All I Need

Please check out the following video (Radiohead, MTV EXIT and USAID - All I Need): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xHfBAKMcCc# and share it with others, especially kids. I know that sounds like a strange request, but when the next generation begins to understand how we are all connected, even as children, I believe that change can and will come. They have so much potential and maybe change will come even sooner when it comes through them.

Canada Fights Human Trafficking

I can't tell you how many days, I get to the end of the day and wonder what I will blog about - as was the case again today! It's Saturday, so that means I slept in and leisurely got ready. I played some guitar and read a book (The Number Devil), but the day seriously lacked excitement and something profound to blog about (because I know that you don't want to waste your time, coming here to read about nothing). Anyway, I was quickly checking my email and decided to check out Listen Up TV's website, which linked me to another website that I think you should check out: www.canadafightshumantrafficking.com. They provide a lot of current information and suggest ways to get involved. I wonder what I'll blog about tomorrow. . .

Multicultural Evening

Altona put on a Multicultural Evening tonight as part of the Winter Carnival this weekend. I was asked to take pictures, which I had a lot of fun doing, and also to walk in with the South African flag, which was a huge privilege and honor for me. There are 28 different countries represented in the town of Altona and surrounding area. It was a great celebration of culture - food, dance, music and more!

Only 2 Weeks Until the Olymics

There are now only 2 weeks before the 2010 Winter Olympics start up in Vancouver and Whistler. As BC prepares to welcome the world, I know that they are preparing for the good and the bad that come with such a large sporting event. It's exciting to have all the athletes and tourists, and I'm sure that many are still praying for snow, as the temperatures have been high and the snow quite scarce.

But this type of event also brings people who are may be willing to risk more than they usually do because they are away from home and anonymous. It's really basic economics: as the demand increases, so must the supply. As the demand for prostitution goes up, this puts pressure on the supply, which in turn puts pressure on human trafficking - a very real concern for Vancouver.

Mind you, the demand for prostitution more than likely starts much more "simply" in pornography. You and I may not view pornography; in fact, we may admittedly oppose it; but until we see the fact that we - each and every single person on this planet - are interconnected; that our neighbour's problems are really our problems (and our neighbour may be 1/2 a world away); until we examine ourselves and see the injustice (of any variety) within ourselves; then we may begin to really change our world.

A Glimmer

Well it seemed as if all hope was lost (see Sunday's blog), but today there is a glimmer on the horizon! I have an interview for a teaching position (until June) next Wednesday. I would appreciate your prayers as I prepare and the rest is up to God.

Clearing the Snow

The snow and wind finally stopped and so that means that the shovels and tractors come out today to clear all the snow away. Normally, I wouldn't even think of taking a picture of my dad clearing snow - it's just a regular thing that happens all winter long. But you know when people have babies and they start seeing the world through the eyes of a child - well I'm seeing my world through the eyes of my new friends from around the world and I can bet that they have never seen such a sight!

Snow Day

A major winter storm had been forecast since late last week and, combined with all the students' prayers plus a few teachers' prayers, we have a snow day today. It was supposed to be my first day substitute teaching. I took the first picture of our backyard in December, just after I got home - that's the BEFORE. The bottom picture is the reason why highways and schools are closed today (it's what 0 visibility looks like for all of my South African friends, suffering (?!?) through high +30 degrees temperatures!).

Uncertain

The lesson from my time in Austria 6.5 years ago (yikes!) continues to keep coming back to me: you can plan as much as you want, but at the end of the day, God is really the one in control and so plans can and do change (whether you like it or not). Even when there's a stable job and life is steady, it's still uncertain. Not having a stable future right now seems to make life feel even more uncertain for me. I'm so thankful to my parents for letting me back under their roof and feeding me, and to my brother for letting me use his vehicle when he's on the road in his semi.

When I returned from Turkey in 2006, I came back with a burden for women's and children's rights and told people that I didn't know how that would look in my life, but I knew that I had to do something. And I can't believe what I've done since that time! - I worked at a women's shelter for about 1 year, and had my great adventure around the world for most of last year.

I didn't return home at Christmas with any specific feeling/mission/vision of what was next. I was excited to think about returning to the classroom, because I really do love teaching. But I haven't received any replies to the resumes I sent out and so it looks like I'll probably be substitute teaching, which is fine, as long as I do get days. It provides me with some flexibility to arrange opportunities to speak with churches, youth groups, schools, etc and get out the message of injustice that's on my heart.

But even in sharing at my uncle's church last weekend, it just feels like there's something more for me on the horizon. Maybe I won't return to the classroom in the same way I have in the past (which actually makes me a little sad). Just like my traveling to Austria and Turkey brought me to the point of last year's travels, maybe those experiences plus my teaching were just preparation for what's next. . .maybe. . .it's all so uncertain.

So What Do You Do?

