Sewing Day 2

Whoot! Today was great! Last night we had an insane thunderstorm, it was so windy and pouring rain for over an hour, crazy stuff! This morning I was more coherant than yestarday which was good and our ride to Rio Frio was awesome and a mini worship session because Carlos (one of the guys) brought his guitar on the road. When we got.there we set up, rounded the kids up and one of translator's daughter, Diana, got a crash course in translating, since we were down one and she translated the story of feeding the 5000. It was a fun, totally new and interesting experience for both of us. After the kids did their colouring and I showed some square knot bracelets but it wasn't as well received as the beaded one but they still loved colouring, playing catch, frisbee, baseball (we used our hands instead of a bat), and just running around. By the time lunch came around Carlos didn't want kids, Gustavo seemed to have adopted 2 for the day and the Carly (I think that is her name) had done manicures and we were all ready for a break! Lunch was fantasic again, as usual! We had a good rest and went back to do it all over again. In the afternoon Carlos did the story, I am not totally sure what it was but I think it was about different cows and a pastor and one left and the pastor looked for it and brought it home. He had kids act it out and they loved it which was awesome! Then they coloured, some did knotted bracelets, Diana made one up herself and a bunch of them loved that one and a few sid the square knot one. I learned that boys tend to catch on quicker after you show them something once or twice whereas with the girl that I taught it took verbal instructions and demonstrations which made for a more interesting time. The kids were fantastic, we were basically completely cleaned up and packed away 15 minutes early which was fine because the women sewing are super efficient so they were ready to go resulting in perfect timing! We got a little breal before getting back in the truck! There was a storm heading in as we were leaving and I thought it would be great if it rained, like a pre-shower, but that isn't how things work in El Salvador. It was super windy (plus driving down a highway), then it spit a bit (felt like pellets because of the speed) and then it poured. And kept pouring. We were soaked through in about 5 minutes and cold for the rest of the ride. I thought it was fantastic about 15 minutes after being soaked because really there was nothing else to do but enjoy it. Us Canadians were more worried about being in a metal truck but the El Salvadorians were worried about getting sick. When we got back we had a few minutes before dinner to dry off, then we ate, did some prep for tomorrow and Carrie took us to the local ice cream place, amazing ice cream! Julie eats like a tank! We went to the grocery store after and we got sunglasses, Julie's from the other night were gone but we found other ones and much more. Upon arriving back we unpacked our one lost bag for material for tomorrow and was interupted by a friendly, curious gecko on Julie's bed. Julie started screaming for a shoe, she just kills things that get in her way, and after we determined it was only a small gecko, no larger than a pinky, she still screamed, while jumping up and down, "Can you get a shoe?!" Then Julie (Trussel) put it under a glass and possibly hurt its leg and Julie still screamed, "Can you get a shoe now?! You've already maimed it!" But we saved.the little guy and put him in the hall and we all just about peed ourselves laughing. "It's cause I didn't pray!" was Julie's reason, she hadn't prayed today that God would keep the geckos in the restaurant where we ate instead of the rooms. The gecko had pooped on the folder used to remove it from the room and Karen's question was "Do you have to declare gecko poo when coming back into the country?" and the rest of us were classified as tree huggers by Julie because we didn't want to kill the gecko. All in all it was a crazy, hysterical day and there are pictures to prove it!

Sewing Day 1

We survived day one of the sewing centre! It was some crazy stuff!! After a late night prepping and then an early morning, I was not feeling my super best going into this. The horns of busses and trucks started blaring early, working the sounds into my dreams, resulting in a state of confusion and not a great hour of sleep. When the alarm went off I stayed in bed too long having me rush pack for todah but I got everything I needed. We had breakfast, met the rest of our translators and started the trek to Rio Frio. Riding in the back of the truck is basically the only part of the day where I feel cool and not sticky, I was almost so cool I wanted a sweater! When we arrived all the women and children were there and readh and we scrambled to finish setting everything up for them. In the morning I had about 12ish kids, probably more though, but thankfully I had awesome people helping, some teens from the local church and of course a translator! The morning kids were super outgoing and stuff which is awesome but difficult when trying to keep them entertained. I love playing with kids but keeping kids entertained is not my favourite thing to do. At one point one little boy looked so tired/faint so I picked him up and ended up playing frisbee with another group so I got my workout doing squats with a kid on my hip, I am so sore! I was so thankful....I stoppped writing mid sentence to help with prep stuff and am not totally sure exactlt where that was going but basically everything was awesome, I think I could have been going towards lunch though. Lunch was fantastic, we served all the ladies and kids and sat down to eat and I scarfed it down like I hadn't eaten in days, they have THE best rice here, I could eat it all the time! Eventually we had to do the morning all over in the afternoon, it honestly felt like living two days in one, it was crazy. I counted 18 kids in the afternoon but I am sure we gained one or two more and I lost most of my helpers because the actually have a life to attend to but the kids were a lot calmer which was fantastic! We read a Bible story, they all coloured (even the boys) and then they all made beaded jewelery (even the boys!), it was great! One kid was always crying/wimpering but thankfully it wasn't contagious and it wasn't to bad :) When the day was finally over we piled back into the truck, I was really hoping it would rain for a preshower, and had a nice cool ride back to where we are staying. Dinner was fantastic, I prayed so I could keep it short so we could eat, I was worried the other team members might pray too long :P After dinner we finished figuring out the cards and now has led to finishing a blog in my room but I am off to shower and sleep because I am tired! Here are some pictures from today, they should be pretty self-explanitory, if not ask a question or two :)

