Author: ba

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A great first week in Armenia!

I just wrote a great blog, and somehow I erased it :( The undo button won’t work. Arghhhh.
Well, I won’t re-write it all. Let’s just say that we are having a really great time seeing people’s lives impacted here in Armenia, and having our lives impacted as well! Everyone has been kind, hospitable and very loving! We are enjoying building relationships within our team and with the church we are working with!
Ben and two of the guys on our team travelled to Georgia today. They will be teaching in a church of Kurdish Christians!
 
We can’t get onto facebook here, so if you have written on our wall or messaged us, sorry but we won’t be able to write back to you :( Also our internet is dial up, so we don’t email very often. We are asking in advance for your forgiveness for our lack of communication during the next month. We will do our best to keep this website updated weekly so this will be the best way to stay in touch!!
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Armenia Introduced

Yerevan, Armenia. We landed safe and sound Thursday at 1am in the morning. It took nearly two more hours before we all had our visas and were on our way home … when the taxi stalled leaving half our team stranded. But the place we are staying – too high for our expectations. It is a beautiful guesthouse for missionaries and it turned up at the last minute .. for a great price, less than $200 per person for 6 weeks, including utilities!

We have started teaching and it will be busy. Our team will be attending two homegroups every day except Sunday … when we will be preaching. Half of our team will be gone north for one week and half south for the week after where they will be preaching and teaching. We are excited! What a privilege it is to serve Jesus!

More to come on Armenia. A land with a lot of history.

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On the Road Again…

Well we have some good news – our whole team got all the money they needed and tomorrow we are off for Armenia. We’ve had some meaningful prayer times and some overwhelming logistics meetings but we are super excited to be on our way!
 
Now we are saying good bye to our friends here in Taiwan. But we are saying hi to other friends in Armenia. Actually, one of the SBS staff from Ukraine will be in Armenia for a while, exactly while we are there. There may be almost 20,000 ywam staff worldwide, but sometimes it seems like a very small world indeed!
 
You’ll notice some pictures of our friends in Taiwan, Allison, Brett and Lana and a few others. Thanks for being such wonderful friends.
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Why Europe?

As we booked the tickets for our team to go to Armenia I was again reminded of the need for Titus Project Europe.
The cost for us to send a team to Armenia from Taiwan (which is the closest Titus Project) is huge! Once we get there the cost of living is cheap, but we can only get there by flying and the flight alone costs $1700 Canadian Dollars. WOW! If we were in Ukraine the cost would be minimal! We are excited to pioneer this Project in Europe and to be able to meet the needs in that part of the world much more efficiently! There are two members on our team who are still praying and trusting the Lord for finances, so please pray with us!
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Getting a Tooth Pulled

How many of you have ever had a tooth pulled? I think Dad threatened me once that he would use the plyers. Or did he get the string and tie it to a door and slam the door? I can’t remember.

Leaving Taiwan last July we had no idea when we would return here to Taiwan. We cleaned house, released possessions and said our farewells. But God called us to return to work with Titus here this January. And what a pleasure it has been. We are almost done week 1 of 3 of the training portion. Our team has met a couple of times, they include three guys, Justin, Bryan and Jean as well as one woman, Natacha. It is going to be a fruitful time in Armenia.

But even more joyful, has been our reunion with much loved friends. Last week we had dinner with some of our long-term missionary friends, it was so encouraging to be welcomed and loved and hopefully we gave back as well. Then last night we went out with two close Taiwanese friends who have recently given their lives to Jesus. It was so good to have fun and mutually encourage one another.

What a great way to start a new year, even as we say goodbyes in Winnipeg, we experience joy in the arms of friends in Taiwan. Kind of like getting a tooth pulled, hurts a tonne, but following God is the best thing for us.

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Reflecting and Looking ahead

Ben and I were praying together today for closure from this amazing time and home and vision for what lays ahead! Isn’t it easy to look back on the past and wish for it again, as opposed to looking ahead with expectation?
 
Reflecting: The past five months have been filled with some difficult times facing fears but thankfully answered with hopes and good news. They have also been filled with great times teaching (every sunday to our friends at our home church, and also a training session with Camp Arnes staff), relaxing times having dinners, lunches and breakfasts with friends, peaceful times with our families, and the challenges of working on things for Titus Project while very far away. It has been a VERY meaningful, blessed time. We could not say enough great things about these past five months and we don’t regret a thing!
 
Looking Ahead: Even though it has been a very memorable, fulfilling time at home, we would be lying if we said our hearts are not aching to be overseas meeting people’s needs. Being home has been a little bit like being fish out of water. We love it here, but we long to be elsewhere at the same time. Does that make sense? Has anyone else ever felt like that? 
 
