From Sam

Hey Jim, I'm a putz and let my thing expire. I need another invite to the blog, but thankfully I have a friend like Viktor who can help me figure it out. Maybe send it to v.karklins@hotmail.com instead of Sam's e-mail, so he can set it up for me. He's a genius like that, and so humble. I thank God every day for his friendship (he's pretty much #2 under Jesus). Much apreciated Jim.
-Sam

hey,um..my grandpa had a heart attack yesterday. he's ok, they're taking him to a hospital with better equipment to run some tests or something...my aunts are taking turns staying at home with Grandma. mom was very vague on the details (i woke her up when i called).

these past few months have been hard with basically life in general. i've been going to see a counselor that Marv set me up with. i've gone 3 times so far, and i think it's helping me think through everything that happened when i was a kid. i go every wednesday at 2:30, so if you think of me on wednesdays..please pray. i haven't really thought before about how I feel about what happened; this is a huge change. one thing i have been thinking a lot about recently is seeing him at Christmas and not pretending anymore; if you all could pray about that i would really appreciate that.

when i read the email today from my mom about my grandpa having a heart attack the first thing that went through my mind was "oh no, i haven't dealt with this yet," I know that there's something i need to do, and i've been praying about it very much the last 2 months especially. when i have spare time and i'm in the academic building, i go and sit in the sanctuary and just be with God and ask Him what He wants me to do. Please pray for wisdom and strength.

there's a lot, but that's all i'm gonna say.

i love you

Miss you guys!

So I figure it's been way too long since talking with many of you and thought I should give a bit of an update on where life is headed. The Kaleo 5ers are keeping us busy over here and we're having a blast! I am so privileged to be here another year watching the hand of God at work in so many lives. I became an aunt for the second time this past October...Brady was born on the 15th and I was able to visit him a couple weeks later...he peed on me!!!..twice...so cute, though, really.

I wanted to introduce you guys to someone special...Tim. Many of you already know him as he worked at camp this summer as the Head Ski Instructor, but I wanted to share him with the rest of you. I feel so blessed by this gift in my life; Tim is an incredible man, and I am so excited for God allowing me to be in relationship with him. I just got back from Ontario this past week visiting with he and his family...had such a blast out there! Tim is finishing up Teacher's College out there, so I had the chance to go spend some time in his world, and it was incredible! So amazing!Miss you guys and thanks so much for the updates. I love hearing all about you and what new adventures the Lord is taking you on! If you want more detailed updates from me...I do have a blog now. Come and see... faithjourney77.blogspot.com

Love you all,
Amanda

Why hello there,
I felt it about time that I fill you guys in on what I am doing this year and get you guys to pray for me. So yeah in the summer I was down south with nicholas working at Inasmuch House, which is a shelter for abused women and their children. I was goodI got to go to marineland too many times and the whole experience really confirmed the whole "Child and Youth Work" program that I was heading into. So yeah last summer I was called a Child and Youth recreaction worker and now I am going to school to become what I already was... how ironic. ha ok yeah so that was a sweet place to work. The ladies and I would get together every morning and have group prayer it was just good. So now being in the Child and youth worker program at school... i am in love with it. if i could marry it i would. now i might be liking it so much because i am good at it and the marks are showing that... but who cares i like it right. However, the classes are coming to an end and i am about to head out into placement and i need some prayer as to where i should be going. the other day i was struggling trying to figure out what would be the best... when it hit me.... i can pray about this. Sounds stupid but i was a total light bulb moment. yeah so i tell everyone "child and youth worker" and they picture me with my hair in a bun reading a story to children in uniform. but it is not like that at all, they kids i will be working with are known as "damaged", these are the kids that have committed murder and are sent to a custody facility and im there to build a therapeutic relationship with them. there are times where workers walk in on kids trying to kill themselves, or others they are with. This isn't simply baby sitting, there is alot i am going to have to deal with. i have now been in school for almost three months and this placement has come up fast. Im not sure where i will be going i have to talk to jesus somemore about it. there are three places that i am really interested in 2 of them are open custody, meaning the kids arent locked up and they have all boys from the age of 12-17. these boys have committed minor offense and have to serve their time here. and the last one is for all girls the same ages(12-17). all the places look interesting and they have areas that im suited for, i just need to choose before the 30th. pray for me guys because once i have been selected for that placement i can not leave it... if i fail to meet everything i need to in that placement i have to start first year over. pray hard. love you guys. later!

Jenny... my account doesn't work so im on nicky's(love)

Life By Brandon, A Novel Review

So it sure has been a long time and I figured I will give you all an update on what has been happening in my life. It has been a busy one for sure, so in advance sorry for the length book I am about to write. Well most of you have probably seen me or at least heard from me in the last little while. Sorry for those who have not but let's start at the beginning. Oh and as for the photo... I tend to be more willing to read blogs with photo's so I added a random photo of people I love.

