Everyday Opportunities

I have friends who can bring up spiritual issues in any kind of conversation. A friend of mine was selling something off Kijiji, the people came to his house, started talking to him and now they are attending our church regularly! It seems so natural for him, but sometimes I have no idea what to say to even bring up the subject, or if the opportunity is there I shirk it, or the words will feel awkward coming out. 

Sometimes I like to do ride shares through an app on my phone. It helps to cover my gas and passengers help me stay awake when I'm driving long distances. There is also great potential for sharing the love of God with them, and have spiritual conversations when you're together for several hours without any distractions, which is my greatest motive for driving, but like I said, things can get a bit awkward for me.

The other day I was scheduled to drive someone from Edmonton to Calgary and before I picked her up, I asked Him to turn the conversation in that direction, and particularly to make it seem totally natural and not forced. 

I picked up this person, and found out that she grew up in Southeast Asia and was raised Muslim. I talked a bit about my trip to Asia and we were chatting a bit about our different cultures and different holidays we celebrate. 

Then out of the blue she asks "What is the meaning of Good Friday?" 

How clear is that? What a cool opportunity! Thanks God for giving me a natural way to share your entire story with someone, in a casual laid back setting. 

God is faithful! Pray for opportunities and believe that He will provide them. Nobody has ever asked me that question, and it seemed like such a great way to talk about Him, He definitely had a hand in it, and I was able to tell her the whole story :)

Reflection: English Corner

For one week we hosted an English Corner in the evenings, after we had taught all day. In order to get in, students needed to ask us for a ticket to get in. Because so many wanted to come, we needed to use our judgement and say no to some students, because there wasn't space, and it became so distruptive when it was full that nobody could concentrate. 

We were looking for students with the following criteria:

1. Able to understand basic English
2. Wanting to learn
3. Wanting to improve their character

Every night we would do the Davina Saga (which you can read about in my Davina post), which got the kids to laugh, added a cliffhanger element so they would listen to the lesson and the message and taught them the good morals to exemplify in their own lives, as well as bad decisions that can lead to unfortunate consequences.

We played some fun games and handed out prizes!

There was a special song every night, and one of them "You're a Good, Good Friend" was very popular. In fact, one day in class I asked the students if any of them could sing and one girl stood up and started singing "You're a good, good friend. It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are, and I'm loved by you, it's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am". All the other students in class even started singing along!

Each night there was an English lesson about Honor, Self-Esteem, Overcoming Obstacles, Temptations and Leadership, which were followed by a simple message.

One night there was a mouse in English Corner. Madi was teaching during the lesson and there was a commotion in the middle of the room with students lifting up their legs and talking. She stopped her talk to ask if the mouse had returned and continued to teach while standing on top of a chair and holding a broom as a weapon, just in case!

We also had a translator with us for the English Corners, which helped exponentially! It took us a few nights to get used to not acting out parts of the play when we heard the English cues, but to wait until she translated the cues into Chinese.

The end of the night always ended with a dance party!

Reverse Culture Shock

I've been back in Canada for a bit over three weeks now, and I continually get asked if I had any culture shock when I went to Asia. My answer is always that I had more coming home! This is a phenomenon called Reverse Culture Stress, when someone has been in a culture other than their regular one for a long enough period that they feel unfamiliar, out-of-place or uncomfortable with their own culture. 

Riding in the truck during "Songkran"

Not everyone goes through Reverse Culture Stress when they've been away for seven weeks, but for me certain things stood out about Canadian culture that I hadn't really noticed much before. Things like:

Busyness

Our pace of life is so hectic. We rush to and fro, are booked every evening and things are expected to happen "right now". I was asked so many questions when I got home by people who wanted to know my schedule right away, and when we were doing this and that and I just wanted to shut down and take things one hour at a time! Not to say that people aren't busy where we were (the students in Hong Kong run to buy lunch every day because they are worried about missing class), but I had been out of "scheduling" mode for so long, I would only focus on one day at a time for seven weeks!

