things here n there

Its summmerr! The groups have started coming, the numbers are small.. but houses are still being built (yay!) Last week I finally got back out on the roof leading a team.. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I actually got back out there! ((I'v been working at camp mostly in the shop when groups are here)) .. Peoples Church just got here today, to start off another busy weeek! The weather is finally staying a constant warmm bright n sunny -just how summer should be :) . We're stillll waiting to hear back about Adans' Visa to come to canada to study, lots of praying is going on here, that's for sure. Well.. God's going to make happen what he wants to have happen. And it will turn out to be way better than we could ever have imagined. :) On another note. . . my mom is all moved and settled into her new house! I'm excited to go back and live with her for part of the summer b4 I head off to school.. As much as I try to say I'm not.. for sure I'm homesick.. guilty :) . I have about 2 more months here.. and then.. thats it folks! Canada Bound, to start a whole new adventure... I honestly cannot wait to start studying again. I'm a nerd at heart. hahaah
well I guess that's about it for now.. Hope everyone at home is doing well .. miss all of you
<3 <3
XOX

Ten Fe

In this season at EOC we're talking alot about having faith. Im in a time period personally where all I have left to reply on if faith. I have to reming myelf X amount of times, God is God. He is the only god, and hes going to do, what HE wants to do. thats what makes him god. It's been awhile since I could no longer rely on my own strength to get by on things. In these times,mentally and emotionally i can only rely fully on him. No longer on my own thoughts and stength. It has been one of the biggest challenges yet. I'm getting by, but I have to keep reminding myelf.. I'm not alone, and I CAN get through.

Always remember to have faith.. and everything will eventually work out.
<3

Updates in a NewYork minute:

*Went to the hospital-agrivating pains
*300$ later in the hospital and ... Kidney Stones.
*Adan unfortunatly got denied his USA Visa
*Adan got accepted to BOTH English and computer programing in Canada
*Weekend group came, short, quick, easy
*Cleaning up camp for the summer groups to start rollin in
*Sending application away for student visa for Adan ((keep this in your prayers, pleasseee)).
*Went camping for the weekend with Rho,Adan and some friend - campfire,hot water springs,tuna tostados.. yummm
*Workin in the office,gettin-er done (putting 1239109487 names into a database... ok. i exagerated a LITTLE bit.)
*Getting ready with more camp cleanup, prayer, and re freshing ourselves for the new season to begin :)

Amor

For those of you who havn't had the amazing chance to meet Adan.. this is him!!


Keep praying for us, and you'll get to meet him when he comes home in the summer with me :)

<3

does it get better?

Did some yoga down at the beach for a few hours. A nice 3:00PM sun, hot and breezy... and thennn.. THEN... dolphins starting jumping! Probably about 7 of them... really really really close to shore. Actaully, weirdly close to shore. Anywho. Made for quite the nice Sunday afternoon. :)

I'm Healthy again! ((well, as healthy as I ever really get ;) )). Food Poisoning is gonnneee..finittoo. So we just finished our Spring fleet of groups, and have the time off (well, off from groups) up until June! The weather is finally nice,hot and sunny, lets just hope it stays that wayy!!! I guess it's been nice all along, however for whatever reason I am ALWAYS cold. Not an exageration :P Its a tad embarrassing since I'm from Canada and all ! haha.

Next week I think I'll mostly be working in the shop with Mardy, cleaning.. lots, and lots of cleaning.. ;)

On a side note, those of you who don't know my Boyfriend Adan will be **hopfully** coming to canada with me this summer. His plan is to take the ESL program to study english at Georgian,Barrie. I will be studying at Georgian Orillia so its worked out perfectly having the campus's only 20 mins apart! We're just in the application process right now, sending deposits, and finding out VISA information. If you guys could just keep this in your prayers. This is something Adan has always wanted,and now finally has the opportunity. Money is tight. But when theres a Will, theres way!! We're both really excited so please keep that in your prayers, and hopfully you'll see both me AND Adan this summer ! :)
<3 have a great weekend

