Wolfville life

Sometimes in life we reach milestones. I feel like I am about to
approach one of those. I guess I did last year when I graduated from
university, but I stubbornly chose to stay in this little Valley town
for another while. Now, however, the time is coming to leave this town.
Anyone who knows me even a tiny bit knows that I love this town. I love
living within a ten minute walk of all my closest friends. I love that
every time I go to the library, post office, or grocery store, I run
into somebody I know. I love that on nights when we are feeling
adventurous, we can drive to the beach. I love the lifestyle of weekend
worship, Wednesday morning prayer, and Tuesday-afternoon Bible studies.

Maybe I am afraid to leave. Maybe I am afraid that because I am happy here, I
will not be happy elsewhere. Maybe I am afraid that I have not invested
enough into the relationships I have here.

When I began writing this blog post, I was hoping I would have something really
wise to say but really I don't have anything to say. I find transitions
hard. It is hard for me to leave. I am incredibly thankful for the past
four years here and it is tough to accept that I may forget some of
it. 

I have been reading C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves for a paper I was writing and there was this bit about friendship that I must share:

In friendship, being free of all that, we think we have chosen our peers.
In reality, a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few
more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead
of another, posting to different regiments, the accident of a topic
being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances
might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly
speaking, no chances. A secret Master of the Ceremonies has been at
work. Christ, who said to the disciples "Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends "You
have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The
Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in
finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to
each the beauties of all the others. They are no greater than the
beauties of a thousand other men; by Friendship God opens our eyes to
them. 

These past four years, I have seen the image of God in many different ways. 

 I have seen his work in the beautiful sunsets on the Wolfville waterfront

I have seen his work during peaceful bicycle rides through the Gaspereau Valley

I have seen him at work having evening chats on perfect spring days

And during apple-picking adventures in September

And finally, just general good times...God is good. He's never failed. And he won't start now. We are more than conquerers...

19 signs you live at 87 Highland

1. You are no longer fazed by the sound of the fire alarm
   
2. If the door randomly opens late at night, you just assume it's Aaron
   
3. Baking at all hours of the day and night is completely acceptable
   
4. Ten people come over for dinner and it's just another Wednesday
   
5. Laura stays overnight when residence is too loud
   
6. You always run out of butter/margarine and have to run to the Kwik Way
   
7. You have a constant supply of apples thanks to Robert
   
8. You message your roommates online all day despite the fact you live together
   
9. Getting a treat at the grocery store means lemon juice
   
10. Gilmore Girls is your favourite T.V. show
    
11. Your car breaking down is a regular occurrence
    
12. Forgetting/losing your key is no big deal because you can break in through the window
    
13. Getting groceries at 11pm is normal
    
14. You walk home at night without being scared
    
15. Cookies don't last until the end of the day
    
16. Andrea asks you to babysit
    
17. "Snow day" is your favourite scented candle
    
18. Second floor is a no-pants zone
    
19. You are one of the three coolest chicas in all of Wolfville :)
    

Cameroon

Hi everyone,
If you are wondering how my trip to Cameroon went, please go over to OneBook's website. I am writing a few blog posts for them.
Like this one.
Here are some photos of my time there. 

A sign we came across from Truro: small world

A translation project we visited in Aghem. The motto means "God knows Aghem"

Just out of the bus window- it is a gorgeous country

Meetings at the conference: people from all over the world!

News

I started this blog mostly so friends and family in distant places could be kept up-to-date on my life goings-on.
So, I would like to share some exciting new things that will be happening in my life.

On Tuesday, March 11th I depart for Cameroon, where I will be attending a conference of national Bible translators and visiting various language projects. I am really thankful for this opportunity, especially the fact that I do not have to pay for it! Please pray for my time there: for health for me and everyone on the team, and for us to gain a greater understanding of Bible translation worldwide. Also pray for the conference and everyone attending. I expect to see God work on this trip. I already saw him do a miracle when I won the contest to be able to go, and I am confident that God will continue to do amazing things. He's pretty good at those (like this sunset I saw the other night).

