And here are the pictures from my going away get together at home. Aunt Tina and Uncle Keith came too.

pics

K, I'm back to write some more.. or put up some pics anyways : ) I just went for an hour walk tonight. It's really hot here! The neighbourhood is beautiful with all the big trees that hang over the streets and the beautiful old houses. Love it.

K so last Thurday I went over to Travis' house and we went quadding down to the Waterhen River and went fishing down there. It was soo beautiful! I'm just amazed every time at how beautiful God creates things. It was soo much fun and I sucked at casting but whatever.. we didn't actually catch anything.. even though the fish were jumping lots that night. It was really nice hanging out before I left.

Here are some pics of when me and Tiff went to Edmonton for the weekend of August 17-19. It was really awesome to see Hil again. And then on Saturday Carley and Katie came up from Old MacDonald and Tiff, me, Hil, and Marty all hungout at WestEd, went for supper, then went to the Water Park at night. It was soo much fun! That weekend I had to say goodbye to Hil and Marty cuase I wasn't going to be seeing them again before I left. I thought it was going to be my last time seeing Car and Katie too but then she ended up coming home last weekend so that was soo sweet!

This is my crazy friend Amanda (Rob, my youth pastors', wife : ) I love her. I hungout with her Friday afternoon doing some shopping around good ol' Meadow and eating lunch and getting Eastside icecream and tried to figure out how to use the hotcurlers on her hair.. haha.. it didn't work to well.. I just don't know how to use them!

My First Stop...for a couple of weeks...

Hi everyone! So I've offically (and finally : ) ) started my way on my adventure to Africa! I got into Hamiliton yesterday at 3:30 and Heather and Randy Barnes (a couple who works with the WEC candidates) were the first people I met, before very many! They picked me up at the airport and when I got to the headquaters house I was introduced to many of the staff and other candidates/missionaries. They are all so very nice and welcoming and fun. There are 7 other candidates taking the course with me... or rather I should say, I am taking the course with them...becuase they are all going to be here for 4 months and i'm only here for 2 weeks. I'm the only short-termer. But there is a guy here from Venasula, a family from Korea (who were actually just in South Africa for a year and so they were telling me all about it down there...now that I'm freaked out about attacking baboons and whatnot! haha, no, its all good.), and a couple from El Salvador, I believe, and a family from Guelph, ON. They are all really great.

All of us (including some staff) live in the same house. It's a beautiful 1921 house. I just love it! And it's soo nice here too! The weather is really sunny, clear blue sky and in the 20's for sure. Right now I'm staying in a room by myself. I've got my own phone and internet access right in my room which is nice.

Before I left I had another going away get to together at home with my family and friends. It was a really great night and soo awesome cause Car came back home that weekend too! She stayed over that night and we stayed up late watching "Take the Lead" and visiting with Mike and Charlotte. It was just soo fun to hang out with all my relatives again and with some of my friends as well. We had lots of food and played a few rounds of foosball and pingpong and ltos of laughs. Thanks all you guys for coming!

On Sunday I said goodbye to everyone after church. That was a really great Sunday. The Mexico team shared with us about their experiences and it was just really encouraging and fun. Lots of laughing during that church service : ) I will miss all you guys! Thanks so much for supporting me in prayer.

Then Mom, Aaron and Tiff drove down to S'toon. Got there around 4 and just hung out ate some pizza and watched "Crash". I got to hang out with Ang again for a short while. It was still great and we had some good pizza : ) I miss you so much girl! I also got to talk with Hil and Jenny on the phone that night too.

Then came yesterday morning... a very early morning... woke up at 4:45... at the airport about 5:30ish and then off into the air at 6:20. It's really wierd but I haven't been too nervous about this trip at all... just excited.. I suppose yes, there are those little fears and uncertainties, but nothing too huge. It's been an answer to pray for sure. Saying goodbye to my family was hard to do but not overbearingly. That was also a huge answer to prayer! I will miss you guys soo much!

Well, I was gonna write more.. but supper is early today so I better head down there...
Talk to you soon!

Surprise Going Away Party

This past Friday my friends in S'toon planned a surprise going away party for me. It was soo cool. They are so awesome and such great friends : ) I'm really going to miss them next year and it's hard for me to leave knowing I will be missing out on what the group does while I'm away but they are all really encouraging and supportive and are excited about me going which is sweet. I know that I will miss alot of things here but I know that God has many great and fun and new experiences for me in Africa which is super exciting. Here are a few pics of my party. It's kinda funny but I felt really bad but the party was suppose to start at 7 and Heather was going to pick me up and we were all going to go out for "coffee". The plan was for Heather to go pick up Matt for coffee too and then when we were at his house I would come in I would find out it was a party for me.... But.... just 5 minutes after talking on the phone with Heather about our plans for "coffee", work called me and needed me to come back for a few hours! So I actually didn't get there till almost 9 (and the whole time I didn't know it was a party for me.. i just thought it was coffee) and so I felt bad when I found out that I missed out on the hamburgers and hotdogs everyone had at 7. But they were totally ok with it and we still shared a delicious DQ icecream cake and watched "Shooter" and sat around talking and laughing. The top picture is of Graham, Clint and Matt. The third picture is me and Heather eating our icecream cake and the bottom is Janaya and Marion. : ) Thanks so much guys! I will miss you lots!

Last "Cya laters"

This weekend Christy came up to visit. It was soo awesome hanging out and watching movies (Step Up!) and checking out The Fringe and doing random things in the city. She is soo cute! And tonight Pam came over and we all had supper together and had a fun walk down 8th Street and came back to eat fresh raspberries and strawberries! Pam is such a sweetheart. These girls are so awesome : ) So ya, this is us eating our dessert!

ONLY 19 MORE DAYS!!

Hey Guys! So this is my very first attempt in writing on my blog.. lets see if I can do this right : ) So I'm going to be using my blog to update you all on how things are going for me in Africa and I will be sure to put pictures up too! I'm getting quite excited about all of this, and at the same time very nervous!! Only 19 more days till I leave! It is soo crazy. It has come up really fast but I think am I all ready and set to go along and see what God has in store for me : ) It's going to be tough to leave my family and my friends here in S'toon and my close friends from bible college but God is good and He will help me out with ALL things. God has been so good to me thus far in getting plans all in place and flights and ya, God is just soo good : ) Hope you are all having a great summer! Later