Sunday in El Salvador

Day 2 complete! We are all clean and feeling so much better and less sticky from the weather! This morning a bunch of us were up super early because of the time change, I chose to not be effected and just kept rolling over and trying to sleep. After a leisurely breakfast Carie picked us up to head over to Rio Frio. On the way we picked up some of our translators and enjoyed a cozy ride up in a truck packed with people and supplies. We arrived at the community centre where the sewing centre is currently being built beside it. A mass of women and children and a few men greeted us along with the pastor of the local church and the pastor of the Catholic local church. We set up our projects, did an introduction, had the women sign up for their projects and the trip began. The turn out was great, I have a bunch of kids and others who I get to hang out with all week which should be a blast and very interesting, to say the least, but I am SO excited! We had lunch made by the pastors sister, which was amazing and then set up where we would be working for the week. I didn't really have anything to set up so I played with the missionary families kids and tried to stay as clean and dry and cool before church as possible, only one got wet, we all had to brush some dirt off and nobody was cool, but we tried! I love going to church in El Salvador because everybody is so incredibly passionate! We were late but everybody was so welcoming and helpful when a bathroom was needed and we needed to find seats. Stewart preached about how our God is a sending God and it was a great reminder of what we are doing here and an encouragement to the people here. After church we met the mayor, greeted a bunch of the locals and started back to San Vicente to have dinner at Polo Compero (an El Salvadorian KFC). Dinner was fun, I played x and o with Elis, one of the kids of the missionary family and just had a blast. We stopped by the local grocery store to pick up somr stuff on the way back and got stared at and surprisingly met a guy from Iowa who spoke perfect English, not something you find everyday in El Salvador. Since getting back we have been organizing sponsorship cards from Canada for the women here, so not as easy as we thought it was going to be, prepping name tags and I am off to pull together my stuff for tomorrow and go to bed. Early brealfast and heading off to Rio Frio by 7 tomorrow and it has been a long day! Oh and the only picture I took on my phone was of a crazy, scary spider outside my door this morning, enjoy!

Prep Success!

We finished putting together all of the baskets for the women! Other than the scissors, which we will use all week, we cut all the jersey and batting and there are girly things, like makeup and nail polish, a Spanish Bible, fat squares and a sewing kit we made before we came down. We had a delicious hen, rice and potatoe salad type thing for dinner and of course pop :) After dinner, mini debrief and figuring out what Sunday would be like we finished up the baskets and had a lovely visit from Patricia, one of our translators. We also attempted to take the zipper out of jeans that had been used for quilts but it was brutal. Many seam rippers were broken and I completed one, maybe, with help from my mom, it was pathetic. We are off to see the centre where we will be working this week and then go to church, should be tons of fun! Can't wait to tell you what today had in store for us!

Arriving in El Salvador

Well we made it to El Salvador! This week 5 of us from Canada flew down to join a missionary family to teach women how to sew in Rio Frio at a new sewing centre. We left at 7:30 this morning with 11 overweight checking bags, overweight carry ons and made it through customs with no extra charge and every bag made it down (except one but that will be here tomorrow). Overall it was good plane ride down, longer than I remember but with 20ish less people on the team and none of them your best friends, it probably won't be as loud. Mrs. Hooper and Mrs. Tiessen did talk the whole way dpwn though and not incredibly quietly :P Anywho we are off to prep for the week!! Hopefully another update soon!

Remembering Arlynne

The best purpose of your life

Is to live your life

So that the purpose of your life

Out lives your life

Today there are many people remembering Arlynne Holyer, I remember her as a ray of sunshine in our school and a dedicated Christ follower.

 

          Arlynne passed away on a missions trip two years ago while she was dirt biking.  I first saw it on Facebook (that is the most efficient way of spreading news) and I didn’t believe it.  I thought there was a girl in my class with that name but I  couldn’t, quite honestly didn’t want to, believe that it was her so I resorted to Google (that is where you go to confirm something right) and discovered that it was true, I went numb.  Death is a part of life, I had experienced my grandmother suddenly passing away nine months earlier but it was a totally different feeling when it is a class mate, someone just like you, whose funeral you are attending.  Arlynne was doing great things, I had heard her talk about a missions trip to Montreal that she had taken the previous summer and how she was excited to go on another one over the summer for a 8 weeks to different communities to do different activities.  I knew she was going to do great things in life.  After hearing about what happened I couldn’t wrap my head around why God would take someone doing such great things for Him and His kingdom.  Going to her funeral was proof of how many people she had already impacted in her short, but very well lived sixteen years.  The service was beautiful and the main thing I took away was that life is short and nobody knows how short, so live each day sharing your passion to its fullest. 