The busy Hong Kong streets

Individuality

It bugged me when I got back how individually-minded our culture is. Everyone needs their own car, and their own food, and their own house and their own stuff. In Asia I became so used to sharing meals with other people, sometimes without even using plates and cutlery! We would just use our hands, put the food on the table (not individual portions either!) and just eat together. Sharing is normal for their cultures. I had a group of friends in Beihei and I know there were three scooters, four friends and me. I had no idea which scooters belonged to who because they would always drive each other's scooters! In Thailand it was normal to lean against someone's pickup truck if you needed something to lean against, or to borrow someone's hose if you needed some water for your water gun during the water festival.

A river restaurant in Thailand

Fear

This one has bothered me many times before and I noticed it all anew when I got home. Canadians are so afraid of everything! Health, crime, strangers, all of it. It's becoming normal for people to not let their children play outside because they might get dirty or get kidnapped, or don't talk to strangers because they might snap at them. Overseas it felt so freeing to see a culture that was comfortable with each other. Strangers talked to each other, people ate wierd things (and didn't get sick from them), and there is a general level of trust between people that we are generally missing here. It always amazes me what we miss out when we let fear control our lives! But I've already written my thoughts on fear before, which you can read here.

Climbing Sticky Falls

There are many things that I appreciate about Canada (poutine, my family, clean air, the mountains), but I am seeing people, myself, my lifestyle and the culture as a whole through a new lens. I think it's good for everyone to re-evalute their perspective on things every once in a while to make sure they are living their life the way God intends. He even says "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good pleasing and perfect will" (Rom 12:2). This trip was a great way for me to do exactly what this verse is talking about, to take a step back from my Canadian world and come home with a renewed mind to seek God's will.

Pictures!

We were able to upload some pictures today! Finally got the cords working :)

The first night with my Hong Kong crew! Eating all-you-can-eat at a Japanese place. 

China friends at English Corner on the last night

A middle school in China that we were teaching at. A great spot to look out over all the students! 

Kayaking at Halong Bay for Team Days in Vietnam 

A Thai baby dedication this morning, at the home church where we were.

Good Morning, Vietnam!

Hey everyone!

It's been a while but you know how it is... No Facebook or Gmail or Blogger allowed in China... 

We are on our team days now, a chance to relax a bit and recharge with each other before beginning our longest phase in Thailand.

I am having a wonderful time and making some good memories. I have made some amazing friends in China and have many funny and cool stories to share when I get home!
  
Still trying to figure out how to upload photos but there will be some when I get home!!

Update: Hong Kong

We are here!

I have spent three days teaching English at a school in Hong Kong and getting to know the students. They have been so welcoming and some of them have been real gems! We have gotten along well and the door has been opened for some wonderful conversations.

Teaching has been tons of fun and we have been able to teach good values and moral lessons, along with getting the students to practice their English. By using tons of activities and games we have gotten the students excited about learning English and have also had fun with them and helped them to relax right before their major exam times. Exams are a big deal in Hong Kong and one of the social issues the students have talked to us about are the student suicides that happen around this time. The pressure is just so strong from society, their teachers and their parents that it is easier for them to give up. The students and the majority of people we have talked to are upset about it, but they don't know what the solution is, apart from a major academic change.

The weather here has been cold, believe it or not! When we first arrived it felt much colder than Edmonton, and none of us were prepared for it. I have been wearing my hoodie and rain coat together nearly every day!

The crowds weren't quite as bad as I imagined they would be, but over time the amount of people starts to wear on you. We rode the train around rush hour a few times and had to really "shove in" at the doors in order to fit. I think we have spent over 15 hours on the MTR (the subway) since we arrived, but their system is so easy to navigate because it's all in English and it's all color-coded!

Right now we are volunteering at an NGO doing very hard physical labor. It is exhausting but it is a great feeling to help them out a bit. At the end of the day we definitely sleep well! They have recently moved over to an old military base and they have many buildings that need cleaning. We spent the day yesterday moving furniture out of the Guard House and scrubbing it down. The building was very neat and had a prison door in one room with bars on the window and another room with ammunition storage and a gun rack! 

