Fun in the sun...

So, the weather out here is absolutely beautiful!!! I mean, it's still cold, but I can see the sun (which fills me with happiness and vitimin D) and I can wander around in a light jacket which is more than I can say for Alberta at present (am I right?).

Things have been great out here. The program I am on is sending out a bunch of teams...one to Mexico, and the other to Egypt...they just found out the teams and locations last week so there has been alot of excitment in the air. It's funny to be on the other side of that where I'm looking to go long term and to move myself to another country semi-permanently, and these teams are going for a few months. There's more hype for them...and that's not a bad thing!

This last week has been full and tiring, but very good. I believe God has been showing me alot about myself and about my heart. So often we allow things to creep in and to go unnoticed in our lives and this is what I have discovered for myself. I have really allowed pride and stubborness a place in my heart and these things have made me somewhat hardened to God. I have been learning a great deal about humility...not always easy, but always good.

This weekend led us to Mission's Fest in Vancouver. I went in a day early and spent the night with my friend, so we could chat late and eat sushi. It was so good. Saturday morning we met up with our crew and spent the entire day at the giant ship-like building going to sessions, running into people and checking out booths.

That evening we all went out for dinner and then a few of us went to the BEST show I've seen in awhile. We saw Deep Sea in 3D!!!! It was awesome! It was this 3D imax thing on everything under the ocean. I was so into it and so absolutely amazed!!! There are things under the ocean that are so undeniably God, it's unreal! So, here we are in our super fasionable 3D glasses.

The Mark Center

I now reside in a retreat center called The Mark Center. My whole team is there and we are a part of a short term missions training program with MBMSI called TREK. They have plugged us into this program so we can have a few months to live together and get to know each other better before we go to Thailand. I'm incredibly grateful for this time to work through things with the team now.

Sooooo....there have been some developments concerning our team and it seems like things are finally coming together for us to go!!! We have not known where we were going to language school and there was some talk of us having to study in Bangkok because there were no other openings. Bangkok was definitely our first choice. We wanted to be in Lop Buri but were told that we would not be able to get into the school until August. That was difficult as we want to be in Thailand before that time. Well, just on Friday we got an email from Thailand saying that there are openings for our team in Lop Buri for June 2nd! Praise God!!! So, the plan is to leave at the end of April, spend a month orienting ourselves and then begin language school. I'm very excited!

Until that time I shall be in Abbotsford with my team, and then I shall return to Alberta in March where I will be until we leave for Thailand. Thanks for all your prayers and your concerns for me. I'm doing well although a bit tired from all this traveling. God is good and I have been incredibly encouraged by those I have connected with on my travels. I would love to hear from you, so write or comment so I can know what's going on in your lives.

Change of Plans...

I got a phone call this morning from head office and plans for my next few months have changed slightly. Brace yourself folks... I am moving back to Abbotsford on Monday ....yes, Monday.

I believe this to totally be of God. We have been praying for God's timing and his plans, and He seems to have something different in mind for us. For the next two months the whole team will be a part of a discipleship school (run by MBMSI) for the purpose of getting to know each other as a team (living in the same quarters should help), to spend lots of time together in prayer, and to be challenged spiritually through speakers and those we are living in community with. This all came quite suddenly, but I'm really excited about it.

Now, as most of you know, I have some speaking engagements all lined up throughout Alberta and I will still be doing most of those. The only thing is, I will be in Abbotsford during the week, and will fly back on those weekends to speak. Please pray for strength as this is going to be a very intense month for me.

Here is a rough schedule for me for the next few months...
January 7th: Sunrise Church in Edmonton
January 8th: Fly to Abbotsford to begin training
January 13th: Fly back to Edmonton and drive back to Three Hills
January 14th: The Gathering Place Church in Airdrie
January 15th: Fly back to Abbotsford
January 20th: Fly back to Alberta
January 21st: Linden MB Church in the morning, and Sema church in Calgary in the evening
January 22nd: Fly back to Abbotsford where I will remain for the duration of training (ending March 5th)
March 11th: Saddleridge Community Church in Calgary

There will be a few more speaking engagements in there after March 11th, but they just aren't set up at the moment...and from there, our team (Lord willing) will be heading out to Thailand sometime mid April.

To those of you I had planned on getting together with, I apologize for my sudden departure but I will be back!!! I shall return to Three Hills for March and some of April.

Please be praying for our team as we spend these next few months together and for continued flexibility as the plans change everyday. God knows best and we trust in his leading and timing!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years. Mine was fantastic! It was so wonderful to be with my family again and to connect with good friends. Love you mom and dad!!! (and Amanda and David)...