Week 2 and the Ishmaelites

  So humor us - we will share week 2 with you - it helps us to see where the week went. I know you all know how that works - "where did the time go?" 

(And read through to hear about my encounter with a couple of teenage boys.)

  Last Sunday Howard led the worship service at Amazing Grace Community Church as Pastor Rohan was out of town. He spoke on Moses calling and our calling and why not having a crystal ball is OK.


  On Monday Sandy and Margaret volunteered along with Emma and Lauren (summer interns) at the Middle School one more day - it was the Social Studies portion of their testing. I learned quite a bit about Canadian government.


 









Tuesday Sandy ventured out to another grocery store - I found the Publix of the north - Safeway! And I scored 5 cents a liter off on the gas from their station by spending $35.00. It still took over $100.00 to fill the tank in our white beast. (36 gallon truck)








We continue to enjoy our notes from home...this little treasure made us and many others laugh!

     Wednesday Howard had lunch with a young man from Amazing Grace Community Church who is working towards a Criminal Justice degree, he has some good contacts on the Blackfoot Reserve and when we return from Belgium he and Howard will go out and meet them together.



On Wednesday afternoon Margaret and I joined the two summer interns, Emma and Lauren, as they spent some time with some of the neighborhood kids. Every Wednesday afternoon this summer they play games and just visit with the kids. It has been challenging for them as some of the kids are angry all the time, but they are trying to make a difference in a few of their lives. Here they are enjoying Lauren's game - Extreme Playground Challenge!

 While there with them this week I struck up a conversation with two middle school boys who did not want to participate with the other kids. As we were talking about school and stuff a young girl came over and starting to bother the boys.  I told her I was going to "sell her to the Ismaelites"...then I asked the boys if they had heard this story before. I went on to tell them the story of a young boy, a young boy whose brothers hated him so much that they sold him to some slave traders. 
  I left the story hanging...I hope to meet up with the boys again some day and tell them the rest of the story. They seemed interested - they also taught me my first Blackfoot word: OKI - which means - FRIEND.

 - Pray for these young men and many others who are struggling to find their place in the world.

Everything near us is within walking distance and we often walk the two to five blocks to get to the school/church, Rohan's house, the Subway restaurant and Tim Horton's.  These lovely signs are everywhere and if you are a pedestrian, cars must stop for you to let you cross the road!






Howard and Jack spent two days this week doing what Howard loves to do - help organize someone's garage. They were able to make room in Rohan's garage for more Amazing Kids stuff until a permanent building is found for them to meet and store their stuff.


 



They also built some of the crafts for the upcoming summer park camps - specifically some wooden boats the kids will get to try and float.

The weather here has been just as sweltering as it was in Tennessee this past week - So we spent some time washing our cars and the Amazing Kids van. The cool water felt great!! Howard and Jack took the van to the inspection center on Friday - they have yearly inspections due on vans used for transporting people. 




 












 On and off through the week we continue to make our new home more "homey"  - we have set up our office and set up my sewing area. It makes it easier to get things done.





Saturday night we had the interns over for dinner - we ate outside in the courtyard of our apartment complex because it was about 20 degrees cooler there. 

 After dinner we played an exciting game of


        Telestrations!!

     Do you know what this photo is???

               PI FILLING!!!!

    We only got to spend 2 weeks with beautiful Lauren and Emma, but we enjoyed it so much.  Blessings to both of them as they finish their summer in Lethbridge and then head back to college.





We finished the week by getting read to head to Belgium - packing our suitcases and driving to Calgary.

 And I am finishing the blog while sitting in a hotel in Calgary for a cool night's rest before we board our plane tomorrow at noon.

  We ask for your Prayers for safety and health and a productive time of learning.