Hola from Guatemala!!

HI EVERYONE!

We made it safely here in Guatemala City very late on Friday night (about 1:00 a.m. Ontario time). The airplane ride was cool... I especially like the take off and landing (the rest of the ride is just like riding on a train). It was expecially neat when we flew in the dark... seeing all the lights over the cities was beautiful!! It was also really cool to see the clouds from the other side (they look the same, by the way!! :o) ). Anyway, we stayed at a seminary in Guatemala City on Friday night and travalled to Cubulco the next morning. We arrived here in Cubulco around 1:00 yesterday afternoon. We met Lia and the kids (Nico met us in Guatemala City). The driving is CRAZY! We thought we were going to crash a couple times on the way up the mountain... it's quite the experience!! Anyway, last night we also went to the market... its very unsanitary there!! There was a table full of vegetables and right beside it there was a mound of garbage... quite gross actually... it also smelled very bad there... what can you expect really? Last night and this morning we went to church, which is right down the road... the services were in Spanish and are no longer than our services in Ontario.It's awesome to listen to people worshiping God in a different language! The singing is also really neat to listen to...Spanish is a beautiful language! It's kind of neat to experience. I've already taken about 300 pictures... crazy, eh?! The people here find us very interesting to look at... everywhere we go, people stare at us... Lia says she doesn't even notice it anymore. The kids (Ellen, Nico and Jesee) are all very sweet... Lia is also very nice and easy to get along with... The lives that the people live down here are completely different than what we are used to! WE HAVE SO MUCH!! We don't realize how blessed we are!! Some of the people just live in little huts... not weather proof at all... the sanitation here is also unexistant for the most part. I wish I could upload some of pics that I took... yesterday, I got a picture taken of myself with a security guard holding his 'bazooka'... a HUGE rifle!! All of the businesses around here have their own security guard... Anyway, this afternoon, we are going to trek up the mountain and tomorrow we start working... I'm sure the next 2 weeks will fly by... love you and miss you guys!! Hopefully I'll get another chance to write another note in a couple days... SEE YOU ALL IN A COUPLE WEEKS! Anything exciting going on at home?!

2008...alreay??

Wow... another year come and gone... crazy!

2007 was a good year... a very quick year, that's for sure! Every year I say the same thing 'wow, I can't believe it's been a year already!'.

January 2007: I don't remember much about January 2007... that's how good it was, I guess :P

February 2007: February 2, 2007 Esmé Margaret Elizabeth VanDyk was born. Although she had some heart complications, everything is now under control... what a blessing!

On Febraury 17th, a group of us piled into a huge van at 1:00 in the morning and drove down to South Carolina for a week. The trip was done to help out Greenville Seminary... we had a blast down there and I still think of the trip often... I would love to see the seminary and the progress they have made in the last year... God has blessed them from what I've heard!

March 2007: I started my new position at VanPelt's Office Plus as their Inventory Controller and stopped working for the Ontario Early Years Centre as their Volunteer Coordinator.
This was also the month that I got in my car accident and pretty much totalled my car...grrrr...still upset about that one! (going to court in a couple of months to fight that ticket!).

April 2007: ??

May 2007: New Jersey for the May 24! We went white water rafting and did a lot of driving... met some cool people and had an all in all great time!
May 27th marked the date of my confession of faith
May 31 was my 19th birthday... eeeek! that means this year I'll be 20!!! :P

June 2007: SUMMER STARTED!

July 2007: More summer stuff, I assume... July 1st at Port Burwell...always a fun time!

August 2007: Family vacation at Limberlost Point on Commanda Lake... we had a great time with family...remember Kristen?? the mice were happy to see us :o)
And of course, August always brings TAMARACK! Another great year, with great speakers too! (Bylsma, Anema, and Pipa). What a blessed week!

September 2007: September means Labour Day, which in turn means Port Burwell...again! Always a great time when you're hanging out with other Christian youth!

October 2007: October was Thanksgiving... which meant the hike at Rattlesnake Point...
That is the only thing I remember about October...

November 2007: This was the month of our long anticipated banquet... sooo much preparation and it was over just like that! Good times for sure!

December 2007: Well, December was a good month... Christmas and all of that stuff... carolling to the seniors in our church, youth group Christmas party, family Christmas parties, you know... all the fun stuff.... and then of course New Year's Eve... fun times at the churchwith our youth group.

All in all, another great year full of blessings and things to be thankful for! Can't wait to see what 2008 holds for us!

