An adventure to remember.

This past Saturday a group of four friends and I headed out for a hike in Kananaskis Country after camping there Friday night. What started as a simple hike in the mountains turned into a great adventure. We began the hike expecting a 6 hour trek to Lilian Lake and back. The website described the hike as difficult so as we made our way to the lake we were ready for a good hike (or so I thought I was ready). About 1 and a half hours in we arrived at the Lillian lake. The trail had been moderately steep but well traveled. We figured surely this couldn't be the end of the hike. We still had 4.5 hours remaining and the hike didn't seem to be all that difficult. We were looking for more adventure (at least the 3 guys were, I wasn't so sure I was up to the challenge). Thus we decided to attempt the loop that appeared reasonable on the maps posted along the trail. What it didn't show was the seemingly never ending steep incline, snow covered trails, and shale rocks up to the top of a mountain ridge. About 4 hours in we finally reached the beautiful view from the top of the Mountain. I have never seen anything like this and was so relieved I survived the trip up. It was well worth the hike. At this point we had to make a crucial decision, turn back and go the way we came or continue on the trail to Ribbon Lake and Ribbon falls. Being on a mission to have an adventure we decided we would continue on, take a risk and face the uncertain. The steep decline along loose shale rock (we failed to stay on the trail) was only the beginning of our trek out. We passed by the beautiful Ribbon lake, witnessed the wonderful Ribbon falls, scaled down the side of a cliff with only a metal chain to hold on to, and walked many kilometers through the valley. Towards the end I didn't know if my legs could take me any farther but I knew I needed to keep going. Eventually we finished our hike at the Ribbon falls trail head just as the sun was setting (about 9 hours after we started). Unfortunately for us this was 8 km from our car. Thanks to a kind family we were able to hitch a ride to our car. All in all we hiked 23 km and finished with an adventure we will never forget.

In many ways my trip this summer has been an adventure like the hike in the mountains, meeting unexpected friends, overcoming challenges of traveling to Haiti and grappling with the disparity of their situation as compared mine, reaching mountain top experiences with Jesus and persevering to the end even when I feel like I'm ready to give up. I'm nearing the end of my time in Calgary and while I'm excited to go home and see family and friends I dearly miss, I am sad to leave my home here. I have greatly enjoyed my time here and the people I have met. I will miss my Canadian family, playing with Talia and Kaisa, working in the EMI office every day, my Friday evening dancing, and the friends I made at church. Yet it is time to move on in the adventure of life. I think life is more exciting when we look at it like an adventure, never turning back and going the way we are sure of but rather taking the risk to try something new and face the uncertain. My hike in the mountains reminded me of the thrill of an adventure and has inspired me as I look to my future. I hope that I don't just play it safe but rather follow Jesus in whatever direction he takes me.

Once I return home I will have a couple weeks to visit with family and friends before I make my way to Columbus, Ohio where I will start a new job as a structural engineer. Jesus has blessed me with this job and I am excited to get started and to settle into Columbus, making new friends but keeping the old ones, and finding new adventures.

Please pray for my last week in Canada, that the work on the project would be completed, for my transition back to the states as well as for rest. I thank you all for your prayers and support and for joining me on my adventure.

Mountains, lakes, and grizzly bears

"O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens."
Psalm 8:1

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a trip to Bamff, one of the national parks in Canada located in the Rockies. It was beautiful. Pictured above is Kaisa, Talia and me sitting in front of Lake Louise, the most famous lake in Canada. This was one of our stops during the day. We also visited the town of Bamff and dressed up like grizzly bears in an attempt to learn more about them, Hiked the Johnston canyon to see several waterfalls and beautiful cliffs, and we ended the day with a trip to the hot springs. I am always in awe when I visit the mountains. It makes me wonder what heaven will be like. If the Lord took such care in making the earth so beautiful, how much more grand will heaven be? I can't even imagine.

On another note, I only have two more weeks in Canada. The time has gone by so fast but the Lord has been good and blessed my time. I ask that you pray for the remaining time I have, that it will be productive and that I will continue to develop the friendships I have made while here. Pray that my heart will be open for whatever else Jesus will teach me.

When in Calgary do as the Calgarians do...

