Finally!
Well it took an illness that has me bedridden to get me to blog again... I guess there's an upside to everything eh? I suppose I will start with the Ancient news and then work my way to the recent stuff. Forgive me for the length.
So last some of you heard I had just come back from a missions trip to Utah. Well merely one week after that I was headed to Oakland Airport to pick up my beautiful girlfriend, Brittany Wiebe, who was arriving on a free flight that the Ponder family from Mountain View had incredibly generously donated to our cause. We had an absolutely marvelous time exploring San Fransisco, spending sunday at MVCC (an amazing experience of it's own), eating Mexican food, getting to know James and Alyssa, floating down the King's River, and relaxing at the Berry's model home beach-house just out side of Pismo Beach. It was probably one of, if not THE best week(s) of my life.
So Brittany went home and soon enough my life-changing summer at MVCC was coming to a close. Through it all I experienced the Holy Spirit giving me a love and a passion for his church and to see the Bride of Christ reach it's potential as the ambassador to the Hope of the world. I experienced the Holy Spirit pouring out his gifts into my life and giving me the strength to live in holiness. I experienced the call placed on my life to enter into a life of ministry in God's kingdom. This is truly an exciting time in my life.
In my last week in California my parents and Maisie came down for a visit. We had a great time together enjoying the hospitality of the Leonard family. Unfortunately my parents left before sunday but Maisie got to experience MVCC in full force which was awesome for her. She really got to witness the church's passion for prayer and for lost people. Sunday night I spent with two of my closest friends from Cali, James and Alyssa, as well as two sisters from our youth group and their parents. We had a great time saying our goodbyes and having one last fun time together. As we left James, Alyssa, Maisie and I had a phenomenal time of prayer for one another and then said goodbye... I think as I drove past them with my window open I gave a little, "goodbye my looooooove..." to James. Little did I know that they had planned a surprise party for me at my house and so they followed me home I walked through the door to at least twenty of my friends screaming "surprise!" So I ended up staying awake a little longer than I would have liked to on the night before driving for 21 hours but what can you do. Before I went to sleep they all gathered around me, laid hands on me and prayed blessings over me.
When I woke up I grabbed all my stuff and headed out to the car where to my surprise almost everyone who had been there last night had slept over on the front lawn of my house to say a final goodbye in the morning. They had all written beautiful things in a notebook for me and gave it to me as I left. It was a very emotional time and it was really neat to see how God had used me in those people's lives this summer. I was very touched and encouraged as I drove back to Canada.
I didn't drive home however, I drove straight to Osooyos where my family was camping with all of our friends from church. I had a ton of fun with them and I was again very encouraged by my conversations with some of my parents friends (who I guess are my friends as well) and some friends who I haven't been in touch with for a very long time, especially Andy Unger. I was really stoked to hear what God has been doing in his life these days and to see the way that it is changing him. I hopefully will get a chance to hang out with him sometime this week but we'll see I suppose.
When I got home I jumped into the construction scene again to make some quick cash. I worked for two weeks and was extremely blessed by the generosity of my foreman and my boss.
Then School started. My first eight days of school were spent in Squamish B.C. taking an course in rock climbing through Canada West Mountain School. After two days off we headed out for another eight days with CWMS, this time mountaineering in the Whistler back country, Spearhead range. These courses were quite exciting, quite educational and very inspiring. I will hopefully post some pictures of these adventures once my friends post their pictures on facebook. Some highlights of these two weeks include leading my first ever rock climb using traditional protection (basically I'm placing my own nuts and cams in the rock as protection if I fall), doing two multi-pitch routes on the 'Apron' of the Stawamus Chief, navigating crevasse fields in white out conditions, bagging Overlord Mtn in the Spearhead range and giving an OL "HuooAhh" at the top, and learning to ice climb!!! Basically it's been sweet.
In great juxtaposition, this week was spent first of all being sick like a dog, and then working my hiney off for four days to be able to afford... well life, I guess.
Through it all God has been good and I am still falling deeper in love with him. I also have made a friend on my jobsite! His name is Mike, he's 19 and his family used to go to church. We can all pray for Mike that the Holy Spirit would bring him into the fold :) I know he wants to.
On the more spiritual side of things, I've been trying challenge myself and the Outdoor 'Leadership' class to step up to the plate in spiritual leadership on campus. There is enough people on campus leading in the wrong direction, (yup even at bible school it's the same old scene) we need people who will walk the talk, live by the power of the Holy Spirit every second of every day, encourage and pray with the people in their daily path etc. We need people walking around looking like Jesus... and I don't mean first century jewish style, but on second thought that wouldn't be a bad thing, I mean at least first century Jews devoutly studied the scripture! God's word is Truth, Jesus is the Truth, Jesus is the Word made Flesh, so how can we look like Jesus if we don't know the word? if we don't know the Truth? It's not a lie when you sing, "read your bible, pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow."
