Klemtu in the distance
The part of the path I have yet to reach...stay tuned
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Week 3 Update
Hello everyone! Today marks the beginning of my fourth week in Klemtu, and yes, time continues to fly by. My last post was on Sports Day weekend, so I will catch you up to speed on this past week. As I mentioned in my previous post, last Monday was a Canadian holiday and so all of the kids had the day off of school. I met Tiff’s kids up at the field and kicked the soccer ball around with them a little bit before going home to start dinner. I made another round of meatloaf and brought it over to Tiff and Brent’s house to enjoy with the whole family. It was a great meal and I stayed to watch the finale of “Dancing with the Stars” and the season premier of “The Bachelorette,” both guilty pleasures I enjoy with my mom and my other reality show loving friend, Mary Beth.
As Tiff and her family would be going out of town on Friday, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday working at the youth center but also making sure I had everything I would need to run the center in her absence. Tuesday evening, Tara from the school invited me over for dinner at her house as it was the last night her mom would be in town visiting. I really enjoyed getting to know her mom and I also got to try curry for the first time. I was a big fan and will be adding it to the list of foods to eat when I get home. Tara’s mom also told me that a church group from her hometown would be coming to Klemtu in July and most likely staying with me. I gave her my contact information so they could call to find out what they need to bring. Hopefully I will still have some food left when they arrive!
Thursday I was invited over to Melody’s for a birthday celebration dinner for her boyfriend. There were lots of people there and the food was so good! Mel made lasagna that was outstanding. There was also fried rice, chow mein, spaghetti, salad, vegetables, fruit…you name it! I had to leave pretty quickly after dinner, though, for the second annual soccer match at the field. The turnout was not quite as good as the previous Thursday, but we still had a good match and everyone really enjoyed it. I headed back to Mel’s after the game for dessert and to hang with everyone on Tiff and Brent’s last night before heading to Vancouver.
Tiff, Brent, and the kids left for Vancouver via plane Friday morning, making me the sole person in charge of the youth center. I also get to watch their fish while they are gone and I am happy to have a pet for a week! Although I was a bit nervous to run the youth center without Tiff, Friday afternoon went just fine and I headed home to get ready for Friday family fun night at the Hall. The point of family fun night is to give the younger kids something fun to do with their families on a Friday night. We played several variations of tag and some other games recommended by the wonderful Jeff D. and the Grace Outreach team, and then ended the night with some indoor soccer. Once the little kids headed home for curfew at 10:00, I went back down to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids until midnight.
Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day, and I took full advantage by going for a nice, long run in the morning. I then went to the youth center to set up Rock Band, and am happy and a bit surprised to say that I was successful. We played Rock Band until the break for dinner, and then came back after dinner for another five hours of it. I am happy to report that I have upgraded to medium level of difficulty on every instrument except for drums, which if you saw my solo I’m sure this does not come as a big surprise.
Sunday morning was another beautiful morning, and I decided to hike back to the lake I discovered on my first week here. I then came home to watch the end of the Indy 500 and was glad to see Helio pull off the win. I then went back to the youth center for the final afternoon of weekend Rock Band. I was pleasantly surprised when Brian and Mary Crumback from NAIM’s “Mission Boat” stopped by the youth center and invited me to dinner on their boat “Solitude.” We had a wonderful dinner of rice and stir fry and I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk with them. After dinner, we headed to the church for Sunday service where Brian gave the message. They told me that their boat would be parked down at the dock for awhile and that I could stop in any time. I will definitely be taking them up on that offer! I then headed to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids, and went back home to go to bed after a good, but tiring weekend.
Today is Monday and a much needed day off, which actually corresponds with everyone’s day off back home for Memorial Day. One of the older kids brought me some halibut that I can not wait to cook for dinner tonight! It is my first time cooking fish so I will be sure to let you all know how it goes. I hope everyone had a wonderful 3-day weekend and I will write again soon. Thank you again for all of the kind notes and words of encouragement…you all are wonderful!
As Tiff and her family would be going out of town on Friday, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday working at the youth center but also making sure I had everything I would need to run the center in her absence. Tuesday evening, Tara from the school invited me over for dinner at her house as it was the last night her mom would be in town visiting. I really enjoyed getting to know her mom and I also got to try curry for the first time. I was a big fan and will be adding it to the list of foods to eat when I get home. Tara’s mom also told me that a church group from her hometown would be coming to Klemtu in July and most likely staying with me. I gave her my contact information so they could call to find out what they need to bring. Hopefully I will still have some food left when they arrive!
