Hello friends! Well, I arrived home safely in Indiana Saturday afternoon and have been spending the past couple days trying to adjust to the change in time zone. Three hours doesn't seem like it would be a big difference, but it certainly does when you're trying to get up in the morning. Anyway, here is an update on my travels back home to the USA.
Tuesday evening Tiff and Brent had me over for a farewell dinner. I got to pick whatever I wanted for dinner and I chose stuffed salmon and rice. Mel also came over with her boyfriend and brought her lasagna. For dessert, Tiff made cherry crisp, which she knows I love, but we didn't have time to eat it before we had to head off to the youth center for my final night with the kids. Since it was my last night, we decided to make it special and bring Rock Band. Plus, we wanted to play some other team building games with them and we knew Rock Band was a sure way to draw them in. It was a wonderful evening that was made even more special by Tiff, as she brought in popcorn, angel food cake, and some other snacks to make it into a little party for me. The kids all signed a card and gave it to me at the end of the night, which was really touching to receive. Tiff and I then walked one of the girls home and hung out at Tiff's house for awhile to watch the end of Prince Caspian and have a really good talk before I headed home for bed.
Wednesday was my last day in Klemtu and it was definitely a busy one. I woke up early, did some reading, and then went for a run as I knew it would be my last one in Klemtu for awhile. And I know I promised to stay away from wolf territory, but I just couldn't resist it on my last run. I said many prayers before and during, and I am happy to report that the run was wolf free. I then went home to continue cleaning and packing before heading to Tiff's for a delicious lunch of salmon sandwiches. Since we never got a chance to enjoy the dessert she made the previous night I got to sample that as well. It was well worth the wait! I then rushed back home and continued my cleaning/packing spree, and was delighted when Tiff and the girls came over to be my little helpers. Tiff's girls were so cute scrubbing everything they could get their hands on. After doing the bathroom floors, they asked if they could wash the walls. I told Tiff that I hope their desire to clean lasts well into the future! We cleaned and packed up until about 15 minutes before my plane was leaving, then took my stuff down to a friend's truck and made the short drive down to the dock. I have never arrived for a flight at the same time the plane was pulling up to take off, so that was a new experience! I then said my goodbyes to some of the kids, Tiff's girls, and the hardest, Tiff. There were four of us on the plane headed for Bella Bella, and I got to be the one to sit next to the pilot in the front. It was incredible. After a beautiful flight to Bella Bella, we had a short layover where I got to see three Klemtu people that were on their way back to Klemtu. I was really happy I got to see them because I had gotten to know each one of them quite well and I was hoping to get a chance to say goodbye. Our next flight (this time on a much bigger plane and not a seaplane) took us to Port Hardy, and then straight to Vancouver. All in all, it was a very quick and easy flying process. Scott met me at the airport and after getting my bags he drove me across the street to my first restaurant in 10 weeks.....McDonald's. I laughed and told him I don't even eat McDonald's at home, but he insisted I do it for the experience. We then drove to his home in Abbotsford and shared stories about Klemtu on the way. At his home, I was greeted by his wife, Karen, and their two kids, and I enjoyed spending time with them and sharing some of my favorite memories before calling it a night.
I slept in and lounged around Thursday morning before heading out with Scott to pick up Karen to drive to Vancouver. They had a meeting with the doctor and social worker taking care of one of their dear friends from Klemtu, and they were all kind enough to let me sit in on the meeting as they knew I would be starting medical school in a short time. After the meeting, we took their friend out to a nice restaurant and had a wonderful meal. We then went to the grocery store and bought fruit for her to bring back to her room at the hospital, said goodbye, and then headed back home. We made a stop on the way to meet Tara, the school teacher I had become friends with in Klemtu, as she lives close to Scott and Karen. They dropped me off and Tara and I went for ice cream and then took a long walk around her neighborhood and caught up on what had gone on the past couple of weeks. It was really good to see her and hear how she had been doing and also share with her some of my wonderful memories from the past couple weeks. She then took me back to Scott and Karen's and I went right to bed.
I woke up Friday, got ready, and then Scott dropped me off at Karen's office so I could help out for the day. She works for an organization called "Mission Without Borders" that serves those suffering the effects of poverty and oppression in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. It was really cool to learn more about what they do and help such a worthy cause, especially since I have a desire to work in medical missions. Karen and I then went to lunch at a really cute tea restaurant called "SerendipiTea". Both of our lunches were really good and we even got to indulge in some dessert afterward. We then headed back to work for a few hours before going back home for dinner. I finished packing up and took a nap before dinner as I knew I would be flying all night. After a very nice dinner prepared by Scott, I finished getting ready while their family headed to the Abbotsford airport to pick up their son who had just gotten back from playing basketball in Europe. I got to visit with him for a little bit, but soon it was time to head for the Vancouver airport and begin my travels back home. After having quite a bit of difficulty finding where to check in, we got my boarding pass and I said goodbye to Scott and Karen. I almost made it through security without any problems, but silly me forgot to take out my pocket knife from the camping trip, and let's just say the security guards weren't too thrilled about that. I flew all night, connected in Houston, and before I knew it was back home in Indianapolis. I was greeted by four wonderful people-mom, dad, Mary Beth, and Barkley! I couldn't believe my mom managed to get our dog into the airport, and it didn't take long before they were coming after us and forcing us to get the dog out of there. But it was a wonderful feeling to see them all again and as tired as I was, I was still able to share some stories with them on the way home.
