Thursday, June 19, 2008

People I love...

Ohhh, after almost a whole year I was back in Alberta for 3 weeks in April/May... it was SO good for my heart! So many people I've missing being with, talking with, praying with... *sigh* So good.
Here are a bunch of Pictures of me with some of the people I love!

Sure didn't get to see enough of this one... this is my Amy :D


Kelly (a friend from U of A Nursing) and her boyfriend Jeff came to visit me at the Navs conference... they live in Medicine Hat - I was great to connect with them.

Our Girls Small Group from the conference... Wonderful group of women - we learned a lot together.

Me and Nabeel (Jabbour) - he spoke at the conference... wonderful man

Kristen and I - new friend from Ontario :D (excited for you to come visit Kristen!)

Me and my Gen :) Love you girl - praying for you this summer...

...And this is Craig :)
This was actually a hilarious day, cause we can just never get a picture of us that looks natural or good of both of us at the same time... we must have tried this about at least a dozen times... good grief :D Excited to have you home again soon!

This is Me and Erika - my favorite and terrifying Nursing Instructor who thinks I'm Amish :D

Me and Emily Rudd, my hilarious friend who always gets Earl Grey tea, even at Steeps where there are like 100 flavors... tisk, tisk :D

Me and my Taul Pan (real name? Paul Tan) ... (oooo, and my Mazda 3 rental in the background - yay!)

Simon and Renee (finally, a picture without me in it!). These are 2 of my favorite people. Thanks you guys for the talks, times of prayer, and encouragement. You are both such a Blessing.

Phil and Marcia Leskawich (Marica is also known to me as my Gandolf* coming to save the day on a white horse... long story, let's just say these 2 have been an advocate for me in times where I really needed one!) Love you both.

Whew... you've made it to the end... last picture... me & Paul, and Langano Skies Ethiopian food :D Mmmmm... best way to end the trip... seriously, we were on our way to the airport!... Priorities!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Feeling Loved...

Well, this post is dedicated to all the crazy people who helped plan and were a part of my dramatic 'welcome home' day in Edmonton! Our car drove right from the airport to Langano Skies, my favorite Ethiopian restaurant... this I thought might happen :) But, there were like 13 people there... that I wasn't expecting. After eating yummy food that I've been craving for like, a year, we started the drive back to "the Happy Place"... only, on the way I got blind folded and kidnapped! Again, not expecting that! Then I proceeded to try not to barf as I was driven around the city, after 7-8 hours of air travel already that day, with my eyes covered :P Then I was lead by the hand into a building that I couldn't figure out (back at the airport maybe?), up an elevator, down a dark hallway... (what the heck?), entered another room (more light in this one), and was instructed to "sit" while my blind fold was whisked off to reveal that I was in... "The Africa Room" of the Fantasy Land Hotel, in West Ed Mall! Hilarious... the girls had talked about renting the room for a night last year before I moved home, and now, there they'd gone and done it... I have hilarious and wonderful friends :D

Everyone who had been at Langano soon "re-arrived" and the rest of the evening we spent laughing, hanging out, playing Bolderdash (thanks to Pam... she ALWAYS wants to play Bolderdash), and then, Camile (who apparently organized most of it) started handing me little love notes that people had mailed or email her, from home or across Canada. This was a prayer shower for me before I went to Sudan! I felt loved :) They'd organized for Janna to phone from Ecuador, and I got to talk to Julia, Pedro, Luigi, and Coco :) My Cup Ranneth Over!

A while later the boys all left, leaving the girls to hang out in the hot tub and stay up late talking into the night :) - I died earliest though...that time change is a killer :P We had a great time, lots of laughs and I really felt loved and very blessed - which, I'm pretty sure was their goal :D