Well, I am on week 2 of being back home (well, almost 3) and I am finding it a very slow process getting back to the city life.
While I was at camp I was isolated from the world and what was going on. I missed out on a whole bunch of celebrity gossip....even things happening at church. I kind of missed it while I was up at camp. Not so much any more. It is kind of nice not being tempted by magazines or movies in the theatres. I get to do what I want to do without distractions of the media. Although I have to say that it is weird not knowing what movies are in the theatres and try and follow people as they are talking about them.
I enjoyed my time at camp, but I did miss out on major city things. Like engagement announcements and baby announcements, I did miss seeing friends on a weekly or bi-weekly basis....so much happens in the summer.
Now my goal/plan is to try and re-invest in the lives of the people I missed while at camp. I want to get back in to weekly date nights with some friends, have people over for dessert and games, or whatever the occasion may call for.
Last night I was hanging out with a friend and just spending time with her (as we walked, signed up for yoga and sipped our Starbucks) reminded me that I had missed so much.
Hopefully soon home will feel like home again :)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Home At Last!
Summer is over, and fall is just around the corner.
What does that mean for me here at camp????
My daily activities will now include:
1) Going through summer files and changing them from 2010 to 2011, updating as needed.
2) Harassing people (parents, businesses and agencies) to pay up!
3) Planning for the 2011 summer!
and 4) Preparing for our year-round activities.
This year we are having our usual Fall and Spring Ultimate Days. This is where campers and camper's friends come up to camp for the day and hang out with staff and participate in activities. We like to have them do things that they might not get a chance to do in the summer time. Events like this are a great way for people to reconnect and stay excited for summer camp! We are also hoping to have a winter getaway (fingers crossed) in December sometime. This will be like Ultimate Day but with winter activities over a two day period.....which includes sleeping over.
I am excited about the fall and the new things that it will bring!
I am also excited for Marc and his flourishing theatre company! We were at a wedding on Saturday and he received 4 job offers, 1 of them being a very serious one....which he is looking in to! It is exciting to see where God leads and how He opens doors!
We are blessed!
Well, that's all form this office girl for now.
Until next time! (Keep fit and have fun)
What does that mean for me here at camp????
My daily activities will now include:
1) Going through summer files and changing them from 2010 to 2011, updating as needed.
2) Harassing people (parents, businesses and agencies) to pay up!
3) Planning for the 2011 summer!
and 4) Preparing for our year-round activities.
This year we are having our usual Fall and Spring Ultimate Days. This is where campers and camper's friends come up to camp for the day and hang out with staff and participate in activities. We like to have them do things that they might not get a chance to do in the summer time. Events like this are a great way for people to reconnect and stay excited for summer camp! We are also hoping to have a winter getaway (fingers crossed) in December sometime. This will be like Ultimate Day but with winter activities over a two day period.....which includes sleeping over.
I am excited about the fall and the new things that it will bring!
I am also excited for Marc and his flourishing theatre company! We were at a wedding on Saturday and he received 4 job offers, 1 of them being a very serious one....which he is looking in to! It is exciting to see where God leads and how He opens doors!
We are blessed!
Well, that's all form this office girl for now.
Until next time! (Keep fit and have fun)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Where Has The Summer Gone?
Today is August 19, 2010.
Have I really been at camp for 2 full months now?
Why did the 10 months of prep work for the summer seem to last forever, the summer comes and kids arrive and in a flash it is over.
Wow!
That's the only word I can really use to describe it.
This summer has been an interesting one.....full of many highs and lows, life changes, big decisions, campers, food, people, and hardly any time at home in the city.
I am glad to say that Marc was with me for pretty much the whole time! That was a nice treat!
I just can't believe that in a week I move back home, back into the real world.
Things I will miss about camp:
-waking up whenever because breakfast will always be in the kitchen and it only takes me 30 seconds to walk to my desk
-jumping in the lake whenever it is too hot
-listening to young kids talk.....when they don't know I am listening
-talking with camp friends, about life and things
-not cooking or cleaning.....it's been so nice not to have to do this!
-the sunsets on the lake
-trips to Gimli
-walking through the field at about 8:25pm and hearing the kids in the Wigwam and at Fireside singing praises to God!
I am sure there are more.
All I can say is "What a summer".
Am I ready to do this all over again??????
Have I really been at camp for 2 full months now?
Why did the 10 months of prep work for the summer seem to last forever, the summer comes and kids arrive and in a flash it is over.
Wow!
That's the only word I can really use to describe it.
