Gambia Photos

I am starting to post my pictures from my Gambia trip on my MSN space. Anyone can get to it, the address is : http://spaces.msn.com/members/theendishere/ and click on the photos link
I only have a few photos up, I took quite a few while I was there, so as I find the good ones I will upload them.
The image quality isn't that great because MSN shrinks them. If you would like a good copy of any of the photos, let me know.
Have fun!

4am

Its amazing how fast someone can become a good friend. Amanda came up from Denver with a few friends: Texas (Kyle), Vermont (Alex), and Korea (Seoul) and they are amazing people. So when she left this morning at 4am (OLP reference) I was not only saying good bye to my best friend, but three new friends. I also really want to go and do a DTS now. Ywam people are really convincing. Don’t worry, I’m back at CPC in the fall, but I may take a break from that for a year eventually... I don’t know. Now that I am 20, I think it’s about time that I had a quarter life crisis. Saying good bye is a really hard thing for me to do, and I have been doing a lot of that recently. Leaving my team from Gambia, Amanda going back to Denver, and other friends leaving soon for school… I know that I’ll leave Saskatoon some day too, it’s just hard to be the one who gets left behind.

Torrent has a new definition

The best part about jet lag is that I am right back to my normal Canadian sleeping patterns. Basically I am up at 2:30 AM like I would usually be, and it’s amazing out side. The rain is coming down so strong coupled with stunning lightning and equally amazing thunder. There are literally sheets of rain falling down, and I am wondering if I have ever seen rain like this before. Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t seen rain in about ten months, but I love storms like this. They make my room and my house seem so safe. The lightning is incredible and the cracks of lighting are shaking my house. I usually don’t like to be reminded that I am a small human being but today, inside my house, I am all right with thinking that I am ultimately helpless. It’s allot easier to take in Canada where I ultimately have a lot of people, systems and safety nets to fall on. In Africa, being reminded that I am just a frail human wasn’t as much fun. Whether it was being really sick in Soma far away from any help and having no options, being followed home by scary people or little things like being away from good friends, Africa had a way of making anything in my head all that much larger. I am so glad that I am home where the big storms come, but I am inside safe and sound.

My Sweet Defeat

Canada is just the way that I left it, and I love being back. The only sad part about being home is missing friends, both those on my team and friends that are away, especially Amanda. For any of you who have tried it, having your best friend move away is a hard thing, but hey it’s a part of life. I hadn’t been able to talk to Amanda since I got back to Canada, which was a little strange, but I thought nothing of it. To make the story short, Amanda has permanently put herself ahead of me in the “surprise Birthday competition’. Each year we try to one up the other person by throwing some sort of birthday surprise and until yesterday, with 13 years of trying, Amanda had yet to actually pull off a surprise without me figuring it all out… Until yesterday. I was sitting at home last night with some friends, talking about Africa like I usually do, and Amanda’s mom came in the back door. I thought nothing of it, because Amanda’s mom comes over every so often. But then one of Amanda’s friends from Denver stepped in to the house, and said that she brought something from Denver for me, and went out side for a second to get it. Maybe it’s the jet lag, but I totally didn’t catch on. Out of nowhere, Amanda ran up to me with a pot of Gebera daisies (which we always give to each other on B’days) and said HA! It was the best surprise EVER!!!! So here I am officially admitting that Amanda, for the first time, is ahead in the score. I figure that driving 20 hours for a birthday surprise far out weights Ten surprises on my part. Now that there is a new standard, just wait till next year Amanda! Thanks, this has been the best birthday by far.

Afri-Irony

I’m Home! Thanks so much to everyone who came to the airport. That was so overwhelming to see all you guys, and for everyone who was working, thanks for wanting to come. It’s so good to be back in ‘toon town. Driving is such a weird thing to do, I can drink water strait from the tap, I have instruments again, and it’s SO COLD HERE I love it!

In the Gambia constant water and power are such a luxury, our power was on under 50% of the time there, and I was looking forward to having constant power and Internet that actually worked really well. So last night I hopped on the computer to email some friends, and half way through typing the power to my house cut off. What are the odds that the one day that our power cuts off is two hours after I get of the plane from Gambia… It defiantly made me miss Gambia and my team a little less.

It was so weird to wake up this morning to my own room. One of my first thoughts was “I wonder if the team is up.” Even now, sitting alone in my room is the strangest thing after being with people 24-7 for the last seven weeks. To my team, I miss you lots, this is like permanent ‘head phone land’ : )

I bought a beautiful Djembe while in Gambia, and took the risk of shipping it home on the airlines. Unfortunately it came home in a few pieces, along with several other things in my luggage. Oh well, it still sort of makes noise, and it’s the memories that count after all.

I have an unbelievable amount of stories, and even more pictures. Anytime y’all want a piece of Africa, you know where to find me.

Till next time, keep your stick on the ice.

London

It's raining in london, who would have thought? Just a quick note to you all that I have left africa behind, which was hard, but am really looking forward to seeing all of you. I have missed everyone alot. Oh and I picked up the new Cold Play CD... in London.. how cool is that. I'm on my way to do some touristy stuff, so see you all on the 17th, or shortly there after.

second post from africa... almost my last

Hey everybody!
Here’s a quick update… as long as the power stays on and the internet doesn’t go out….
We got back from soma this week. It’s up country, and when it’s almost the rainy season Gambians don’t even want to go because of the heat. But we went anyways. The soccer camps went really well, and we made a lot of good friends. It was 43C out one day and ridiculously hot for the rest. Jess got malaria while we were up there, but has totally recovered. I had a pretty bad migraine, which is hard in remote Africa with no water or power and on a thin foamy mattress. It was definitely an experience. The Jesus film went really well. We showed it to hundreds of people on several nights, and had to defend our faith afterwards to Muslims. They had really good questions, so it was totally a stretching experience. We are back in out house in Kotu, which seem like a paradise compared to our house in Soma, even when the power is sparatic at best. Jess and I have started to edit footage for a local IVCF type ministry for a support video. It’s very hard to do in Africa, but it’s exciting that we can use some of our skills to benefit ministries that are already in place. We are also finishing a project with the Galaxy crew, and almost finished recording a song that I wrote about the Character of God. We are playing on Goody Samde again this week with them as well ( that’s the national TV stations most popular show, and is so ridiculous) And Steve and I are about to go play a show at a hotel with the galaxy crew and the Holy Family band. We are being the “local talent for the Tubobs” ( Tubob is what they call white people). It’s really ironic.
I hope this is enough news for everyone. Keep the teams health in prayer, jess has recovered, but mike may have strep. Thanks so much for all of you prayers, it really means a lot. and the emails are great to get too.
We only have a week left.....
Lots of Love!