Lessons from a Coffee Maker

Ok, so it's really not the coffee maker that I am learning from but it makes for a good title. :)

I have a friend named Melisa Vye. I met her last year at WCC. We took some classes together and also served together on Student Union. Shortly after meeting Melisa there were certain qualities that she has that really stood out to me. One is that she is such an encouraging person. She is always leaving little happy notes in people's mailboxes or speaking words of encouragement into their lives. I have been the recipient of many such happy notes and words of encouragement!

Melisa is a single mom of two little boys. I never tire of listening to the stories Melisa has to share about her sons. The love and the patience that she has with her children are amazing to me. I admire how she strives to be a godly example to her boys. I also love how she can smile even in the face of the many difficult things that are a part of parenting.

In April Melisa and I both went with a group from WCC to New Orleans to help with the clean up efforts. I learned so much from Melisa during the two weeks that I spent traveling and working with her on the New Orleans trip. The most prominant lesson in my mind is about prayer. Melisa is a huge example to me of a prayerful woman. No matter how large or small the issue Melisa's first instinct is to bring it before the Lord in prayer. That is the kind of person that I want to be. I see so much strength in Melisa and she is not shy in sharing that the source of that strength is God. I admire my friend Melissa very much.

So you may be wondering where the coffee maker comes into all of this. Well, last week I was talking with someone about how I make coffee in the morning by boiling water and pouring it through a filter into my mug. Melisa happened to be listening and decided that I needed to have a coffee maker. Yesterday morning she found me before chapel and presented me with a gift. A brand new coffee maker! I hugged her twice before I remembered that she isn't into hugging all that much. Melisa is the kind of person who is watching for people who are in need. If she sees a need she does what she can to meet it. I definately was not desperate to have a coffee maker but I was very grateful for Melisa's gift.

I want to encourage you all to look for ways to be a blessing in someone's life. It may not mean buying them a coffe maker, it could just mean a little happy note or a word of encouragement. I know that Melisa, in her quiet way, has helped me to realise that I need to be more active in this.

Cadence Mattea Little

On Tuesday, September 5, 2oo6 at 2:53 in the morning my best friend of twelve years gave birth to her first child, Cadence Mattea (pronounced Mattía) Little. She was 22 and a quarter inches long and weighed 8 pounds 11 and a half ounces. This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Saskatoon and stay with Lisa and her husband Paul and enjoy their company and well as meet my very first niece.

I remember coming back to the dorm last year and finding a note on my door telling me to call Lisa. I turned to my sister and said, "I wonder if Lisa is pregnant?" I was very excited when I did talk to her and she told me that I was going to be an aunty. I was excited for Lisa and Paul who were about to become parents for the first time but I was also very honored that Lisa and Paul would want their child to call me aunty. I am very thankful to be able to have that relationship with their children.

I spoke to Paul on the phone the day after Cadence was born. The first thing I heard was Cadence's soft cry in the background. That simple sound brought tears to my eyes. Tears were there again last Friday evening as Lisa placed this tiny little girl into my arms for the very first time.

The picture above and the picture below are both Miss Cadence napping on my chest during the first time I held her. The one below is taken at such an angle that you can see her mommy and Daddy on the couch in the background.



Here she is napping on her mommy's chest.


And here she is sucking on her daddy's thumb. Her mommy was otherwise occupied at that very moment and she was gettig impatient. :)

It was a joy to spend a few days with the proud parents and spend some time getting to know this little person. The proud new parents are both pretty tired as they ajdust to this new life of feedings and diaper changes. It was my pleasure to be able to help by changing a few of those diapers and assist with bathtime.

Here's the little munchkin after bath time. She did't mind the bath so much. Just the washing of the hair part and the getting dried of part.

