Of course new years greetings are in order, and we both
hope you are kicking off 2010 with positive reformation.
Christmas was spent at home this year, in our cosy Vancouver ground floor suite, decorated with tree and stockings
above the rarely used fireplace. Incase your wondering there two reasons why
the fireplace hasn't been used. Firstly, the ventilation is poor
and the smoke doesn't get sucked up the chimney properly. Secondly, the temperatures here in Vancouver this winter have been unusually warm, with most days above 5 degrees, so we haven't needed the extra firery warmth.
Just before New Year, Kevin and decided to getaway to the Sunshine Coast for wee time-out and soak up the splendour of God's marvellous nature. Our accommodation was nestled into Pender Harbour a quaint little community amidst the foggy hills and marina of still wate
rs and sailboats. It was a breath of fresh air and a moment of connecting to the rawness of the natural surrounds.
We shared New Years with some wonderful adopted family playing Scrabble and writing words like woot snarf in the Cranium Story Book belonging to Jeremy, our quasi-nephew. And although almost every New Years Eve for Kevin and myself has been centered around a rumbunctio
us socializing event, we determined that this year we wanted to keep it intimately low-key, and not even too concerned with counting down the seconds to yet another year. And may I say we both enjoyed our choice immensely, slow dancing in the living room to one of our favourite bands Delerious.
A few changes have crept into the Friesen Empire this last month, with Kevin taking on a new full-time job i
n construction, training to be Foreman on site. The workload has definitely taken some getting used to with 630am alarms and 8-10 hr days engaging in heavy labor. Of course I've found enjoyment in this transition by packing lunches and writing notes on sandwich bags aaand occasionally crawling back into bed for an extra hour of sleep! What?! One day the empire will expand and lets just say I am taking my liberties as they come!
I am still teaching ESL at a private college for Chinese and Taiwanese students and have been enjoying the opportunity to not only improve the students english but refine mine as well! It can never hurt having good diction when you speak, trust me, pronunciation and grammar truly is crucial to one's success in this crazy world.
Recently Kevin and I have engaged in praying more intensely for our church and what we believe is "preparing the field" for great things to come within our community and also within our personal lives. The message of being ready to receive the rain that waters our field has been strongly influencing our attitudes of late and challenging us to step up and out in faith that God is truly bigger and more capable than us; a heavenly Father with a desire to bless his children. The neat part is, is when we chose to start actively applying this to our life, things started to change in positive measure. I was asked to share my testimony at a Women's Brunch for ladies in the community, which may I say was a great and humbling experience, as I shared the heart of who I was with women who connected and supported fully the pains and victories in my life. Simultaneously, our women's ministry at the church is starting to take root and grow, although at grass roots level, it is obvious we've planted an oak tree seed and well, you know how big oak trees are once fully grown! Kevin has also experienced growing opportunities to help and encourage men in the workplace and within our community, with
positive results. Apparently the construction site has never sounded so 'family-friendly'!
The Young Adults Group in our community has been experiencing similar movements, with an urgency on wanting to be in a place to reach out to those in need and share God's love with them, preparing who we are and our church as a place where people can come and receive love, acceptance, not being judged but encountering the blessings of community. It's cool to see how so much of our vision is connected throughout our youth and elders, leaders and congregation and knowing that God really is at work with getting his people ready to be authentic and real so that we may share true relationship with each other. We were born for such a time as this!
A few extra highlights of the last month have been watching Terminator Salvation with Jojo and Rob, while Jojo laughs inappropriately at scenes we all remained sombre throughout.
Drumming and singing with the band at church, I 'm drumming, Kev's singing and well, two trained actors on stage with microphones and sticks is never dull, just ask our Worship Leader Suseh! Ice-skating with the crew. Dancing with Marcus, Kev and all the kids at church one Sunday, while Suseh rocked out a double encore for us! Welcoming back Eleni from her long and splendid global adventures with the African Children's Choir. Taking my other quasi-nephew Josiah who is just shy of two year old to starbucks and letting him ask for a steamed soymilk. Way too cute! Catching up with our dear friends Mark and Heather and their growing clan of Maillets, the new born Connor, is just precious and a spitting image of his Dad. Going to see Avatar with Jojo, who yet again laughed inappropriately throughout the 3-D movie experience. But the Flying Wedge pizza we smuggled in made up for it, even though I couldn't see the dipping sauce. Oh, and our cat Rax has not failed to amp up the cuteness for January, yes even when licking his butt, Rax is cute. End of story.
We are hoping to be a little more diligent with our updates, but just know if ou don't hear from either of us in a while, it's not because we don't love you...it's more likely because we have gotten sidetracked with life, as we all know, 'Life Happens!'
Be blessed and laugh more if you haven't already in the last 24 hrs,
Kev and Ames
