Favourite Olympic Sport

Well as my random blog this week I am going to say what I love to watch during the olympics.  Since I didn't get a chance to watch any of the competitions yet I think that I can change the question to be, after all the olympics are over what is the one sport or match or game that I wished I got to see.

Well, I am a true Figure Skater fan, I have watched the great ones as Elizabeth Manley, and Brian Orser competed in 1988.  The Kurt Browning and Elvis Stoyko.  Nothing beats the anxiety of watching and waiting for excellence or a little slip.  The heart breaking story of Joannie got me here, I read stories of the tragic news that her mother died and how she continued skating.  Yes, there is a tear in my eye even as I recall the moments.  Way to go, to a wonderful woman, with the strength and courage to go on and win a medal for our country!  I also, wished I got to see the ice dancing pairs as they gracefully glide on the ice, I remember Shaelynn Bourne and her partner do it last!

Well, a close tie with Figure Skating a completely different type of sport, Men's Hockey...now there is only a few games that you can ever miss in the world, All Star Hockey, World Tournaments and Olympic Hockey, now if you want to see the best of the best...stay tuned.  All I can say is that I wished that I got to see that game, I was nervous before I went to bed that night, for excitement that was yet to come.  I would like to say the cheering woke me up, but that was not to be this year!

Now, one of those weird sports that I like watching, sometimes not all the time is curling, it is memorizing but also exciting at the same time.  It is a slower sport but is also one of those sports as strategic as it may be, changes at any moment.  Another sport that Canada took Gold in that I am proud to say is a good sport to watch.

That would be all the ones that I would be interested in, others like skeleton and luge, bobsleigh, and skiing...not too much of an art for me...start at the top...slide down.  Oh and try not to get hurt along the way!

Now if you were to ask someone here, Winter Olympics was not much of an excitement on their radar.  The reactions were, oh yeah those are on, hockey? what do you mean?  Curling? that's a sport? So with all that harassment, on top of it not proudly displaying my Canadian flag in the office, who knew?  I continually am being razzed as I am not Canadian, because I don't speak french and I am not a proud Canadian.  If only I know I had to adorn myself in the Canadian Maple Leaf, I would've come much more prepared.

So...as a proud Canadian, and proud of the Vancouver Olympics...hats off to everyone in Canada for making the pride and patriotic excitement reach to Africa, and beyond! 

Beautiful Christian Woman!

Dear Ladies

I found this reminder, take heed and make your life to reflect that of a Beautiful Christian Woman!

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

That a man should have to seek Him first to find her

When I say that 'I am a Christian',

I am not shouting that 'I am clean living.

I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect.

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Today is Beautiful Christian Woman's Day.

Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful. 

Fear - Trust - Faith

Sometimes, when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside, and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid. -Elizabeth Elliot.

So this week I have come across two quotes this week, both speak so true to the journey I have been on. It has been a while since I have poured out my heart on my blog and I think it is about darn time again!

It is like the question of what do you fear the most? Why do you fear it? I am not saying that as Christian's we shouldn't have fear in our lives. I was watching one season of Amazing Race, the girl that was on the show had a fear of heights and of water, and also proclaimed to be a Christian. It made me wonder how does she trust God if she allows these fears to get her in way.

I am not saying that having no fear doesn't mean that what you do is not of God, I think that we all experience fear, hesitation, resistance, and rebellion in some way. We use that against God in what He wants us to do for the great good. What would've happened if some of the greatest Biblical figures did what God called them to do with out some fear.

Fear = Faith

So easily fear can be turned into Faith, to believe that doing this is for the greater good, for a God that we serve.  What if Noah didn't build the ark, for fear that it wouldn't hold, what if Abraham didn't sacrifice his child, for a selfish fear of losing a family member.  What if's could go on.  Doing something about it is putting a full faith and trust in God that He will provide, in more ways than you can ever imagine.

What is it that God is calling you to do?  Does it sound scary?  Is God going to be glorified doing it?

I have the pleasure of having a sense of adventure, not afraid to try something new, change (I love it).

I also have things that I am not so comfortable doing, like I don't know how to swim, so I don't like water sports, but I have gone white water rafting, I have been pulled behind a boat on an inner tube until I have flown off.  Things like that, is like following God in what He wants you to do, things that you are not comfortable with but have a blast doing it and are glad that you tried it once it was over.

I don't think that everyone has been called into missions, mission for everyone is different, for most it means going into all the places of the world and spreading the gospel, for some it is a service opportunity, for others it is just a pure joy in using their gifts that God has enabled them with to serve the people that need love and support and want to see God working through them.

Being on the mission field I have the pleasure of working with all these great people, those that share the gospel, those that come to work for God.

I have also had the pleasure to working with regular people that I know from home too, those that are normal every day people that have a passion to work with children on a soccer team, in ringette programs.  Those that work with seniors, work at a coffee shop.  These people are more than gifted but do it for their own glory.  There is nothing wrong with this, but the point that I want to make is that we all can do something.

Find something that you can do, that you have a passion to do, don't let fear hold you back from discovering a true potential.  I have even been thinking of a career change, wondering if there is something that I love to do that I can turn around as a career, I have thought of becoming a nanny, opening up my own spa, and even an event organizer.

There are so many possibilities, it doesn't have to be life changing but life enhancing, God will use you!

