back and Mike, Kyle, and I continued to climb up the side of the cliff and hike on through the gorgeous mass of trees and undergrowth. We spotted a lean-to down the side of the cliff and decided to have a closer look. We were curious as to whether someone actually inhabited this little shanty. When we were finally level with it, we realized someone did live in it, so we kept our distance and soon headed back up the cliff.
Once back at the top, we found the rest of our groups heading our way. We joined forces and continued on for a short while. We eventually realized that we were no longer on the path designated in the park. Instead, we were on the wrong side and apparently had been for a while.
We finally hopped back over the fence when we came to an impasse and could go no further.
We all crossed the bridge and Mike, Kyle, and I found a trail on the other side headed back toward the creek where we were rock hopping. This side was definitely steeper and required more focus. The trails were much narrower and the undergrowth thicker, causing slips and blunders every now and then. After a while, we realized once again that we were on the wrong side of the fence. Nevertheless, we continued.
When we arrived at the creek, we all felt very accomplished. Our last mission was to get back to the other side of the creek, a task that proved to be more difficult to complete than what we originally thought. First, Mike practically face planted in the water. I’m not sure how he managed to do that, but he did and did it very gracefully. I couldn’t help but laugh then and even now as I recall the memory! :)
We ended up pretty far down stream trying to find a place to cross. A convenient place never really came up, so we ended up using the next best thing…and all ended up in the water. I slipped on a mossy rock and ended up with a green backside and extremely soaked jeans and shoes. Kyle became wet up to his thighs and Mike just became even wetter than he was before.
After crossing to the other side, we realized it wasn’t the other side at all! It was a small little island in the middle of the wide creek. Disgruntled but not giving up, we realized we had to cross the freezing water yet again.
Our search for a place to cross began again and went about as well as the first search…not very. While Kyle was out in the middle of the water and Mike was looking on, I headed upstream a bit to investigate for myself. I was tired of waiting and just wanted to cross. I found a spot that would do and began my journey.
First, I had to walk across a log, hop onto a rock, and then walk across the log a bit more. After the log, I jumped to a rock mostly submerged in the water and waded through the knee high water to the next rock. It proved to be rather difficult to keep my balance and walk while combating both the freezing, rushing water and the slippery rocks beneath the surface.
I finally made it across without getting the top half of my body wet. However, my body from my waist down did not fare as well. I was soaked through and through.
By the time Mike and Kyle even realized I had left them, I was across and resting. They abandoned their crossing and headed toward the spot where I had crossed a few minutes before. I tried to explain to them how I managed to find my way across, but most of the trip was left up to their own decisions. They survived the rushing, freezing rapids (haha) and we were all soon united on the other side. I now understand why the chicken crossed the road…because he didn’t want to go through the creek!
As we were heading back to the lodge/café area, we came across a sign that read, “WARNING: EXTREME DANGER! Do not go beyond this fence. Area is extremely hazardous and has claimed several lives.” Naturally, we discovered this sign after we had hiked all over this area on the wrong side of the fence. Despite our wetness and all the possible dangers, not a single part of the adventure was regretted.
We retreated to the café that had a fire place and tired to dry out and warm up while waiting for the return of the others. Once all together, we headed back to the bus stop that would hopefully take us to supper. We stopped in Chinatown to eat at a small, and obviously, Chinese restaurant.
While waiting on Laura & Liesl to buy marshmallows and talking with Kyle, I was in the process of lowering my hand to a ledge to brace myself when I saw a used drug syringe lying directly below. I quickly jerked my hand away and honestly, freaked out a tiny bit. The needle of the syringe had been bent up and had I not looked before placing my hand, I would have been stuck, subjecting myself to who knows what. I was definitely happy when we continued on our way. We all made it back to PLBC safely with many stories and pictures to share.
In reflection of the day and events, I realized how people say being with nature makes you feel closer to God. While looking at the gorgeous landscape at the park, it made me wonder how anyone could not believe. Such beautiful, breathtaking creation as such could not have simply appeared and it is unmistakable that the earth is God’s canvas painted on to show His power and glory.
I also realized that by spending all (some is great and sometimes needed) of our time secluded in nature is not how we are meant to spend our lives. Thirsty people in the cities are constantly searching for something greater whether they realize it or not. By filling their lives with things such as drugs, they are trying to fill that empty hole they feel inside. We, as believers, know the solution; the way to the living water. And we have the capabilities to show them the way.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday May 21, 2010
My group set out Friday around 9:15 AM for a trek across the Greater Vancouver area. We bused to King George SkyTrain Station in Surrey. Then we rode the SkyTrain to Waterfront in Vancouver where we switched to the recently built Canada Line (it was built for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games). We exited at Bridgeport where we caught a bus to British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Aerospace Technology Campus in Richmond.
The place was intimidating.
The building being built mostly out of concrete was very uniform in structure and appearance. The students, mostly all male, were walking around in jumpsuits looking like they just came from the airplane garage on the airstrip.
We stood out. We were uncomfortable and didn’t know what we were doing at this campus. Neither did they.
We walked in and people stared. We walked down the hall and more people stared. As we walked through the food line in the cafeteria, Jonny was asked if he was a new student. The school was small and people noticed us.
Callie and I talked with a secretary of the school and obtained the information we needed and after finishing our meals, we all left the college. We had been informed that after the lunch hour both the cafeteria and common area would be deserted, leaving us with no reason to stick around for our main focus was the students.
So we traveled into Richmond trying to feel out the community. We went to City Hall to research the demographics of the city and we pointed in the direction of a website. After the City Hall we went to the Richmond Centre, a mall, in hopes to set up Soularium seeing as we didn’t have the chance at the college. However, we were politely turned away. Only two surveys were allowed per year at the Richmond Centre and we weren’t to be one of them.
So we continued out of the mall and back to the Canada Line Station to head back to Waterfront. Needless to say, we all felt a little discouraged after our day. We felt as though we accomplished nothing, or at least very little.
We decided to hit Gastown on our way home and do a bit of tourist shopping. Callie and I poured through the shops looking for good deals on Vancouver shirts before finally making our selections and heading back.
While looking for a place to eat supper, Callie and I were asked several times for loose change from beggars on the streets. They were everywhere. However, one man caught my attention. He didn’t ask for anything as people passed. Instead, he sat quietly on the sidewalk with a sign and his dog. I didn’t have a chance to completely read what was written on the sign, but two words stood out to me: “God bless.”
I stopped, turned to Callie, and debated what I should do. I finally asked him if he was hungry. A seemly stupid question, but nevertheless, I asked. I unzipped my backpack so full of the many blessings I neglect to be thankful for in my life and gave him my sack lunch. He gratefully accepted it and Callie and I went on our way.
It breaks my heart to see these people. I think what breaks my heart even more is that while many of them can help themselves, some cannot and no one stops to give them the time of day. No one stops to show them that they care. No one shows them the love of Christ that we so readily accept.
Yes, he may have the ability to change his situation if he so desires.
But what if he doesn’t? What if he needs more?
I should be the one doing more.
Serving more.
No matter what.
“…not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve.” ~1 Peter 5:2b
The place was intimidating.