After summer ended I came back to Alberta and right away applied to be a substitute teacher. That didn't work out as planned as they took over a month to process me and finally get me one list so I could start working. The transition was what I thought it was going to be like. I had a hard time at first adjusting to being here. It is not that I didn't like being home. I am loving it but it was hard not being around all those people I had been around for two wonderful years. But after a week or two that passed and what replaced it was an inability to do nothing. I had to be doing something. I couldn't just sit around because I was so used to always having something to do, or at least someone across the hall to go and pester and come up with something to do. So for the rest of my time not working I created every home project I could think of. I carpet cleaned my while house pretty much, started stripping some water damaged furniture to re-finish it, make my home more green (as in environmentally friendly), and many other odd ends. This time was great but once I ran out of things to do it was stretching to rest for me... which was good because I realized how tired I actually was. Once there is nothing more for you to push yourself for it is amazing how your body really lets you know how much rest you really need. It was one of the wonderful times of rest and yet fun work as well... you know the stuff you enjoy.

Well after that I finally got on the sub list for the area right around where I live. I was a little nervous for how much work they were going to have for me and that I might have to apply for another school district as well like the one in Edmonton but I have not had to as they have kept me busy pretty much everyday since I started. I think I can only count 7 or 8 days in two months that I have not had a job teaching, so that has been good news. So that has been life here. I have been teaching and doing stuff around home for pretty much three months now. I had the opportunity to go back to camp about a month ago now. They needed a speaker last minute for a Jrs. retreat, so Ken called me. I loved it. It was so funny as he called me on a Tuesday or Wednesday night and needed me there Friday evening. I was so nervous. Not really to be in front of kids... I do that everyday all day long... but to speak, to come up with something that is suppose to have value for this kids to learn. Now that was scary. But it all turned out so well. I got to hang out with kids and visit with friends, it was so nice to see everyone. It was great to see how God worked too as there were a few kids this summer that I really connected well with. And pretty much everyone of the ones that I connected with was there at the retreat. It almost seemed like God brought me there to bless me rather than me to be a blessing, although I did my best to be one as well. Then just over a week ago I was able to go down to Briercrest to visit all there. That was great and again such a blessing to connect and visit with everyone. Now I guess that is almost everything that has been happening but not all that has happened if that makes sense. I have been learning lots.

It has been a wonderful timer here. At first I really wanted to be out on the island for another year and was really enjoying it out there but God didn't give me peace about it so home I came... Not knowing what it is that God wanted me here for. I still don't know 100% what it is but I am starting to figure some of it out. One thing is that my grandma... not the one that you all know has Alzheimer’s. And we were given about a year before her meds stopped working. We the blessing was that we got about 3 years with her. In the last month or so she has taken a huge turn for the worse. She is no longer able to look after herself nor can my grandpa do it either. It has been nice being able to be her and help were I can so my parents don't have to bare this burden alone. It kinda all started last wednesday when I was driving home from Briercrest and got a phone call from my sister than she had fallen at their apartment and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She turned out to be ok with no injury. Another huge blessing from God followed with an even bigger one. My parents had already started to look into getting more care for my grandma but the process is slow. With this fall and visit to the hospital it skipped over the whole process we were trying to start because there was an incident so she is immediately put in the system to find a place. It has been a tough go but I have loved spending time with my grandpa taking to and from the hospital this last week or so as we have talked lots but now that he has started sharing about what has been going on with grandma... wow the lessons I have to learn. I am not an elegant man of words and I could also use a whole other blog to say the things I have learnt from grandpa this last week but his dedication to grandma is astounding.

He has been looking after her for the last few weeks with things turning bad quickly without asking for much help... not out of pride or lack of needing help but out of a dedication for the "better or worse" part. He would never say this but you can tell it in the way that he talks to her. Greets her with a kiss even though she has no idea who he is (and she doesn't swing at him). I would if a strange person tried to kiss me. But not know that but hearing the stories he has been telling... I found out that the other night when my grandma was in the hospital was the first night of 60 some years of marriage that they had not spent together. Grandpa quit his job as a salesman when he got married and they have never spent a night apart since. I can't fathom that.

Anyway... these are only a few of the lessons and things I have been enjoying learning and figuring out... and like I said sorry about the novel. I miss you guys and love you all very much. Take care and may God bless you all.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brandon

I believe it has been awhile....

