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...