The building being built mostly out of concrete was very uniform in structure and appearance. The students, mostly all male, were walking around in jumpsuits looking like they just came from the airplane garage on the airstrip.
We stood out. We were uncomfortable and didn’t know what we were doing at this campus. Neither did they.
We walked in and people stared. We walked down the hall and more people stared. As we walked through the food line in the cafeteria, Jonny was asked if he was a new student. The school was small and people noticed us.
Callie and I talked with a secretary of the school and obtained the information we needed and after finishing our meals, we all left the college. We had been informed that after the lunch hour both the cafeteria and common area would be deserted, leaving us with no reason to stick around for our main focus was the students.
So we traveled into Richmond trying to feel out the community. We went to City Hall to research the demographics of the city and we pointed in the direction of a website. After the City Hall we went to the Richmond Centre, a mall, in hopes to set up Soularium seeing as we didn’t have the chance at the college. However, we were politely turned away. Only two surveys were allowed per year at the Richmond Centre and we weren’t to be one of them.
So we continued out of the mall and back to the Canada Line Station to head back to Waterfront. Needless to say, we all felt a little discouraged after our day. We felt as though we accomplished nothing, or at least very little.
We decided to hit Gastown on our way home and do a bit of tourist shopping. Callie and I poured through the shops looking for good deals on Vancouver shirts before finally making our selections and heading back.
While looking for a place to eat supper, Callie and I were asked several times for loose change from beggars on the streets. They were everywhere. However, one man caught my attention. He didn’t ask for anything as people passed. Instead, he sat quietly on the sidewalk with a sign and his dog. I didn’t have a chance to completely read what was written on the sign, but two words stood out to me: “God bless.”
I stopped, turned to Callie, and debated what I should do. I finally asked him if he was hungry. A seemly stupid question, but nevertheless, I asked. I unzipped my backpack so full of the many blessings I neglect to be thankful for in my life and gave him my sack lunch. He gratefully accepted it and Callie and I went on our way.
It breaks my heart to see these people. I think what breaks my heart even more is that while many of them can help themselves, some cannot and no one stops to give them the time of day. No one stops to show them that they care. No one shows them the love of Christ that we so readily accept.
Yes, he may have the ability to change his situation if he so desires.
But what if he doesn’t? What if he needs more?
I should be the one doing more.
Serving more.
No matter what.
“…not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve.” ~1 Peter 5:2b
Thursday May 20, 2010
Bill, a man of 74 and a mentor of Kelly’s, came to PLBC to teach us all about prayer and the many aspects of prayer. This incredible individual spends anywhere between two and three hours a day in prayer! What an inspiration!
We began the morning session around 9 and Bill talked until 12:30 PM with a short break in the middle. Then we took an hour break for lunch. Despite the depth and importance of what he was speaking, many of us were struggling to stay awake and pay attention. I went back to my room, decided to forgo lunch, and laid down in my bed. It was a wonderful nap and I woke up with enough time to scarf down my lunch before returning to the A-Frame at 1:30.
I found the second section of our orientation just as interesting, but much easier to pay attention to, especially after my nap. :) Bill taught us the importance to praying individually to the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, something I had never thought on much. When I pray, I tend to generalize to whom I am praying, instead of specifying as I should (many others agreed with this for themselves).
We finished the session around 4:30 PM then Liesl, Laura, Christina, and I set off on a hunt for our supper. We ate light and picked up a few movies on the way back to PLBC. I had every intention to watch the movies with them until I began talking with Rosie on Skype. I was soooo happy to see her face and hear her voice! We chatted for a few hours, laughed for most of it, and even shed a few tears.
Even though I have limited communication forms with friends and family, I thank God for the technology of today that allows us to video chat with others. To be practically with them even though hundreds, maybe even thousands of miles apart. :)
We began the morning session around 9 and Bill talked until 12:30 PM with a short break in the middle. Then we took an hour break for lunch. Despite the depth and importance of what he was speaking, many of us were struggling to stay awake and pay attention. I went back to my room, decided to forgo lunch, and laid down in my bed. It was a wonderful nap and I woke up with enough time to scarf down my lunch before returning to the A-Frame at 1:30.
I found the second section of our orientation just as interesting, but much easier to pay attention to, especially after my nap. :) Bill taught us the importance to praying individually to the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, something I had never thought on much. When I pray, I tend to generalize to whom I am praying, instead of specifying as I should (many others agreed with this for themselves).
We finished the session around 4:30 PM then Liesl, Laura, Christina, and I set off on a hunt for our supper. We ate light and picked up a few movies on the way back to PLBC. I had every intention to watch the movies with them until I began talking with Rosie on Skype. I was soooo happy to see her face and hear her voice! We chatted for a few hours, laughed for most of it, and even shed a few tears.
Even though I have limited communication forms with friends and family, I thank God for the technology of today that allows us to video chat with others. To be practically with them even though hundreds, maybe even thousands of miles apart. :)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday May 19, 2010
Wednesday we headed up to the main campus of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. This campus is located in the midst of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area and the landscape was breathtaking. I took a few photos, but soon quit for the pictures simply cannot do the scenery justice. This is something that must (and should!) be witnessed firsthand.
As we split up into groups of two, Callie and I headed off to find an administrator that could answer our questions about student enrollment and ethnicity. We were distracted by activity on the concourse. SFU was having a club day and most all of the clubs at the university had booths set up so students could check them out if interested.
As we strolled in the aisles between the booths, we became excited when we noticed four different Christian club booths. This was the most Christian activity we had seen on any of the campuses as of yet.
We were actually first approached by a Korean student that tried to sign us up for an International Youth Fellowship World Camp day. We explained that we weren’t students and she still persuaded me to write down my email address haha.
After a bit of confusion, we finally realized that this was a Christian organization and began speaking to a few of the members, Brian and Angus. They sent us in the direction of Seth and Kristin who are also involved in ministry on the campus.
Once we finished asking questions, we asked to be directed to an administrative office. Angus gladly showed us the way. Callie and I were able to speak with a man who allowed us to use a campus computer to finish our research.
We finished with that section of our research and headed back out onto the concourse. Adam, Jonny, Sarah M, and Sarah H were out there with their own table and Soularium already set up. Callie and I set off to find lunch and when we returned, the four of them were in a conversation with a man that once practiced Sikhism. Adam was able to share with him and even give him a Bible.
Throughout the course of the day we spoke with a non-practicing Jew, a few agnostic people, and one interested in the B’hai religion which believes that all the gods of different religions are actually the same god and that all ways are correct.
The booths began to be packed up around 2:30 and the rain hit at approximately 3 PM. We packed up and headed back to PLBC after staring at the beautiful view of Burnaby Mountain from a lookout point at the university.
Back at PLBC, we had a small worship service at 9 PM after our debriefing. Seth spoke on regaining our focus, something I, along with many others, have been struggling with. It was a good reminder that as much fun as we are having up here, that is not our main focus. God is and should always be.
As we split up into groups of two, Callie and I headed off to find an administrator that could answer our questions about student enrollment and ethnicity. We were distracted by activity on the concourse. SFU was having a club day and most all of the clubs at the university had booths set up so students could check them out if interested.