So here I am, back home after 10 of the most challenging yet incredible weeks of my life. Adjusting to life back home has certainly not been easy. On my run today, I noticed two things that are quite different from running in Klemtu. Number one, even with this "cool" 80 degree weather, the humidity makes running a lot more difficult. Number two, I'm going to have to give people time to get used to my waving and saying a perky "hello" to them as I pass them on the street, a practice that was the norm in Klemtu. I'm just trying to enjoy every minute of being home and take some time to slow down and reflect on all I have experienced. I look forward to connecting with friends and family in these next few weeks and thank you again for all of the love and support. My experience would not have been what it was without all of the prayer you covered me in. Hope to see you all again soon!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Week Nine update and the end of my time in Klemtu =(
Well friends, this will most likely be my last official update from Klemtu. I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I really can not believe how quickly the time has gone and writing this post is incredibly bittersweet. Last Tuesday, June 30, was Brent and Tiff's ninth wedding anniversary. I asked them a few weeks back about their anniversary and they told me that since they have a tendency to forget the official day, they now both set the alarms on their phones to go off the morning of the big day. In fact, they told me that the first year they did that neither of them knew the other had set an alarm until their phones went off at the same time. Anyway, Tiff made her famous chow mein for the occasion and had me over to share in the meal. After dinner, we headed up to the field for a family fun night marshmallow and hot dog roast. There was an excellent turn out and we talked around the fire until close to midnight.
Wednesday was Canada Day and everyone had the day off from work. I was invited to a birthday party picnic out at Pidwell Reef, which is a beach on the south end of Swindle Island that is about a half hour boat ride from Klemtu. We loaded up two punts full of people and food and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we rode along the coast on a gorgeous day. Without a doubt, the highlight was when we saw two pods of killer whales. There were about nine total that popped out of the ocean and gave us an incredible show. Tiff was able to capture some of it on video and I've put it up for your enjoyment! We got there around lunch time and ate both lunch and dinner out there. Pidwell Reef was on a white, sandy beach and we had a great time playing in the water (I actually just watched as I was too much of a chicken to test the cold water), playing baseball, drawing in the sand, and simply enjoying each other's company. It was a wonderful day that I was quite sad to see come to an end.
I began phase one of cleaning out the house on Thursday. I then went for a run (no wolves this time) and stopped at the hotel to see what it looks like on the inside. The rooms were quite nice and they all have a really nice ocean view (your kind of place, mom). Afterward, Tiff and I walked up to the pond to pick up her girls and head down to the band store to get some items for the camping trip. It was getting pretty late by the time we were done and so we decided to order food from the cafe' to take back to Tiff and Brent's. Tiff managed to order me a "Klemtu burger" without me knowing and we had a pretty big laugh as I attempted to eat it back at their house. It consists of two very large hamburger patties topped with mushrooms, bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ketchup. Tiff got a nice picture of me trying to take a bite out of it but I don't think it's going to make it on the blog. I got through about half of it before it was time to head up to the field for soccer (definitely not the best pre-game meal). It was a pretty warm day and I had a hard time getting the kids to come out of the shade to play, but we managed to get a small game going. After we finished, I headed down to the youth center to help Tiff get some more stuff together for the camping trip and print off permission slips. We did as much as we could to get ready, and then I headed home to rest up for what was going to be a very fun weekend.
Tiff and I both got up early Friday morning to get everything packed up and ready to go for the camping trip. It was quite a long process and we ended up filling up the back of a truck with all of the food and gear for the trip. We then loaded up a punt with the majority of our stuff and took about half of the kids out with us to Marvin Island. The other half stayed behind with chaperones checking in on them until the boat could make it back to get them. It usually only takes an hour to get out to Marvin Island, but because our punt was so full and the seas were a little rough, it took us two and a half hours. We got pretty wet but we all had a good laugh about it and were just that much more thankful when we arrived. We got there a little after supper time and unloaded our stuff into the cabin. Half of the group stayed in the cabin and the other half stayed in tents. Even though we were in a cabin, it was a real camping experience as we had no electricity, plumbing, or running water. The views from the island were spectacular and the sunset was perhaps the best I have ever seen. We sat around the campfire and then attempted to go to bed around midnight, but were kept up most of the night by the sounds of whispering and giggling teens. I felt like I was back in junior high at a sleepover where you stay up all night talking. I finally fell asleep around four and was able to catch a few hours of sleep before getting up to start the next day.
Saturday was another beautiful day and I was one of the first ones up so I went outside and read on one of the rocks along the ocean. Once everyone started getting up, we had lunch and went outside to play a very funny game that one of the chaperones taught us. The object is to not laugh or smile while the other team does all they can to make you do so. I was not very good as I hardly made it two steps without bursting out into laughter. We then took a punt out to a spot known as Kwa Kwa. Once we got past the slippery rocks, we made it to a nice open area that was great for swimming as it contained fresh water and not salt water. This time I sucked it up and jumped in for a lap to the other side. I didn't last long, though, as the water was quite cold. We then headed back and tried some of the fish head stew that Brent had prepared. Apparently the head of a fish is the most flavorful part, which was a fact that I was not aware of as I have never seen anyone eat the head. Even though we didn't have any propane, we decided to make a meal for the kids that evening. I was in charge of the rice, and with a little bit of help it turned out just right after cooking it over the fireplace inside the cabin. We also had salmon that was a total team effort to prepare. Clark cut the fish to personal steak size, Tiff seasoned the fish, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and Brent cooked it over the fire. It was a really tasty meal and the kids were very pleased. We finished the meal with s'mores and then played night games, which also brought back some fond memories from my youth. We ended the night with a game of "spoons" before we headed to bed. This time, I slept soundly through the night and was very glad to have a full night of sleep.
