Another Dave Walker Cartoon

I really appreciate this guy's humour.

Check out his blog

Sunday afternoon

Well, we are halfway through our mission trips. Today group #5 comes in, which means that we will be in for an other exciting week. This is the first week that we will have some Canadians here, which is kind of exciting. This week there will be 61 youth, and I am excited. Our last week was very encouraging. We had groups from all over the states, and it was really cool how God brought them together.

This morning I had the chance to go to First Christian Reformed Church in Thunder Bay with Steve. And we both felt that is was kind of like a homecoming, being in a reformed church surrounded by dutchies. After being in so many different churches in the last months, it was kind of nice. It was so reformed that we even had an elder reading the sermon that the pastor had written. It all ended with a great "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" and a "three-fold Amen". It was a great reformed morning.

This weekend was all in all very relaxing. We listened to the blues festival from a distance, we watched a movie in our new van with DVD player (I don't know why it is there, but it is). We had our own church service on the top of the bluffs in the rain, overlooking Thunder Bay. We had Panzerotti's, Thai Green Curry, Samosa's, Persians, and leftover BP from adult leaders. We went to a second hand bookstore, picked up some books there. All in all it was a great adventure.

The Blues festival from a distance...

Mid-Week Mania

Well, it is the forth week of mission trips, and that means that after this one there are only four weeks left. Right now we are already starting mid summer evaluations for ministries and our own development and stuff. To me that is always a sign, that summer is almost gone.

This week we have an awesomegroup, we have got Baptists from Colorado, a Faith community from Winsconsin, and Lutheran's from Minnesota. All together there are probably 60 youth here, and things are going really well. Monday was a really crazy day, because of July 1st many of our ministry sites were not able to have volunteers and so we had a group of about 20 go through marina park and pick up trash. I was really praying for nice weather and good spirits. But God surpassed my imagination, because it was a tiny bit rainy that morning, but not cold. And never have I seen so many youth excited about serving their community by picking up garbage. We must have had close to 20 garbage bags full by lunch time, with hundreds or cigarette buds, and many other pieces or garbage, you imagine it, they probably picked it up. The park people really appreciated it, and the youth had an awesome experience.

The rest of the week has moved along great as well. I have been able to give a lot of the events that have been happening recently a place, and even though I will have lots and lots of reflecting left to do at the end of the summer. God is taking care of me. For those who want to pray for us as a staff, we would really appreciate it. At this time we have been busy with YouthWorks for almost 7 weeks, and there are only 4 more weeks left after this. A lot of us our really tired, and all 4 of us don't feel 100% fit and healthy, it would be really awesome if you would pray for continued strength as we try to engage these youth.

For some more random information about YouthWorks
You can find some pictures here
You can find some videos here
You can find our team blog here
You can find YouthWorks info here

Craig Vanderveen

---Original message from Justin Cooper---
We are saddened by the tragic news of the death of Craig Vanderveen on Thursday evening, June 28. While visiting his family in Manitoba, he and his cousin were killed in a car accident while traveling to Winnipeg to see their grandfather. Further details of the funeral and any contact information will be provided when it becomes available. In the meantime, please pray for the Lord's grace and comfort for family and friends, particularly those in the Redeemer community who knew and worked with Craig.With resurrection hope,President Cooper

Please pray for both these families, friends, and the communities that both Craig and his cousin were part of. Until we get to meet again.

June in review

Months are flying by...

Half of my time in Thunder Bay is gone now. And it is going faster than I can even imagine, right now I am very tired. Meanwhile I stopped writing this blog, went to bed, slept for 11 hours, did laundry, and have started processing a lot of things that have been going on in my life in the last week and a bit. My last week was a harder week than before, I was very tired, when the week started, and many emotions and challenges from the youth and Youthworks experience just added to this. Hearing that Craig died, is something that seems non-realistic, realizing that tomorrow the youth are going to come again, is also crazy. So, this week has been a whirlwind of events.

However, I have had the chance to have some amazing conversations with some of the youth, to spend time with them, work with them, and grow and be challenged with them. We were able to find a few new ministry opportunities, and it looks like the coming week, we get a new start, in which we will be able to see where God is taking us as a team.