As we strolled in the aisles between the booths, we became excited when we noticed four different Christian club booths. This was the most Christian activity we had seen on any of the campuses as of yet.
We were actually first approached by a Korean student that tried to sign us up for an International Youth Fellowship World Camp day. We explained that we weren’t students and she still persuaded me to write down my email address haha.
After a bit of confusion, we finally realized that this was a Christian organization and began speaking to a few of the members, Brian and Angus. They sent us in the direction of Seth and Kristin who are also involved in ministry on the campus.
Once we finished asking questions, we asked to be directed to an administrative office. Angus gladly showed us the way. Callie and I were able to speak with a man who allowed us to use a campus computer to finish our research.
We finished with that section of our research and headed back out onto the concourse. Adam, Jonny, Sarah M, and Sarah H were out there with their own table and Soularium already set up. Callie and I set off to find lunch and when we returned, the four of them were in a conversation with a man that once practiced Sikhism. Adam was able to share with him and even give him a Bible.
Throughout the course of the day we spoke with a non-practicing Jew, a few agnostic people, and one interested in the B’hai religion which believes that all the gods of different religions are actually the same god and that all ways are correct.
The booths began to be packed up around 2:30 and the rain hit at approximately 3 PM. We packed up and headed back to PLBC after staring at the beautiful view of Burnaby Mountain from a lookout point at the university.
Back at PLBC, we had a small worship service at 9 PM after our debriefing. Seth spoke on regaining our focus, something I, along with many others, have been struggling with. It was a good reminder that as much fun as we are having up here, that is not our main focus. God is and should always be.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesday May 18, 2010
Tuesday was much the same as Monday as in work. However, today all of the groups were going out to college campuses. My team traveled to Douglas College: The David Lam Campus in Coquitlam, BC, an area what was still uncharted for our entire team. The main Douglas College campus is in New Westminster and was infiltrated by Whitney’s team. Brett and Katie’s teams stayed in Surrey and researched Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Simon Frasier University respectively.
We arrived at the campus at approximately 12 PM and set off to find our lunch. Some of our group ate the lunch packed this morning while others including myself utilized the cheap but good cafeteria food available to us. After lunch, we split up to divide and conquer.
We hoped to do Soularium today, an activity that uses pictures to catch the attention of people passing by and giving us an opening to speak with about spirituality, what they believe, and hopefully what we believe, but we were unable to do so. Seeing as this college is also nonpartisan and non-religious, the administration wouldn’t allow us set it up on campus.
So instead, we continued with our research and such by individually speaking with students around the campus, other administration personnel, and people out in the community.
After returning to PLBC and chilling for a few hours, we had our debriefing time at 9 PM. We spoke about our days, both the good and bad experiences as well our expectations that were or were not met.
We also updated our knowledge about the Haiti team. Whitney and I had the opportunity to talk with Rosie on the phone and she assured us that things were looking up. The entire team was back in the States and most, excluding the four still in Miami, were either home or heading home. It was so good to hear my dear friend’s voice, knowing that she and all of the others were going to be okay. Prayers are still needed for the team as they recover from the physical, mental, and emotional trauma of the accident.
With all that being said, so much of me still wants to be with my friends right now. I want to be able to comfort them, listen to their stories, be a shoulder to cry on. But I know I’m here in Canada for a reason. God has called me to this place just as He called all of them to Haiti.
As I sit here and type, listening to the gentle sound of the rain falling and the occasional call of the peacock in the distance, I am comforted by the fact that even in the farthest corners of the earth I am still and will always be connected with those I love as long as I am doing as our God calls.
We arrived at the campus at approximately 12 PM and set off to find our lunch. Some of our group ate the lunch packed this morning while others including myself utilized the cheap but good cafeteria food available to us. After lunch, we split up to divide and conquer.
We hoped to do Soularium today, an activity that uses pictures to catch the attention of people passing by and giving us an opening to speak with about spirituality, what they believe, and hopefully what we believe, but we were unable to do so. Seeing as this college is also nonpartisan and non-religious, the administration wouldn’t allow us set it up on campus.
So instead, we continued with our research and such by individually speaking with students around the campus, other administration personnel, and people out in the community.
After returning to PLBC and chilling for a few hours, we had our debriefing time at 9 PM. We spoke about our days, both the good and bad experiences as well our expectations that were or were not met.
We also updated our knowledge about the Haiti team. Whitney and I had the opportunity to talk with Rosie on the phone and she assured us that things were looking up. The entire team was back in the States and most, excluding the four still in Miami, were either home or heading home. It was so good to hear my dear friend’s voice, knowing that she and all of the others were going to be okay. Prayers are still needed for the team as they recover from the physical, mental, and emotional trauma of the accident.
With all that being said, so much of me still wants to be with my friends right now. I want to be able to comfort them, listen to their stories, be a shoulder to cry on. But I know I’m here in Canada for a reason. God has called me to this place just as He called all of them to Haiti.
As I sit here and type, listening to the gentle sound of the rain falling and the occasional call of the peacock in the distance, I am comforted by the fact that even in the farthest corners of the earth I am still and will always be connected with those I love as long as I am doing as our God calls.
Monday May 17, 2010
Monday was our first day of actual campus and city work. The majority of the team traveled to North Vancouver to scout out the city’s bike rental shops and coffee shops in the area for Sean. Seth, Laurey, and Amber stayed at PLBC to begin the work on the website we will be creating. All of the information we gather will eventually be added to this website. Also, our final team member, Elyse, was flying into Vancouver around 7 PM and we were all excited to finally have her here.
My team had a different assignment for the day. We traveled to North Vancouver with everyone else but went in separate directions at Lonsdale Quay. After eating a quick lunch, we boarded the 239 towards Phibbs Exchange. From there we hopped on the next 239 bus to Capilano University, our destination for the afternoon.
Upon arrival, we scouted out the map, divided into two groups of three, and spread out across the campus. While we were still deciding in which direction to go, a young guy walked by and asked us if we knew a good place to eat. We stated that we didn’t, not much to his surprise because we looked just as confused as he did, and he went on his way.
Jonny, Callie, and I headed towards the information center in order to find answers to our many questions. The administrators were very helpful in answering our questions and sending us in the right directions for more answers. This university, like many of the universities in Vancouver, is nonpartisan and also not affiliated with any religion. This is very obvious in such areas as their school newspaper. It definitely makes me feel very blessed to go to a private Baptist college where I do not have to be subjected to such profanity and brashness. Some call it being naïve. I call it being in the world but not of it. John 15:19 says, “If you were of the world, the world would love [you as] its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” (HCSB)
Even though some of our questions were unable to be answered, we did our best and met up with the other three at 4 PM to catch our bus back to the Seabus. At the bus stop, that same guy we had met earlier, named Eric, showed up to catch the same bus as us. We began a conversation with him and continued it for approximately an hour and a half. This trip has been filled with meeting many new people and learning many new things from people all over the world.