"There is nothing-no circumstance, no trouble, no testing-that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me.  If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment, but as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is."
Alan Redpath

2 months and 2 weeks to go!

Ok, one of the factors that I don't think about every day but I love to remind those that are waiting for me at home, how much longer...well today it is 2 months and 2 weeks to go.  I knew that the months were going to fly by starting in November, with many things and travels to take place.  I still have exciting times ahead for me, as a trip to Mombasa, and a possible trip back to Mt Longonot, the mountain that conquered me in not feeling so well.

Today I have been told to get a Canadian Flag and be proud that the Canadian women beat out the American's at hockey!  Monday's orders are to have my office look Canadian!  Especially since the Canadian's have the same amount of Gold medals as the USA, we are doing just as good as them!  Talk about extreme patriotism!  Hopefully Canada can come through this weekend in Curling and the men's hockey...I so wish that I was able to watch the games, but atlas the internet news stories are my informational resource!

So...see you all in 2 months 2 weeks...once the winter thaw has commenced!

Highlight

Ok, after the day of everything going wrong, I had a good reminder that in all things big or small give it to God.

After all the fun things I did this past weekend, I forgot what was the highlight for me...I got to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games.  Fortunately I was in the right place at the right time, being at RVA there just seems that everything is that much more special and enjoying it with family, I will always remember where I was when I watched the Olympics.

We even enjoyed some of the commercials, where are rare here, having a good laugh at the Coke commercials, and even enjoy Tom Brokaw's view of Canada.

I also wanted to mention...check out the little surveys along the side I will be sure to write a whole blog on what I miss the most, craving and what I don't take for granted anymore.  I want to hear your views!  And in no way will they affect my votes!

Be Blessed!

Some things...!

Well the excitement of the caterpillar continues, last night I found a rash in a spot that I am not too happy about!  Lets just say, caterpillar must've been on my underwear.  I know almost too much information, but just as the spot on my arm is disappearing and has been itchy all week, welcome to the world of bugs in East Africa.

So this weekend was a blur, I managed to get up to RVA for the first time in a few months, ok since Christmas, and yes I did miss a whole lot of fun things.  RVA has had the worse flu out break the last couple of months, with a stomach virus, cold/flu, and H1N1.  So I smartly avoided the place like the plague!  All is better now, but at the worse point they had over 120 students and staff sick.  The stomach virus, which I wasn't so lucky to avoid started at Christmas, ended up being directly affected by their water, which is usually fresh well water, is now being treated.  Also, one of the teachers (actually Titus' second grade teacher) was diagnosed with a severe case of typhoid, being unable to teach for the last five weeks.  So in my right mind, I didn't...wasn't willing...to expose myself to that!

So this weekend up at RVA was Senior Banquet, this is almost as exciting as Graduation, but all the girls came out in their best dresses, the men in their best suits and the class sponsor all cleaned up well looking spiffy and nice.  It was a great time to experience, the hall was decorated as they were going to Greece, it was spectacular!  With a huge Mt. Olympus in the background and the test of Greek that we knew...I even asked if Hummus counted...not so lucky!

The kids are all changing once again, I walked in and Ella unfortunately had a huge fall in the afternoon and had the littlest fattest lip ever, she was trying to ice her lip and eat at the same time.  Cassidy, was amazed that my hair looked nice (thanks Cassidy) but then noticed that my makeup was done, and I was dressed nice...I told her that happens when I just come from work.  FYI my hair gets drastically shorter up at Kijabe, there is definitely more moisture in the air there.  Titus was intently telling me about the spiders that they found in his old bed, that caused him to get a new bed.  Guess where I was sleeping that night!  Guess who tried not to think of spiders that night!!

Ella, has changed so much since I was out last, she has taken to speaking in full sentences, and pronunciation.  From the little girl that called me Aunt Joe, it is now Aunt Jo-elle, and clear I might add.  She then was excited about going to see the decorations for the banquet, but as we were getting ready she said that she was going to the banquelet, and then quickly corrected herself to say the Banquet, and then proceeded to laugh hysterically at herself for saying it wrong. 

Cassidy and I played with her Polly pockets this weekend as well, and as a 30 something year old...does playing pretend ever get old?  Well I tell you...it gets more fun!  Cassidy was pretending something...but then didn't like it...so she declared she was erasing it and starting over.  I was like...you can erase? I thought you just pretend again!  We laughed, ok I laughed and couldn't stop!

It was a great and relaxing weekend, though quite needed after the ride up there, where I almost got ran off the road at one point and then the same dude decided to park in the lane that I was trying to turn off in.  But I made it there and back unscathed. 

Otherwise the week was quiet, but busy on the work front, I have had my first full week in the office with Alan, and things are going well, I am learning and stretching at the same time.  Figuring out of what I need to do and how to do it, and learning to work more with the Kenyans or the Kenyan way to do it.  Nothing is easy.

Today was one of those days that everything that could go wrong did, I managed to lose a pretty important document, tried to figure out how to order books to end up in Kenya ended up ordering books that would've ended up at mom's house in Canada (thankfully I managed to cancel it)  I was ready to cry at this point.  But as I was able to figure it out, and still unable to find the document, ....ok...as I was typing this...I replayed it going through my hand and found it...it was tucked in a slot between my desk and the drawer...I am happy...two big major issues...all good now!

So as my day has gotten better, I am done...ready to go home!

Have a great day...as you all start yours!

Be Blessed!