A final Albertan Goodbye

It is incredible to be so at peace with going. The calmness of knowing I have done all that I could before leaving, and knowing that there is no turning back has helped me settle into the mindset of "an adventure awaits"

to be honest though there has been a few challenges along the way - mainly luggage.

for one: “Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?” Erma Bombec wittily said. I hate getting one piece of luggage right away ans having the second one come near the end. Mainly I have bad luck with luggage and this trip is no different.



For this trip I mainly packed like this - grab everything "sort" through it and pack what you need. My first attempt I packed everything except a few shirts and a few dresses. I attempted to pack a few times before I came home to Calgary but sure enough mom saw all my luggage and said lets go through it again. Two hours, three sortings, switching suitcases and duffel bags four times I am fully packed and ready to go. Did I mention the full piece of luggage worth amount of clothes mom made me ruthlessly pick through and not take with me. Seriously most ridiculous thing of my life, but that's why I love my mom. Blunt and does not care what my excuse is for packing 15 similar styles of shirts in the differing shades of black and black and white and white.

my dad has dealt with freight his whole life and is a convenient luggage scale at home. after his approval and a promise to scale them at the family business i will be able to say for sure that my luggage is packed well and cheaply!

anyways, the rambling as begun and exhaustion is setting in so till Quebec,



BYE!

Cheering into 2010

Welcome to the new year! Happy Holidays to you guys and to your families.

I wish that I could put into words all that has been going on but here it goes, at least a bit of whats all occurred since school ended.

I had an awesome time once school ended to be able to spend a few days working at a flowershop. I loved this job in the summer and to be in the shop again felt great. I work with these old ladies who have designed floral arrangements for quite some time and they are some of the funniest ladies I know. It was incredible to love on these ladies again. They always seem snide and cynical to new girls, but underneath their stone appearances are beautiful ladies who have wisdom to learn from.




Christmas this year was quite enjoyable. My parents and one of my sisters come up from Calgary and along with my other sister in Edmonton we go out to Spruce Grove to see our sister and brother and their kids. Colton my nephew is three and left cookies out for Santa for the first time. In the midst of potty training, Colton was quite excited for the day. He now understands that what is in the wrapping paper is much more fun than the paper itself. Lacey's first Christmas was this one and it was so cute to see her helping unwrap presents and to see her laugh. For all of us to be together for a full day makes the stress and work of the holiday completely worth it.



Boxing Day was Lacey's first birthday. the get together was delightful but again being with my family and cuddling with my niece and nephew was the highlight.



I had an opportunity to talk to my nephew on the phone today and although the majority I did not understand the hey Rachie and the next few minutes were incredible. Colton and Lacey mean the world to me. It will be hard to leave them but the phone call to reiterate to me that they know who I am and that I can still talk to them and be involved with their lives even when I am gone gives me the courage to go.





I packed on Christmas night, I re packed boxing day night, I will most likely unpack tonight and re pack, and tomorrow for sure I will. I drive home Sunday night after church and I fly out Tuesday. My friend from college who is also going on internship conveniently lives in Quebec and will take me to my internship location. I am quite excited that I will get to see a friendly face at the airport.





Its crazy to think in just a few days i will be across the country and gone for 14 weeks. The adventure of my next phase in life only a few moments away. So most likely till a crazy ngiht before i leave or until i am in Quebec from me to you, Cheers into 2010!

Songs

Album: My Paper Heart
Artist: Francesca Battistelli

This is the moment
It’s on the line
Which way you gonna fall?
In the middle between
Wrong and right
But you know after all


It’s your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It’s an open door
It’s your life

Are you who you always said you would be?
With a sinking feeling in your chest
Always waiting for someone else to fix you
Tell me when did you forget


To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way.



I love this song especially the line
"The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for"
It reminds me that my life is not purposeless.
The way that we live does say who is in control of our lives.

I guess thats why I do what I do.

This is not just about me.

Finally Details!!!

I had my last class of the Semester today and it feels weird to think all I have left is exams and internship details!! (I have been waiting for this for a while!!)

Today I got to spend some time with my family and when I arrived at their house, my nephew was waiting for me. The words I love you Aunty Rach were music to my ears and as I held onto him I remembered how good God has been to me.