We parted ways as he headed back to the airport to go home and we to the SkyTrain to make our way back to PLBC. This day was the easiest transit day we have had since being in Canada. We didn’t have to run to catch a bus, we didn’t miss any by a few minutes, and we arrived back with time to spare.
At 9:30ish we began our debriefing time and discussed all that occurred within the different groups and assignments. Elyse finally arrived at approximately 10 PM and we all began to settle down for the night. Or at least I did. :) I’m not entirely sure what time I crawled into bed, but I do know it definitely wasn’t early enough. And so was the end of a successful first work day in the city of Vancouver.
My team had a different assignment for the day. We traveled to North Vancouver with everyone else but went in separate directions at Lonsdale Quay. After eating a quick lunch, we boarded the 239 towards Phibbs Exchange. From there we hopped on the next 239 bus to Capilano University, our destination for the afternoon.
Upon arrival, we scouted out the map, divided into two groups of three, and spread out across the campus. While we were still deciding in which direction to go, a young guy walked by and asked us if we knew a good place to eat. We stated that we didn’t, not much to his surprise because we looked just as confused as he did, and he went on his way.
Jonny, Callie, and I headed towards the information center in order to find answers to our many questions. The administrators were very helpful in answering our questions and sending us in the right directions for more answers. This university, like many of the universities in Vancouver, is nonpartisan and also not affiliated with any religion. This is very obvious in such areas as their school newspaper. It definitely makes me feel very blessed to go to a private Baptist college where I do not have to be subjected to such profanity and brashness. Some call it being naïve. I call it being in the world but not of it. John 15:19 says, “If you were of the world, the world would love [you as] its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” (HCSB)
Even though some of our questions were unable to be answered, we did our best and met up with the other three at 4 PM to catch our bus back to the Seabus. At the bus stop, that same guy we had met earlier, named Eric, showed up to catch the same bus as us. We began a conversation with him and continued it for approximately an hour and a half. This trip has been filled with meeting many new people and learning many new things from people all over the world.
We parted ways as he headed back to the airport to go home and we to the SkyTrain to make our way back to PLBC. This day was the easiest transit day we have had since being in Canada. We didn’t have to run to catch a bus, we didn’t miss any by a few minutes, and we arrived back with time to spare.
At 9:30ish we began our debriefing time and discussed all that occurred within the different groups and assignments. Elyse finally arrived at approximately 10 PM and we all began to settle down for the night. Or at least I did. :) I’m not entirely sure what time I crawled into bed, but I do know it definitely wasn’t early enough. And so was the end of a successful first work day in the city of Vancouver.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday May 16, 2010
We had the opportunity to worship at Cityview Baptist Church in Surrey on Sunday morning. Cityview Baptist Church is one of the biggest Baptist churches in the Greater Vancouver Area and one of very few that has a building. Most of the churches are held in homes or even out in nature at a park or something of sorts. On the front of their bulletin it stated, “Cityview: a church for LIFE” and on the back it explained the LIFE acronym:
Love God with our all.
Include people in the grace of Jesus.
Find freedom in the Truth.
Engage the world as a servant.
The service was good and Pastor Craig O’Brien spoke on how Jesus creates a new community within us and also how to seek the lost by moving toward them with open hearts. He said that if you “open your heart to the Father, He will bring more treasure (lost people) to you than you know what to do with.”
After the service and as I was walking out the front door, I saw a penny. I naturally picked it up. Then I saw another, and another! Someone jokingly stated that I must have opened my heart to God because He was bringing me treasure already. :)
Some people then went back to the College while others decided to stay around the city for a while longer. A group of 16 went to eat at a Thai restaurant where I ordered Mee Goreng. It was interesting but still tasty.
Once we finished eating, we headed to the bus stop to begin our transit home. Due to the fact that it was the weekend, we had to take 3 different buses and the SkyTrain instead of only taking one bus and the SkyTrain like usual. After we got off of the SkyTrain and headed to our bus stop, we realized we had missed it by approximately 4 minutes. The next bus didn’t come again until an hour later which meant we had to buy new tickets.
After running here and there hoping to catch a different bus, we decided to wait it out. The bus finally arrived and we made it to our next location only to realize that it had happened again. We had missed our bus by 4 minutes. It wasn’t until then that we learned that earlier that afternoon, the SkyTrain had shut down, therefore throwing off the times of all the transit vehicles. It was an adventure and we eventually arrived safely at PLBC.
At 7 PM, we held a worship service in the A-Frame building of our lodgings with ION Community Church, the new church that Sean is starting in the area. Brett, Seth, Laurey, and Liesl lead worship and Sean spoke. He spoke about how God wasn’t simply a rural God, but a God of the city and how we as Christians need to be moving with the masses. He informed us of the work we would be doing on Monday, for we would be working with him and for him in the North Vancouver area.
Following worship, Whitney, Seth, and I set off to divide all of us into the four groups that would be out gleaning the city and college campuses for information. In the middle of our dividing, we received the news about the truck accident involving the HLG Haiti mission team. We gathered up our team and went to the A-Frame to pray. It was wonderful that we could all pray together, being a strong force standing behind our fellow friends and believers in this time of pain and worry. It definitely helped bring comfort to those of us with close friends in the accident. I know that God hears the desires of our hearts, and that night, our hearts were with our friends in Haiti.
Love God with our all.
Include people in the grace of Jesus.
Find freedom in the Truth.
Engage the world as a servant.
The service was good and Pastor Craig O’Brien spoke on how Jesus creates a new community within us and also how to seek the lost by moving toward them with open hearts. He said that if you “open your heart to the Father, He will bring more treasure (lost people) to you than you know what to do with.”
After the service and as I was walking out the front door, I saw a penny. I naturally picked it up. Then I saw another, and another! Someone jokingly stated that I must have opened my heart to God because He was bringing me treasure already. :)
Some people then went back to the College while others decided to stay around the city for a while longer. A group of 16 went to eat at a Thai restaurant where I ordered Mee Goreng. It was interesting but still tasty.
Once we finished eating, we headed to the bus stop to begin our transit home. Due to the fact that it was the weekend, we had to take 3 different buses and the SkyTrain instead of only taking one bus and the SkyTrain like usual. After we got off of the SkyTrain and headed to our bus stop, we realized we had missed it by approximately 4 minutes. The next bus didn’t come again until an hour later which meant we had to buy new tickets.
After running here and there hoping to catch a different bus, we decided to wait it out. The bus finally arrived and we made it to our next location only to realize that it had happened again. We had missed our bus by 4 minutes. It wasn’t until then that we learned that earlier that afternoon, the SkyTrain had shut down, therefore throwing off the times of all the transit vehicles. It was an adventure and we eventually arrived safely at PLBC.
At 7 PM, we held a worship service in the A-Frame building of our lodgings with ION Community Church, the new church that Sean is starting in the area. Brett, Seth, Laurey, and Liesl lead worship and Sean spoke. He spoke about how God wasn’t simply a rural God, but a God of the city and how we as Christians need to be moving with the masses. He informed us of the work we would be doing on Monday, for we would be working with him and for him in the North Vancouver area.