We woke up Sunday morning, had breakfast, and then cleaned out the cabin and packed up to go home. It was quite time consuming as we had brought a lot of stuff with us and had a lot of kids staying in the cabin, but we finished shortly after lunch and then loaded up the punt to head back to Klemtu. The ride only took an hour this time and was quite smooth except for a few bumps as we neared our destination. We then unloaded all of the stuff, had dinner, and then I headed to church for my last Sunday night service. A church group from Hope, BC had just arrived on the ferry that day and I was very happy to meet them all at the service. One of the women played the piano and we had a wonderful time of musical worship. They were all excellent singers and their voices lit up the church. Nan Violet made multiple comments to me about how wonderful the singing was. I spent some time after the service talking to a few of the men from Hope and two of the Klemtu church leaders and then headed to Tiff's for some lemon meringue pie. I then headed home for a long overdue shower and a much anticipated sleep in my comfortable bed.
After getting some stuff done Monday morning, I headed over to Tiff's with some of the other camping chaperones for crepes, which were delicious as always. I then cleaned out some of my food and then headed to Nan Violet's for one last visit. I brought her a bag of sugar along with a couple other items I thought she could use with all of the baking she does, and she told me that she was so thankful for the sugar because she had just run out of it that morning. Pretty cool the way God works. She gave me a napkin holder and cross that she had woven and I gratefully accepted. We then hugged goodbye and I told her I hope to see her again next year but that I would definitely see her later. I then had Tiff`s family and some other friends over for a final meal at my house. I continued on with the breakfast theme and made french toast and fruit and jello for dessert. We then played spoons and had some of Brent`s famous popcorn mixed with seaweed before everyone headed home for the night.
It is now Tuesday morning and I am getting ready to start packing some of my things. I leave Wednesday afternoon on a small seaplane, trasfer planes in Bella Bella, stop in Port Hardy, and then onto Vancouver. I will then stay a couple of nights with the Markloffs (who I stayed with before I left for Klemtu) before taking the red eye home Friday night and landing in Indianapolis Saturday in the early afternoon.
God has stretched and challenged me in ways I have never experienced, and I am so thankful that He chose to send me out on this journey 10 weeks ago. I have developed some of the most genuine relationships in such a short amount of time, and it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye. With that said, I plan on coming back to visit next summer and hopefully bringing my family with me to meet the friends I have told them so much about. Klemtu is a beautiful place with wonderful people and I will forever be grateful for the hospitality they showed me while I was here. And so I sign off from Klemtu not with goodbye, but rather with a see you later, friends.
Wednesday was Canada Day and everyone had the day off from work. I was invited to a birthday party picnic out at Pidwell Reef, which is a beach on the south end of Swindle Island that is about a half hour boat ride from Klemtu. We loaded up two punts full of people and food and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we rode along the coast on a gorgeous day. Without a doubt, the highlight was when we saw two pods of killer whales. There were about nine total that popped out of the ocean and gave us an incredible show. Tiff was able to capture some of it on video and I've put it up for your enjoyment! We got there around lunch time and ate both lunch and dinner out there. Pidwell Reef was on a white, sandy beach and we had a great time playing in the water (I actually just watched as I was too much of a chicken to test the cold water), playing baseball, drawing in the sand, and simply enjoying each other's company. It was a wonderful day that I was quite sad to see come to an end.
I began phase one of cleaning out the house on Thursday. I then went for a run (no wolves this time) and stopped at the hotel to see what it looks like on the inside. The rooms were quite nice and they all have a really nice ocean view (your kind of place, mom). Afterward, Tiff and I walked up to the pond to pick up her girls and head down to the band store to get some items for the camping trip. It was getting pretty late by the time we were done and so we decided to order food from the cafe' to take back to Tiff and Brent's. Tiff managed to order me a "Klemtu burger" without me knowing and we had a pretty big laugh as I attempted to eat it back at their house. It consists of two very large hamburger patties topped with mushrooms, bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ketchup. Tiff got a nice picture of me trying to take a bite out of it but I don't think it's going to make it on the blog. I got through about half of it before it was time to head up to the field for soccer (definitely not the best pre-game meal). It was a pretty warm day and I had a hard time getting the kids to come out of the shade to play, but we managed to get a small game going. After we finished, I headed down to the youth center to help Tiff get some more stuff together for the camping trip and print off permission slips. We did as much as we could to get ready, and then I headed home to rest up for what was going to be a very fun weekend.
Tiff and I both got up early Friday morning to get everything packed up and ready to go for the camping trip. It was quite a long process and we ended up filling up the back of a truck with all of the food and gear for the trip. We then loaded up a punt with the majority of our stuff and took about half of the kids out with us to Marvin Island. The other half stayed behind with chaperones checking in on them until the boat could make it back to get them. It usually only takes an hour to get out to Marvin Island, but because our punt was so full and the seas were a little rough, it took us two and a half hours. We got pretty wet but we all had a good laugh about it and were just that much more thankful when we arrived. We got there a little after supper time and unloaded our stuff into the cabin. Half of the group stayed in the cabin and the other half stayed in tents. Even though we were in a cabin, it was a real camping experience as we had no electricity, plumbing, or running water. The views from the island were spectacular and the sunset was perhaps the best I have ever seen. We sat around the campfire and then attempted to go to bed around midnight, but were kept up most of the night by the sounds of whispering and giggling teens. I felt like I was back in junior high at a sleepover where you stay up all night talking. I finally fell asleep around four and was able to catch a few hours of sleep before getting up to start the next day.