I have discovered that around this time of year for about 10 days the culture in Calgary drastically changes. It's a time when free pancake and sausage breakfasts become the norm, 769 horses walk the streets, and the dress code includes a good pair of cowboy boots, jeans and of course a cowboy hat. It is Calgary Stampede time. It has been fascinating to experience the festivities here and see a new side to Calgary, Canada. We began the weekend with the main stampede parade last Friday morning. During the parade we counted 769 horses. I think that is the most horses I've seen in my life. Saturday I went to the local Bowness parade which was much more quaint, only 9 horses. I concluded the morning with my first FREE Stampede pancake breakfast. It's tradition here for local businesses, communities, churches etc. to hold free breakfast during the Stampede. You can find a handful every day. Sunday I ended the weekend with attending the Stampede grounds. It included FREE admission and FREE breakfast. I like getting things for free. Needless to say it has been a fun adventure experiencing Calgary in a different way.

Despite all the fun I've been having there is still work to be done. I now have three weeks remaining in my internship with EMI. It will be a busy three weeks I'm sure and we have lots of work to do to complete the project. Please pray that Jesus will be with us as we continue working and that our work would be glorifying to him. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. -Ephesians 1:2

Dancing with the Calgarians!

"Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight." -Psalm 119:33-35

I like to think of following Jesus like dancing (particularly ballroom dancing). I enjoy dancing the most when I have a partner who really knows how to lead as well as when I am able to follow and get the steps right. When this happens I find dancing to be pure joy. Honestly even when I miss a few steps I still have fun as long as my partner doesn't get frustrated. The great thing about Jesus is he really knows how to lead, it's us who sometimes miss a step or don't get his lead right. Fortunately when we miss a step he extends much grace which I need a lot. I find joy in my relationship with Jesus when I feel his lead and I am in step with him.

These past couple weeks I have taken up ballroom and Latin dancing at Alberta Dancesport which offers introductory lessons on two new dances and then has a dance party every Friday night. The first night we learned the waltz and the merengue. Afterward they played music for all types of dances most of which I don't know. After a bit a guy asked me if I wanted to do the foxtrot. Honestly I have never tried this one and was a bit hesitant almost saying no but I gave it a shot. He taught me the steps and I danced the foxtrot. It was a lot of fun and I ended up trying several other dances that night. I'm sure to be an expert at all the ballroom dances by the end of the summer (well at least have tried them all). I think this also relates to my relationship with Jesus. So often he asks me to dance to steps I don't know very well or ever attempted. I can be resistant sometimes to follow him where he wants to take me and I end up missing out on the joy he has to offer. All we need to do is step out in faith and follow, Jesus will do the rest.

I think Friday night dancing has become my favorite thing to do in Calgary thus far. I have met so many interesting people there. Last Friday I met a guy named Boaz was from Israel. Who would have thought I would meet Boaz from Israel in Canada? and his favorite dance was the Jive. I've never met someone who loves to dance so much even when he doesn't know the right steps. We even tried the quick step. I'm pretty sure none of what we danced resembled the quickstep but he made it fun anyway. I'm looking forward to the next dance class where we'll learn some country two step just in time for the Calgary Stampede. Yeehaw!

Well, this weekend I will be off to go camping with my host family which I'm sure will have it's adventures. It should be a good break as we have Thursday and Friday off for the holiday weekend.

Happy 4th of July for all you Americans! Happy Canada Day to the Canadians!

What's your story?

So I just finished a book by Donald Miller called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He writes about his experience writing a script for a movie about his life and how it got him to think about writing a story with his life and how we can choose write a better story. It made me start thinking about my story and what kind of story Jesus wants to write with my life. As I was reading I began thinking about all the adventurous things I could do while I'm in Calgary to make my summer more interesting but then as I thought more I realized that I don't need to climb a mountain, or race in a triathlon, or jump out of the sky to write a better story. Jesus is already writing a better story in my life. I got to thinking about how my story of going to Haiti intertwined with the story of the Haitians we met and with Pierre's story who has been serving the community in Haiti for years. It was fascinating to hear everyone's story and how it led us to that one week in Haiti. While each story was vastly different, for that one week we shared a chapter of our stories and we made a difference however big or small in someone's life.

Well enough of me rambling on, not much is new in Calgary. I've met a few people including a man who lives in Bowness (this is the neighborhood I live in) who ministers to aboriginals, homeless and people in prison. He had a fascinating story about how he was a successful business man who was far from God and eventually came to know Christ after his wife did and eventually started his ministry. I went ballroom dancing last Friday and hope to go again. Hopefully this time I'll have a better experience getting there. Not a fan of the buses. Also, we've accomplished a good amount of work on the project and are about done with the first draft of the architectural drawings.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else Jesus is going to write in my story this summer. Tell me about your story. I'd love to hear it!