fishy thoughts ><>

Well, It's been a longggg time. Sorry for any of you who check this often. :( For those of you who don't know I have a rediculous stomach and intestines. Meaning, I quite often have problems. About a month ago my pains started up worss than ever, and inabled me to eat. Seeing as eating is quite essentail to living, this was not the greatest situation. I flew home to get into Drs appointments, and really, just to be with my mom. (aww..) . I ended up being home for just over 2 weeks once the pains subsided and I could eat again. It was nice to come back to camp and see my boy [Adan :) ] , and to actually work again! With that all being said, I wasn't really in the best of moods to be writing blog posts :P . On another note, this past while I found out that my parents are spliting up. It's all kinda came at once (for me at least), and each week it seems I'm being told new things. Leaving it at that, I couldnt blog those weeks as I really didnt want to say too much. For this past week Valley Springs was here, which is out biggest week out of the year for EOC. Lots of youth, lots of work, but lots of houses being built! :) It was one of those weeks where as soon as your done work at 9:30, you go straight go bed, to wake up at 6:00 and start all over again! On that thrusday I went out to visit house crews and arrived just in time to swallow back a few fish tacos! YUMM!! (right?).. well, long story short, Friday morning 4:00... fish came back to make an appearance. nuff said. SOO on that note, if u remember back to the beginining, my stomach already doesnt function quite properly. With that said, I've been in bed for the past 4 or so days in lots in lots of pain :( . Today is a bit better, as por fin (finally) I'm writting a blog! Yes it is a random blabber of the past month or so, however now for the most of you , you are more of less up to date ! :)

Now that I'm up at moving again, I am definitly going to keep you guys posted!

Not to Rub it in :)

As a Little Update.. Current Weather:
85 F, (29 C) .. Cloudless Sky, Slight Humidity,Bright Bright Sun. *sigh*..
Sorry Burlington. :)

under my umberella, ella, ella, a, a.. **

Here's a few pics from Britts' camera, of Chapultepec after only two days of rain!!

when it rains it pours

As many of you know Ensenada is not known for the amount of annual rainfall. However, when it does rain, you'd think the world is ending!! The main streets here are infact paved, but almost all side roads are dirt roads. As for the dirt, this is not rich dark solid soil by any means. Sand is a better term :) . A small rainfall and a few streets will be flooded with water, from the water simply pooling into the sand, instead of soaking into the ground OR flowing through a drainage system(if you're from Canada or the States) ;) . So, to bring me back.. It has been raining for 2 days and 2 nights, thus... flooding! I'll try to put some pictures up soon to show the back fo my house. It looks like a swimming pool right out my back door! The roads are a blast to romp around in, in the villages, however I think thats because we're blessed with an F150 truck. haha. I feel that my honda civic back home JUST might not cut it here !

On a seperate update, Brittney [roomate :) ] and I have started to help out with a childrens feeding program down in a village called "Lomas Bonitas" [beautiful hills ] . We're going to start going every Monday,Wednesday and Friday from about 8 in the morning until 12. We went today to check it out, offer a hand and start to get to know some of the kids. I'm really excited to start something new, away from camp for a bit, meet some new people and make a difference in other aspects. I'm excited to add some more flavor to my experience here . With that in mind, please keep Britt and myelf, and all of these kids in your prayers. As well prayers that this continuous support for this program and continous donations continues to keep this program running.
That's it for now!! If you're coming down any time soon, bring your rain boots!

New Eyes

I was driving back from a house dedication yesterday when I came to a horrible realization. I am desensitized. Being emerged in such culture as this at first is incredibly over whelming. Houses made from tarps, wooden slabs, scrap metal.. children with no shoes,food or a family..people are dying from something as simple as having no blankets at night. From seeing and hearing these types of situations every single day, the shock factor has left my heart a little. For some people that would sound good. The everyday heartache and pain finally leaving your body after these daily witnesses. That statement could not be more wrong. I pray daily that God will give me the eyes and the heart that I first had, my first day here in Ensenada. It is not OK to see this lifestyle as "ok". I find myself in my head saying "oh yea, well that's normal, that's just how they live". How am I ever going to realy push myself to make a difference if slowly everything turns to normality? I find it so easy just to fall into this confortable state of being. I feel like a hypocrite. I am constantly telling people that 'God does not want us to be comfortable'. He wants us to jump outside of our comfort zones and really get messy with life! I've realized that I am so comfortable here seeing this lifestyle that it slowed my motivation. Since I came to this realization I have this new throb in my heart and this new drive aching through my bones to just get out there and get messy! I'm not sure what God's trying to tell me through this, but whatever it is I am ready and running! Looking through new eyes has never felt more refreshing.