Saturday was another beautiful day and I was one of the first ones up so I went outside and read on one of the rocks along the ocean. Once everyone started getting up, we had lunch and went outside to play a very funny game that one of the chaperones taught us. The object is to not laugh or smile while the other team does all they can to make you do so. I was not very good as I hardly made it two steps without bursting out into laughter. We then took a punt out to a spot known as Kwa Kwa. Once we got past the slippery rocks, we made it to a nice open area that was great for swimming as it contained fresh water and not salt water. This time I sucked it up and jumped in for a lap to the other side. I didn't last long, though, as the water was quite cold. We then headed back and tried some of the fish head stew that Brent had prepared. Apparently the head of a fish is the most flavorful part, which was a fact that I was not aware of as I have never seen anyone eat the head. Even though we didn't have any propane, we decided to make a meal for the kids that evening. I was in charge of the rice, and with a little bit of help it turned out just right after cooking it over the fireplace inside the cabin. We also had salmon that was a total team effort to prepare. Clark cut the fish to personal steak size, Tiff seasoned the fish, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and Brent cooked it over the fire. It was a really tasty meal and the kids were very pleased. We finished the meal with s'mores and then played night games, which also brought back some fond memories from my youth. We ended the night with a game of "spoons" before we headed to bed. This time, I slept soundly through the night and was very glad to have a full night of sleep.
We woke up Sunday morning, had breakfast, and then cleaned out the cabin and packed up to go home. It was quite time consuming as we had brought a lot of stuff with us and had a lot of kids staying in the cabin, but we finished shortly after lunch and then loaded up the punt to head back to Klemtu. The ride only took an hour this time and was quite smooth except for a few bumps as we neared our destination. We then unloaded all of the stuff, had dinner, and then I headed to church for my last Sunday night service. A church group from Hope, BC had just arrived on the ferry that day and I was very happy to meet them all at the service. One of the women played the piano and we had a wonderful time of musical worship. They were all excellent singers and their voices lit up the church. Nan Violet made multiple comments to me about how wonderful the singing was. I spent some time after the service talking to a few of the men from Hope and two of the Klemtu church leaders and then headed to Tiff's for some lemon meringue pie. I then headed home for a long overdue shower and a much anticipated sleep in my comfortable bed.
After getting some stuff done Monday morning, I headed over to Tiff's with some of the other camping chaperones for crepes, which were delicious as always. I then cleaned out some of my food and then headed to Nan Violet's for one last visit. I brought her a bag of sugar along with a couple other items I thought she could use with all of the baking she does, and she told me that she was so thankful for the sugar because she had just run out of it that morning. Pretty cool the way God works. She gave me a napkin holder and cross that she had woven and I gratefully accepted. We then hugged goodbye and I told her I hope to see her again next year but that I would definitely see her later. I then had Tiff`s family and some other friends over for a final meal at my house. I continued on with the breakfast theme and made french toast and fruit and jello for dessert. We then played spoons and had some of Brent`s famous popcorn mixed with seaweed before everyone headed home for the night.
It is now Tuesday morning and I am getting ready to start packing some of my things. I leave Wednesday afternoon on a small seaplane, trasfer planes in Bella Bella, stop in Port Hardy, and then onto Vancouver. I will then stay a couple of nights with the Markloffs (who I stayed with before I left for Klemtu) before taking the red eye home Friday night and landing in Indianapolis Saturday in the early afternoon.
God has stretched and challenged me in ways I have never experienced, and I am so thankful that He chose to send me out on this journey 10 weeks ago. I have developed some of the most genuine relationships in such a short amount of time, and it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye. With that said, I plan on coming back to visit next summer and hopefully bringing my family with me to meet the friends I have told them so much about. Klemtu is a beautiful place with wonderful people and I will forever be grateful for the hospitality they showed me while I was here. And so I sign off from Klemtu not with goodbye, but rather with a see you later, friends.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Week 8
June 30
Greetings, friends! Since it's been so long since my last update I will just get right down to business on the events of week 8. This was the last week of school and thus the last week for all the teachers. I told Tara that I wanted to have her over one last time before she left and that I really wanted to have seafood, and so we both prayed that seafood would come our way. Well, our prayers were answered as Tara was given bags of prawns and so she had me over for dinner on Tuesday night. All she did was steam them and add a little butter and they were absolutely delicious. I could have had a meal of just prawns! After we finished dinner, I headed up to the youth center a bit early to help Tiffany set up for a parent meeting we were having that evening. The meeting went really well as the parents had many wonderful suggestions and offered valuable feedback. We then let the kids in and played some games for the last hour or so before heading home for the evening.
Wednesday was the official last day of school for the students, and so I headed up to the school to help out in the primary class for the last time. We then opened up the youth center to an excited group of kids as their summer had officially begun. Wednesday evening we watched a movie and after we closed up I went over to Tiffany's for a crab feast. Tiff's stepdad had set up some crab traps that day and her mom brought four crabs over to their house. Tiff, Brent, and I each got our own crab and I got my first real experience in taking one apart. I will spare you the details, but lets just say it got a little messy when it came to breaking open the top part. But it was so delicious and it was a moment that I wanted to freeze in time...laughing and talking over a messy crab with Brent and Tiff.