I recall once upon a time I told myself I would post when I got a job... then I said I would post at the first snowfall... and I got a job over 2 months ago, I guess I was just waiting for something good to post about but I think I've got those:
#1 - I got a job working at Ernies Sports Experts! I work in snowsports so I sell stuff like snowboards, skis, snowshoes, cross-country etc. etc. I really like it! or as much as I can like sales, I mean I do love sales, but I don't always love people (forgive me Jesus). I get to learn lots about winter sports and whats good for what and I get to help them, which I love. I love helping people. Also I get wicked deals. I would really rather support the small scale board shops but the truth is that this place pays more. (sorry Tyler)
#2 - I AM GETTING BAPTIZED! WHA!!! I have been putting this off for years and years but now I am finally getting dunked (not counting when I was a baby). On December 16th I believe. And part of this I attribute to Kendall's dad which was a shock to me because for years I have dismissed the amount of difference that a speaker can make (sorry) just because they aren't really in that persons life, but it seems as though God uses them like crazy. He told some story about this guy who decided he needed to get baptized right away and it was just this little comment about how they could go out to pizza hut after and celebrate.... and I went yeah! celebrate! and I guess I looked at baptism in a new way, like a time to celebrate how God has changed you with the family, and I really didn't do that. Becoming a christian was such a private thing for me, I need to celebrate this. The End.

What's new

Oh goodness. I just got out of a job interview... and guess what. I got it!! I start on Monday, doing who knows what. Maybe I should have asked... oh well. I'm working at an old folk's home, and I am so excited! I think I'll be working with food mostly, and recreation. Anyway, I spose I should fill everyone in again on what I've been doing. I stayed home this semester from school to make a bunch of money, and spend it. And I did it! I just got back from Europe with my parents! I went on a 10 day tour of Great Britain. It was so amazing! Ya, a trip to Europe in November is pretty cold, but it worked out so good. It didn't rain at all, and we never once had fog. The weather alone made the trip great, but our tour was so good. We saw an incredible amount in ten days. We started in London, did tourist stuff, like went on the London Eye, say Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, went on the underground railway, and all that. Then we went up to Edinburgh, Scotland. And on our way we hit a bunch of places, like Gretna Green, and Cambridge University. We saw the Edinburgh Castle, and Queen Elizabeth's Royal Yacht Brittania. Then we started heading south to Liverpool, Wales, Bath, Stratford upon Avon, Chester, Stonehenge, and back to London. We saw so much! Then we headed back to London and took off for Copenhagen, Denmark!! We visited a whole bunch of my dad's cousins and family. We stayed with one cousin named Per and his wife Tove right on the ocean! It was so beautiful! The sand was white and covered with sea shells! This was my kind of holiday. Denmark isn't hilly and mountainous. No, it's flat! Flat and beautiful! I know some wouldn't agree, but I guess there actually is somewhere in the world prettier than Tilley haha. Anyway, we visited a different cousin every day, and they put on HUGE meals for us. I don't mean like a regular huge meal... but like a nonstop, all day meal!! We'd get there at about 1 and we wouldn't finish eating til 9! The only time we'd get up would be to go to a different meal to eat more! Oh, and I think my slow eating is because of my Danish background. Everyone ate as slow as me! It was great! The food was so good though. Frikkadilla, leverpaste, smokatuffla, and lots and lots and lots of other stuff. And my family over there is so nice! I got to see where my grandpa grew up, went to church, the farms he worked on, and all his stories just came to life. Honestly, this trip to Denmark was so good! We were there for 6 days, and this wasn't near enough. Here are some pictures of my holiday.

NEW POST NEW POST NUMBER 500!

I thought that the Holy Mother might be good for you kids to meditate on for a while.

love

hey guys

i had bfast with ryan wood this morning, and that was AWEsome! good times to catch up. so if any of you are passing through just know that i have set a precedent with waffles and eggs. and i even found blueberries, rasberries and strawberries. it was awes! be praying for ryan as he is up north. and lisa, when are you coming down south?! i am sure you have some christmas shopping to get done...

anyways, the reason for this post is cuz i wanted to tell you guys what i wrote in my journal 3 weeks ago. this was during church and i got all weepy and crap without you guys...
"Father, I miss Kaleo. I miss the community of people around me also striving to become stronger in you. People who have their focus on you. People who love you. People who love me and know all that is important about me. People who I can worship you with. People who I can go on adventures with. People who are my brothers and sisters."

I love you all, and will keep praying for you! Thanks for all the updates and challenges that are posted here! its awesome! please pray for me as i keep getting into crazy random conversations and opportunities to witness for God, even at 330 in the morning! (and remember, i dont live in dorms!!)

remember this k4 (said during prayer time at my church): "Go before us as we serve as a witness to others in your name. Give us wisdom and discernment." we have been equipped in an incredible way and now we get to use it! lets be a strong witness, even when its tough. remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

love you all

Quick note

Uhh yeah, so I'm taking Intro to Greek I, which is the first of 4 Greek courses that I have to take. I'm getting my butt handed to me on a silver platter, and whatever I don't learn this semester, I'll have to learn under the gun later because everything from week one until the end of my 4th Greek class is cumulative. I'm also exhausted and every time I decide to start going to bed early I end up having a dorm meeting and then I give up on it again (like tonight, like a few weeks ago). If I don't sleep I'm going to die. If I don't learn my Greek vocabulary I'm going to fail life (it's pretty much the heart of my entire degree). Love you all, and please pray because this has been killing me for over a month now.

