Merry Christmas Y'all

Wild Play - Bungee

the bridge itself - 143 feet high

view from the bridge

myself

Bo's lovely dive

James the professional

A fine first finale

These past weeks before the Christmas break have been filled with wonder, excitement, and adventure. I have been having a blast in a high challenge course within the trees at Wild Play, as well as a peaceful bungee jump, a experiential convention, a challenging paper topic, a cozy hike up a small nearby mountain (Maple Mountain), and sadly, a flight home that was uneventful.

From Thursday evening to Sunday evening, most of us Kaleo's drove down to Vancouver for the 2009 Canadian Youth Workers Convention. Throughout the time in Vancouver, God taught me to put what I know into action. There were many seminars that I attended, but with this hand of accumulating information and ideas I felt that in the other hand there needed to opportunities to use this stuff as I grew in learning. I understand that most of these people came to this convention to bring back home to their youth what they've learned here, but I tried to apply this to myself in a different way.

Once upon a time there were three boys named Jeremy, James, and Mark. The first day of the convention they decided to go walking down the street during lunch when they came across a homeless man who held a sign saying "52 Birthday". Mark was feeling unsure of what to do or how to help. He had no change or small bills and felt awkward just standing there so he wanted to keep moving. However, contrary to his desires, out of the corner of his eye he sees James beginning to sit down next to this man. Mark turns his head and realizes that Jeremy has already sat down and begun conversation with this man on the street corner. As the hustle and bustle of city folk flow around, Mark also sits and joins in on this intriguing street talk. This man whom reveals himself as Chris begins telling them about how the Lord is good and how he says a prayer of thanks every night before falling asleep on the steps of a nearby church. He tells a story about God's provision one night when he prayed that he might receive ten dollars several weeks prior. Late one night he awoke need to pee and thought it disrespectful to pee near a church so he takes a gander for a different spot. Upon his return to his sleeping bag re stumbles upon a ten dollar bill on the fifth of ten steps. Chris concludes that if someone wanted to give him money, they would have slipped it near his sleeping bag and that no one would accidentally walk up five steps, drop a bill, and leave. He proclaims this as truly, only a gift from the ultimate Giver.

This was another first hand experience towards the beginning of applying what I learn through regular opportunities. The more I am lead into situations like these, the more I desire to converse with people and learn their story, find out who they are, understand and build a small foundation for street ministry. This gave me an excitement for the flight home, just talking with fellow passengers. I was saddened when my seat partner tried to fall asleep right away.

On the return ferry from Vancouver, I struggled with the writing of the paper on "Ministry of Reconciliation". Interesting, seeing how I tried to apply myself to, but also struggled with the action upon the "Ministry of Reconciliation". This was probably the paper that I stressed over the most, thank you Kristie. (You probably just let out one of your little giggles, but I mean it. I think a lot about and begin to understand the "Ministry of Reconciliation" far better because of this topic you chose for us to write on. Having a more solid biblical foundation is far better than try to build it on just experiences that I may have or want).

My thoughts towards going back home have been nothing dramatic. I did not exactly want to go home, I would have rather had school straight through the Christmas break period. I understood the benefits of taking a break from school and being given a glimpse of how much we've grown over the first semester but the excitement was not there. The idea of going home slowly grew on me the more I realized that I had no other choice. Even still, I resisted becoming excited for seeing old friends and hanging out in the 'familiar' for the fact that I did not want anyone to get the idea that I was homesick (for I wasn't). It was during a discussion that I realized that, seeing as I'll be going home no matter what, I should be excited to have this opportunity to reconnect with people, not because I was homesick and miss them but because I love them and missed them.

I may be home for Christmas but that doesn't mean I'm away from school. I still have much work to do during this time and I feel there's a greater distraction here at home than back at school. Please pray that I may make time to do my homework and do it well. That I can learn how to steward my time within this different location. And pray that I may not fall out of prayer, especially for the challenges that other Kaleo students will face this Christmas.

Soli Deo Gloria

Mark