Thursday was quite an eventful day. It started out pretty interesting when I was running on my usual running path. I was just starting my ascent up a hill when I saw something in the road about 100 feet in front of me. It was brown and my first thought that it was a dog, as it had similar features, but then I remembered where I was and that it was unlikely a dog would be this far away from home. The animal saw me coming and quickly ran off into the woods, but I literally stood there frozen for five minutes trying to figure out what it was and whether I should continue or turn around. Even though I had never seen a brown wolf, that was the next thought that popped into my mind. It still looked more like a dog than a wolf to me, but I figured I better not take my chances while I was alone in the wilderness, so I turned around and headed back. Thursday was going to be the night I would cook for Tara, and after I told Tiff that we had been praying for seafood she graciously offered me some of the halibut her dad had brought her the last time he visited Klemtu. I happily accepted and baked it in the same butter and Old Bay seasoning I used the last time. It was delicious and we even had some left over after we finished that Tiff suggested I give to Tara. We then headed up to the school so I could check my email before soccer started. While I was talking to one of the custodians at the school he told me that a wolf had been spotted around Klemtu a few times in the past week and that I needed to be careful while out on my runs. Well, that confirmed that I did in fact have a meeting with a wolf and to save my mom from having a panic attack before I get home, I decided I better take his advice and stick close to the community on the rest of my runs. We had a pretty good turnout for soccer, and after we were finished I went on a walk with Tiff, another one of our friends, and their kids. We walked down by the Big House and sat on some rocks near the water to watch an incredible sunset. It was breathtaking. We then headed back to her house and watched the first Narnia movie, which I was excited about as I had never seen it. I also got to have my first experience eating fry bread, which I would compare to a Brown County biscuit from back home. It was a wonderful end to a (mostly) wonderful day.
Tara's friend flew in Friday morning to help her pack up and accompany on her travels back home to Langley. Tara had me over for dinner that night so I could meet her friend and help her clean out her refrigerator before she had to leave on Sunday. It was one of the best leftover meals I had ever had. We had prawns, salmon, halibut...God certainly answered our prayer for seafood, eh? After dinner, I headed up to the Hall with Tiff for family fun night. We had a lot of fun playing all sorts of games with the kids. We then headed back down to the youth center and watched a little bit of Prince Caspian before I headed home to get ready for the first day of soccer camp.
Saturday morning was the first session of soccer camp. I split the sessions up by age group and the first session was for kids from kindergarten to grade 2. I did some drills to teach them the basics of soccer and we ended with a little scrimmage. The kids seemed to really enjoy the morning and learned a lot in the short time we were together. Since the next age group that was supposed to come after lunch didn't have as many kids signed up, I decided to let them come with the oldest age group on Sunday. I then headed to the youth center for some Rock Band before Tiff alerted me that freight had just come in on a barge and I better head down to the store before it was all gone. I got there in time to buy my last supply of milk, eggs, bread, and veggies. I then headed home to have some dinner before going back to the youth center for Rock Band. We closed up a little early that night and I went home to plan out the Sunday session of camp.
I woke up Sunday morning very excited to watch the U.S.A. play Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes and we watched what turned out to be an exciting and close match. Even though the USA couldn't quite pull it out, it was great to see them competitive and it was a testament to how far USA soccer has come. We then headed up to the Hall for the Grade 7-adult portion of soccer camp. It was another very productive session and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they caught on to the skills I taught them. They were having such a good time that they didn't want to stop when it was time to wrap it up. After we finished up, I headed down to the ferry to say goodbye to Tara and the rest of the teachers that were leaving. I was really sad to see her go, but we were hopeful that we could meet up for a little bit in the few days I will spend in Vancouver before flying home. Afterward, I went to help Tiffany unload the freight that had come in for the youth center and our camping trip that we are taking this coming weekend. Brent then cooked up a delicious salmon meal and I savoured every bite. In case you are keeping track, this was the fourth night of the week that I was blessed with seafood. After dinner, I went to church for a special memorial service in honor of a man who had passed away one year ago. It was a really beautiful service and it made me think of my grandmother, who passed away around this time three years ago. After the service, I went to the youth center to hang with the kids for a little bit before going back to Tiff's for a movie and to make up the schedule for the soccer tournament the following day.
Monday was the last day of soccer camp, and I thought a tournament would be a great way to end. I split the kids up into teams based on their age and rotated them through in a round robin format. At the end of the afternoon, the top two teams in the older age group advanced onto the finals later that night. Before the finals, our usual Monday dinner crew had a pitch in at Tiff's. I then headed up to the Hall with the camp T-shirts that had just come in and a big box of uniforms to give out thanks to the Fabbro family. The final ended up being really close and it was quite intense. It was a great conclusion to a very fun weekend of camp. I passed out the shirts and the uniforms and watched as the little kids were so excited to try on their new Carmel United jerseys. I didn't have my camera with me, but I will do my best to get a picture of them in the jerseys.
It is now Tuesday and I'm getting ready to head to the youth center with Tiff to clean up before the kids come. It is going to be a very busy and exciting week that I am really looking forward to. Hope all is still wonderful with everyone back home. Thank you so much for your continued support and I will see you all again soon!
Greetings, friends! Since it's been so long since my last update I will just get right down to business on the events of week 8. This was the last week of school and thus the last week for all the teachers. I told Tara that I wanted to have her over one last time before she left and that I really wanted to have seafood, and so we both prayed that seafood would come our way. Well, our prayers were answered as Tara was given bags of prawns and so she had me over for dinner on Tuesday night. All she did was steam them and add a little butter and they were absolutely delicious. I could have had a meal of just prawns! After we finished dinner, I headed up to the youth center a bit early to help Tiffany set up for a parent meeting we were having that evening. The meeting went really well as the parents had many wonderful suggestions and offered valuable feedback. We then let the kids in and played some games for the last hour or so before heading home for the evening.
Wednesday was the official last day of school for the students, and so I headed up to the school to help out in the primary class for the last time. We then opened up the youth center to an excited group of kids as their summer had officially begun. Wednesday evening we watched a movie and after we closed up I went over to Tiffany's for a crab feast. Tiff's stepdad had set up some crab traps that day and her mom brought four crabs over to their house. Tiff, Brent, and I each got our own crab and I got my first real experience in taking one apart. I will spare you the details, but lets just say it got a little messy when it came to breaking open the top part. But it was so delicious and it was a moment that I wanted to freeze in time...laughing and talking over a messy crab with Brent and Tiff.
