this, is home

what a journey to get to this place

but, this, is home

no matter what i have experienced

the number of airports (15)

the number of countries (6)

the new relationships (countless)

i still have this home in canada

my heart is still canadian, and i like that

yesterday, as i flew in over toronto and watched the night world go by under me, i saw

a hockey rink, and that made me smile

tim horton’s, and that made me laugh

and cars driving on the right side of the road, which had me freaked out and thinking someone was going to get in a head-on collision for a little while

but then i figured it out, and saw that all the cars were going that way

i know i say this all the time,

but it can always be said again

life, is beautiful

 

this end is not the end

this end, is really not the end

these people, i will be with for another 18 months

that sound, i am going to hear again

there, we will all be

but first, it’s home

and family

and Christmas

and love

what a perfect blend, what a happy day in the sun

blessings

as i have been reflecting on this season of my life that i have spent in south africa, i have felt overwhelmingly blessed.

blessed with frienships

with a house

a very close classroom

and a beautiful windy city.

most of the turmoil of this season has gone on in my own heart, and i have come out the better for it all.

once again, God has been faithful in challenging me in the areas i prayed about before this season came around.

a softer heart,

greater inner peace,

soulful joy,

& a view of the world that doesn’t separate and divide with labels

learning, is a blessing

growing, is a blessing

changing, is a blessing

i never want to stop.

13?

my brain is having a hard time grabbing  hold of the fact that Christmas is 13 days away

and it is the sun’s fault

today, i burnt my shoulders during my hours of walking around this beautiful breezy city

never, in my life, have i come close to do that

these last nine months of my life where i have constantly been chasing summer have my internal thermometer quite frozen (or the opposite)

i

kinda

like

it

i actually really do.

last night we had a lovely progressive dinner for our track family christmas party

we took a train

walked across a street

squeezed around a table

ate some bread and feta (staples of our diet here)

had the main course at our house

then walked two blocks to the other house for dessert

we then watched home alone

funny movie, i’ve never seen it before

and then it was the end of a lovely evening

oh, and somewhere in there we took a group picture

it was an amazing celebration of life, and memories, and friendship

7 days

only
7 days
until i depart from this country

in 7 days
i will leave behind this beautiful ocean
glorious clouds
and friendly dark faces

there are things that i am sad to leave behind
but overall
i feel ready to move on

the relationships, friendships, partnerships that have been established here are strong
(and able to be updated via fb)

so in seven days, exactly actually, since it is 5 pm
i will start my 41 hour journey back to canada

crazy
ridiculous
beautiful
life.

shaun the surfer

this morning our speaker in class was this guy named shaun, who was a surfer.  by his own advice, only shoot (photograph) what you are passionate about, and so he is a surfing photographer.

getting to the point.

he loves acronyms.

here a few of the highlights…

be real!

r – relationship

e – empathy

a – attitude

l – love

His

l – love

i – illuminating

g – grace

h – holiness

t – through us

hope

h – he

o – offers

p – peace

e – eternal

there are many more from where those came from.

: )

peace

yesterday i rode the train into cape town by myself. on the way back the train was very crowded, and i spent the 45 minute journey making faces at the little boy beside me.  as i sat there, the only white person in the train car, it was so evident to me.

this, is what i want my life to be.

i love this place of

questions

hope

adventure

beauty

joy

difference

learning

and love.

i may have written something to this effect before, but it was really on my heart to write it again.

then this morning i went for a walk to kalk bay.  as i listened to the waves crashing, the cars going by, the wind blowing in from antarctica, and people’s voices traveling in the breeze, i had to smile.

and i smiled hugely.

my smile was so big that my cheeks started to hurt, the muscles even felt a little cramped.  so i tried to push at my cheeks to make it go away.

it wouldn’t.

then as i passed people going the other way, i was aware that it is not always a good idea to smile giddy-ly at the people passing by. it can sometimes be taken the wrong way…  so i tried to think of things to make me sad, or at least more blah, and once again

nothing.

so i ended up just smiling and saying good morning very cheerily to everyone who passed.  i even slipped into a bit of a south african accent on one of them.  this may have tricked the person i said it to, for they proceeded to ask me for directions. and they were south african, and i even knew where the place was that they were looking for.

made my day even more.

here are two quotes that i found this morning that i think perfectly describe this peace…

the peace that lies within me is one of eternal pain but surpassing faith in God’s ultimate desire to shower mercy in the heaviest and most broken places – jenna lee

you can’t be connected with God until you’re at peace with who you are. if you’re still upset that God gave you this body or this life or this family or these circumstances, you will never be able to connect with God in a healthy, thriving, sustainable sort of way.  you’ll be at odds with your maker. and if you can’t come to terms with who you are and the life you’ve been given, you’ll never be able to accept others and how they were made and the lives they’ve been given. and until you’re at peace with God and those around you, you will continue to struggle with your role on the planet, your part to play in the ongoing creation of the universe. you will continue to struggle and resist and fail to connect. – rob bell

there’s just something

beautiful

wonderful

magical

about this life.

layne

i know this girl who has the name of

layne

beckner

greene

she is amazing

and today is the day the world was blessed with her presence

and we have now been blessed for 27 years.

so i made her a treasure hunt, with 27 clues that are all somehow hidden in one house

it may just turn into some sort of disaster if she does not find them in the order they are supposed to be

i’m not worried though

she’ll laugh anyways

namibian memories

i kept a list of all the different things that i found memorable when on my trip to namibia.  this is the list.  (it may be long)

fast run/walk to get to 7:40am train

jon gets to train but forgets passport so has to go back

i don’t have credit card so have to pay cash again

jon doesn’t come on 9:40 train

layne decides to hope he is on the next train and take a taxi to meet up with the 10am departing bus in belleville

sitting in belleville thinking the bus is about to leave without them, and then seeing jon’s black hoodie and layne’s yellow hat!

kevin falling for/on layne

dreaming dreams on a lovely bus

jon’s treats of fries and biscuits

gido…

the epic movie called M & Y U 4ever (me and you, us, forever)

phone verification through answering machines at the namibian border

sunrise on the bus/first sights of namibia

finding johanne “are you called layne?”

the first day’s food spread that just kept on coming

bronwyn! and her love story

waiting for plans to be relayed when johanne was off from work

joe’s beerhouse (mostly the name) –>where we found all the tourists

miss universe’s school

being with bronwyn all morning and getting a complete namibian tour of windhoek

game drive, peace in wide open plaves

making dinner for everyone – greek salad

bible study at bronwyn’s

layne’s surprise birthday party

speaking at the highland christian school – the dancing girls

trying to have a straight face when we were asked to recruit people

the hot, sweaty walk back from the mall – the Smith’s laughing hysterically at us for doing it

johanne’s ‘take two’ playing style

picnic at parliment grounds

steven and his madness

4am border crossing

the lady who wouldn’t give me a new visa

the bus breakdown

photo shoot

the redone josh groban song into an atrocious music video

feeling at home in cape town

 

bus

happy day

tomorrow morning at 10am i am going to get on a bus.  after being on that bus for 21 hours, i am going to get off and be in another country.  :)

i anticipate not having internet, but i’ll definitely write about everything when i get back.

more happy days to come