  

The next exciting thing that is happening in my life is a summer job at a Bible camp right here in the Annapolis Valley. I actually got to visit this camp over the weekend as part of a retreat and it just made me really excited for the summer. This camp is not Malagash, but I think I can forgive it for that. :) I am looking forward to joining with the rest of the staff team to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the campers encountering God. In fact, there are a lot of things that excite me about this summer. A bunch of my friends from school AND my brother are all working there. Also, my job includes taking photos and videos of campers and writing a blog and newsletter! I marvel at the unexpected ways God uses our gifts, abilities and passions for His glory.

Relaxing by the fire at the camp

Fun in the snow

The last little tidbit of good news came in the form of a letter of acceptance into the Masters of Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development from the University of Waterloo (yup, that's a mouthful, so it can be called LED for short). What does that mean? Well, that means I will transplant myself to Southwestern Ontario for a couple of years as I learn how to serve communities through economic development policy. It will be great to be a full-time student again, and to delve into more practical applications of the economic theory I spent the past few years studying. But of course the thought of leaving Wolfville for good is a terrifying thought. It pains me to think of how much I will miss the vibrant community here. But I know God is always with me, and He is good.

Miracle Worker

 Today I was driving back to Wolfville after a little jaunt to one of the teensy communities along the shore.
If you've ever driven westbound on Highway 101, you will know what I am talking about when I talk about that hill, somewhere around Avonport. You know, that hill that you crest and all of the sudden, you see the panorama of the Bay and of Cape Blomidon. It's like the whole Valley is suddenly right in front of you, and the best part is the view is different every time: when the tide is in, all you notice are the various hues of blue. When it is out, shades of brown dominate. If it is a sunny day and the rays hit the Blomidon just right, you can see every detail. When it is foggy, the end of the Cape is obscured. It is a different view in all seasons: hopeful in spring; vibrant in summer; bright in autumn; and stark in winter.
I love that view.
To me, that view means: You're almost there!
Every time I crest that hill, I remember how incredibly blessed I am to live in one of the most beautiful corners of the world.
Today as I was alone in Gertrude (my unreliable Kia) on Highway 101,  I have to admit I was enjoying some worship music. God never ceases to surprise me in the places He shows up in my life, and even though I was all by myself (unless you count the cold donair in my passenger seat), I was having a really meaningful worship experience.
As little Gertrude climbed the hill, I was singing along to this song: It is called "Nothing I Hold Onto (Climb)".

As I saw the beautiful view of snow-covered Blomidon, I heard the words "I lean not on my own understanding/My life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven."
Now you should know, I have been very uncertain lately about my life. In short, I do not know what I will do. It's not just that I do not know what to do with my life, it's also that I have no idea where I will be this summer and fall. In fact, I am not entirely sure where I will be next month. I like knowing what to expect. And right now, I have NO idea what to expect.

But, happily for me, God is present everywhere, even in rusty old Kias on salty old highways. I looked and saw Cape Blomidon, which is an amazing natural formation. I saw the Bay, the Bay with the world's highest tides, tons of water in and out each day. And I heard "My life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven."

My life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven. He who made Cape Blomidon, the Bay of Fundy, the apple trees, the individual snowflakes: he made me. And he made this life to be as beautiful and as exquisite as these natural wonders that I love. I drove towards Wolfville with an overwhelming feeling of peace about this fact. And there just happened to be a spectacular sunset as well :)

This caused me to further reflect on the first time I remember cresting that hill and seeing that view. I must have been about ten years old, and it was on the way to the Atlantic Theatre Festival to see a play called The Miracle Worker. The Miracle Worker is a play based on the life of Annie Sullivan, who was Helen Keller's teacher. Annie Sullivan, through perseverance and creativity, gave Helen Keller access to the world through a special sort of sign language.