Thursday I was invited over to Melody’s for a birthday celebration dinner for her boyfriend. There were lots of people there and the food was so good! Mel made lasagna that was outstanding. There was also fried rice, chow mein, spaghetti, salad, vegetables, fruit…you name it! I had to leave pretty quickly after dinner, though, for the second annual soccer match at the field. The turnout was not quite as good as the previous Thursday, but we still had a good match and everyone really enjoyed it. I headed back to Mel’s after the game for dessert and to hang with everyone on Tiff and Brent’s last night before heading to Vancouver.
Tiff, Brent, and the kids left for Vancouver via plane Friday morning, making me the sole person in charge of the youth center. I also get to watch their fish while they are gone and I am happy to have a pet for a week! Although I was a bit nervous to run the youth center without Tiff, Friday afternoon went just fine and I headed home to get ready for Friday family fun night at the Hall. The point of family fun night is to give the younger kids something fun to do with their families on a Friday night. We played several variations of tag and some other games recommended by the wonderful Jeff D. and the Grace Outreach team, and then ended the night with some indoor soccer. Once the little kids headed home for curfew at 10:00, I went back down to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids until midnight.
Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day, and I took full advantage by going for a nice, long run in the morning. I then went to the youth center to set up Rock Band, and am happy and a bit surprised to say that I was successful. We played Rock Band until the break for dinner, and then came back after dinner for another five hours of it. I am happy to report that I have upgraded to medium level of difficulty on every instrument except for drums, which if you saw my solo I’m sure this does not come as a big surprise.
Sunday morning was another beautiful morning, and I decided to hike back to the lake I discovered on my first week here. I then came home to watch the end of the Indy 500 and was glad to see Helio pull off the win. I then went back to the youth center for the final afternoon of weekend Rock Band. I was pleasantly surprised when Brian and Mary Crumback from NAIM’s “Mission Boat” stopped by the youth center and invited me to dinner on their boat “Solitude.” We had a wonderful dinner of rice and stir fry and I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk with them. After dinner, we headed to the church for Sunday service where Brian gave the message. They told me that their boat would be parked down at the dock for awhile and that I could stop in any time. I will definitely be taking them up on that offer! I then headed to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids, and went back home to go to bed after a good, but tiring weekend.
Today is Monday and a much needed day off, which actually corresponds with everyone’s day off back home for Memorial Day. One of the older kids brought me some halibut that I can not wait to cook for dinner tonight! It is my first time cooking fish so I will be sure to let you all know how it goes. I hope everyone had a wonderful 3-day weekend and I will write again soon. Thank you again for all of the kind notes and words of encouragement…you all are wonderful!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sports Day Weekend
As I mentioned in my previous post, this past weekend was “Sports Day” weekend in Klemtu. It was a weekend that brought the whole community together to have fun and celebrate physical fitness. It kind of reminded me of track and field day that we had when I was in elementary school, except all ages got to participate in the events. Here is a recap of the weekend:
Friday night kicked off the weekend with a dance up at the Hall, and Tiff and I signed up to be chaperones. Other than the little kids, who ran around and danced until it was time to go home, it looked a lot like a middle school dance with little dancing going on amongst the older kids. They had food and refreshments, gave away lots of prizes, and did fun dances that looked like the Canadian equivalent to the Chicken Dance. I got the chance to bust a move to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and “Ice Ice Baby.” All and all, it was a great night.
Saturday morning was supposed to be the parade, but rain forced the events to be moved inside and the parade was postponed until Sunday. Starting at 11:00, there were events for boys and girls from toddlers all the way up to adults. Some of the events were the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 3-legged race, potato race (you had to balance a potato on a spoon and run to the finish line), walking race, and skipping rope. There was extra incentive to participate, as first place for each event in every age group received $5.00, second place got $4.00, and third place received $3.00. Some kids as young as five or six must have walked away with close to $100 at the end of the weekend, although most much preferred the ribbons we handed out over the money. Also, every time someone participated in an event, their name was entered into a drawing in their age group to win a bike that would be raffled off at the end of the weekend. Carolyn and Katie, you would be proud to know that I got first place in the walking race thanks to our daily speed walking warm-ups at Brebeuf. We finished up around 4:30, went home for dinner, and then opened up the youth center for a few hours of Rock Band.
