This past weekend we traveled down to Warm Beach, WA for the annual Regent Fall Retreat along with many other students, families and professors. It was great to get away for the weekend and forget about job searching/studying and to breath some American air!
The speaker for the Retreat was Ross Hastings, who is a professor at Regent as well as head of the MDiv program. He spoke mainly on Chirst as the high priest from Hebrews, but also shared his personal life stories with us. I honestly wish I could tell you more about his sermons as Christ the high priest, but honestly a lot of it was over my head. :-) My theological vocabulary isn't very extensive so it was sometimes hard to follow along. I did however admire his honesty and openness to share his own life with us. In short, he's struggled with driveness, suffered depression, and his wife passed away from cancer a few years ago. He shared with us how the Lord met him during these times and how the Lord's been gracious to him.
Some other highlights from the retreat include the worship music (with John Stackhouse playing the piano in a jazzy/blues type style. Who knew he was so musically talented?), playing soccer, Céilidh (Irish line/barn dancing), a coffee house night, a variety show (with extreamly talented people I might add!), a bonfire with smores and a picnic with some girls from the Regent Spouses Network! Overall, we really enjoyed the time we spent over the weekend getting to know others at Regent!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Ups, downs and great produce!
Hello my wonderful friends. So I told y'all in the previous blog post that I would have Matt update you on his classes, but...he's busy reading "The Story of Christianity" by Justo Gonzalez right now and trying to be a good student. So, you have me again!
We've been discouraged this week....
Our house in Wilmington has still not rented. We had renters moving in on the 23rd, but one got laid off from their job. As a result they are no longer moving to Wilm to live in our wonderful little house. This is when discouragement kicks in. This is when it feels hard. This is when we begin to question coming here to Vancouver. Was it a wise thing to do? Was it the right thing to do? What were we thinking moving here with no jobs, a mortgage, and etc?
Then we have friends come along (this is when the encouragement kicks in) and let us know that just because it's hard, doesn't mean it wasn't right. We're never promised easy things or paths in life, just the love of Christ. If any of you haven't heard of the book, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, I highly recommend it. It's ranks up there with Harry Potter in my mind! Here's something I read from it today if you want to check it out about dealing with adversity. (Click Here)
Now for the Ups!
1. I had a job interview today for a position working as a kinesiologist in a retirement community! I would get to teach exercise classes/personal training sessions to the elderly! It's another part time job, BUT has potential to being full time down the road! I'll know something by Wed. at the latest and keep you updated!
2. Free Bread. Let me say that again, FREE yummy bread! A local bakery here in town donates their leftover bread to Regent College on Wednesdays! If you know me, I love breads and baked goods! Yum!
We've been discouraged this week....
...and also encouraged this week by wonderful friends like you!!!
Our house in Wilmington has still not rented. We had renters moving in on the 23rd, but one got laid off from their job. As a result they are no longer moving to Wilm to live in our wonderful little house. This is when discouragement kicks in. This is when it feels hard. This is when we begin to question coming here to Vancouver. Was it a wise thing to do? Was it the right thing to do? What were we thinking moving here with no jobs, a mortgage, and etc?
Then we have friends come along (this is when the encouragement kicks in) and let us know that just because it's hard, doesn't mean it wasn't right. We're never promised easy things or paths in life, just the love of Christ. If any of you haven't heard of the book, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, I highly recommend it. It's ranks up there with Harry Potter in my mind! Here's something I read from it today if you want to check it out about dealing with adversity. (Click Here)
Now for the Ups!
1. I had a job interview today for a position working as a kinesiologist in a retirement community! I would get to teach exercise classes/personal training sessions to the elderly! It's another part time job, BUT has potential to being full time down the road! I'll know something by Wed. at the latest and keep you updated!
2. Free Bread. Let me say that again, FREE yummy bread! A local bakery here in town donates their leftover bread to Regent College on Wednesdays! If you know me, I love breads and baked goods! Yum!
3. Produce. It's so cheap here! Look at what we got for $10 at the produce stand down the street.
That would've cost me about $30 at my beloved Harris Teeter with blueberries being on sale!
Everything else here is riduclously expensive, so much that many Canadians drive down to the border to go shopping. Makes me thankful for U.S. prices...something I wouldn't have thought to be thankful for.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Jobs...