          As young people, kids, teenagers, we think we are invincible, unshakeable, nobody can stop us.  Being invincible can be bad if we put ourselves in danger trying to do crazy stunts but can also be good when we use it to change the world around us.  Arlynne had a firm faith in God and she wanted to share that with as many people as she could.  From reading notes to keep family and friends posted online as to what she was doing it while on missions was easy to tell she loved what she was doing and that she wanted to, and probably would, do it for the rest of her life. I found it inspiring to know that even as a sixteen year old we can be making a huge impact on people’s lives.

http://vimeo.com/27251151

The link is to a clip of Arlynne’s baptism video, it is amazing to hear about the transformation in her life and what God was doing in it to make her who she was and how she was giving back to Him and the community around her.

          With Arlynne leading by example I think we should find our calling and start living our lives right now, not wait until we are older, when we think we will be wiser and more people will pay attention to us.  People are paying attention right now, you may not know it, but what you do and say, how you act; people are observing it and they might not even realize it.  Seeing the response on Facebook and going back to school in September after a memorial assembly for Arlynne, the little stories of moments people had with her, and how they remember little things about her was incredible to see. I remember watching her during a worship chapel on a Friday morning at school and just seeing the passion and love for God and wanting to have the type of faith and relationship that she had with Him.  She had a great laugh too, it was one that you could hear down the hallway and know it was her, she always had a great smile on and just lit up any room she walked into.  Doing the little things like laughing, smiling, just having small talk with friends and people around you does have an impact and it is those little things are what people will remember you for. 

          What do you want to be remembered for? The answer to that question is what you need to start doing with your life.  Arlynne wanted to share Christ with people around her, she didn’t tell people her goal and wait until she was older or thought she would do a better job, she started right away.  We need to start making our mark in our city, community and world and start our legacy so others can see and be inspired to make their own.  Arlynne gave us a wonderful example of how to begin making a difference around us and we need to follow that example and continue passionately living life like her and keep her memory alive while we do it.  Like the saying at the beginning of the blog, we want what we do with our life to continue on after our life ends, Arlynne’s purpose and passion in life will never die, she lived out the best purpose, did it passionately and loved it and I want that for everybody else.

Sunsets

Lately I have been sitting on my front porch doing school stuff and writing blogs because it is just a lot nicer to be outside and let’s be real, in the summer nobody wants to be inside.  Tonight while I was sitting work on a different blog (spoiler alert, it is a song, by Green Day, that is in a musical) I caught some of the sunset, through the massive maple and apple trees in my front yard. 

I love sunsets, they are all beautiful, some more than others, but every single one is unique and special which makes me want to spend all of my evenings on a lake in the middle of nowhere watching them.  There are a lot of things that are beautiful, unique and special on Earth though; around 7 billion I think, I am sure it is more but the point is there is a lot.  Each person is beautiful, unique and special whether they think so or not, the main issue is getting a person to realize it about themselves.  My partial solution of the day is this, when you see a sunset and just stand, sit or lay in awe of it’s beauty think of yourself, you are just like the sunset. 

Sunsets are not just the sun though, without clouds and dark spots there would be no real beauty.  Through life there are struggles and dark spots but that is what makes up a person and without challenges a person would be left shallow so instead of being ashamed and try and hide show your real beauty of your true self. 

The little daily reminders that you are incredible, have a purpose, bring beauty like a sunset other peoples’ worlds is what are needed.  If you get the chance, remind yourself of a sunset or somebody else because hearing it from somebody else always holds a lot more meaning.  You are a sunset! J

Crazy Hair Day

Today was a big day, I cut my hair. 

I am not one to do much with my hair on a regular basis, it is regularly thrown up in a ponytail, I have better things to do, like write blogs, than do my hair so when I do do something with my hair it is a big deal, especially when it is donating it.  “Donating for what?” you may ask, “Why would somebody want somebody else’s hair?” true it sounds weird but if you are a cancer patient with no hair, having somebody else’s hair would probably sound like a good deal! This is the fourth time I have donated it and I still get nervous, I am extremely vain when it comes to my hair, you couldn’t tell by looking at it on a regular basis but I love my hair.  It is the super great kind that has natural highlights that tons of people pay to have and I learned last week that it is thin but I have a lot of it which is awesome.  I still don’t understand the whole thick hair, thin hair thing, I figured I had thick hair but apparently not.  Due to lack of understanding and knowledge as previously displayed I do not belong in the hair business at all, ever.  Today though after having it done a few times and knowing what I do and don’t like I went in feeling a bit better about having my hair cut.  My best friend took the first cut of the braid off my head, needless to say you can totally tell which braid she cut compared to the hairdresser, she will not take scissors to my hair again.  My hair turned out fan-freaking-tastic and is perfect for the summer, plus doing something for someone else always makes me feel good. So go for it, do something for somebody else, just a random act of kindness, see what happens J

