I come from a land down under...

Just a really quick post to say that I'm alive and in Australia safe and sound!

I slept for more then half of my 15 hour flight from LA to Melbourne (yay gravol) so that made the flight actually go by really fast. I didn't even freak out over any terbulance..I must be growing.

Anyways...I can't believe I'm actually here! Really awesome, although it definitely hasn't sunk in completely yet.

Note to my family....I tried calling all of your cell phones and no one answered!! So I did try!!

Thats all for now...post again soon I'm sure.

Thanks for all the encouraging words and prayers! Much appreciated!!

Miss you all!

Blessings.

So long..farewell...

I've decided I hate goodbyes.

The last two weeks have been full of random goodbye hugs and kisses as I see people for the last time before I leave..and the last 24 hours has been the hardest with saying goodbye to the people closest to me that I've put off saying my farewells too right up until the last possible moment.

I've shed some tears with the majority of goodbyes of the past little while...saying goodbye to my Regent kids, my sunday school class, Scarborough youth, my 614 family, highschool friends, the Ignite team, and my closest friends and family. I've literally not been alone for more then half an hour in the last 3 days (including at night because I've had three sleepovers with my sisters), so I have definitely not let myself have time to let things sink in or have a proper cry about it all. I know a big ridiculous girly crying mess is on the verge of happening and will burst out at some point today. I'm hoping it'll happen when I'm sitting waiting to board the plane in front of a bunch of strangers, and I'll just make a big hysterical scene. Good times.

So I've 3 hours until I leave for the airport, and still not quite finished packing (I'll never shake the procrastinator in me...). Goodbye to everyone I didn't get a chance to catch up with. And I could never thank my family and friends enough for the support, love and encouragement I've been getting over the past few weeks leading up to me leaving. I am definitely leaving Canada with a sense of love and a knowing that I will be missed, and that is an amazingly beautiful feeling to have to carry with me.

So...goodbye, and I'll post again when I've arrived on the other side of the world.

Blessings.

Come Awake

Are we left here on our own?
Can you feel when your last breath is gone?

Night is waiting heavy now
Be quiet and wait for a voice that will say

Come awake
From sleep, arise
You were dead
You’ve come alive
Wake up wake up

Open your eyes
Climb from your grave
Into the light
Bring us back to life

You are not the only one
Who feels like the only one
Night soon will be lifted friend
Just be quiet and wait for the voice that will say

Come awake
From sleep, arise
You were dead
You’ve come alive
Wake up wake up

Open your eyes
Climb from your grave
Into the light
Bring us back to life

Rise, rise, rise, rise, rise
Rise, rise, rise, rise….
Shine, shine, Oh shine
We will shine
We will rise
We will shine, shine, shine

Just seven sleeps left...

I've had a whirl wind of a couple days...but it's been stuffed full of good times.

I'm trying to cram in as much hang out time with as many people as I can in the remaining little bit of time that I have in Canada before I head off on my trip.

A few highlights from the past couple of days.

Friday night I had thai food with three high school friends, who I haven't hung out with in ages. We shared a ton of random moments, and caught up on a lot, and finished off the night with cheese cake and ice cream for a belated celebration for Erins 22nd birthday.

Saturday I had my final two squads in Regent Park (for this year anyways) as we had our Christmas parties. I had one of the seven year old girls get really upset with me when I told her I'd be gone for a year, and wouldn't see her at camp this summer. She's been known to be quite a spaz of a child, but I've really been able to bond with her over the past couple of months. My heart melted when she told me I had two options. Either, I quit and come home early from Australia...or I pack her in my suitcase and take her with me. Saying goodbye to my Regent kids has definitely been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

Sunday morning at church, I had my final Sunday School class, as we had our Christmas party. I've grown to really love my pre-teens/teens that I've been teaching for the past four months. I always look forward to the fun and energy they bring to my life on Sunday mornings. I pray that God will continue to take care of them and protect them over this next year while I'm away.

During the Sunday morning service at Scarborough, I was surprised by being asked by my pastor to come up to the front of the church so that the congregation could pray for me. I've been feeling extremely blessed by my corps as they've supported me in leaving, and have had a lot of encouraging words spoken to me, as well as a ton of financial support from individuals in my church. God has definitely used my corps in a huge way in preparing me for this trip.