Flutter Boards and Toonies

"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." Nehemiah 9: 5-6


Kananaskis Country

Geocaching with my new family (kaisa is pictured here)

It has been two weeks since I arrived in Calgary and thought it's about time I wrote another post. I have settled into my new home quite well and have greatly enjoyed my new family. I have been on many adventures with them including the Calgary zoo, Cochrane(to watch Talia and Kaisa compete in a kids triathlon), Kananaskis Country, and around town for a little geocaching(this is sort of like a big treasure hunt). I also visited Kananaskis another day with a group of people I met at church. It's absolutely beautiful in the mountains and look forward to more trips there.

It has been interesting living in Canada which has a culture that is so close to the United States yet with subtle differences. There are times when I forget I'm in another country and then all of a sudden I realize it when I hear a different phrase or see something spelled wierd. I had my first experience with Canadian money about a week ago. I realized then that one dollar bills don't exist but rather they use one dollar coins called a loonie and two dollar coins called a toonie. I was a bit confused when I received back less bills and more coins than expected. I have also discovered new terms for things such as flutter boards instead of kick boards (there are others but I can't think of them right now). I've also started to learn how to use the metric system. 20 degrees sounds very cold and a speed limit of 110 would be dangerously fast in the states. Luckily those are in celsius and km per hour respectively.

While I have enjoyed my adventures and getting to know Canada I have also been working away at the Church/school/health clinic design. My typical work day goes from 8 am to 5 pm. So far I've made a video documenting our trip to Haiti (hopefully to be posted soon) and have built a 3D computer model while developing the design. Hopefully in the next 6 weeks we will have a completed design and a complete set of drawings.

Jesus is also teaching me a few things. I have to say the hardest thing for me to do in a new place is develop relationships with people. Being the introvert I am it takes a great deal of energy to make new friends. While it's been a struggle for me here I sense that Jesus has provided opportunities for me to develop relationships and is pushing me to step out in faith. I'm sure there will be more stories to come.

To be continued.....

Canada, eh?

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

My return from Haiti has been a bit rough to say the least and it has been a quick transition to my new home in Canada. I arrived home early last Thursday and was feeling great besides being a bit tired from getting up at 4 am. After getting home I became sick to my stomach and ended up in bed for the next few days. I improved and felt much better by Sunday just in time to pack for my trip to Canada. Through all of it Jesus reminded me of my need to rely on his strength not my own. With his strength, I made it to the airport Monday afternoon only to wait for 5 hours before taking off for Canada.

So I eventually made it to Canada and the first step to get into the country was of course to go through customs. I was warned ahead of time that some interns have had a little difficulty getting through customs so I prayed and picked a line that seemed good. When it was my turn the customs agent asked me what I was doing during my stay in Canada. I firmly answered that I was volunteering for a non-profit organization and handed him the letter eMi sent with me. He read through the letter for what seemed like a long time making me a bit uneasy about what he would say next. He asked a few more questions about the organization and then went on to talk about the charity he started that aids thousands of children around the world. He was quite interested in my work and gave me a link to his website. You should check it out at www.fortheloveofchildrensociety.org. We had a nice short conversation and he wished me good luck on my way. I couldn't have asked for a better customs experience. It was certainly a Jesus moment.

I am now getting settled in to my new home with Kevin and Michelle Wiens and their two daughters Talia and Kaisa. It is a wonderful home and I look forward to my next two months here.