Thursday was quite an eventful day. It started out pretty interesting when I was running on my usual running path. I was just starting my ascent up a hill when I saw something in the road about 100 feet in front of me. It was brown and my first thought that it was a dog, as it had similar features, but then I remembered where I was and that it was unlikely a dog would be this far away from home. The animal saw me coming and quickly ran off into the woods, but I literally stood there frozen for five minutes trying to figure out what it was and whether I should continue or turn around. Even though I had never seen a brown wolf, that was the next thought that popped into my mind. It still looked more like a dog than a wolf to me, but I figured I better not take my chances while I was alone in the wilderness, so I turned around and headed back. Thursday was going to be the night I would cook for Tara, and after I told Tiff that we had been praying for seafood she graciously offered me some of the halibut her dad had brought her the last time he visited Klemtu. I happily accepted and baked it in the same butter and Old Bay seasoning I used the last time. It was delicious and we even had some left over after we finished that Tiff suggested I give to Tara. We then headed up to the school so I could check my email before soccer started. While I was talking to one of the custodians at the school he told me that a wolf had been spotted around Klemtu a few times in the past week and that I needed to be careful while out on my runs. Well, that confirmed that I did in fact have a meeting with a wolf and to save my mom from having a panic attack before I get home, I decided I better take his advice and stick close to the community on the rest of my runs. We had a pretty good turnout for soccer, and after we were finished I went on a walk with Tiff, another one of our friends, and their kids. We walked down by the Big House and sat on some rocks near the water to watch an incredible sunset. It was breathtaking. We then headed back to her house and watched the first Narnia movie, which I was excited about as I had never seen it. I also got to have my first experience eating fry bread, which I would compare to a Brown County biscuit from back home. It was a wonderful end to a (mostly) wonderful day.
Tara's friend flew in Friday morning to help her pack up and accompany on her travels back home to Langley. Tara had me over for dinner that night so I could meet her friend and help her clean out her refrigerator before she had to leave on Sunday. It was one of the best leftover meals I had ever had. We had prawns, salmon, halibut...God certainly answered our prayer for seafood, eh? After dinner, I headed up to the Hall with Tiff for family fun night. We had a lot of fun playing all sorts of games with the kids. We then headed back down to the youth center and watched a little bit of Prince Caspian before I headed home to get ready for the first day of soccer camp.
Saturday morning was the first session of soccer camp. I split the sessions up by age group and the first session was for kids from kindergarten to grade 2. I did some drills to teach them the basics of soccer and we ended with a little scrimmage. The kids seemed to really enjoy the morning and learned a lot in the short time we were together. Since the next age group that was supposed to come after lunch didn't have as many kids signed up, I decided to let them come with the oldest age group on Sunday. I then headed to the youth center for some Rock Band before Tiff alerted me that freight had just come in on a barge and I better head down to the store before it was all gone. I got there in time to buy my last supply of milk, eggs, bread, and veggies. I then headed home to have some dinner before going back to the youth center for Rock Band. We closed up a little early that night and I went home to plan out the Sunday session of camp.
I woke up Sunday morning very excited to watch the U.S.A. play Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes and we watched what turned out to be an exciting and close match. Even though the USA couldn't quite pull it out, it was great to see them competitive and it was a testament to how far USA soccer has come. We then headed up to the Hall for the Grade 7-adult portion of soccer camp. It was another very productive session and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they caught on to the skills I taught them. They were having such a good time that they didn't want to stop when it was time to wrap it up. After we finished up, I headed down to the ferry to say goodbye to Tara and the rest of the teachers that were leaving. I was really sad to see her go, but we were hopeful that we could meet up for a little bit in the few days I will spend in Vancouver before flying home. Afterward, I went to help Tiffany unload the freight that had come in for the youth center and our camping trip that we are taking this coming weekend. Brent then cooked up a delicious salmon meal and I savoured every bite. In case you are keeping track, this was the fourth night of the week that I was blessed with seafood. After dinner, I went to church for a special memorial service in honor of a man who had passed away one year ago. It was a really beautiful service and it made me think of my grandmother, who passed away around this time three years ago. After the service, I went to the youth center to hang with the kids for a little bit before going back to Tiff's for a movie and to make up the schedule for the soccer tournament the following day.
Monday was the last day of soccer camp, and I thought a tournament would be a great way to end. I split the kids up into teams based on their age and rotated them through in a round robin format. At the end of the afternoon, the top two teams in the older age group advanced onto the finals later that night. Before the finals, our usual Monday dinner crew had a pitch in at Tiff's. I then headed up to the Hall with the camp T-shirts that had just come in and a big box of uniforms to give out thanks to the Fabbro family. The final ended up being really close and it was quite intense. It was a great conclusion to a very fun weekend of camp. I passed out the shirts and the uniforms and watched as the little kids were so excited to try on their new Carmel United jerseys. I didn't have my camera with me, but I will do my best to get a picture of them in the jerseys.
It is now Tuesday and I'm getting ready to head to the youth center with Tiff to clean up before the kids come. It is going to be a very busy and exciting week that I am really looking forward to. Hope all is still wonderful with everyone back home. Thank you so much for your continued support and I will see you all again soon!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Week 7
Greetings friends! Again, I'm sorry that the blogs are starting to get more delayed, but I am trying to get them written and posted as fast as I can. Anyway, last week was another great week and certainly full of activity. On Tuesday, Tiffany finally made it back to Klemtu after she chartered a boat from Bella Bella with some of the other Klemtu people that were stuck there. I was so happy she made it home safe and sound. We watched "Contact" that night at the youth center as she had just purchased it while she was away. She also brought me back a really nice necklace and my very own Canadian shirt complete with the Canadian maple leaf. I am almost officially Canadian now, eh?