Matt is off to his second day of classes and I'm here in the basement suite on the laptop looking for jobs. Don't you wish we could trade places?? Just kidding. Looking for jobs is such a daunting task, so I thought I'd take a break and update the blog! It's more fun!
First, I'll tell you about the current job I have. :-) I am working as a gymnastics instructor at this place downtown called Jump Gymnastics. It is an educational gymnastics studio for ages 6mths-8yrs. I teach classes, encourage physical literacy, facilitate birthday parties, and provide activities to do while parents are away on "Date Nights". It's pretty fun so far, but it is very part time. This week I'm only on the schedule for 6 hours and at most I'll only ever have 20 hours. I'm so thankful and grateful for the part time job, but honestly that's not what we need to live here in Vancouver.
If you could just take a few seconds and say a prayer for a full time job, one that would provide for all our living expenses while we're here. And also for my heart to not be discouraged while searching and waiting for a job, that would be great....thanks friends.
So my journey for looking for jobs has been so-so today. I've gone from emailing my resume to various schools, tutoring agencies, universities....to getting dressed up and physically taking my resume down the street a few blocks and giving it to a school. (Which sadly, I didn't get to speak to anyone, only had the opportunity to hand it to the person at the front desk.) The most entertaining part of my day was receiving an email from a tutoring agency that I was following up with about a job I applied for over a week ago.
This email was not, we received your application, we're narrowing down our choices, etc.... it was, "We need your SAT scores. You must have scored a 750 on Math and a 750 on the Verbal to work here. Company Policy" Seriously, that's what the email basically said.
It's been over a decade since I've taken the SAT...are you kidding me? I don't even know where I could obtain my official scores and I know I didn't make a 1500 on it either! My masters degree in teaching and job experience aren't good enough? You don't even want to meet me? You just want to know what I made on the SAT in high school to determine if I'd be a good tutor and employee? (FYI-this tutoring company was for K-12 all subjects too, not just SAT Prep)
So, I think that place might be off the list since I was not a genius standardized test taker like my MENSA husband. :-) Oh well.... I think I'll let Matt update the blog for y'all tomorrow and let you hear more about his classes.
First, I'll tell you about the current job I have. :-) I am working as a gymnastics instructor at this place downtown called Jump Gymnastics. It is an educational gymnastics studio for ages 6mths-8yrs. I teach classes, encourage physical literacy, facilitate birthday parties, and provide activities to do while parents are away on "Date Nights". It's pretty fun so far, but it is very part time. This week I'm only on the schedule for 6 hours and at most I'll only ever have 20 hours. I'm so thankful and grateful for the part time job, but honestly that's not what we need to live here in Vancouver.
If you could just take a few seconds and say a prayer for a full time job, one that would provide for all our living expenses while we're here. And also for my heart to not be discouraged while searching and waiting for a job, that would be great....thanks friends.
So my journey for looking for jobs has been so-so today. I've gone from emailing my resume to various schools, tutoring agencies, universities....to getting dressed up and physically taking my resume down the street a few blocks and giving it to a school. (Which sadly, I didn't get to speak to anyone, only had the opportunity to hand it to the person at the front desk.) The most entertaining part of my day was receiving an email from a tutoring agency that I was following up with about a job I applied for over a week ago.
This email was not, we received your application, we're narrowing down our choices, etc.... it was, "We need your SAT scores. You must have scored a 750 on Math and a 750 on the Verbal to work here. Company Policy" Seriously, that's what the email basically said.
It's been over a decade since I've taken the SAT...are you kidding me? I don't even know where I could obtain my official scores and I know I didn't make a 1500 on it either! My masters degree in teaching and job experience aren't good enough? You don't even want to meet me? You just want to know what I made on the SAT in high school to determine if I'd be a good tutor and employee? (FYI-this tutoring company was for K-12 all subjects too, not just SAT Prep)
So, I think that place might be off the list since I was not a genius standardized test taker like my MENSA husband. :-) Oh well.... I think I'll let Matt update the blog for y'all tomorrow and let you hear more about his classes.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Pictures of Vancouver
For dinner last night, we decided to take some sandwiches down to the beach for a picnic. I also brought my camera and thought I'd share some pictures of the beach and the city with you! Enjoy!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Riding the Rollar Coaster of Vancouver
So the title probably sums up our week here. Some days we feel up, excited and loving the ride. Other days we feel down and a little anxious.
