fun fun fun!

Where do I start with all the things that have gone on these past two weeks! I ‘ve had some fun opportunities! First of all I got to lead a sports day event with 100 kids….CHECK completion! It was CRAZY but so much fun! I had my juniors (grade 7 & 8) students help me! There was 10 stations kids could go to with their leaders on a roation system I made up! It worked out so well! The juniors stepped up and led SO WELL! I was happy with their initiative and enthusiasm to take charge and lead their fun game at their station! Games such as sponge bucket race, water balloon volleyball, balloon around the ankle, tarp races to name a few! I ensured things were going well walking around and participating here and there to make sure the juniors weren’t over whelmed with their stations! All in all the day ended and I felt accomplished and proud of what I had planned! It was a great experience and I was happy to lead the day!

            Since than we’ve gone to the beach which was also a fun adventure!
I mostly just chilled with this one girl Michelle. I’ve been hanging out with her a bit this summer! She has autism and it’s been really fun to be around her and play at the park and hangout! She is a gem and such a cutie! She is funny! She LOVES belts! I usually wear a belt to work and each day she comes up to me and says Alivia where is your belt? So I show her I have it on and she proceeds to tuck my shirt in so she can see my belt more. It’s funny and I always laugh with her doing it.

            Lately I’ve been also hanging out with a lot of the younger little girls at camp! They are 5 & 6 years old! They are such a bundle of joy! Last week we sat at park time and threw goldfish into each others mouth and sat and chatted. They are wonderful! Kids says the funniest things here are some quotes:

Kid: My moms farts smell like cupcakes,,,but she doesn’t even eat cupcakes….annnnnd my dads smell like garbage…..

Kid: my mom was sick yesterday so I couldn’t make it camp…

Me: Oooooh! So did you stay home and cook her some chicken noodle soup than?

Kid: NOOOoooooo I’m onlt a kid! I’m 6 years old! I can’t cook!

.

Gotta love kids! I’ve been learning which age groups I really enjoy. Before the summer I might have said there was a broad range but working with kids of all ages ranging from grades 1-12 I have learned more of which age group I may prefer over another.

     I lead devotions everyday Tuesday and Thursday morning! The kids are very quiet and I wonder if what I speak has any influence on them but I am reminded that even though their quietness is present it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a seed perhaps being built by the Lord. So as they sit there and I ask questions and out of 40 kids no one responds my prayer is that the Father at the end of it would have spoken through me to them in some way to have impacted them. That I may have spread the gospel in some tangible way and walk away having confidence that my words are just words but that the Lord would take them and mold them to what these kids need to hear in that moment. :)

      On a side note I had the chance to visit Seattle the other week! It was loads of funnnn!! I went to the pike market place, which is pretty neat! There are lots of booths set up and fish markets etc. Kind of like a large craft/food show!
 
 Oh yes and I bought the most lovely bunch of flowers only 7$ for a beautiful bouquet that probably would have been 50 at a store! It indeed brightened up my room! There was also some good live music jamming away that I sat and listened to for a while! We spent most the day at this market and than went to the gum wall! Yes folks it’s a GUM wall! How cool is that? Yucky maybe but really neat! It is this ally way that is filled with colorful bubble gum! I had to take part so I bought some gum and chewed it! Once mushing it up in my mouth I put my name on the wall! It was my favorite part of the day!

 Yummy funny goodness! I love exploring! It was a beautiful sunny day! Speaking of sunny days were going on 30 days of sunshine in Vancouver and my heart is happy with it! I do like some rain but I’m happy with more sunshine than rain! The brown is starting to look very bleak and brown but were going strong on no break of rain for just about a month now! :)

     Well folks I must be off to bed now but I hope you enjoyed reading whats going on in my life lately and Ill try to update sooner! It’s hard to find time to sit down these days and relax when I feel like so much is going on! OOooh I forgot to say I felt very accomplished last week I went on a 20km bike ride with Carissa my friend downtown to the C-wall! It was a glorious freeing bike ride! Yahoo! I feel like I fit into this hippy vintage bike riding movement down here haha! Anywho thanks for reading! I’ll post some photos in a few days!

