A Canuck amongst Canucks

I am going to start this post off my taking about Vikings, not Canucks. I am very excited to announce that I have been accepted to YWAM's School of Biblical Studies in Sweden. In September I will once again be with the Vikings, but on the mainland this time. I am very thankful to be accepted to study in Sweden, as this means I don't have to change my blog's name!
Here's a little look at the area of Sweden I will be spending 9 months in:

Now, about Canucks. I have been home for my six month journey for over a month now, and it has been an interesting time. I wasn't ready for what being home would mean. I had lived an very different kind of life in Iceland, and again in Russia. The question I was asking myself was, "How can I take this home?". The answer is not a simple one. Our DTS leaders had talked about the "YWAM Bubble" and coming back to Canada put the saying in perspective. The DTS was a sort of bubble, it was an amazing bubble to be in, but you can't live in it forever. When people asked me what is was like to be home, my answer was simple. Weird. For the first week and a bit I was unable to put my finger on what felt so weird. Then it hit me, I was restless. We had been very active in Iceland and Russia. I had a very busy six months of learning and doing, and it all seemed to stop when I came home. I was restless. I wanted things to do, I wanted to maintain the same intensity that the DTS had. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this, and the answer was that I needed to shift my focus. God made sure to let me know that I can't participate in ministry opportunity because I feel like I need to. What is my motivation for reaching out to people, to my community? Is it because I feel called to, or because I need to do something for the sake of doing it? This took me back to Week 10 of my DTS; Identity. I can't find my identity in what I do, but what I do should come our of who I am. I had, unknowingly become attached to doing "missions things". So God said to me, you need to do two things, rest and talk.

It has been nice to take some quiet time. Living abroad in cities was a very different experience for me, coming from rural Burlington. Suddenly I was within walking distance of everything and I loved that. It was very busy, as my free time was devoted to people and places, taking in the sights. Additionally, I was sharing a room, so alone time was impossible to come by. Being home means I can't walk to a coffee shop, but have plenty of space and quiet time. This is something I missed, the ability to be alone (even though I am never truly alone) and just be quiet. I am able to think and prayer in the quiet times, which I have really needed. It was during these times of quiet, that God gave me the answer to my restlessness.

The second part of the answer was to talk. Over the DTS, I learned about te importance if being open and honest, to share with others. I am so thankful for the blessing that my family and friends are to me. They have been more than willing to listen to my experiences, struggles and to learn. I find that I have learned even more just by taking about the past six months. It is amazing how great storytelling is, for both the teller and the listener. Another benfit is that I am asked different questions by the folks here at home. This has helped me learn and discover new things that I picked up unknowingly though my DTS. It is truly amazing what you experience without even knowing it. 

I am very excited for the upcoming opportunity to give back to my church family; they have been amazingly supportive. The next few weeks will be filled with preparation for a evening of storytelling and teaching. Can't wait!