Goodbyes and New Adventures

Tis the season for goodbyes and transitions, I think!
One of my best friends left by plane for Alberta early Sunday morning. She will be living out there for the summer.
My aunt left this morning by car to move to Calgary.
On Wednesday, I will be beginning this insane summer by spending one week studying the book of Mark with a bunch of other university students, and the rest of the month in Halifax with the urban poor.
Then before I even know it, it will be time to hop on a plane and go to Mozambique.
Yes, this is the season for goodbyes and transitions. It seems like I am not the only one having new adventures this summer. God is calling us all to different places.

This past weekend I had a dessert night to raise support for my internship in Mozambique. It was an incredible night full of a ton of people I love, way too many calories, and some information about Wycliffe's work. It would not have been possible without lots of help, especially from my mom. I think perhaps I have the most wonderful family (friends and church family included) on the planet.

God is really providing in terms of this internship. I have about a thousand dollars left to raise- the end is in sight! The Halifax Urban Partnership starts in two days and right now I still need about $500. Again, here is the link that tells how to give financially. But besides financial support, I will also need prayer support.

Thank God for:

• His provision so far! I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people. Wow!
• Allowing me to successfully complete my final year of university. I will be graduating in two weeks.
• A good year at Acadia Christian Fellowship. At our final exec meeting we found that the number of people involved in our group had doubled from previous years. Not only that, but students met Jesus for the first time. Cool! There are many of us who will be involved in Christian ministry this summer, so it is great that we are coming from a healthy community.

Ask God:

• For financial support for the Halifax Urban Partnership and the internship in Mozambique to reach 100% (How to give)
•  For my Mozambican Visa to be quickly processed and mailed to me
• To give me a ridiculous love for the people of Halifax and Mozambique 
• To give strength and stamina for me and for the people I will be working with.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
-Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Life Updates

Hello friends,
The month of April has been a very crazy one for me, beginning with sadness at  the death of one of the most important people in my life, my grandmother Ruth. This was a solemn beginning to what T.S. Eliot called "the cruelest month." But, to quote another poet of our time, "O-bla-di, o-bla-da, life goes on."
Life does go on.
And there is always, always something for which we can thank God.
There was the ACF end-of-the-year party, where we dressed up in our fanciest clothes and had a blast dancing, taking silly photos, and enjoying each other's company.

This party would not have been possible without the help of many people, especially the incredible ACF exec team! I definitely thank God for them :)

But although this month has had its fair share of wonderful Christian fellowship, from tremendous support for Martin and me when Grammy died, to sweet prayer meetings together, to coffee dates and frisbee study breaks, it IS university and we do learn once in a while. I have been appreciating the beautiful study spaces here on campus, especially my favourite spot in the library and this boardroom in the KC Irving Centre.

I am happy to say that I am now finished all my exams. Hallelujah!
I am also happy to say that this is something that happened the other day.

So, now I get to concentrate on getting ready for Halifax and Mozambique. WOO!
There are only TWO WEEKS until the Halifax Urban Partnership and I still need about $1000.
That means there are SIX WEEKS until I fly to Mozambique.
I need prayer. Like so much. It turns out that this is kind of scary. I really am trusting God that He knows where he is taking me, but my, what a ride it is.
So thank you so much for your prayer. I have also been incredibly blessed with your financial support thus far. Wow! It really humbles me to see how you are making sacrifices for God's kingdom.
Here's the link for How to Give if you have not yet and want to.

So, folks, here is something to leave you with. A sweet, sweet song. 

My grandmother Ruth

My Dad's mother was the most inspiring woman I knew. She died on March 30th after suffering from Alzheimer's for several years. I had written about her before and was asked to read the following at her funeral. 
She used to read us a book when were kids called "Love you forever."
"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always."

I wrote a blog post a couple of years ago when Grammy was deteriorating from Alzheimer’s. I am going to read what I wrote in 2011. I have changed a few things, though. So, here it is.

Both my maternal and my paternal grandmothers had dementia.

But I think it would be more true to say dementia had them. I find it hard, now, to remember when Grammy was not like this. She is a world-traveler, a strong woman who raised five children on a farm, besides working as a teacher and taking night classes. She lost her husband about 35 years ago in a car accident. She is a smart woman, with a love for reading, teaching, and music. She played the organ at the church. She spent time in Greenland and the Czech Republic, and traveled extensively in her retirement. She is an amazing cook. She loves opera music, she is a shrewd businesswomen and she has an impressive collection of books. She has only four grandchildren, and she made us each a quilt. To defy her arthritis, she would swim each day, for about five months of the year, in the frigid Bay of Fundy.
I force myself to remember these things, because this is who my grandmother is.

It is funny how fleeting these things are. We treasure things in our minds but in the end, our minds just end up being shrivelled away until we become like Grammy. Lots of people, blessed people, do not have dementia in their old age, staying sharp until the end. But for some people, like Grammy, her brain is the first to go. I miss her. I love her the way she is, but I miss the way she used to be. I tend to be nostalgic and it’s easy to be nostalgic when it comes to Grammy. I miss the days when she would read to us from Swiss Family Robinson, even though at the time we thought it was a silly book. Now, she struggles to read the margarine container. I miss the days when the relatives were all gathered together- a fiddle or two, and Grammy on the piano. I miss the days when she knew my name, for goodness sake, and my gender. Now she calls me a “lovely little boy.” Sometimes she tries to chew on her fingers, even though she used to scold me for sucking my thumb. Grammy cannot form coherent sentences anymore.

But it does no good to be nostalgic. I find it hard to find the balance between helping Grammy with everyday things like getting out of her chair or just holding her hand, and treating her with the dignity and respect she deserves. It’s hard to remember, when I am trying to get her to stop spitting at her helpers, that this is probably the strongest woman I know. I do not know if I will get the opportunity to meet another woman like her. Here’s the other thing: I think she may have sacrificed her sanity for her children and grandchildren. She worked so hard her whole life and I see her influence and her genetics in her children and grandchildren. Both of her daughters became teachers, like her, and both shared her musical talent. Her sons, as well, are multi-talented. As for her grandchildren- my cousin has inherited her business sense, I have inherited her love for literature, my brother has inherited her musical talent and my sister has inherited her sewing and teaching talents. Sometimes I wonder if it was from working so hard that she got dementia. On the other hand, it could be just genetics.

It scares me that I might get dementia in my old age. Maybe it scared Grammy too. Maybe that’s why she lived her life the way she did, enjoying every moment, embracing every adventure. Maybe she knew she would someday forget it, so she made sure to live in the present. I think we can all learn something from that.

So today, as we celebrate Grammy’s life, I just want to remind you that Grammy was taken from us
years ago when her mind was eaten away by this awful disease. I thank God for her presence in my life and her never-failing love for us grandchildren.