Much Love,

Liv 

Prayer requests:

That I would be willing in all I do

The student leaders would lead well & continue to take initiative   

                                                    Some of my juniors Erika & Emma

                                                            SPORTS DAY FUN! :)

                              

                                Just chilling in Seattle out of the first ever starbucks...kind cool.

 More of the gum wall!

Some of the kids I work with :)

                                               








20 km bike ride.....check!

 Safety first...right?

Tea party celebration fun!

 I got a perm....maybe?...

One of the Interns it was her birthday so we celebrated on the beach!

Tea party in honor of a staff :) It was lots of fun! 

Day at the lake :)

Fireworks on the beach with music to them! It felt like most of Vancouver was there! Festival of lights its called!

Ending off the week with a comfy cozy hammock hangout :)

:)

 

:)

Hey y'all ;) 

Sorry I’ve been so delayed on posting! I always want to write so much and get carried away! Here is my thoughts over these past 2 weeks!

ENJOIII!

         My oh my time has been passing by SO quickly! Camp is going into it’s 3^rd week here in Vancouver and it’s been so busy and full of up’s and down’s! I’ve been challenged quite a bit this past week with living in community; loving others unconditionally and seeing the significance it is to impact these children around me each day. As I see these things in front of me the Lord is softening my heart and challenging me in good ways to seek him first. Community is a beautiful thing, it really is! Although it can be beautiful I love “my time” away from the busyness and that is hard to find sometimes within the constraints of a home that is a office and a house to us all. I have been running and taking trips down to a lake called Trout Lake in the area and it’s been such a beautiful experience being able to escape into the beauty this lake offers to my soul. The sunshine has been soothing to my heart and exercise has indeed been great for taking runs with blasting beats! YAYY! On another note I’ve been thinking a lot about how children are SO important to the Lord, we are to yes, but children can represent faith in Jesus differently than we as adults can at times. Children have an innocence and willingness to love others, they are teachable, moldable and trusting. Their faith in God can be such a great role model because their trust can be so huge in the Lord. I remember back to when I was a child and when things might have been tough but my faith in the Lord was huge knowing and being so confident that God would redeem a situation. It still is huge but in my adult ways I can try and lean on my own strength sometimes more than when I was a child and I have to remind myself that I need not lean on my own understanding or strength but be in continued conversation with the Father who knows me best.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that adults can’t have this same approach but I do believe we can be looking on children to also see their faith budding and growing in ways as adults that is not always the same. Children have things to teach us just as we have things to teach them!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

No matter what age you are the Lord can give you wisdom to lead a life that is glorifying to him in many shapes and sizes!:)

SOooo CAMPPP!!
       A typical day in my camp life starts off picking up kids from a church about 10 minutes away from the actual church is held at. These kids get picked up and brought back to camp. Than we have morning program which consists lots of songs! We head to the park for a while and play games, skipping, football and much more! Than activities start for the day such as bible class, art, discovery (science experiments class), imagination (story telling class), and cooking class J I usually hop around to each of these activities and ensure the leaders/counselors teaching are doing well with the kids and help where needed! Last week I painted pyramids, made mummie fruit, played duck duck goose and basketball to name a few! After lunch we have more of these activities and than option time! I take break with the junior leaders who are in grade 7 & 8. We sometimes go get slurpess from Macs or we hangout and have water fights! This next week we are planning sports day! It should be exciting! I’m in charge of heading it up with my 16 Junoirs streetleaders!

Thoughts...