I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes Sunday morning before the events began. I then made a quick trip to the Band Store (fresh produce had just come in that morning) and hurried down to the waterfront to watch the parade. The kids decorated their bikes, scooters, and wagons and dressed up in their most creative costumes to walk up and down the waterfront. They went all out on the decorations as there was a contest for the best costumes. After the parade, the events started up again, except this time we got to be outside. They went through the same cycle of races as the previous day in the morning and afternoon, and then had a half mile run, mile run, tug of war, pie eating contest, and canoe race. I entered the mile run and was happy to take second place and collect my prize of $30! I hadn’t run a mile that fast since college and had forgotten how good that burning sensation in the lungs felt…okay not really, but the cash prize helped ease the pain a little. Once all of the events were over, awards and prizes were handed out, including about eight bikes that were raffled off in each age group. All of the bikes were donated through the health budget, and many kids left with a big smile on their face! After it was over, I headed back to the house for dinner and went to the church for Sunday night service. I finally was not the first one to arrive, and even came in a little after the service had begun. There is really no format to the church service here, which I have found very refreshing. We shout out our favorite hymns and sing them until there are no more requests and then one of the church elders shares whatever is on his or her heart and opens it up for anyone to share how God has been speaking to them. I leave feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week focused on God’s will.
Today (Monday) was Victoria Day in Canada, which is a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Everyone had the day off and enjoyed a beautiful day of sunshine in Klemtu. Tomorrow is my first day with a different grade at the school, and I’m looking forward to interacting with a new group of kids. Have a wonderful week and I will be sure to post again soon!
Friday night kicked off the weekend with a dance up at the Hall, and Tiff and I signed up to be chaperones. Other than the little kids, who ran around and danced until it was time to go home, it looked a lot like a middle school dance with little dancing going on amongst the older kids. They had food and refreshments, gave away lots of prizes, and did fun dances that looked like the Canadian equivalent to the Chicken Dance. I got the chance to bust a move to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and “Ice Ice Baby.” All and all, it was a great night.
Saturday morning was supposed to be the parade, but rain forced the events to be moved inside and the parade was postponed until Sunday. Starting at 11:00, there were events for boys and girls from toddlers all the way up to adults. Some of the events were the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 3-legged race, potato race (you had to balance a potato on a spoon and run to the finish line), walking race, and skipping rope. There was extra incentive to participate, as first place for each event in every age group received $5.00, second place got $4.00, and third place received $3.00. Some kids as young as five or six must have walked away with close to $100 at the end of the weekend, although most much preferred the ribbons we handed out over the money. Also, every time someone participated in an event, their name was entered into a drawing in their age group to win a bike that would be raffled off at the end of the weekend. Carolyn and Katie, you would be proud to know that I got first place in the walking race thanks to our daily speed walking warm-ups at Brebeuf. We finished up around 4:30, went home for dinner, and then opened up the youth center for a few hours of Rock Band.
I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes Sunday morning before the events began. I then made a quick trip to the Band Store (fresh produce had just come in that morning) and hurried down to the waterfront to watch the parade. The kids decorated their bikes, scooters, and wagons and dressed up in their most creative costumes to walk up and down the waterfront. They went all out on the decorations as there was a contest for the best costumes. After the parade, the events started up again, except this time we got to be outside. They went through the same cycle of races as the previous day in the morning and afternoon, and then had a half mile run, mile run, tug of war, pie eating contest, and canoe race. I entered the mile run and was happy to take second place and collect my prize of $30! I hadn’t run a mile that fast since college and had forgotten how good that burning sensation in the lungs felt…okay not really, but the cash prize helped ease the pain a little. Once all of the events were over, awards and prizes were handed out, including about eight bikes that were raffled off in each age group. All of the bikes were donated through the health budget, and many kids left with a big smile on their face! After it was over, I headed back to the house for dinner and went to the church for Sunday night service. I finally was not the first one to arrive, and even came in a little after the service had begun. There is really no format to the church service here, which I have found very refreshing. We shout out our favorite hymns and sing them until there are no more requests and then one of the church elders shares whatever is on his or her heart and opens it up for anyone to share how God has been speaking to them. I leave feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week focused on God’s will.
