Reflection on my time at Bethany College

Brittany and I

As it is the last week of Bethany College in Hepburn Saskatchewan Canada, I have been reflecting a lot on my time there and where it has brought me.

First let me say it has been a struggle to be away from Bethany while it has had all of it’s final events. And to think now I am missing the last commencement and all the final hurrahs, is disappointing for me.

I remember my first time going out to Bethany and being so overwhelmed by all the people and the idea of being separated from my family for such a long time.

I remember setting up my room and having my first year roommate come jumping in to the room and introducing herself “Hi, I’m Brittany!” I quietly introduced myself and after she left I turned to my sisters and mocked her! (Ha don’t worry she knows this story already!) Over the year we became very close and enjoyed spending many evenings together just talking, playing volleyball with a small foam ball, eating Vita crackers with Nutella and falling asleep listening to Adventures in Odessy.

Angel and I

My first year I spent a lot of my weekends at Erin’s parents house with her and Brittany. I had a few firsts there. First time shooting a gun, driving a quad by myself, eating paska, driving a standard car and many more adventures! This became my home away from home.

By Christmas time I had started to think about coming back for a second year. Thinking, “Yeah only two years, that will be good!”  My second year was difficult for me but I was able to create friendships that I cherish a lot today.  My friend Angel and I became very close during this time and I would not change that for a moment!

Us RA's from my 3rd year

During my second year I got involved in drama, I never did any of the acting but I was a stage manager. This was a different experience for me but was just so much fun. 

My 3rd year guys and I :)

I remember a specific moment in my second year while reading my Bible thinking, “Oh my! I am coming back for a third year, which means I will do a fourth year too!” My third year I was really nervous for because I was going to be the only girl in a class of 6 guys who I had been in a classes with for two years but never really ever talked too.  Needless to say all of those guys are dear to my heart to this day and I am so thankful for the chance I got to not only be their friends but also to learn so much from them in and out of class.

My years at Bethany also introduced me to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and that has been a story of it’s own.  The people I have met because of being introduced to this organization has been so wonderful. I have many mentors from MCC and could not imagine being on this journey here in South Africa without their continued support and push to come to South Africa.

My sisters and their boys

During my internship I lived with two wonderful ladies who I met while at Bethany and was able to live with them for 

two whole years before our lives all went separate ways.  And they have been a great influence in my life and continue to challenge me even this far away from home.

I would also like to take credit for both of my sisters future marriages because if I would not have blazed the trail to Bethany they most likely would not have gone and met their significant others who they both are marrying this summer :)

Bethany has introduced me to a world of Mennonites, a world of MCC, a world of great community, a world of great friends, a world learning, a world of change and a world of God that I never knew before.

Kaylee, Tyla and I (my roommates)

Thank you to all who have been a part of this journey. I am a better person because you were placed in my life.

Until next time...stop and reflect on the things and people that have brought you to where you are today.

What is next...

Many of you who read my blog would probably know this already. But I feel like it’s time for me to make this more public. I have not been keeping it a secret but just have not broadcasted it to the world yet.

After I return home to Canada I will being coming back to South Africa in October. I will be coming back for two years to work at Lily of the Valley Children’s Village. While there I will be doing a verity of different things. And as I start things will shift and my role will be come more framed.

My decision in coming back was not made lightly.  I struggled for weeks over the idea of being away from my life in Canada and all the things I will be missing out on while I am away.  I often still struggle with the idea of being away from home, but know it is where God has called me to be.  The days I question my decision the most is when I think about family and how much things and people will have changed by the time I see them again. Even over this year I know things have changed and I have missed out on big things.  One of the things in making my decision was making sure I would be home for both of my sister’s weddings.  Because there is no way I would miss them for the world!

To know my baby sisters will have been married for two years in that time and who knows could have kids by the time I get back scares me (only because I would be missing out on that part of their lives).  My family has always been a big factor in my life and I care a lot about what they thought about me coming back.  So before I had made any final decisions in coming back I talked to each one of my siblings and my parents asking them what they thought.  I have always known this but have come to realize again just how loving and supportive of a family I have, and how very very blessed I am to have each one of these people in my life!!