As time goes by I'm sure there will be more posts dedicated to my beautiful little niece so you can all look forward to that! :)

College Retreat

Last weekend was the Western Christian College (WCC) Retreat. Check out the school website at www.westernchristian.ca if you're interested. The majority of our college class went out to Dallas Valley Ranch Camp for the weekend. It's an annual tradition that allows the class to bond with each other and with the staff. Since we are such a small college it isn't really hard to get to know everyone but sometimes with the hectic life of college students it just doesn't happen. The weekend was a lot of fun. Jason Bandura, a WCC graduate who now preaches at Glen Elm Church of Christ here in Regina, came and spoke to us. We also heard our Dean, Stan Helton, and Professor, Blair Roberts, share with us. The weekend was full of laughter!!! I don't think I've laughed that uncontrolably so many times in one weekend. I don't even remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did at this weekend. We sang, we shared and we built community. I am so thankful that God has brought each student here this year and that we have this year to learn together and to serve together. This is going to be a GREAT year!

These are my two friends, Jennifer and Jennifer. :) We ussually differentiate them as Jenn and Jennifer who has also become known as "la rojo." Great girls whom I love dearly! This picture was taken at Tim Horton's on our way out to the retreat...Yay for Ice Caps from Timmy ho's!

One of the things that made the weekend so great was spontaneous worship. Whether accapella or with the guitars, it was all great. The guy with his back to you is my buddy and distant cousin Brett. Going clockwise around the circle is Tim, Dan, Jonie, Jennifer (aka la rojo) and then Jenn is just sneeking in to the corner of the picture with the back of her head.

We were lining up for supper and I started to give Jenn a massage she in turn massaged Jennifer who in turn got Carly. The next thing I knew everyone had gotten involved. I jumped out of line to get a picture of this kodak moment.

The whether was not what I would call warm but it wasn't cold either. Some of us were bold enough to go on the zipline and brave the VERY cold water. I only dipped my toes in. I may be silly but I'm not stupid! This picture is of Amelia and Lisa Vance (WCC president's wife) dipping their toes in . Lisa wass one of the brave ones who actually went on the zipline. More than once if I remember correctly.

I'm looking forward to being able to write many future entries about memories made with these amazing people that I am blessed to be spending this school year with!

1 Month

Today is September first. It officially marks one month since I left Brazil. It is not that I am not happy to be home. It is that I am sad to be so far away from the people whom I love and care about who are in Brazil. Oddly enough I struggle with the same kind of feelings when I am in Brazil, missing the people I love and care about who are here in Canada.

In the month that I have been back I've kept myself fairly busy. I spent one week at camp as a volunteer for the highschool week. One of my professors, Stan Helton, was directing the week. I enjoyed listening to his lessons on the sermon on the mount. I was definately glad that the week came to an end when it did. I think that I had a hard time putting myself into the "North American Camp mode." I think my heart and mind were still very much in Brazil.

After coming home from camp I had the opportunity to join my family at the annual Krogsgaard Cousin Reunion held in Regina at Candy Cane Park. The day was a bit rainy so we ended early but even so it was nice to see some cousins who I hadn't seen for very long time. And also nice to discover that those very cousins who I haven't seen in years actually live only minutes away from me here in Regina!

These two cuties are my cousin, Devon's two sons, Damian and Desmond. I think this picture is absolutely too cute! They are hiding from the rain under their Grandpa's coat.

After the family picnic got rained out I headed to Saskatoon with my mom and Brother and Sister. It was nice to be in Saskatoon for a while before the grind of school began. I was able to spend some time with my friend Lisa who is expecting her first child right now. I was also able to go to my little cousin Sarah's second birthday. Sarah was born three days after I moved back to Brazil for my second year. I met her for the first time three days before her first birthday when I got back to Canada. This birthday party was the second time that I had ever seen here.

Here she is eating her birthday cupcake. YUMMY!

And here she is carrying around her new stuffy that she got for her birthday. Isn't she adorable???

So yeah, My first month in Canada is coming to an end and my first week of classes has come to an end. Life marches on no matter how much we would like it to stand still for while.