Just a few pictures from the past 2 months: 

Raquel's birthday and Crankpots evening with my colleagues!

Things are coming together!

God has an amazing way of working things out in His timing. I sometimes forget that. I was getting a bit anxious that I didn't know if I was going to Africa for sure or not until last week, but as always, I should have put more faith in God. He knows best. When I finally got the email saying all was clear last Wednesday, I couldn't keep the smile from my face for the rest of the day. 

So the plan is: working at Wilderness Ranch camp as a guide starting mid-June, volunteering with Mercy Ships in Liberia from September to December, returning to Canada for a couple months, and then going again to Benin with Mercy Ships in February until an undetermined time in the future. After Africa, I don't quite know what will happen. The possibilities are endless and very exciting!

I only have a little over a week left of work and normal life in Edmonton. It is bittersweet. Sweet because I LOVE camp, and that is starting so soon, and of course, my time with Mercy Ships is approaching. Bitter because a season of my life is ending. My fairly predictable life as I have known it is in upheaval. I have no permanent home in Alberta anymore. I only have a casual job - no steady source of income. I realize how special my coworkers have become to me and that I will miss them a lot. "The house" has finally broken up: Kristy, Shelly and I are all going in different directions after 6 years of living together. Life has really never been better though. I'm learning that I really need to embrace, enjoy, and make the most of the present, rather than living in the past or yearning for the future. 

Yesterday evening was really fun. Some friends from work and I got together at Crankpots on Whyte Ave, and painted pottery for a few hours. It's such a relaxing and enjoyable way to express yourself. A few of us tried a type of paint that is supposed to "explode" in the kiln and make a neat design on your project. I guess it doesn't actually explode, but melts somehow. We're all excited to see how it turns out. I had so much fun with them. They've really become special to me over this past year and a quarter on plastics.

We went out to The King and I afterwards and enjoyed some amazing Thai appetizers and beverages and good company. I'm quite excited for a weekend off - not quite sure what I'm doing, but it's supposed to be beautiful weather, so I'll definitely enjoy the outdoors!