Hello my Kaleo family!
Once again I miss you all very much.
In today's news, guess what I did today?
I had lunch with KCey, Bradsky, and TBone McKone! Yup that's right! Trent is headed on his way to Yorkton to work for his Gpa. So just a reminder of prayer for his purpose there and also that his lil' Jetta will make it (there were some alternator troubles).
What else have I been up to? Well not a lot. I have been spending time with my mom, visiting people, and just working around the house. Lately I have been feeling convicted that I have too much stuff so instead of unpacking right away when I got home, I threw a lot of my stuff into a container to donate and sell.
Overall, home has been very comfortable and uncomfortable. Comfortable in the sense that it is the same as always and it could be easy to fit right back in. However, it's very uncomfortable for that same reason and that I'm not the same person I was before Kaleo. I don't want to be just living life, but living life purposefully and to the fullest; doing kingdom work everywhere I go. It's hard to see the opportunities here, but I realize a lot of it is how we live our 'everyday lives'. As well as the importance of filling up on "God food" too (kudos to Tim for that blog post, much appreciated).
In other news, a few things I will be doing in the near future; Tomorrow if the weather's nice I am going to my camp (Manitou Lake Bible Camp) for an all-day work bee. Then comes Sunday, where I am going to be sharing about my Kaleo experiences 'officially' to everyone at church, and finally Monday, where I am going with my friend, Katt, to see her back specialist in Saskatoon (she has had back surgery before and her doctor thinks they might have to redo the surgery). So prayer would be much appreciated.
Oh and random story; A week ago I was sitting in the waiting room of H&R Block, ready to pwn some tax business. So I was sitting beside a little girl who was looking at a magazine. "He got beat up bad", she said, and showed me the cover of the magazine. It was a picture of Jesus (Oh what a great reminder for being purposeful). I asked her if she knew who he was and she said no, so I told her that his name was Jesus. "Jesus" she repeated, "He's the king". Then her mom came and she left. I hope that we can always answer with such honesty and without hesitation like this girl.
So this is somewhat short and perhaps a little jumbled, but I realize it is better to share than to worry about how I say it and not at all.
I am praying for each and every one of you.
(Keep writing these blog posts, they are great encouragement)
Lovelovelove!
-Genuine Jader
Friday, April 30, 2010
Choice!
Hey guys, I miss you all greatly. In fact, I am sitting on my couch listening to Sleeping Sickness, even though I really don’t like City and Colour, however enjoy singing only one line of the chorus at the top of my lungs. I just wish that it was 3:45 in the morning...
Where to begin? Wow, Kaleo seems so long ago. I suppose that I will fill you in on what I have been up to for the past couple of weeks. The Sunday that I left I was pretty down, actually, really down. My dad could tell that I needed a serious pick-me-up so we rented those little dorky scooters in Victoria and we ripped along the coast, past the breakwater and along the ocean for about an hour and a half. Good times! I highly recommend jumping on one of those if you can. Then we spent a couple days in Vancouver, we walked the Seawall and went to that Italian restaurant that some of us went to over the youth workers convention. A lot of stories came out about Kaleo and it was a good time with my dad. Came home and only had one day here in Orangeville before flying out again early on Thursday morning to Philadelphia where I had an interview at Eastern University for a program there called the Templeton Honors College. I was pretty nervous and was not sure what to expect, when about five minutes before my interview the administrator said, “Ok, so here’s how the interview is going to work. Don’t worry about saying the right answers, they don’t care what you think. They want to know how you think. This will be an agility test of the mind.” Then it started.
The best way to describe this interview would be that they opened up my head and played basketball with my brain for an hour before putting it back in my head and sending me on my merry way. There were three profs there from this honors college, and they just grilled me and mentally fought with me. I have never had to think so hard in my life, or debate like that before. They asked me questions about my definition of justice, why freedom is necessary and everything to when does life become life and why, touching on topics such as abortion and life support, to China’s one child policy and the world’s resources. I did not feel too confidant coming out of the interview, and they gave me absolutely no feedback from it. Mentally and physically exhausted, me and my dad retreated to a restaurant where I digested everything that had just happened, along with some pasta, mmmm choice! We toured Philly the next day, taking trains and pictures by the Rocky statue near the art museum. Don’t worry Johnny, I did some fist pumps at the top of the stairs.
Once home, many hours were spent in conversation and thought about where I was supposed to be next year. I cannot even write everything that I thought about during that week on here, it would be too long, but if you really care you can call me and I’ll tell you about some of it. I was getting worried that I wouldn’t hear from Eastern before I had to make a decision about Briercrest. The deadline that Briercrest gave me was until today, April 30. I came in from rock climbing on Tuesday night with James, and on the counter was an envelope and I opened it, and it was my acceptance letter to Eastern, sent on the same day that I had my interview! Pretty crazy.
I have made my decision concerning next year, and I will be going to Eastern in Philadelphia. I realize that this is a step of faith. I have many fears and questions about going here, but my dad said something that has helped me to step out in faith. He said something like, “What are you fears about Eastern? What are you saying that God cannot do?” I know that God will be providing for me and taking meeting my needs. After all, “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11). Although I would love to be joining the k7 crew at Briercrest, I don’t feel a peace about being there, and as fearful and hesitant as I am to go to Eastern, I feel at peace about my decision.
Well that’s enough of university talk. I have been at loose ends for the past couple days, with not much to do, so I am excited to start a new job on Monday. I will be landscaping in Orangeville. I am praying that this will be an experience like the Olympics, where I can develop friendships and work alongside others while really being there to share with them hope and true life. In my family, I have felt a bit discontent with the community that my family has with one another. Don’t get my wrong, my family is great and I love them dearly, however I wonder why we so rarely encourage one another in the spirit and how rarely we pray together for one another. It seems as though we are all walking this journey of faith separately and distant from one another. Please pray for an “openness” with in our family and within my friends as well. I realize how great a blessing it is to be part of a community that is open in every respect. Open meaning vulnerable, willing, and led by the spirit. I am praying for this and working towards this within my family and my friends.
I think about you all so much. You have taught me a lot this year, and the lessons that I have learned are not easily forgotten, in fact I am still trying to figure out what some of them are all about. Pray that I would be able to digest this past year well. Thank you brothers and sisters for such a blessing of a year! I am filled with thanksgiving for the grace that God has lavished on us with this year.
Many prayers for all of you and much love from Orangeville Ontario!
p.s. you guys had better come visit me next year, we can grab a philly cheese steak and watch a baseball game or something....
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A "Chapel" Reminder
Wow, this blog is getting a lot of use, which is excellent! Keep it up! Remember that we said to you that this blog would become our "chapel," an opportunity to open up your heart to the rest of us and seek prayer and encouragement. Well, the one side is happening - you are telling us lots! However, increasingly I am noticing that no one is responding.