This summer has been an interesting one.....full of many highs and lows, life changes, big decisions, campers, food, people, and hardly any time at home in the city.
I am glad to say that Marc was with me for pretty much the whole time! That was a nice treat!
I just can't believe that in a week I move back home, back into the real world.
Things I will miss about camp:
-waking up whenever because breakfast will always be in the kitchen and it only takes me 30 seconds to walk to my desk
-jumping in the lake whenever it is too hot
-listening to young kids talk.....when they don't know I am listening
-talking with camp friends, about life and things
-not cooking or cleaning.....it's been so nice not to have to do this!
-the sunsets on the lake
-trips to Gimli
-walking through the field at about 8:25pm and hearing the kids in the Wigwam and at Fireside singing praises to God!
I am sure there are more.
All I can say is "What a summer".
Am I ready to do this all over again??????
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tired Beyond Words
Well, a lot has happened since I last wrote.
Marc and I went on a 10 day holiday to the lovely BC.....we are 110% sure we are moving there once we retire/have kids. Who knows, either way we are headed west at some point in our lives.
It was quite an adventurous trip. We got lost in Stanley Park, a bus had a break catch on fire, we got stuck at the US border both ways, missed a bus to take us to the ferry and spent $50 on a 20min cab ride (thank goodness another lady shared it with us), climbed a huge mountain, ate lots of great west coast food, golfed in the rain, went to Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria and Penticton, went all the way up the Space Needle and overall had a great time away!
I was very thankful to get a break from work, which only seemed to be piled high when I got home.
This week has been a pretty crazy one: from trying to catch up on sleep and work to my dear, sweet Oma passing away. A death in the family (or anyone we know) is a hard thing to grasp. And just knowing how she was living her life I know that it is a good thing she has passed on. She is now in Heaven with Opa and Tante Kaethe. She is living and will eternally live in peace and great health (something that was lacking the last many years of her life).
Needless to say it has been a very draining week and I am looking forward to sleeping and resting. But life is busy, so who knows when that will happen?
Marc and I went on a 10 day holiday to the lovely BC.....we are 110% sure we are moving there once we retire/have kids. Who knows, either way we are headed west at some point in our lives.
It was quite an adventurous trip. We got lost in Stanley Park, a bus had a break catch on fire, we got stuck at the US border both ways, missed a bus to take us to the ferry and spent $50 on a 20min cab ride (thank goodness another lady shared it with us), climbed a huge mountain, ate lots of great west coast food, golfed in the rain, went to Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria and Penticton, went all the way up the Space Needle and overall had a great time away!
I was very thankful to get a break from work, which only seemed to be piled high when I got home.
This week has been a pretty crazy one: from trying to catch up on sleep and work to my dear, sweet Oma passing away. A death in the family (or anyone we know) is a hard thing to grasp. And just knowing how she was living her life I know that it is a good thing she has passed on. She is now in Heaven with Opa and Tante Kaethe. She is living and will eternally live in peace and great health (something that was lacking the last many years of her life).
Needless to say it has been a very draining week and I am looking forward to sleeping and resting. But life is busy, so who knows when that will happen?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Moving.....Again?!?!?
Well, work is work. Registrations are coming in, I think a bit slowly compared to other years, but there is still enough work for me to do.
The moving part is actually a great story. Since one of my co-workers have left, my supervisor has moved in to the empty office. Her cubical was much bigger, however the greatest thing of all is that it has way more counter space. This is all mine now! I put in a request and, since I need a lot of space to spread out, my request was approved!
I am moving up in the world! Next step is to move into an office....however I don't think that will happen any time soon.
Anyway, this has been a great move! And it is so much quieter out in the office since we are all spread out. It's nice!
The moving part is actually a great story. Since one of my co-workers have left, my supervisor has moved in to the empty office. Her cubical was much bigger, however the greatest thing of all is that it has way more counter space. This is all mine now! I put in a request and, since I need a lot of space to spread out, my request was approved!
I am moving up in the world! Next step is to move into an office....however I don't think that will happen any time soon.
Anyway, this has been a great move! And it is so much quieter out in the office since we are all spread out. It's nice!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
God Can Use Us, Even Though Our Hands Are Small
Yesterday started out like any other Monday. I got up, got ready and headed out the door to go to work. Little did I know what God had in store for the rest of my day.
Before I get into the story of how my day unfolded, I would like to take a mini rabbit trail and tell another story. In February we were challenged at work with reading passages of scripture everyday. By the time Easter is here we will have all read through the Gospels. It is only 2 chapters every day, however I have the worst discipline when it comes to scripture reading, so it has been a bit more challenging for me to get into the habit. Yesterday I was reading from Matthew 25-26, later in chapter 25 Jesus talks about how we will be blessed when we help those in need (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.). I have read this passage many times but I have never been quite as touched by it as I was yesterday.