Recent highlights include;

Having a very challenging, but awesome group with Justin bowling 216 (see picture)

Hiking through Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Putting up Sheet Rock at O'Conner Baptist church

After the week with the Lutherans

Well, my first real week of YouthWorks is done. After 1 week in Denver, 2 weeks of prep the last week was our first one running a mission trip. It was an amazing and humbling experience, all of our groups were Lutheran and most of the churches were quite familiar with each other we had two groups from Grand Forks, ND and one group from Bemidji, MN. The youth were all between 12-14, so basically this week the trip was for junior high youth. The week was absolutely amazing. We as a staff still had some small details to work out, especially around dinner times. But, even though not everything went perfect the week was amazing. Part of the reason for that was that the adult leaders we had were very willing to help, and backed us up when needed. The youth was amazing, by wednesday they were coming back with stories about how they were part of changing the communities they were serving in and, the stories we heard on Thursday, were similar: amazing! The footwashing service was emotional, and was an amazing time of reflection of our first week as a staff, and the youth's work this week serving God and the community. For more stories throughout the summer check our very very new blog... http://www.t-bay007.blogspot.com/.

Yesterday, after all the kids left, we had to do our friday duties, which included shopping. Our 30 minute trip ended up taking us 180 minutes (that's 3 hours). So, after, no printer, dropping of Cheryl at the airport, picking up laundry, buying groceries at both the Canadian wholesale and superstore, going over our debit card balance, desperate calls, writing cheques, packing in a mini van, and a malibu full of groceries and laundry. We came back and decided we wanted pizza.

Today, we wanted to go out so we went to Mount McKay. It was quite the thrilling adventure, with an amzing view of lake superior and all of God's creation. Steve nearly fell of the cliff. And it was just an awesome time of bonding. All in all, my saturday so far has been quite relaxing, I am just very tired now.

From Mount McKay with the Sleeping Giant in the background.
Me on top of Mount McKay with the Thunder Bay (bay) of lake superior and many trees in the background

Well, we are still in Thunder Bay

We are still rockin' it in Thunder Bay. Well it is Thursday now, and Sunday our first youth are coming. So, basically things really need to come together now, and I'll tell you something they are coming together. However, since I started typing this blog about 2 hours ago, someone has cancelled on me for monday, but that is part of my job, and I think I can figure it out for Monday. So to give you a bit more detail my job in the last 2 weeks. This is what I have been doing.

A lot of business like...
*Trying to schedule about 20 meetings with ministry contacts
*Having about 15 actual meetings with those contacts
*Trying to schedule all that stuff into a neat looking week
*Making, editing, and creating Directions, "crew books", notes, and much more to make other people understand all the ramblings that go on in my brain

On the less business said of my body and brain, I have been having lots of fun
*Having Root Beer Floats, or other Ice-cream creations
*Goofing of with my awesome staff
*Having many SB's DQ's TH's MCD's KFC's or other delicious snacks with awesome people
*Loving Jesus, and realizing that he did a much better job at a lot of things than even those things I think I am really good at.

Then between business and fun, God has been changing my life
*The weekend was really hard for me, I was feeling a bit down, and wondered why the keck I was in Thunder Bay of all places
*I also had one of those occasional desires that (unfortunately) pops up in my brain to decide how the rest of my life is going to look
*Meeting with a guy named Pastor Sky was a pretty good remedy to those kind of thoughts, hearing his story of trusting God, even when God brought him to T-Bay, where he now has an amazing vision to set up this youth centre and career area, for disadvantaged youth

And all of this just happened in a bit more than a week, seeing that God has about 8 more in store for me with YouthWorks! this summer, it will be quite the adventure.

Pictures from our Thunder Bay team

My Site Director Jenn trying to kill me with a plastic knife and me calling my Area Director Lisa in despair while waiting at Toronto airportMe and my roomie Steven Timothy Dykstra

Our awesome team shot on the docks in T-Bay

Our team sitting on the docks contemplating an exciting summer about to happen. (LtR - Willem, Jenn, Rachel, Steve, Shannon)

One of the empty grain elevators in T-bay, they are really big...

Moving into T-bay

T-what? - T-Bay!

Yes I have arrived in Thunder Bay, actually I have been in Thunder Bay since Friday night (saturday morning) 1:30 am already. So, last week on the monday morning (after Rach called me at about 3:00 am) I went to Toronto, for 5 days of training just north of Denver in Broomfield. The church all the Canadians and the Western region of Youthworks stayed at was awesome. That Monday was exhausting. Between waking up at 2:30 am , 2 hour of time difference, about 6 hours of travelling, and doing our first information sessions. I was exhausted. I wasn't really catching the vision quite yet, but as the week proceded, and I learned more about my role as Urban staff, I got challenged more and more. And even more than being challenged I realized what an amazing privilege it is that God gave me this opportunity to serve with Youthworks this summer. So training was cool there were a bunch of cool Americans out there. And during the poverty simulation we as Canadians didn't have to worry about paying healthcare.