You remember how often we encouraged you to speak to someone's story with words of encouragement, exhortation and prayer. You can still do this - comment on each others' posts. C'mon, I know you are all reading this, like every day! Take a moment to click on the "Comments" link and respond with love toward the person who spoke up.
What do you think of my exhortation? Dare you to comment!
You remember how often we encouraged you to speak to someone's story with words of encouragement, exhortation and prayer. You can still do this - comment on each others' posts. C'mon, I know you are all reading this, like every day! Take a moment to click on the "Comments" link and respond with love toward the person who spoke up.
What do you think of my exhortation? Dare you to comment!
Filling up
Hey everyone. Yes I know I have already posted a couple times but this is just a way I like to share with everyone. No I haven't got a job yet but I will be sure post any and all answers to prayer in that regard.
Just had a thought last night that was brought back to mind by what Ben had written in his blog. I watched the movie Avatar (great movie) but I was wondering if all the work of the media fast had been undone. It seems very easy to either become black or white when it comes to media, to hate it, avoid and be bored or to go back to watching it and filling up with it.
As I was feeling guilty and I was also reading some good old C.S. Lewis and God gave me a thought. The thought wasn't relevant to what I was reading but it was very encouraging and challenging. God pretty asked me what I was filling up on. I realized that this question was somewhat rhetorical. It got me thinking. If we are filling up with scripture, prayer and community, like reading C.S. or talking with one another, then we can interact with our culture but not be changed for the worse by it. In other words, all the "God food" that we fill up on keeps us from conforming to our society because it is constantly transforming us into a better reflections of Christ.
Now in light of this I am not just going to go out and enjoy worldly pleasures on the basis that I already "read my bible and prayed" that day. But we can be a part of the world we live in and change it for the better, we can even see what the world says is good for one reason and appreciate for a different, more pure reason.
For example, while I watched Avatar I wasn't so much moved by the intense violence, the cool special effects or even the story itself. Instead I saw parallels and heard voices in this movie that reflect the desperate needs of our world. I heard people crying out for good community and I saw greed and destruction at it's peak and I really saw the desire to stop destroying God's creation. These things made me excited because I know that God can use the church to provide for these needs and solve these problems.
And in the end the biggest implication of this thought that I came to realize the importance of filling up on "God food". This is the challenge part. We must be reading God's word. We must be reading or listening to good teachers who have spent time with God's word and help enlighten us. We must be bringing our lives before each other so we can, as a community, present them to God. We must be keeping accountable to each other. We all know this because we lived if for eight months. This challenge isn't a burden to me either. I see a lot this already taking place and so while it may be a challenge it is also an encouragement that God has done a work in us that isn't easily undone. We all were worried about what post-Kaleo life would be like I can honestly say, before the great congregation, that God has done a mighty work, he has answered our prayers and he is sustaining us even though we are not physically at Kaleo.
Yeah that was a long thought, it kind of developed as I wrote it. Hope this reflects how much I love my you all, my brothers and sisters, and how excited I am that God has got us all over the continent. Greater things are yet to come. Grace be with you guys.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Ok..I will...share..
Man, I have been think about what I should say in this post for a long time. I have been wanting to post something on the blog but had no clue what to say. I will start with this: I miss you all terribly! I sound just like everyone else, but I don't go a day without missing you all. I see a a white van drive and I get ready to see if it is one of ours. I hear a whistle, while I am at a store and I look around for Justin telling us its ready to go. Someone says something and I am ready to come back at them with a comment, but then remember they wouldn't understand what I was saying. The list goes on and on at how many things remind me of my amazing Kaleo family that God has blessed me with.
Coming home was a challenge, as you all know. When I came home I had TONS of people asking me about Kaleo. I told them the same thing, "Oh, I loved it! It was such a wonderful experience..blah blah blah" you all know the routine. I also didn't want to talk about it because my heart ached every time I thought about it. But then I started to think, why am I wanting to forget this? This was the most wonderful experience of my life and now it is time to take what I learned and share it. So, I am now praying that God will show me ways of sharing it differently with each person I talked. But it is hard because I am not one to share things about what I have done. It doesn't occur to me to share certain things, which I have been praying that God will help me in this area.
Home life was really hard to adjust to. Once we got home we had a wedding and a shower (two of my favorite things to go to..not! haha) to go to. It was good because I got to see all of my family, but kind of hard. My family has changed a lot and I just didn't feel like I fit in, so it was a hard long week end and I was more then ready to come back home. But at home I wasn't satisfied either. I was mad that I didn't have a job, annoyed with my siblings and just wasn't looking on the positive side of things. I was praying about it but not really trying to fix my attitude. Mom then came to me and start talking about something, don't remember what, but we got to talking about me and my relationship with her and dad. She decided that we would have a big talk (which I was NOT looking forward to at all!). I was then praying that God would help me, I wanted to share everything that was on my heart and I wanted them to know about the things had been building up for so many years. The next morning they decided we were going to have the talk, which I was not prepared for. We all sat down and they started (of course) and it was a heavy blow! I wasn't ready for it. Once they were done ( I said very little during that time of their talking) they asked if I had anything to say. At first I said I had nothing to say, which is what I always do just so they would leave and leave me alone with my thoughts. But then I decided that it wasn't fair that they didn't know what I was thinking and I shared what has been so heavy on my heart for years. I couldn't believe I did it and thank God that He gave me the words and strength to say it. Things after the talk have been looking up. We understand each other more and are working on things that need to be worked out.
Ever since that talk I felt this weight being lifted off of me. I have noticed I see them with new eyes and am enjoying just being home and spending time with my family. I still have somethings to work through and it is not all healed, but I believe that things are going to be a lot better! I am praising God and thanking Him for this event. It was something that needed to happen a long time ago.
Also, I am having a hard time with keeping myself in the Word and coming to God for things. I find that while I am at home I do not depend on Him as much as I do when I am at camp.. I do not like this and am trying to fix this.
So these are the things that are happening in good ol' Rockford. I am sorry it is so long, but I thought I would.. share with you guys! haha you don't know how long it has taken me to right this! I have thought about writing this so many times but couldn't make myself do it.
I LOVE YOU ALL and am praying for you daily!
Love your sister,
Ellie =D
I guess it's my turn
There are two articles of business I should get off my chest before I forget. One, I have shaved and two, I do not burp anymore (it must have been the camp food, not my fault!).
For me being at home has been weird. I could return to my old life seamlessly. My family has not changed, nor my friends, ultimate team or church. Somehow, I expected things to be different with all this talk of change and things being different. For some reason my parents haven’t even asked me about Kaléo, what it was like, what I’ve learned or anything. It has been really unsettling and weird, it seems as if they act like I was gone for a year and just showed up again. But instead of sliding back into my old niche I have been trying to think and show who I am. Talking with you guys has really helped, whether over facebook or skype (I’m always invisible by the way) has been a tool to remember the changes that have taken place.