Some Small Comfort

Even whilst disintegrating in the massive corrosive force which is my homework, I still have one calming factor within visible range of current vantage point in the TWU library: a Badke. That's right folks, I can see the blonde, bald, mustached visage which is Jim Badke's brother. It makes me chuckle quietly to myself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEERSTIN!

I wish i was there to beat you up etc.

Love you, my little sis.

grandma

ok, so my grandma had knee surgery a couple days ago, but something has happened. there is a blood clot in her lung so they think she might have had a stroke. but as of today she is starting to hallucinate. which means she thinks everyone is trying to drug her and now shes hiding her meds after the nurses give them to her so shes not gonna be getting any better until she starts taking them. my grandpa is overwhelmed and so are is kids(dad and siblings). so if you could be praying for my dad's family right now that would be great.
i know all the hallucinations will be funny afterward but right now they are not helping b/c the meds are just the beginning of it. your prayer would be greatly appreciated.

hmmmmm

Hey this is something my mom sent me an email about and I thought it was interesting and you might want to check out: Golden Compass.

hiyo!

hiii kids!! this is just a quick note to update you, & also to tell you that i have been really really missing you lately! i know we always say that we miss each other, but this past week or so has been brutal on the miss-factor-scale for me. maybe its cause i've been holed up writing papers for a while now, or maybe cause i saw jim, sarah, amanda & selena this weekend, or maybe it's just a lack of sunshine that's bringing me dowwwn! who knows. in any event, know that i think about you guys a lot. i know i am where i am supposed to be right now (uvic, young life victoria, etc) but sometimes i cant help but wish i had a time machine! but alas. the present is great, i truly am blessed and content.

  here goes my update: school is school. i have nothing more to say about it. (i think im still bitter from the hours i spent on two papers.) young life is awesome here in vic! we recently had our fall camp, which was a road trip to seattle - that's what the picture above is from. we went to a rollercoaster park, spent the night on a gym floor and then went shopping at outlet malls the next day and had a photo scavenger hunt. our club has had lots of new kids out this year, which is sweet. i am focussing on girls from reynolds, and trying to get young life loved and known in reynolds high school, and so far we have 7 or 8 girls coming out from there, so thats rad! but if you guys could please pray that the principal gives us permission to literally go into the school (for lunches, hang outs, etc.) that would be very appreciated as it would help our ministry a lot. as of now she is still thinking about it. 

  aside from yl...i just started 'blue like jazz' by donald millar (i read his other book when we were in india and it was life changing!!) and its solid so far, so im excited about that. i'm also in a bible study with some other young life leaders, and we're reading acts, which i also read in india! but i would have to say my hugest source of stretching & learning has been coming from my church lately. we're doing revelations, and every week god presents me with a challenge, a deepening of faith, or a "smack" if you will. stacey taves (who you guys know! from level ground coffee! any recollection?) has joined our teaching team and most recently he was speaking on the letter to the church in sardis. john writes, 

"i know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. wake up! strengthen what remains and is about to die...who ever has ears, let them hear what the spirit says to the church."

  as stacey talked, i realized how easy it is for me to become spiritually apathetic, if that makes any sense. i totally identified with the church of sardis, as scary as that is. im not "going off the deep end" if you will or anything like that, but i had been living a life that is bogged down with routine (school, homework, even young life) and i hadn't been seeking out god in a genuine routine-less way that desires his reign over my life. i often experience moments of doubt, and i honestly think, now, that i bring them on myself. i know satan is real and very much our adversary, but i think i can credit myself for a lot of the doubt i experience. i get into routine of almost ignoring god, and spend so much time reading and writing about the politics of canada or world war two history that i dont want to dive into the word, and then i slowly begin to slip into comatose, for lack of a better analogy. i'm not dead, and i seem pretty alive because i'm high energy about everything else, but there is a ton of apathy in my attitude, and no ears to hear. i let myself get in the way! so anyways, as i sat in church listening and realizing all of this, i realized it was time to get rid of the apathy i sometimes embody. (for the record, i think its okay to be apathetic about some things, i just dont want to be spiritually apathetic.) anyways, i don't think i'm the only one guilty of this, i think its pretty huge given the north america we live in. anyways, i totally didnt mean for this to be so long. i guess i had stuff to say. weeeell its time to go. i love you all! and i really do miss you. 

like an owl or a bat

yes, that's me, i work 10:00pm untill 6:30am whilst cloning trees now, i like it, and i sleep in untill 3:30pm. and those of u who told me i'd die, i get plenty of sleep so just like always, im right and everyone else is wrong

Scandal!!!

So Jenny and I were sifting through the Wal-Mart flyer today looking for sweet deals on things that no one ever wants...and then we saw it...or should i say him??? That's right folks apparently last year we didn't keep a close enough eye on Tyler and Robyn because the two of them some how concealed the birth of their one and only child, now that child has entered the world of part time child modelling. or maybe we are wrong. what do you think?