When I was very small, my Grammy Main would read to us. ALWAYS. And my favourite book was a book about Helen Keller. So when the Atlantic Theatre Festival had a showing of The Miracle Worker, Grammy was sure to invite me. Because it was our special thing. Some of my aunts and uncles came as well: but I was the only kid, and this made me feel special and grown-up. Grammy Main died last year, and this is just one of the many things that made her very dear to me.

I think it is appropriate that the first time I remember coming to Wolfville was to see a play called The Miracle Worker. As far as I can tell, my time here is soon ending. I don't know how many more times I will come over that hill before Exit 10. And the view changes every time. But one thing never changes: God is good. I have been shown God's goodness hundreds of times and hundreds of ways here at Acadia. He is the true Miracle Worker.

Wanderlust

Folks, I have been suffering from a serious case of wanderlust lately.
As I polish wine glasses at work, I find my mind is in an entirely different place, hiking in the rainforest in Belize.
As I give the cashier my credit card at the local grocery store, I remember the fresh pineapples that were available in the market in Mozambique. I ache to walk again on the dusty
streets of Africa.
I check Expedia for flight deals way more than is healthy for a woman of my income.
This is wanderlust. I do not know if it is the discomfort of the cold Canadian winter, the dissatisfaction from my job, just boredom or a combination of all three, I find myself dreaming about being somewhere else instead of being where I am.

But wait.
I am here.
If I am not content here, I will not be content there. Changing locations does not mean a better life. God has created such a diverse and intricate world that no matter where we are, it is amazing.

On Tuesday, I could not stop thinking about traveling. I thought about it as an escape. But then Wednesday happened, and I was reminded that I do not need to go anywhere else to have an adventurous, full life.
On Wednesday, here in Wolfville, there was a blizzard. I slowly drove to work in the wee hours of the morning, before the blizzard was in full force. The snow kept on falling, and people kept on calling to say they would not be coming. I really doubted anyone would come for lunch. But then, an older man came in and said he would like to make a lunch reservation. But, it would not be for him. No, he had some friends who were a young couple: students. And he wanted to treat them for lunch. But he did not want them to know he was paying. Of course, this conspiracy of love delighted me. I have never had so much fun serving people. I could not help but grin with the secret knowledge that their lunch would cost them absolutely nothing: and they had no idea! This little incident reminded me that God can use us in the simplest of situations to bless someone.
Later on Wednesday, I carefully drove home from work and appreciated the warm house as snow blew outside. On Wednesday evening, as we often do, we had some friends over. I tried a new recipe: duck, from a recipe from the popular television program Duck Dynasty. There are many simple joys in life and one of them is sharing a meal with friends.

After this meal, a few of us had a snowy adventure. If I had been feeling discontent, sliding down a few slopes and jumping into a few snowbanks cured that. Lying in a drift, laughing, I finally understood: I do not need a boarding pass to have the kind of life I want. All I need is creativity.

Maybe it is because I am young, but I always want to be doing something new. Here is the truth: I could live in the same tiny town for my entire life, and every day I could do something new.  And that is possible, without going anywhere. There will always be new people to get to know, new ways to love them, new nooks and crannies to explore, new snow in which to play, new recipes to try, new books to read, and new skills to learn.

I still like traveling, and I will still travel. But I know that traveling is not the secret to a full life. Especially when serving Jesus, every day is new adventure, whether I leave this community or not.

Blue Anchor & You (a poem by Mary, with photos by Hannah)

Blue, anchor, God, satis, enough.
Sea, home, You,
content and satisfied.

Here I am content.
Here is where my heart is home.
With You, by the deepest
blue, anchored
in You.

In this
one-hundred-year-old church You
bound my wand’ring heart to Thee
by the blue salt sea.

Salt hair, tan face, full cup.
Hours of dishes, long days,
Keep your head up.

Here with head up you can see
in the hundred-year-old-church
by the little ol’ sea
Love
and the cross
(as if the two are different)

At night with head up:
edgeless black and stars
cabin ceiling scars
the cross again
and warm tree wind.

Salt hair and handiwork
we the handiwork
work with our hands
a few steps,
leaps,
bounds
from the
deep
blue
sea and sand