Wednesday morning I did not make it up to the school because I wanted to bake a cake for a big dinner that was going on up at the Hall that evening. After finishing the cake and getting some other things done, I went over to a friend's house to help her set up for her daughter's 6th birthday party. The basement was decked out in Hannah Montana paraphernalia and I helped her get all of the yummy treats ready for the kids to come over. They all arrived shortly after school let out and I helped chaperone while they watched "Bolt" and played games. I even got to lead them in my own rendition of the Hokey Pokey. After the party, I rushed home to grab the cake and bring it up the Hall for the dinner. One of the women had just graduated with her Education Coordinator diploma and there was a big dinner to celebrate. After dinner, there were speeches and some traditional Indian dancing. Tiff and I then went to the youth center and played some games with the kids until it was time to close.
Thursday was a day off and we made plans to have a big pitch in at Tiff and Brent's that evening. I convinced one of Tiff's friends to make lasagna, Tiff and Brent were going to make corn on the cob, and I was to make an angel food cake. Shortly before dinner, we learned that our lasagna provider was no longer going to make it, so we had to make a quick change and decided to have nachos as our main course. It ended up being a great meal, as odd as it may sound. The corn on the cob was really good, and I told Tiff that I am a pretty harsh critic when it comes to corn on the cob since it is so good back home, but it definitely got my stamp of approval. After our meal, I had to hurry up to the Field because it was soccer night. Although I was unable to get the goals and it took us awhile to get going, it ended up being our most competitive match as a bunch of the workers from the hydro ended up coming to play. We only played for an hour or so, but it was a lot of fun and good to play at a high level. After our game, I went to the Hall to help with some of the set up for the school graduation celebration that was going on the next evening. I didn't stay too long as I was feeling pretty tired from the days events, and I was home and asleep in no time.
Friday was another busy day that started with me volunteering at the school. After lunch, I opened up the youth center but closed early so I could go home and get ready for the graduation ceremony and dinner. As I mentioned in the last post, the kindergarten graduates and high school graduates are both honored at the end of the year and Tiff's youngest was one of the ones graduating from kindergarten. I got to sit at their special table reserved for family and friends of the graduate and enjoyed watching Tiff's daughter receive her diploma in her pink cap and gown. After the graduates were honored and given their diplomas, we had a dinner that was prepared by one of the teachers and his students and watched slideshows of the graduates. After dinner, there were speeches and awards given out to deserving students in each grade. It was a wonderful evening and I took a lot of pictures that I unfortunately will not be able to post until I get home. The celebration went pretty late and since we were only able to open up the youth center for a couple hours, we decided to watch a movie instead of playing Rock Band.
Instead of making pancakes Saturday morning, I decided to try my luck at french toast. I called my dad to get his recipe and ended up making some pretty tasty french toast for Tiff and her family. After breakfast, we headed to the youth center and played our usual round of Saturday afternoon Rock Band. I then went over to Tiff's for Chinese food and we watched a movie until it was time to open up the youth center again for the evening round of Rock Band. I continued to work on my skills on the drums and am now pretty solid on medium difficulty. I'm sure you are all quite impressed by this.
Sunday (Father's Day) morning, Tara and I decided to go on another trek to the hydro, but this time we were determined to make the challenging hike up to the lake that contains the water they are using to generate the electricity. Tara fearlessly paved the way through trees and bushes and we made it pretty far until we ran into a road block. We had been following the pipeline, but were forced to turn around when we realized the pipe was no longer close to the ground and we would have to crawl across it not knowing where we were headed. Disappointed, we made what turned out to be the more challenging descent down the mountain. We decided that we would have to try again, but this time with someone who had already done the hike. After we got back, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day and then went to Tiff's for crepes, bacon, and eggs that she had made for Brent's Father's Day breakfast. We then had our last round of Rock Band at the youth center before going back to Tiff's for a Father's Day dinner with Brent's mom, dad, brother, and his family. We had turkey, stuffing, rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. Anybody hungry yet? For dessert, Brent's mom made her famous pineapple upside down cake and Tiff made a delicious apple tart. We even had ice cream, which made me very happy as it was only my second time having it since I've been here. I then went to church for what would be Tara's last service in Klemtu, as she leaves the following Sunday to go back home. She got the chance to share how much she has enjoyed her time in Klemtu and how thankful she is for her church community, and I know we will all be sad to see her go. After church, I went to the youth center to watch a movie with the kids before calling it a night.
Monday morning I woke up and went down to watch the school parade in celebration of National Aboriginal Day (which was actually on Sunday), a day of recognition of the cultures and contributions of the First Nations people of Canada. I then went to visit with Nanny Violet and she invited me to stay for lunch. I felt guilty sitting down while a 95 year old woman prepared tea and lunch, but she wouldn't have it any other way. After wonderful conversation, I headed back home, went for a run, and prepared spaghetti for the Monday night pitch in at Tiff's house. After dinner, we went to Melody's for a bonfire and marshmallow/hot dog roast. I was so excited to have s'mores as this is one of the Brown family's favorite things to make. It was the perfect night for a bonfire and we sat around talking until late into the night.
It is now Tuesday and as of tomorrow, I only have two weeks left here in Klemtu. I know I've said this before, but I really can't believe how fast the time has gone and I am not ready to say goodbye to my friends here. Hopefully time will start to slow down a little bit and I pray that I will make the most of the short time I have left. I still love and miss you all back home, though, and am looking forward to seeing you again very soon!