Every Monday for the last couple of months Marc has been in Morden working on a play, so for the past month I have been using this time to get to know a previous Camp Arnes employee. Our Monday evenings are filled with laughter, TV and way too much food. However, this Monday was different. I got a text saying that we were going to have to attend a meeting instead of just hanging out at her place. I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of having a meeting and she gave me no indication of what the meeting was going to be about, but I felt it in my heart that I just had to be at this meeting.
The friend that I visit with every Monday used to work in immigration, she had her own business and brought people from all over the world to come and work in our city. She had also done a few refugee cases during this time, even though this was not the main focus of the business.
Last night's meeting was with the parents of a family that she had helped bring to Canada back in 2004. They are wanting, with the support of a local church, to bring over more of their family.
The sad thing is what my friend had to say to me as we were driving over to this meeting. She explained that her and her husband, with the first family, put in a lot of their own money, however this time they were not in a place to financially support the new family. And I don't mean like a few hundred dollars here and there. For this family of 6 to come over they need about $40,000 to pay for their flights and for their first year in Canada. Not pocket change. She kept telling me how she was going to have to deliver this bad news and how she was 100% sure that this family was not coming to Canada any time soon.
I sat and listened as she explained how this all is looking and how the government of Canada has changed some of their policies, I could tell by looking at every face that the hope of having this family come to Canada was a lost battle. The only major question that was asked (mostly by the people of the supporting church) was just how much money was needed in order to have them come. My friend broke it down into what they would need for the basics and other costs involved, I noticed that the couple from the church kept on whispering over the answers my friend was giving. I was told, before the meeting, that it was finances what was going to steer the church away from helping this family because it is such a big undertaking.
As they continued on the topic of money, my friend felt it very important to tell everyone at the table that although she would love to help this new family once they are in the country, she wasn't able to financially give like the first time she had dealt with this situation. She went on to say that without money this couldn't happen and that she didn't sleep at all the previous night because she was so stressed over this one issue.
The couple from the church had been very quiet for the past hour and I was getting the feeling that they didn't have much to say. But boy was I wrong. The husband quietly apologized to my friend for her stress and lack of sleep. He went on to say that three years ago his company was bought out and he had kept the money he made because he knew that God was going to challenge him with it. He said that him and his wife were 100% committed to paying the full cost, whatever the total amount, for this new family.
Well, everyone was in complete shock. Even I was. I had no idea really what was going on, but I sure could feel the Holy Spirit in that house just moving. As I looked around the table, tears filled everyone's eyes. This was the answer they were all looking for. My friend just couldn't believe her ears because the only problem she could see was the lack of money. But God knew differently.
It was amazing to just sit back and listen to the conversation after the woman from the church said "If you need it today, we could write you a cheque for the full amount because we are that sure God wants us to use this money to help bring this family over to Canada". After that moment the conversation went from "how are we going to do this" to "what do we need to do in order to get these people here" and "how can we make their transition easier?".
It was such a blessing to be just in the room.
It was then that the strings of my heart were tugged upon. Ever since Marc and I have been married there has been a place for Africa on my heart. Which has been confirmed many times in the last 2 and a half years. Recently our church held a fund-raising banquet for the Villages of Hope in Africa. After the evening was over I looked at Marc and said, "Well, I hope you like Africa because in the next 5 years we will be heading over there". I had no idea what I had even said until Marc looked at me and simply said "Ok".
Anyway, as I was sitting there I was so moved that I started thinking of simple ways that I could help out. Teaching was the first thing that popped into my head. A few summers ago I actually got the chance to tutor some kids at my old church who had just recently come from Africa, it was such a great time and doing it again is something that I could bring to the table. Sports is something else that I can help with, not that I play soccer (which is the favourite sport among this family) but I know where gyms are, I know how to get equipment and I have been trained with the knowledge of how to teach sports and games. The third thing that I can provide is an experience away from home with other Christians in a safe environment.........Camp.
I don't even know this family or their situation or what they have been through as they live in Africa, but the verses from Matthew 25 just kept popping in my head. Marc and I might not have a lot of things or money, but we have able bodies, hands that works, and hearts that love. This young couple from the church has taken on the role of what many of us can't, the financial aspect. However, the rest of us can help out in so many other ways. Which is what I learned last night. And it doesn't have to be about this family, there are so many people in Winnipeg near where I live that could use a helping hand or someone just to talk to.