            On another note lately I’ve been thinking a lot more about the homeless in this city around me. I’m not surrounded with this thought often enough because I live in my bubble town of Caronport in Saskatchewan! There are so many people who wander the streets without homes around this city especially just within a few blocks of our home. I spoke to this kind gentleman last week who was living on the street. I was waiting for a friend at the bus stop for a while and saw this man sitting in front of me. I decided to partake in conversation with him, there was something inside of me probably the Holy Spirit leading me to speak to him. He was friendly and very kind, from Labrador with a thick accent. It was rather hard to understand him but I tried to intently listen as he spoke. I was curious about his story, how he got there, what is he up to and does he have family. He told me he had two sisters in Montreal and one brother in Quebec if I remember right. He loves travelling and works berry picking on and off. He said he was in Vancouver for a few days longer than he was headed back down to Montreal to visit with his sisters and go party! Haha! He never asked me for any money as I feel that usually happens; I was just looking for a good conversation with a stranger hoping to bring some light to his day. He did however have a hat he was collecting money for which he pulled out his mini propane tank and told me he uses it to cook his food. OOOOH I remember he also was French! I told him I was a little bit as well and he started to speak a little bit of French to me! I answered back in une petite peau? My French is broken very much so! Hehe! In the meantime my friend showed up and I realized I never asked this mans name, so I did! His name was Michelle (say it with a French accent). Kind man, sincere heart and had a gracious smile. I wished him a good evening and parted with my friend. I walked away being more drawn into the homeless society that surrounds me here in Vancouver. I am aware that many people are on the streets due to mental illness but I know that is not the only case by any means. There are many more reasons behind them living on the streets.

     As I worked in Calgary last summer I saw the opportunity that homeless people have to get meals, a bed, shelter, programs etc to help them out if they seek it within Calgary specifically. Although I feel there is a lot of hesitancy towards these programs for people who live on the street sometimes. Is it their illness or addiction holding them back from seeking help? The bondage that holds them so tight they don’t want to seek these places out and further their living on the street? Is it their pride of not wanting a meal and fighting back to try and fend for themselves? Many people have the ability to make up stories but many can tell the truth that they need help and they are reaching out for someone that will care. Many ask for money but I am hesitant to give money because I get nervous what they might spend it on. I would rather go and buy them a meal, which I have in the past. Some of them may not even be aware of the opportunities for these resources necessarily. In the end there continues to be a mass amount of homeless people and it sucks. I am curious the statistics of the reasons for homelessness. Is it economic downfall and mental illness the leading causes? Or are those just two things to many reasons of why many are without homes living on the street. It’s a sad thing, and I pray the Lord would open my eyes more to these things.

Prayer requests:

* I would find joy in all I do!

* Communication is so key in everyone’s life! Would you be praying that me and others around me that I work with, that we would be able to communicate well to each other!

Kindly,

Liv

 Picta time :) 

(Some of them are from a few weeks ago when I visited the Island :) 

BC Ferry beauty of a sunset!

                                        Jim, Sarah & I :) Lovely Couple I admire so much!

                                                       Fresh fruit at the market!

                                                           Lovely Lauren & I

                                                Long exposure fun with my camera!

                                                        A one window car? haha!

                                                                   Vancouverish

                                                    me LOVES to bake :) joy joy joy!

                          The largest nutella I have ever seen...and I don't even like nutella much...

                                                           Days with the kiddies!

                                                       English Bay leader night!

                                                                    Me and Elizel

                                                Swinging on a swing with one of my girls!

                                          Victory at the end of a long hike! What a view!

                                                               such a beautiful place!

                          Andrea, Carissa, me & Sarah having smoothies after a 12km hike in Baden Powell

                                                       Were trying to be serious...hehe!

And so it begins.... :)

Haiiii! :)

Grab a cup of "joe" or some tasty tea and read along on my journey these past two weeks!

It's been such a whirlwind of the past two weeks or so! I've had such exciting adventures and been learning more about Urban Promise! Some of the things I've done are hiked the Chief mountain in Squamish! I've been able to cook yummy food for the house i'm living in! Ventured out into Vancouver and explored! Had orientation with different staff and learned more about what my specific job will look like here in Vancouver! I also had the wonderful chance to sneak away to Vancouver Island to rest up before I started camp this week! My time on the island was rejuvenating! Just what I needed! How the Father knows all of our needs and gives our hearts rest! I can't even begin to explain what a beautiful weekend it was catching up with friends and family. My heart was filled by the Father and I was drawn to thinking of how we all need rest. We get so busy and forget to just sit and take in the beauty around us. I woke up early both mornings this Saturday and Sunday. I took time for myself in the morning not feeling rushed and had a cup of coffee while relaxing and getting ready for the day. I tend to rush myself continually with last minute things and wake up just in time to run to the next activity I have planned. This weekend reminded me how important it is to take time especially in the morning before rushing out the door. I want to try to do this more and see how my days go with not starting off rushing myself. Just a thought and reflection as I had a beautiful weekend of much needed rest.

