The completion of the first semester

Wow, so the goal was to update my blog more often than what has happened. This is an update but also a Christmas Letter.

The Semester began with much excitement and many challenges. I began to experience culture shock within the first week of being here. The temperature reached 110 Fahrenheit.(44 Celsius). For someone who is used to being on the go and simply drinking more water this was a hard adjustment to make. There were several times when as my usual self I would venture out with a goal in mind only to discover that it was too hot to be out and I was feeling sick. One time in early October I decided to venture out at 4:30 for a walk to Walmart which is 20 minutes from my place. I arrived there and began to feel sick because I overheated and therefore needed to wander around Walmart for an hour before walking back so as to not overheat. My roommate often cautioned me about the heat and being careful.

It was a nice reprieve from the heat to be able to go back to Abbotsford for Canadian Thanksgiving and for my sisters wedding. the wedding was beautiful and I am very happy for my little sister who got married. 

A week after arriving I was rear ended and so my car was written off. It began when I went out to explore the city and try and figure my way around. I was stopped at a stoplight and stalled my car. Before I was able to move an SUV came up behind me and ran into me. When we pulled over to exchange information. The comment she made was that she saw green. I was struck at how funny this was as I had heard how fast Californians drive. After everything was said and done I was amazed at such a comment and can only say "WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA" The ordeal of having to deal with the insurance agency was challenging and multicultural. The write off of my car turned out to be a blessing in disguise because of the challenges of student loans.

Ah Student Loans!! Anyone who has had to deal with the government agency of student loans has had the pleasure of dealing with their beauracracy and paperwork. The semester began with needing information from the school which they could not provide as they were in the middle of an audit to be able to give student loans to their US students which included the Canadian ones as well.
What to say, the first semester is complete. It has been a semester filled with challenges, triumphs and joys. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first classes. I have had a couple entry level courses and a couple second year courses.

The community learning and classes have been amazing. I have seen the value of coming here for school. The Lord truly was directing my steps. He knew what classes I have needed. The classes have helped me grow in amazing ways both personally and professionally. This semester I had Mentoring and Connecting( a first year class designed to help you make it through seminary), Interpersonal Communication, Research and Testing (a stats class on how to do testing), Church and God's Mission, and Clinical Assessment(how to do the paperwork of counselling and suicide intervention) equaling 10 units. I really enjoyed my classes and the work that it took to do them and know that I am better prepared to become a counsellor now. I am looking forward to my classes next semester although it it going to be a very busy semester as I have more classes and units. I am taking Counselling couples, Psychopathology(all about diagnostics), Human Sexuality, Counselling Families, Counselling children and pre practicum plus getting ready for practicum next semester. This all equals 13 units and 9 units is considered full time. Even though it is alot I am eager to learn all of these subjects and know that they will help me grow. The reason I must take them all this semester and am not able to spread them out a bit more is due to my hopeful graduation date of May 2012 and practicum next year which is very busy.

Through the Christmas Break I am looking forward to time spent relaxing and with friends. I have decided not to go home for Christmas this year because I need the time to get some real life stuff done like looking for another car and getting a head start on some of the reading for the next semester. Through my Christmas break I plan to do a lot of Cross Stitch, Pleasure Reading, work on a couple puzzles, hang out with friends, sleep in till all hours of the day, and listen to the IHOP webstream. There are several families staying here through Christmas so the plan is to spend Christmas eve and Christmas day together having dinner together and hanging out.

The Lord has been good throughout my time here and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what God will do over the next year and the next three semesters (that is all I have left-amazing). I am excited to be back in school learning and growing. i have also come to see that the friends I make here will last through the years and challenges to come. The Lord has been good and has given me many blessings as I began school again. I am leaning on him to carry me through this time here as I finish my schooling. Even though there have been challenges I do not regret moving across the country and into another country to finish school. The Lord knew that I needed the community here in Fresno for the support and learning for where he is taking me. After the experiences that I had at Providence I know that the Lord has truly led me here and has his hand in it. He has provided restorative experiences and has provided me with a new way of learning and leaning on people. I am praying that he will continue to carry me through. My prayer through this time is that I may be found leaning on my beloved as I come through this time in my life.

