Mexico experience

Hola amigos

I arrived back from my 2 week mission’s trip to Mexico on Wednesday.

We stayed in a community called El Papalote. Throughout the trip we had opportunities to serve in that town as well as in the surrounding communities. During the day most of our time was spent on the building project. We were laying the foundation for a classroom at a local church. This involved lots of digging, pouring concrete, working with rebar and on the last day we started plumbing and placed the first layer of bricks.

One morning we went to the local school. We played with the kids and feed them lunch. Other days we spent time at a daycare or at the garbage dump feeding people

As a team we ran 6 kids or church/family events. We were split up and put in charge of a specific event. I ran the event in Nueva Mexico. We sang songs, played games, did crafts, performed a skit, taught a lesson and ate snacks! Everyone's event with very well and the kids had a blast. It was encouraging to see us come together, support one another, learn from mistakes and to see each person step up and lead their event with confidence.

In the evening we had all the pastors and students from the school we stayed at join us for supper. There was opportunity for conversation or playing with the many children around. This girl (Carla) in the picture is very dear to my heart. The very first night we ran around and tickled each other and after that she was glued to my side. She is super sweet.

The language barrier made communicating hard. The kids especially knew zero English. At times it was discouraging. But God redefined relationships for me and showed how meaningful just being together is. The kids just clung to all of us and loved playing. Carla would often just sit with me and hug me. In relationships communication is a great way to grow together and learn more about each other. Although when communication is not an option or if its hard, God can still work and do amazing things. It was so awesome to watch the connections made between the Canadians and Mexicans. They were so intentional with us. Despite the language barrier they were very patient and tried their best to communicate and understand what we were saying. They would ask us deep questions or basic questions about our life.

There was one little boy (5 or 6 years old) I was playing with and he was teaching me how to count to 20 in Spanish. It was so cute. I kept messing up the pronunciation and when that happened he would come real close to my face and tell me even louder how to say it properly. Once I finally got it right he was super happy. It was so funny.

Participating in their church services was very humbling. I especially enjoyed the singing. Often the tune was similar and so we would sing in English and them in Spanish. God really used those moments to emphasize to me the unity of the Church. I also saw the unity in the way the different pastors helped, encouraged, and support one other.

We also got the opportunity to go on a few adventures. We hike a volcano and explore some sand dunes/caves

Thanks for your prayers.

Sabrina Thiessen

Learning about and participating in Missions

Hello,

Last weekend we attended Missions Fest in Vancouver. We left camp Thursday morning and experienced Vancouver a little first. On Thursday we Tandem Biking down the Stanley Park sea walk. It was beautiful! We even stopped part way and had a sand sculpture contest on the beach (in January).

On Friday morning we went to Granville Island and checked out the markets and all the little shops. After lunch we headed over to Missions Fest. We were there Friday and all day Saturday. This was an amazing event. I was overwhelmed by the many booths present and all the seminars to choose from. Missions is huge. God has placed a burden and passion in people's hearts for a specific country, ministry or injustice around the world. It is amazing to see how each organization is targeting something specific but they are working together for the greater good of preaching the gospel to the lost souls in this world.
I went to one seminar about everyday evangelism. I really enjoyed this seminar. The speaker was informative and passionate about the topic. One thing that stuck out was the idea of taking every opportunity you have. So often we wait for the perfect opportunity to share the gospel but everyday God gives us many chances, whether big or small, to do his work here on earth. We need to obey and seize each opportunity; we never know what God will do with what might seem so small of an act.


We recently finished another class. This last week we had 'Perspectives in Missions'. Our professor had been a missionary kid in Congo and also went back in his adult years. So he had lots of experience and knowledge on the topic of missions. I really enjoyed this class. We learned about why we do missions, different aspects of missions and things we may encounter in missions.
I leave on Tuesday for Mexico. I am extremely excited but also unsure of what to expect. I know God has placed me on the Mexico team for a reason and I cannot wait to see what He is going to do through me and through the team as a whole.
I am excited about experiencing a new culture. To have my eyes opened to what life is like in a different part of the world. I am looking forward to connecting with and worshipping with believers in a different culture. As part of this trip I have the opportunity to lead a children's event in a community called Nueva Mexico. This is super exciting
I also know that this cultural barrier may create challenges. In class we talked about the challenges of cross-cultural missions and how easy it is for miscommunication to occur. Something that may seem normal and acceptable in Canada may be completely disrespectful or unthought of in a different culture (or vice versa). Already our leaders have informed us a bit about what the culture is like. But I pray that God will help me to be observant and aware of what is happening around me.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Sabrina Thiessen