At lunch on Sunday I had a "surprise" going away party thrown for me by my fellow youth at Scarborough, which really meant a lot. Jeff gave me such an awesome going away gift of a sketch pad and drawing materials, and spoke such beautiful words of encouragement to me. I went home with tears in my eyes, feeling really loved, and having to have started my goodbyes with some of my friends.

I spent a crazy afternoon down at 614 helping out with the kids Christmas play. It was absolutly crazy of course, as is any production put on by a mass amount of kids...but was tons of fun. I got to spend a few extra hours hanging out with some more kids from Regent who I'm going to miss hugely when I leave. The play was definitely a success, and everyone was impressed with the random lion, kangaroo-pouched-donkey, and dinosaur we had show up at the manger scene.

Sunday night I had a crazy night of playstation karoke with a bunch of the 614 girlies. I value those girls friendship so much, and love them to pieces. It was a good night of hanging out and good conversations with several people.

Monday night I spent some solid quality time with my better half, Jocelyn. Definitely good to FINALLY meet up and hang out and catch up. We made a mini road trip up to Newmarket to visit the one and only Sam Nolan. Sam...you crazy cat...you rock my world.

When we got there Sam handed me the biggest load of random things wrapped up I've ever received. She even wrapped the card! (The coolest Christmas card ever..with Dinosaurs on it of course!) So I was blessed with receiving...a travel toothbrush and toothpaste...a travel face cloth...travel ear plugs...a fantastic skirt and a bag both made from curtains...a hippee peace teddy bear...and the coolest mixed cd ever made (even if I've never heard of any of the bands..but I'll work on educating myself Cappi!)

One week left today until I board the plane for the longest plane ride of my life. It's getting harder and harder as I'm giving hugs to people for the last time before I go..and I'm trying to repress the realization that this will be the last time I see my loved ones for a very long time.

But, I do have to note one positive thing. When getting ready to leave everyone and everything you're familiar with...you realize how much you're loved, and the support and encouragement that surrounds your life. I can't ever say that I'm not blessed with tons of people who love me.

Praise the Lord for that.

A Christmas addition to the family

We finally picked a day that the whole family was free and got out to the Hortons Magic Hill Tree Farm, for some annual cutting down of our Christmas Tree this past Sunday.

After a hayride out to the trees, and spending a lot of time debating, walking around, and deciding what it was we were looking for in a tree that year...we finally found our guy. We have a crazy tradition that goes along with going up to Magic Hill Tree Farm...and that is naming our tree. We pretty much never remember what the name was of the previous year, mostly because it ends up being long, complicated and just ridiculous...but it just always seems to complete our Christmas to name our tree.

So here is the picture with Edgar Bubbles Ruby Halsey (or "Bubs" as the kids on the street like to call him.)

And tonight we made sure everyone could be home at 8:30pm sharp to decorate dear old Edgar, as we're not allowed to put our decorations up without everyone being present. It's another tradition that my mom makes us all a decoration each Christmas to add to our tree, as we still only decorate with either home-made or sentimental decorations. This year I got a pretty green, red-headed fairy ornament to put on the tree.

Isn't he pretty?

Today I had to say goodbye to Gareth and Kirstin who are on their way back to Ireland...and I had my last Wednesday night squad and had to say goodbye to a lot of kids after breaking the news that I would be leaving for a year after Christmas. So, it has been a bit of a sad day as I just take another step in realizing how soon I leave.

But, despite that...I am starting to feel a bit more in the Christmas spirit as our dear tree is up and decorated...we spent about an hour listening to our classic cd of Mariah Carey's Christmas tunes...we drank some warm apple cider...and I got my first Christmas present tonight. I guess I can't really keep post poning feeling in the season..because it's going to come either way. Might as well enjoy all the moments as they happen over the next two weeks instead of being in denial about them.

Blessings.

You know you've done too many kettle shifts at Walmart when...

...you know the most popular "bratz" toys for kids this Christmas.

...you know the rotation schedule for the carry out guys.

...you direct more customers to different parts of the store then the Walmart greeters do.

...you can spot who set off the security alarm and ask them to move away from the doors with their purchase that they're exchanging before the Walmart employees do.

...you are on a first name basis with the greeters.

...you know when someone is swiping their bank card the wrong way at the cash when they're is 10 feet away from you.

...you become the official guardian of the broken carts and say about 10 times a minute to customers who come up "sorry..they're broken."

24 finds me...in 24th place...

24 days until I board a plan bound for Australia. Seriously..where has the time gone?

