to the land of aus.

Hello everyone!

For those of you who don't know, I decided to take this year off of school. I was at camp this summer. When I came home I got two jobs plus cadet stuff. I figure I was working between 50-70 hours per week (if I count flying with cadets work...). I was working at a tea shop and a photography store. Although I definitely wish the pay was higher, they were both awesome places to work.

On Tuesday I leave for Australia for 3.5 months. I will be traveling with one of my best friends Angela who is also a pilot. We have a five day layover in Tokyo on the way there. It should be a fun side trip, giving me a taste of a country I have wanted to visit for several years now.

Then we head to Australia. For the first week we will be staying with Angie's best friend. Then we have a few days where we are unsure. We may go on a hiking or canoeing adventure, depending on if we can conjure up a canoe. On December 5th we will be in Narromine where the Australian Junior Soaring Competition is being held. I will be flying in the competition as part of the coaching clinic. This means that I will be flying hopefully every other day in a dual airplane with an instructor on board teaching me all of the ropes of flying! I'm pretty stoked.

Then we head to Benalla where we will be staying for the following 2.5 months. In Benalla we will be pretty much trying to fly as much as possible. I will also be flying in their club competition which is held between Boxing Day and New Years. I am looking forward to missing snow and having Christmas with a bonfire on the beach! For me this will be the most incredible flying adventure of my life.

When I get back to Canada I will be working some more, waiting for the flying season to get going back here again. I plan to fly in the Western Canadian Championships which will be held at my club here in Edmonton sometime May/June and also in Canadian Nationals which will be held in North Battleford sometime in June this year.

Prayer! Please pray that we are able to spend our money wisely. That the club will decide to give us airtime in exchange for us volunteering as instructors or around the club somehow. That would mean a huge savings in money. Also, I applied for a scholarship, so please pray that the Soaring Association of Canada grants me that blessing.

Australia will be a pilgrimmage of sorts for me. A chance to take time alone. To think. To rediscover relationship with God. And Christ. A friend said to me recently "you are most like the five people you spend the most time with". We have challenged each other to get God back into the top five. (Although I know he should really be #1...)

Yes, and mail would be lovely. My address in Benalla will be:
Selena Boyle
c/o Gliding Club of Victoria
PO Box 46
Benalla, Victoria
Australia 3672

Please fbook or email me your current addresses too! If you do so I will be sure to send you at least a postcard!

Love being sent to you all!

ps - a teaser of Jeri and Sam's wedding photos... more to follow soon!

looking for adventure? ...

aren't we all?

So here's the deal. I'm looking at working at a fishing lodge this summer up in Northern Manitoba from late may to late August. I don't know the exact rate of pay, but was told one could make up to $15000.00 including tips. The catch is you can't really leave..unless a family emergency or such. So being stuck at Elk Island Lodge for 3 months I don't want to go alone. I have a friend who is interested, but isn't 100% for sure. It's important to apply now cuz it fills up fast. All I know is positions for girls as both a waitress/maid. I'm going to ask Greg( the guy who runs it) for information for guys jobs out there and will post that on here too. The website is elkislandlodge.com...it's not the most flashy site..just a warning...haha please check it out and pray for me as I decide!

Keerst

Sooo....

I just want you all to know (I'm sure you already know, but sometimes it's good to say it) that you guys are really really awesome!! Coming to Briercrest is ALWAYS really great! I'm excited to come, LOVE it when I get there, and always sad to go! It's NEVER long enough! So, for all of you out at Briercrest, thanks for the lovely weekend! I'll come back again next semester (hopefully twice though!). And just throwing it out there, me and Michelle have living rooms that you all can come crash at in Leth whenever you feel like coming and visiting us! :)

Miss you guys! Actually, I miss you guys a lot!

Crystal

I need your help:

Hello everybody,

I'm in need of your help.

If any of you know my brother Philip's photography, he is a truly gifted photographer. If you don't, you don't need to simply take my word for it, check it out here at his website www.PhotoByPhilip.com or his blog www.PhotoByPhilip.blogspot.com. He is a wonderful little brother and has a brilliant future ahead of him in photography. He's actually taking photography at North Island College right now in Courtney, B.C. and loving every minute of it! One of my favourites is a shot he took in the studio of a Dr. Pepper can. It's pretty sweet, go check it out!

But I need you help.

He's an amazing photographer and particularly loves taking pictures of sports. He found this opportunity to go take photos at the 2010 Olympics for The Washington Post, but he needs your help to get there. He had to submit a set of photos for their contest, and if he's in the top 50 for most votes by November 22nd then he gets to the final round where the photos are judged by a panel of judges. If Phil had his way he'd go straight to the panel of judges, winning by popularity is not really his thing. Unfortunately to get to that point he needs to get a ton of votes. That's where you come in.

Go to the link here, once a day, and vote for his pictures.

You need to register to vote the first time, but after that you can simply sign in with your e-mail and the password you create. They ask for a bunch of info when you register, and at first I didn't know why. I'm always a little paranoid when it comes to giving out my info to people on the internet. I later found out that you can win a new laptop or camera, simply by entering to vote. So not only can you help my brother live his dream by getting him to the olympics, but you can get free stuff in the process!

So, in sum,


go to the contest website, and click "Vote" for Phil's lacrosse pictures (Phil from Courtenay BC). If you're already registered, sign in, then click vote again (it will confirm this by saying "Good job, you cast your vote!"). If you haven't, register, then click Vote again (and it will confirm saying, "Good job, you cast your vote!"). It would mean the world to me, and to my brother.

Love you all lots, please do vote, everyday if you can, even just once if you can't remember to. It takes like two seconds and you will help make my little brother's dreams come true. If you loved me you'd go vote. Right now. Before you forget.

Blessings.