Ryan's November Beard

Okay everyone... here it is... Three weeks of growth and all I will ever have.  I am leaving Camp Qwanoes Staff and returning to the city... Sadness I know, but in remembrance of my time here and the hairy beast men that I have had the privilege of working alongside I have grown my beard.  So boys... (and girls)... know that I love you and my heart is with each of you!  I treasure all of the memories of Camp Q, Kaleo and times spent in random.

Quick Prayer Request

Hey guys,

As some of you know, I am a leader for 20 grade 6 girls at my church. Last night I got a phone call from the youth leader letting me know that one of my girl's mom and grandma was in a car accident. Her grandma died and her mom is in the hospital.

Would you guys be praying that I would know how to help her and listen? I am also in the midst of doing a bazillion exams and papers so its a bit tough on me too.

Thanks guys. I'll fill you all in on what is going on in my life a little bit later.

I love you and miss you all a ton!
Kenny-G

new number!

hey guys! i got a new cell so the number is 204-999-8873. the old number still works though.
- Michelle

Little Kaleo? (It's worth reading, and if you're complaining about the length read the last 4 sentences of the big paragraph)

So I've discovered that without Jimbadke sitting us down and manhandling us into telling our testimonies it really doesn't happen (Jim manhandling someone, the very thought of Jim forcing people to do things by force makes me laugh). But truly without that venue of chapel in which we could share the stories of our lives you can get to know people and not know a thing about them! I was in the worship service last night and was thinking about Kaleo, about the great talk I'd just had with Nicki and what the difference was between talking to her and talking to my buddies from my dorm. At Kaleo we all spent so much time talking to and sharing with one another, experiencing God's invasion of our lives and sharing the hurts and depravity of our pasts in order to heal and move towards the future together. At Briercrest it is so easy to go through a whole semester and never learn a single thing about somebody's past. Some of the people that I spend the most time with here I knew nothing about! So God pushed me to sit some people down and force them to tell me their life stories. It really wasn't that hard, and once it got going it just snowballed from 2 people to 3, to 6 . . . Before you knew it there was easily a dozen of us sitting in a room listening in turn to each others testimonies. We did that for a couple of hours last night, and then continued it this morning at breakfast (at 7:30 in the am, Haws was overjoyed that I was getting up that early on our holiday monday). This is one of the closest steps in the direction of Kaleo community that I've seen thus far and was fantastic. So this is my challenge for all of us: don't wait for community to come to you, go out there and do something about it. Sharing testimonies seems second nature to Kaleos, but it's not a regular occurrence in large groups anywhere else. But we know that it can be amazing, so go out there and use the examples we learned at Kaleo to make a difference. Force an occasion to share rather than floating around and playing bored-games. Open up to people who maybe have never really barred their soul to anyone before. Plan to get together with people just to talk, ask what God's been doing in their lives. You know what community looks like, you lived, ate and breathed community for 8 months. Now lets go and show the world what Kaleo's made out of! Now this whole thing may sound like we're taking God's role of forming us as a community into our own hands, but that's just it. God already did His end of the bargain by teaching us what community looks like and how it gets to be like that. Now it's our turn to use the blessings God has given us to bless others. We can't take the credit for it because God did it first, we're just following the leader. I love and miss you all, and I really hope to sit you down and tell you all of the million things that God's been teaching me through life, love and lectures. Predestination was just a warm-up for the craziness that God's given me the opportunity to wrestle with (Just ask Justin or Haws. Salvation, Heaven and God's Judgement have screwed with my head / theology in such a good way). And everyone stop apologizing for long posts, for crying out loud there's no reason to feel bad about sharing what's going on in your life. No we don't always have time to read it right away, but those long lists that Steve, then Josh then Keerst put up were some of the best posts in a looong time, and I'll take that over a post that I have time to read in one sitting any day. If it was worth taking the time to write it, it's worth taking the time to read it. And if you don't, your loss.

I love you all, if anyone's in the vicinity of the island between December 30th and January 6th let me know, I'm flying out to BC for New Years. (Selena we REALLY need to have the talk about men and women, Pauline Epistle's is an amazing class!)

With love from Keerst...

I know that Josh and Steve did this, but I really wanted to write something for each of you…it’s long, but please at least find your name and read the end.

Jenny – You taught me to scream. I was so blessed to start and end Kaleo praying together with you! Thank-you for your boldness in words and for being the one to start our room praying together. I love the way you pray, it’s so genuine. Honestly I miss hearing you pray. Remember that time we went to the Point to read Hebrews with some others and on the way back we all got lost and you fell down that mossy hill/rock thing, what an adventure! P.S. – thank-you for taking Yoda off our wall;)
Kenny – I miss talking with you! You are so sincere. I also miss walking into our room hearing Adventures in Odyssey or Disney music. You have such a huge, amazing, kind heart. I really do miss you.
Jeri Lynn – You, are beautiful! Don’t forget it! Remember that time you made me yell at you? haha. Oh good times. It was such a GREAT surprise to see you first thing when I stepped out of the car when arriving at the dorm! I love it that we get to spend another year together!

