How its going.. and some random thoughts!

We use this blog primarily to stay in touch, so here is another update... followed by some random thoughts I've (Kelly) been having ... (I guess having a blog means I get to share those!)
We're all really settling in to Hepburn, Bren really experienced closure to his Winnipeg life after our visit last weekend - he got to officially say goodbye to his co-workers and the kids at VW School. He says he is feeling so much more peace and it's obvious. This week, he really made a lot of progress on the house projects he's been working on. We have the coolest central vac outlet in the kitchen, you just sweep the dust right into it. I think it's my favorite home reno project he's ever accomplished! (and he's done many in all our various homes!)
The kids are doing really well. Syd has a new horse obsession and we're really considering getting her one. Maybe not this year, but we've heard from a few people now that they longed for a horse when they were young and when they got one it was a dream come true. Part of a parent's job is to make their kids' dreams come true, right?!!?
Owen is connecting well with some good friends, and his gifts and strengths are being developed, we're seeing him grow in some encouraging ways. He's taken to wearing this ridiculous tuque around town, it has ear flaps and strings, he's quite a sight in his plaid shorts and tuque, riding around town with a guitar on his back. He wore this tuque with his snowsuit back when I could still get him to wear snow pants, its been around for a while. (so, its too small!) I guess this is a cool look, although I think its pretty outrageous.
As for me, I'm feeling blessed by a few new friendships, sensing that there are connections I'm making now that will be meaningful for many years. I also feel really blessed that some good Winnipeg friends have made significant efforts to stay in touch... (Carol, we'll set up that weekly prayer date yet!!)
In a conversation with my sister Lorrie about details of our life here, she said that it seems like we're all making great friends and that "there seems to be a lot of amazing people in that town" - that about sums it up - it feels like it really won't be long before we have as strong a sense of community, and not only that, but commitment to our community, as we did in Winnipeg.
And of course we're celebrating Thanksgiving next weekend with my sisters and their families.. we're very excited to show off our new town and home, I actually can't wait for them to arrive. (It'll be a long week of anticipation!)

okay, here some random thoughts: (only a couple since the update was long)

• Why is it that we North Americans find it SO HARD to rest .. be forgiving with ourselves, lower our own expectations, and go with the flow?? I know I'm not alone in that, and I also know that in spite of lots of reflection on the subject of rest, I can't seem to get it right.



• Why are there so many more people from SK who have a blog than in MB? Most of the people we've met here are 'bloggers' - very few of our friends in MB were. Just something I'm wondering about....!!

The hepburn top 10, by owen

1.friends

2.jamming with braden, joey, jordan or ben - can't wait for electric guitar lessons to start when I get back from Winnipeg.

3.school

4.youth

5.video games and ping pong at joeys

6.biking around town - I do that every day

7.airsofting even though I'm not really allowed to do it right now

8.guitar - my new guitar was a promise made to me when i found out we were moving, I love it

9.walking the dogs - hardly ever did that in Winnipeg

10.playing on the computer - I like staying in touch with my old friends and my family

feeling ????????? (by Brendan)

The title has actual meaning, I'm not just being lazy. ???????????? describes how I feel right now about living here in Hepburn. If you don't know what ????????????? represents, let me give you a story to explain it. Say you've lived in city X for your whole life. You live on a wonderful street, have a job you enjoy, go to a church you love, ...you get the picture. The next thing you know, you're 800 km's from your home, in a small town in which live as many people as used to live on your old street, you have a different driver's licence, different licence plate and everybody cheers for the football team you've always hated. That is ???????????!
Don't get me wrong, when I got here there was 20+ people unloading my U-haul. Everybody waves at you and says hello. I even got invited to apply for a job while standing on the roof cleaning out my plumbing vents. I have and will continue to enjoy the Saturday night poker games. I've even ordered a soccer ppv match with some guys here. We are and have been very blessed and I have no doubt that we are in the place that God wants us to be at this time ... That does not change the fact that the unfamiliar has never been an enjoyable place for me. I at times am feeling like Alice in Wonderland, in a world that is not my own. I've even thought once or twice about just getting in the car and driving back to Winnipeg. The thing that most enables me to "be" where I'm at right now is that I know that there is no safer place than within the will of God and as much as I like to complain about my circumstances I truly know that we as a family are where we are because God has guided us and led the way.
So .... if you didn't understand what feeling ??????????????? meant before you read this I hope that I have enlightened you somewhat as to what feeling ?????????????? means to me.
Thanks for keeping in touch with our family.

A new look

Been meaning to update the blog with a new look, so I finally did that tonight. Also added a few new links..
Thanks for reading.