Following worship, Whitney, Seth, and I set off to divide all of us into the four groups that would be out gleaning the city and college campuses for information. In the middle of our dividing, we received the news about the truck accident involving the HLG Haiti mission team. We gathered up our team and went to the A-Frame to pray. It was wonderful that we could all pray together, being a strong force standing behind our fellow friends and believers in this time of pain and worry. It definitely helped bring comfort to those of us with close friends in the accident. I know that God hears the desires of our hearts, and that night, our hearts were with our friends in Haiti.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday May 15, 2010
After four days of successful and exhausting experiences in travels to, in, and around Vancouver, Saturday was our first day off. So, instead of resting, we decided to go out and experience Vancouver a little bit more! Kelly had told us that even if we stayed a year in Vancouver, we wouldn’t be able to see all the city has to offer. Even so, we decided that we are going to give it our all and see as much as we can.
We set out around 9 AM for the bus station and began our journey to Stanley Park in the North Vancouver area. According to most everyone we had spoken with, the park was beautiful and a must see while in the city. When we arrived in downtown Vancouver via the SkyTrain, we headed toward the bus stop. However, we couldn’t find our stop and decided we must have missed the bus. Many people were upset that we had to walk, but had we ridden the bus, we wouldn’t have had the wonderful opportunity to see the streets and beauty of the city. We were constantly snapping photos of the beautiful mountains framing the horizon behind the tall skyscrapers.
Before hitting Stanley Park, a group of us girls decided to eat lunch at The Great Wall Mongolian Barbeque. It was my first experience with Mongolian food and it was absolutely delicious! After struggling with the chopsticks for about ten minutes, I finally mastered them and ate my entire meal with them as well! I was sooo proud of myself and my accomplishment. :) So were Laura and Marisol, my teachers.
After our meal, we went directly to the bike rental shop and rented bikes. A few people rode tandems, a couple roller-bladed, and most of rode regular bikes. Stanley Park is known for the 22km or 13.7 mile bike and walking trail called the Seawall. I believe we biked around approximately 7 or 8 miles of the Seawall and although we were exhausted, we were enthusiastic and enthralled. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and worth the 2 hours and $10 spent for the trip.
A small group of us also had the chance to see Spandy Andy dance in one of the beach sections of Stanley Park and the Seawall. Spandy Andy is called such because of the spandex he wears at all times. (I have a video of his dancing on Facebook if you wish to see a tidbit of his show)
Once we returned the bikes and skates to the bike rental shop, we were ready to begin a new adventure. However, we realized we were missing a person from our group. It was quickly discovered that we hadn’t seen Deon since lunch time, almost 3 hours ago. A few moments of subdued panic passed before a few people went to the bike shop to see if he had returned his bike. Deon soon appeared and our group was back together.
A section of our group set off to return to the college while the rest of us set off to go whale watching. Even though we technically failed to spot a real whale, we did find a beautiful spot to eat our supper and relax.
On our trek back to the SkyTrain Station, Jared spotted the place where the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch was housed during the games and we detoured for a short period of time. This was also where we found our "whale", a decoration near the torch holder.
When finished, we headed to the station, boarded the SkyTrain, and headed home. We had a few transit close calls but none that deserve mentioning.
Back at PLBC, we wound down and went to bed after an eventful and exciting day spent enjoying the creation of God...nature and each other.
We set out around 9 AM for the bus station and began our journey to Stanley Park in the North Vancouver area. According to most everyone we had spoken with, the park was beautiful and a must see while in the city. When we arrived in downtown Vancouver via the SkyTrain, we headed toward the bus stop. However, we couldn’t find our stop and decided we must have missed the bus. Many people were upset that we had to walk, but had we ridden the bus, we wouldn’t have had the wonderful opportunity to see the streets and beauty of the city. We were constantly snapping photos of the beautiful mountains framing the horizon behind the tall skyscrapers.
Before hitting Stanley Park, a group of us girls decided to eat lunch at The Great Wall Mongolian Barbeque. It was my first experience with Mongolian food and it was absolutely delicious! After struggling with the chopsticks for about ten minutes, I finally mastered them and ate my entire meal with them as well! I was sooo proud of myself and my accomplishment. :) So were Laura and Marisol, my teachers.
After our meal, we went directly to the bike rental shop and rented bikes. A few people rode tandems, a couple roller-bladed, and most of rode regular bikes. Stanley Park is known for the 22km or 13.7 mile bike and walking trail called the Seawall. I believe we biked around approximately 7 or 8 miles of the Seawall and although we were exhausted, we were enthusiastic and enthralled. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and worth the 2 hours and $10 spent for the trip.
A small group of us also had the chance to see Spandy Andy dance in one of the beach sections of Stanley Park and the Seawall. Spandy Andy is called such because of the spandex he wears at all times. (I have a video of his dancing on Facebook if you wish to see a tidbit of his show)
Once we returned the bikes and skates to the bike rental shop, we were ready to begin a new adventure. However, we realized we were missing a person from our group. It was quickly discovered that we hadn’t seen Deon since lunch time, almost 3 hours ago. A few moments of subdued panic passed before a few people went to the bike shop to see if he had returned his bike. Deon soon appeared and our group was back together.
A section of our group set off to return to the college while the rest of us set off to go whale watching. Even though we technically failed to spot a real whale, we did find a beautiful spot to eat our supper and relax.
On our trek back to the SkyTrain Station, Jared spotted the place where the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch was housed during the games and we detoured for a short period of time. This was also where we found our "whale", a decoration near the torch holder.
When finished, we headed to the station, boarded the SkyTrain, and headed home. We had a few transit close calls but none that deserve mentioning.
Back at PLBC, we wound down and went to bed after an eventful and exciting day spent enjoying the creation of God...nature and each other.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday May 14, 2010
Friday was filled with two orientation meetings and more hands on experience. In the morning, we learned how to reach the Chinese population of Vancouver. Scott, our contact involved with the Chinese ministry, came to PLBC and shared his passion and much information with our group.
For instance, most of 400,000 the Chinese people in Vancouver came from China or Hong Kong and speak either Mandarin or Cantonese. Their religion, according to Scott, is most like a soup. It is a mixture of many different religions including Buddhism, Chinese folk religions such as ancestral worship, and many cults digressed from Christianity.
After lunch, Paul arrived to teach us about Sikhs. Paul spent many years living in India and he is more Indian than North American. The way he speaks, his gestures, and the way he acts simply screams Indian haha.
I can probably safely say that none of us had ever heard of Sikhs so we were very interested to learn of this new religious group. We had learned that a Sikh temple was a short walk down the road from us and some Sikhs lived in the neighborhood in which we are staying. Also, the men wearing turbans that we had so often seen around the city were not Muslims, but were Sikhs. The men wear turbans and the women wear head shawls because they believe that their hair is of extreme value and should be covered and protected.
The Sikhs are from Punjabi, India and also speak Punjabi. The religion originated from a religious war between the Muslims and Hindus of India. They believe in one main guru or god that they call Guru Nanak. They also live by three basic principles that include work hard and honest living, give money to the poor and take care of those around you, and remember the name of God.
The most interesting aspect to me was the fact that they believe many of the same things we as Christians believe. They are monotheistic and believe in God and Jesus. However, they believe Jesus was a saint and not the one true son of Jesus, a critical difference though.