And Happy Birthday to my best friend, Betsy! Love you friend and hope you have a wonderful day!
Wednesday morning I did not make it up to the school because I wanted to bake a cake for a big dinner that was going on up at the Hall that evening. After finishing the cake and getting some other things done, I went over to a friend's house to help her set up for her daughter's 6th birthday party. The basement was decked out in Hannah Montana paraphernalia and I helped her get all of the yummy treats ready for the kids to come over. They all arrived shortly after school let out and I helped chaperone while they watched "Bolt" and played games. I even got to lead them in my own rendition of the Hokey Pokey. After the party, I rushed home to grab the cake and bring it up the Hall for the dinner. One of the women had just graduated with her Education Coordinator diploma and there was a big dinner to celebrate. After dinner, there were speeches and some traditional Indian dancing. Tiff and I then went to the youth center and played some games with the kids until it was time to close.
Thursday was a day off and we made plans to have a big pitch in at Tiff and Brent's that evening. I convinced one of Tiff's friends to make lasagna, Tiff and Brent were going to make corn on the cob, and I was to make an angel food cake. Shortly before dinner, we learned that our lasagna provider was no longer going to make it, so we had to make a quick change and decided to have nachos as our main course. It ended up being a great meal, as odd as it may sound. The corn on the cob was really good, and I told Tiff that I am a pretty harsh critic when it comes to corn on the cob since it is so good back home, but it definitely got my stamp of approval. After our meal, I had to hurry up to the Field because it was soccer night. Although I was unable to get the goals and it took us awhile to get going, it ended up being our most competitive match as a bunch of the workers from the hydro ended up coming to play. We only played for an hour or so, but it was a lot of fun and good to play at a high level. After our game, I went to the Hall to help with some of the set up for the school graduation celebration that was going on the next evening. I didn't stay too long as I was feeling pretty tired from the days events, and I was home and asleep in no time.
Friday was another busy day that started with me volunteering at the school. After lunch, I opened up the youth center but closed early so I could go home and get ready for the graduation ceremony and dinner. As I mentioned in the last post, the kindergarten graduates and high school graduates are both honored at the end of the year and Tiff's youngest was one of the ones graduating from kindergarten. I got to sit at their special table reserved for family and friends of the graduate and enjoyed watching Tiff's daughter receive her diploma in her pink cap and gown. After the graduates were honored and given their diplomas, we had a dinner that was prepared by one of the teachers and his students and watched slideshows of the graduates. After dinner, there were speeches and awards given out to deserving students in each grade. It was a wonderful evening and I took a lot of pictures that I unfortunately will not be able to post until I get home. The celebration went pretty late and since we were only able to open up the youth center for a couple hours, we decided to watch a movie instead of playing Rock Band.
Instead of making pancakes Saturday morning, I decided to try my luck at french toast. I called my dad to get his recipe and ended up making some pretty tasty french toast for Tiff and her family. After breakfast, we headed to the youth center and played our usual round of Saturday afternoon Rock Band. I then went over to Tiff's for Chinese food and we watched a movie until it was time to open up the youth center again for the evening round of Rock Band. I continued to work on my skills on the drums and am now pretty solid on medium difficulty. I'm sure you are all quite impressed by this.
Sunday (Father's Day) morning, Tara and I decided to go on another trek to the hydro, but this time we were determined to make the challenging hike up to the lake that contains the water they are using to generate the electricity. Tara fearlessly paved the way through trees and bushes and we made it pretty far until we ran into a road block. We had been following the pipeline, but were forced to turn around when we realized the pipe was no longer close to the ground and we would have to crawl across it not knowing where we were headed. Disappointed, we made what turned out to be the more challenging descent down the mountain. We decided that we would have to try again, but this time with someone who had already done the hike. After we got back, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day and then went to Tiff's for crepes, bacon, and eggs that she had made for Brent's Father's Day breakfast. We then had our last round of Rock Band at the youth center before going back to Tiff's for a Father's Day dinner with Brent's mom, dad, brother, and his family. We had turkey, stuffing, rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. Anybody hungry yet? For dessert, Brent's mom made her famous pineapple upside down cake and Tiff made a delicious apple tart. We even had ice cream, which made me very happy as it was only my second time having it since I've been here. I then went to church for what would be Tara's last service in Klemtu, as she leaves the following Sunday to go back home. She got the chance to share how much she has enjoyed her time in Klemtu and how thankful she is for her church community, and I know we will all be sad to see her go. After church, I went to the youth center to watch a movie with the kids before calling it a night.
Monday morning I woke up and went down to watch the school parade in celebration of National Aboriginal Day (which was actually on Sunday), a day of recognition of the cultures and contributions of the First Nations people of Canada. I then went to visit with Nanny Violet and she invited me to stay for lunch. I felt guilty sitting down while a 95 year old woman prepared tea and lunch, but she wouldn't have it any other way. After wonderful conversation, I headed back home, went for a run, and prepared spaghetti for the Monday night pitch in at Tiff's house. After dinner, we went to Melody's for a bonfire and marshmallow/hot dog roast. I was so excited to have s'mores as this is one of the Brown family's favorite things to make. It was the perfect night for a bonfire and we sat around talking until late into the night.
It is now Tuesday and as of tomorrow, I only have two weeks left here in Klemtu. I know I've said this before, but I really can't believe how fast the time has gone and I am not ready to say goodbye to my friends here. Hopefully time will start to slow down a little bit and I pray that I will make the most of the short time I have left. I still love and miss you all back home, though, and am looking forward to seeing you again very soon!
And Happy Birthday to my best friend, Betsy! Love you friend and hope you have a wonderful day!
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