Wiens Wanderings

Our weekends are usually busy . . . but this weekend was a bit of a whirlwind!  Kaisa had her soccer tournament on Saturday morning . . . and after about 2 hours straight of running, she was EXHAUSTED!  She’s definitely a go-getter out on the field.  By the end, all the kids wanted a turn at goal or OFF . . . they were absolutely worn out.

Our day was just beginning though . . . we had made plans to spend a couple hours at the zoo with Kevin’s cousin and his family . . . and then afterwards, we were going to a BBQ to celebrate a friend’s graduation from seminary.  Both lots of fun . . . but probably more than our kids were up for in one day.  Oh well . . . they went to bed really nicely for us that evening

On Sunday, we tried to keep things a bit quieter.  After church we took a drive out to Kananaskis and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air.  The kids found a patch of mud in amongst all the rocks and immediately begun landscaping their own rivers and mountains . . . we’re going to have to find a beach this summer

We managed to get Kaisa into bed early Sunday night . . . and had to laugh when at about 10:30 she got up and started giving me instructions about her snack - she thought it was morning, and was all ready to go!

With all that going on, Kevin still managed to get his training in . . . he ran about 30 k after supper on Sunday (probably his longest run since his marathon a couple of years ago).  I still can’t imagine doing that for fun & relaxation . . . but I sure admire his determination!

In a few minutes, I’m off to help out in Kaisa’s class - they have swimming lessons this week and they actually need parents to be IN the pool with the kindergarten class . . .

I had full intentions of blogging a couple of days ago . . . but it seems I never got there . . . so here’s a quick update in words and pictures

This past weekend, Kevin was in Fort St. John for MissionVision . . . I’d always thought Fort St. John should have it’s own “mini-missionsfest” - and wouldn’t you know, the year after I leave, they do :). It was apparently VERY well organized, and Kevin got to talk to lots and lots of people . . . had a chance to connect up with a few ministries who were interested in project applications . . . and even got interviewed by the local Christian radio station. Church on Sunday included more “fellowshipping” (and ended with lunch at Wendy’s so that Kevin could have at least ONE meal with his parents).

I was a bit jealous that I didn’t get to go along this time . . . but the three of us girls had a good weekend at home too. We went to the Creative Children’s Museum on Saturday (at the Science Centre) and Talia & Kaisa got to try out three different craft projects over the course of the day . . . and by the time we got out, Spring had returned to Calgary and we managed to fit in a bike ride before dinner.

Here’s a picture, as promised, of me speaking at the Women’s Retreat on the 19th:

The next day, Kevin ran his half-marathon in Airdrie.  What was supposed to be a beautiful spring run turned into a “hypothermic half” as temperatures dropped to windchills of -30 as Kevin ran through high winds and huge snowdrifts.  He stuck it out though, and ran the 21 km is 1:47 . . . placing 13th out of 48 brave souls who didn’t drop out after the first loop.

The time since then just seemed to fly by . . . my parents got off okay as planned after that weekend (the roads were actually fairly clear, despite the winter-y weather). Between appointments, playdates and stuff, we’ve been busy. At the end of last week, we had a visit from the University’s Homestay coordinator . . . so it sounds like we’ll have some students this summer!

But the most exciting news of the week was definitely the birth of our new nephew, Ronan Huxley last Thursday. We’re still waiting for pictures, but we’ve heard he’s cute

Our paperwork is now off for our visas for Niger, I went back for the shot that got missed (typhoid shots don’t hurt nearly as much as tetanus ) . . . so things are progressing on that front too. This morning I was helping Kevin assemble trip packets to mail out to the volunteers. Kevin has booked most of the tickets (which are needed to apply for the visas). Please pray for timely processing of visas for all the trip volunteers.

Well . . . that’s the update.  Thanks for sticking with me :)  I’ll try not to wait so long for the next post . . .

What a busy day! We were all in different directions today, but it was all good . . .

My parents are up for the weekend (well, until the snow subsides . . . it was nice on Thursday when they drove up, but we’ve got quite the winter wonderland happening here right now . . . )

Mom & I went to my church’s day-long ladies retreat. It focused on “Beauty in God’s Eyes” and had different speakers (most from the church itself) sharing about different aspects of beauty. My absolute favourite was a feisty lady in her 80s who told us all about the beginnings of women being more accepted within the Baptist Union right around the time of World War II . . . I’d love to sit with her for a few hours and hear her life story. She was a wonderful speaker and shared from the heart.

I got to share too . . . they asked me to speak about “Beauty & Service,” so I tried to bring out the distinction between the beauty of a servant’s heart and the “busy-ness” of just serving. Thanks for those of you who prayed for me that I would communicate effectively - and what God wanted me to.

Meanwhile, Kevin spent a good chunk of the day in eMi Canada’s first official board meeting since eMi received it’s registration. I know some new board members were elected . . . but beyond that I haven’t even had time to check with Kevin how it all went . . .