I know this post is long and it totally does not do justice to what really went on last night. No words can even come close in explaining the feelings and emotions I experienced last night.
What I did learn is that even though we might not have much or our hands might be too small, God can use us. We just need to let Him. And there are so many opportunities where He can use us.
I got to meet the African family who came over to Canada 4 (almost 5) years ago and here their stories of their journey to our country. I got to listen as they told us about what a blessing it has been living in Canada. But most of all they continued to praise God for the many blessings in their lives.
Can I get a HALLELUJAH or an AMEN!?!?!?!?!?
Before I get into the story of how my day unfolded, I would like to take a mini rabbit trail and tell another story. In February we were challenged at work with reading passages of scripture everyday. By the time Easter is here we will have all read through the Gospels. It is only 2 chapters every day, however I have the worst discipline when it comes to scripture reading, so it has been a bit more challenging for me to get into the habit. Yesterday I was reading from Matthew 25-26, later in chapter 25 Jesus talks about how we will be blessed when we help those in need (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.). I have read this passage many times but I have never been quite as touched by it as I was yesterday.
Every Monday for the last couple of months Marc has been in Morden working on a play, so for the past month I have been using this time to get to know a previous Camp Arnes employee. Our Monday evenings are filled with laughter, TV and way too much food. However, this Monday was different. I got a text saying that we were going to have to attend a meeting instead of just hanging out at her place. I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of having a meeting and she gave me no indication of what the meeting was going to be about, but I felt it in my heart that I just had to be at this meeting.
The friend that I visit with every Monday used to work in immigration, she had her own business and brought people from all over the world to come and work in our city. She had also done a few refugee cases during this time, even though this was not the main focus of the business.
Last night's meeting was with the parents of a family that she had helped bring to Canada back in 2004. They are wanting, with the support of a local church, to bring over more of their family.
The sad thing is what my friend had to say to me as we were driving over to this meeting. She explained that her and her husband, with the first family, put in a lot of their own money, however this time they were not in a place to financially support the new family. And I don't mean like a few hundred dollars here and there. For this family of 6 to come over they need about $40,000 to pay for their flights and for their first year in Canada. Not pocket change. She kept telling me how she was going to have to deliver this bad news and how she was 100% sure that this family was not coming to Canada any time soon.
I sat and listened as she explained how this all is looking and how the government of Canada has changed some of their policies, I could tell by looking at every face that the hope of having this family come to Canada was a lost battle. The only major question that was asked (mostly by the people of the supporting church) was just how much money was needed in order to have them come. My friend broke it down into what they would need for the basics and other costs involved, I noticed that the couple from the church kept on whispering over the answers my friend was giving. I was told, before the meeting, that it was finances what was going to steer the church away from helping this family because it is such a big undertaking.
As they continued on the topic of money, my friend felt it very important to tell everyone at the table that although she would love to help this new family once they are in the country, she wasn't able to financially give like the first time she had dealt with this situation. She went on to say that without money this couldn't happen and that she didn't sleep at all the previous night because she was so stressed over this one issue.
The couple from the church had been very quiet for the past hour and I was getting the feeling that they didn't have much to say. But boy was I wrong. The husband quietly apologized to my friend for her stress and lack of sleep. He went on to say that three years ago his company was bought out and he had kept the money he made because he knew that God was going to challenge him with it. He said that him and his wife were 100% committed to paying the full cost, whatever the total amount, for this new family.
Well, everyone was in complete shock. Even I was. I had no idea really what was going on, but I sure could feel the Holy Spirit in that house just moving. As I looked around the table, tears filled everyone's eyes. This was the answer they were all looking for. My friend just couldn't believe her ears because the only problem she could see was the lack of money. But God knew differently.
It was amazing to just sit back and listen to the conversation after the woman from the church said "If you need it today, we could write you a cheque for the full amount because we are that sure God wants us to use this money to help bring this family over to Canada". After that moment the conversation went from "how are we going to do this" to "what do we need to do in order to get these people here" and "how can we make their transition easier?".
It was such a blessing to be just in the room.
It was then that the strings of my heart were tugged upon. Ever since Marc and I have been married there has been a place for Africa on my heart. Which has been confirmed many times in the last 2 and a half years. Recently our church held a fund-raising banquet for the Villages of Hope in Africa. After the evening was over I looked at Marc and said, "Well, I hope you like Africa because in the next 5 years we will be heading over there". I had no idea what I had even said until Marc looked at me and simply said "Ok".
