Tonight Brock and I decided to cook up some of our elk meat provided by Peter's mom.
We tried to make so many different things and it just turned out being stew.
Let me tell you, it was such a rad stew.
Everyone who tried it LOVED it.
And we feel really good about ourselves now.


Last night we had a spur of the moment sleep over at my friend Peter's house.

He lives on a rad farm.

Our first official act was to build a wimpy campfire out of trash and some branches. Peter proceeded to almost fall in the fire... kicking snow in it and nearly putting it out.

On the way inside Brock stepped on my boot causing it to come off. I couldn't reach down and put it back on because I was so bundled up. I was left walking back to the house in the bitter cold in four feet of snow with no shoe.

Inside, we sat around a fire in the living room and drank tea to get warm.

In the morning we went to Peter's church and made perogies. We also helped Peter's mom make cake balls with pink icing and sprinkles.

Brock and Pete's dad tried to start the snow mobile so we could go driving in the field. But it was a fail so we just stayed inside and ate cake balls.

Peter's mom sent us all home with some elk meat.

It was a really great Saturday night/Sunday morning.



This week at family dinner we all made homemade pizza! It was the best dinner yet! After devouring all our delicious pizza we went over to Brock's to watch Law Abiding Citizen.

A snowball fight broke out between the family and it was so much fun.
After the movie we went outside, only to be sabotaged by the boys next door who began pelting snow balls at us. After ten minutes of defense we knew the only way out was through the mass of heathens. We ran, chunking snowballs with all our might while guarding our faces. After being thrown in the snow multiple times we finally made it back to my house safely. LeeAnna and I hid with snow behind the inside door and when Brock came in we smothered him... in the process getting snow all over our entry way. We didn't even clean it up (a perk of not having parents here).

We were lucky that the four feet of snow is beginning to melt because it works great for snowball fights. Canadians enjoy that sort of thing... playing outside in the cold. I guess I am beginning to see why.


Kids Travel Company, often known as KTC is a phrase most HMSers dread hearing. In my program we have to do a certain amount of ministry every semester and each ministry event is assigned by the powers that be, this semester I got stuck with three whole days of KTC.


Let me expand on the concept of KTC... It is a program that travels around to schools and churches (even overseas) and does kids ministry in the form of services, worship dances, snacks, and crafts, among other things.

The type of person who loves KTC is usually a hyper individual who is very outspoken and could be described as overwhelming at times. OR often times the motherly type who has wanted kids from the moment of their first baby doll... I, for one, fit into none of these categories (despite my undying love for baby dolls as a child) and the thought of spending all day with a pack of rowdy North American kids (I love Haitian children) absolutely makes me tick.

So I approached this week begging God for a good attitude and for Him to open my heart.

To my surprise I had a blast with the kids this week, leading worship and doing crafts. I treasure the times I spent with them after the service when they would ask me for prayer. I realize now that I have been underestimating children when it comes to their faith in God. Some of the things they would ask me to pray for were things I, myself, was struggling with; the burdens these kids bare for their lost family members and friends are heart breaking.

This caused me to think back to when I was their age. I remember a little foster girl my family kept who got hurt very badly by a man and that is when I first really prayed to God. I made a deal with Him-- if You save her life I will go to church all summer, every Sunday... Now I know that is not really how it works, but the fact is that I had such a heart for this baby girl when I was so young. Children are so much more aware than I give them credit for.

This past week I have learned so much about God and His little children, He has shown me that if you really go into a situation with prayer and an open heart He can change so much inside of you.

I can safely say that I am thankful for North American kids ministry even though I am definitely not called to do it; bless those who are.


Watch your thoughts; they eventually become your words.

Watch your words; they eventually become your actions.

Watch your actions; they eventually become your habits.

Watch your habits; they eventually become your character.

Watch your character; it eventually becomes your destiny.


-- Adam Barnett, my lovely friend


Tonight LeeAnna and I had an accountability meeting and then made breakfast for dinner.
Complete with dance party, don't you fret.
We made some very tasty eggs and giant pancakes (that I flipped without breaking)!


Tonight we went to Boston Pizza (a place Canadians love) for a friend's birthday party.
It was super fun and the night ended with free cupcakes at Starbucks!
We also enjoyed the new Office episode when we got home.
(pictured: Marissa and Kent; Brock and I... the end of the table crew)


Last night we had our weekly family dinner with a bunch of people from Vanguard.
It was our night to cook.We made chicken alfredo!
LeeAnna and Brock, my best Canadians.