This left the girls at home with my Dad. Kaisa had a birthday party to go to later in the afternoon, so Talia & Opa had a bit of a “date” (and then Opa had a nap to recover from babysitting )

Then, this evening, we all headed to Greg & Julie’s house for our eMi celebration evening. Each semester, just before the interns leave, we try to get together to share food, fellowship, and stories (and to pray for the interns as they head into the next phase of their lives). Most of the board members were still around, so we got to visit with them and their families . . . and the kids had a great time downstairs too . . .

Now, I’m exhausted and heading to bed. Pictures will have to wait ’til tomorrow . . .

Thanks for all your prayers on the team’s behalf.  Since Monday, Kevin had been in contact with several architects . . . it’s been a week of ups and downs . . . but as of 9 o’clock this morning, we have an architect confirmed!

Please continue to pray for Kevin as he pulls together the rest of the logistics.  There are a couple positions that would be good to still fill, though the team will be able to “make do” if necessary.  And now the process of airline tickets, visas, and other details begins . . .

Kevin’s been missing all the beautiful weather (yes, it DID hit +20) . . . he’s taking a professional development course this weekend.  The course is all about Biosand Water Filter construction and implementation for overseas applications . . . so some theory as well as very hands-on sieving sand and hand-mixing concrete.  Here’s Kevin preparing the form for the concrete pour:

It’s an amazing mix of people at this course, from all over North America . . . all who work with water-quality issues overseas.  I think they’ve been having as much fun swapping stories as building the filter.  The course is done Monday, so we’ll try to get a picture of the finished filter.  These filters are designed to be built on-site with local labour and local materials for use inside individual homes . . . and they’re very effective.  They produce potable water from just about any contaminated source.  If you’re interested in more info about the filters, check out the CAWST Website . . .

This is what we woke up to this morning. Yesterday we biked home from school because it was so nice out. It’s supposed to hit 20 C on the weekend. Welcome to Calgary

On a more serious note, please continue to pray for an architect to come forward this weekend. The trip is in imminent danger of being cancelled and Kevin is running out of leads . . .

Only 6 more weeks to go until our trip! Wow. It’s hard to believe the time is flying so fast. With requirements for visas (which can only be requested after an airline ticket is in hand), the deadline for adding team members is fast approaching. Could you pray that Kevin would find an architect for the Niger trip? He had high hopes through the weekend that an architect he had contacted last week would agree to come on the trip. He was very interested, but this morning he declined. We still have time to find an architect, but without an architect, our trip won’t provide the results that we have committed to with the ministry. The biggest part of what we will be producing for the ministry is a master plan and details for the building. Without the architect, we don’t really have a place to start, and the trip may have to be postponed or cancelled. So please pray that the architect that God has picked for this trip would contact Kevin soon.

Kevin did get confirmation from his structural guy today, so that was an encouragement.  The team could still use a civil and a surveyor, but it’s the architect who could make or break the team.  So thanks for your prayers . . .

It’s officially been a year since we moved to Calgary!  (yes, we moved in on April Fool’s Day . . . we wondered if that held any special significance ).  It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year . . . and it’s hard to believe that it’s ONLY been a year.  It’s certainly been a good year and a busy year . . . we feel very at home at our church and in our community . . . and, of course, in our role at eMi.

Today, I helped send out the “recruiting email” to the Canadian volunteers.  There’s three trips leaving from the Canada office this May/June, with Kevin’s being the first.  Kevin’s got a good bunch of volunteers for Niger already, but he’s still missing a few key roles - including an architect, a structural, and a surveyor.  Please pray that the volunteers that God has picked out for this team will respond to His prompting . . . and pray for the Congo and Haiti trips too . . .

On the home front, we’re trying to get back into routine after a week off for Spring Break.  Easter with family in Cold Lake was wonderful (even if the drive home felt a bit on the long side ).  During the week, the girls had swimming lessons (Talia passed level 2 ), we did a bit of our own Easter stuff, and we spent some time with friends.  The week passed much too quickly . . . but was a good break nonetheless.  Kevin, of course, was still working, but I take time off when the kids are out of school.  It’s nice to have that flexibility!

Yesterday we got our travel shots for Africa . . . and boy, is my arm still sore!  The more you do these kinds of trips, the less shots you need . . . Kevin was down to just one shot this time . . . but I still had a few.  You can pray that neither of us get sick from the Yellow Fever shot . . . apparently you can get “flu-like symptons” a week later . . .

Right now, we’re busily packing for a less exotic trip.  We’re leaving today to spend easter with the cousins in Cold Lake (and Grandma & Grandpa are joining us too!).  Pray as we enjoy family time and as we focus on the amazing miracle of Easter.

Back to packing . . .

Kevin set a new goal for himself back in January . . . he decided to run a triathlon later this summer.  He’s been busy swimming, biking and running, and, as part of his training schedule, he decided to run a 10 K race this weekend:

It was a cold, snowy day, but Kevin’s cheering squad was out in full force:

He’ll probably run a few more before his Tri in August . . . and the girls are hoping for some kids runs too so that they can race just like Daddy .