Still Blogging :o)

Alrighty...people have been bugging me to blog again...so here it is. . . I don't really have anything particular to blog about. Life is good! The job is going well. . . not much to talk about there... Something to be thankful for is that SUMMER is here! I absolutely loovve summer! Everyone seems to be in a much better mood. . . and who wouldn't be??? There's something about summer that is just soooo relaxing and laid back . . . vacations, holidays, camp fires, singing. . . can't wait until Tamarack! I'm probably going on holidays with my family this summer too. . . we go up near North Bay. .. it's always an awesome time! We have a boat so we pretty much spend the whole week water skiing and stuff. . .sooo much fun!! The long weekend is coming up which means Port Burwell...always a good time! Anywho, not a very exciting post . . . but that's all for now. . .
ohhh yaaaa. . ..

GO CRIMSON TIDE. . .WOOOHHHOOOOO!

(you need some fans, eh?!)

time to post again...!

It has been well over a month since I last posted anything on here...anyone still checking?? I think that Facebook pretty much took over our blogger world... anyway, I did get my car fixed...it's now good as new! yaaayy...you don't realize how much you depend on your car until you don't have it for 4 weeks...whheew, I'm definintely glad to have it back!! My job is going fairly well right now...I'm learning LOTS of new things! I just found out a while ago that the lady who I am training to be an assistant to, is moving to Papua New Guinea in August...AHHHH!! That means even MORE responsibility for me!! I am being trained on making the weekly schedules (which can be quite the job at times...!) and I will also be a night supervisor every Monday night...hmmm...not really sure what I think about that yet.. :o). I can't wait until I know it all and am confident enough to do everything without someone sitting besdie me!! Other than that, there's nothing too exciting going on in my life...SUMMER is almost here!! I'm pretty excited about that! I lloovvveee summer! Next month I'll probably be going to New Jersey for the long weekend for a conference there...we're going to be going white water rafting...woohoo...who wants to come?? That will be pretty sweet...! Anywho, I think that's about it...sorry no pics, when you have dial-up, you're kind of restricted when it comes to high-tech things like uploading pics... :P

Car Accident...

Yesterday I got in a car accident... it was my fault. I'm ok and so is the other guy, something to be thankful for! I was turning left out of the wendy's parking lot on talbot st. in st. thomas at around 12:40. There was construction blocking the far right lane to the left... I looked and didn't see anything coming, so I pulled out...right into a minivan that was going about 55km/h. The front end of my car banged into the bumper of the minivan, then flung around and then my front end hit the back of the minivan... I hit my head on my window...luckily I did not go unconscious or anything... I just have a big bump on my head (accompanied by a headache, of course!)and a soar jaw. The other guy (a teenager driving his mom's minivan) was really good about it... right away he asked me if I was ok, and after that, he didn't really say much...another thing to be thankful for! As far as my car goes, the police officer told me it would be a write off...but my dad seems to think it's salvagable...even if i have to put 3 grand into it, it'll still be cheaper than buying a new car...Anyway, here are some pics...

Romans 12:9-21

I came across the following text when I was reding my Bible last night and found it very helpful and an excellent reminder...



Behave Like a Christian

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”says the Lord.
20 Therefore “ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Just an FYI...

Hi guys... here is a link to the blog for those who are on the Colombia trip... keep praying for them!http://www.missiontripcolombia.blogspot.com/

Esmé Update...

Just a little update on Esmé… she was moved back to the St. Thomas hospital, so that is a good sign in itself. However, she is still hooked up to an oxygen incubator and she is being tube fed… After undergoing the tests in London, they determined that she has a defective heart valve which they hope will heal itself within the next fourteen days. Without the incubator, she turns blue, which is why we are definitely thankful for such advanced technology! Please pray for Esmé and Dan& Mel as well, as they struggle with going home every night without their precious baby. Mia and Ksena are staying at our house for a few days, so hopefully that will help them some. This is a great reminder that God is so good. When little babies are born, a lot of the time we just take for granted that they are in good health, that they have ten fingers and ten toes. Dan & Mel have been blessed in the past with two healthy little girls, what a great blessing, eh? We can only pray that Esmé's condition will improve and that Dan & Mel can soon welcome her into their home and introduce her to her two big sisters! Here is a picture of little Esmé:

HEY EVERYONE--- I'M AN AUNT AGAIN!

My sister, Mel just had her baby early this morning...another girl!! We haven't been allowed to see her yet because she has a heart murmur... the following was taken from Mel's blog:


Esme´ Margaret Elizabeth
Was born at 4:08am this morning
Weight: 7lbs.12oz.

Esmé has a heart murmur, so she is being admitted to London Hospital for further testing (since St. Thomas has limited equipment) Mel will not be admitted to London, but her and Dan will be able to visit Esmé in London.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” - Psalm 139: 13-14

Derek: A diehard leafs fan...or is he?!

I found this pic hanging around... lol... check out the hat!