I handed out my fund raising letters for Edmonton and now its up to God to bring in the funds. Which God has been blowing me away with already. 10% of the budget has come in and now its just waiting for the rest. It has been a whirlwind of activity for the past few weeks with school and life and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I had an awesome opportunity to hear about AIA (Athletes in Action) and was really encouraged. This guy from church is involved in it and was explaining to me how it works. Its really encouraging to hear of others who are stepping up to the plate and reaching my generation by using their God given talents. It makes me so excited to get going to Quebec.

Today at school was our last internship class before we all go around the world. It is an exciting moment to be so close and to see the diversity as we will all be going different places and doing different things. It will be hard to go alone but this is the next big part of my education and starts a new page in my life.

We were left with these two main points at the end of our class
1. In the end, point them to Jesus
2. If Jesus is truly the center of your life, than there will never be such a thing as an ordinary day

Talk about something to think on for a while.

As well, for the class I enlisted an incredible first year (Reba) to make us a globe cake with dots on it where we are all going around the world. It was an excellent end to a great afternoon with my class mates!



And Lastly

My flights are booked

I leave Tuesday Jan 5, 2010 at 1205 from the Calgary Airport and I get back to Calgary on Saturday April 17 at 1103. It is an incredible feeling to have this set in stone. It's an awesome feeling to be able to begin a count down, and its scary that its less than a month!

Welcome to the End of November

Well school is insane right now, i am using this as a cover for taking a break on my paper due in two and a bit hours that i have yet to finish. Good news is that I got my phrase book and my birthday was wonderful finished off with creme brulee that my sister made (thanks BECK!!). School right now is insane, just lots of projects and random little things that need to get finished asap. Internship items are not main priority which means that letters have not gone out and my prayer card is still in limbo. I forgot how hard November is to survive through. well heres the letter that is going to be sent out at some point but right now theres papers to be finished....

Dear _______________________

As you know I am here in Edmonton at Vanguard College, taking my Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies, with a Family and Children Emphasis. I have been given great opportunities over the past few years. I have had the privilege of discovering God’s heart for this world through; work in churches across Alberta, discovering a love for the poor in Vancouver on two different occasions, an adventure alongside Missionaries in the North West Territories and lastly a chance to discover the universal church in Thailand, Philippines, China and Hong Kong.
When it comes to my third year at Vanguard, I am required to fulfill a 400 hour cross cultural internship. God placed Quebec on my heart, in Quebec lies the town of Granby and more specifically, Granby Pentecostal Church. In the months of January through till April, I will be working under the supervision of Rev. Brent Robillard and his wife Carolyn in a small English speaking church.
I will be working alongside Rev. Brent in visitation, radio broadcasting, preaching, Bible studies, working alongside the board and the area pastors to see how God is moving through Quebec and how to reach the population of Quebec, outreach through youth and children’s ministry and lastly a breakfast feeding program at an elementary school there. Although overseas is important, less than one percentage of Quebec’s population are Evangelical professing Christians and I now have an opportunity to reach out to these people.
I have had a great backing in the past as I pursued what I feel as been the call of God on my life. This is the first time I am truly going alone and I am looking forward to what God has in store for the next coming months. In this I am asking for your support once again. I ask of you to support me in prayer; that I would be able to walk in wisdom and creativity, with divine appointments each day, safety as I travel and that I may be a blessing there to this church and the people of Granby. As well if you are willing and able to make a financial contribution towards the $2000 budget that I in place would be greatly appreciated. All donations will be tax deductible by filling out the attached response card. Regardless of how you support me, I would appreciate for you to fill out the response sheet, and send it back in the extra envelope attached so that I may also uphold you in my prayers.
I thank you in advance for your future support and for all you have given me already.



Yours in Christ





Rachel de Waal

<2 weeks till my birthday

Well I am just putting it out there: People in Quebec speak French! I know rocket science there.
Ill be in Granby where some French will allow you to be accepted and so I need some. Also there are some people in the church who do not speak any English, and Alain (Husband of Valerie who I am living with while i am there) speaks very little. I need french so I am throwing this out to my sisters - this is what you could get me and in the end save me from complete isolation in Quebec
Its a Phrase Book, this is the type we used when overseas is first year so if possible great, if not another would suffice!! thanks in advance!

My Note to you

I need to build a letter. A letter that explains what i am doing and asks for support, prayer and financially. Its a tad bit frustrating as i hate having to ask for money but at the same time, i do want to go to Quebec and to be a blessing there. So I am stuck and have been for over a month. I need to write this letter and i truly do want support, not just money, I'll be needing alot of prayer, so I am attempting to get this letter done this week and i mean mailed even... oh boy. i am excited but also dreading it.