An Ending

(Play song whilst reading blog for atmospheric mood setting:) 

Well, that was an amazing, delightful, refreshing, exciting and sad weekend. 

A group of 42+ of us went up to Cypress Hills at Pinecrest Camp Thursday afternoon. It was wonderful to be surrounded by trees again - hearing the rushing wind whilst watching the swaying of the trees had long since been seen and heard - and it was AMAZING. 

The weekend mostly consisted of walks along hiking trails, having personal and guided reflection times, listening to a speaker from Hillcrest during firesides (along with myself playing the guitar and a kid playing his drum for singing), and LOTS of playing foursquare. 

It was a VASTLY different experience from the previous retreat to Cypress Hills last year (See 'Dark on Me' part 1 and part 2 for context)... and it was good. So many adults, competent leaders, and an amazing group of kids made the whole experience a delightful one. 

I was also able to get times to introvert and not have to be in so many roles of leadership knowing there were other adults to cover for me and knowing that the kids were trustworthy enough to let them go off and have fun doing their own thing. 

It was exciting to play games with our kids as well with going on hikes, swim, and lead them with songs like "Same Love" (Paul Baloche), "All Glory be to Christ" (Kings Kaleidoscope) and a song I had wrote titled "Psalm 136 + 1 John 4 MASHUP" - It was the BEST to have the kids and adults say the phrase "His love endures forever" in Hebrew:  כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ 

It was also incredible to have a drummer do this song I had wrote with me... it made it seem like a legitimate song...

There were moments during the retreat where it struck me that I would be leaving to the Island soon... like when the girls I had discipled from grades 6-8 kept saying don't leave... and that I would HAVE to come and visit them. Also, upon thinking about all these people I've come to interact with and learn from more, and then spend this intense time with on the retreat I'd also be having to leave and say goodbye to made me tear up. 

Especially today once we got back and were seeing the kids off to their guardians vehicles, one of the girls hugged me tight and looked like she was going to cry... 

Even though I had slight moments where I questioned whether it was the right decision to move back to the Island and not try to stick it out here longer... I was still certain that this was the choice that God was allowing me to take. 

Does that mean I will not/do not have bouts of sadness when I say goodbye to people and think about leaving the friends and family I have made out here... by no means. 

But, despite the fact my time here on the Prairies is coming to an end... it does my heart good to know that such wonderful and Christ-like people will be here, and ever so present in the church and in the ministry, that I know I am leaving it all in good hands. 

I still have a little over a week to say more goodbyes and get my things together and send home, but this will be my last blog post on this site.

HOWEVER - I know that I have a significant enough following that people may/do still want to read what I write and know what sorts of adventures God takes me on... So, I figured I would start up ANOTHER blog site where people can follow my adventures on Vancouver Island.

Once the page is up and running the link will be placed here:

{[           sjhtheislander.blogspot.com              ]}

To the people whom I have made relations with at the Mineral Spa: I will think of you fondly and with much appreciation for my time there with you.

To the professors, mentors, and disciplers I met, learned from, and love at Briercrest: thank you for all your hard work. You go above and beyond what any regular teacher would and deeply care for the students who learn from you. Thank you specifically for the time I had you as an instructor - your convictions and passions have touched me deeply. 

To the members of Hillcrest church which I call my family in Christ: Thank you for letting me serve in the youth/student ministry as well as participate and engage with some of the significant events that have happened there. I have grown so much in the environment and will be taking what I have learned on my next adventure.

To the Youth/Student Group and its leaders and Pastor: Thank you. I love you all so much. And as I type these words with tears in my eyes, I will always treasure and carry you in my heart. I will think of all of you often and how blessed I was to be part of your lives for a time. 

To the God I love and serve, Jesus the Christ and the Messiah. Thank you for leading, guiding, and loving me. I pray that I have served you well here on the Prairies and I would only continue to do so when I move back to the place I grew up. Amen.

Till then, thank you all for being part of this journey I've had being on the Prairies - and we shall see you all in the next one on the Island. 

~To God be the glory 

Hillcrest Retreat - Cypress Hills

Hey readers!~

This blog post will MOSTLY consist of pictures I love and wanted to share - enjoy the visuals:

mini golf

One final post to come.