A New Semester with New Experiences

Hello everyone,

I'm going to rewind back to the beginning of January when I came back to Qwanoes after Christmas Break. As soon as we got back, we jumped back into class. From January 4-8, we were learning about the Pauline Epistles. This class was very different from our previous classes. We were split into 4 groups and assigned a set of Paul's letters to research along with a contemporary issue found into the letters. In the morning our professor would teach but then Tuesday to Friday, each group would present for 3 hours on the research we found. It sounds crazy but our professor told us what information he required us to find and it did not take long to fill the time requirement. The reason our professor had us to so much research was that he wanted us to learn how to study Paul for ourselves instead of just giving us all the answers. We also had another group project. This time we were split into 2 groups. One group read Justification by N.T. Wright and the other group read Faith Alone by Thomas Schreiner . Each author presented a similar but slightly different view on justification as presented in the Bible. We then presented the authors view to the rest of the class and eventually had to write a paper on the topic. Needless to say, it was a very busy week and I didn't learn as much as I hoped or expected to but I believe that our professor's method of teaching will be beneficial in the long run as I continue to study Paul and the message he brings. This is a lifelong journey as there is so much to learn and discover.

The very next week we packed up and travelled up to Mt Washington for a 5 day ski/snowboard trip. I had never skied before so I was very excited. We stayed at an extremely nice chalet. It had 2 hot tubs and lots of room for lounging around. I enjoyed the evenings where we could relax, talk and have fun together.

We skied on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I took lessons in the morning on Monday and stuck to the bunny hill. In the afternoon me and 2 friends decided to try a green run. We did not expect the hill to be as difficult as it was. It was steep and I had not fully mastered controlling my speed yet, so I ended up falling hard. I was scared and wanted to get off the hill. My 2 friends sat with me and prayed with me, encouraged and comforted me. Once I was ready we continued. I was very cautious and walked a lot of it. Although on the last stretch, God gave me the courage to do it. And I did! Without falling! I could not believe it! I know that I wanted to do the hill again. I did not want to be scared anymore but first I needed to practice my skiing skills. For all of Tuesday and Thursday morning I stayed on the bunny hill. Thursday afternoon I ventured back to that green run with 2 different friends. We took the run slow and it was incredible!! It felt like a completely different run. I even went down a second time :)
During this time I learned even more about the value of community and that it is ok to be vulnerable with them. God also showed me that I need to trust him to take care of me. I needed to stretch myself out of what is easy and conquer fears.

On Wednesday we took a break from skiing and tried out the tubing hill. It was a blast experimenting with different ways to go down the hill. There was hay at the bottom of the hill to slow the tubes down so I smelled like farm at the end and found never-ending hay on my clothes! But I should be used to hay, being from Manitoba, right?























On Friday, we ended our time by snowshoeing through the woods. Our guide also taught some winter survival skills. We learned how to use a compass, survival tips and equipment, how to build a snow cave and what to do if we get stuck in a tree well. It was interesting! We all had a blast attempting to run through the bushes on our snowshoes too.

While on the mountain it was foggy the majority of the time. One morning the clouds cleared for a couple minutes and we caught a glimpse of Mt Albert Edward (the mountain we climbed in September). It is the pointy one poking up from behind the trees.

Last Thursday we took a break from our studies and went curling. This was also a first for me and a few other students. I enjoyed it and even won my first game! The heaviness of the rocks emphasized my lack of arm strength but I did get one rock into the circle. Best part of the afternoon!









On Friday the Kaleo students ran a Cowichan Valley Youth Night. Many of the youth groups from the Island came out and joined us at Qwanoes. In total we have over 200 youth and youth leaders! Each Kaleo student was assigned an area to either lead or help in. We had staff members to guide us and answer any questions but in the end we ran the entire event. I was in charge of greeting and making sure people knew where to go for the different activities. The evening went really well and everybody had loads of fun. Each area was creative and  organized well.

