Overheating

Well, the car is for sale. Only $500. It's in good condition and I'm sad to see it go. I just know it wouldn't make it if it were left sitting here in Vic with no one driving it. I hope someone buys it.

I am back now. Camp wrapped up reasonably well. August was a very busy month, but there were moments when I actually felt as though I was doing my job properly. At any rate, I got better at communicating. I did drop many balls during Breakaway Camp, which Christopher, Ashley and I co-directed, but we had a fantastic staff that did very well that week. I went paddling until late at night, paddled around Thetis Island, went to Chemainus Theatre with my mom, had some good talks on the...umm...*whispers* roof, and generally met some amazing people. The friends I made were very important as two rather stressful events happened while I was there. The first is that my bird died suddenly on the Thursday before Breakaway began. The second was that Ben got appendicitis. He's better now, but there were times when between personal, family, Germany and job stuff, the days were very crazy. God is good though, and I am learning to dwell in him better.

I fly to Germany on Tuesday, leaving town here on Saturday to go visit people in Vancouver. I am currently getting ready to head to bed after (at last) finishing a draft of my co-op report. I will finish the rest of it tomorrow night and spend Thursday and Friday packing. ULP!

I'll probably post again once in Germany..

with love and until then,
Liz

one month

Well, seeing as one month has already gone by and I haven't updated, I guess this won't be as regular an occurance as I had hoped. My summer has gone very well so far. The summer staff is starting to come together as a family and we're going to be hanging out and singing/sharing tonight as a group. Next weekend is the big bash because our intrepid PYC leaders will be through their first session as leaders and be able to join us. I can't believe that there have only been 2 Pioneer camps so far and one rental groups. It seems like I've been here forever. I have been here a while though--nearly 6 weeks. The weather just got hot two days ago and I am planning on going swimming as soon as I finish this post. It is going to be an intersting summer if the heat keeps up. It adds to the atmosphere though, and it IS camp after all.

So...not much more to say here...email me for details; I do have pretty regular access. I've been kayaking several times!!!!! gone to Duncan and done laundry (significant events at camp), been swimming a few, started running until my knee decided it doesn't like gradual inclines and stopped letting me go (I might try again soon because I've been resting it). Other than that, my last day off, which was on Thursday, was pretty much my half-way recovery point. Please continue praying for me if you are and I AM enjoying myself.

From the little Island, my home for another month and a week,

Liz

Interlude

Yup, another two weeks passed by very quickly up at pioneer. I had an interesting time of it. I spent the second week staring at my computer screen accomplishing things but, well, not really there. I was in the middle of the three-week transition period that a coworker once told me is inevitable in each new job. My sluggishness was compounded by a cold I contracted somewhere around Monday and didn't shed until the following Monday. In the course of that week, I cleaned a freezer and some brain cells, finished a number of projects and generally got ready for things. The sunset photo was taken on the way up to Nanaimo just before I posted last, actually. No I did not look through the view finder. I just held the camera and shot--granted that was a bit more difficult than I'd anticipated and it took some concentration. Anyway, the photo above it is looking back to Thetis from the ferry.
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The highlight of that week was by far the physical labour we did at the end of it. Megan and I helped the guys finish up the site. That's me driving the first load of two loads of lumber. I also got to drive a load of PVC piping up to the maintenance yard. Good times. Only, well, the next morning I was pretty out of it and barely made it up to Nanaimo where I napped in the mall parking lot before semi-engaging the group in Qualicum. It was fantastic to see everyone, really, but my goodness I was out of it. Too tired, still sick, barely able to talk etc. It was frustrating for me and well---well, I got to talk to a few people and see a few more and we all went for dinner to the restaurant. There was a minor whipped cream fight afterward and we all ate fantastic cake. The next day I rested and then drove back to Nanaimo and then down to Chemainus. The week went by quickly in hindsight. Camp has a trampoline and we will have to be so careful. It is a fantastic work out though. We finished on Friday and got ready for summer to start--which it does this coming week. I am not going to post for a long time after tonight, simply because my next extended period of time off is in July/August for four days. This Saturday was my brother's graduation from high school. YAY JON!!! I'm so proud of that guy=)

God is good...God is good. This has been an adjustment and a hard one...But he is making it easier to be away from people in Vic. And after a fantastic kayak today, has given me more things to chew on for the rest of the summer. Things like the meaning of leadership, how to engage groups fully (learned by not doing so) and other character things. God really has gifted me with some very good friends. Such a variety, all so different..."good stuff". Anyway...final thoughts, God bless to the China team, language sponges have to be careful (unless you're around someone who reads the dictionary ;) and here comes the beginning of the summer!!! I hope you are all well and see you when I see you=) mit Liebe! Liz

camp

(I hopet the person who received this email doesn't mind me posting this piece...i'm too tired to write much more!)

I'm enjoying camp but it's more real life than I'd anticipated and I'm still adjusting. I'm glad that I'm doing something that will show me whether or not I really want a desk job later on. The job will also be a challenge as I'm juggling about 5 hats and roles but I'm really looking forward to the rest of the summer and do like/love the job=) This is the first intro to work beyond retail for me so it's all new and different. wheeee!

