New Perspectives

Hey all!
So there is much and yet little to say about the island life this week. I feel I definitely experienced much, and yet am not sure there's loads I want to say about it; perhaps some things will never be truly given justice through my words. Regardless, here's an attempt.

Monday kicked off the week with an intriguing opportunity. We jumped in the vans and headed to Victoria for the day to hang out downtown amongst the homeless and struggling. We offered them food, second-hand clothes from our camp's lost and found, socks and mitts, and simply chatted with them, asking them their stories and sharing Christ through a simple smile. What an amazing day of experience. At the day's start, I was, quite frankly, terrified and lost. I had no idea how to approach these people. But God quickly broke down these barriers, and by day's end, I found no greater joy than seeing the faces of those we helped, so grateful they were driven to tears. We take so much for granted. I guarantee you I have never cried at having received something so simple as a sweater and an orange. There is so much for us to learn from these people. By the time we headed home, I couldn't help feeling discouraged. The fact remained that I was going home to a warm bed, more food and clothes than I need, and would be stopping at Starbucks, most likely, along the way. In the grande scheme of things, I did very little to change these people's lives; perhaps there was a seed planted, but really, I have no ability to transform their world. In this, I found frustration. But anyways, regardless of these thoughts, it was a positive and challenging experience. These lyrics ran through my mind endlessly that day: "Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead."

On Tuesday, we had the wonderful pleasure of going caving! Quite on the opposite side of the emotional spectrum as the previous day had been, this was a joyous, adventurous day of intrigue. Put bluntly, I was born to cave. I loved getting soaked and muddy; crawling through the pitch black with only a headlamp on; wedging myself amidst cracks and crevasses, and wiggling through holes barely large enough. Here is an experience I insist upon having again. After that we enjoyed some swimming at the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre. Good times. The remainder of the week-days were spent doing homework and, most prevalently, relaxing.

On the weekend, I then got the opportunity to experience a bit of a different form of ministry and service than I have thus far. It was the camp's Junior High retreat, and yours truly was a counsellor. This means: full-time ministry from Friday night to Sunday morning. How utterly exhausting! And yet, how rewarding. It amazes me how quickly I grew to love the 7 girls in my cabin. We shared many laughs, many meaningful discussions, and got wet and muddy in the unceasing rain. It was a stretching and challenging experience, but nonetheless most enjoyable. What an unparalleled opportunity to build into the lives of those younger than yourself; to attempt to be a genuine example of Christ for them; to show them His love when perhaps they've never seen any such love before. I love building relationships like this.

And lastly (I'm sure you're all thinking: "enough, already, Jess!"), we once again held the Bridge service on Sunday evening at Cobblehill. This service was, by far, my favorite yet. We chose to have a bit of a campfire style service, with a more intimate, personal feel. We sat in a circle, sang songs simply to the acoustic guitar, and shared bible verses that had been meaningful to us recently. This meant a different role was to be filled by myself than typically: I spoke about a verse, prayed over the service, and merely sang with the multitude (if 20 people can be called a multitude). It was a nice change to be able to relax away from the piano and just enjoy praising the Father. What's more, there were a couple more new kids there that we were able to connect with, and a bunch of my fellow Kaleos came out for the service for the first time, so it was great to have a sizeable number of people in support of this ministry. I left feeling very exuberant and content in my tiredness. I continue to feel a growing sense of belonging to this church, as relationships are developed and the Lord moves. Cool.

And so, thats about it for this past week. A lot happened. And here I sit, feeling encouraged and thankful and challenged all at once. I like being in this place... not only physically, but mentally. Hope you and yours are doing splendidly! I miss you all!
Love and blessings,
Jess