Today (Monday) was Victoria Day in Canada, which is a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Everyone had the day off and enjoyed a beautiful day of sunshine in Klemtu. Tomorrow is my first day with a different grade at the school, and I’m looking forward to interacting with a new group of kids. Have a wonderful week and I will be sure to post again soon!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Week 2
Another week here has flown by, so here’s an update of the exciting events of this week. As I said in my last blog, Monday was my first full day off, and it was a wonderful time for me to clear my head and spend some time reading and reflecting on my time here. I went for a long walk past the fishing hatchery and through the woods that led to a wonderfully serene lake. It is actually the lake where the drinking water comes from. I was the only one out there and just sat and took in the beauty of my surroundings before heading back. After dinner, I headed to Tiff’s to watch the Canucks in their must-win playoff game. Unfortunately, they did not pull it off and I was sad that the first hockey team I’ve followed will have to wait until next year.
After closing up at the youth center on Tuesday afternoon, I got a call from the Band Office asking if I would be willing to host one of the couples that had just arrived in Klemtu to put on a gospel performance at the church. The group was from Summerland, BC and they call themselves the “Back Porch Gospel.” They were stopping in Klemtu towards the end of their two week tour down the coast of BC with Brian and Mary Crumback, who run NAIM’s “Mission Boat” that travels up and down the coast visiting First Nations reserves. Before they arrived, Tara (the teacher I have been helping) came over with a vacuum so I could sweep the floor and tidy up a bit. Tiff had given me a crab to cook for dinner that night and I asked Tara if she wanted to stay and eat with me. Although she was hesitant as she had never tried crab, she agreed and was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed it. The rice I attempted to make, however, did not turn out so well, so we had more of a rice porridge. After dinner, I got to meet my guests. They were in their late 70’s and could not have been more wonderful. After their Tuesday night performance, we stayed up and talked about anything and everything before heading to bed.
Wednesday morning the Klemtu dancers performed some of their traditional Indian dances at the Big House for a cruise ship that had just arrived. It was very entertaining and a great cultural experience. Later that evening, Tiff graciously agreed to let me leave the youth center and catch the end of the gospel group’s final performance. There was a very good turnout and everyone seemed to really enjoy the show. I then headed back to the youth center and chatted with Tiff for awhile before heading back home for the night. My guests were waiting up for me and told me that I had broken curfew by twenty minutes. They gave me a gift of jam and syrup that they had brought from home along with one of their CD’s. We hugged goodbye as they would be leaving early in the morning, well before I would be awake.
Thursday was my second day off of the week and it was full of excitement. I made my second big meal: Tonya’s famous spaghetti. I had Tiff and her family over as well as Melody. Once I finally got the can of spaghetti sauce open (I broke a can opener trying to open it the first time) we enjoyed a delicious meal. Tiff says you are an excellent cook, T! I then hurried out the door and up to the field for my first organized soccer match in Klemtu. I posted signs around the school and the youth center and was pleasantly surprised to see an excellent turnout. They closed the basketball hall for the evening so everyone could either play in or watch the soccer match. The field is actually filled with sand, which made it a very entertaining game. We had about 20 people playing and a large number of people watching and cheering. We played for almost two hours, and then finally called it so the younger kids could be home by curfew. The kids have already asked me when the next game will be, so I think we will make it a Thursday night ritual.
This morning (Friday) was my last morning with the primary class, and it was kind of bittersweet. I have really formed a bond with the kids and enjoy working with that age, but I am excited to move onto another grade next week so I can get to know more of the kids. This weekend is “Sports Day” weekend, which should be a lot of fun. We are closing the youth center as most everyone in Klemtu will be participating in the events. I will save the details on this for my next blog, so stay tuned! Well, I better go get ready for a meeting Tiff and I are having with her supervisor about holding a soccer camp this summer. Once we have those details finalized I will be sure to share them with you! But in the meantime, if anyone has a soccer ball of any size that they would be willing to donate contact my mom or dad and let them know because they are collecting a bunch to send up here for the camp. My mom’s email address is atbrown@sbcglobal.net. Thanks and have a great weekend!