But do not think all is ill! I had a great time camping with my dad and talking with him about whatever, and speaking my mind, which was really refreshing. The train ride was pretty uneventful (man Montana was boring!) but I did have a fun conversation with some strangers at dinner. I was telling them all about Kaléo and bridalquest, which they all had a good chuckle at. This may surprise some of you, but I am trying to get up early! Today I got up at 10am. I’m doing this because if I wake up at noon I have no time to get into the Word, plus I have to get a job.
Overall being home pretty good. Every time I check the blog or see some post on fb, my heart gets a pretty big tug, and a sigh of deep longing.
Oh! My mom made fun if my Canadian accent! What the heck?! In Canada I get made fun of for my American accent and now I get made fun of for my Canadian accent!
Your American Neighbor and Brother in Christ,
Gentle Ben.
For me being at home has been weird. I could return to my old life seamlessly. My family has not changed, nor my friends, ultimate team or church. Somehow, I expected things to be different with all this talk of change and things being different. For some reason my parents haven’t even asked me about Kaléo, what it was like, what I’ve learned or anything. It has been really unsettling and weird, it seems as if they act like I was gone for a year and just showed up again. But instead of sliding back into my old niche I have been trying to think and show who I am. Talking with you guys has really helped, whether over facebook or skype (I’m always invisible by the way) has been a tool to remember the changes that have taken place.
But do not think all is ill! I had a great time camping with my dad and talking with him about whatever, and speaking my mind, which was really refreshing. The train ride was pretty uneventful (man Montana was boring!) but I did have a fun conversation with some strangers at dinner. I was telling them all about Kaléo and bridalquest, which they all had a good chuckle at. This may surprise some of you, but I am trying to get up early! Today I got up at 10am. I’m doing this because if I wake up at noon I have no time to get into the Word, plus I have to get a job.
Overall being home pretty good. Every time I check the blog or see some post on fb, my heart gets a pretty big tug, and a sigh of deep longing.
Oh! My mom made fun if my Canadian accent! What the heck?! In Canada I get made fun of for my American accent and now I get made fun of for my Canadian accent!
Your American Neighbor and Brother in Christ,
Gentle Ben.
Since I've Been Gone
Ahh... Kaleo - I think I've been avoiding posting on this blog because thinking of all of you actually makes my heart ache. I miss each of you incredibly - and am extremely thankful for the enormous ways that God worked worked in and through us. My favorite picture of us is in the lounge at chapel in prayer, there was something so good about joining in prayer with not just a group of believers, but a group who shared a deep love for one another - and understanding of each other because of hearing each testimony. I remember looking around the circle several times in the last few weeks praising God for each of you, and knowing that our time was running out. I do know that God has sent us out equipped for what is to come, not because of our capabilities, but because of his. I was blessed to get to Jahnaya's grad at Ambrose University College in Calgary last weekend, and I loved it! So proud of my little one:) She graduated with a degree in Behavioral Science- I am starting work in a few days at the Agriculture Research Station - really excited for it! It was a great blessing to be back at Unity Baptist Church on Sunday and return to that family. Unfortunately since being home, the health seems to have taken a downward spin, I have an appointment in the next few weeks to receive MRI results - prayers for that would be greatly appreciated. I miss and love each of you so much - I so treasure September 09 - April 10. However, I know there is so much to look forward to.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
God bless!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Breanne
Hey, I just got this in a e-mail from a friend from highschool, she is asking for prayer for our other friends Devon's older sister...
hey guys
I'm sending this because I know all of you either graduated or went to school with devon, and her sister breanne was in a very bad accident.
i'm not sure what all you have heard about breanne wilson's accident, but i will let you know everything that i know. I'm sorry if you hadn't heard anything and this is how you are finding out.
breanne had just finished her last final ever, and some friends must have come and picked her up to go celebrate at another friends house. they were only going a couple of blocks, so breanne and another boy decided to just sit on the tail gate of the truck because it wasn't far at all. i guess they hit a bump, and both breanne and the boy fell off. the boy hurt his neck and back a little bit, but was released that night from the hospital. devon (breanne's sister) and i are assuming that breanne hit a curb or something else. the ambulance came within minutes. they were actually right by an ambulance station. the doctor said if they would have been on another side of the city, that breanne might not have made it. when she got to the hospital, the doctor immediately did a cat scan, and found a blood clot in her brain, and decided to do surgery right away. He said that he normally wouldn't do the surgery, but because of her age, he gave her the benefit of the doubt. He removed a piece of her skull, bigger then a grapefruit, for the surgery and to relieve the pressure of the brain. once he was done the surgery, he couldn't put the piece of the skull back on because of the swelling. so for the past three days breanne has just had skin over top of that part of her brain. that night, (saturday) the doctor told devon and her family and friends that he didn't think breanne would make it through the night. the next morning, alice (mom) was holding breanne's hand and asked her to try and squeeze. and alice is sure she felt something. the doctor was surprised that breanne had made it through the night, and did another scan on her. that day we had a meeting with the doctor and he said that her brain is severely bruised, but that it is almost impossible to try and predict what is going to happen, because every brain injury is different, and people react and recover differently. he also told us to not get too excited about the squeezing, as it might be some nerves reacting. he said that her brain pressure had dropped from a 50 to a 30. ( i guess our brain pressure is a 0). right now, breanne is in a coma and they are going to keep her in a coma for another day. after that, they are going to back off of the medication and see how bad her brain really is.
that is all i know as of right now. it is going to be a long haul either way.
keep praying and thinking about breanne and the wilson family and breanne's boyfriend, grant. they have lots of friends and family up in saskatoon, supporting them and just being with them.
thanks guys
cassidy
I'm sending this because I know all of you either graduated or went to school with devon, and her sister breanne was in a very bad accident.
i'm not sure what all you have heard about breanne wilson's accident, but i will let you know everything that i know. I'm sorry if you hadn't heard anything and this is how you are finding out.
breanne had just finished her last final ever, and some friends must have come and picked her up to go celebrate at another friends house. they were only going a couple of blocks, so breanne and another boy decided to just sit on the tail gate of the truck because it wasn't far at all. i guess they hit a bump, and both breanne and the boy fell off. the boy hurt his neck and back a little bit, but was released that night from the hospital. devon (breanne's sister) and i are assuming that breanne hit a curb or something else. the ambulance came within minutes. they were actually right by an ambulance station. the doctor said if they would have been on another side of the city, that breanne might not have made it. when she got to the hospital, the doctor immediately did a cat scan, and found a blood clot in her brain, and decided to do surgery right away. He said that he normally wouldn't do the surgery, but because of her age, he gave her the benefit of the doubt. He removed a piece of her skull, bigger then a grapefruit, for the surgery and to relieve the pressure of the brain. once he was done the surgery, he couldn't put the piece of the skull back on because of the swelling. so for the past three days breanne has just had skin over top of that part of her brain. that night, (saturday) the doctor told devon and her family and friends that he didn't think breanne would make it through the night. the next morning, alice (mom) was holding breanne's hand and asked her to try and squeeze. and alice is sure she felt something. the doctor was surprised that breanne had made it through the night, and did another scan on her. that day we had a meeting with the doctor and he said that her brain is severely bruised, but that it is almost impossible to try and predict what is going to happen, because every brain injury is different, and people react and recover differently. he also told us to not get too excited about the squeezing, as it might be some nerves reacting. he said that her brain pressure had dropped from a 50 to a 30. ( i guess our brain pressure is a 0). right now, breanne is in a coma and they are going to keep her in a coma for another day. after that, they are going to back off of the medication and see how bad her brain really is.
that is all i know as of right now. it is going to be a long haul either way.
keep praying and thinking about breanne and the wilson family and breanne's boyfriend, grant. they have lots of friends and family up in saskatoon, supporting them and just being with them.
thanks guys
cassidy
If you guys could pray for this too that would be great.