. . .continuing from yesterday's blog, one of Greg's questions was this: "When people come up to you now and ask you what you do, what do you tell them? Do you say that you're a math teacher or is there something more?" Wow, that's a really good question and I'm not quite sure of the answer, but I can tell you this, I:

teach - struggle - travel - ponder - touch - sing - advocate - dream - value - scrapbook - listen - study - question - grow - love - email - care - analyze - persist - lead - photograph - answer - consider - organize - learn - swim - decide - challenge - feel - live - initiate - think - observe - read - trust - contradict - laugh - contemplate - research - believe - imagine - cry - speak - journey - change - explore - create - seek - risk - hope

Newspaper Interview

I had an interview this week with our local newspaper about my time away. I talked about the people I had met and the experiences I had and the lessons I learned. Of course, I jumped right on in and it actually left little time for Greg to ask me questions (and I know, some of you will understand that about me and others of you will wonder if I'm just making that up!). The few questions that he did squeeze in really gave me something to think about. And again, those of you who know me best, know that I like to chew on those types of questions for a while before I give an answer. I answered as best I could at the time, but a few of those questions have stayed with me and I continue to really ponder them. . .

Voices in the Dark

Please head to The Salvation Army's website (http://www.thetruthisntsexy.ca/) or go straight to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syJEBYv94i0&feature=player_embedded) to watch "Voices in the Dark": Timea’s story of being trafficked from Hungary to Canada for sexual slavery.

Kiera's Blog

I introduced you to my newest little friend - Kiera Grey - just over a week ago. Her life, and the life of her family, has taken a dramatically different turn then anyone would have or could have expected. She was taken to Winnipeg and has endured many tests and had surgery this past Monday. If you want to follow her progress and encourage the family, go to their blog: kieragrey.blogspot.com

Amazing Grace

If you have not seen the movie "Amazing Grace", please go out and rent it. I watched it as I prepared to share this past weekend. William Wilberforce battled to abolish the slave trade and I needed a reminder of what I'm battling for today regarding human trafficking, which is modern day slavery. Wilberforce battled 200 years ago and, as I watched the movie, I wondered what people will say about us 200 years from now. That we worked tirelessly to abolish human trafficking by speaking out and through our governments, or will they look back and say that we turned a blind eye?


Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

~John Newton

Jaida

Jaida is the reason that we headed out to BC this weekend. She's the latest addition to my mom's side of the family, born in early December. That means that the oldest grandchild (me) and the youngest grandchild (Jaida) are just over 31 years apart.

My Canadian 2010 Tour Begins!

White Rock Community Church was the first stop on my Canadian tour! Thankfully I have a few uncles who are pastors, so I thought that I would start with their churches. Instead of talking about the World Cup, I talked about the Olympics. But otherwise, the stories were still the same, the topic was the same and the burden I feel is the same. This church of about 250 bought just over 200 Threads of Hope bracelets and were incredibly generous. What a great start!

Time to Blow Off the Dust

So I've been home for about a month now and it was high time to dust off my camera (the point-and-shoot has been out, but that's not what I'm talking about). I'm visiting my uncle and his family in BC this weekend and my cousin Kyler had a soccer game - the perfect chance to shoot some pix! His little brother Kaden cheered him on from the sidelines.

10 Simple Things

Here's my list of 10 simple things (in no particular order) to make a difference - in your own life, the lives of others & in our world:

1. Buy fair trade gifts, chocolate, coffee, from stores like Ten Thousand Villages.
2. Sponsor a child from an organization like Compassion.
3. Educate yourself about injustice issues and then educate others.
4. Know where your clothing & food come from and how they're manufactured.
5. It's cliche but reduce, reuse & recycle.
6. Collect food to stock the shelves of your local food bank and/or volunteer to work at a soup kitchen. This can also apply to buying needed supplies for your local women's & children's shelter.
7. Write letters to government officials about your concerns.
8. Volunteer for a short- or long-term missions or humanitarian effort.
9. Invest in people & build relationships. Start by mowing the neighbor's lawn or bringing cookies to the new person at work.
10. Look inside yourself & get rid of the injustice in your own life and then speak up to get rid of the injustice in the world around us.

Upgrades

To those of you who have been following this journey of mine over the past 9 months, I want to thank you! And though my extensive world traveling may be limited (for now!), I know that the journey continues. The purpose of this blog is not only chronicle my steps, but I also want it to be an encouragement to you and a resource tool. If you scroll down a little, you will see some of my new upgrades including various links to some important websites. And keep checking back because the changes will continue. As I come across good sites, I want to pass along that information to you as well.

Facing the Giants

Along with having time to read, I also planned ahead and rented some DVD's from the church library to watch. My favorite was the movie "Facing the Giants". It starts off a bit slow, but the best scene is called The Deathcrawl (trust, you'll know which one it is when you rent the movie, which you should go and do!). I first watched this scene during one of our weeks in Kona, and had no idea of the connection to this movie. I don't want to spoil it for you - there's so many things I could talk about. Just go rent it!

