The Adventure Continues

Family.

It has been a long time since I shared my thoughts on this blog! So much has happened! I have been daunted with the task of articulating my thoughts and have consequently been putting off sharing them, but tonight I realized that was not a good enough excuse for me! So here goes.

After my house went their separate ways at the end of my first year, 1 getting married, 1 graduating, 1 moving home, it left me with a world of possibilities. After much prayer, last year I moved into residence at McMaster as a Community Advisor (CA). Most schools call them RA’s or Don’s, Mac just likes being different! It was an exciting and challenging year. I had many great experiences, getting to know my fellow CA’s and really learning what it means to ‘live amongst’, sharing life with people of different faiths and life experiences. That year was one of the first times I really understood what it was like to be a minority! Not only was I the only Christian in our team of 23 people, but I was one of very few Caucasians. Growing up in one of the most ‘white’ towns in Ontario, this was a bit of a eye opener for me:) I lived in one of the smaller buildings with only 3 CA’s, but we were part of a team of three buildings. We all worked together in our monitoring and planning events. Daily I was challenged in how to live out Christ’s love. Almost every night that I was on coverage (monitoring the buildings) I was challenged about what I believe by one of my staff members. By the end of the year, I had the opportunity to share my faith with almost everyone on my staff team! So cool!!!

This past spring/summer I was up at Camp again on spring crew and then as Assistant Girls Camp Director. We had a wonderful group of young women on staff this summer! Could not have asked for a more willing, God-fearing, creative, excited, loving group of girls!

My family was given Leaf's tickets this January!

In September I moved into a house just a 10 minute walk from the campus with some nursing friends. They are hilarious, we have great fun together! This year I have also been discovering that I have no idea what area of nursing I want to pursue in the future! Haha. In first term I was on a surgical trauma floor. Loved it! So many crazy stories! But, I have decided to not completely gross out all you non nurses. Erin if you want some cool stories, we should chat! and then right now I am on a Pediatric floor and also, completely loving it! I love working with the babies, the little children and even with the families! Many of their stories are very distressing, however the children are so happy! It makes me understand why Jesus loved hanging out with the little children! Even in the midst of such pain and suffering, they have beautiful smiles that light up the whole room!

My beautiful housemates

And some exciting news which I have been working towards for so long now.....I’m going to Zambia in less than 2 months! Since my first year here at McMaster I have had my eyes on their international placement program. Each year the school lets a few nursing students complete one of their final year clinical placements oversees. After a huge long application process, starting in October, I just found out a few weeks ago that I have been accepted! My destination: Macha, Southern Province, Zambia. The school gives us the go-ahead, but we are expected to do all the planning, finding a location, a preceptor, travel etc. It has been slow going, we have been talking back and forth with this one hospital since the spring last year, but in the last few days pieces have been falling into place. The hospital has told my friend and I to book our flights, aka, we want you here! School has been crazy busy these past few weeks, so adding the planning of this trip has been an added adventure. If you could pray for a real peace as everything is figured out, that would be wonderful! We are heading over in the beginning of May and coming back sometime in August. I just can’t believe it is actually happening! Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of one day nursing in Africa...and now it is coming true! One cool thing about the program is that it counts for my credits at school, so basically I am able to do something I have always dreamed about and get credit for school at the same time!

A huge blessing these past years has been the Navigator community which both my brother and I are on exec for at Mac. This year has been especially encouraging seeing some friends come to Christ! What a joy!
Nav's Winter Retreat - Playing in the Blizard!

A few prayer requests. Please pray for my housemate. She is pregnant and in such need of Christ’s love. Pray for continued strength for me and my other housemates to be such living examples of Christ’s love for her! Pray that she accepts Christ! It has been a challenging past few months. I just cannot be more thankful that she decided to continue with the pregnancy and have the baby! What a huge answer to prayer! Pray also for my Gramps. He phoned us a few weeks ago and announced that he got married the previous night! A huge shock and yet all I am so happy for him! Pray as they adjust to the changes in their lives and for my Dad and Aunts and Uncles as they get used to the whole idea of having a step-mom. And finally, pray for my friend who is coming to Zambia with me. She is not a Christian and this is going to be such a cool opportunity to really get to know her and share Christ with her! Pray for boldness, that I would take the opportunities presented to me to talk with her.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Kylie