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.