I've been experiencing community living these past two weeks or so. All of us interns live in a house minus two who are living around the corner. To paint a picture there are 7 girls and one guy who is the house manager. God bless the man for putting up with all us girls! He ensures that house chores are in order, manages scheduling and does website designing. The house we all live in is also the Urban Promise head office in Vancouver. Main floor is the kitchen and office and upstairs is where the rooms are. We each are given a meal (dinner) a week to cook for everyone (8 people)! Last week I made butter chicken with some good ol naan bread! To top it off for dessert I made a choco chocolate fudge brownie with gnache on top (a fudge like topping). I haven't really been cooking in the kitchen in a while, so it was so refreshing to be able to do my own thing and cook up a tasty meal! It's also nice to be cooked for other nights of the week by others who have their own twist on what their favorites are! I'm excited for more great meals!

A little bit about my Job/Internship:

A part of Urban Promises mission is to equip young leaders to lead and empower them to experience belonging and success! They do this very well as I've learned more things over the past little bit! Starting today is day camps for 6 weeks with the same kids. Kids that come to the day camps are anywhere from grade 1-6. There are street leaders who are grades 7 & 8 as well as highschool kids who are Senior street leaders. These two groups of street leaders are so key to running day camps! Urban Promises staff help lead and facilitate these leaders to step up and lead games, art, cooking and much more! As a staff my role is to speak into the lives of the streeleaders who are grades 7 & 8. I walk life along side of them encouraging them, loving on them, offering devotions, helping them with activities and having fun! I think to myself WOW, I get to do this sort of job! It seems to fun to be real! These streetleaders and as well as senior (highschool) streetleaders are so eager to do their very best and plan great activities for the kids! It's exciting to see and I look forward to see how the summer pans out!

Food for thought from meeeee to you!

Lately I've been pondering prayer. Thinking the significance of it and the power of it. Realizing I often put down the power prayer can have over our lives. I have a really neat story to share that got me thinking once again the significance of prayer in life should be this constant conversation with the Father. Although he knows our needs he wants us to speak them to him and talk to him so that He may know our voice. I have thought about buying a journal specifically for pray requests. So I can tangibly see my prayers written down instead of just thinking about things in my head. Anywho here is my story...