Sara Lyn – Remember that random video we made? Jumping over couches, making faces, sliding down the stairs in my sleeping bag, all our “talents”. haha, those are good memories. Don’t forget M-a-a-a-a-k-i-i-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e.
Tara – You are one tough cookie. I am blown away by your knowledge of God and the Bible and the gift God has given you to articulate your thoughts into words that flow so well. I hope you are having a great time/learning lots at Trinity! Love ya!
Lisa – Remember that time we went to Cobble Hill with Jeri and Vik and you decided to tell Phil that I was praying for Communion? Oh the church trips…hehe…you three had a huge part in the “stretching” of Keerstin, let me tell you. I do miss your laugh and your random and amazing personality. I can say with confidence that I know without a doubt, I will never meet anyone like you. You are one of a kind. It was so great to see you again this summer!
Autumn (Fall)– We didn’t really hang out much in Kaleo..but we definitely hiked Mt. Albert Edward together :P I am sooo glad that you are my quad mate! And that I get to be here to see you in the Musical and hang out with you and see you every day and talk…though we definitely need to have a gooder soon. I love you! P.S. – watch out for whip cream on your birthday…:D
Janet – I do miss our talk dates in the empty rooms on our hall and going for walks and..well, just you! Thank-you for being yourself and encouraging me to do the same. I really appreciate your genuine personality and honesty.
MiCHelle – I’m so glad you surprised us this summer and came to camp! Wow was I ever surprised! Hehe. Your heart for God, and your love for others are huge! On my wish list this Christmas is a request for a recording of your laugh. :D Hope we can go skating together again!
Billie Jeanne – You are strong. It was such a blessing to see you this summer at camp, even if it was for only a short while, I was blessed by you! I miss your hugs. You were one of the first people that I told my story to. I remember sitting in the lounge one night, just the 2 of us, I don’t remember when but it was in the first 2 months of Kaleo, what a blessing that evening was to me. Thank-you.
Layners – You are one of the most creative people I know…I love the random item attacks…“Banana peel attack!” haha Remember that time we had to drive to Regina at 6am for choir and couldn’t see the road? Ya, well I do…it was fun:D P.S. - I like those loud balloon things that you threw in my room the other day, they were swell.
Toboggan – I’m so glad that you stayed around at camp this summer, and that we became such good friends. Honestly, I consider you one of my closest friends, thank-you for being there to talk, listen, and calm me down when I need it. I luff you!
Selena Rose – Ich heisa Keerstin, Ich vonna in Vankler (spelt this way for effect:) stchot, ich bein noinzane yadda alt, wiegaits? Hehe that’s just for you! I miss our “naps”/girl talk times haha. Traveling with you was a blast too! (Kalona). Ich habba diche libe (sorry spelling:P)
Blythe – I miss the dolphin noise….I tried to do it once and I turned red in embarrassment of how wrong I did it :P I like your handkerchief in your pocket. Tee hee…I actually do!
CrySTALIN – I miss playing guitar and singing with you in North Woods. You are such a great teacher! And the random screaming parties on the stair well..that just takes the cake..no one here is up for it, maybe your fellow Tillieanites? Oh! Remember that time you came out for a visit, and you were giving me a piggy-back-ride, and Vik pushed us over and you TOTALLY took him down hardcore?! I will never forget that…do that again next time you’re here..k? hehe
Amanda – You have become my sister and my mentor. Working with you this summer was such a blessing and an honor. God has used you to teach me many things, and I think to help me mature a bit as well. I miss our talks and trips to Starbucks..Thank-you.
Nikki Parker – You were there on those late nights when I couldn’t sleep and also to just have fun. Remember that time we had a “random military adventure”/cleared the PanAbode with sticks and then hung out on the trampoline praising Jesus? And our many God times and talks down on the dock? And that time in Advance Crew when we fell asleep in the HCT Office watching Peter Pan and woke up in the same spot the next morning. Thank-you for taking time to sit, cry, pray, sing, and read the Bible with/to me. You put up with so much of me and you still love me. Thank-you!
Sarah/Momma Badke – Your hospitality is amazing. There is no other place where I have felt as at home as when I am with you. Looking back in my journal, I thanked God for you sharing your testimony with us at Mt.Washington. God used you to show me where he was in both the hard and the good times in my life. Thank-you for opening your home and your heart to us.