Be Brave

Going along with the “face your fears”, be brave Sara Bareilles has a super great song titled, take a guess, Brave.  It is a great song and I totally forgot about it until I was bored on Youtube and procrastinating but it is incredibly catchy and makes me want to dance J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQsqBqxoR4 Music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyAfjUHlFSM Lyric video

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do
And they settle ‘neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody’s been there, everybody’s been stared down
By the enemy
Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Innocence, your history of silence
Won’t do you any good
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don’t you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave
(3x)
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you

I will start with the song in general, I am a huge sucker for strings, piano, a solid beat and a great choreographed dance, which are all in the song! The fact that the song starts off with just a beat and then adds in solid chords to the beat, just great and super catchy and the song builds up perfectly to the chorus! I can’t even think of much more to say other than the fact it just makes me want to dance, so I will try to keep this quick so I can J

The video, just amazing.  It isn’t even like the people can’t dance, they all just have totally different styles and seem like very unlikely dancers.  I always love choreographed numbers, mainly because I can learn them and it makes me feel like a better dancer, Miley Cirus’s Hoedown Throwdown, that is probably the song I feel most confident dancing too. 

Lyrics, love them! I am going to start with the chorus just to shake it up a bit.  I love the challenge of saying what we really want to say because most of the time I think what we say and actually think are two totally different things, some people call it maturing, holding your tongue, lying, but sometimes it wouldn’t kill us to actually share our opinion.  The only example I can think of at the moment is telling the person you “like” (we really need a better word for that feeling) that you “like” them.  Totally cliché and I am not going to suggest you do that because I have never ever done that ever, I “liked” the same guy for 5 years in elementary school and I am pretty sure he knew most of the time but I never ever told him to this day, I doubt I ever will.  Plus it there is a lot on the line, though if there is nothing being risked it wouldn’t be considered brave.  That is why love is so crazy and awesome, you are completely trusting somebody else with yourself and they could easily hurt you but for some reason you believe that they won’t, insane stuff for a totally different blog.

I really need to dance but do it, be brave, tell somebody something crazy about yourself, give them the gift of going second and letting them know it is okay to share something crazy too J

Canada Day!

In honour of Canada Day I thought I would right a blog about the top 7 reasons I love Canada!

7. The flag!! It is super simple, except for when trying to draw a maple leaf, and I love the red and white.  Our flag is recognized all over the world and in most countries it is a total bonus to be Canadian and I have no doubt that some people fake being Canadian to be treated better.  Great to be Canadian!

6. The stereotypes! I am not sure that anybody else finds it great but I think most stereotypes associated with Canadians are hysterical.  We totally live in igloos and ride our pet moose, polar bear or dog sled to school every single day in a snow storm and after our chores consist of hunting for beavers, skinning them for pelts and selling them to the Hudsons Bay Co. That might have been a bit of an exaggeration but you get the general idea.

5. Tim Hortons. I am not a coffee drinker (trying to avoid that as long as possible) but I love my hot chocolate and donut (usually maple dip).  Roll up the Rim, best time of the year!!! I always know spring should be on its way when Roll up the Rim starts and a stop at Timmies before school starts is often the best way to start the day.

4.  Wendy’s! Along with most Tim Hortons there is usually a Wendy’s and the best dring/shake thing ever, a Frosty.  By far my favourite fast food place to eat and currently I cannot think of anything else to say about it except that I might want a baconator. Also best memories at Wendy’s is going with my grandparents and cousins and I was super hungry and ate a number 3 combo (3 patty burger, chocolate frosty and fries) my older cousin was quite impressed, I got a shout out on his Facebook status.

3. Attitude! We are often thought of as super nice, humble (not always), easy to laugh at and along with and apologetic. We are constantly apologizing apparently, which does occur, not all the time though but in general polite.  The other day while driving on the highway in the left lane I noticed a car going faster than me coming from behind so I moved over and as he passed he waved at me, can’t say I would ever expect that in any other country.  Today, coming back from Centre Island in Toronto we had to take a ferry back and there was not that much pushing as tons of people tried to get on one ferry.  I did complain a lot about my brother but he was just being annoying, totally an exception though.  Side note on the ferry though, we had to book it back to where we parked our car because they closed at 6 and had our keys and if we didn’t get them we would have to stay overnight and we landed at 6.  So my sister and I pulled an Amazing Race job and booked it, ran through crowds, leapt over gardens, managed to grab a coupon for The Wizard of Oz on the way and got our keys in time much to the parking guys amusement.  We showed up totally out of breath asking for our keys and then waited for like 10 minutes while the rest of our vehicle load got there.  We probably made his day.