After closing up at the youth center on Tuesday afternoon, I got a call from the Band Office asking if I would be willing to host one of the couples that had just arrived in Klemtu to put on a gospel performance at the church. The group was from Summerland, BC and they call themselves the “Back Porch Gospel.” They were stopping in Klemtu towards the end of their two week tour down the coast of BC with Brian and Mary Crumback, who run NAIM’s “Mission Boat” that travels up and down the coast visiting First Nations reserves. Before they arrived, Tara (the teacher I have been helping) came over with a vacuum so I could sweep the floor and tidy up a bit. Tiff had given me a crab to cook for dinner that night and I asked Tara if she wanted to stay and eat with me. Although she was hesitant as she had never tried crab, she agreed and was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed it. The rice I attempted to make, however, did not turn out so well, so we had more of a rice porridge. After dinner, I got to meet my guests. They were in their late 70’s and could not have been more wonderful. After their Tuesday night performance, we stayed up and talked about anything and everything before heading to bed.
Wednesday morning the Klemtu dancers performed some of their traditional Indian dances at the Big House for a cruise ship that had just arrived. It was very entertaining and a great cultural experience. Later that evening, Tiff graciously agreed to let me leave the youth center and catch the end of the gospel group’s final performance. There was a very good turnout and everyone seemed to really enjoy the show. I then headed back to the youth center and chatted with Tiff for awhile before heading back home for the night. My guests were waiting up for me and told me that I had broken curfew by twenty minutes. They gave me a gift of jam and syrup that they had brought from home along with one of their CD’s. We hugged goodbye as they would be leaving early in the morning, well before I would be awake.
Thursday was my second day off of the week and it was full of excitement. I made my second big meal: Tonya’s famous spaghetti. I had Tiff and her family over as well as Melody. Once I finally got the can of spaghetti sauce open (I broke a can opener trying to open it the first time) we enjoyed a delicious meal. Tiff says you are an excellent cook, T! I then hurried out the door and up to the field for my first organized soccer match in Klemtu. I posted signs around the school and the youth center and was pleasantly surprised to see an excellent turnout. They closed the basketball hall for the evening so everyone could either play in or watch the soccer match. The field is actually filled with sand, which made it a very entertaining game. We had about 20 people playing and a large number of people watching and cheering. We played for almost two hours, and then finally called it so the younger kids could be home by curfew. The kids have already asked me when the next game will be, so I think we will make it a Thursday night ritual.
This morning (Friday) was my last morning with the primary class, and it was kind of bittersweet. I have really formed a bond with the kids and enjoy working with that age, but I am excited to move onto another grade next week so I can get to know more of the kids. This weekend is “Sports Day” weekend, which should be a lot of fun. We are closing the youth center as most everyone in Klemtu will be participating in the events. I will save the details on this for my next blog, so stay tuned! Well, I better go get ready for a meeting Tiff and I are having with her supervisor about holding a soccer camp this summer. Once we have those details finalized I will be sure to share them with you! But in the meantime, if anyone has a soccer ball of any size that they would be willing to donate contact my mom or dad and let them know because they are collecting a bunch to send up here for the camp. My mom’s email address is atbrown@sbcglobal.net. Thanks and have a great weekend!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Youth center pics
Busy Friday night at the youth center
Tiff and her youngest, Jamie
Friday night Rock Band
Showing off my vocal talent
Tiff's girls, Eliza and Jamie
Weekend update
As my first full weekend in Klemtu has come to an end, I decided it was a good time to post another update. As I said in my previous blog, weekends at the youth center are dedicated to”Rock Band.” And boy did we play “Rock Band.” Fifteen hours of it to be exact. At one point on Friday night, I counted 40 kids in the room either watching or playing. Tiff makes a sign-up sheet at the beginning and you are allowed to sign up 4 or 5 times, depending on how many people are waiting for a turn. I started out on vocals (shocking I know) and then gradually mustered up the courage to try other instruments. I was most intimidated by the drums, but eventually gave it a try and didn’t do too badly. I have only tried the easy setting so far, but maybe next weekend I will get bold enough to try medium. A lot of the kids are really good, and my goal is to be a pro by the end of the summer so I can show off my skills at my brother’s apartment in Minnesota.