Thanks for your prayers!

Sabrina Thiessen

The Half Way Point

Hello,

This past semester in the Kaleo program has been beyond incredible. I have experienced and learned so much but sometimes it is hard to depict exactly what God is doing. It is easier for me to see the growth in others instead of myself.
God has placed me in many situations (camp ministry, church ministry, various leadership opportunities) where I am able to expand my horizons, learn more about myself and how God has gifted me and ultimately see him work. It is so rewarding to hear the stories of how God is working through the ministry areas he has place me in. Hearing the stories is only part of it; God is working in me personally too. He has been growing in me a love for others, humbling me and guiding me in my interactions with those around me.
One goal for this coming semester is to dedicate time each day for devotions and to process what God is teaching me. As part of this I'm praying that God will open my ears to hear his voice. This is something that I have not been consistent with and I know that it affects my day.
Within the group of students, God has really instilled in me a love for this community and I have learned a lot about the value of community through my interactions with them. I have really enjoyed getting to know them; seeing their heart, their desires, what God is doing in their life or how they are struggling. (Many people have told me that I am good at listening and asking questions) I feel I get to know people better when we have one-on-one conversations. This kind of  interaction seems to come very natural to me. I realize that I have not been able to reach out to everyone in this way yet. There are some students I do not know very well and so would like to develop a closer relationship with them.
In regards to the academics, I will admit I was a little unsure coming into the program. Majority assignments are reading and writing and I am not a strong writer. God has been good though. Some students have helped me out at times as well as God has miraculously enabled me to write and finish the papers strong. How I would like to grow in this area is being more productive with my time and not pushing assignments to the last minute. As a side note, I have thoroughly enjoyed the classes and professors we have had. There is so much variety in the different classes and so much to learn that sometimes I do not know how I contain it all. My hope is that I will be able to see how I can practically apply principles from class into daily life. Sometimes I have these opportunities and other times I guess I just do not see the opportunities. Praying that my eyes would be opened and that I would choose to follow God's leading no matter what He is asking of me or where it takes me.
God has grown me in ways I could not have imagined and there is still so much more to come!

Tomorrow we leave for a 5 day ski/snowboarding trip to Mount Washington.
Thanks for your prayers!

Sabrina Thiessen

The Perfect End to my First Semester

Hey Everyone.

Today is the day we go home. It is hard to say goodbye to all my new friends but I know that I will see them again soon. I am super excited to go home and see my family and friends again. 


This past Thursday we decorated the lobby of the Pacific Woods Lodge (where the dorms are). In the morning we were given some dough to mold into Christmas ornaments. We all got our creative juices flowing and came up with some unique decorations.
Then after lunch while they baked in the oven, we headed out to Duncan to picked a Christmas tree. This was very exciting for me as this is the first time I've had a real Christmas tree. It was raining so we picked a tree rather quickly and hauled it back to camp.
When we arrived back to camp we painted our ornaments and finally we hung them up on the tree!

Friday was "Christmas morning". We did a white elephant gift exchange. Everyone was suppose to buy a mug that represented themselves. The idea is whoever got your mug is to pray for you whenever they use that mug.

This is the mug that I received from Kurtis, who LOVES Christmas and dogs.

 

Saturday was girls/guys day. We girls went skating in the afternoon.


While skating we met Anna and Elsa.








 After skating we went to a cute café in Victoria.

One of the Kaleo girls is from Victoria and her parents offered to have us over for dinner. That was so sweet of them. Such a treat to have a home cooked meal.

Then to top off the night we headed back to Camp and hang out in our pj's watching Tangled.
It was a super fun day!!

Thanks for your prayers!!
This semester has been incredible! It had its challenges but God is using those times to grow me and change me into the woman he intended me to be.

Sabrina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class, caving and church

Hey Everyone!

So we have finished up our Old Testament Class. This class has helped me organize OT events and books in their proper order I have gained a greater appreciation and understanding of the OT. As I previously mentioned our group had to create a video summarizing the OT. It was a lot of fun and it went really smoothly. The director team was super organized too. I hope you enjoy it.

