Pink Koala

I just wanted a catchy title…..

Hello dear family and friends:

Community life is so wonderful! Since 2013 I have had the opportunity to experience community life with the Catholic Outreach Team and the Sisters of Holy Cross. Over the past 18 months I have been working as Coordinator of Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas.

I am overjoyed at the countless interesting experiences I have encountered and have decided that it’s time for me to take the next step. Over the past couple years I have felt a call to religious life, an option I am seriously considering. Let me share with you how two young boys in Haiti pushed me towards the pursuit of this vocation.

One school day, I was sitting in front of the convent, writing in my journal. I remember it being a bright sunny day. There
were two boys playing foutbòl (Soccer in Haitian Creole).
Exhausted, they came and sat beside me and we started chatting. I asked them why they weren’t in school. They quickly replied by sharing part of their life story. Their father had been in a motorcycle accident which left him with mental problems and he soon abandoned his wife and kids. Their mother wasn’t able to take care of her boys so she gave them away to her sister, their aunt. This woman had kids of her own and when they had food in the house (which wasn’t often) it would go to her own kids first. If there were leftovers, only then would these two boys get to eat. These kids were bl
essed with a coconut tree and if they were really hungry they would climb the tree to drink the coconut water and eat the coconut.

This situation really opened my eyes in realizing how many things I have but don’t really need. How can I live such a materialistic life when these kids don’t even know when they will have a full meal again?

Leading by example

I’m always on the road. This weekend I went to my parents place because on Sunday we had a baptism. It is finally official, I’m a godmother!!!!!!

This is not a responsibility I’m taking lightly. Every child is a miracle from God but this child was definitely an eye opener child of God. The couple had complications with the pregnancy but man o man has these complications ever brought the couple closer to Christ but also to each other. You can read more about the journey here, My Promise

The verse My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness is what kept me going. The weakness of the complications reassured God’s presence in the lives of many, mine included.

When life gets tough we need something or someone to rely on and through my life journey I learned that we can’t just rely on people. People change, people hurt us and people leave. 

Australia!!!

Aye mate!

Ok!!!!! I have some super great news for you! It is official! I’m going to Australia in January!!!!!!

As many of you know I’ve been discerning religious life for a while and have many fears about taking the next step. To help me with this I decided (with the help of God) to join something called NET (National Evangelization Team).

This peer to peer, value-driven ministry is very effective because it offers a radical alternative to what is offered by society at present. NET teams bring their own positive stories, struggles, their willingness to listen and relate on a youthful level, this is indispensable.

As a member of NET I will deepen my faith, strengthen my relationship with God all by sharing the Gospel with others. What better way to discern religious life than with other young adults? 

Run! Run! Run!

I wasn’t planning on blogging today but then I had a crazy thought…. Why not?

Have you ever started something and thought this is never going to work, I’m a failure. And then you realize wait it’s actually working, I’m not actually as much of a failure that I thought I was! 

I say this because I have never been a runner, I like running but running was never my thing. Two Fridays ago I was sitting in my room, probably watching a funny cat video or something like that and I had this crazy thought why don’t I go for a run? I told you it was a crazy thought!!! I look like a dying chipmunk when I run, not a pretty site. But eh the thought came to mind and I couldn’t shut it down because it was actually a good idea.

 

How I feel when I run.

Confession of a wonky thumb

Ok, I have something to admit, something that I tried hiding for years and year but it’s time I finally come clean with it. I have… I can’t say it…. I am…. hmmm… I’m a freak. I have something called Brachydactyly Type D (BDD).

What the heck is that? I like to think of it as strange dinosaur disease, yes, I’m actually a dinosaur. Hehe, now I’m sure you’re confused…. unless you know what BDD is then I will give you a high5! *High5*

Basically BDD means that the distal phalanx of the thumb alone is shortened, in other words the nail bed of my thumbs is wider than it’s long, weird eh?

On a New Journey all the Time

After a great weekend full of excitement I am now back waiting at the bus station for a new adventure. I always love spending time with family but when it comes time to leave it’s always bitter sweet. I love my work up north but I also love my family, if only I could have both.

A picture I took about a month ago. Fall is here!

I only have a few months left in the north… yep you read that right. It is finally official that I will be leaving my work in the north. Another bitter sweet decision but definitely another decision I took with the help of God. I love my time in the north, I love the people, the different culture, nature and even the animals. On a side note when I came down to the city the other day I saw a moose! 

Sleeping Bag and Bugs

Last night I was all cozy in bed and all of sudden I imagined two big black bugs in my bed!!! YUCK! You want to know how I dealt with them? You won’t believe me as what I did wasn’t very intelligent but eh it’s what I did.

I wanted to keep sleeping without having to actually find the bugs so I decided to get my sleeping bag and sleep in it. I made sure the pull string was at its tightest so that the bugs couldn’t get in. Yes I know, I’m a genius.

This morning when I woke up I was just like whaaaaaa? Why am I in a sleeping bag? And then it slowly came back to me. It was really weird.

I wanted to start with this story because sometimes we do something and don’t know why.  I always like thinking there’s a purpose behind everything we say or do but after experiencing something like that it got me thinking.

Legend of Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’

Perspectives

Sometimes when life gets hard we have to look at it from a different perspective:

 

We have to carry our burdens victoriously:

Change is Good

The other day I heard a comment that was very upsetting. The comment was something like bigger women should never wear a bikini because it’s not flattering on them. Now before I keep going on I have to state that I’m actually against women wearing bikinis as I believe they reveal too much but that’s a story for another day

When we’re hurting ourselves we’re hurting God as well.

 

Saying that a bigger woman can’t do something because it’s not flattering is a complete insult.