2 and 1. I can’t decide which goes first and second so they both tie, hockey and rowing. I will just go alphabetically so nobody’s feelings get hurt.

HOCKEY!! I honestly do not know what I would do on Saturday nights without it (other than work maybe).  I am a Leafs fan all the way, I have taken many jokes and insults but have survived, mainly by ignoring them, but it works.  My work schedule always seems to conflict with big games but after I got home and found out they had made the playoffs, I did quite the dance, best news! I really could go on for a long time but hockey would not be the same without Hockey Night in Canada hosted by Ron Maclean and Don Cherry, I have some great stories about them but will save that for a different blog, they are incredible though, waiting to see what Don Cherry’s suit will look like, always work the wait.  Oh and Olympic hockey, crazy stuff, totally had a blonde moment the other day when in my brother’s room looking at his 2010 Vancouver games hockey poster and could not for the life of me remember who won the game in 2012.  I knew there were Olympics every 2 years and honestly thought I had forgotten apart of my life because I couldn’t remember who had won the crucial gold medal match.  Thankfully when I ran downstairs in a panic I had memory loss my dad nicely reminded me that it was the summer Olympics and that I had not missed the game, which leads us to the summer, well all year sport, of rowing.

ROWING!! I have never watched a sport that looks more clean, graceful and elegant in my life, though honestly I think it is one of the most painful sports ever.  I could also write forever on rowing but I will try to keep it shorter, it is an incredibly tough sport physically and mentally, I will give you a race run through of what I think it is like, you might get a better idea.  It is a 2 kilometre race and marked by a pylon (not a road pylon, a lot bigger) every 500 metres and a red (or different coloured) buoy every 250 metres with the last 250 metres all red.  There are different boat sizes, 8 people rowing with one oar and a coxie (they make calls to the rowers and steer), 4 people with one oar sometimes with a coxie, 4 people with two oars, 2 people with one or two oars and no coxie and a single person with two oars.   It may seem very confusing but I am sure if you Google it you will understand. Back to the race though, at the start of the race it is incredibly nerve-wracking until the horn goes and the race starts.  At the beginning there are a few short strokes and then about 10-30 really fast and powerful strokes, the start can sometime win or lose a crew the race but with all the nervous energy out at around 300 – 500 metres the boat has gotten into a steady rhythm and is making the way down the course.  Throughout the entire race there is focus constantly being drawn to the form, driving with the legs (people think it is an arms sport, it is not, it is mostly legs), finish strong with the arms, don’t fly up the slide (yep there is a slide track in the boat, it really is not as fun as it sounds), stay in time with the rest of the people in the boat.  Strategy is a huge part of the race because depending on when or if crews you are racing make a move your boat has to react to it, example, if it is heard or seen that a boat is putting extra strength into some strokes, your boat does the same for longer to try and hold them off or pass them, being aware of your position is crucial.  Mentally just keeping your body going for 2 kilometres is hard enough, one of my coaches always said, “Your legs will never give out on you, they hold you up every day, if you think you can’t finish or win though, then you won’t.” Or it was something along those lines.  Also most crews like to practice at like 5 a.m. which gets exhausting and being able to function mentally at that time is difficult.  Basically it is a lot of time and effort all year round for about an 8 minute race but finishing that race and medalling is the best feeling ever. I realize that was super long and didn’t even really get into any detail but I tried.

These are 7, but just some of the reasons that Canada is an incredible country and I am so grateful and blessed to be able to live here, the true North, strong and free!

Testimony

My fear that I faced from the last blog was kind of a mix of things, I am not one to speak in front of large amounts of people and two my spiritual journey.  As Christians we are called to get baptized, basically publically proclaiming that we will live our lives to serve God and today I was baptized.  It was pretty crazy and I was incredibly nervous but got through and as the blog you can read my testimony.  There is so much more that I could write and have said but that will be saved for a later date and different blog, I hope you enjoy it J

Hi, my name is Rebecca Giesbrecht, I am 18 and I am here today to publically declare that I want my life to glorify Christ. 

