Grace.

Wow. I honestly can't believe that I'm already/only a week in. It's been quite the ride so far.

First off, I should probably explain what this blog is about. This is my way of sharing with all my friends and family what I'm up to here in Kaleo in a fairly accessible way to all. It will also contain prayer requests that I will have throughout my time here. I will try to update this often and keep everyone up to date.

I called my blog Undeserved Good Stuff because something that has been repeated to us here is that the word that God has put on the hearts of many in regards to this year is grace. When I asked Jim (Kaleo Leader) what the definition was he said "It's not only undeserved mercy (which was what I had defined it as), but all kinds of good stuff like gifts, blessings and such." And so, my definition for grace is now "undeserved good stuff". Please pray that we would discover God's grace in new and amazing ways!

And now, on to the stories...

The first day was crazy. Everyone showed up and we chose our rooms. By chose what I really mean is that we chose a floating plastic animal out of a bucket which told us what side of the hallway we were on and then from there, we had to decide which room on that side. My room faces the ocean and I have two roommates named Jocelyne and Jordana. They're fantastic! We then played games and then just settled in.

The rest of the week was just learning where we were and how to get involved. These people are so amazing. It's crazy to think that it's only been a week, yet I feel like I've known them longer. It's such a good atmosphere.

God is already doing such crazy things in me. The first full day here, we had two Briercrest staff members come to hang out and do registration and they spoke at our first chapel. It was really sweet because one of them, Chantelle, really spoke into my life and I related to her a lot. After that chapel, I went up and talked to her and we connected. I'm stoked that she'll be there if I end up going to Briercrest after Kaleo.

I also have been placed/chose the church I'm going to for the year. I'm going to be at Cowichan Lake Baptist Church which is a small church in a troubled community. There is also no youth group at this church so it's going to be the Kaleo students (Erik, Meghan, and I) trying to start some sort of youth initiative at the church. As well, I sang a solo on my first Sunday at that church which was a little nerve-wracking, but everyone was so encouraging and I think that I'll be involved in worship ministry this year. Please pray for our team of Kaleos and the ministries we are going to be involved in and start this year. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of the youth of Lake Cowichan to come and be a part of whatever gets started. Pray for strength and wisdom as we encounter this town and these youth.

I survived our first outtrip!! YAY! In total, it was a 30 km hike. Now, I must mention that I despise physical activity of basically any kind, so this was way past a stretch for me. This took me past what I thought my body could do and had me praying in my mind a lot. God really gave me strength and, oh man, to be able to say that I've hiked 30 km is a wonderful feeling.

This next week will be classes and a different kind adventure. A prayer request is that I would be able to soak up as much as possible in class and I would be able to do my homework efficiently. As well, please pray that our group gets even closer in the days and weeks to come.