Abby
To The Mothership and Back
No Matt, I have not forgotten what you look like, as old as I am! It helps that the K7 poster is my desktop, but I will not forget you soon, if ever. My week-long silence is due to being on the move until today. We are being exceptionally lazy on a rainy day in Ucluelet, though we just took advantage of a short break in the skies to watch some pretty big waves at the lighthouse.
After a few days of feeling quite blue while migrating out of the Kaleo office back home and trying to tidy up a few loose ends, Sarah and I flew out Thursday to Caronport and the Briercrest Mothership for their Grad. Wow. Okay, our grad was convincingly better, but watching ten former K2 to K4 students (including our niece Charis, Wes' assistant) graduate with BA's of various kinds, some with honours, was wonderful. By the way, you are listed in the program - pretty cool, eh? (Click to make bigger)
I admit that my cup was pretty empty by the time you all left, as evidenced by your leaders' rather subdued dinner out at the Crofton Hotel that day (Bob, you are right, good food!). But our weekend at Briercrest filled me right back up again: with long talks with many Kaleo students in addition to the ten; with watching how involved and respected these students are in the life of the school; with listening to Brie (who wouldn't sing in front of people when she came to Kaleo) lead worship with her husband and Brady in front of 2000 people; and with our buddy Rob chosen to read bios at the walk-up. Again, wow. The many Kaleo students who are returning to Briercrest next year are SO EXCITED to welcome the many of you who are going there. You are going to be so blessed.
Did I mention that I miss you profoundly? And at the same time I am so glad to read of the clear evidence that nothing will be the same for you ever again. Jesus has staked his claim on you, and though I expect there will be trouble (he promised it), he is the Overcomer of the World, and the world will not be able to hold you down, keep you back or smother you with its dazzle.
Did I mention the K7 Grad Poster? You can see it by clicking here, or you can download the full file by clicking here (warning = it takes a while to load). Also, I just sent you a link to the Kaleo Student Survey, which we would love for you to complete before May 9 to help us understand the year better and plan for the future (check Facebook/email). Announcements are now over.
Looking forward to hearing from you, and about you, for many days to come! Love you.
After a few days of feeling quite blue while migrating out of the Kaleo office back home and trying to tidy up a few loose ends, Sarah and I flew out Thursday to Caronport and the Briercrest Mothership for their Grad. Wow. Okay, our grad was convincingly better, but watching ten former K2 to K4 students (including our niece Charis, Wes' assistant) graduate with BA's of various kinds, some with honours, was wonderful. By the way, you are listed in the program - pretty cool, eh? (Click to make bigger)
I admit that my cup was pretty empty by the time you all left, as evidenced by your leaders' rather subdued dinner out at the Crofton Hotel that day (Bob, you are right, good food!). But our weekend at Briercrest filled me right back up again: with long talks with many Kaleo students in addition to the ten; with watching how involved and respected these students are in the life of the school; with listening to Brie (who wouldn't sing in front of people when she came to Kaleo) lead worship with her husband and Brady in front of 2000 people; and with our buddy Rob chosen to read bios at the walk-up. Again, wow. The many Kaleo students who are returning to Briercrest next year are SO EXCITED to welcome the many of you who are going there. You are going to be so blessed.
Did I mention that I miss you profoundly? And at the same time I am so glad to read of the clear evidence that nothing will be the same for you ever again. Jesus has staked his claim on you, and though I expect there will be trouble (he promised it), he is the Overcomer of the World, and the world will not be able to hold you down, keep you back or smother you with its dazzle.
Did I mention the K7 Grad Poster? You can see it by clicking here, or you can download the full file by clicking here (warning = it takes a while to load). Also, I just sent you a link to the Kaleo Student Survey, which we would love for you to complete before May 9 to help us understand the year better and plan for the future (check Facebook/email). Announcements are now over.
Looking forward to hearing from you, and about you, for many days to come! Love you.
Unexplainable Friendship....
It has been a joy for me to read all of the posts that everyone has been posting and I know that it is my turn. Many things have happened since I arrived home but today, in the stillness of God, the most important event has happened; I mourned and wept for Kaleo. I decided to spend some time journaling my heart after a conversation I had with my mentor yesterday and before I began I thought I would see what one hobbit said after he returned from his great journey:
"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on? But in your heart you begin to understand; There is no going back. There are some things that time cannot mend, some hurts that go too deep that have taken hold."
There is a bond that I feel to each of you and when I say I love you, it tugs on a few different heart strings. One of the largest things that this 8-month journey has culminated in is unexplainable friendship. A kind of friendship that comes from God and glorifies him. We truly have tasted the kingdom of the heavens this year on a level that surpasses my own knowledge. It is strange that somehow we can weep but yet be joyful and grieved at the same time.
There is much more for me to journal about but I wish to tell you all, my friends, I LOVE YOU!! I cannot contain the excitement that is in me to see each one of you again one day, some how.
Faith
Hello wonderful people,
I pray that all of you are doing well !!
The train ride home to NB was one I'll never forget. Every province we stopped in my eyes became more and more aware of how corrupted our world is. Was any one else surprised to see how much your eyes have opened to how materialistic and selfish we are?
For me I became very quiet and serious for about a week! (culture shock) I thought if I were to enjoy anything I would have been sinning. I know , what?
One night on the train I spoke to my parents they weren't my words at all it was very uncomfortable to say them ,but my heart was bursting to tell them more truth which I received from Kaleo, my parents both agreed they felt a strong sense of God speaking to them and many of their questions about religion were answered just by seeing the change in me. I am very aware of the many miracles God reveals to me daily, and from praying he taught me that its okay to have fun again ha. My whole world has literally changed. I haven't been watching television, my parents are talking ( key word) about moving to the country after being inspired by kaleo ? they even told me that it wouldn't be a problem to open up a small cafe. The way I view the world and people has turned upside down, and from all of this my head is kinda confussed, but God has seriousley been showing Himself in crazy ways He shows me words, messages, people, at the exact time I need to hear or see things. Honestly it freaks me out ha.