On Sunday we will be grabbing our huge backpacks, our day packs and our team bags and boarding the train to China for Phase 2!

I don't know when I will be able to write next or be able to post pictures, but I am looking forward to it!

I miss you and love you and can't wait to tell you more over the summer!

Brutchko

I have been recommending this book to so many people, so I figured I should just tell you all about it at once at get it over with! 

I read it in December for an assignment and it blew my mind and answered some of my questions about the conflict between culture and evangelism. There are some great gems to find in here and is a testament to just how fantastic God is!

 

Why should you read it?

1. It's fantastic! A thrilling story, with so many neat things going on!

2. It's true! Truth is stranger than fiction, and this is a classic example. 

3. God did amazing things in this book, and He still does amazing things today!

4. It's quick and easy! It's not very long and he doesn't waste much time on long unnecesssary paragraphs, which I am so glad about because it is hard for me to get into a book when they do that.

I'm sure you can find this one in any used bookstore, or borrow it from a friend. Or you can always buy it on Amazon here for $16. 

Prep: Last To Dos

I have a few things to get done still before we leave. Some are big and some are small, and I also am hoping I haven't forgotten anything! Here's a bit of a summary for you!

1. Write and practice my sermon

I have a passage! Just need to write it now!
(Since I wrote this post, I found out that someone else will be preaching on Sunday! I'm still going to finish writing the sermon in case I ever need one, but it definitely takes a load off my mind!)


2. Pick up some last minute items

Where do you buy nonaerosol bug spray in February??


3. Plan the "God loves animals" lesson

Our 5 day camp turned into a 9 day camp in Thailand, so we all needed to come up with another lesson and craft.


4. File my taxes

It's weird thinking about this in February but we won't be back and functioning before May, and I'm only just finishing getting my T slips in.


5. Pack my house

We return on April 27 and Moving Day is April 30, with full days of debrief and jet lag in between!


6. Set up new email

Many websites in Asia that we regularly use will be blocked, including Facebook and Gmail, my primary forms of communication.

Where in Asia will Laura be staying?

I finally have an idea of where we'll be staying in Asia! It'll be very different everywhere I am so I am looking forward to the different experiences.

1. College Dormitories
In Hong Kong we will be sleeping at a college in one of the dorm rooms. The two Hong Kong teams will be staying together so we'll have a chance to encourage and debrief with each other every night. I'm not certain what dormitories look like in Asia, but this is what Google promises! (probably without the college boys... I hope...)

2. Homeless Shelter

After our teaching in Hong Kong we will be volunteering at a homeless shelter. Part of this experience is staying there. I'm guessing this will be in a motel style room. Another part of this experience is a blind simulation and an AIDs simulation where they see up scenarios for us to roleplay a day in the life of a blind person or an AIDs victim.

3. A Teacher's Apartment

We are staying in one of the teacher's apartment's during our second phase. The "beds" here are aparrantly much more like mats, but it is close to the school and we will be a little family. It will be neat to see where an average middle-class Chinese person lives.

4. Homestay

This is perhaps the most interesting place to be staying. I will be staying with a Chinese family who likely doesn't speak much English. It will be one of the student's families and I will eat dinner and breakfast with them every day. 

5. A Global Worker's House

In Thailand we will be staying in a global worker's house! It is air conditioned too! Plus there is a cafe they run across the street and we will get coffee every day! Did I mention that I am really looking forward to Thailand?

 

Risen

I just got back from the movies and wanted to share a bit about the new movie Risen!

 

The premise is of a Roman soldier who is asked to remove Jesus from the cross, to ensure the tomb was sealed and to then investigate the missing body after he rose. I liked this movie for a few reasons:

1. It looked very historically accurate! From what I have studied, learned and seen about Israel at the time of Jesus it is nice to finally see a movie that cared about the little things such as props, landscape and costumes. The high priest wore an ephod, the boat looked just like the one I saw in Israel and the Romans marched in proper shield formation. I was sad to learn it wasn't filmed in Israel itself, but it certainly looked close!

