Week 28: Crabbing & French Beach

As the weather has been significantly warmer we have been as proactive as possible to take advantage of the warmth as much as possible.

We spent a few days catching crabs off of our dock here at Camp Qwanoes anticipating a crab feast. 

We made an event of the feast on the dock enjoying the sun, and community.

With our bellies full and the beginnings of the first sunburn of the year we pulled up our crab traps and made a quick transition into getting ready to go camping at French Beach. 

We left early Thursday morning headed towards the west side of the island.  

We arrived, set up camp and headed down the path from the campsite to the beach. 

Everyone hung out at the beach soaking up as much sun as possible. We ended up playing a game, that involved everyone getting quite creative with the abundance of driftwood and creating some kind of game, structure, or fort. 

The time at the beach was so appreciated by all, it was a time for everyone to take a few days, step away from school work, and reflect on the year thus far in the beauty of creation.

We shared many laughs, played fun games, ate great food cooked over a fire, saw some beautiful sunsets, and drank some delicious coffee. 

After the camping trip, we returned to Qwanoes anticipating the next and final class before gearing up towards graduation.


Please Pray for:

Our Students as they finish class work and begin to think about the end of the year

Pray that our students continue to press into each other and their community as they finish the year.

That the students would stay open to the work that God still wants to do in them before the end of the year. 

Week 26-27 Engaging the Ideas of Our World & Kayaking

Only returning from the missions trips a short time ago, the students have made some hard transitions back into everyday Kaléo life and lots happened since then.

The students had a few days to rest and recover after reuniting from their trips before they dove back into their 'Engaging the Ideas of Our World' class. Where Professor Cal Mcfarlane taught on the ideas of modernity and postmodernity and how this affects the world that we live in today along with the philosophies that people adopt.

It was fun to have a familiar face return from Briercrest as Cal Mcfarlane also taught the very first class, 'Introduction to Spiritual Theology', back in September.

Cal sparked a lot of thought among the students as they were able to recognize some of the philosophies and worldviews that they experienced through the people they met on their recent missions trips.

After finishing up a week of class we had the opportunity to welcome the Chaplin from Briercrest Campus, Cody Matchett, to come out for a few days to teach on the book of James and what the Scriptures say about becoming a follower of Jesus.

While Cody was here we were able to show him around a few of our favorite places in this beautiful province that we are located in.

We said goodbye to Cody, then got out for a day of sea kayaking. We embraced the beautiful west coast March weather and had a blast paddling around seeing some of the sea life and gaining a new perspective on the geography of the valley we live in.

We pulled off onto a beach for lunch.

With a vast spectrum of kayaking experience among our group, we had a ton of fun and were again grateful for the beautiful weather on yet another trip.

Please Pray For:

Our Students as the year comes to a close that they would press into the community around them and be attentive to how God wants to work in their lives.

Students to stay on top of their academics.

Students as they begin to think about the next steps for their lives.

Weeks 23-25 Missions

The last few weeks have been SO good.  

The second week of February was filled with preparing to send off missions teams for the 13th - seven students to Mexico and ten students to inner city Vancouver.  

Everyone gathered together to pray before we departed for our trips.

February 12th here on the island we were hit with a snow storm, which resulted in our Mexico team leving to the Victoria airport early where they had to patiently wait 14 hours for their flight. 

The next day at camp the Vancouver team spent the morning shovelling to get the vehicles out in time to get to the Nanaimo ferry. 

Putting chains on the van to get it out 

By the evening of the 13th both teams had finally arrived at their destinations anticipating what the next two weeks would bring. 

VANCOUVER

The Vancouver trip was divided into three main time chunks all on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.

Feb 13-17 at a church "New Beginnings" who's missions is to reach first nations. 

Feb 18-22 was spent at "Potters Place" who's mission is to "visibly, tangibly and measurably transform the Downtown Eastside (located on East Hastings street) through the power of God..." 

Feb 23-27 was spent again at New Beginnings. 

At New Beginnings the group helped alongside the church leaders by doing spring cleaning and supporting their afterschool program "Say Yes" They did services, moving ministry, and youth programs. The church has created strong bonds with the community who surrounds it, and the students had the opportunity to serve and come along side the poeple and the church. They worked hard and had the chance to change gears from studying to doing on the ground service, which allowed space to think about how Jesus has called us to be humble and servant hearted. 

Filling up the truck for the dump 

Leading worship at a service for New Beginnings 

The group at New Beginnings 

Potters Place runs two services 11 am -1 pm and  9 pm - 11 pm. The students lead music, shared testimonies, and had opportunities to preach sermons. They spent time on the streets talking to the people who live there, hearing stories, and sharing about who Jesus is and how he has transformed their lives. 

Levi speaking at Potters 

Emerson speaking at Potters 

Praying as a team at a park near Potters Place 

The team at Potters Place

The team was able to spent one day at Union Gospel Mission located on East Hastings Street, this experience allowed the students to have a broader picture of the work happening on the downtown east side.

Looking out over the city on the deck of UGM

MEXICO 

"We traveled as a team to El Papalote, Mexico on the Baja Peninsula to serve the indigenous people working, living, and studying there. We had the opportunity to serve in many ways from construction and painting, to children's events and ministry to the marginalized living at a local dump. While we were able to pour out while in Mexico and touch the people there, we were also touched by the joy and passion for life and God the people had." - Kurt Jones 

Checking out the local dollar store 

Wrapping up construction

Some of the team we worked with 

More construction

Grocery Store 

Looking at the view 

Coming home from church 

Hiking a volcano 

"The trip overeall was amazing and we all returned safely. We are so thankful for all God has done through us and in us. We are eager for more opportunies to serve in our day to day lives with the poeple we encounter." 

- Kurt Jones 

Continue to Pray:

That the students are able to adjust back into life at camp.

That what was experinced over the past weeks would not be forgotten. 

That the students would finish the year strong anticipating that God will continue to work in their lives. 

Week 21: Perspective in Missions

After arriving back from trips to Vancouver and Mount Washington the students are back in class with Gord Nickerson learning about the Perspectives in Mission. 

With the Missions Fest conference fresh in our minds and the missions trips approaching rapidly, the students had many questions and ideas about missions already forming even before the class started. 

This class focused heavily on why we do Global missions, focusing on Jesus' call in Matthew 28:19 to "Go and Make disciples of all the nations." There was plenty of good conversation regarding what this call looks like in the context of the coming missions trips, the youth groups that the students serve in.

Each day the students had the opportunity to skype with a different missionary each day from different places in the world. They were given the opportunity to hear about some of the ministries that the missionaries were involved in and what life is like where they are living.

Students were able to get an idea of what kinds of things missionaries are up to around the world today, and how the Gospel is impacting lives globally.

The students are thankful for the timing of this class as they get ready to leave for their missions trips very soon, as this class got them in a missions mindset preparing them to be sent out.


 Continue to Pray

For the students as they prepare to go on their missions trips, that they would be open to the ways in which God wants to use them in each other's lives on the trip, as well as in the lives of the people that they come into contact with.

That students would continue to press into how God wants them to grow closer in community and in relationship with Him.