That is what is going on in the life of Katie Doiron... My prayer is that this some how this relates to you, enocurages you , and to spread the light baby .. for only good can come from it.
p.ss I would have choose to get a 2nd degree burn than share that with you all.
Monday, April 26, 2010
IMPORTANT NEWS!!
PEOPLE OF KALEO!! I have VERY important news to tell you.....
I HAVE FACEBOOK!!!!! =D
The K7 Valedictorian Speech
“Tell me about Kaléo.” No doubt this will be a question repeated to us over and over upon our return. People want to hear stories of this place. Stories of our favourite memories, funniest moments, most memorable lines, weirdest situations and the like. Stories capture people and invite them into the lives of others. For this reason, the best way that I can describe Kaléo is that it is a story. It is not a compilation of events bound into an eight-month program; rather, it is just another part of the grand story. On the first full day of Kaléo, our to-be most quotable prof, Jim Paulson, spoke to us about God’s story with his people, and how we are all wrapped up in this one story. It is fitting now at the end of Kaléo to tell you the story that began eight months ago. This is the story of God and his people of K7.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in his book Life Together that, “He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.” These words describe the development of our community over this year. To date, K7 is the youngest group of Kaléo students; most of us are right out of high school. In the first couple months of this year, our experiences were constantly being compared to the previous years of Kaléo; either we have heard stories, or know of others who have gone on ahead of us. It seemed that as K7 we were clinging to our expectations for our year, disregarding the grand story in which God had put us. Our own ideas of how this year would play out kept us blinded to what God had specifically chosen.
It seemed too that, as a newly-birthed community, our perspectives and values were separate from God’s. Jim told us an analogy while on SALTS, that someone had gone and switched all of the price tags of the items throughout a store, so that valuable things were now ridiculously cheap, and objects that do not hold much value were now quite expensive. He says that this is what the world has done to us. The things in this life that truly matter are given a very low value, where as the things that are insignificant are quite prized by us.
Thank God that we have not been left in this state all year! Through living together, under the gentle shepherding of our leaders and the grace of God, the price tags in our lives have been put back in order. We have been transformed by the renewal of our minds. The classes that we have taken here have re-shaped our view of the world. The atmosphere of Kaléo demonstrates what truly matters and what should be our main priorities. For some of us, this may be the first time in our lives where the correct price tags have been properly placed. It took us a while to drop what we used to value, and to accept and know what truly matters. Much of the first semester consisted of God lining up our vision of community with his own, and as a result the more and more we let go of our ideals, we entered into the story that God had written for K7.
In case you haven’t heard, Jim is the master of analogies, and here is another one of his classics. Kaléo is a rock tumbler. One of those things where you put a whole bunch of rocks in, then after a long period of time of bumping into one another in this spinning unit, these rough jagged rocks are molded into polished stones. We are a rock tumbler, and an abrasive one at that. We were like those rocks coming into this place; rough on the edges, weathered, a bit dirty. In this tumbler, we have had hard collisions, and as a result, big chunks have fallen off. We are not the same people that we were in September.
One of our first tastes of the community that God had in mind for us was at the end of our first class, Spiritual Formation, with Marv Penner. It was a warm and sunny fall day and we separated for several hours to go on a spiritual retreat, then reconvened down on the dock. We had communion there, except we would break a piece of bread from the loaf and take some juice over to anyone ready to receive it. It was a tangible expression of serving one another and presenting Christ, both his body and blood, to one another. Little did we know it, but that was just a foreshadowing of the communion we would have with God this year through each other.
Gradually, the vision that God had for us became our vision as well. We stopped clinging closely to our own ideals, which as Bonhoeffer writes, destroys community, and instead learned to love each other. True community is born simply out of a love for those with whom you are surrounded. On SALTS, after a week-long cabin clean-up competition with the girls, full of bribery, beatboxing, kisses, Red Hot Chili Peppers covers and dedication, the guys came out victorious, for the first time in all of Kaléo history, might I add. This meant the opportunity to delight in any type of suffering that we would put the girls through. While I’m sure that slopping them with food scraps and making them walk the plank would have been quite enjoyable, I am thankful that someone caught the vision of community that God desired for us. Their punishment: hot tea on the deck as their feet were washed. The girls responded with an even more difficult task: bushwhacking through the unchartered jungles of the guys rooms and cleaning them, right down to the CD’s that were welded to desks by protein shakes. I’d say that the guys got off pretty easy.
A large focus of Kaléo is on prayer. Our chapel services are filled with prayers of thanks, praise and intercession. Before the departure of each trip, we lift it up first to God. There is no doubt that God has been binding our hearts together more and more through speaking together with him. Three times throughout this year, there have been very dedicated periods completely devoted to prayer. These have been our two weeks of 24/7 prayer as well as a shorter period before our ministry trips. These have been times of real honesty before God. In hindsight, it is interesting to see elements of the K7 story unfold in these times of prayer. In our first week of prayer, there was a spirit of heaviness upon walking into that room. Wall surfaces were flooded with cries to God, bearing all before others the requests and prayers written down by our brothers and sisters throughout the week. The pain of our previous lives and difficult situations was very much the theme of our prayers. Indeed, first semester consisted of becoming broken before God. This was seen on the walls and desks of our prayer room.
Our prayers before our ministry trips were ones of excitement, eager to jump into the place the Lord was calling us into, either Mexico or the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. During that time, big requests were lifted up to God. Little did we know how perfectly God had been preparing us for the places he was about to lead us into. The final week of 24/7 prayer further reflected our hearts of K7. Whereas our first week of prayer back in November was one of brokenness, this week of prayer in April was one of praise and thanks. Entire walls were filled with answers to prayer. Joy was a common theme of the prayers lifted up in that room the second week. This year has seen many answers to prayer, everything from Bo praying for a fender bender in the PT Cruiser, to the shrinking of Nate’s sister’s incurable tumor. We have seen in great ways how our God is a God who loves to give, and loves it when we ask him for things. One thing that we have learned this year is to go to God with a bucket, instead of just a cup.
Christmas break did us well. It was much needed break in the midst of intense growth and development. It gave us a chance to see how we have changed from those early days in September, and it also gave us a taste of what lay ahead of us come mid-April; however, we were not finished yet. God still had great plans ahead of us that needed finishing here at Kaléo.
Many of our best times with God have come through the closeness of community. Mount Washington was many people’s favourite trip, and why wouldn’t it be when our only responsibility is to shred the gnar, hot tub, snowshoe, ski, build snowforts and enjoy great food in a chalet at the bottom of the mountain. I could get used to this type of school. There was much more to this week than just the play, however. Each day was followed by lengthy chapels that seemed to epitomize the goals of our community. God spoke through us to one another. He used us to challenge, encourage and give thanks for one another. A new depth was reached that week as we identified to one another where we saw Christ live in them and confessed to each other what old clothes we need to take off in order to clothe ourselves more with Christ. The greatest thing that happened that week was that we were given new names. Just like Simon became Peter and he grew into this Rock, so we all received names from God, spoken through one another, that were indeed too big for us then and are still a bit big for us; however, we fit them more now than we did then. There was a shift after that point. It was though we were no longer holding on to our old ideals, no longer clinging to who we used to be and what we originally had planned for our year. We were finally emptied of ourselves, and the only thing that remained was the promise that God would take us and develop us, as his community and his people, into big roles that would bring him glory.