The "Jesus Boat" in Galilee

2. It was fairly biblically accurate. There were a few things that were a bit off geographically (ex. where Jesus' ascension was) and a few scenes were a bit different (ex. doubting Thomas) but I still thought the same themes and ideas were there, and much of it seemed very close! Out of all the biblical movies I've seen, this one appeared to be the closest account.

3. It was good quality. The beginning was structured like a Roman detective story, and I thought it seemed fairly interesting and well done. Unlike many other "Christian" movies, the script wasn't awful, the acting was good and it wasn't long and boring.

4. It portrayed the joy that Christians have. The disciples, Mary and all the witnesses that met Jesus had such joy on their faces everytime they were talking about Jesus! I love this portrayal of Christians, because our joy should be something that sets us apart from the world. This movie highlighted that well! "You believe in Him and are filled with an inexpicable and glorious joy" (1 Pet 1:8a) 

5. It clearly showed why Christians are still here. In the Bible, after seeing Jesus risen his disciples return to fishing (John 21:1-3). Directly after this Jesus appears to them and asks Peter if he loves Him. He says yes three times and each time Jesus tells him to feed the sheep. The movie makes it very clear that the disciples jobs after Jesus left were to grow His church and spend their lives as "fishers of men" and not to go back to the way they were. Once we encounter Christ, there is no going back to "normal life"!

Prep: Hair Update!

I've done it!

I went for one of the shorter haircuts, to stay cool in Asia. Here are some pictures for you:

 After the haircut, waiting for the highlights.

Highlights are in! Just waiting for the dye to set in.

My finished "do"!

This haircut is thanks to Heather at Dolce Salon in Market Mall :)

Praise: Summer Job

I got a call yesterday with a full-time job offer for the summer! I hadn't been seriously looking or praying yet, but I was trusting God to provide and He has, yet again!!

I'll be at Ten Thousand Villages (I've been working there on and off but this summer will be stable full time!). They are a wonderful organization that is totally Fair trade! All of the items sold are made from artisans who have been paid a good wage. The organizations in poorer countries that hire the artisans often offer support with education, medical care and no-interest micro loans IN ADDITION to paying them a living wage. Although they don't sell much clothing (maybe something I can help with in the future?), they do an amazing work in many countries.

You can read more about them here.



You can read about the artisans here.



If reading is not your thing, you can watch a video about them here.




Thanks again Lord for orchestrating this and providing for me in everything I do!

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes!

I have reached my fundraising goal!!

Thank you all so very much for your help, I could not have done this without your support!


It has been a while since my last blog update. We were in a homework lock-down for the past few days in order to complete all of the homework we have for the rest of the semester!

I am relieved to not have to think about homework much in these last few weeks before we go, but I wanted to share one of the topics with you that I wrote a paper on. For our Cross Cultural Studies class, I wrote on how Globalization has had an effect on the garment industry and if/how Christians should respond. This is a very important topic for me, as it is a major reason for me returning to school, to further a career in helping fight garment slavery. 

I won't write the whole paper out for you, but I wanted to share a few trends with you that I learned and that still break my heart after years of learning about this industry.

Fast Fashion

 

Davina, King Space and the General of the Galaxy

In one of our phases of this trip, we will be putting on an English conversation evening every weeknight. The biggest of the responsibilities assigned for that was to write a skit for us to perform for 20 minutes every night we're there. And guess who the playwright is? That's right, your truly!

This is not me. This is David Tennant. But I like him, and playwrighting reminds me of William Shakespeare, and when I typed his name into Google this image came up, and he's wearing a crown and holding a flute, which ties in to my play (well, technically it's a recorder but in this play, we will be pretending that a recorder is a flute for the sake of simplicitiy and because I am the main character and I don't know how to play a flute, but I do know how to play a recorder), so now you understand why this picture is here in the first place.

We want to cover five themes while we're there:

1. Self-Esteem
2. Overcoming Obstacles
3. Temptations
4. Honor
5. Leadership

And so I set about writing a play.

And then I thought about ways to make it interesting.

And funny.

And still tie in to the original story I was thinking of.

So I came up with Davina and the Garguon! A story of a small, unskilled girl who defeats a great monster only using a few spitballs and her straw!!