Praise for

a great semester
new friends
financial provision
an awesome roommate
a church community to fellowship with

Pray for
a good car to carry me through- the bus system here is pitiful
continued financial provision
continued strength in the coming semester
strengthened friendships
I will remain faithful to the call he has placed on my life

I thank you all for your prayers and support over the last semester and ask for your continued prayers and support as I carry out the call he has placed upon my life. Pray that I will remain faithful and strong through the difficult times. May the Lord Bless you and Keep you. Merry Christmas all

The begining of the journey

The journey of  Fresno California began two years ago after I had thrown up my hands and given up on school and God because I was so discouraged and burnt out of school. At this time I deceided to take some time off school to work and rejuventate. This began a time of healing and seeing the Lord work in amazing ways in my life and my heart. Shortly after quitting school the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that I would be completing my degree and planted the idea of Fresno California in my head. At this point I did not want to come because I did not want to leave my home, family, friends and job to move. I wanted to stay in Winnipeg to complete my degree. This began a time of me saying no to God. He didn't let me off the hook of course and kept quietly insisting on Fresno over the next little while at the same point giving me the space I needed to deal with different things and heal in many areas.

This last September the Lord spoke to my heart and said that I would be in school in the fall and that it would be in the states. At this time I still didn't really want to go but said ok Lord if that is what you want then I will go but I don't like it. Over the next little while I began the process of admissions and the Lord began the process of preparing my heart so that I would be excited about coming to the states for school. Through this time the Lord also brought me into a deeper richer walk with him as he revealed himself to me in a variety of ways through different means. Three weeks before I was to leave I discovered that I had problems with my student loans so I needed to know whether to continue on this journey or to stay in Canada. Through much prayer and waiting on the Lord he revealed to me that I was still to go and that he would take care of me.

So on August 11 2010 I departed from Winnipeg for the USA with my car packed to the max and praying that I would be able to make it through the border with no issues as the money had not yet come through for school. The last year the Lord had placed a burden on my heart to go to the International House of Prayer (IHOP) for a few days before coming to school. So I made my trip a little longer (about 6hrs and 3 days longer) than it needed to be and drove to IHOP in Kansas City for a 3 days. While at IHOP the Lord met me in so many amazing ways through confirmation to my soul, through visions, prophecies and through the giving of a calling that he had for me. The joy of the Lord filled my soul as he rejeuvenated me and filled me for the journey ahead. I was very blessed to be able to spend this time in the presence of the Lord through fasting, worship and intercession. This was a very important transition piece for me as I closed this last chapter in Winnipeg and began this new Chapter in Fresno California. After leaving IHOP I spent two full days driving to get to Fresno which I thoroughly enjoyed even though there were many difficult parts to the driving. The mountains were very difficult to drive as I was going minimum of 100-120km/hr as the speed limit through mountain ranges comparable to Rogers pass or the Kokahala in BC. The driving in the states is very different than in Canada as everything is much faster. The typical speed on the interstates is and highways is 120-140km/hr and while I do like speed this is still much faster than I am used to going. I loved driving across the states and found the states to be very beautiful but especially loved driving through Utah country. I arrived in Fresno late the evening of the 16th to discover that the Lord had gone before me and placed me in a roommate situation which couldn't have been better. As we spent time getting to know each other we discovered that the Lord has truly put us together for a reason. I am excited to see what all the Lord will do through this relationship. I got here to find that my bed was made for the night and there were towels for me to use and enough food in the fridge to last us a day or so.  I arrived here to discover not only do I have an amazing roommate but the Lord has placed me in an amazing community of people who love him and embrace others. I am excited about the classes and the comunity the Lord has placed me in. I know that I am here for a reason and am excited to see him move and work through me.
While things have been great please continue to pray for me as

I adjust to living in another country and in heat that is extreeme (I have to learn to do things in the cooler part
of the day and let myself adjust to the heat)

I adjust to being back in school

I deal with international issues like transfering my car

Finances to come through- the school has been gracious in allowing me to start as we wait for student loans to be figured out

A good church family to be found

Stay tuned for more info on how the Lord has been at work in my life as I strive to live faithful before him