My decision started over the Christmas holidays while at Lily.  During the MCC Christmas Retreat I remember talking to some of the other MCC service workers who were in the middle of their terms and thinking 'I would never do that, being away from home for that long'… little did I know God was laughing at me saying 'Oh yeah wanna bet!'  It was right around a week later I mentioned the idea of what it might look like to come back to South Africa to Nikki (the other SALTer).  I had a hard time trying to get the thought out of my mouth because then I knew it was going to be more real and there was more of a chance it would actually happen.  Then over New Years I had mentioned it to James (one the MCC South African Reps) asking him if it was possible; what it might look like; when I would need to decide.  I then got back to Lily and talked with a lot of family and friends back home asking them of their thoughts and opinions.  After talking with everyone and praying about the situation I decided to tell James that if everything works out I am going to do it. So after talking with people from Lily, MCC people things have slowly been set in place.

There are still days I wonder what I am getting myself into and then go back to Lily for a weekend to spend time with the kids and I am blessed and reminded why I am coming back.  My going back to Lily during the weekends and this past Easter holiday has been to continue my relationships with the kids so when I do come back in the end of October beginning of November I will be able to pick up a bit easier.

I know things at Lily are not perfect nor will they ever be but I am so looking forward to being a part of the community there and being able to make an impact on the kids lives, and to hopefully make it a better place for them. I know I will not be the change but I can plant a seed and God will make it bloom into something better than I could ever imagine.

For these next two years I do not need to fundraise as I will be supported totally by MCC.  Though with wonderful experience of going to Bethany College I do have student loans I will be paying during my time away.  And if you feel any willingness to help me out in that way I would not object! :) But I am not going to talk anymore about this here!

While I am home for a few short months I hope to be able to see as many people as I can who have supported me over this past year here at Hope Valley.  I will most likely not be getting a job while I am home so I do have the freedom of spending as much time with family and friends in Saskatoon and Calgary.  Also to help as much with wedding planning as possible. 

These pictures through out this blog are from my time at Lily this past holiday and the fun times we had with the kids playing carnival games and minute to win it games.

Until next time…please feel free to ask me any questions about this and I will be happy to answer!

The 'Norms'

Thing that have become normal that I may have never mentioned before:

• Laundry is done once a week in a machine by Esnath (housekeeper); weather permitting because everything is hung out to dry.
• I have not figured out the reasoning for this but the females have to wash their own underwear but the males don’t. I have gotten used to it now.
• All the teachers are on a rotating schedule of when it’s their week to do dishes and keeping the common room clean.
• At school I normally supervise during the break.
• Before I left I got two seasons of Friends from my sister and I have watched them over and over; enough that I could tell you what happens in each of those episodes ( I could have probably do that before but nor I can do it in detail!) Ha! Though since my hard drive died I no longer have those shows.
• I drink more real coffee here than I did at home.  I started drinking Ricoffy - a fake instant coffee and then I got a french press (Or what South Africans call a plunger) to drink real coffee and I now cannot go back to the fake stuff.
• In the classroom we have a rug and to get it clean I sweet it everyday because there is no vacuum. (It’s weird sweeping carpet but it works good enough)
• Every two weeks I write up an up-date to my supervisors telling them how things are and something that has been eye opening or I have learned from.
• I have to keep close records of my finances because I have to submit them at the end of each month.
• During breaks at school I have to close the door to my classroom otherwise I get visitors…monkeys! One day I was sitting in my classroom with the window open and a money jumped up into the window but I chased it away before it came in.
• I don’t have a shower here only a bath, so I have learned how to have quick baths rather than long relaxing ones where I watch a T.V. show or something. There are some days by bath water is a little grosser than other days...those are the days I don't bath!
• I rarely eat meat. This is not a choice it is just what we get for meals.
• The country has something called ‘Load Shedding’. It’s when parts of the country’s power is turned off for a few hours to reserve energy.  The whole country in under the same energy resource and because the country is growing more than they expected they have to turn off the power to different areas of the country to preserve that energy. It usually goes off for two hours at a time. And is often over meal times. There is a schedule of when each area is getting Load Shedding but I never look to see when it is, so it is often a surprise. I have eaten a few meals by candle light...don’t worry mom no romantic candle light dinners.
• After a hot day and then a day of rain there are these bugs that hatch and are everywhere. They call them flying ants but they are not the same as what we would call flying ants in North America. The are these little larvas with four wings, they fly around and then after awhile they will land and loose their wings. There are a few people who will eat them, either alive or after they have been cooked. No I have not tried them and don’t plan on it.

I am sure there are more and as I think of them I will write them down for another post about the norms of my life here!

Until next time....take the time to notice the 'normal' things in your life.