Room Bro’s:
Andrew (Drew) – Bro, it was an honor to go to Venezuela with you and see first hand, God working in your life there and at Kaleo too. Do you remember that talk we had on the Elbittar’s roof? I sure do. Don’t forget the amazing things God has done and is doing. Thank-you for being there to protect and listen.
Kyle – Thanks for the toque! Prayer warrior. Kaleo and then Camp too, it’s been a journey eh. Keep fighting.
Justin Lenny – It was amazing seeing you this summer in ministry, in action for Christ; and seeing your heart for others. It was also awesome seeing you and Drew telling your camp fire stories and pretending to be “Valley Girls” haha..i totally lost it every time. It great seeing you here at B-Crest.
Mang – Seeing your heart for your guys this summer was so neat to witness. You really have a heart for ministry. Keep seeking after God.
Brandon (Saladskin/Manchester) – Thanks for teaching us to dance! Remember that time Nikki and I stole your desk chair for what…was it 3 months?...And you cheated and stole it back/got someone to steal it back for you…you still owe us! What a crazy amazing year. From racing you up Mt. Albert Edward to working at camp together this summer, it’s been a blast and full of smiles and laughs too. Thank-you for being there.

Brother Nicholas – Remember that time you and Selena tried to teach me to skateboard and I totally wiped-out on the deck of PWL and you saw it all through the window…bahahaha! Thanks for the band-aid. And what about the time that a few of us went slip and sliding in the rain…what a blast! Thanks for everything.
Jesse Donald Douglas Jansen (or as one of my ‘lil campers would say “Mr. Noodles”) – What can I say? I just love you bro. Thank-you for taking me to my first ever screamo concert this summer and giving me your old ear plugs. haha…gross but they worked.
Joshua Edward Field – Thanks for not killing me every time I attempted to beat you up. I definitely do miss having someone around to fight with who can take it:D Good times. Thank-you for caring and making me smile.
Steven – You know I’d never beat you up right? ha ha, I don’t think I even could! Always remember: “Cows don’t jump they ollie!” haha I don’t think they even jump. haha. I still remember a conversation I had with you and Ryan that was such a HUGE encouragement to me. Don’t know if you remember what I’m talking about or not, but it meant a lot. Thanks.
Viktor – Remember that time we were coming home from youth group with Jeri and Lisa and you guys stopped Shooter on the hill for like 45minutes…and that time you told Lech that I would sing for the Bridge? Thank-you, if yall didn’t push me I don’t know if I would have had the courage to push myself. …Jesus is MY friend!
Sam – I wish we hung out more in Kaleo and that it didn’t take till Advance Crew to finally sit down and talk. I’m glad you never went fishing in Alaska..the night you left I watched the perfect storm…bad idea…I’m so glad you are on dry ground:D
Tyler (Lil’ Brother) – It’s been such a privilege to hang out with you this past year and now another year too! You are an inspiration to me with your strong faith in God and your genuine care and love for your family. I just wanna be like you in the way you follow Christ though it is hard at times. Thank-you for never giving up.
Ryan Jacob/ R-Dubs Wood – I remember the day you got back from New York…you were telling me about your trip and how you wanted to go back…and you got bit by a small dog…and look, now you are going back! God is sending you back! Praise the Lord! We’re gonna miss you in Canada, but I am so stoked to see how He is going to use you out there. Thanks for the talk times..remember when you came to camp to visit and we stood in the field and I made you listen to everything I had to say..thanks for letting me vent to you..i miss it.
Ryan Lee – You crazy awesome Asian! Thank-you for being open and honest with us. For marking our papers too (…and replying to my notes I wrote on my papers hee hee, that was my favorite part of writing papers :D) Thank-you for taking the time this summer to share your story with me and for letting me work in the Challenge Course when I came out to visit. Praying for you bro.
Jim – Remember that time you stepped on my head? (…and dunked me in the water like 500 times! during Advance Crew when I was attempting to wakeboard.) Thank-you for all you have done for each one of us. Hearing our stories, sharing your wisdom with us, praying with us, being patient with us, challenging us, being an amazing snowboarder!, not always giving us answers but showing us where to look to find answers for ourselves, marking and proof-reading our papers, showing us your wacky side, giving us a space (the “greenhouse”) where we could learn to find ourselves and grow our faith in Christ and encouraging us constantly, and for doing that for all the other Kaleo’s too. You are truly amazing and I am forever grateful for the influence you have had in my life. Thank-you.

Thank you all for your friendship and for becoming a family. Through Kaleo, God has changed us in amazing and unexpected ways. God has used each and every one of you to help mold and shape me into who I am today and who I am becoming. One of the big things I learnt at Kaleo was to find myself in Christ and to only care about what He thinks and another was that it is ok to trust guys. Guys, thank you for showing me what a Godly man is like and how I am to be treated. You make me feel pretty when I’m around you and that’s huge. Thank-you. I know this is incredibly long, but I didn’t know how to shorten it. Let’s not forget all the amazing things God has done in and through each one of us. He is continuing to work in us and shape us and mold us so lets keep this blog updated with what God is doing! K? K. sounds good.

Matt 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.”

