Part II: February Travels

Where did I leave off...right...llamas.

After leaving Washington I headed up to Vancouver, BC to reconnect with a few more people. Some highlights included:

1) Meeting family for the first time and finding out they're great!!

The Lanigan crew:)

2) Seeing friends that used to be students of mine!

Kedar, Jillian & Stephen

3) Meeting up with ol' Three Hills friends~

Ruth & Jen

Melissa & Daniel

Jason

4) And meeting NEW friends! :)

Meta-communites

In addition I conquered Vancouver traffic, caught up with other dear friends (sans camera) and shared about where I'll be heading overseas.

Thank you to all of you who gave me a place to stay, a meal, coffee, and encouragement. I am not able to do this without you!

~ApRiL

Newsletter 1 is out!

If you're not currently signed up for newsletters and would like to be, then send me your mailing address & email and I'll get one out to you asap!

Thanks friends!

ApRiL

Drugs and misunderstandings!?!

I spent 2 weeks in Nampa, Idaho at MAF-US's base where I joined a group of people who will also be serving as pilot/mechanic families in various places around the world. I learned that MAF does not serve in "bird" countries. I don't mean there are no birds in the country, more so that they aren't easy countries. In my class alone, 2 families are moving to East Congo and 2 are heading to Indonesia, plus 2 serving in restricted countries. It was so great to be a part of this class and to learn more about MAF US. As the token Canadian, they welcomed me with open arms:) I met with the staff and they invited me to come into an "on-loan" agreement to their organization - which essentially means "I've been adopted into the family!" Not many people get to have a Canadian Family and US Family!

From there I started the visiting extravaganza. First headed to Pullman, WA where the Olsen's provided a wonderful relaxing weekend for me. I got some great loose leaf tea which I was super excited to try, but alas, Homeland Security confiscated it from my checked baggage as what I can only guess... I'm sure drugs don't smell like mint or rooibos, however I wouldn't know.

Anywho, then I flew to Portland, OR and drove down to Salem to visit an old friend and meet her kiddos. Now here's a story for you~ Knowing that I was about to spend some time in Eugene, my dear friend tells me we must go and get a Beaver's shirt (Oregon State) because they're huge football fans in Eugene and I better be wearing the right shirt. So she proceeds to buy me a Beavers Hoodie with the strict instructions to make sure I wear it with pride and everyone will adopt me as their own. I'm a sucker for instant friends:) So I drive down to Eugene, OR with my hoodie handy and on the second day I put it on with pride! As I was about to leave the house with my face beaming, my dear friends confront me on my attire. They say - you may want to be careful out there wearing that shirt! I proceed to tell them how my friend specifically bought it for me to support the team down here and that's when I learned that Eugene IS passionate about football and they DO have team spirit and that would be for the DUCKS! The Oregon Ducks! DUCKS!!!!!! Not their rival team - The Beavers!! I laughed OUT LOUD as I realized how I was played. Four complete strangers commented on my shirt that day making the same statement - I was cheering for the wrong team.

From Eugene, I drove up to Longview, WA to visit another great family. We had a quick visit and as I looked out their kitchen window, I was surprised to see a llama in their backyard - mere feet away from the window. Yup they have a llama for a pet! In fact it's a "camping" llama! It carries the gear when they go camping - how handy! Because llamas are herd animals, they also have an alpaca for company! They would tell me how they would load the llama into their mini van along with the kids and head to their favourite hiking spots. Love it! Now they have a horse trailer - so those days are done.

The Sweater & The Llama

And so friends, I hope you enjoyed the stories of the first half of my traveling adventures.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Thoughts from a girl with squishy boots

I was on the road for 3 weeks and through that time I had the opportunity to reconnect with friends that I haven't seen in a few months to several years. Seeing each and every one of you blessed my heart and I was privileged to hear your stories of joy, frustration, courage & disappointments . I am grateful that you allowed me to step into your world- despite the challenges many of you are facing.

Throughout the course of my travels, the Lord has been bringing to light my unspoken expectations; surprisingly my expectations of relationships. I have had a history of unrealistic expectations. It was these that led me on a path of burnout several years ago. Although I feel I have overcome on the work front, personally I still have some work to do. I am realizing that my expectations are too high when it comes to people. This is a problem. For we all know - even I do - that people will fail. I will inevitably fail. Unmet expectations.

What do you do?

I wrote the above this morning and actually had to stop and put the computer aside b/c I didn't know how to respond. I came across a blog of a woman who wrote a post today called "This Is The Person You Will Hurt". She talks about brokenness and how it comes to light in close relationships - specifically marriage. That this brokenness causes you to hurt one another. And forgiveness is how you will heal each other. This is the person you will be asked to forgive more than any other, and from whom you will need to ask forgiveness more than any other in return.

What I am realizing is that it is a guarantee that people will hurt each other and therefore I do not need to fear if and when it may occur. It will occur. Relationships are messy because people are not perfect. Hard to swallow for those overachieving perfectionists... (cough) ...like myself... (cough).

Lord, thank you for starting to show me where my thoughts are misconstrued.

Help me to choose forgiveness when it's my turn to do so.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Back in Thrills~

Hi Everyone!~

I'm finally back in the little town of Three Hills! I have noticed since returning that there is something that this lil' place offers this time of year that the west coast does not - and that is

SUN!!

After weeks of grey skies and rain, it has been wonderful to return to such a bright place!

COLD, but sunny!

Where are my wellies???

Did your mother ever lecture you on wearing sensible shoes for every activity? My mom did:) I think this is why I cannot bring myself to wear super high heals, for that off chance I'll have to run down the street or stop by for a quick game of soccer, or ....walk. Anyways, I am presently in the Vancouver area visiting friends. I learned very quickly that rain is quite popular here these days and my Alberta soft non-waterproof moccasin-boots are not very "sensible" here. If they were made of say caribou...perhaps...but no, they are made of some other material. So although I have only a few days left in this damp area....I am on a mission to find some sensible boots:) Ones that could be worn in BC , in AB and in SE Asia. A feat that could appear impossible, but I feel I can be victorious!

It has been wonderful catching up with so many old friends these last 2 weeks! Thank you to all of you who have let me stay in your home, do laundry, feed me and just have great conversations:) It has been wonderful to be in your world and see you again!

I look forward to seeing a few more of you over the next week as well!

Till then~

April

To the Potato State I go!

Welcome & thank you to those who have recently joined the team!

Today I am ever so briefly back in Three Hills to repack & have a good night sleep. Tomorrow morning I am flying to Nampa, Idaho to start the 2 week MAF-US Candidacy Orientation. Because the place I will be serving is one of the MAF US programs, I will need to complete all of my training through Nampa, Idaho. This is the same place where I did my technical evaluation in October, but this time there is no flying, just a time of getting to know MAF-US and additional preparation for moving abroad.

After this training, I will be heading up to Pullman, Washington to visit a friend and then over to Portland, Oregon to visit a few more and then finally up to the Vancouver area in BC to visit some more of the crew. I'll be returning to Three Hills, Alberta on February 6th - just in time for my birthday:)

I ask you for your prayers as I will have a very tight traveling schedule over the next 4 weeks. Pray that I'll balance visiting with rest and that the Lord will continue to build His team and encourage all of us as He carries out His plans.

May we all reach for the Lord and find Him.

Acts 17:26-31 (NIV)

"From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. "