Only 10 more days until we head to Taiwan. We will cherish every one of them, every moment with family and friends…and then we will face forward, excited for what lies ahead.  
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Announcing…

It has been very exciting for us the past few days.
We launched our Titus Project Europe Website! Complete with online application forms and reference forms we are set up and ready to go for our very first Titus Project in Europe! Please check it out: http://Europe.TitusProject.com
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Simple.

This year at our church we are focusing on simple. Keeping Christmas meaningful, worshipful. Check out the video and website www.adventconspiracy.com
 
But how this works out practically is the challenge. I think it is a matter of perspective. We are still doing gifts with our families, but we are keeping it simple. Stockings, one gift each couple, etc… And I’ve decided to enjoy Christmas shopping, so I try to leave the house with a good attitude and say this is going to be a fun day with Cassie at the mall.  
 
Or take the busyness of going from family thing to family thing, church thing to church thing, work thing to work thing (I know a girl who has 6 Christmas parties at work!) I’ve decided to keep the perspective that I am blessed to be at home this Christmas, with people that I love to be with.  I have people that love me and want to spend time with me…
 
So does my entire lifestyle need to change in order to keep Christmas simple, meaningful, worshipful? I don’t think so. But as I strive to keep a good, joyful, peaceful attitude I am able to experience the Christmas season in a way that is:
Simple….. Meaningful….Worshipful……
 
Merry Christmas everyone! ENJOY DECEMBER!!!
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Rest

This is one of the areas I feel I have to constantly work on and strive for. Strive for rest… oxymoron? But it is true I do have to make a concerted effort not to overwork myself. I suppose I come by it naturally, my mom and dad have always been hard workers. Hard work is a good thing, but longevity and health come from rest in conjunction with work. I am teaching a workshop tomorrow on time management and I will be ending with the topic of rest. Here is what I wrote in my teaching notes:
 

In the Old Testament God gave the Sabbath as a gift to men. In Hebrews we also see that it was a signpost to point people to enter the true rest of Jesus. A rest that consisted not of working for salvation but instead resting in the work of Jesus Christ at the cross. Therefore, now a true sabbath, a true rest, will only come as one realizes that one doesn’t need to work for God’s approval. It is really only once a person fully comes to that revelation that they will find peace and rest for their souls. It is also only then that they will really be able to take a break from their work and truly rest, because there will be no guilt in rest, no propelling force driving them to ‘just do more.’ God has placed rest in all of creation for us to see. If you are a surfer you know that waves come in sets, a bunch of large waves and then there is a break. The heart pumps, pauses, pumps, pauses. The body needs to sleep every night. Trees goes dormant over winter. Bears hibernate. Geese take turns being in the lead as they migrate. God has put evidence all around us that rest is just as important as activity. In fact, in music the beauty of melodies is accentuated by rests of silence between notes.

 

Now the challenge is to live my own teaching, always the biggest challenge for me. I want to teach with integrity. I don’t think this means perfection, but a true desire to live what I preach- to walk the talk:) We’ll post some pictures in the next few days of our training session tomorrow! Enjoy the new video from Titus Project South Africa who just sent a team to Rwanda this past summer.

 

 

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A Satisfying Weekend

Global Impact
my def: Making a positive difference to people that live in cultures and countries other than my own.
 
One very cool thing about making a global impact is that often the impact reverberates right back into your own life. As you learn about others and help them, they often help you just as much. It’s community, a global community.  
 
This weekend was Global Impact Weekend at our church. We had a youth event friday night where we did a live Skype call with a great friend of ours who is a missionary in Taiwan. Mike did a great job and shared with the youth that he wouldn’t trade his life as a missionary for anything.
Saturday we held a huge fall supper to raise funds for a short term missions trip to Turkey and K*stan next year. 139 people came and over $3000 was raised! Wow! It is amazing how generous people can be! Sunday Ben and I had the chance to share with our church about our plans for 2010 and also the message for the morning. Ben preached and did a great job- have 20 minutes to listen? Check it out here, you’ll see the link on the left side of the page: www.kilcona.org
 
By monday morning Ben and I crashed and had a nice day to relax and do some work around the house (Thanks dad for helping with the soffits). Now we are onto preparing for: Ephesians (we teach every sunday), a workshop for Camp Arnes staff, a teaching trip with Titus Project to Armenia and Titus Project in Sweden! We may be home, but we are definitely not lacking things to do. One main focus we have for being at home is connecting with people, so please contact us if you would like to get together. We are leaving for Taiwan December 28th.