Friday morning we got up early to travel to T-Bay, to most better known as Thunder Bay. After about 14 hours of travelling, 3 flights, starbucks, Quiznos, 3 hour delay, amazing conversations with Jenn, Rachel (from Youthworks), and Shannon. We arrived in Thunder Bay. We packed all the stuff in a cab and slept at the hotel. The next morning we went to the church which I will call home for the rest of the summer, because not only do I attend and serve there, I sleep there as well - Elim Community Christian Centre. The first days we spend a lot of time with the team (Jenn, Steve, Rachel, and Shannon). Having fun and getting a bit familiar with the city of Thunder Bay.

Since Sunday I have been very busy with establishing relationships with my community contacts. As the urban staff, I have to coordinate all the volunteer opportunitites of the youth that come for the mission trips. And so my last two days I have been busy with making appointments for meetings, going to meetings, filling in charts, and trying to work out this logistical bonanza.

It is really cool what God is doing, is has been really hard at times to stay at ease and not be scared by the amount of work that I still need to do. I have been blessed by an amazing team, and in fact, I have already been challenged to change many of the things that I have always considered normal in my life. This experience is changing my life. As Shane Claiborne has put it, I think "Jesus is wrecking my life".

Also, I am reading a childrens biography about D.L. Moody

Denver, Thunder Bay, Toronto

Well, currently I am still getting ready, finishing my packing and tomorrow I am flying from YYZ (Toronto) to Denver for a week of training with youthworks. Then on Friday I am heading out to Thunder Bay to lead mission trips for 8 weeks after 2 weeks of preperations which we will start with in Thunder Bay when we arrive there. And when the mission trips start is going to be 8 weeks of craziness, I can't wait. I am working with 4 other people in Thunder Bay. Steve Dijkstra will be roomie for the summer which is super cool because, it is somebody I know and I have lead the Hamilton mission trip with him before. The other people on our team our my site director Jen Troelstra, Rachel Dunn, and Shannon Kelly. I don't really have an idea who these people are yet, but I am sure I will know them a bit better by the end of this adventure.

During my Youthworks experiene I'll try to keep this blog updated. I'll try to tell you stories of what God is doing in my life and in the lives of those around me. At the end of the Thunder Bay adventure we are going back to Toronto for a debrief (exit-ramp).

This summer is going to be different again, I am quite positive that I will miss people, Rachel for example. But, I get to serve God in a way that excites every inch of my body (sounds like Kuyper, that's scary). So I am excited about this adventure.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." - Numbers 6:24-26

Please come visit me

Well, I know that I am often far away from my family and friends in Holland and other people are far away from their family and friends. But, just come visit me, here are the directions, it is not that expensive. Although step 41 might take a bit of time, but that's all.

Honestly

Honestly, I don't know how well I will continue to update this blog, but today I will at least update it. I am halfway done my undergrad, which I guess is a really cool thing. I have enjoyed many of the courses I have taken, but have been even more enriched and challenged by some of the activites outside the classroom. This year, was completely different from anything that I expected it to be. I expected my second year to be first year part II. However, there were new people, new struggles, and new brokeness and beauty.

After first semester I was not doing that great, I struggled a lot with my faith, in the way that I did not care about it that much. I can't do things on my own, I can't...
"you can’t do this alone! you can’t work/grind hard enough to make this happen, to pull this off. this i will do great things through you, but you must walk, stand, run, hide, jump, fly with me. it is all through me. don’t go it alone or you will fall and you will fall hard. it will be violent and bloody (spiritually). please trust my word, i am telling you now."
That is what God told me and some of the people that mean a lot to me at the beginning of this school year. I think it took me a while to listen to that.

It is a slow process growing from brokeness to healing, from insecurity to trust, from earthly to spiritually, from me to God. But, then there are people helpingme people caring for me. People learning to challenge me, and I try to challenge others in the same way.

I was set on working in Barrie this summer, living in Barrie, making the money, living at home... I am happy I am not going to do that, although I would love to spend more time with my mother and some family. I am excited about what God has told me through people around about, community, my summer, God's plans, and something called Youth Works. So, this summer I will be leading mission trips, where I don't know yet, I know it will be in Thunder Bay, Vancouver, or Toronto, but I don't know where. Please pray that God will use me as his servant, that I can influences the teens I will be hanging out with in a Christ-like way. That's it for now.