Here’s to…God smacks, Mackie, climbing mountains-both physical and spiritual, procrastination-it’s BAD..but fun, broken backs and cracked ribs, the book: “Your Child and Drugs”, being stretched till it’s uncomfortable, teamONO, Lecholodgy, getting lost in the forest, Starbucks, late nights, wall flips, Mackie, Surfing, Sailing, doing things we wouldn’t normally have done until forced by fellow Kaleoer’s, Dancing, Deer, Snow- watch, running down the hall screaming when our paper is due in an hour, community, music, pure love, the unexpected unexpectedness of all of yall, the face a baby makes when it poops, and everything else wonderful and strange that I forgot and following the call - Kaleo.

God has honored us and called us all to fight in this war for him. We’re on the winning side!…lets keep fighting.

I think about all of you often and you are often in my prayers. I can’t even put everything into words, I love you. Thank-you for your love, prayers, friendship, patience and familyhood (/didn’t know how else to put it)

Love, Keerst

Ephesians 3:14-21
Psalm 62
(please read the verses! they're sooo good!)

MEDIA FEAST?!

K, so, Kaleo Four, I just thought that I would inform you that I have just seen pictures of Kaleo Fivers PLAYING WII ON A PROJECTOR SCREEN AT KALEO!



...Jim?

Jim!! How is it over there?!?!

By the looks of the other Kaleo blogs their not much happening... its seems as if their are to busy to keep in touch with those they spent eight months with! Well Jim I hope that Kaleo 5 will have some connect with the outside world because I want to know how they are experiencing the classes and the life over there!

Peace
mang-a-rang

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILLIE!!

girl, i hope that you had a stellar birthday! i am SO excited to see you this weekend! i pray that God will continue to work in your life and strengthen you as you spread his light to those around you. may he continue to grant you increasing wisdom over the coming year.

I LOVE YOU!!

praise!

Praise the LORD!!!! His mom just got out of surgery and everything went well!!! MUCH relief! Thanks for your prayers!!!

beautiful people, lend me your eyes

hello beautiful ones.... i just thought you all should know, cause Ty probly won't think of it, that his momma(thats french for mom) is going into surgery Monday morning, and its supposed to take 11 hours, which is absolutely insane,and something worth praying for... so they are planning on removing all the bad junk in there, and hopefully getting it all. for good, so PLEASE, PLEASE be thinking of him and his family pretty much anytime on Monday...

I love you guys so much and wish we could all be praying together for everyones situations, good or bad.... you guys are a huge blessing, and i really mean that.


p.s more and more i am realizing i need to go to BC, forever, and that this is picture doesnt have much to do with my post.... but this is kind of how it feels today... but im not nick.. (nice pic whoever took this, by the way)

Love... Robyn

ok, so now that midterms are almost done, i have a little bit of time. so i thought id let everyone know sorta what im doing these days. schools going ok, im still not use to the fact that my whole mark comes from 2 or 3 exams, so that sux cuz im horrible at multiple choice. but im taking a bunch of different biology's, psych and a evil in world religions class right now. i actually like my biology classes(except for how much work they are) and i don't like the other two.
ive been working for the past month, i work for a company called Dasch. its a company that has about 20 homes around the city with people who have developmental disabilities. so i work in a home that has 2 women. one can do nothing by herself and the other one right now is in the hospital. its an ok job but i think once i switch to my new house it will be a lot better. so im excited about the switch.
church is going pretty good, i started going to a new church when i got home. im going to a Mennonite church now, and there are lots of college and career people and stuff to do if i have the time. ive slowly been meeting new people. they do a lot of different stuff so each month they have a service night, bible study, gym night and there are a couple of other things but i don't remember right now.
its been really weird being home because i don't really know anyone here. i have a some friends here but were all going in different directions so i don't really see any of them. then im going to a new school, new church, and a new job so i kinda feel like im starting all over again and ive moved to a new place. so sometimes im sick of trying to meet new people and i just don't want to go out any more cuz ive been busy with everything else and i just want time to breath. so im excited to be going to briercrest at the end of the month to see a bunch of you and get out of the city. so im going to be getting there on nov 29 at night and i leave on dec 2. so hopefully most of you will be around. i better get going now, i have to work pretty soon. sorry about it being long! miss you all

cancelled.

hey guys! well i previously posted that i would be coming to edmonton and calgary for my november reading break. unfortunately that's not the plan anymore. sad to say i will be holed up here, literally complying to the title of 'reading' break. by studying. and writing papers. (but selena this means i'll actually get to see you when you come HERE.) hopefully i will get out there soon though!

Prayer for my Grandmother

Hey Kaleo!

I talk with my mother and she said, "her dad [my grandpa] is looking better." Praise God he still has to stay there until his body can recovery from an infection that can be deadly. I do not recall the name of the infection, but I know it something you do not want to have! Please pray for my Grandmother she is going a hard time and is dealing with it in a wrong way. Pray that she can realize drinking cannot solve this pain, but only make it worst. I love my family and hope soon they will replace these addictions/habits for Jesus and come to know him as the answers to life.

Love your brother in Christ

Mang

Happiness is a Drunk Cockatoo