Pictures, parties, and plie's to the name of the Lord!

                                                                        Hey blog world!

This time you get a plethora of pictures because I want you to see what my life soft-of looks like.

However there are no words available to how awesome my experience here is.

Caitlin (below) took me on a tour of

downtown a few weeks ago. 

This is me by the Canal with the city background!

My new friend, Caitlin, and I :)

She is the epitome of a genuine person to get to know.

She also creeps-she'd fit it well at MC y'all!

Parliment!

The Canal.  SUPER awesome.

God is so cool.  Amen.

A few nights ago I went out with these lovely ladies

and shared dinner with a few, then we all met up

at 'Oh So Good' for some AWESOME dessert!

This monday-Sabbath day was awesome.  Went shopping with Caitlin, Robin, Zach, and I.  Then had some good intentional girl time with Caitlin and then Carrie.  Then that night had a 'dance' party with the Byers.  I never pictured myself being able to genuinely worship the Lord through funny dances with a 2 year old and 4 year old; though plea's, sashe's, and flipping Lilly over and over. However it was so refreshing to be able to 'dance' to the Lord with my family up here.  And just share in life with them.  It was one of my very special moments I know I will miss back in Mississippi.

This last weekend was fun with farmer's market.  I was really tired at one point of honestly just being there, but the Lord provided strength to carry me though and made the last hour super fun!

There were almost 15 kids in children's church and so it made for a very fun-filled night!  It was times like that just playing with everyone-that makes my time here worth while.
The Eagles Landing mission team comes in Friday and we have quite a bit to do before then, so I am excited to have some more college kids hanging around.

The more I get to know people the more and more I just yearn to stay here.  I am learning how vital it is to be transparent with each other to just have those deep relationships with more than 2 or 3 people.  I have shared more of my heart I intended to share but in the best way possible.  And on the contrary some wonderful ladies up here have shared some of their heart with me also.  So I can't wait to go back to school to just get to implement everything I have experienced up here.  That it's ok that life is messy and everyday isn't rainbows and sunshines.  That yea-I struggle with a whole lot, and I don't have to pretend I don't.  Such freedom is found in this fact.

Sorry for the long blog-but this is my wonderful life in the town of Ottawa! :)

resting in His promises

Here's to another great week in Canada!  Well right after I blogged last time-I went and got epically lost on the bus route and called Jason freaking out a little.  But alas I did get back home!
I have tried so many different awesome foods made by Carrie is crazy:
-potato salad
-meat loaf with some random good stuff
-coleslaw (not a fan)
-mac and cheese with spinach and salami
-sea animal intestines (not a fan either) (not made by Carrie)
Yup that has been the best part so far-is getting out of my cute little 'bubble' of chicken sandwiches everyday.
I also love going random places to just 'meet' people and get to form random relationships-I really hope to come back to Mississippi and be torn a little.  Becasue that means that I made relationships here that I don't want to leave; it means that both parties were transparent with one antother.

So right now I wish I had some awesome ‘story’ of what the Lord is teaching me. However I have nothing actually. Which is exactly what He wants me to learn and pour out; that sometimes He is not going to teach some dramatic lesson weekly. Or that when someone asks ‘what has the Lord been teaching you’, you don’t have to have some awesome answer like we all feel we need to have. Instead He is subconsciously teaching me to wait-to chill. To just REST in His timing of life; even though crazy family stuff, kids acting out and screaming all the time, annoying moments, and whatever else is making me question what the Lord is doing.
Because in Romans 8:28 it says, “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This means that all the ‘bad’ things in the world-God WILL use for good because it is all in His plan.

During bible study we watched this video and long story short the guy was at a point in his life that he had gotten in a dramatic car wreck and someone asked him what his answer was to why God let that happen.  And the guy said, "well to be honest, I never even pondered the question in the first place."  I was stopped dead in my tracks.  I don't know if I can ever get to a place in my life to genuinely be able to say that I don't ask God why.  I sure do ask God why on a lot of things!

Last night I went to wal-mart at 11pm and got fans for the house because FYI no A/C in the summer is pretty intense.  But for some reason I am not bothered by it-at all.  TOTALLY the Lord just confirming that this is where I am supposed to be for the summer and letting me enjoy each moment-even the ones I fleshly shouldn't-but we serve an unfleshly God who lives inside of us letting us experience moments of total peace-that was for sure one.
Today we went to Ribfest and it was LEGIT! I loved feeling temporarily down south.  Just everyone around a table talking, fellowshipping, eating messy, kids running around; it felt super great.
Yup-life is good.  However I can't wait to hug the neck of my best friends :)

Keep the Sabbath Holy

my train that I made for Farmer's Market :)

Well today I got to prepare a craft for kids to make a 'train' to go around their head!  Man-this is the life. ;)
Ok but really..this week has been super awesome of having a 'routine' of things.  Like breakfast is either a bagel or cereal.  I usually play with the kids for a little bit.
Then weekdays Jason and I head to the office to either meet with Zach or just be productive of a variety of things here.
 Friday's are 'prep' day and what I am deeming 'relationship' day to hang out with one or two people that go to Celebration!
Saturdays are farmer's market and listen to them play worship music.
Sunday is church. 
Then monday is 'sabbath'.
 