Right now I'm doing admin work (days off, room assignments) and template design, working on inventory for the tuck shop that I'm managing, and trying get my head around what working in an office entails. I spent a day and a bit cleaning because of dust, dirt and mice--it was beyond dusting, and I dubbed it "surface reclamation" and listened to a bit of CBC while scrubbing. It's been a good week though, and the four of us in the office are getting along quite well and the four of us young(er) staff have a good time eating together and/or relaxing. I went for an AWESOME paddle on Thursday in the rain. The water was flat calm, like a lake, and we paddled for a hour and a half up The Cut, which is an inlet that cuts deep into Thetis Island on the west side of the bay. That to me was camp and true relaxation.

So yeah, I really do miss Victorian, though, and suspect that it will be especially hard tomorrow not being part of Church and hanging out with everyone. That said, I'm hanging out at my Grandparents' right now and am pretty happy to be here, playing games, eating and having a good time=)

you don't know what you have until it's gone (a personal post)

Strange. For the entire past week, I was psyching myself up (and out) about the fact that I am leaving town for the summer and only coming back as a transient for a weekend and then possibly two days. Now though, doped up on 70% chocolate and actually at peace because of the prayers at church today, I'm oddly ready to go. Maybe that readiness is because part of me left a week or so ago, before I even finished my course, and the rest needs to catch up and settle in the same place.

It also helps to know that I have at least one more shot at saying goodbye properly to one or two of the friends who are leaving and who I'm truly beginning to appreciate for once for who they are, now that I'm thinking about them gone. It's odd also to think that, hey, maybe it will take a tonne of effort to keep these relationships going over the distance, because of time, work and more but can we try? I used to shut off and start again...but this time, if possible, please let's keep going. As God wills. lol it's such a family thing--some of us don't get excited about stuff until we're actually gone or actually writing or whatever, just in case we could get disappointed. AnYWay.

Strange--the theme of this week has been 1) speaking the truth in love (And speaking truth period) 2) building long-term, deep friendships by taking risks and being open and listening 3) controlling the tongue and speaking less (partly to ensure #1 happens). So, friends who read, I thank you and wish you well...I'm off to sort some of these questions out in a place where I can gain strength and then come out here. As a wise friend once said, it is so easy to go from event to event, place to place, and let others do the work of building a foundation in scripture or a relationship with God--what is hard, and what is necessary, is building that foundation on our own. I'll add to that: and do all that building while in one's own city is even more key.
Life is just beginning still, so despite the rather melancholic tone of this piece, I AM glad to be going, will be very excited and have had so much fun in the past few days. Thanks esp. to those Friday Friends who surprised me, bbq'd and baked etc. =)

(added later: On the flip side, there are some dear friends and cool people here in town who AREN'T going anywhere and who I'm also starting to value more and more...so thank you also to those people! Several years more, I hope, several years more. Plus, my family's here, which fact is cool in and of itself. =)

I'm off, I'll be posting on another blog the details of my travels (Eventually). ereisegern.blogspot.com will be the eventual link...go there now, it will be pretty bare...oh, and this blog will remain for me-stuff, joy of joys to y'all who might be looking for something more entertaining.
Wahoo I'm off to camp! and I get to drive (and I AM excited about that too)=) I get to go kayaking and running and sailing and suntanning and do writing and baking and work yay...!

DQ Sunday

I know I just posted, but I wrote my last final at UVic for over a year today and figured, well, might as well post to commemorate the occasion. Got some passport photos taken too, and wandered around the mall while they were being developed. Went to the pet shop, Zellers and finally decided to land at Bolen Books for a bit. Ended up reading two chapters of Ralston Saul's book "Death of Globalization" or something like that. Weirdly enough, I'm finally seeing the point of my degree in general. It teaches me to see the world in a different light. I see glimmerings of how poli systems fit together, what assumptions people make, where information comes from and what the point of studying is. Despite my griping, too, I found this coures very helpful and hopefully it will be useful. Anyway, we went to DQ tonight in lieu of a formal GIG event. The television line-up that followed was: Canada's Next Top Model, The Italian Job, South Park, Frasier and 5 minutes of some other show.
The South Park was all about one of the kids (this was my first full-ish episode) who makes a bet with another about who can make a platinum record first. One group founds a Christian Rock band purely because he thinks he can make money. To record songs, they simply alter the lyrics of secular songs, replacing names or other words with "Jesus". It sounded cheesy. While it bordered (and crossed) the line of good taste a bit, the episode made me ask again and again "Is this really what Christianity looks like to others? Is this really what it seems? Why??" I don't think seeking to be "cool" is the right answer and people easily create images and stereotypes of us, and being on the outside looking in to such a parallel culture would be odd, but I wonder. What does it come down to, how we are perceived? And does it matter? The recording industry has been a great blessing to many people and there is a tonne of excellent Christian music now. And yet, why would that bother people (besides "people" being South Park creators). Again and again it seems that relationships, one on one, are key to the answer of how Christ is presented...dunno. Maybe the episode picked up on a niggling hypocrisy...when we sing it, do we mean it? often yes but.
I'm tired. It's 1.27am. Philosophy at this hour gets interesting eh Elly?
To bed I now go and sweet may your dreams be.
Only three full days left in Victoria.

photo playing: new glasses...dog and me (pensive) sorry I cut off part of the frame. will post pic with other frame when camera batteries charge.