This was perfect for the theme of Overcoming Obstacles!! And there could be more in the Davina saga...

Pray: Phase 1

Today I had a meeting with our Trip coordinator. It turns out that the leader from Phase 1 is no longer coming on the trip at all. There is another team in Hong Kong while we're there, but I am now the team leader for the first few days.

Preparation

Please pray for us as we prepare the lessons, the service and the school assembly these upcoming weeks. That we would be bold but wise and that we would have confidence as we teach and serve. I am needing to preach as well, which is new for me, so prayer is appreciated!

Team Dynamics

Our team is all girls and we have been seeing each other nearly everyday since the beginning of September. This is great on one front because we know each other quite well, but could also pose as a problem if any conflicts arise! Please pray that we get along well and that we can resolve any differences well! 

Clarity

This will be my first time ever in SouthEast Asia, and we will need to find the school, meet the teachers and get set up on our own. Please pray that the language won't be too huge of a barrier and that we will clearly find our way around. 

Thank you very much family! I have not felt very stressed at all since school started this semester and I know prayer is a huge part of it. I used to always hate the term "we covet your prayers" because it is SO Christianese, but I am beginning to understand how true it is! So, regardless of my previous convictions, I covet your prayers!!

Devo: Joseph's Bones

Have you ever really thought about the bones of Joseph?

Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob and was sold into slavery by his brothers. You may have heard the story before, if not then you can read it in your bible in Genesis 37 - 42 or online here. When Joseph died, he left instruction with his family to take his bones to Israel, the land of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The process of getting his bones to Israel was a little difficult however and involved 400 years of slavery before Joseph's descendants were able to leave Egypt. If you don't know that story, you can find it in the beginning of Exodus... and then watch this movie because it is wonderful, it is beautiful and it has the most amazing soundtrack that you will ever hear!

Anyway! Back to Joseph's bones. It's not really the bones that are important, but what they represent. When the Israelites left Egypt, they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness because of their disobedience, before they were allowed into the Promised Land. 

These events are a great picture of the Christian Life! Before we accept Christ, we are enslaved by our sins (Jhn 8:34), but after we believe in Him, we are released from bondage (Jhn 8:36). 

However, there is a downside!

Once you are saved, you enter into the Kingdom of God (Jhn 3:5-8) and then you have to wait for His eternal reign (Jas 5:7-8). God gives us something to do while we're waiting (share His words with others Mat 28:18-20), but it doesn't always make it easy. Just like the Israelites had to wait 40 years in the wilderness to enter into their Promised Land, we have to wait in our wilderness to enter into our Promised Land (Heaven). 

Have you ever had that feeling? Like you don't quite belong? Could it perchance be the sense of eternity in your heart? We're not there yet, and we know it deep down! We get fed what we need to get by, like the Israelites were fed their manna and quail every day (Ex 16), but there's that sense that something more is missing, that there's an excitement we don't have yet. We want to taste that milk, honey (Ex 3:8) and those giant grapes and pomegranates (Num 13:23)!

But Laura, wait, weren't you going on about Joseph's bones earlier?

Well, yes! The Israelite people were carrying Joseph's bones with them all throughout the wilderness. The bones were carried in a coffin... an ark in other words (I got this part from Beth Moore's Patriarchs study, and then double checked it on BibleGateway.org to make sure). 

Actually, the Hebrew word for ark and coffin is the same, it is arown.

Prep: Chinatown Adventure

A couple weeks ago, those of us going to Asia had a small in-town retreat and went on a "Chinatown Adventure"

We started our morning off with a good old breakfast, Hong Kong style! Some dim sum at a pretty authntic restaurant called Urban China.

Yes, that is a chicken's foot. I ate one of those and two pieces of tripe! Other students who have been on the trip before say that near the end of the meal with Dim Sum overseas they start negotiating who will eat what, as it is rude to leave any food left on the table.

From there we began a scavenger hunt! Our team won in the end :)

  On a hunt to find the "wierdest" food!

 Because we wanted something a little less expensive (and guessed that at some point during the day someone would have to consume what we brought back), we chose two beverages.

