Hi everybody!
It's been a long week! I feel like I've both been here forever and like I just got here yesterday...if that makes any sense. On Wednesday night the Kaleo team got back from hiking to the top of Mount Albert-Edward in Strathcona Park, which explains the photo above. The Kaleo intern, Jordan, is an incredible photographer so I thought that I would take this opportunity to show off his skill, as well as our good-looking group!
It's been a long week! I feel like I've both been here forever and like I just got here yesterday...if that makes any sense. On Wednesday night the Kaleo team got back from hiking to the top of Mount Albert-Edward in Strathcona Park, which explains the photo above. The Kaleo intern, Jordan, is an incredible photographer so I thought that I would take this opportunity to show off his skill, as well as our good-looking group!
I'm just getting settled into my new adopted church called St. John's...it's Anglican. I didn't know how big a stretch it would be as I'm so used to Peace Mennonite in Richmond, but we really are quite similar. I'm sure that it will take more than two Sundays to see all of the differences, but they've made me feel incredibly welcomed and loved so it works for me!
I'm going to be pretty involved with the youth ministry there, which really isn't something I was expecting, but I'm feeling really good about it. The leader, Kathryn is a really awesome woman who has some really great ideas and really needed help, so I'm looking forward to working alongside her. What initially drew me to the church was their "Solid Rock" ministry. The church prepares a dinner for disadvantaged people in the Duncan area, and then we sit down with them and share some food and stories. Fortunately, Kathryn decided that the youth would help out with that this week so I got to prepare a meal, talk to some interesting people and start building friendships with the members of St. John's.
I didn't realize that the youth would be leaving at 8:00 that night, so I helped clean up the church and got to spend a good chunk of time talking to Diane and Jim in their car until my ride came. Diane plays a huge at the Solid Rock, and she's got a heart for God like no one's business. She's also one of the funniest people ever and speaks from the heart (or "shoots it straight from the hip", as she would say), so it didn't take much energy to love her. I was sitting beside her in church yesterday and she made me feel her knee because it's half metal and she started joking about being the bionic woman. Good times. Oh, did I forget to mention that Diane and Jim met because they had been in several musicals together, and that Jim is a painter? It's almost as if there is some divine being out there making me feel right at home or something...imagine that!
And then there is Kaleo. How do I explain how active my mind has been here? I need time of solitary just to contemplate my time of solitary! However, living with 25 other exceptional students...time alone is something that I really need to make an effort to get. Which I haven't.
I'm going to be pretty involved with the youth ministry there, which really isn't something I was expecting, but I'm feeling really good about it. The leader, Kathryn is a really awesome woman who has some really great ideas and really needed help, so I'm looking forward to working alongside her. What initially drew me to the church was their "Solid Rock" ministry. The church prepares a dinner for disadvantaged people in the Duncan area, and then we sit down with them and share some food and stories. Fortunately, Kathryn decided that the youth would help out with that this week so I got to prepare a meal, talk to some interesting people and start building friendships with the members of St. John's.
I didn't realize that the youth would be leaving at 8:00 that night, so I helped clean up the church and got to spend a good chunk of time talking to Diane and Jim in their car until my ride came. Diane plays a huge at the Solid Rock, and she's got a heart for God like no one's business. She's also one of the funniest people ever and speaks from the heart (or "shoots it straight from the hip", as she would say), so it didn't take much energy to love her. I was sitting beside her in church yesterday and she made me feel her knee because it's half metal and she started joking about being the bionic woman. Good times. Oh, did I forget to mention that Diane and Jim met because they had been in several musicals together, and that Jim is a painter? It's almost as if there is some divine being out there making me feel right at home or something...imagine that!
And then there is Kaleo. How do I explain how active my mind has been here? I need time of solitary just to contemplate my time of solitary! However, living with 25 other exceptional students...time alone is something that I really need to make an effort to get. Which I haven't.
This weekend I worked in the kitchen preparing food for the Trinity Western leadership team (380 students), and polished up my belaying skills on the climbing wall.
Tomorrow I'll be going sailing with the SALTS until Friday which is apparently a HUGE deal (because everyone who has done it loved it), but I'm trying to have zero expectations. I'm really excited though. I'd like to get as much homework done as possible before we go, though... as I'm apparently the slowest worker here (but so was Abe Lincoln and he led a nation)!
Anyways, I really miss you all at home... I have always been thankful for the incredible friendships I have at home, but being with this diverse group of people and realizing that none of them is anything like people from home forces me to recognize how special all of you are.
Please remember the Kaleo team and I as we go on our sailing trip. I may be leading youth this Friday because Kathryn may not be there, and I haven't spent anytime alone with the youth...or even met all of them, so if you would pray that I'm able to connect with them and run everything smoothly I would really appreciate it.
SO much agape right now,
Kevin
Tomorrow I'll be going sailing with the SALTS until Friday which is apparently a HUGE deal (because everyone who has done it loved it), but I'm trying to have zero expectations. I'm really excited though. I'd like to get as much homework done as possible before we go, though... as I'm apparently the slowest worker here (but so was Abe Lincoln and he led a nation)!
Anyways, I really miss you all at home... I have always been thankful for the incredible friendships I have at home, but being with this diverse group of people and realizing that none of them is anything like people from home forces me to recognize how special all of you are.
Please remember the Kaleo team and I as we go on our sailing trip. I may be leading youth this Friday because Kathryn may not be there, and I haven't spent anytime alone with the youth...or even met all of them, so if you would pray that I'm able to connect with them and run everything smoothly I would really appreciate it.
SO much agape right now,
Kevin
1 comment:
Hey Kevin,
I'm looking forward to your blog on the sailing trip. So great to keep up with your new life at Kaleo this way. I know you'll be a fantastic youth leader. And I'm glad you're connecting with your church in other ways as well. When are you coming back to the Vancouver area for a visit? I hope you'll have time to connect over Starbucks. Many, many blessings to you, my brother.
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