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Hello friends!
it's time for some
October News
Get a move on, and quite literally at that! These past few months have been full of movement, uncertainties and God's faithful responses. From packing up all my belongings and travelling to the other side of the world, to searching for a new place and recovering from an unwanted accident, the unexpected has proven opportunity for personal growth and for God's action. Here's an update:
Anniversary
Mid October marked the four year anniversary of my arrival in Joliette to join the YWAM /King's Kids team. This commitment has been quite a journey in itself as I learn more about myself and about laying down my timeline and plans for what God has in store.
Apartment
After four years of living in peoples' homes, I moved into my own apartment at the beginning of the month. It's a small "4 1/2" (aka. a small two-bedroom apartment) centrally located within the limits of Joliette proper and only a few blocks away from my last residence. Starting off with relatively few belongings, I've been touched by the generosity of friends and the local church who gave me many important items like a full set of dishes, curtains, a fridge, a bed, a kitchen table, etc. I am excited for this new season where I can welcome others "chez moi" - an opportunity that I had right away with the visit of my brother and his wife for a week around Thanksgiving. The challenge remains to find a washer and dryer in good condition at a reasonable price, and to deal with the cigarette smoke coming from the renter downstairs. Prayers for wisdom in my remaining purchases and any suggestions to fight cigarette odours would be appreciated!
Other side of the world
Underway for about 10 weeks, I visited the South Island of New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea, and finished with a stopover in Western Canada. All in all it was an enriching experience full of special encounters with people, with nature and with God, Some highlights include stargazing in the Southern Hemisphere and visiting the lightening bug trees, being one of the first to meet my good friends' new baby son, swimming with sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef, drinking fresh coconut water and singing silly songs until I ran out of ideas with the children in remote villages of PNG...and I could go on. It was special to visit my friends in their fields of action, and to celebrate my birthday registering patients for a medical clinic in an exotic location, not to forget the birthday bumps. Of course there were also moments of anxiety or loneliness, but each time I saw God responding and taking care of me in the circumstances. I certainly have experienced grace since the ski accident with all the medical appointments that lined up, the physio that I could receive in Alberta, and the fact that I got reimbursed by my insurance for the total of all fee incurred outside Québec (!). I'm full of gratitude for these things.
Quartier Libre
What joy to meet up with the children in Arthur-Normand after the summer! The first time I went around the neighbourhood to visit our "regulars" it was hard to see that several families had moved or the children were no longer there - and some without the opportunity to say goodbye. But God had a surprise in store for us. During a time of prayer for the kids, I expressed my desire to be able to say goodbye to those who'd left. As I passed out invitations for our first Saturday program, I heard someone calling out to me down the road and I turned to see it was one of the girls whose family was moving far away and who happened to be in the neighbourhood that weekend. So the girls could attend one last QL program and we could say our goodbyes and wish them well.
We continue to organize games in the park one afternoon a week and some of my teammates are participating in the initiative offered by the Crédil again this year to provide homework help for some of the Bhutanese children. Last Saturday we got rained out during our program; fortunately we had brought some tents so the 15+ kids didn't get soaked in the storm. We are still hoping for more people, especially young men, to join our QL team in order to better reach out to these kids but thus far we've been pleasantly surprised by the willingness of several pre-teen boys to jump in and be more involved. Please pray for God to call others to join the QL team and also for this special opportunity we have to mentor some of the kids who want to help out.
MP3
Nathalie and I are seeking God as to the format of MP3 for this year and which group of children to reach out to. Many of the kids that were previously involved are now older than the target age group and the younger children among our contacts are a bit younger. We still hold a strong conviction about encouraging children and their families to "plug" into God and spend time in worship and prayer. Even as a YWAM team, we've been reminded of the importance of these practices personally and corporately. Please pray for clarity and boldness.
Dancing
This Fall my body has been moving with 9.5 classes/week to teach and two courses to attend as a student. It's an even broader spectrum of ages and styles than last year, from creative dance (ages 3.5 -5) to level 4 (teens), from hip-hop to ballet-jazz. My learning curve continues as does the measure of "success" - some days I find teaching extremely frustrating, tiring and difficult, and other days rewarding and a great deal of fun. Starting the year with a back injury has challenged me to respect my body and show patience as it heals. I'm thankful to report that I've got feeling back in my leg, that my range of motion is slowly increasing and I've started training sessions again with my athletic therapist instead of treatments. Please pray with me for God's grace, discernment and creativity for my classes.
This weekend I also led a "zumba" class during a day for teens and pre-teens organised by the Catholic diocese in Joliette. With teaching 3 classes already on Saturday morning, it seemed rather intense to add another class to the mix, but I felt carried through the day and I know I was doing what God wanted me to do.
Up and coming
A couple of retreats, a kid's camp and a potential invitation to meet with someone about dance & worship. More to come another time!
You made it through all that news! Thank you for reading and a particular thank you for your thoughts and prayers, and your words of encouragement! |
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