Two weeks ago we went caving at Horne Lake. There were two caves that we went through. I really enjoyed this and didn't find it to tight. We split into three groups. At the end of the first cave there a was an area big enough for our group to stand. Andrew (the Kaleo leader) told us to turn off our headlamps. It was super dark, and I was slightly creeped out. But I also found it really cool! Andrew did a little talk on the stark contrast between light and darkness and how we are called to be a light in this dark world.

Last week we had our final class of the semester – Church Ministry. I really enjoyed this class. Our professor was very interactive and got us to discuss often. It was neat to see what the Bible said about how the church should operate. There were also many passages and topics that were controversial. We looked at the different views on these passages and why people interpret that specific passage in that way.

I got asked the question, “After taking this class and based on my experience at my Island church, what do I really appreciate about my church back home?

Well there is a lot that I appreciate about Portage Evangelical Church (PEC) but I will name a few. For some topics, the Bible is super clear on what our stance should be for that issue and some passages are open to interpretation. I see PEC seeking the truth. They desire to know God’s heart and what issues are worth fighting against. They stand firm in their belief on the issues that really matter.

Fellowship is important to PEC. They regularly have events that the whole church can be part of. Their desire is for us to grow in unity together as the body of Christ. To add to that they also partner with other churches from Portage, joining together in events like prayer meetings, church services, community outreaches, etc. They realize that the church family is bigger than just PEC.

I’m really excited to be back at PEC for a couple weeks. I feel very privileged to have grown up in that church. I have built many great relationships throughout the years. PEC has played a big part in who I am, in my Christian walk, today.

Thanks for the prayers!

 

Sabrina

Retreat Experience

Hey Everyone!

I have briefly mentioned my retreat experiences before but I want to share more in depth what I have been involved in.

Here at Camp Qwanoes each student works 3 retreats (1 partial and 2 full). Throughout the fall we have a Women's, Junior's, Junior High, Senior High and Men's retreat. Our guests/campers come from all over the island and lower mainland. We are placed all over camp, serving in different areas.

My first retreat was a partial for Women's retreat. The staff put a ton of effort into every aspect of the retreat because we want to make these women feel valued and appreciated. We want to give them a weekend where they are being served instead of always serving others. On Saturday morning I was serving brunch. For meals the women get menus. So my job was to get them drinks, bring the menus to the kitchen, bring food to the women, clear tables and to check up on them/talk with them. It was so amazing to see all the smiling faces and to let God use me to bless these women. There was one lady who was blown away when she came to brunch and she asked me if they did this (referring to the whole brunch situation) every year. She thought it was completely incredible.

I worked the full Juniors retreat. I was in dish pit that weekend. Between staff and campers there were almost 200 people, which amounted to a lot of dishes. It was quite the procedure. We had a few people scrubbing and also hand washing dishes, then they would go through Jackson (our dishwasher) and we also had a few people drying. This required team work as we need to be fast and get all the dishes done before the next meal. During this retreat God really worked in my heart. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I really wanted to be with the kids but God has been showing me how important 'behind the scenes' job are. They need to be done as well so that the rest of camp runs smoothly. God has been instilling in my heart a love and joy for dishes that cannot be explained.

And my last full retreat was Junior High. For this retreat I was in the kitchen. We were cooking for probably 200-250 people. It wasn't as fast-paced or insane as I expected. There were people everywhere working to prepare different aspect of the meal. I did jobs like making salad, cutting potatoes, placing food in serving pans, cutting bread, etc. Then when it was time to eat, we would bring the warmers to the food lines and we needed to watch the tables and replace any empty trays of food so that there was enough for everyone. I really enjoyed working in the kitchen as well. Being in this area gave me a great chance to develop a relationship with some of the staff as I worked side by side them for a whole weekend. It was really cool to talk and hear about what God has been doing in their life. There was one lady who was only there for the weekend but I had a really great chat with her. She opened up to me and shared her struggles and hopes. I did not really know how to respond to a lot of what she said. I hope though that God will use my listening ear to bless and encourage her. It was really cool to see her desire to keep God at the center of her life and to trust him even through the hard times.

So even though I was not involved with the kids, God was still working in the areas he placed me in. After the retreat I got to hear some amazing stories of how God was stirring in the hearts of the campers.

Thanks for your prayers!

Sabrina