I was born and raised in loud, never boring Christian home by two great parents along with two younger sisters and a younger brother.  One of the earlier memories I have was accepting Jesus into my heart when I was really young in my family room on our old couch with my mom. She was in the middle of getting ready for church and took the time to read Benjamin’s Box with me and after we read the prayer in the back of the book and that was that.  I never really had a very personal relationship with God when I was growing up, I went to church on Sunday’s and pioneer club on Wednesdays until I hit the awesome age of youth.  In grade 7 my first small group was all girls and we would make sure we all fit on one couch keeping us a pretty close group. We stuck together through middle school preparing a great group of friends to go into high school with.  Going from a tiny school of about 180 kids total to a high school where there is that many kids in a grade was really intimidating.  There were a lot of people to meet and become friends with in high school and a few that I chose were not the best.  I didn’t really pay much attention to God or a lot of morals I had been taught as a kid, like don’t lie, I ended grade nine with a lot of broken trust and friendships from bad decisions I had made and now had to deal with the consequences. I was dreading going back to school in grade 10 because I didn’t really know where I stood with my friends and I started school with little desire to be at there but when youth started it was always a highlight of my week.  A new small group was started with new leaders and we were the one of the oddest groups, grade 10 girls lead by a pregnant lady and lone male.  Us girls had known each other for a while and we quickly seemed to click as a group and we have stuck together ever since.  Small group was a great place to be able to talk about God in and do it honestly and that is when I started to build my own faith.  Grade 10 had started off shaky but with an awesome small group and basketball team at school life seemed pretty good, which is usually when something happens. 

Thursday was the beginning of the annual basketball tournament at Collegiate and we had played that morning and before the game that evening us girls had made plans as a team.  When my sister and I went to go tell my mom at the end of school she just told us to get in the car and I though we were in trouble but it was a lot worse than that, my grandmother had suddenly passed away that morning.  It was the worst new I had ever heard.  We got home and our house was the quietest I think it has ever been.  I wanted to just stay in my room and not face anything or anyone but Colleen and I went to the game. The whole team and coaches were really good about the situation and incredibly supportive but we lost in double over time by 1 point and it was just brutal.  One of the coaches was going to give us a ride home and in his car he had a David Crowder band CD which he ended up letting me borrow and was a massive comfort through the next weeks because I was so lost in life and especially with God and two of the songs talked about exactly how I was feeling. Just when I was starting to accept what had happened my best friends grandfather passed away and that is how it continued for the next few months in our small group.  Almost everybody lost somebody close to them but through all of that we all became closer.  Though as a group we were growing closer I was growing really distant from God because I couldn’t understand why when I was starting to get everything together He would go and tear it apart and then make me watch everybody I cared about go through the same thing.  I really started to doubt Him and what He was doing but didn’t share this in fear of peoples reaction.  That year I was able to go to Pitch and Praise and the topic was on doubt and how it is not a bad thing and it is okay to doubt and question God which was an incredible reassurance to me.  I started slowly trying to get God back but felt like I had to earn Him because if I had doubted Him, why wouldn’t He doubt me. One particular small group night in the summer I was leading the group and everybody got distracted and one of my leaders called me out on kind of faking that my relationship with God was better than it actually was which was hard to hear but gave me opportunity to share what I had been going through with somebody else.  Again I started to try and earn a relationship with God because but another death rocked my world when a girl from my class was killed on a mission’s trip.  Trying to understand why somebody who was doing such good for God and His kingdom and He would take her instead of somebody else or me, who wasn’t even sure where I stood with God, was something I couldn’t grasp. Starting grade 11 our small group had grown in size and mix of gender which resulted in a frustrating year of trying to grow in God and not feeling able to open up to everybody. Deciding about what I wanted my future to look like education wise was also a struggle because I wasn’t sure I was good enough for a rowing scholarship or if I should continue trying for nursing all while trying to earn a relationship with God.  There were two main moments when God really got a message through though.  One was Easter of last year, writing something we feared or held us back and literally leaving it at the cross.  My fear was death. Easter Sunday in the video they replaced my sticker with “life” on the cross, it seems really simple but I am not dead yet so I shouldn’t stop living life but I need to decide what I want to live my life for. The second was during a general stressed out day I was dealing with trying to get another job to save for school and missions and ended up yelling at my dad and going to my room. That night before going to bed I checked my email and I had probably close to ten emails of job opportunities that my dad had found and sent to me.  If my dad loved me that much even after I had been really rude and mean to him, I could only imagine how much my heavenly Father loves me.  This year still hasn’t been easy, I regularly struggle with trying to be good enough by the standards I think I should be meeting to please everybody but I have finally transferred from my head to my heart though that God knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper and not to hurt me, plans to give me hope and a future.  I want to give my life to Him and His plans for me and just spread His love.  That is why I am here today, in front of you, to get baptized.

 

I will post some pictures once I get them too J

Fast and Furious 6

So it has been quite a while, super sorry!! This blog will be about movies and music combined so it is a double whammy of awesome Fast and Furious 6, amazing movie. We Own It, 2 Chainz and Wiz Kalifa, just as amazing.