This week we attended the New Student Orientation at Regent College. For three days, we got to learn about the history and vision of the school, meet the professors, participate in a daily morning worship service (which was amazing!!), learn many helpful tips about living in vancouver and most importantly...meet other students!
We've attended dessert socials, a BBQ at the beach (Canadianism of the day: BBQ means cookout in this land, not pulled pork) and even a Cinnamon Bun afternoon at the park. We felt at home by meeting some fellow Southerners from Chattanooga, a VT alumni and some guys from NOVA! (Go Hokies!) We've also had the opportunity to meet so many international students. We've met students from Hong Kong, Beijing, Sweden, Australia, Zambia, Saskatchewan, the U.K, Germany, Portugal, New Zealand and many other places! After feeling friendless for the first week it was so nice to talk with and meet others who share the same feelings we do about living in Vancouver and attending Regent..."Groceries are so expensive here! My spouse is looking for a job. We're living in a basement suite, does your head touch the ceiling? Will I do well in Hebrew/Greek? I'm worried about finances while I'm in school. I want to find a good church. Who's going to be our good friends? Will we get to have tea with J.I. Packer?" (ok, maybe the last one isn't a shared thought)
It's nice to have some fellow sojourners among us...
This week we attended the New Student Orientation at Regent College. For three days, we got to learn about the history and vision of the school, meet the professors, participate in a daily morning worship service (which was amazing!!), learn many helpful tips about living in vancouver and most importantly...meet other students!
We've attended dessert socials, a BBQ at the beach (Canadianism of the day: BBQ means cookout in this land, not pulled pork) and even a Cinnamon Bun afternoon at the park. We felt at home by meeting some fellow Southerners from Chattanooga, a VT alumni and some guys from NOVA! (Go Hokies!) We've also had the opportunity to meet so many international students. We've met students from Hong Kong, Beijing, Sweden, Australia, Zambia, Saskatchewan, the U.K, Germany, Portugal, New Zealand and many other places! After feeling friendless for the first week it was so nice to talk with and meet others who share the same feelings we do about living in Vancouver and attending Regent..."Groceries are so expensive here! My spouse is looking for a job. We're living in a basement suite, does your head touch the ceiling? Will I do well in Hebrew/Greek? I'm worried about finances while I'm in school. I want to find a good church. Who's going to be our good friends? Will we get to have tea with J.I. Packer?" (ok, maybe the last one isn't a shared thought)
It's nice to have some fellow sojourners among us...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
I have a job!
Just thought I'd blog the good news! I'll share more details later, but I've got some dinner to eat and some friends to make at a dessert social...
Monday, September 5, 2011
Peking Duck
On Saturday our landlady Yuni took us out and about in the town of Richmond. Richmond is a suburb of Vancouver. It has a large Asian population, approx. 60%. It's the place to go shopping and find good deals. The airport and the IKEA are also in Richmond. After shopping, we met her friends, the Howards for dinner. The Howards work for a college ministry on the Campus of UBC. We had such a great time getting to know them and eating one of the best meals I've ever tasted!
We ate at this local place called Spicy Schezuan Restaurant! We sat down to order, and Yuni ordered everything for us. She ordered a traditional family style Chinese meal of Peking Duck cooked 3 ways. (Basically they take one duck and serve it over several courses) In my head I was thinking...."I would've ordered the General Tso chicken, I don't know what this food is, I've never eaten duck, I can't even use chopsticks! How am I going to enjoy this? " That's when I had to think back to my STIM training. (Students Training In Missions-an InterVarsity program where they teach you how to live in another culture and be a missionary.) After remembering all the things Terri Shell and Amy Phillips taught us, I changed my thoughts to "This is going to be a unique experience and I'm just going to jump right in!" Matt wasn't ever worried...he had limitless bowls of Sriracha!
So our first course arrives. It's duck skin! To eat it, you place the duck skin, a green onion, and some hoisin sauce in a Chinese pancake and wrap it up like a tiny burrito! It was amazingly yummy!