Some news

Today was a FULL day. Brendan was offered a job he is pretty excited about, he'll be working as director of a local group home for adults with disabilities. (Shepherd's Villa) He was made aware of the job during our first days here in Hepburn, and met with one of the board members last week, then with the entire board last night. This is such amazing evidence of God's faithfulness and care; we both feel really blessed.
We came to this town with an idea in our heads of how it would be, and a plan for what we envisioned ... slowly, we are realizing that while planning and vision are necessary, God is really the One who looks after things .. prov 16:9 I think ?? We both really thought school was the plan for Brendan, but this job opportunity was too good to pass up, it was covered with good Fingerprints!
We also had a BBQ fundraiser we went to for the College's third year missions trip to India. Work was fast paced and sort of overwhelming today, too. Owen has had a bit of a hiccup on the relational front - he's trying out his "I'm an inner city gangster kid" persona. You can imagine how that went over with his buddies who have for the most part grown up in rural Saskatchewan. Makes one's head spin ... so we have a lot on the go!
We love keeping in touch this way, we love the comments and emails we get from friends who are making our blog part of their Internet spots to check regularly. Right now, we're in the early days of making friends and developing relationships with others, but the people who we feel safe with, those who know who we really are, (and love us anyway) -- they're far away .. when they take steps to stay close, we are blessed.

Back to thinking (sorry!)

We are settling in to our new home, just had a weekend of exploration .. On Saturday we explored Saskatoon by visiting a street festival on Broadway, it was interesting and relaxing. We bought a decorative plaque for our kitchen, and we brought a two year old with us, his mom and dad attended a wedding, he was great fun! Today we visited Batoche, a Metis battle site.
Here's the hmmmm... as we toured and explored this one-time settlement that is now carefully and expensively preserved with our tax dollars (I'm getting to the point and don't mean to sound cynical, keep reading!) I was really struck by the irony of the situation ... here was a vibrant and well-done retelling of a story of rebellion and uprising against the government. The site preservation and technology involved in the retelling of the story were initiated and are funded by... the government. I guess I'm supposed to make the logical jump to thinking that we're much more progressive and enlightened now.. but I'm not sure I'm convinced about that. Maybe the fact that anyone left living there had to be moved out in order to "preserve the history" left me feeling kind of hollow.
Anyway, while there, I picked up a book I know I'm going to enjoy, its a Mechif dictionary. Mechif is the language that resulted from anglicizing
French, combinining it with Cree, and basically teaching the next generation a language that hadn't been formally taught to the first. It's fascinating, funny sounding - if you know very much French ... but it's mostly tragic. I was reminded today of a culture and society that were relevant and real, and somehow their existence seemed like only a brief moment in time.

Just a quick note...

Hello! We've been reminded that we were going to post once each week and we haven't really done that... soon, very soon, we will have a settled enough existence for such routine! In the meantime, please pray for us as we try to create a home that is peaceful, inviting, and frequented by new friends, Bethany students, and lots of friends and family from Manitoba!!
A brief summary of the last week or so - well, whirlwind is a good description! That has pretty much been our whole summer, hasn't it?!?

The kids started school, that was awesome. Their teachers are fantastic, the school community is warm and welcoming, we think the whole thing is a tremendous blessing. No one except me is going to miss the French... c'est la vie! Because Owen and Syd had made several friends before school started, the first day really wasn't that big of a deal. They really like coming home for lunch, they were always in the lunch program at Lansdowne, so this is a new thing all together! (we'll all miss Jean, Vickie, Mary ... all the great staff in the Lunch Program - should I lie and say that I'll miss being on the lunch program committee?!??)
Brendan is the chief home-organizing champion - a big job. He's rebuilt toilets, cleared drains, and is still learning about wells to solve our water dilemma. He set up our office and will soon organize our desk... the kitchen and laundry room are almost done ... Thankfully our water conservation efforts mean that we can have more showers at home now! Bren was really missing Winnipeg and the comforts of familiarity the other day, and wouldn't you know that some neighborhood guys invited him out that very night! Some might say coincidence, we think every good gift comes from the God who cares so deeply for us.
This is registration weekend at the college, so a very busy work time for me, but such a wonderful experience! So far, my limited experience of the school has been without students, so this weekend has given me a much clearer perspective on why we're here and why the college exists ... its all about the young people, and it's been awesome meeting them as they come through registration. Can't wait to get to know them better!
We had our first 'chapel' tonight, the first one for the year, and what a great time.
Confirmation abounds...but its with heavy hearts that we realize how deeply we can 'feel' the absence of all that we once took for granted. We know we'll love it here, that goes a long way.
I think we'll become accustomed to this hopeful, yet heavy feeling .... until next time, hopefully with photos...