Bubble Note #56

Sun, Smiles and sometimes some snot. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Word of the Day: Summit To reach the top of a mountain; possibly out of breath and cold, but at least you can say you've done it. See also- Summit Snickers (food group) Love Listing February 14th- A day set apart to represent what we love (and to make our culture just a little more consumerist..and obese). So to celebrate this day with you, I have made a top ten list of things that I have loved these past two weeks.   10. My health- it’s something none of us take for granted until it is taken away 9. TP- the backcountry does wonders for your appreciation of water and facilitates 8. A warm fresh scented bed- sleeping bags not only insulate heat, but smell as well, yum. 7. Photography- There is beauty in being able to capture precious moment and preserve it forever 6. Fresh Powder- skiing specialization was made all the better by the fluffy snow that God abundantly provided (it also made falling a little less painful) 5. Laughter - I was informed that I always laugh first after my own jokes, true? Maybe *giggle* 4. The Sun- halleluiah winter doesn’t last forever. 3. Having my brother on my specialization – Even though we go to the same school and are in the same program, it is rare that I get to spend 5 days with Tyler in the backcountry, it was cool. 2. Days off – Such as today! Sometimes few and far between but they make the ones that are worth while 1. The Community around me (as in- you) – A challenge some days but for the most part a huge blessing. Thank you Lord. What's Next? The first year students will be leading a practicum where they will facilitate a youth group through..well, I’m not sure yet. They have to figure that out ;) After that we have a Wilderness First Responder class (an advanced First Aid Certification class) for two weeks, followed by a “Teaching Through Adventure” class. These next few weeks will be very busy for me, and I would appreciate prayer for strength. Not only do I have assignments to fulfill for these upcoming classes, but also assignments to finish from classes began on campus a month ago and assignments for upcoming classes upon return to Prairie. Crossing Avalanche terrain- we would cross one by one and unclip our packs for safety. We do training before heading out on these trips so we are well prepared; don't worry mothers, we take precaution.  I'm mocked every once in a while for my gypsy pack, but hey! It carries a lot. We are expected to carry our own food, shelter, layers, snacks and other self-sustaining supplies for the 5 days we are out there. Sometimes I like my luxuries and bring a pillow ;)   follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 Beth, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you LOVE reading about Beth and what she is doing in life. And because anything to do with bubbles makes anyone happy. If you don't want to be reminded of the joys of life from Beth's perspective, that's ok too. Just let me know and I'll take you off the list. Our mailing address is: Beth 111 Huntcroft Way NE Calgary, Alberta T2K 4E4 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Friends

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."
— Henri J.M. Nouwen (The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey)

Bubble Note #55

Sun, snow, smiles and sometimes some snot. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Explore on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Word of the Day: Success The feeling  of accomplishment when achieving something that is not often accomplished successfully. Ie. skiing downhill without falling. Or uphill for that matter. Up, Down, All Around Last time I wrote I was lounging on my couch in Calgary, being fed chocolate from all sides and loving being served. This time, I am attempting to fit an email in during our 'dry out days', while running back and forth between tasks, re-hydrating, answering questions, cleaning my awful smelling clothing and repacking my backpack. Since returning back to Camp Bighorn we (Explore) has been incredibly busy. A couple days after returning most of the Interns headed up a mountain to a ghost town for a retreat. Warm cabins, streak on wood stoves and many games of cribbage ensued, giving the Explore staff a much needed break. After returning we headed back up another mountain for our Winter Intro trip with the first years, back for a day, back up for our first winter skills rotation (which was skiing for my team) and now back down for one more day. These dry out days (named because most of our gear is soaked and needs a day to dry out) consist of planning for the next rotation, feedback sessions from the last rotation, cleaning and repacking, showering (Hallelujah!), and sometimes writing emails. Although time up on the mountain is wonderful, it is tiring and the warmth back at camp is more than appreciated. Coming up Next... The next rotation for us is Winter Survival- unlike this last rotation we will be sleeping out in temperatures above zero (both F and C, the last rotation had to do their survival overnight in -25 C). The students will be learning how to survive in harsh conditions, what to look for, how to start fires and call for help. It is a fascinating course that I was able to do several years ago, and will be tagging along as a help this time. After the skill rotations we will move into specialization (each student chooses which skill they would like to specialize in), I will be helping with skiing. Five days out on the mountains, woohoo! Pray that the teams will grow closer, be challenged and seek Christ above all else. Teleskiing A bipolar combination of alpine and cross-country skiing. The heels are free for 'easy' gliding uphill and curvy downhills.  Green Team Over the three day rotation, my team (Green Team) managed to ski over 6 miles and gain (and eventually loose) 1000ft. The scenery was beautiful, though chilly at times as one night hit -25 Celcius.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2011 Beth, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you LOVE reading about Beth and what she is doing in life. And because anything to do with bubbles makes anyone happy. If you don't want to be reminded of the joys of life from Beth's perspective, that's ok too. Just let me know and I'll take you off the list.  My mailing address is: Beth 111 Huntcroft Way NE Calgary, Alberta T2K 4E4 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser