and sometimes i miss it more than i care to admit.
i promise you, manhattan, we shall meet again someday.
Just a quick update.
I am part of a team planting a church in my neighborhood
aka the ghetto/one of the worst neighborhoods in Edmonton.
Today we prayed around our new building, which is a community
center. Next Sunday we are having a free kick off
carnival! Please pray for us and our church.
I am so excited to get to know people in my community and
help them find joy. I am beyond excited to
be a part of peoples' lives in my neighborhood.
Pray for the students involved (it is about twelve of us), we are
planting with a friend's dad who is a pastor.
I am so excited to gain experience in planting churches
and to see broken people find life.
How about instead of preaching the Gospel we
do the Gospel.
Last night our friend Patrick randomly called us
with the offer of free tickets to the newsboys concert.
We had nothing better to do so Mandi and I went.
We didn't even stay for the newsboys but we saw two
really great bands. Johnny Diaz and Junk Yard Poets.
Last night my roommate Mandi and I went to a stellar show.
We got there early and hung out with one of the acts-- Jason Zerbin.
His most famous song is here.
He began as a worship pastor but has taken off in the
secular music industry... this song was on Degrassi! Haha.
So anyway Mandi, Andrew, Jason, and I walked through the
A&W drive thru.
The best band by far was Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk.
You can check them out here.
Over all, it was suchhhhh a great night and a rad show.
I love getting to know amazing new people.
Last night my roommate Mandi and I went for dinner
at Block 1910, which is a great coffee shop/restaurant
that makes all their food from scratch in the store.
After our great food we went to a show
at Wunder Bar that I will post pictures from later!
{1. cafe 1910 2. my boots matching the comfy chairs 3. yummies}
Recently, I have been so infatuated with God.
I have been craving His word more than ever.
Recently, I have been desiring to love others like He does more than ever.
I never want to go back to how I was before this point.
Only forward.
Let Your love pump through my veins.
Let me see people with Your eyes.
We gave little Dallas a bath today because he just enjoys
stepping in his own poop.
He did so well in the water, not even a peep came out of him...
which was a blessing because he meows 24/7.
He looks like a little rat.
If anyone has any advice on how to get your cat to stop
meowing all the time let me know.
He just likes to talk to himself as he walks around.
Like I said... a little special.
Last night we were hanging out at some our guy friends' house
and they ordered a huge greasy pizza...
ever since, I have not stopped thinking about it.
So then I convinced my roommates to get pizza.
We went to this chain pizza place that serves legit
Italian style pies, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria.
And for dessert... nutella and banana pizza.
(Marissa and Mandi-- two of my roommates)
It was about three hours of hiking mostly steep beautiful pathways.
The hike was definitely a physical challenge for me but my group
ended up making it to the top first! I was so proud.
Our group name was the Sneaky Mooses. Yes, we know
mooses is not a word...
I had so much fun on the Jasper retreat this year.
I can safely say that it was so much better than Jasper last year.
Praise God for the beauty of nature and new friends made!
1. Marissa and I cliff jumping into glacier water
2. The Northern Lights
On Saturday we woke up early in our tents frozen.
Eventually it warmed up that day enough to wear shorts!
We went white water rafting and cliff jumping.
It was SO much fun.
Last year I copped out of cliff jumping but this year Marissa (one of
my roommates) and I went for it.
The weather was so warm there was no reason not to.
The water was SO cold. I felt like my skin was peeling off
my body... but still it was a great experience.
That night we discussed true community and how God
designed us to be in community with each other.
That night while making banana boats in the fire
we saw the Northern Lights like no one had ever seen them before.
They started small but soon filled the sky.
They danced and changed colors.
I have never seen God's glory so obviously
displayed in my entire life.
This weekend we had our annual SWD Jasper retreat.
The first day I had so much fun getting to know the new first years.
The weather was amazing this year.
We had so much fun playing on the flats (pictured above).
We discussed our societal norm of striving for independence
when we should be striving to be fully dependent on God.
Without Him we can do nothing.
(Me, Chelsea, and Becky)
These past few days of school have taught me to hunger
so fully for the Lord and to love people without holding
anything back.
There are so many new people here this year and each one
of them has something amazing to offer.
I have really been pushing myself out of my comfort zone
trying to make them feel at home here.
With beauty and hunger for God comes distraction
and attack from the enemy.
I am learning what it means to fix my eyes on Jesus and
nothing else. or no one else.
My God is all I need.
all I want.
forever.
Each day I want to fill my heart with nothing but Him.
I want Jesus' love to be pumping through my veins.
I want to see people with the value that He sees in them.
Wash me white as snow. Remake me. Mold me.
Challenge me and let me accept challenges with grace.
Make me more like Your Son.
today my roommates and i ventured down whyte ave,
which is the hipster trendy area of our fine city.
this week it has been so hot out.
we scavenged at a thrift store near our house and bought curtains
and lots of great decorations.
the most beautiful wall in our house is covered by giant pictures
of cats that we came across at the thrift store. and when i say
pictures i mean blown up photographs.
they. are. hilarious.
tomorrow is the first day of school.
i am so excited.
on my last night in ontario i went to niagara falls.
it was such a beautiful sight.
we rode the farris wheel at night and looked down on
the falls all lit up.
we also played dinosaur mini golf...
now i am back in edmonton.
i can safely say that my trip to ontario was
one of the best vacations i have ever been on!