Anyway, as I was sitting there I was so moved that I started thinking of simple ways that I could help out. Teaching was the first thing that popped into my head. A few summers ago I actually got the chance to tutor some kids at my old church who had just recently come from Africa, it was such a great time and doing it again is something that I could bring to the table. Sports is something else that I can help with, not that I play soccer (which is the favourite sport among this family) but I know where gyms are, I know how to get equipment and I have been trained with the knowledge of how to teach sports and games. The third thing that I can provide is an experience away from home with other Christians in a safe environment.........Camp.
I don't even know this family or their situation or what they have been through as they live in Africa, but the verses from Matthew 25 just kept popping in my head. Marc and I might not have a lot of things or money, but we have able bodies, hands that works, and hearts that love. This young couple from the church has taken on the role of what many of us can't, the financial aspect. However, the rest of us can help out in so many other ways. Which is what I learned last night. And it doesn't have to be about this family, there are so many people in Winnipeg near where I live that could use a helping hand or someone just to talk to.
I know this post is long and it totally does not do justice to what really went on last night. No words can even come close in explaining the feelings and emotions I experienced last night.
What I did learn is that even though we might not have much or our hands might be too small, God can use us. We just need to let Him. And there are so many opportunities where He can use us.
I got to meet the African family who came over to Canada 4 (almost 5) years ago and here their stories of their journey to our country. I got to listen as they told us about what a blessing it has been living in Canada. But most of all they continued to praise God for the many blessings in their lives.
Can I get a HALLELUJAH or an AMEN!?!?!?!?!?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
An Update on Life
Well, it has been such a long time since I have posted anything. However, I shouldn't be complaining because I have been super busy at work, which is a good thing!
We have almost 200 campers coming so far. Every single camp has at least 1 camper every week! (even drama camp!) I am constantly mailing out brochures to parents/grandparents who want to send there kid(s) to camp. Yup, life is busy here at the office.
As of tomorrow we are losing an employee here in the office. Which is sad. And, from what I was told yesterday, part of this employee's responsibilities when it comes to event planning now falls in my lap. Something I neither have time for nor think I would be particularly good at. But that's the way life goes.
In good (actually great news) on of our board members struck a deal with the River East Transcona School Division allowing us access into the schools, and giving every elementary student a brochure. And although this is great news! this means that my job becomes much more difficult. Let's just say that right now I am waiting on 5000 more brochures to be printed to make this dream a reality! But all in all it's really exciting! And it's really great to see how God works, even in little ways like this one. Now all I have to do is pray for volunteers to help with this massive project!
In holiday news, Marc and I will be spending a week in BC near the end of April. Something that is LONG overdue. It will be so nice to see old friends (no Dave and Jo I don't mean to say that you are old, just that I have known you for a long time), relax, and enjoy the sun for once! Once this vacation is done we are home for exactly 4 days and then we head down with a caravan of people from our church to Atlanta for the DRIVE conference, which I am so excited that I can go on!
Anyway, there is a little update on life, both at work and with things that I am very much looking forward to!
Enjoy your day, I know I will......because here in Winnipeg it's like -50 with the wind chill!
We have almost 200 campers coming so far. Every single camp has at least 1 camper every week! (even drama camp!) I am constantly mailing out brochures to parents/grandparents who want to send there kid(s) to camp. Yup, life is busy here at the office.
As of tomorrow we are losing an employee here in the office. Which is sad. And, from what I was told yesterday, part of this employee's responsibilities when it comes to event planning now falls in my lap. Something I neither have time for nor think I would be particularly good at. But that's the way life goes.
In good (actually great news) on of our board members struck a deal with the River East Transcona School Division allowing us access into the schools, and giving every elementary student a brochure. And although this is great news! this means that my job becomes much more difficult. Let's just say that right now I am waiting on 5000 more brochures to be printed to make this dream a reality! But all in all it's really exciting! And it's really great to see how God works, even in little ways like this one. Now all I have to do is pray for volunteers to help with this massive project!
In holiday news, Marc and I will be spending a week in BC near the end of April. Something that is LONG overdue. It will be so nice to see old friends (no Dave and Jo I don't mean to say that you are old, just that I have known you for a long time), relax, and enjoy the sun for once! Once this vacation is done we are home for exactly 4 days and then we head down with a caravan of people from our church to Atlanta for the DRIVE conference, which I am so excited that I can go on!
Anyway, there is a little update on life, both at work and with things that I am very much looking forward to!
Enjoy your day, I know I will......because here in Winnipeg it's like -50 with the wind chill!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)