I'm beginning to get a lot of anxiety, stress, excitement, nervousness, and fear..all kindof rolled up into one big feeling of being extremely overwhelmed by the fact I'm leaving the country for a year, really really soon.

I'm finding it really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. I think I'm realizing that it has a lot to do with how reluctant I am about acknowledging that it's just around the corner..and so is my plane ride out of Canada. It's beginning to sink in that I'm going to be saying my goodbyes to a lot of people really soon who I'll be seeing for the last time before I go.

Tonight I had an absolutly wonderful evening spent with three fantastically wonderful girls. Natalie, Carmen and Sam graced me with their beautiful presence, as we had a mini female cabin leader reunion. We went out and bought some cake mix from a dusty bottom shelf of the corner store at the top of my street...demonstrated our sweet baking skills..and watched a movie. It was great to spend some time hanging out with these ladies and getting exposed to the antics that is only Sam Nolan as she tried to count my freckles (again) and jumped on me about every 5 minutes. I have really missed my cabin leaders since the summer, so it was great getting a chance to catch up, see their smiles, and have some good hang out time together.

When Sam and Carmen were leaving, it was only a temporary goodbye because they are planning on visiting me at 614 on a Sunday before I leave (also because I'll need to pick up my fabulous new curtain pants the Cappi is making me). But when Natalie was leaving...we pretty much knew that this would be the last time we saw each other before I left. I know I'll be back in a year, and I will see her again....but tonight was my first real goodbye to someone knowing that I'm not going to see them again until I come back from Australia. And that's kindof making a lot of things sink in, and starting the process of this all becoming real and knowing that I'm leaving a lot of people I love for a really long time.

The popular conversation starter lately has been for people asking me "so are you about ready to leave?" or "do you have everything all packed up and ready to go?" or something else along those lines. Despite now hearing this question about 3 times a day from people I run into...I still smile, and say, "just about! It's coming up really soon!" and try to give off the impression that I'm super excited and everything is coming together just fabulously.

But in all honesty...I'm getting really scared. One of my biggest fears in life is being alone. Although I've gotten a lot stronger in this area over the past year, and God has really become a solid stronghold to me when I'm feeling lonely...I'm still afraid of being in a place when I don't have my close friends and family surrounding me and continually uplifting me. As ridiculous as this might sound, I realized today how much I'm going to miss all the hugs I get on a daily basis. From friends who I don't see that often...from friends who I see every day but we hug anyways...from my siblings who are just overflowing with them...from my parents whenever I see them...from my three year old cousin who gives the best bear hugs in the world...all from people who I know love me.

I'm also really scared of failing. Of going half way around the world and screwing up. Of not doing all that people have built me up to be capable of. Of becoming really homesick and not being able to just lean on and trust in God.

I shed my first couple of tears tonight in anticipation of all the goodbyes I'm going to be saying soon to a lot of people I'd really rather not say goodbye to...but instead hold on a little bit longer where I'm comfortable...and where I know people...and where I feel loved.

Thank you again, my camp girlies, for a wonderful night. Special thanks shout out to Cappi for the education of the Australian Indie band, "Architecture in Helsinki", that I will look into..just for you.

Just be brave.

Just wanted to make a quick post as a short follow up to the previous one.

Something was pointed out to me by a friend in regards to all the comments left.

As a general observation...it seems that all the males who left comments stated that it really doesn't matter if it's the girl or the guy who makes the "move" or initiates the relationship, so long as someone does to get things going. And then on the other hand...it seems that for the most part the females who left comments stated that they would really much rather that the guy did the asking out.

So...I guess two lessons learned.

Girls. If you aren't too afraid to make a move. Do it. The guy just might be very glad you did..and definitely won't be offended that you took things into your own hands.

Guys. No matter what day in age it might be...girls will always be sappy romantics at heart, wanting to fussed over and given a reason to swoon. So..you want to impress a girl? Put yourself out there, be a man, and ask her out. Even though the girl might be okay with making the first move...she likes it even better when she doesn't have to, and will feel that you like her that much more for taking the risk and showing that she was worth it.

I know that guys get just as scared about making a move and stepping up as girls do, and to them it really doesn't matter who gets things going...but in all honesty, the above still stands. I know someone who will continue to argue with me on this subject...but it's definitely nice for the girl who always has to initiate..to find a guy who is willing to take that task off of her hands and pursue her for a change.