Last weekend I went with one of my best friends to go see Fast and Furious 6, but I can’t say I have been one of those die hard fans because I haven’t seen the first 5 yet though I will now because they seem awesome. Originally I thought it was basically fast cars and sex and I am not a huge car or sex fanatic so it didn’t seem that appealing, I actually wasn’t going to go see the movie in the first place but my friend was already at the theatre alone so it was slightly a pity thing, but I am glad I went. I was slightly confused about the whole Leddy thing in the beginning but my friend explained that to me and I really didn’t need to know anything about cars except the faster the better, “Ride or die.”  The plot was incredible, some really good twisters that nobody saw coming, those really good ones where the whole theatre just goes “WHAT?!” super great! Also if you are going to see it stay through the credits, there is a clip played after some of them and it is super important and really good and if you have seen the first five you will have your mind blown, my mind was blown after my friend explained it to me.  There is an incredible girl fight between Leddy and an agent which is so well done and amazing to watch.  There is a tank too, on a highway, running over cars like nobody’s business, so crazy! The amount of fast cars, I really would like to be a race car driver like that.  I would need to brush up my standard driving and buy a standard car and find some roads that are windy and interesting with no cops but it would be so much fun.  It is incredibly dangerous driving after watching Fast and Furious 6 because the desire to drive like the movie is just crazy, it is like an adrenaline rush from the theatre to your car. There was also a scene that I thought was the ending scene and thought it was super lame but it was not the ending thankfully and it ends up on a runway with a huge plane and it is seriously the longest runway ever. The picture is totally accurate, if not a little short. 

For me a crucial part of the movie is the song that the credits is played to and they NAILED it.  The movie ends and it cuts straight to We Own It by 2 Chainz featuring Whiz Kalifa.  I can’t remember completely but I am pretty sure it starts with the chorus and it is basically my summer jam right now.  The first link is to the song with lyrics and the second is the one with Fast and Furious because it is just super great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYQ1Okyi3g4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv8C1wjbsKw

Money’s the motivation, money’s the conversation

You on vacation, we getting’ paid so

We on paycation, I did it for the fam

It’s whater we had to do, it’s just who I am

Yeah, it’s the life I chose

Gunshots in the dark, one eye closed

And we got it cooking like one-eyed stove

You can catch me kissin’ my girl with both eyes closed

Perfecting my passion, thanks for asking

Couldn’t slow down so we had to crash it

You used plastic, we ‘bout cash,

I see some people ahead we gon’ pass

I never fear death or dying

I only feel never trying

I am whatever I am,

Only God can judge me, now

One shot, everything rides on tonight

Even if I’ve got three strikes, Ima go for it

This moment, we own it

And I’m not to be played with

Because it can get dangerous

See these people I ride with

This moment, we own it

And the same ones that I ride with, be the same ones that I die with

Pull it all out on the line with, if you looking for me you can find with

In the new car or in the crown whip

My new broad, that’s a fine chick

And the wonder squad, I’m down with

What you say, tell me what you say

Working hard, reppin’ for my dogs, do this everyday

Takin’ off, looking out for all, makin’ sure we ball

Like the mob all you do is call

Catch you if you fall, Young Kalifa

I never fear death or dying

I only feel never trying

I am whatever I am,

Only God can judge me, now

One shot, everything rides on tonight

Even if I’ve got three strikes, Ima go for it

This moment, we own it

And I’m not to be played with

Because it can get dangerous

See these people I ride with

This moment, we own it

This the biggest day of my life

We got big guns, been graduated from knives

It’s the day in the life and I’m ready to ride

Got the spirit, I’m feelin’ like a killer inside

Financial outbreak, I’m free but I ain’t out yet

Ride with the plug so I’m close to the outlet

At the red light, rims sittin’ off set

I look better on your girl

Stuck to the plan, always think that we would stand up, never ran

We the fam and loyalty never change up

Been down since day one, look at where we came from

Jumpin’ out on anybody who try to say some one thing about it

 Got a problem, I go t the same one

Money rolls, we fold plenty clubs we closed,

Follow the same code

Never turn our back, our cars don’t even lose control

One shot, everything rides on tonight

Even if I’ve got three strikes, Ima go for it

This moment, we own it

And I’m not to be played with

Because it can get dangerous

See these people I ride with

This moment, we own it

Technical stuff first, starts off with a great build up, quite hum like then into the “strings” and into the rapping and beat, great introduction. Similar build up into the chorus which is my favourite part of the song. The strong beats in the chorus accenting counting to three and going from A to C is incredible, as shown below J

One shot, everything rides on tonight

Even if I’ve got three strikes, Ima go for it

This moment, we own it

And I’m not to be played with

Because it can get dangerous

See these people I ride with

This moment, we own it

Just reading it the lyrics do not seem that way, especially the “And” part but listening to it is just really cool.

Lyrics, so good, though I can’t say I necessarily relate to all of them, like the amount of money, gun shots, basically most of it but there are some really great parts that I do connect with. The line “Perfecting my passion, thanks for asking” I wish I could say that I am perfecting my passion, but I am not even totally sure what it is yet but I will love being able to say that once I find it and I think everybody should be able to take pride in what their passion is and perfecting it.  Finding a passion is what makes life enjoyable, it is really hard to do something you are not passionate about; for example, I am not passionate about making fries or burgers or chicken for work, the thought of spending the rest of my life like that, well I don’t think about it because it is terrible but you get the general idea, passion is the new fashion (I just made that up and it is pretty lame but rhymes, which is fun). 