We ate at this local place called Spicy Schezuan Restaurant! We sat down to order, and Yuni ordered everything for us. She ordered a traditional family style Chinese meal of Peking Duck cooked 3 ways. (Basically they take one duck and serve it over several courses) In my head I was thinking...."I would've ordered the General Tso chicken, I don't know what this food is, I've never eaten duck, I can't even use chopsticks! How am I going to enjoy this? " That's when I had to think back to my STIM training. (Students Training In Missions-an InterVarsity program where they teach you how to live in another culture and be a missionary.) After remembering all the things Terri Shell and Amy Phillips taught us, I changed my thoughts to "This is going to be a unique experience and I'm just going to jump right in!" Matt wasn't ever worried...he had limitless bowls of Sriracha!
So our first course arrives. It's duck skin! To eat it, you place the duck skin, a green onion, and some hoisin sauce in a Chinese pancake and wrap it up like a tiny burrito! It was amazingly yummy!
Picture borrowed from http://www.rossjohnson.co.za/wordpress/?p=491
The next course was soup. They used the duck bones to make a broth for the soup. The soup again was very tasty!
The next course was duck lettuce wraps. Think of PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps. That's exactly what they tasted like.
The next courses (even though we were already stuffed) were not duck, but also very good. We had salt and pepper shrimp, honey ginger pork, Kai-lan (Chinese broccoli) with beef, fried chicken, and rice. With the meal we also had hot tea and water! Just amazing! I wish I could share this meal with all of y'all back home!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Hunting...
I'm not a hunter and I've never even been hunting. (and I'm from Stokes Co. if you can believe that!) I did however grow up playing the Oregon Trail. The best part of that game was hunting! Do you remember how hard it was to shoot one of the rabbits? Or better yet, one of those birds? That's how I feel about "job hunting". It's pretty difficult and when you do get something it's only 2lbs of meat!
With the current state of the economy and lack of teaching jobs, it makes getting a great job tough these days. Although I graduated with my masters degree over 2 years ago, I have still failed to find that wonderful PE teaching job I've been dreaming of. I have found some good jobs that have given me lots of great experience and wonderful friends (Thanks HLC!) and I am so very thankful for that....but I really want to be given a chance to do what I love, and that's teaching kids and adults physical literacy! How to enjoy physical activities and be lifelong participants!
Today I went to a job interview at this place in Vancouver called Jump Gymnastics. You can click on the name to check out their website. It seems like such a great place! Their main goal is teaching kids basic locomotor skills and movements to help them be successful later on in life! It's not a competitive gymnastics gym, it's educational! The job is only a part time job, but it allow me to do something I love! The first interview was a group interview. I have a second interview on Tuesday! The second interview is a "coaching interview". You pretty much get to go into the gym during a class and they get to see how well you do. Please say a prayer for me and I'll let y'all know how it goes! Even if I'm not selected for the job, it's given me an idea of something I can maybe do one day when we move back to the US....
And on a side note....I fixed the blog so anyone who reads it can comment on it. You don't have to be a member of Blogger, google, or etc.
With the current state of the economy and lack of teaching jobs, it makes getting a great job tough these days. Although I graduated with my masters degree over 2 years ago, I have still failed to find that wonderful PE teaching job I've been dreaming of. I have found some good jobs that have given me lots of great experience and wonderful friends (Thanks HLC!) and I am so very thankful for that....but I really want to be given a chance to do what I love, and that's teaching kids and adults physical literacy! How to enjoy physical activities and be lifelong participants!
Today I went to a job interview at this place in Vancouver called Jump Gymnastics. You can click on the name to check out their website. It seems like such a great place! Their main goal is teaching kids basic locomotor skills and movements to help them be successful later on in life! It's not a competitive gymnastics gym, it's educational! The job is only a part time job, but it allow me to do something I love! The first interview was a group interview. I have a second interview on Tuesday! The second interview is a "coaching interview". You pretty much get to go into the gym during a class and they get to see how well you do. Please say a prayer for me and I'll let y'all know how it goes! Even if I'm not selected for the job, it's given me an idea of something I can maybe do one day when we move back to the US....
And on a side note....I fixed the blog so anyone who reads it can comment on it. You don't have to be a member of Blogger, google, or etc.
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