~To God be the glory

H2O, cake, and last days

(Play this music when reading the post for more epic-caucity)

This week has been the week of FEELS.

On Sunday night I had my last shift at work which consisted of not a lot of action in the restaurant, but A LOT of action behind the scenes.

I was made aware that stuff was going to happen by the planning of one of the waitresses whom I love dearly, however as the night unfolded, only one of the three things that happened to me were planned.

Mid way through my shift, all the servers came out from the restaurant with cake on two platters. Delighted by this chocolate dessert, I grabbed one of the pieces and as I took a bite, the mischievous waitress shoved that piece of cake into my face.

It was hilarious washing cake from my nostrils and eyebrows, but not before getting a few photos of the "cake in the face" aftermath.

The second part, one of my fellow kitchen co-workers got in on. Since I was doing the shift of Dishwasher one of my duties was to take out the trash -  so I suspected nothing when she asked if I could take out this one particular garbage bin (as I tested its weight, it was pretty heavy), naturally it made sense to do as she asked and thought nothing of it.

As I walked out to the garbage disposal bin with my cowoker - out of the corner of my eye I see that mischievous waitress with a bucket, wearing a garbage bag whilst yelling as they rushed towards me from behind a dumpster bin. I darted away but not fast enough as the water launched from the bucket and doused my whole back. Wonderfully enough it was warm water and not only was my co-worker filming the whole thing, but another waitress was filming from behind a fence.

There was much laughter to be had, but there was still one more event to be had.

As I stood in dish-pit (now having changed for the second time and wearing my third apron) the waitress cornered me and dumped a pitcher of COLD water on my head now getting my upper torso wet.

As the cameras came forth on of my co-workers told me to smile and I frowned like an upset and sad puppy.

That was all to be had for the pranking - and I as well as everyone else, had a good time with it. Like I said before it was not ALL planned and the waitress who instigated it said she never would have put as much thought into it if I was not liked by her.

So I finished my time at the Spa well with cake, water, and much laughter, and goodbye hugs from the servers and my kitchen co-workers

AND THEN THE LAST NIGHT AT YOUTH GROUP

Much of the same themes happened cakes, water, and laughter.

We started the night trying to guess the gender of the baby of one of our youth group leaders, and she had brought us cake pops and cup cakes with blue and pink frosting left over from their gender reveal party last sunday.

After that we had a prayer time for the transition of the grade eights into Sr. High youth group for the fall... and for myself as it was my last night at youth group there.

As I stood in the centre of the room, the kids all gathered to hug and pray for me. The youth pastor told me that some of the kids who would not reach strained their arms to reach me as I was prayed over.

Later some of the girls gave me homemade cards and nicknacks as goodbye gifts. I was so touched by their thoughtfulness it was hard to keep composed.

We ended the night with a water related activities and I was given the task to take photos on the Youth Pastors phone and thusly managed to stay "mostly" dry.
Everyone was yelling, laughing, and throwing the water soaked sponges at each other - overall it was a wonderful and delightful way to finishes the youth group night.

All throughout the night, I kept getting hugs specifically from the grade eight girls whom I had lead dinner and Bible studies with and spent the most time with in Jr. Youth since they were in grade six.

Truly, it has been a blessing from God to work, lead, and grow with each and everyone I have met with in Moose Jaw in and outside the church setting.

I look forward to tomorrow as some of us head out to Cypress Hills for the youth retreat - I pray it all goes well and we will make more wonderful memories and grow more in love God and each other in this new setting.

~To God be the glory

"This is where the chapter ends..."

* Insert Tyrone Wells song, "Time of our lives," here *

WELP.

I broke the news to the kids last night that I will be flying and staying home at the end of June, as well as gave my final talk to them.

The group's response was not dramatic or anything, but a few of the ones who knew of me the longest came up to me at the end of the night and said that they were sad and going to miss me.

It's probably going to be more noted once I am ACTUALLY not present there for an extended period of time. However, I still have more goodbyes to make not only in the church, but ALSO at my job.

I had to say "goodbye" to two people today... and I STILL have 3 days (nights rather) to work there.

It will be good to finish at the Spa, and be able to focus on the Cypress Hills retreat with our church student ministries group... and be in this transition of moving back out to the Island.

So there are still some more posts to come, but not much.
Thanks for being part of this journey with me.

Till the next time!