This doesn’t really sound like school, with all the trips that we go on and the amount of time that we simply hang out with each other; that’s what we all thought too, going into this year. But there have been many late nights spent finishing assignments and reading textbooks, and our growth would have been incomplete without them. We have been blessed to taught by such men of God, deeply rooted in the word, and whose own lives inspire us to learn more. We have learned much about God’s word: how to read and interpret it properly; what the Old Testament is all about; the life of Jesus and how that affects us; and the theology behind spreading the good news of God’s kingdom. These are just some of the courses we have been so blessed to learn from. Many things will stick with us from those classes, such as the filming of the entire Old Testament in just a few days, and the phrase “Ee Taow” shown to us by Tim Stabell, meaning “it’s good, it’s true” by an indigenous people group. In fact, Ee Taow became our group’s “hallelujah” and “amen,” followed by a jumping huddle with someone thrown up into the air.
Another key part of this year, a big part of this story, is our ministry trips that took place in February. Our two destinations were the Copper Canyon in Mexico and Whistler, BC. The Olympic team, which consisted of the majority of Kaléo, were event services volunteers which simply meant being friendly and hosts to the spectators, helping them in any way possible; however, our real ministry was to the other volunteers, seeking to share our hope in Jesus with them. After a while, the stories at the end of the day about what God had done started dropping, and Jim could tell that we were growing weary, like little kids paddling in a canoe but not really going anywhere. It was in this time where we experienced firsthand the truth of God’s word, mainly Isaiah 40:31, which says that those who hope on the Lord will renew their strength. The picture that Jim shared with us was that we needed to be like an obedient dog patiently waiting with its eyes fixed on its master right before it receives a treat from its master’s hand. Things were never the same. Day after day, we were soaring on eagle’s wings, as God our Master continually fed us with opportunities and divine conversations. It was evident that we were indeed the church there in Whistler, one body united in purpose and spirit. Other volunteers noticed that we all shared in a joy that was attractive and desirable, but the best part was that they got to experience the many different parts of one body. Community had taken root within us, and we were using our different gifts well while being all part of the one Story that God was writing.
The Mexico team had an incredible time in Copper Canyon, interacting with an unreached people group. It was a time of coming alongside the missionaries, giving practical support through providing food for starving families, playing games with the children, working on building projects and building relationships with the people. It was a trip of faith, learning to trust in and hope for unseen things. The team wrestled with changing the way that they perceived missions. Instead of going and doing, the trip became defined by going and being, trusting that the Lord had something for them. As the team went just as they were, without their own plans, and developed relationships with missionaries and locals, they were the fragrance of Christ. It was a sweet aroma that encouraged the believers living down there, and left a lasting impression on their hearts. The Mexico team came to an understanding that the Lord is in control of all things, “for as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations” (Isaiah 61:11). Praise God for what he is doing in Copper Canyon and the opportunity for K7 to enter into his work.
In hindsight, it is easy to see how God has been molding us into ambassadors. It has been a main theme of our year. He gave us many opportunities for training, though. In first semester, our ordinary shopping trips to Victoria were seen as ways to bless others, mainly the homeless community, and during conferences we learned just as much about God on the street down on the sidewalks as we did in the conference halls. It was all preparation for our ministry trips, where God gave us his seal of approval. Now our eyes see people and opportunities in a new light. We cannot even travel home on reading break or have a simple parkour session without sharing our joy and hope with others, either in word or deed. We cannot deny who we have become. We are ministers of reconciliation.
The story of K7 is a communal one, but at the same time, when you look at the whole, you cannot help but look at the individuals that make it up. K7 is a story of great transformation, but so are the stories of the people that make up K7. We all remember on the first surf trip when Rivs came to an understanding of what true faith was. We have watched Haley’s heart melt over second semester. We have seen Trent become captured by God and filled daily. We have witnessed Matthew and Katie overcome fears on the second surf trip. He has transformed us as individuals and as a community.
What is the essence of K7 then? I believe that it is the word “fragrance.” It seemed that no matter where we went throughout the year, we could not escape this identity. Homeless men said that they could smell us coming up to them, people on our missions trips said that we had a certain “air” about us. 2 Corinthians 2:16 says that, “to those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.” Recently, we received an email from a friend at Briercrest who wanted to encourage those making their way there in September. At least twelve of us are going there, and in the words of Brady quoting Aragorn, “They have picked up our scent, and their pace has quickened.” This is who we are. We are the fragrance of Christ that gives life and encourages us and others to run faster. Like a good perfume that does not lose its scent, so we linger in people’s minds. A good friend that we made at the Olympics sent us an email as well, saying how encouraged he was to get to meet us and that he has thought about us and the conversations we had with him many times. We have become a community that cannot be ignored, a pleasantly refreshing scent in a pungent and musty world.
True community cannot be resisted. My first impression was formed of Claire this year when she told me that she was not here to make friends. In fact, she said that at the end of the year she would not be keeping in touch with anyone and her only reasons for being at Kaléo were to study and learn about the Bible. I can say confidently that she is leaving with both a greater understanding of the Bible and incredible friendships. What we have been so blessed to be a part of this year, like a sweet fragrance, attracts us and draws us in to true community. There may be the thought in our minds that community like this will never exist in our lives again, and that from here on, it’s all downhill. I bet that’s what the disciples must have felt when Jesus told them that he must go. How could anything get better than having Jesus walking and living among them? Yet he promised them that they would go on to go greater things than even he had done. K7, we will go on and be part of even greater things than this year. We have been given this year as a gift, but now we have some serious work to do. We must now leave this pleasant and safe perfume bottle and be spread into the places that need the fragrance of Christ.
Shane Claiborne went on a search for what he considered to be a true Christian, alive and active today. His search led him to Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and it is here where he said he found “true Christianity.” Mother Teresa told him that there are Calcutta’s wherever you go; that is, places in need of people to care for the sick and the poor and to love people simply for the sake of loving them. Mother Teresa said, “Find your Calcutta.” While Shane was tempted to stay there, since he finally found what we had been looking for, he knew that his Calcutta was back in the United States. So here we are. I believe we have really experienced what true community is supposed to be like. However, there are Kaléos wherever we go; that is, groups of people deeply needing to be part of a loving, godly and encouraging community. We could stay and sit comfortably as we are, but this is not our Kaléo. We need to find our own, maybe even make our own. To quote Hillsong, “We have been filled to be emptied again, the seed we’ve received we must sow.”