Peace and God bless. I love you all.
Stew
So last some of you heard I had just come back from a missions trip to Utah. Well merely one week after that I was headed to Oakland Airport to pick up my beautiful girlfriend, Brittany Wiebe, who was arriving on a free flight that the Ponder family from Mountain View had incredibly generously donated to our cause. We had an absolutely marvelous time exploring San Fransisco, spending sunday at MVCC (an amazing experience of it's own), eating Mexican food, getting to know James and Alyssa, floating down the King's River, and relaxing at the Berry's model home beach-house just out side of Pismo Beach. It was probably one of, if not THE best week(s) of my life.
So Brittany went home and soon enough my life-changing summer at MVCC was coming to a close. Through it all I experienced the Holy Spirit giving me a love and a passion for his church and to see the Bride of Christ reach it's potential as the ambassador to the Hope of the world. I experienced the Holy Spirit pouring out his gifts into my life and giving me the strength to live in holiness. I experienced the call placed on my life to enter into a life of ministry in God's kingdom. This is truly an exciting time in my life.
In my last week in California my parents and Maisie came down for a visit. We had a great time together enjoying the hospitality of the Leonard family. Unfortunately my parents left before sunday but Maisie got to experience MVCC in full force which was awesome for her. She really got to witness the church's passion for prayer and for lost people. Sunday night I spent with two of my closest friends from Cali, James and Alyssa, as well as two sisters from our youth group and their parents. We had a great time saying our goodbyes and having one last fun time together. As we left James, Alyssa, Maisie and I had a phenomenal time of prayer for one another and then said goodbye... I think as I drove past them with my window open I gave a little, "goodbye my looooooove..." to James. Little did I know that they had planned a surprise party for me at my house and so they followed me home I walked through the door to at least twenty of my friends screaming "surprise!" So I ended up staying awake a little longer than I would have liked to on the night before driving for 21 hours but what can you do. Before I went to sleep they all gathered around me, laid hands on me and prayed blessings over me.
When I woke up I grabbed all my stuff and headed out to the car where to my surprise almost everyone who had been there last night had slept over on the front lawn of my house to say a final goodbye in the morning. They had all written beautiful things in a notebook for me and gave it to me as I left. It was a very emotional time and it was really neat to see how God had used me in those people's lives this summer. I was very touched and encouraged as I drove back to Canada.
I didn't drive home however, I drove straight to Osooyos where my family was camping with all of our friends from church. I had a ton of fun with them and I was again very encouraged by my conversations with some of my parents friends (who I guess are my friends as well) and some friends who I haven't been in touch with for a very long time, especially Andy Unger. I was really stoked to hear what God has been doing in his life these days and to see the way that it is changing him. I hopefully will get a chance to hang out with him sometime this week but we'll see I suppose.
When I got home I jumped into the construction scene again to make some quick cash. I worked for two weeks and was extremely blessed by the generosity of my foreman and my boss.
Then School started. My first eight days of school were spent in Squamish B.C. taking an course in rock climbing through Canada West Mountain School. After two days off we headed out for another eight days with CWMS, this time mountaineering in the Whistler back country, Spearhead range. These courses were quite exciting, quite educational and very inspiring. I will hopefully post some pictures of these adventures once my friends post their pictures on facebook. Some highlights of these two weeks include leading my first ever rock climb using traditional protection (basically I'm placing my own nuts and cams in the rock as protection if I fall), doing two multi-pitch routes on the 'Apron' of the Stawamus Chief, navigating crevasse fields in white out conditions, bagging Overlord Mtn in the Spearhead range and giving an OL "HuooAhh" at the top, and learning to ice climb!!! Basically it's been sweet.
In great juxtaposition, this week was spent first of all being sick like a dog, and then working my hiney off for four days to be able to afford... well life, I guess.
Through it all God has been good and I am still falling deeper in love with him. I also have made a friend on my jobsite! His name is Mike, he's 19 and his family used to go to church. We can all pray for Mike that the Holy Spirit would bring him into the fold :) I know he wants to.
On the more spiritual side of things, I've been trying challenge myself and the Outdoor 'Leadership' class to step up to the plate in spiritual leadership on campus. There is enough people on campus leading in the wrong direction, (yup even at bible school it's the same old scene) we need people who will walk the talk, live by the power of the Holy Spirit every second of every day, encourage and pray with the people in their daily path etc. We need people walking around looking like Jesus... and I don't mean first century jewish style, but on second thought that wouldn't be a bad thing, I mean at least first century Jews devoutly studied the scripture! God's word is Truth, Jesus is the Truth, Jesus is the Word made Flesh, so how can we look like Jesus if we don't know the word? if we don't know the Truth? It's not a lie when you sing, "read your bible, pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow."
Peace and God bless. I love you all.
Stew
posted by Stewart at
5:01 PM
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