What the hail?!

I just heard this on the radio... "Some areas in Calgary may receive wet snow today." SNOW. Today is August 31. AUGUST. I am morally opposed to this weather, just so you know.

I realize this post has nothing to do with hail, but while I was at the Dallas airport I was watching the news and one of the headlines was "What the hail?! It's August!" Apparently it hailed in Texas a couple of weeks ago. Ha. I'm still laughing about that one. Wouldn't it be great if all news headlines involved vulgar plays on words?

Here it is... the Brasil post!

This post could be boiled down to one sentence: I didn't like being in Brasil with such a big group, but I LOVED hanging with the kids at Lar Feliz Orphanage.

The longer version of my take on this trip is as follows...

I left with a pretty accurate expectation of what the trip was going to be like for me. I knew that I wouldn't like being with so many of my peers all the time, and I knew that I was going to love being with the kids. I also knew that I wasn't too sure if short-term missions of this nature could be effective, and I guessed that I would leave with some new opinions on the matter. I'm not sure how to verbalize those opinions except to tell you what my own experience was like.

I don't think that short-term missions are ineffective, but I am more than certain that short-term missions are not for me. Going to the orphanage, developing really strong relationships with the kids, and then up and leaving just feels... wrong. I just can't go in and out like that.

What's next? A return trip I guess... what can I say, I miss my girl Evelyn! Isn't she lovely?


How 'bout you... what's your take on short-term missions? What do you think is the best way to help kids who don't have anyone? (Other than adopt... I investigated the possibility of one day adopting Evelyn and it's not allowed, as our age difference is too small.)

Search Your Feelings.

I know, I know, I need to tell you something or other about Brazil. I'll do that this week, promise.

But for now can I just say that I cannot wait until Duncan is in bed so that I can play with his birthday present? An Obi-Wan Kenobi lightsaber?! Suh-weeeet! Man, I almost feel nerdier than Jordie right now. Haha, ALMOST.

I'm Baaaaaack

I don't really have the energy to post all about Brazil right now, but I thought I would let you know that I am back in Calgary (good timing, Celia) and that I loved being at the orphanage for 3ish weeks. Here's me with the lovely Evelyn, who I miss the most.

Later!

To Brazil I go! I leave you with this...

The Land of Opportunity

On Thursday we woke up in America, Maple Falls to be exact. We didn't do anything in Maple Falls because, well, it is Maple Falls. There is nothing to do there. Instead we went down to Lynden and took my brother for lunch at the Nuthouse Grill. Too bad Troy wasn't there to steal another bucket. It was fun, we threw nut shells at my brother and I got to drink real American iced tea. Afterwards we dropped my brother off at his job at the golf course. I think his job is to clean the golf carts but, really, I have no idea.

Then we were off to Bellingham to do some shopping while we waited for Austin to get off work. Sam got an alien t-shirt and I got an orange hoodie. We picked up Austin in Lynden, then went back to Bellingham to feed the child at Costco. We met my mom there and went to see my sister and Tony (her boyfriend) at their new apartment. Hahaha, my family is crazy (isn't everyones?) but it was a fun time seeing all of them at once. After that we went home, kicked Austin out of the big bed, and went to sleep.

Friday was our driving home day, but first we lit off some explosives. Sam, being Canadian, had never lit off fireworks before. We couldn't do it the night before due to rain, so we just did it in the daylight. Haha, kind of lame but still fun. When we were done blowing things up, it was time to leave. We took my brother for more food in Sumas, said goodbye to my mommy, and returned to Canada. I had to stop at House of James before we could leave. On Wednesday I bought myself a deck of Dutch Blitz card and, lo and behold, the blue plows were missing a card! Unbelievable! Not only that, several of the cards were all wonky and misaligned! So I got a new deck and all was good.

Then we started our drive home. It was already closing in on 3pm at this point, and we didn't get home until around 2am Calgary time. The drive home was semi-brutal... we were tired before we started. But we took lots of turns in the driving/sleeping rotation and it really wasn't that bad. We had Sam's iPod and a bag of gummies, what more can you ask for? The gummies were "assorted" so Sam made me line them up on the dash so she wouldn't get any surprises.

Anyways, we made it to Calgary and unloaded my sewing machine and the table that goes with it. Oh yeah, I got a sewing machine, by the way. I inherited it when my great-grandma passed away, and going to get it was kind of the point of this trip in the first place. But yeah, we did that and then Sam drove home and it was bed time.

The End.

Enchanting!

The Enchanted Forest was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. It was such a challenge not to stop again while driving back to Calgary yesterday! Which brings me to my next point: Sam and I did not ONLY go to The Enchanted Forest! I know, you must be so shocked!

We continued our journey and ended up in Abbotsford, where we found Cassy and took her away for coffee and cheesecake. Man I love cheesecake. When our bellies were full, we went back to Cassy's house and played Dutch Blitz with Cassy and John-Mark (Cassy won... weird!). Then we set up our tent in their living room and slept there on Monday night. It was great fun.

Then on Tuesday we kidnapped a few of this year's camp staff for their family camp time off. A couple of weeks ago we had an anonymous ransom note delivered to them telling them that they would be taken away during their time off. Then we sent them a phone message with further instructions. They claim that they knew it was us. "Who else would make us start walking down Shook Rd. for our time off?" they asked. Anyways, we had a good ol' time eating Vietnamese food in Abbotsford, eating candy by an old mine, and eating ice cream at Costco. Basically all we did was eat, it was awesome.

We slept in the girls cabin at camp on Tuesday night (it was family camp). Haha, all the new staff must have been thinking "who the heck are these people and why are they sleeping in our cabin?"

On Wednesday we woke up and went to Abbotsford to have lunch with pregnant friends. I had lunch with our friend Kyra and Sam had lunch with Kortney. Then we went back to camp to take Megan (she is this year's assistant program director) away from camp. The three of us went to the fireworks with our friend Deb (camp secretary) and they were AMAZING. The fireworks show in Vancouver is called Celebration of Lights. They do it for three nights with a different country hosting each night. We saw the show hosted by China and it was AMAZING. Smiley face fireworks?! Are you kidding me?!

After the show we went back to Mission to drop Megan off at camp, then drove to my mom's house in the States. It was late and we were TIRED. Haha, I'm surprised we didn't start fighting at that point. But we made it up to Maple Falls where my mom lives and managed to find ourselves a bed to sleep in.

I will save the American half of our trip as well as the journey home for another post on another day.