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My husband became a man….

This past weekend Ben went on a men’s retreat (see photos). On the way there he killed a bear by hitting it with his truck. While he was there a bunch of guys went target shooting so of course Ben joined in the fun. It was the first time he shot a real gun. So between killing a bear and shooting a gun we joke that he became a real ‘man,’ the funny thing is that he didn’t do them in the right order :)
 
By the way, the video playing to the right is joshua Wallker’s video. He was one of our students in Titus Project Montana last month. We sent the team out to Ukraine and this is a video that they shot after teaching a course called Bible Overview in a Bible School there. check out his amazing website at:  http://joshuajordanwalker.com/site 
  
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Liberty

Just doing a little reading and I came across this quote:
 
"For example, America was founded on the idea of liberty, but we have taken that to the extreme. Originally, the word meant ‘the right to do what is right.’ But this postmodern society has changed its meaning so that, for many people today, liberty is defined as ‘the right to do whatever I want to do.’ However, true liberty will not cost others their liberty."
 
This is really interesting … both from the perspective that America’s founders possibly held to that definition and that it has changed SO much. What do you think is the better definition? How should a society define liberty? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
 
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Titus Project South Africa

Many of you know that our first plan was to go and pioneer Titus Project in South Africa! The great news is that our wonderful friends Marysol and Dewet pioneered it before we could get there and they have done a tremendous job! They have an amazing website www.blomerus.org so feel free to check it out! Anyways, they made this great video after the last Titus Project outreach in Capetown, in one of the very same areas that Cherie Campbell wants to work in the future (for those who know her). Watch the video and let your heart be stirred for the need for teaching and training all over the world, from Asia, to Africa, to Europe!
 
On a different note, some of you may know that there was a forest fire on the mountain very near the YWAM base where Ben is right now. Thankfully it is all under control, I posted a few pictures so you could see how close it was.
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Teaching in Montana

Where to begin?
 
I think the first place to start is to thank Jesus! On Thursday, Angela’s mom had a successful surgery, removing hopefully all the dead cancer cells from her body. What a huge blessing. Thank you to those that prayed for her, we truly believe she is doing so well because of your prayers!
 
On another note, Ben has successfully completed his first week of staff for the Teacher Training Time in Montana. It also has been quite successful. The students just completed their first practice teachings this afternoon and are headed into their first weekend for a nice break. The theme for this session, Jesus is the center and is pointing us, telling us to go and make disciples.
 
What a privilege it is to serve Jesus. He has totally changed our lives and we just want others to know the same love and freedom that we know in Jesus.
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On the Road Again

On the road, once again. Ben will be heading to Montana to staff the training time there. He leaves on Sep 16 and returns just in time for his cousin Brent’s wedding on Oct 9. Actually, this will be their first time working with Titus Project at a base other than in Taiwan. We have 21 students, 17 of which will be heading to foreign countries to teach the Bible for 2 months. WOW!
 
Please pray today that the staff will lead well, that the student teachers will be mature and serve God faithfully with the gifts given to them. Also, please pray specifically for the leader, Kerry, who carries all the weight of responsibility!
 
Have a great day!
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Complaining

"Remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at." (Numbers 11:6)
 
As I read through Numbers 10 and 11 today I could relate with the people of Israel back then. It has been hard to be in a weird place of transition here in Canada. We’re home for a little longer than planned and feeling a little bit out of place. It is very easy to slip into a mindset of ‘remember in Taiwan…’ Just today I was thinking about the great yummy slushy drinks we could get for only $1 just down the road from our apartment.
 
But God knows where we are and where he wants us. And if I’ve learned anything from the book of Numbers, it is that God is just like a parent: complaining is not pleasing to him. When Cassie whines because she isn’t getting what she wants it is a little bit annoying, I admit it. But how often am I just like her? It was a good reminder to me to be thankful and appreciate right where I am and all the great things that I have here for this time!  
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Picking a Name

How about Bono. Bono? Yeah, Bono… maybe he’ll be a big star!

Yeah, we always have to name the little one in womb. The last one was ‘Beaner’ and this one is ‘Bono’ :)

It is very exciting to have a little sibling on the way for Cassie! We are due on April 17th, so obviously we are not very far along. Please pray for safety and health for Bono. Of course everyone wants to know, so what are your plans? Where will this one be born?