Once our “classroom” orientation was finished, we went out onto “the field.” Paul took us to the Sikh temple where we took off our shoes, donned head wraps, and listened as their holy book was being read in Punjabi. The temple was beautifully decorated inside and out.
After observing their worship for approximately 20 minutes, we went to speak with a Sikh that wanted to share a little of his religion with us. We then went down to their food pantry of sorts where they serve food 24 hours a day to whoever is hungry. It was a great experience to try authentic Indian food in an authentic Sikh temple! We sat on a rug on the floor and ate with our hands. The food, for the most part, was delicious.
We had the chance to speak with another Sikh who offered to explain more of his religion and answer any questions that we had. It was interesting to hear of the religion from someone who practiced it every day. We asked a multitude of questions and he never seemed to tire of answering.
When we arrived back at PLBC, we debriefed with Paul and he answered more questions. Their religion and culture is truly intriguing.
After a long day of exhausting spiritual and mental work, we decided to wear ourselves our physically by playing kickball. After our game, we all traveled a short distance down the road to a little bundle of restaurants. Laura, Liesl, Marisol, Deon, and I ate Chinese and even had homemade fortune cookies.
With all the diversity, it isn't hard to see why people love to visit this place. For the native peoples here in Vancouver, the world and its cultures has come to them. These people are seeking so much more than a new place to plant their roots and begin afresh…And we are here to help them find it.
For instance, most of 400,000 the Chinese people in Vancouver came from China or Hong Kong and speak either Mandarin or Cantonese. Their religion, according to Scott, is most like a soup. It is a mixture of many different religions including Buddhism, Chinese folk religions such as ancestral worship, and many cults digressed from Christianity.
After lunch, Paul arrived to teach us about Sikhs. Paul spent many years living in India and he is more Indian than North American. The way he speaks, his gestures, and the way he acts simply screams Indian haha.
I can probably safely say that none of us had ever heard of Sikhs so we were very interested to learn of this new religious group. We had learned that a Sikh temple was a short walk down the road from us and some Sikhs lived in the neighborhood in which we are staying. Also, the men wearing turbans that we had so often seen around the city were not Muslims, but were Sikhs. The men wear turbans and the women wear head shawls because they believe that their hair is of extreme value and should be covered and protected.
The Sikhs are from Punjabi, India and also speak Punjabi. The religion originated from a religious war between the Muslims and Hindus of India. They believe in one main guru or god that they call Guru Nanak. They also live by three basic principles that include work hard and honest living, give money to the poor and take care of those around you, and remember the name of God.
The most interesting aspect to me was the fact that they believe many of the same things we as Christians believe. They are monotheistic and believe in God and Jesus. However, they believe Jesus was a saint and not the one true son of Jesus, a critical difference though.
Once our “classroom” orientation was finished, we went out onto “the field.” Paul took us to the Sikh temple where we took off our shoes, donned head wraps, and listened as their holy book was being read in Punjabi. The temple was beautifully decorated inside and out.
After observing their worship for approximately 20 minutes, we went to speak with a Sikh that wanted to share a little of his religion with us. We then went down to their food pantry of sorts where they serve food 24 hours a day to whoever is hungry. It was a great experience to try authentic Indian food in an authentic Sikh temple! We sat on a rug on the floor and ate with our hands. The food, for the most part, was delicious.
We had the chance to speak with another Sikh who offered to explain more of his religion and answer any questions that we had. It was interesting to hear of the religion from someone who practiced it every day. We asked a multitude of questions and he never seemed to tire of answering.
When we arrived back at PLBC, we debriefed with Paul and he answered more questions. Their religion and culture is truly intriguing.
After a long day of exhausting spiritual and mental work, we decided to wear ourselves our physically by playing kickball. After our game, we all traveled a short distance down the road to a little bundle of restaurants. Laura, Liesl, Marisol, Deon, and I ate Chinese and even had homemade fortune cookies.
With all the diversity, it isn't hard to see why people love to visit this place. For the native peoples here in Vancouver, the world and its cultures has come to them. These people are seeking so much more than a new place to plant their roots and begin afresh…And we are here to help them find it.
Thursday May 13, 2010
At 9AM, after breakfast and a short devotional, we hit the road with Kelly on a trip to the Middle Eastern Friendship Centre run by Tim in Whalley. Even though world seems like a huge place especially here with all the diversity, we found out how small it really is. Tim’s wife Joan is the sister of Sue Booth, the wife of Dr. Booth, a Professor of Music and the Chair of the Department of Music at HLG.
The Middle Eastern Friendship Centre is located in the midst of the Middle Eastern community of Vancouver. The centre has a library where people can come in and check out books written in their own languages and it also teaches many ESL, or English as a Second Language, classes. Tim cautioned us about speaking of our faith in the front room of the centre. They want all people to feel welcome and don’t wish to scare them off by shoving our faith down their throats. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely is not a place where the Christian faith is hidden. It is simply a known fact that religion, especially to Muslims, is an important part of their lives and they may take offense. If a person shows an interest in Christianity, they are often taken out for coffee and to chat. Tim also hopes for the centre to become a community for the people and they always have someone new come into the centre every day.
After our orientation time of Islam and a quick overview of how to interact with Muslims, Tim set us loose down King George Highway to meet some people and learn their stories. He also gave us a few questions to answer such as “What did I learn about the city, an individual, God, myself”, “Where did I see God work”, and “Who did I see?”
To be honest, I didn’t think this task would be too difficult or daunting. I had been on mission trips before and talked with people I’d met randomly. However, I was mistaken. Vancouver is different than any other place I’ve been. While walking on the street, most people won’t look you in the eyes let alone greet you making it almost impossible to begin a conversation. We had to be very intentional but at the same time, not weird.
Marisol, Deon, and I managed to chat with a few people, but nothing like I was hoping. Our conversations were short and at times, nonexistent. I racked my brain for things to say, simple conversation starters that would hopefully make way for a real conversation.
When we were finished, some came back to the centre with awesome stories while others shared our experience. We talked about our observations and answered the questions Tim asked. Although I didn’t answer out loud when he asked what we learned about ourselves, I answered it to myself. I already kind of knew this about myself, but I’m not a person that makes rash decisions and building relationships takes me a long time. These things were made clearer to me from this experience. If I hope or want to make any kind of impact, I must devote myself to the cause completely. It’s difficult for me to be only partly immersed when my heart longs to be fully devoted.
We debriefed and went to find supper. Marisol, Laura, Sarah, and I ate takeout from a small African restaurant while others ate a various food places in the area. We took our food to the gorgeous Holland Park located by the SkyTrain station and enjoyed our free time. After returning to PLBC, we played a little sand volleyball and then I went to bed, a great ending to a tremendous day.