Back in the USA

I've made it safely back to the United States. The trip back went amazingly smooth. We had no wait in Haiti to go through security and the plane left and landed 15 minutes ahead of schedule, a phenomenon I have not experienced in years. Going through customs was also a breeze. In Miami we have enjoyed a nice dinner and time of sharing the many ways we saw Christ work on this trip. I look forward to a few days of rest before my trek to Canada for the rest of the summer. Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Christ the Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:5-11
"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord ahas assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Today is the last day in Haiti and I can honestly say that I will miss my time in Haiti and the amazing people here. It has been a blessing to be a part of the project we are working on. Tonight we will be presenting the design for school/church/health clinic compound. The scripture from 1 Corinthians 3 came up for our devotions last night and perfectly sums up our work here. Interestingly the project involved uses existing foundations on the site put in place by the founding pastor who had a vision for a cathedral that could seat 2000 people. After his death the construction stopped and now the needs of the church have changed. Our design incorporates the existing foundation and builds upon it to house a health clinic, school and church sanctuary. In Corinthians Paul discusses the work we do with Christ as we build on the foundation He has built. Each of us play an important role whether we plant, or water. It was St. Hillaire who planted the church and the vision of a new facility and now it is people like Deni an elder of the church who continue to water it along with his good friend Pierre from Canada who serves the community on health missions, as well as the EMI team which I am a part of who are here to water and create the vision St. Hillaire planted. As I near the end of my trip I am excited to see the small role Jesus has allowed me to play in the work of his kingdom. It is Christ who built the foundation and his followers who work along side him to build on it.

I have internet in Haiti!

I made it to Haiti safely and so far have been well. Thanks for all your prayers. The trip has been amazing thus far. I have to say the best part of the trip are the people. For the first three nights we stayed at a cottage of one of the church elders and were constantly being served by the Haitian hosts. They are all great people and wish I could speak creole so I could talk to them more. It has been hard to see the poor conditions that all the Haitian's live in but I have been blessed by the experience and relationships I have made. There is so much to mention and will shortly have more stories to post but I need to be getting to bed soon. Tomorrow we will get to experience a hatian church service and I am very excited. I hear the music is amazing even though I won't be able to understand the language. I will write more shortly. Please keep praying for the team and the people in Haiti.

Haiti here I come!

I'm sitting at my computer as I make my final preparations to leave for Haiti. In just a few hours I will be flying to Miami Florida to meet my team for the first time and join them on the flight to Haiti which leaves early tomorrow morning. I am excited and anxious as I wait but I know Jesus is with me. As I prepare for my trip I am reminded of the verses in Isaiah 55:1-3 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." I know that the time in Haiti will not be easy and good food will not be plentiful and the heat will make me thirsty and uncomfortable, but I know that Jesus will sustain me and He is the one that will satisfy. Please pray with me that my heart would be humbled and that my focus will be on the others on my team and the people of Haiti, that I would not worry about the little details and the discomfort I may experience. I thank you all for your prayers and will update you on my travels as soon as possible.

2 weeks to go!

In a little over 2 weeks I will officially be done with school and on my way to Haiti. So far I have raised over $2,000 which is well beyond my expectations. I want to thank everyone who has helped support me with both money and Prayer! Your prayers are much appreciated.

A few updates on the travel plans:

I depart Chicago May 18 from Chicago, only 2 days after I graduate.
Along the way I will meet up with the rest of the project team in Miami. From there we will Travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti together early on May 19. We will be stationed in Bon Repos where the project site is. Due to the conditions we will be staying in tents along with the EMAS team who will be there for medical missions work with the El Shaddai Baptist church. We will be in Haiti until May 26 at which time we will return to the United states.

After the trip to Haiti, I will spend memorial day weekend with my family in Naperville. I then leave for Calgary Canada on May 31.

Continued prayers for the trip are much appreciated. It is amazing to see how Jesus has provided thus far.

Jesus is faithful

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus again has followed through on his promise to guide me in the way I should go. In January this year I decided to apply for a summer internship with EMI (Engineering Ministries International) after hearing more about them at the Urbana Missions Conference 2009. I really felt that Jesus was calling me to serve him with my architecture and engineering talents through working on projects for those in need. I was interviewed for an internship in their office in Uganda. However, there were many people who also had a desire to go with EMI to Uganda and I was not accepted for the internship. I continued to pray about where Jesus wants me to go and if I should consider an internship in the fall. A little over a week ago as I had decided I wanted to be considered for an internship in the fall, I received an email from the EMI directer at the office in Canada. He asked me if I would like to be involved in one of their project trips to Haiti and work in the office in Calgary, Canada. Since my thesis project had been focused on Haiti, I knew this was a perfect opportunity since I had a desire to serve the people in Haiti. After some prayer and discussion with my parents, I accepted the offer to go and will leave the week after graduation. I am excited for what Jesus will do in my life through this opportunity. Please pray with me as I prepare for my trip to Haiti.

Jesus is truly faithful to his promises!!!