I decided to make pancakes Saturday morning and invited Tiff and her family over to enjoy them with me. I made chocolate chip and blueberry, and was proud that I made them almost as good as my dad’s. Tiff’s girls really enjoyed them and asked if I could make them every morning. I told them maybe not every morning, but hopefully we can start a weekend ritual.
On Mother’s Day, I woke up and was able to call my mom on Skype to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day and catch up on what has been going on at home. It was great to be able to see her while we were talking, and she even had her friend Karen there so I got to talk to her as well. After our conversation, I went for a run, spent some time at the youth center, and then Tiff and Brent had me over to their house for a Mother’s Day dinner. Brent’s parents, grandma, and Tiff’s mom and stepdad all came over for dinner and Brent made a delicious pork roast. I made lemon bars for the first time (thanks for the recipe, Julie!) and Brent’s mom brought over pineapple upside down cake. It was a delicious meal and great to spend some time with Tiff and Brent’s family. I then headed home to talk to my brother on Skype and get ready for church. Now, you would think I learned my lesson last week when I showed up 45 minutes early for church, but apparently not. I didn’t finish talking to my brother until around 7:00, and then walked briskly to church to get there by 7:15, but I was once again one of the first people there. I will try for 7:30 next week. Since I still don’t know a lot of people in the community and haven’t had a chance to introduce myself to the church, one of the speakers had me come up front and tell a little about myself and why I was in Klemtu. After I was finished, they told me how much they appreciated me being there and pray that my time in Klemtu will be worthwhile. I told them it already had been and I believe it will only get better. I also had an opportunity to talk to Tara, the primary teacher I have been working with at the school, about how I had really enjoyed all that I was involved in the first week, but after the long weekend I was beginning to feel a little tired and like I was trying to do too much. She completely agreed and insisted that on my days off from the youth center (Monday and Thursday) I also take off from volunteering at the school. Today is my first full day “off,” and it has allowed me to spend more time journaling, reading, and letting God speak to me about whatever it is He wants me to hear. It’s funny how my first week here I was almost fearful of time alone, and now I realize how much I really need it.
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and I will post again soon. Stay tuned for more pictures as well!
I decided to make pancakes Saturday morning and invited Tiff and her family over to enjoy them with me. I made chocolate chip and blueberry, and was proud that I made them almost as good as my dad’s. Tiff’s girls really enjoyed them and asked if I could make them every morning. I told them maybe not every morning, but hopefully we can start a weekend ritual.
On Mother’s Day, I woke up and was able to call my mom on Skype to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day and catch up on what has been going on at home. It was great to be able to see her while we were talking, and she even had her friend Karen there so I got to talk to her as well. After our conversation, I went for a run, spent some time at the youth center, and then Tiff and Brent had me over to their house for a Mother’s Day dinner. Brent’s parents, grandma, and Tiff’s mom and stepdad all came over for dinner and Brent made a delicious pork roast. I made lemon bars for the first time (thanks for the recipe, Julie!) and Brent’s mom brought over pineapple upside down cake. It was a delicious meal and great to spend some time with Tiff and Brent’s family. I then headed home to talk to my brother on Skype and get ready for church. Now, you would think I learned my lesson last week when I showed up 45 minutes early for church, but apparently not. I didn’t finish talking to my brother until around 7:00, and then walked briskly to church to get there by 7:15, but I was once again one of the first people there. I will try for 7:30 next week. Since I still don’t know a lot of people in the community and haven’t had a chance to introduce myself to the church, one of the speakers had me come up front and tell a little about myself and why I was in Klemtu. After I was finished, they told me how much they appreciated me being there and pray that my time in Klemtu will be worthwhile. I told them it already had been and I believe it will only get better. I also had an opportunity to talk to Tara, the primary teacher I have been working with at the school, about how I had really enjoyed all that I was involved in the first week, but after the long weekend I was beginning to feel a little tired and like I was trying to do too much. She completely agreed and insisted that on my days off from the youth center (Monday and Thursday) I also take off from volunteering at the school. Today is my first full day “off,” and it has allowed me to spend more time journaling, reading, and letting God speak to me about whatever it is He wants me to hear. It’s funny how my first week here I was almost fearful of time alone, and now I realize how much I really need it.
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and I will post again soon. Stay tuned for more pictures as well!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
More Pictures
View of Klemtu from the water tower
View of Klemtu from where the ferry comes in
Back of Kitasoo Community School
Klemtu at sunset
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