A few weeks ago I traveled downtown Toronto with my friend Erin. We went to a church called Vantage church which was super awesome and than we decided we wanted to get a snack afterward. We wanted fries and a coffee....random I know haha! So we went to get fries and than headed to  Panera bread! YUMMM! We had good conversation with the workers about how they put all the calories right on their board you order from. We laughed and tried to find the LARGEST calorie meal....which was "homemade" macaroni and cheese! Something like 1200 calories if I recall right. After ordering our london fogs made by a kind gentleman we went upstairs to sit down and chat :) After good conversation for a while we decided we should hop back on the subway to head back home. As we were leaving a worker of Panera bread was handing out all their leftover baked goods for FREE!! Nothing like free stuff....i'm on it!! We took some cookies and pastry's with us as we headed out and thanked them. I thought to myself I'm definitely not going to eat all of this, but you know when things are free you just want it all even though you don;t need it? I kind of got over zealous about it! So I thought to myself I'm going to give it away to someone who may want it! I got on the bus to go towards the subway and kept thinking who was I going to give all these baked goods to. Me and Erin got off the bus towards the subway and as we were walking in to the subway station I prayed to the Father and said God please put someone in my path that I may bless them with these goodies! A short little prayer that I thought if He wants it to happen it's going to happen! About 2 minutes later I show the subway guy my transfer slip who is working and he looks at me and asks, "is that for me?" I thought he meant my transfer slip so I was confused for a minute. Than it clicked and I realized he was talking about the box of pastry's I had in my other hand. Than he smiled and laughed at me again and said "is that for me?" He was indeed partially joking but I at this point was like "YAAAAYYY ofcouse its for you! Take it :)!!!" I explained I got these things for free and I wanted to give them away to others! So after he got over that I wasn't joking in return he smiled, said thank you and took the box. I thought to myself how AWESOME! But it didn't dawn on me yet I had just prayed about running into someone I could give the pastry's away to! I got on the subway and than it clicked, I said to Erin WHOOOA I just prayed for God to put someone in front of my path to give the pastry's away and he did!! We thought it was super cool and talked about it for a moment as we rode the subway! I still had a bag of chocolate chip cookies with me that I still wanted to give away. A young boy about age 6 and his mother came onto the subway after a few stops. They sit down and I smiled at the young boy....I"ll try and describe this as unawkward as i can HAHA...this little boy was really funny! He started to move closer to me on the bench he was sitting on and put his hand on my knee and looked up at me and said hello with a smiling face. I couldn't help but laugh and think to myself is this 6 year old trying to flirt with me in an innocent funny way HAH. Needless to say as he had his hand on my knee as the whole car of subway people were starring as to what my reaction was going to be! Beside me Erin was already laughing her head off! Within a span of probably 3o seconds Erin laughed, I laughed and than the whole subway car laughed hysterically. His Mom noticed that her son had his hand on my knee and pulled him back saying you can't touch strangers like that (in a soft tone she spoke not mad). I told her oh it's ok no worries and laughed. A minute or two went by and he made his way slowly again closer to me and erin. He asked what our names were and told us his which was Monoah. He went to what I thought was to shake my hand but held it for a couple seconds longer than what a "normal" handshake was and so I laughed and started shaking his hand saying nice to meet you! After this funny scenario I asked his mom if I could give him the bag of chocolate chip cookies I had just gotten from Panera bread for free. She accepted them and Monoah was sure a happy boy to get some cookies! His mom was a gorgeous lady with really neat style! :)

In the end these two scenarios of the subway ticket man and the mom with her son on the subway was so heart warming! I prayed the Lord would put someone in my way to bless with the baked goods and he provided! If something as little as that is answered what else is God answering in our life? Some things we may not think he has provided but until later realize he has protected us. Our prayers can be as simple as. They don't have to be complex or in depth all the time. What I do know is that in the end God wants to hear our voice, he wants us to offer up our requests to Him.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 

How often are you faced with a situation and in your head your try EVERY avenue to figure it out yourself when all along the Father is saying come to me where your burden will be light and your yoke is easy. I constantly run into this scenario. In my own stubborn way I try with all my might and strength and not His to figure things out. This is a constant reminder to not rely on my own strength but HIS. 

Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

I am humbled by the words of our Father. He will give you rest, lean on him for he is so gentle, caring, compassionate and his love is not on condition. How is it that I do not turn to him more? Because I admit I am selfish and want to rely on my own ways. But He is my and our creator and I need to continually acknowledge that He knows me best in every thought, every action and every step I take in life. 

Some prayers requests: 

* I would find myself energized each morning as I wake up! 

* Great things would happen within Urban promise and the Day camps they lead! 

* That I would learn to trust God with my whole heart 

* Leaders would be forming with gr.7-12 students helping lead these phenomenal day camps!

I trust this finds you well on a lovely summer day! Thanks for reading! Until next time! 

Much Love,

Alivia  

Below are some photos :) 

                                                    Hiking the Chief in Squamish, BC

                                           My night to cook dinner! Butter Chicken :)

                                             Incredible Sunset on the Ferry to Victoria

                                   My friends Cutieee Cat :) Let him lick the rest of my yogurt!

                                       

                              Chilling with Lauren on the docks at Fishermans Wharf in Victoria

                                      Canada Day Celebrations on a Hammock :) my kind of day!

                    Trying new food with Carissa! Purple taro steam bun/bean things...they were nawt bad :)