 

Testimony: Everything

One of the dramas we perform is called the "Everything" drama. In the drama, Jesus created a girl and they had a close relationship with each other, they were happy just being together. But then people came into her life who were using things to try to distract her from Jesus: lust, money, drunkeness, vanity and suicide. As her life reaches a dark point, she decides to run back to Jesus, but has to struggle against the baggage now in her life. Jesus shields her from the baggage tormenting her and defeats them. She and Jesus are then happy together again.

 (If the video does not work, you can view it by clicking here)

Our HMS crew performed this drama at one of the youth groups in Edmonton last night. It has been one of my favorites for a while!

When I was in Jr. High I saw this drama performed by Vanguard at a Bible Quizzing Tournament. At the time I was struggling a bit with my faith because I didn't feel that I had a very close relationship with God. This drama helped me to remember the way I used to talk with Him as a child, with no doubt that He could hear me and that He would speak to me. 


I began to realize that there was hope, that I would be able to have that relationship restored, and began my struggle back to Jesus. Like in the drama, I realized that I needed to let Jesus take on my emotional baggage in order to become closer with Him. There wasn't anything I could do to restore myself to Him, I just needed to surrender and trust Him to do the work Himself.

Now He is my Everything!  

 

 Isaiah 53:5-6 

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed. 

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all. 

Prep: Heat, Humidity and Hair

As I begin thinking more about this trip, one thing keeps coming to mind... The extreme heat our team be living in! The hottest months in Thailand are April and May, which is when I will be there. Coming from Northern Edmonton's winter, this is going to be quite the climate shock. Not only will it be hot, but it will also be quite humid. This come into play when deciding what to pack. 

What will I do with my hair?

Any suggestions? Currently these are my top decisions:

1. Keep it back in a bun/ponytail/headband

2. Cut it short so it's off my shoulders but long enough to put in a small ponytail

3. Cut it so short that it won't bother my neck at all!

Let me know what you think, what you would do and what you have done in the heat and humidity before. I'd love to hear your opinions :)

Prep: Where in SE Asia will Laura be?

I've gotten a list of the potential places I'll be visiting in Asia! These may change, but here is the potential itinerary:

Phase 1

Hong Kong

 

This phase will be spent at an all-girls school, mostly teaching English. Hong Kong has the highest density of people on all of planet Earth! Picture the crowds at Calgary Stampede after the grandstand show is over, but with even more people! And this is all times of day! Even though I'm not the biggest fan of crowds, I'm sure I'll get used to it pretty quickly, and I am very excited to see this place and build relationships with some of the millions of people in this place!

Phase 2 & 3

China

 

Clean air is something we often take for granted in Canada! Our crisp and clear winter air is uncommon in many countries, and I'm sure I will experience first-hand some major air pollution. Another thing I'm sure I will experience is what it's like to be a minority! I've walked into T&T Market before or downtown in "China Town" but going to China is a whole other ballgame. Strangers stare at you everywhere and will even take your picture wherever you go! For phase 2 we will be teaching English to students during the day and building relationships with people in the evenings. Phase 3 will be similar as we travel through China a bit, teaching more and learning a bit more of the Chinese culture.

Phase 4

Vietnam

 

Phase 4 are team days, where all of our groups will be back together. We will be in Vietnam, where the true lovers of motorcycles live! As seen is the picture above, it is one of the major modes of transportation there. I have always loved Vietnamese Coffee, but am looking forward to learning much more about the Vietnamese culture than that!

Phase 5

Thailand

 

The final leg of my journey will be in Thailand, where I will be spending over two weeks! We will be doing some after-school care and work with university students with an organization that has been established in Thailand since the 2004 Tsunami. In fact, it is the only one that has remained with the Thai people since that disaster.


And yes... I MIGHT be able to ride an elephant!


As I said previously, this itinerary is just a rough draft, and may change at the drop of a hat! If you would like more information on any of the places feel free to shoot me a text at (403) 918-9229 or send me an email at refinedcanines@gmail.com. Again, thank you so much for your support!