The Middle Eastern Friendship Centre is located in the midst of the Middle Eastern community of Vancouver. The centre has a library where people can come in and check out books written in their own languages and it also teaches many ESL, or English as a Second Language, classes. Tim cautioned us about speaking of our faith in the front room of the centre. They want all people to feel welcome and don’t wish to scare them off by shoving our faith down their throats. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely is not a place where the Christian faith is hidden. It is simply a known fact that religion, especially to Muslims, is an important part of their lives and they may take offense. If a person shows an interest in Christianity, they are often taken out for coffee and to chat. Tim also hopes for the centre to become a community for the people and they always have someone new come into the centre every day.
After our orientation time of Islam and a quick overview of how to interact with Muslims, Tim set us loose down King George Highway to meet some people and learn their stories. He also gave us a few questions to answer such as “What did I learn about the city, an individual, God, myself”, “Where did I see God work”, and “Who did I see?”
To be honest, I didn’t think this task would be too difficult or daunting. I had been on mission trips before and talked with people I’d met randomly. However, I was mistaken. Vancouver is different than any other place I’ve been. While walking on the street, most people won’t look you in the eyes let alone greet you making it almost impossible to begin a conversation. We had to be very intentional but at the same time, not weird.
Marisol, Deon, and I managed to chat with a few people, but nothing like I was hoping. Our conversations were short and at times, nonexistent. I racked my brain for things to say, simple conversation starters that would hopefully make way for a real conversation.
When we were finished, some came back to the centre with awesome stories while others shared our experience. We talked about our observations and answered the questions Tim asked. Although I didn’t answer out loud when he asked what we learned about ourselves, I answered it to myself. I already kind of knew this about myself, but I’m not a person that makes rash decisions and building relationships takes me a long time. These things were made clearer to me from this experience. If I hope or want to make any kind of impact, I must devote myself to the cause completely. It’s difficult for me to be only partly immersed when my heart longs to be fully devoted.
We debriefed and went to find supper. Marisol, Laura, Sarah, and I ate takeout from a small African restaurant while others ate a various food places in the area. We took our food to the gorgeous Holland Park located by the SkyTrain station and enjoyed our free time. After returning to PLBC, we played a little sand volleyball and then I went to bed, a great ending to a tremendous day.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday May 12, 2010
Experiencing Vancouver
Wednesday began with an early (at least it felt early for us) breakfast at 8 AM. After eating, we all headed back into the A-frame/lobby section of our housing for orientation with Kelly, his wife Jeanne, and Sean, another church planter in Vancouver. The morning was filled with useful information for living in the city ranging from cheapest food choices to travel to things to do on our free Saturdays. We also went over our schedule for the next month and what we hope to achieve.
Kelly, Jeanne, and Sean all informed us of the diversity of Vancouver. According to Kelly, Vancouver is “multiculturalism on steroids.” We had yet to experience it, but it wouldn’t be long.
After eating a sack lunch (our lunchtime meals for the next month), most of the group headed to the bus stop to begin a day of travel around Vancouver. They were to take the bus to the SkyTrain station, board the Seabus, and then hop on another bus to the Canadian National Baptist Convention Office for a Prayer walking informational meeting with Glenna Heidt, the CNBC National Prayer Coordinator.
However, I traveled with Kelly, Dr. Hufty, and Seth to Wal-Mart to purchase track phones for the five team leaders to enable us to communicate with each other and Kelly during our stay. We were able to visit with Kelly and ask many questions as he drove across Greater Vancouver including Surrey, New Westminster, Vancouver, and North Vancouver. After Wal-Mart, we also traveled to the CNBC Office and awaited the arrival of the rest of the group. When the whole group arrived, Glenna began our second round of orientation for the day.
Once finished, we walked down the street to the bus stop and boarded the bus bound for Lonsdale Quay (pronounced key) for supper and a bit of shopping. The bus ride and the Quay were my first real introductions, other than Wal-Mart, to the diversity of Vancouver. Kelly wasn’t kidding when he said, “Welcome to becoming one of the minorities.”
At 7 PM and after a Greek supper of a Souvlak Pita and taking a large amount of pictures, we boarded the Seabus, a ferry, to begin our voyage back to PLBC. After the Seabus, we boarded the SkyTrain, which I would say is an equivalent to the El in Chicago. All of this again showed me more of the diversity of the city of which I had been told.
I know it’s hard to picture what I’m speaking of, so here are some numbers. In the Christian school connected with PLBC here in Surrey, there are 90 different languages spoken of only approximately 250 kids, grades k-12. In Vancouver, 64% speak a mother tongue besides English and you can choose to educate your child in one of five languages including English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi. Over 50% of the worship in the churches here are in a different language.
In Canada, it is said that the people know who they are not, but they don’t know who they are. Canada doesn’t want to be a melting pot like the USA. Instead, they want to be known as a mosaic where everyone is free to be their own, speak their own language, and live as they want culturally. Let me tell you, that’s what they do. It isn’t uncommon to hardly hear English other than our own while in transit. It’s an amazing place, this city. Even if I never saw a “Welcome to Vancouver” sign, I know that I have not only been submerged in the city, but also embraced by it as well.
Wednesday began with an early (at least it felt early for us) breakfast at 8 AM. After eating, we all headed back into the A-frame/lobby section of our housing for orientation with Kelly, his wife Jeanne, and Sean, another church planter in Vancouver. The morning was filled with useful information for living in the city ranging from cheapest food choices to travel to things to do on our free Saturdays. We also went over our schedule for the next month and what we hope to achieve.
Kelly, Jeanne, and Sean all informed us of the diversity of Vancouver. According to Kelly, Vancouver is “multiculturalism on steroids.” We had yet to experience it, but it wouldn’t be long.
After eating a sack lunch (our lunchtime meals for the next month), most of the group headed to the bus stop to begin a day of travel around Vancouver. They were to take the bus to the SkyTrain station, board the Seabus, and then hop on another bus to the Canadian National Baptist Convention Office for a Prayer walking informational meeting with Glenna Heidt, the CNBC National Prayer Coordinator.
However, I traveled with Kelly, Dr. Hufty, and Seth to Wal-Mart to purchase track phones for the five team leaders to enable us to communicate with each other and Kelly during our stay. We were able to visit with Kelly and ask many questions as he drove across Greater Vancouver including Surrey, New Westminster, Vancouver, and North Vancouver. After Wal-Mart, we also traveled to the CNBC Office and awaited the arrival of the rest of the group. When the whole group arrived, Glenna began our second round of orientation for the day.
Once finished, we walked down the street to the bus stop and boarded the bus bound for Lonsdale Quay (pronounced key) for supper and a bit of shopping. The bus ride and the Quay were my first real introductions, other than Wal-Mart, to the diversity of Vancouver. Kelly wasn’t kidding when he said, “Welcome to becoming one of the minorities.”
At 7 PM and after a Greek supper of a Souvlak Pita and taking a large amount of pictures, we boarded the Seabus, a ferry, to begin our voyage back to PLBC. After the Seabus, we boarded the SkyTrain, which I would say is an equivalent to the El in Chicago. All of this again showed me more of the diversity of the city of which I had been told.
I know it’s hard to picture what I’m speaking of, so here are some numbers. In the Christian school connected with PLBC here in Surrey, there are 90 different languages spoken of only approximately 250 kids, grades k-12. In Vancouver, 64% speak a mother tongue besides English and you can choose to educate your child in one of five languages including English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi. Over 50% of the worship in the churches here are in a different language.