I have never honestly considered a WHOLE day of my week to be a 'sabbath' to cease from work or school and just do restful things.  It was pretty awesome to do it-if that is all I learn from all of this it is more than enough.  It is a command to keep the sabbath holy.  And this is something I have genuinely failed at for my almost 5 whole years of knowing Christ.  I want each area of my life to be His and it's cool that I am getting to fix another area here in Ottawa.

I get to attend church this week as a 'church goer' instead of a volunteer and am super excited about that.  However I LOVE living with a Christian family because though I don't get to have mass fellowship with Christians each Sunday-the house I am living at is basically like that becasue people come over ALL the time-so it's great to live with the pastor ;)

Random things I have tried this week:
-riding the bus with Jason
-riding the bus by my self (doing it tonight-EEP!)
-tried REAL spaghetti
-tried Bruchetta
-navigating through St. Pauls buidling
-pouring water into a bottle with paper (fail moment)
-Tim Hortons (like dunkin' donuts but as prevalent as McDonalds in Canada)
-went to Bulk Barn (like sams but for cooking things and you buy things by the wieght)
-made a chalkboard

Yup-that's my life thus far.  It's the best life I could ask for.  However I love Ottawa-not Canada.  I love East Asia.  My love for this place is drastically different but the same level of deepness as East Asia.  I didn't think I would ever feel that way towards such a big group of people. It's legit.

Canada life 101

I wish I had some great photos to share-however we know how much I take pictures of things like Michelle did in London.  Not so much.So I forget how long I have been here.  It's pretty awesome.  SO unlike kamp for all who are wondering.
I don't work 14 hour days slaving away at food.  However I did help 2 little girls with their daily routine ;).  I have seen first hand the best way to parent.  God has been teaching me so much this past week it is crazy.
I would be lying to say I have not encountered my share of being 'homesick' for Gulfport and my best friends.  I have-however I sincerely have asked God to put all of my heart here in Ottawa and He is fulfilling it.  Not in my timing, however it is happing and it is great!
I am starting to take charge at church with the duties that Amy did and it is pretty fun.  I love serving in this capacity.
I wish I had some awesome story of crazy things I have done-however I don't.  This is the life of a mom...or someone living with mom's and it is the best life I could ask for.  I can hardly wait to have a family and enforce some of what I have learned already.
Wierd or out of my 'groove' things:
-milk in bags
-some people leave there butter out
-they say 'eh' just like everyone assumes
-there is SUCH community which I wasn't expecting
-crime rates are rediculously low
-not as concerned with time as America
-everything is French and English (I almost said American HA)
-we eat every meal together
-no A/C

Yup....that's my life right now.  It's amazing.  Thank you for the prayers- I appreciate them, need them, and let me know how I can pray for you please.

Running towards the cheese.

As pondering how I feel currently I feel as if I am a little mouse smelling the cheese at the end of a complicated maze and yearning so badly to just get the freaking cheese.  The mouse has untold turns and barriers in his way but has his nose helping him get to the end for the reward.  I am currently stuck in DC until 9pm.  The spirit of the Lord has brought me this far and will bring me to Ottawa in HIS timing.  I was NOT expecting to actually miss the flight.  I am yearning so badly to just BE in Ottawa and start experiencing life that I am for so long yearned for.  I should be there now-eating dinner with the Byers and DeJong's.  Instead I had a delicious grilled chicken sandwich in the airport and won't get in until 11.  I was ready to start my relationships with them both tonight-however this shall be delayed until tomorrow. 
However I guess the Lord had to force me to just SIT and ponder on Him.  If this is the way He has to get my attention then that is ok.  He knows the needs of my heart better than I ever will.
So alas, I will arrive tonight His will and will begin this trek of life tomorrow.
Short update on the experience.

Finally!

Tomorrow night when I go to sleep I will be in a different country.  It will be like 50 degrees outside and I will be with people I will have talked to online for a few months, but met in person for just a few short hours!  What in the world is this life I am called to?  Well, my friends it is called a missionary, and I am beyond excited to get to be one!In 24 hours I will ARRIVE in Canada to live there for 2 months.  I remember typing 164 days-and now I am at HOURS counting down.
The Lord is providing wonderful NOT good-byes, but see ya laters with my best friends!  I had to tell my two bestes good-bye in the same day and I am doing great-only with Him.
I plan to call my other few best friends tonight to chat in America one last time! Whoop!
The only person to tell good-bye is my dad and I shall do that tomorrow morning in the airport!
There are WAY to many emotions to contain myself.  I am supposed to be napping right now-however I can not sleep obviously so I figured I'd blog a bit and then go car worship until church.
The Lord is at hand-He has given me a spirit of power and not of timidity.  This truth is great.  And that He is a God not of confusion but of peace.  He will always help me through each obstacle I am faced with-lets be real-this summer is going to be hard but awesome-only with Him.
The family I am going to be staying with and the family I am going to be working hand-in-hand with; both of them equally seem SUPER awesome and genuine and super down to Earth.
I have been looking through my kamp stuff from last summer and all the zillions of letters I recieved and I just am so blessed with my friendships and all the people around the world praying for me and vice versa.  I can hardly wait to see the funny letters and pictures and whatever else my friends conjure up to send!  Help us all.
But I just wanted to blog one more time in America-the next time you hear from me I'll be in ole Canada eh?
:)