Tales Out of School

So far, this month has been an incredible time for me as I've once again become a student. Our entire floor continues to bond, and it takes Christian fellowship to a whole new level, one not experienced in too many churches today. Case in point was our last floor meeting. Usually we do things at floor meetings like play with airsoft guns or turn our hallway into a giant slip 'n slide, but this week we simply spent a couple hours in worship and prayer for each other. It was powerful just to see everybody so open and honest, and to see everybody rally around each other in prayer. It was also encouraging for me to have all the guys pray for me, as I have been working out some things in my own life these past couple of weeks, and once again attempting to put God at the center of my life.

We also have our share of fun. Last Sunday we headed out to the park to play some intramural flag football. Our team consists mostly of members of Gerry Hall (our floor), and we had to play against the Nazarene University College, who hasn't lost a game in the past 3 years or more. The final result: we lost by one convert in overtime. They were getting pretty frustrated that we could hold our own against them, not to mention at least one instance where one of their members was crushed and sent flying onto his back. For a game of flag football, things got pretty intense.

Last night was the first exhibition game for our school's hockey team, against our cross-town rivals from Rocky Mountain Bible College. It took us freshmen no time at all to pick up on the rivalry. A couple of us got all painted up in blue, white, and yellow, our team colors. It was a loud game. Despite the stupid no fighting/hitting rule, what us Bible school students really wanted to see was somebody getting clobbered with an open ice hit, or a fight, etc. It was a losing effort for our side, as we lost 5-2. However, every now and then our fans would start the cheer, "That's alright, that's ok, cause we're gonna own your school someday!" This may not be too far from the truth, but apparently we're not supposed to use that cheer until at least later on in the season. Anyways, tonight a couple of us are off to a Stabilo concert at SAIT, which should be good times. That should be proof enough that the life of a student isn't all classes and studying.

Day 9: August 13, 2006

Arequipa/Camp la Joya

This morning we went to Arequipa for church. The church was about 200 people or so, and Chris preached on David and Goliath.

In the evening we went to church in San Luis. The church was about the size of a mobile home, and had a roof made from cane/bamboo. The church was absolutely packed. It was cool to just be a part of it, as all of our new Peruvian friends were there. It really makes all the different denominations of churches in Canada seem somewhat meaningless, as we are all one body in Christ, regardless of language or culture.

Day 8: August 12, 2006

Camp la Joya

What a difference good health makes! It was an early morning for us, as we had to pour the cement for the cabin walls. We did it in record time, as there were a lot of Peruvians and Canadians working together. There was real comradeship, which was very evident when we finished, as Owen was spraying everyone with the hose and a water fight broke out. We were all laughing and having a great time. After that, all of us retired to the pool to cool down. Pretty much everyone who was working construction ended up in the pool, whether by choice or not.

In the afternoon me and Jamie went lizard hunting with two of the Peruvian kids We ended up catching three of the speedy little lizards.

After that we had a rematch of soccer, Canada vs. Peru. Once again, we lost badly, even with our 5 subs to their none. What has struck me most today was how despite our language barriers, we have really been able to bond with the Peruvians. We are now more like one big happy family, rather than us being a bunch of foreigners coming to serve them. I think that when we leave here they will be missed more than we have been missing those back home during our stay here.

Quote of the Day:
"God will pour out a dump truck full of love into your life."
- Rev. Chris Nichol

Day 7: August 11, 2006

I know its been quite some time, but I will finally continue my retelling of my journey through Peru. Enjoy!

Camp la Joya

Today was another day spent in bed, as I was ordered not to work, and to spend the day recovering. Apparently it worked, thanks in part to my good friend Imodium and the prayers of my teammates.

On my way up to supper, I came across a young boy who was crying, as the irrigation ditch had sprung a leak and was flooding the field where he was watching the cows. So I went back and helped him dam up the leak. It just felt good to be able to lend a hand after being useless due to sickness for two days.

In the evening we hosted an outreach and showed a Billy Graham film. Afterwards I met up with my little buddy Rivaldo (I think thats how its spelled), and was forced to carry him on around my back, as he pretended to be riding a horse.

One thing that has really struck me about the Peruvians is how happy they are with so little. These guys have so little, yet they work hard all day, and then after a long day of work still have the energy to beat us at soccer. They are also an extremely friendly people. Canadians are supposedly very friendly, but we have nothing compared to the Peruvians. Even if you don't understand the language, they will still come up and talk to you, especially the children. It is just a real pleasure and an honor to be around them.

An Oilers Fan in Calgary

I figured that now was a good time to interupt my Peru blogs to update all of you on my life in hockey/football championship-challenged city of Calgary. The move went smoothly, as I am now comfortably moved in to my apartment in residence here in downtown Calgary. It would be better if Telus could get their act together and hook up our phones and internet soon, but I won't get into that. We have a small apartment, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. We moved all the beds into one room, turning the other one into our office. For reasons that I cannot comprehend, I ended up with a top bunk, despite being the largest guy in our apartment. While other students have been feasting on Kraft Dinner and Mr. Noodles, we have been eating tacos, frying burgers on my George Foreman Grill (the lean, mean, fat-reducing grilling machine), and cooking up massive amounts of chicken alfredo. Funny how many of my blogs relate back to food.

The location of our residence is close to all the major necessities, including grocery stores and the C-train station. There is a park with a giant skate park and several beach volleyball courts located half a block away. For our slurpee needs, there is a nearby Macs store nicknamed the 'Crack Macs' for all of the drug dealers who hang out in the area. It is not uncommon for us to be offered drugs on the street. Despite it being a rough neighborhood at night, it doesn't scare me in the least.

So far I have been enjoying my classes, at least for all 3 class days I have endured so far. My five classes are Philosophy, Intro to the Bible, Intro to Missions and Evangelism, Effective Writing, and a Practicum (field education) course. So far I have found all my profs to be interesting, even if some of the assignments won't be. For example, I have no desire to participate in the assignment that has us going door to door evangelizing. I simply do not believe that this is an effective method in North America, as I believe it can give the church a bad name. Just my opinion, not something I'm gonna discuss in detail at this point.

One last thing I want to mention: I have never done so much walking in my entire life! The C-train only goes so many places. Not to mention that living on the third floor, there are 7 flights of stairs to climb when I don't take the elevator. I can almost feel myself wasting away to nothing. Well, maybe if there wasn't a kitchen full of food at the end of the stairs. So anyways, visitors are always welcome if you're ever in Calgary, although I can't promise a place to stay. We have very limited space. So I will conclude in true northern Alberta fashion with a loud and proud LET'S GO OILERS!