~To God be the glory

Jonah's a dingus

"Hiding in shadows, can you fight your demons,
Can you face yourself?" - 'Drowning' by Natewantstobattle

It was during our youth/student ministry leaders meeting that I came up with this semi-affectionate term for Jonah.

The book of Jonah is only four chapters long, but it's packed fully of evidence that Jonah is a frustrating person.

TWO sentences into Jonah's account (going from NIV 2011 translation), we find Jonah fleeing from the LORD after God calls him to preach against Nineveh. This sets off a warning bell for the reader - most other accounts of prophets, you know, people who are MEANT to deliver messages to people on God's behalf would be willing to comply OR AT LEAST dialogue with the LORD a little before jumping into action.

Jonah just straight up flees in the opposite direction from God and His direction.

What gets really intense is that once Jonah is on a ship with a bunch of gentile sailors, they are the ones who respond faster to the LORD's direction than Jonah does... the self proclaimed Hebrew who worships the LORD (Jonah 1:9), has to spend three days and nights in the belly of a fish.

In chapter two, and if you're a first time reader of Jonah, you might get the impression that Jonah is truly seeing the error of his ways and is making a come back. As the rest of the account unfolds, this impression is anything but that.

Chapter 3 we have the author make note that city of Nineveh is a three day walk from one end to the other - Jonah only makes it in one day's worth and the people respond to the warning from the LORD. Again, we are seeing people who are not followers of the LORD responding faster to God's message and direction faster than Jonah. If that's where the account ended, it would be satisfying and Jonah's character tolerable... but no, there's one more chapter.

Chapter four is where Jonah reveals his true colours and reasoning as to why he fled from the LORD at the beginning of the account. Just read this dialogue Jonah gives to God through prayer:

"Isn't this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? This is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:2-3). 

At this point I am practically 1000% done with Jonah.

He knew that God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and relents from sending calamity - and THAT'S WHY HE FLED FROM GOD AND HIS INSTRUCTION TO GO TO NINEVEH!?! 

This prophet of God is FREAKING SELFISH - and you can even see it in his prayer to God back in chapter 2 (looking at verses 8-9).
He states that "Salvation comes from the LORD" - but only in the case of God saving him from his distress.
It's like Jonah could not see that Nineveh was just as much in need of God's salvation as he did in the belly of the fish.

And just to hit that idea even further home, Jonah goes from being "angry" that God spared the people of Nineveh from His wrath after they repented, to "so angry" in 4:5-9 after a plant that was shading him from the sun and hot winds (that God provided) was then was destroyed by a worm (that God also provided).

I'm so livid with this guy! He's rebellious, selfish, impatient, unforgiving, childish and... and...

sigh.

Very, VERY relatable. 

If you look into the history of Nineveh, you'll find that it's known to be an ancient city of Assyria. For you Biblical scholars and readers, that should sound familiar to you. The Assyrians were in CONSTANT battle with Israel thus many people have died in their battles over the years... and Jonah was called by God deliver a message of repentance to these people.

If I was asked by God to give a message of deliverance to a group of people whom my extended family had been in fights that ended in death and bloodshed... I'd be very hesitant as well.

What is most surprising, and most important, out of Jonah's account is the revealing of God's character. 

Instead of God letting Jonah run away to Tarshish and choosing a different (and possibly more obedient) prophet to deliver His message to Nineveh, He pursues Jonah. Not only that, but he also does an object lesson with the plant and worm for Jonah to show how much he cares and has compassion for rebellious people and even the animals.

Jonah even proclaims the goodness of God's character in his final prayer in chapter four - and it's made evident not only towards the sailors, the people of Nineveh, the animals, but to Jonah as well. As much as I STRONGLY DISLIKE Jonah, I am so thankful for this account for it shows the incredible patience, mercy, love, and grace of the one true God, Yahweh, our Heavenly Father.

If God is willing to show compassion, patience, and even discipline (lets not forget the storm, fish, and scorching sun and winds) to a dingus like Jonah, how much more is he willing to do so for us as followers of Jesus.

~To God be the glory

P.s. On a side note, this wednesday I will be telling the youth/student ministry group that I'm leaving for the Island at the end of June, as well as giving a final talk out of the Sermon on the Mount series we've been doing. Pray it goes according to God's will. Thank you.