Practicing the Presence of God

Given the abundance of time driving, combined with the lack of internet in general over the last few days, I've had a chance to do some reading. My brother gave me the book "The Practice of the Presence of God, with Spiritual Maxims" by Brother Lawrence (who died in 1691). Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"That our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for God's sake which we commonly do for our own." p. 26

"The King, full of mercy and goodness, very far from chastising me, embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the key of His treasures; He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand ways, and treats me in all respects as His favorite." pp. 36 - 37

"Believe me, count as lost each day you have not used in loving God." p. 112

Passing the Flame

I don't know about you, but I LOVE the Olympics! I get caught up in it every time - summer or winter - and I am extra excited to live in this year's host country (though the event is quite a distance away from me!). I love to see people triumph and tears come to my eyes when flags are raised and national anthems are played in victory. The flame is making its way across Canada and I missed it in Manitoba last week, mostly because of the cold temperatures. Well, as luck would have it, we beat the flame to Saskatchewan and were able to catch a glimpse of it in the town where my brother is living (and the temperatures were much higher, which helped). Only 31 days until the 2010 Vancouver Olympics start - I can't wait!!

The Open Road

Kiera's arrival took yesterday's blog - as it should have! So I'm showing you the open road we traveled yesterday. NOTHING but open road - both behind and ahead! (And yes, I was driving and taking this picture at the same time. Other than the fact that I'm multi-talented, this is where the camera is on automatic and, as you can see, there are no other vehicles for miles. . .kilometers in Canada!).

Welcome to our World!

I just knew that my friend, Brenda, would have her baby when I was gone. Originally that was to be Egypt, but Saskatoon feels just as far away when you want to see the latest arrival! I can't wait to meet you Kiera Grey - welcome to our world!

The Next Great Adventure

I went to send off some packages at the post office today and the lady behind the desk recognized my address from all the packages my parents sent (or at least tried to send - we don't have much luck with the postal system!).

"Oh, you're the girl that's been traveling all over! What's your next great adventure?"

To which I replied, "We're heading out to Saskatoon this weekend - does that count as an adventure?!?"

Packing Away Christmas

While putting away the ornaments and taking down the Christmas tree today (yes, it's artificial), I finally realized why it did not feel like Christmas to me in South Africa. I thought that maybe it was the weather, but I think I could live with a warm Christmas (-42 with the wind chill today!!). I mean, I could make that sacrifice if I really had to. In taking down our decorations, I realized that people did not have Christmas lights on their houses or trees all decorated inside. I left mid-December, so maybe the decorating happens closer to Christmas time itself. Or maybe they just celebrate Jesus' birth. . .and maybe we just decorate. . .

The Serenity Prayer

You know the serenity prayer, but here's the extended version:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

~Reinhold Niebuhr

Today

Today. . .I went outside and didn't freeze my butt off because the southerly winds have warmed us up a bit, and with it, big, fluffy snowflakes fell.

Today. . .I finally got all my paperwork together and started applying for teaching jobs.

Today. . .I was surprised with a phone call from Thurstan in South Africa and, if only for a moment, I was transported across the globe.

Today. . .I received a book about human trafficking in my church mailbox from one of our pastors - I've spent the past few days wondering what other organizations I could involve myself with here in Canada.

Hitting the Airwaves Again!

I'm sorry if this is short notice, but my taped interview with Colleen (back from Dec. 18) is airing on CHVN today at 4 and 5 pm and tomorrow morning at 7 and 8 am (3 and 4 pm SA time). Locally it will be 95.1 FM, and online you can check out their live feed at:
http://goldenweststreaming.com/chvn_player/index.html

New Year's Resolutions

In church this morning we were challenged to make new year's resolutions in the small things, because that will in turn help to make the bigger changes more achievable. The sermon focused on scripture from Exodus 33 where Moses is talking with God, and Moses says that he does not want to continue on without God's presence going before them. So the challenge, then, is to decide whether we will allow God to lead us into 2010. Of course, sometimes that's easier said than done, but I know that I don't want to venture out on my own, especially when God has the larger viewpoint.

Wind Chill

Upon arriving home, I promised I would blog about the wind chill factor and given yesterday's and today's temperatures, I feel like it's an appropriate time to do so. It also did not help to receive a text from South Africa today, stating how very hot it is there!

We have hit a cold snap, though it's not quite as cold as what Alberta and Saskatchewan received a short time ago. Today's temperature on the thermometer is about -30 degrees Celsius (no typo)! But in the winter, the wind speed makes it feel colder than what the actual temperature is, hence the wind chill factor. So, even though it's actually -30, it FEELS LIKE -40 to exposed skin. Yep, that's COLD, eh?!?

The Best of Friends

I taught in Morden about 1.5 years ago, and I only taught there 1/2 time for one year, but I had a number of colleagues that I really enjoyed hanging out with. Though no longer in Morden, I met up with my friend Lisa today, who taught French. We got to know one another well because she shared her classroom with me for the first part of that school year. You know you've got the best of friends when you sit down to chat after not having seen each other or really emailed much in the last 9 months and the few hours we spent together today were filled with so much laughter and great stories! Actually, thinking back over the last few weeks, that's been the case with all of the friends I've met with. You just pick up where you left off the last time, add some laughter and some tears, and know that you've got quality people in your life that are truly the best of friends!

The Cry - A Song for Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A83cfs0gWCo