The lyrics about “…the same ones that I ride with, be the same ones that I die with/Pull it all out on the line with, if you looking for me you can find with”, “Takin’ off, looking out for all, makin’ sure we ball/Like the mob all you do is call/Catch you if you fall” and “We the fam and loyalty never change up/Been down since day one, look at where we came from” I connect to my few close friends who are basically family, similar to the crew in Fast and Furious except we aren’t wanted or do cool things with fast cars or guns or fighting, though we like to think we could.  I never related being able to just call to being like a mob but I like the idea of being similar to a mob in a good way, that is interesting.  My friends and I always have each other’s backs and have only gotten closer over the years. Yesterday was our last official night of small group (we get together each week at youth and talk about various subjects) and for our leaders I put together pictures of us all over the years and it was crazy seeing how much we changed over the years. Looking at where we started and where we have ended up was just a crazy time and it is good to know that we won’t stop now because we are family. 

The chorus, as I have probably said already, is my favourite part of the song.  We only have one shot at life and we should not waste it.  Looking back on life and regretting certain decisions is hopefully not something people want to do, or if something has already happened that is regrettable then taking from that and becoming a better person instead of just regretting it more in the future is always a wiser choice. Also not letting fears hold you back, it is the hardest thing to get past.  I can’t really think of an recent example that I have had but I can think of one about sky diving (I talked to my dad about it and a friend the other day :P), I have heard it is an awesome experience and if you want to do it but are scared of heights and one day reach the point where you can not do it anymore and watch your friends and loved one experience something you wish you had but didn’t because of a fear, it sucks.  Or the classic example of not getting the guy or girl because you didn’t speak up, a lot of sad stories have resulted from that, I think the biggest fear as humans though is hurting our social self.  The whole public humiliation, being rejected, looking foolish, those are the biggest fears but we just have to own the moment and go for it! I realized I was getting off topic and figured it should be brought back to the lyrics.

Overall, Fast and Furious 6, 6 thumbs up, We Own It, was totally owned by the artists.  Amazing job by all! Challenge from this, do something that you are scared of.  I will make a blog post about it when I do it, let me know what you did and how it worked out!

Where I Belong

Music blog numbero two!! Where I Belong by Building 429

Sometimes it feels like I’m watching from the outside

Sometimes it feels like I’m breathing but am I alive

I will keep searching for answers that aren’t here to find

All I know is I’m not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me

And when I’m lost in the current of a raging sea

I have this blessed assurance holding me

All I know is I’m not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You

When the lights fade I wanna be found in You

All I know is I’m not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he32vwlKQPY

Our world today is not in the best shape these days and that reality became especially clear to many people I think after the explosions in Boston yesterday.  For those who do not really know what happened there is the Boston marathon that is a huge event that I think every marathon runner wants to get in to.  At the finish line yesterday as runners were finishing the race there was one explosion and a few seconds after a second explosion.  By now I have heard that 3 are dead and over 140 people injured and there are a lot of amputees and the explosive had ball bearings in them to injure more people.  I think people recognize that there are explosions happening very often injuring and killing people regularly but since it is not close to home (aka North America) we do not really understand the impact or reality of the tragedy of an explosive.  After this happened my Facebook and Twitter exploded with thoughts and speculation about the explosion and prayers being sent but I personally did not put any reaction on a social network site (well until now) for two reasons. One, I do not like making assumptions or speculations or point any fingers especially so early after it happened before any investigation could be done and two because I don’t like “following trends” #prayforBoston, they have great intentions but I feel like it is not worth publicizing if you aren’t actually going to do anything about it and that if you are going to pray about an event you don’t need to publicize it, just my opinions.  I saw mostly positive things but there were some that automatically start pointing fingers which I do not think is totally fair and this is where the song kind of makes a connection.  It is a Christian song if you hadn’t picked up on that and I find it incredibly reassuring as a believer.  The song talks about how we were not created for this earth but for something much greater.  I find it super easy to get caught up in society and feel overwhelmed and stressed about things that I cannot handle and forget that I have been created for a greater purpose and that I was not meant to stay on earth forever.  Just because somebody is breathing does not mean they are alive, it does mean physically living but also “full of energy and spirit; lively” (dictionary.com) and I find that hard to come by on a regular basis in people.  We have our moments of being “alive” probably when we are talking about something we are incredibly passionate about or something important to us but that feeling never stays around for long.  To me this song is a daily reminder to truly live life and do what we can while we can but that there is also something way better for us that is being created for us.  After events like yesterday that have a national impact or smaller more personal events like someone close getting sick or dying this song is usually on repeat as a reminder of the beacon of hope that we can have.