Right now our plans are:
September-December: Winnipeg
January: Taiwan to staff Titus Project
Feb-March: Lead an outreach team
March-May: Home in Winnipeg to have the baby
June: In Europe running Titus Project (Location yet to be announced)

Obviously all of this is held tentatively based on what happens with my mom, but these are the plans so far. For a quick update on my mom, she is doing well, chemo has been hard but not unbearable. She goes for surgery at the end of September. Please pray that when they operate they find that the cancer has shrunk to nothing :)

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Food Poisoning

Ugly words…food poisoning.
 
I was tempted to describe each and every moment of my ordeal but I figure that most of you have gone through it yourself. And besides, though texture and color are important attributes, we usually only like to see them in beautiful things like art.
 
But it hurts like crazy! Aaannndd, I missed out on the party… hate that! But sometimes this stuff happens. So I took the opportunity to remind myself of the good things in my life. I thanked God for a beautiful and wonderful wife, the opportunity to do what I really enjoy, the care and love from so many friends and family and many other things. And in just a couple of days I’m back to normal. Of course, its not always easy to keep a positive and hope-filled attitude but it sure does help make life more enjoyable. And I don’t think I could have done it my own. I’ve learned from others and been strengthened by them as well as by God.
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Confessions…

Yesterday was a frustrating day all around. Expectations not being met are one of the biggest causes for anger and disappointment.
 
On saturday night we found we had been exposed to chicken pox.  Expectation #1: This friday we were going to go on a road trip with my parents to visit my brother and his wife in Calgary. Because of the Chicken Pox it looks like that probably won’t be happening. Expectation not met.
Expectation #2: Get to the walk in clinic early so that I get in fast, find out if I am immune to the pox. Hopefully I will get the results quickly. After driving to 2 walk-in clinics that were both closed, I finally ended up at one that was open, took 3 hours to get in, drove downtown to give blood, and I won’t get results for at least 5 days. Expectation not met.
Expectation #3 Take Cassie for pox vaccine so the symptoms will be not as bad if she does get it. Unfortunately we don’t have a pediatrition so we had to take her to a walk in clinic with a pediatrition at Higgins and Main, waited for over an hour, and finally got her vaccine. Expectation met, but very slow.
 
So all that complaining to confess that yesterday I had an awful attitude, I was tired of waiting. I was inside comparing the great medical system of Taiwan with here. I knew I had a bad attitude and I couldn’t shake it off.
 
Today I’m still disappointed about not going on the road trip, and also sad about probably not being able to see my mom for awhile until all the chicken pox virus is gone. BUT thankfully with a new day comes a better perspective. I also heard a story this morning about a man who was bumped off of a plane because it was over booked. After complaining and grumbling he was eventually put on the next flight. Wasn’t he surprised when the plane he was supposed to be on crashed!
 
Expectations not met can be frustrating and bring out the worst in us, but there is grace.  I’m thankful for grace.  Grace and Perspective.
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Something I’ve Learned This Week

The men’s group at our church meets every Wednesday evening. We chat for a bit, get up to date on each others’ lives and spend the last hour reading from a consecutive passage in the Bible and talking about it. We just recently started Exodus and some of the guys have never read it before, which usually makes for some interesting discussion. But discussion without change of thought or lifestyle isn’t worth much. So here is something that I have learned and also am trying to put into practice.
 
Learn
Moses was afraid to obey God. He didn’t want to go back to Egypt. He didn’t want to lead the Israelites to freedom. He didn’t believe in himself. He made excuses (some valid, some not). But eventually he did obey. The first time, it didn’t go too well. But he persevered through some difficult situations. And in the end, Moses succeeds – in a big way.
Pharaoh is quite the opposite. Of course, he didn’t want to obey God either. But unlike Moses, he disregarded God completely and suffered much. In fact, he became so adamant against God that he even ignored the pleadings of his officials, who had eventually changed their views. And in his selfishness and stubbornness, he brought catastrophe on his own people.
 
  • Obedience, though difficult and unpleasant, often brings long term success. Disobedience, though great in the short term, often brings terrible consequences.
Change
So now I’ve learnt something that I need to put into practice. That is, as I make choices throughout the day, I begin to do what I know is right (obedience) because I know it is for my good. So when Cassie is being cranky, I take her for a walk to give Mom a break. When the driver on the highway doesn’t want to let me in, I don’t freak out at him, I take a deep breath. When the room is a mess, I don’t wait for someone else to clean it up, instead I initiate tidying.
 
Well, it could sound like I never make bad decisions or disobey on purpose. I still do. But being reminded regularly makes me more aware of my choices during the day. God doesn’t beat me over the head about my mistakes but instead he forgives me and reminds me that I will have another opportunity to make the right choice. And that, brings a smile to both of us.