In Canada, it is said that the people know who they are not, but they don’t know who they are. Canada doesn’t want to be a melting pot like the USA. Instead, they want to be known as a mosaic where everyone is free to be their own, speak their own language, and live as they want culturally. Let me tell you, that’s what they do. It isn’t uncommon to hardly hear English other than our own while in transit. It’s an amazing place, this city. Even if I never saw a “Welcome to Vancouver” sign, I know that I have not only been submerged in the city, but also embraced by it as well.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday May 11, 2010
My trip actually began Monday morning. I needed to pack and hadn’t done a thing. It was overwhelming and a very daunting task. Something I knew I needed to do but just hadn’t faced yet. I spent the whole day packing, then unpacking. Then shoving and removing clothes I didn’t need. I wasn’t sure what to take or what I would need for a whole month. I knew I would have the use of a washing machine and dryer, but it cost to use and if you know me at all, you know I’m not a big spender.
Around 5:30 PM I began my trip to St. Louis to stay with my friend Kyle (and his family) who was also going on the trip. Amanda, another student missionary, stayed with them as well. It was storming when I left, yet beautiful. A little down the road I ran into a detour that took me about 30 minutes out of my way. However, the scenic route was a beautiful one and I didn’t mind all that much. I continued to STL without a hitch…well, in a sense. I made a wrong turn and became a little lost but easily fixed my mistake with the help of Kyle’s father Randy.
We hit the hay relatively early in order to be ready for an early start the next morning. The morning definitely came sooner than we wanted and we started out the day a little groggy. However, we were soon dressed and ready to hit the road and face the traffic.
Our arrival at the airport and baggage check-in proceeded smoothly until we realized that one of our fellow students, Mike, didn’t have a seat on flight 1603 to Seattle, WA. This discovery was quickly called in to headquarters, a.k.a. Dr. Hufty, and he worked his magic. The rest of the group would travel as planned to Seattle arriving American Airlines at 12:20 PM Pacific time and Mike would arrive a few hours later via Southwest.
The flight went off without a hitch and four hours later we arrived at the Seattle/Tacoma International Airport. We unloaded from the airplane, grabbed our luggage, and continued to the baggage claim area. After settling in and hearing the instructions from Dr. Hufty, most of us set off in search of food. We were to be back and ready to leave at 6:30 in order to catch the 7:15 PM bus to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Our 6.5 hours at the airport included games, sleeping, eating, and a multitude of other endeavors.
By 7 PM we were all loaded on the Quick Coach bus and ready to take off on the 3 hour tour. Well, more likely 4.5 or 5 hour tour due to the fact that the bus made stops between Seattle and Vancouver. Our first 30+ minutes were filled with high energy photo taking of the sights in and around Seattle and of the illusive Space Needle. Our eyes deeply drank in the beautiful sights of the magnificent Washington scenery while our cameras flashed incessantly. Our cameras were slowly put away as the sun set and darkness ensued. Some students fell asleep while others continued to talk energetically.
At approximately 10:45 PM we pulled into the border patrol station. We unloaded ourselves and our belongings from the bus and stood patiently in line. Things were going well until it was our Vietnamese exchange student Vu’s turn to go through border patrol. The situation was not looking well when Dr. Hufty received the news that Vu’s trip had come to an abrupt stop. Through the grace of God and much prayer from Dr. Hufty and all of us on the bus, Vu was granted temporary citizenship to Canada and allowed to continue on the trip.
We reloaded the bus and traveled a few miles down the road only to unload once again to switch buses. This last leg of the trip only lasted 15 minutes, but it was enough time for Dr. Hufty to remind us of our goals and to encourage us in our work. Upon arriving at our lodgings at 11:30 PM, we unloaded for the last time that day at the sign that read “Pacific Life Bible College”, our new home for the next 28 days. We were greeted with donuts and a warm welcome by our missionary contact Kelly Manire. After receiving our room keys, we all headed off to make the dorm rooms our own and to say goodnight to a long, successful day of travel. Praise the Lord. :)
Around 5:30 PM I began my trip to St. Louis to stay with my friend Kyle (and his family) who was also going on the trip. Amanda, another student missionary, stayed with them as well. It was storming when I left, yet beautiful. A little down the road I ran into a detour that took me about 30 minutes out of my way. However, the scenic route was a beautiful one and I didn’t mind all that much. I continued to STL without a hitch…well, in a sense. I made a wrong turn and became a little lost but easily fixed my mistake with the help of Kyle’s father Randy.
We hit the hay relatively early in order to be ready for an early start the next morning. The morning definitely came sooner than we wanted and we started out the day a little groggy. However, we were soon dressed and ready to hit the road and face the traffic.
Our arrival at the airport and baggage check-in proceeded smoothly until we realized that one of our fellow students, Mike, didn’t have a seat on flight 1603 to Seattle, WA. This discovery was quickly called in to headquarters, a.k.a. Dr. Hufty, and he worked his magic. The rest of the group would travel as planned to Seattle arriving American Airlines at 12:20 PM Pacific time and Mike would arrive a few hours later via Southwest.
The flight went off without a hitch and four hours later we arrived at the Seattle/Tacoma International Airport. We unloaded from the airplane, grabbed our luggage, and continued to the baggage claim area. After settling in and hearing the instructions from Dr. Hufty, most of us set off in search of food. We were to be back and ready to leave at 6:30 in order to catch the 7:15 PM bus to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Our 6.5 hours at the airport included games, sleeping, eating, and a multitude of other endeavors.
By 7 PM we were all loaded on the Quick Coach bus and ready to take off on the 3 hour tour. Well, more likely 4.5 or 5 hour tour due to the fact that the bus made stops between Seattle and Vancouver. Our first 30+ minutes were filled with high energy photo taking of the sights in and around Seattle and of the illusive Space Needle. Our eyes deeply drank in the beautiful sights of the magnificent Washington scenery while our cameras flashed incessantly. Our cameras were slowly put away as the sun set and darkness ensued. Some students fell asleep while others continued to talk energetically.
At approximately 10:45 PM we pulled into the border patrol station. We unloaded ourselves and our belongings from the bus and stood patiently in line. Things were going well until it was our Vietnamese exchange student Vu’s turn to go through border patrol. The situation was not looking well when Dr. Hufty received the news that Vu’s trip had come to an abrupt stop. Through the grace of God and much prayer from Dr. Hufty and all of us on the bus, Vu was granted temporary citizenship to Canada and allowed to continue on the trip.
We reloaded the bus and traveled a few miles down the road only to unload once again to switch buses. This last leg of the trip only lasted 15 minutes, but it was enough time for Dr. Hufty to remind us of our goals and to encourage us in our work. Upon arriving at our lodgings at 11:30 PM, we unloaded for the last time that day at the sign that read “Pacific Life Bible College”, our new home for the next 28 days. We were greeted with donuts and a warm welcome by our missionary contact Kelly Manire. After receiving our room keys, we all headed off to make the dorm rooms our own and to say goodnight to a long, successful day of travel. Praise the Lord. :)
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