Joy in the beauty of life :): :)

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 :)