This weekend was the HMS retreat. We started it off with some team building activities and going out for Thai food. The official list of places I am going are: Philippines, Thailand, and China. The Thai that we ate last night might have been the spiciest thing I have ever had, but it was still so good and a challenge to finish it all. We finished the night off by watching a documentary about Jim Elliott and his legacy in Ecuador.

Today we went out to lunch for Hong Kong style Dim Sum. Let me tell you it was an adventure. We had to eat duck and chicken feet, cow stomach (tripe, pictured above), and an entire fish... bones and all. The fish was the hardest for me but I plowed through. My team did so well at smiling as they ate the grossest stuff... They said it was the first year with no tears.

This afternoon we went on a giant scavenger hunt in an Asian grocery store with our teams
which ended by eating duck egg soup.

This retreat was such a wonderful bonding experience. The guest speaker taught us a lot about
character and brought us all together.

Tonight we watched the Packers game and now we are making cookies.


It has been awhile.
Ten things that make me terribly happy.
1. going to the movies.
2. home.
3. going out to eat.
4. my cowboy boots.
5. ummm gourmet coffee... even though I am trying to lay off...
6. when there is food in my fridge... which there is not.
7. rain.
8. driving.
9. being warm.
10. my camera.




In making my new year's resolution this year I chose something practical and attainable. I decided that I would not drink any drinks this year besides water or tea (unless something is forced upon me in Asia).


I forgot that this also excludes Starbucks drinks or gourmet coffee...

I have had like a million already.



I long for a time with no obligations looming. A time where I can finally read those books I bought long ago that are now collecting dust on my shelf. I want to spend my time with my nose in a book or listening to soft jazz in my car. I want to lay beside the water and have nothing better to do than listen to the waves.


I long for summer and endless time.


Last night some of my best girls and I went out for pizza at the wedge, went to cuppies, and had a rockin' sleep over... which consisted of movies, tea, and our ever-famous story game.



to follow the trend of a "year in review." A little late, I know. I am going to make this short.


2010 brought maybe the craziest year of my whole life.

I began the year by attending Sarah Lawrence College in NY. I left that summer thinking that I would be back at SLC at the start of the next semester.

I traveled to Haiti where I spent my whole summer with the most amazing people I know (I am not exaggerating)... It was there God changed my heart. He brought me health of the mind and heart and with that He brought direction. I think it is safe to say that all who interned at Mission of Hope the summer of 2010 were changed, for the better. It was so amazing to see God's divine appointments there with all of us. I am so thankful.

So in Haiti I felt God showing me not to return to NY or SLC. Instead, He led me to Canada. Weird, eh? I never thought in my whole life that something like that would happen. But I will follow if He leads. It was through a friend I met in Haiti that brought me to a missions program in Canada.

It has proved to be amazing. I mean, of course it is. I have made some really great friends and I have actually learned a ton. And I am traveling to Asia for two months in the Spring.

It is just amazing to look back on a year and see what God has done. I have been told "you lead the best life, it is so exciting." All I have to say is it is because I am following God any where He leads. And with that as my goal I know my life will never cease to be amazing.


After eating our fill of Pad Thai and painting our faces we got there just in time to see the opening act. Wayne Coyne traveled across the audience in a plastic bubble, among other things. It was a night of dressing up and dancing. The auditorium was filled with the smell of weed and since it was full of drunk hippies it gave us an excuse to dance like we wanted to, free of judgement. Naturally we waved our hands in the air and moved our bodies in time with the psychedelic music.

At the exact moment that the year changed from 2010 to 2011 I was running. Running, not thinking of how far this interesting, wonderful, and messy year has brought me, but running. We were running back stage to be the first to play in a pile of what must have been a thousands of giant balloons that were making their way to the crowd. As I ran and the seconds counted down until the ever-famous "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I saw people kissing their significant others... or random people for that matter. I remember making it back stage and being engulfed in a sea or color.

Last night was probably the best New Years I have experienced in my whole life
thanks to the Flaming Lips and great friends.

These are the days of our youth, the days I am certain will someday cause nostalgia.



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