Let’s go, knowing that God will take us to the place of completion, full of expectation that through him, we will be part of greater things than we can ever imagine. May we look back and see the truth of Hebrews 11:15 in our lives, which says that if we had longed for the country that we have come from, we could have gone back. But we were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called our God, for he has prepared a city for us. Let’s go, with hard feet and soft hearts. Go and find your Kaléo.
Brothers and sisters, having run this section of the race together, there is simply only one thing that I can say about this journey that we are on. It’s good, it’s true.
Ee Taow.
- Jeremy Derksen, Valedictorian
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in his book Life Together that, “He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.” These words describe the development of our community over this year. To date, K7 is the youngest group of Kaléo students; most of us are right out of high school. In the first couple months of this year, our experiences were constantly being compared to the previous years of Kaléo; either we have heard stories, or know of others who have gone on ahead of us. It seemed that as K7 we were clinging to our expectations for our year, disregarding the grand story in which God had put us. Our own ideas of how this year would play out kept us blinded to what God had specifically chosen.
It seemed too that, as a newly-birthed community, our perspectives and values were separate from God’s. Jim told us an analogy while on SALTS, that someone had gone and switched all of the price tags of the items throughout a store, so that valuable things were now ridiculously cheap, and objects that do not hold much value were now quite expensive. He says that this is what the world has done to us. The things in this life that truly matter are given a very low value, where as the things that are insignificant are quite prized by us.
Thank God that we have not been left in this state all year! Through living together, under the gentle shepherding of our leaders and the grace of God, the price tags in our lives have been put back in order. We have been transformed by the renewal of our minds. The classes that we have taken here have re-shaped our view of the world. The atmosphere of Kaléo demonstrates what truly matters and what should be our main priorities. For some of us, this may be the first time in our lives where the correct price tags have been properly placed. It took us a while to drop what we used to value, and to accept and know what truly matters. Much of the first semester consisted of God lining up our vision of community with his own, and as a result the more and more we let go of our ideals, we entered into the story that God had written for K7.
In case you haven’t heard, Jim is the master of analogies, and here is another one of his classics. Kaléo is a rock tumbler. One of those things where you put a whole bunch of rocks in, then after a long period of time of bumping into one another in this spinning unit, these rough jagged rocks are molded into polished stones. We are a rock tumbler, and an abrasive one at that. We were like those rocks coming into this place; rough on the edges, weathered, a bit dirty. In this tumbler, we have had hard collisions, and as a result, big chunks have fallen off. We are not the same people that we were in September.
One of our first tastes of the community that God had in mind for us was at the end of our first class, Spiritual Formation, with Marv Penner. It was a warm and sunny fall day and we separated for several hours to go on a spiritual retreat, then reconvened down on the dock. We had communion there, except we would break a piece of bread from the loaf and take some juice over to anyone ready to receive it. It was a tangible expression of serving one another and presenting Christ, both his body and blood, to one another. Little did we know it, but that was just a foreshadowing of the communion we would have with God this year through each other.
Gradually, the vision that God had for us became our vision as well. We stopped clinging closely to our own ideals, which as Bonhoeffer writes, destroys community, and instead learned to love each other. True community is born simply out of a love for those with whom you are surrounded. On SALTS, after a week-long cabin clean-up competition with the girls, full of bribery, beatboxing, kisses, Red Hot Chili Peppers covers and dedication, the guys came out victorious, for the first time in all of Kaléo history, might I add. This meant the opportunity to delight in any type of suffering that we would put the girls through. While I’m sure that slopping them with food scraps and making them walk the plank would have been quite enjoyable, I am thankful that someone caught the vision of community that God desired for us. Their punishment: hot tea on the deck as their feet were washed. The girls responded with an even more difficult task: bushwhacking through the unchartered jungles of the guys rooms and cleaning them, right down to the CD’s that were welded to desks by protein shakes. I’d say that the guys got off pretty easy.
A large focus of Kaléo is on prayer. Our chapel services are filled with prayers of thanks, praise and intercession. Before the departure of each trip, we lift it up first to God. There is no doubt that God has been binding our hearts together more and more through speaking together with him. Three times throughout this year, there have been very dedicated periods completely devoted to prayer. These have been our two weeks of 24/7 prayer as well as a shorter period before our ministry trips. These have been times of real honesty before God. In hindsight, it is interesting to see elements of the K7 story unfold in these times of prayer. In our first week of prayer, there was a spirit of heaviness upon walking into that room. Wall surfaces were flooded with cries to God, bearing all before others the requests and prayers written down by our brothers and sisters throughout the week. The pain of our previous lives and difficult situations was very much the theme of our prayers. Indeed, first semester consisted of becoming broken before God. This was seen on the walls and desks of our prayer room.
Our prayers before our ministry trips were ones of excitement, eager to jump into the place the Lord was calling us into, either Mexico or the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. During that time, big requests were lifted up to God. Little did we know how perfectly God had been preparing us for the places he was about to lead us into. The final week of 24/7 prayer further reflected our hearts of K7. Whereas our first week of prayer back in November was one of brokenness, this week of prayer in April was one of praise and thanks. Entire walls were filled with answers to prayer. Joy was a common theme of the prayers lifted up in that room the second week. This year has seen many answers to prayer, everything from Bo praying for a fender bender in the PT Cruiser, to the shrinking of Nate’s sister’s incurable tumor. We have seen in great ways how our God is a God who loves to give, and loves it when we ask him for things. One thing that we have learned this year is to go to God with a bucket, instead of just a cup.
Christmas break did us well. It was much needed break in the midst of intense growth and development. It gave us a chance to see how we have changed from those early days in September, and it also gave us a taste of what lay ahead of us come mid-April; however, we were not finished yet. God still had great plans ahead of us that needed finishing here at Kaléo.
Many of our best times with God have come through the closeness of community. Mount Washington was many people’s favourite trip, and why wouldn’t it be when our only responsibility is to shred the gnar, hot tub, snowshoe, ski, build snowforts and enjoy great food in a chalet at the bottom of the mountain. I could get used to this type of school. There was much more to this week than just the play, however. Each day was followed by lengthy chapels that seemed to epitomize the goals of our community. God spoke through us to one another. He used us to challenge, encourage and give thanks for one another. A new depth was reached that week as we identified to one another where we saw Christ live in them and confessed to each other what old clothes we need to take off in order to clothe ourselves more with Christ. The greatest thing that happened that week was that we were given new names. Just like Simon became Peter and he grew into this Rock, so we all received names from God, spoken through one another, that were indeed too big for us then and are still a bit big for us; however, we fit them more now than we did then. There was a shift after that point. It was though we were no longer holding on to our old ideals, no longer clinging to who we used to be and what we originally had planned for our year. We were finally emptied of ourselves, and the only thing that remained was the promise that God would take us and develop us, as his community and his people, into big roles that would bring him glory.