Big Girls Dont Cry

So this entry will seem a little bit random, however it will all come together at the end.The first chunk of this entry is more or less an apology to my mom and dad. Growing up I had everything I could ever want, and more. My parents gave their left arm to make things possible for my sister and I. A beautiful home, food, clothing, protection, an education and so much love. The small things that parents do for their children usually go unnoticed as they simply make up part of a normal day. Always having food on the table, driving us to numberless places, always keeping us entertained and keeping us safe wherever we went. Looking back I will admit I was quite the spoiled child. My mom did my laundry for me, cleaned my room and did the dishes. I rarely helped out without a fuss, if at all. Both my mom and dad would drive me anywhere I needed to go, no matter what they had on their crazy schedule. My health was also super important to them. Physical, mental or emotional problems I had, they would do everything and anything possible to make things better. Sick in the middle of the night and my mom would be right by my side, tummy ache? My dad would get out of bed and I would be at the after hours clinic stat. I can think back to the endless school problems I had and my mom would do anything she could to solve my “life problems”. So up until I was 19 I had been living with my parents, living what I would call, an easy life. Last summer I moved here, to Ensenada Mexico to do long term missionary work. I live with Rhonda and my best friend Brittney. However in great company, I am thus without the parents! First thoughts, Woo Hoo! Second thoughts, well this isn’t so easy. This is where the guilt sets in. Doing my laundry every week, cooking all own meals, being on the ball for appointments/meetings makes me really be thankful for all that my parents did for me. I am not at all complaining about needing to do these things on my own, however it has finally made me realize and appreciate my mom and dads hard work. Every time I get upset with people not doing their dishes, or not putting stuff away, I think how my parents must have felt time after time I argued to do the smallest of tasks. I’m sure most kids are the same in the fact of not being nearly appreciative as they should be, however being here and witnessing some of these things has really put it upon my heart.The children in most of these villages have nothing. One pair of shoes, if that, a few pieces of clothing and sometimes nothing to sleep on. Their parents, if both are still around, will work all day in the fields or elsewhere for a few dollars a day just to get by. These kids simply blow me away how thankful and happy they are with what they are provided. There are 7 year olds taking care of the rest of the family while the parents are at work. There are children running around with no shoes, empty bellies, filthy clothes and the biggest of smiles on their faces. Every time I look at these kids my heart breaks. I had it all, and took it all for granted. I am so grateful for everything my parents ever did for me and I can’t express how much I love them. I am who I am today because of them. I’m taking the love I feel from them and from my childhood and expressing it to the kids and family around me here. I want those kids to have the best and nothing less. Steph Wignall.

AGAPE

Agape - "Agape is disinterested love. … Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It begins by loving others for their sakes. … It springs from the need of the other person."

Love.Before coming here to EOC, I never realized how easy it is to love someone. For example, two weeks ago I was invited by another intern to visit a family in which she had built their house a few years ago with her church group. I stepped out of the van, walked over to their front gate to be greeted by this little girl with her arms stretched out, about to give me a big hug. Here i am, a random stranger to this girl... yet she greets me with a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. Love. It can happen so easily between any two people. From any walks of life. Doing missionary work here has opened up that concept for me.Back at home, in Canada, I had a different idea of what love was. I had to of known that person for a long period of time, I had to know their life story, had to have complete trust in them.. etc etc... Now if you've ever gone to Sunday school, a Christian retreat, or even church... you'll know how much God wants us to simply love each other.. Just as we are. I never really "got it" until this summer... I never understood fully how to love your neighbor.. until now. It's so simple. How and why do we make it more difficult than that? God wants us to love each other.. as brothers and sisters in Christ.. but we seem to limit how much we give out our love.Doing this internship really brought out a piece of me that i didn't know existed. I don't know how else to put it.. But this summer i am more fired up about what God has to offer than ever before..God has shown me true AGAPE.
(post from 2007)