This doesn’t really sound like school, with all the trips that we go on and the amount of time that we simply hang out with each other; that’s what we all thought too, going into this year. But there have been many late nights spent finishing assignments and reading textbooks, and our growth would have been incomplete without them. We have been blessed to taught by such men of God, deeply rooted in the word, and whose own lives inspire us to learn more. We have learned much about God’s word: how to read and interpret it properly; what the Old Testament is all about; the life of Jesus and how that affects us; and the theology behind spreading the good news of God’s kingdom. These are just some of the courses we have been so blessed to learn from. Many things will stick with us from those classes, such as the filming of the entire Old Testament in just a few days, and the phrase “Ee Taow” shown to us by Tim Stabell, meaning “it’s good, it’s true” by an indigenous people group. In fact, Ee Taow became our group’s “hallelujah” and “amen,” followed by a jumping huddle with someone thrown up into the air.
Another key part of this year, a big part of this story, is our ministry trips that took place in February. Our two destinations were the Copper Canyon in Mexico and Whistler, BC. The Olympic team, which consisted of the majority of Kaléo, were event services volunteers which simply meant being friendly and hosts to the spectators, helping them in any way possible; however, our real ministry was to the other volunteers, seeking to share our hope in Jesus with them. After a while, the stories at the end of the day about what God had done started dropping, and Jim could tell that we were growing weary, like little kids paddling in a canoe but not really going anywhere. It was in this time where we experienced firsthand the truth of God’s word, mainly Isaiah 40:31, which says that those who hope on the Lord will renew their strength. The picture that Jim shared with us was that we needed to be like an obedient dog patiently waiting with its eyes fixed on its master right before it receives a treat from its master’s hand. Things were never the same. Day after day, we were soaring on eagle’s wings, as God our Master continually fed us with opportunities and divine conversations. It was evident that we were indeed the church there in Whistler, one body united in purpose and spirit. Other volunteers noticed that we all shared in a joy that was attractive and desirable, but the best part was that they got to experience the many different parts of one body. Community had taken root within us, and we were using our different gifts well while being all part of the one Story that God was writing.
The Mexico team had an incredible time in Copper Canyon, interacting with an unreached people group. It was a time of coming alongside the missionaries, giving practical support through providing food for starving families, playing games with the children, working on building projects and building relationships with the people. It was a trip of faith, learning to trust in and hope for unseen things. The team wrestled with changing the way that they perceived missions. Instead of going and doing, the trip became defined by going and being, trusting that the Lord had something for them. As the team went just as they were, without their own plans, and developed relationships with missionaries and locals, they were the fragrance of Christ. It was a sweet aroma that encouraged the believers living down there, and left a lasting impression on their hearts. The Mexico team came to an understanding that the Lord is in control of all things, “for as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations” (Isaiah 61:11). Praise God for what he is doing in Copper Canyon and the opportunity for K7 to enter into his work.
In hindsight, it is easy to see how God has been molding us into ambassadors. It has been a main theme of our year. He gave us many opportunities for training, though. In first semester, our ordinary shopping trips to Victoria were seen as ways to bless others, mainly the homeless community, and during conferences we learned just as much about God on the street down on the sidewalks as we did in the conference halls. It was all preparation for our ministry trips, where God gave us his seal of approval. Now our eyes see people and opportunities in a new light. We cannot even travel home on reading break or have a simple parkour session without sharing our joy and hope with others, either in word or deed. We cannot deny who we have become. We are ministers of reconciliation.
The story of K7 is a communal one, but at the same time, when you look at the whole, you cannot help but look at the individuals that make it up. K7 is a story of great transformation, but so are the stories of the people that make up K7. We all remember on the first surf trip when Rivs came to an understanding of what true faith was. We have watched Haley’s heart melt over second semester. We have seen Trent become captured by God and filled daily. We have witnessed Matthew and Katie overcome fears on the second surf trip. He has transformed us as individuals and as a community.
What is the essence of K7 then? I believe that it is the word “fragrance.” It seemed that no matter where we went throughout the year, we could not escape this identity. Homeless men said that they could smell us coming up to them, people on our missions trips said that we had a certain “air” about us. 2 Corinthians 2:16 says that, “to those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.” Recently, we received an email from a friend at Briercrest who wanted to encourage those making their way there in September. At least twelve of us are going there, and in the words of Brady quoting Aragorn, “They have picked up our scent, and their pace has quickened.” This is who we are. We are the fragrance of Christ that gives life and encourages us and others to run faster. Like a good perfume that does not lose its scent, so we linger in people’s minds. A good friend that we made at the Olympics sent us an email as well, saying how encouraged he was to get to meet us and that he has thought about us and the conversations we had with him many times. We have become a community that cannot be ignored, a pleasantly refreshing scent in a pungent and musty world.
True community cannot be resisted. My first impression was formed of Claire this year when she told me that she was not here to make friends. In fact, she said that at the end of the year she would not be keeping in touch with anyone and her only reasons for being at Kaléo were to study and learn about the Bible. I can say confidently that she is leaving with both a greater understanding of the Bible and incredible friendships. What we have been so blessed to be a part of this year, like a sweet fragrance, attracts us and draws us in to true community. There may be the thought in our minds that community like this will never exist in our lives again, and that from here on, it’s all downhill. I bet that’s what the disciples must have felt when Jesus told them that he must go. How could anything get better than having Jesus walking and living among them? Yet he promised them that they would go on to go greater things than even he had done. K7, we will go on and be part of even greater things than this year. We have been given this year as a gift, but now we have some serious work to do. We must now leave this pleasant and safe perfume bottle and be spread into the places that need the fragrance of Christ.
Shane Claiborne went on a search for what he considered to be a true Christian, alive and active today. His search led him to Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and it is here where he said he found “true Christianity.” Mother Teresa told him that there are Calcutta’s wherever you go; that is, places in need of people to care for the sick and the poor and to love people simply for the sake of loving them. Mother Teresa said, “Find your Calcutta.” While Shane was tempted to stay there, since he finally found what we had been looking for, he knew that his Calcutta was back in the United States. So here we are. I believe we have really experienced what true community is supposed to be like. However, there are Kaléos wherever we go; that is, groups of people deeply needing to be part of a loving, godly and encouraging community. We could stay and sit comfortably as we are, but this is not our Kaléo. We need to find our own, maybe even make our own. To quote Hillsong, “We have been filled to be emptied again, the seed we’ve received we must sow.”
Let’s go, knowing that God will take us to the place of completion, full of expectation that through him, we will be part of greater things than we can ever imagine. May we look back and see the truth of Hebrews 11:15 in our lives, which says that if we had longed for the country that we have come from, we could have gone back. But we were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called our God, for he has prepared a city for us. Let’s go, with hard feet and soft hearts. Go and find your Kaléo.
Brothers and sisters, having run this section of the race together, there is simply only one thing that I can say about this journey that we are on. It’s good, it’s true.
Ee Taow.
- Jeremy Derksen, Valedictorian
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