The people of God working together!

The Beautiful Prairies!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:35:00 +0000

I am home in Regina living with my parents for a couple months. At the end of June I am off to Camp for 8 weeks. This is my 7th summer as staff there and i love it! After the summer i will be moving back to Calgary to finish my degree. Now many people have asked me how long i have left ..well i have about a year and a half depending on the availability of money :P I am really looking forward to my summer as staff being able to share the love of jesus with campers. Right now i am in the process of getting all my papers and odds and ends done . Life never seems to slow down but i am keeping up with it :) Thank you all so much for your prayers and your support. I am so greatful for the people that god has surrounded me with! I pray God's richest blessing on you all!

How to move on...

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:34:00 +0000

So i have come to my last few hours here in Cairo Egypt. What a tremendous year where God has shown himself faithful through so many people. People keep asking me what i am going to miss... the people, the friendships, the way God has shown me more of who he is in me. Am I going to be back in Egypt?? Well if God brings me back here. It has been a whirl wind last few weeks as i was in Israel for a week and then had my last four days in Cairo just running around getting everything done. All i can do is is give God all the glory and honor for this year. Thank you so much for each and every one of you who prayed and supported me financially. I cannot express how much it means to me! I am just over run with feelings of gratitude! God is So Good! Please know that i soo apreaciate you all! Please pray for safe travel for me and that my bags arrive home with no complications. I arrive home in Regina at 10:30pm. Praise the Lord for his Faithfulness!! God is Good!

Tears have already come but so has Joy...

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:02:00 +0000

My time here in Egypt is swiftly coming to a close. This day has seemed so far and i hadn't really spent much time thinking about what i would feel and what it would look like when i leave. But As the day for me leaving is approaching at incredible speeds i am now thinking about my time here coming to close and what that really means for me. I have spent an incredible time here in Egypt learning from amazing people and learning how to adjust and learn from this culture. Let me tell you some days i have sat down and thought " did that really happen" or " What did i say" and whatever the case i know each and every day is a new day that brings crazy new things i never expected.

Spring here has been an absolute surprise and a beautiful sites of amazing flowers and trees and shrubbery with beautiful vibrant colors! The Purple flowers is the tree right outside my little balcony! The blessing of living in the area that i live is that there is a lot of green and beautiful plants of flowers! When you see so much brown it is such a nice break to live in an area that has unusual amount of color!

I am now officially done teaching English, last day teaching was this past Tuesday. My "lasts" are coming more and more frequent now and i am finding it harder and harder to say goodbye but yet at the same time the people i left behind in Canada i am so excited to see and to be able to spend time with them. MY three brothers live in Calgary and i have been able to talk with them several times this year over Skype! It is amazing how time and and ocean apart increases my love for my family! I have three amazing brothers whom i love dearly! It has been so fun this year to phone people and chat with them.

My girls this year have been so fun to get to know them and spend time with them. I think a lot of this year was spent them laughing at me and my Arabic attempts and me smiling along cause i had no idea what they were saying! I will treasure the memories i have of this year and being to learn from each other! And the other picture is a picture of our last team meeting with the interns. It has been a fun year getting to know them and growing together and spurring each other on towards Christ. I most definitely will treasure the memories we have together and the family they have been for me this past year.

On April 21st i am heading off with a friend to go to Israel for a little over a week! I am very excited about this adventure and what it will bring! So much History in this part of the world that is so relevant to us! I even get to float in the dead sea :) !! After much gallivanting i will return back to Cairo on the 29th of April late at night. I have three days to get everything done and tie up all loose ends. Fortunately i am already packed in the sense that i have gone through everything and know exactly how much room i have and what i am leaving behind! Yay me! :) Thank you so much for all your prayers and your support! God is soo so faithful and he continues to provide for me!

Blessings!!

Its official May 3!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:50:00 +0000

Well I have my Flight home booked and it is official i arrive back home to Regina at 10:30pm on May 3rd. A month from yesterday! I leave early morning at 8:35am on Saturday May 3rd. Just to keep all you wonderful people back home updated. :)

The one month countdown!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:59:00 +0000

I am more than a little shocked that it is the month mark before i head home! So much has happened and i need to give an update!On the 22 of march i had the awesome privileged of being able to go to Turkey with my mentors. I was there for one week and had a chance to meet some amazing people and learned a lot! One afternoon our group had the chance to go to Ephesus which was only a short 10 min drive away! It was such a neat opportunity to see the history and be where Paul was! Over all the week was amazing and i was privileged to meet wonderful people!

This week i am finishing my last 2 days of Arabic class! very strange after 7 months! We had a wonderful teacher all year and it won't easy saying goodbye! And now i am focusing more on the girls i teach and as well getting in my papers. It will be a very busy time as i am if all things turn out going to Israel for a week! Looking forward to it! After Israel i promise i am travelling no where else- except to come home! I will be arriving home the beginning of May give or take a couple days! My time is almost coming to a close and i am so very thankful for the time i have had here! god is faithful and i will cherish the memories that i have made here. Stay tuned i will try to get some pictures up soon of my adventures!

Bartering! Being Myself!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:47:00 +0000

So i would like to start this blog of mine really just sharing how much i really enjoy toying with the shop owners and bartering my way to an Egyptian price rather than a foreigner price. So this past week a friend of mine on the same program as me was staying with me. During this time we had a opportunity to take her to the khan ( very old and well known marketplace). This was in fact my first time there and turned out to be a most enjoyable time. While walking along i heard such things from the shop owners as
" How can I take your money??" "You dropped something.....you dropped my heart" "Beautiful smile" "Just look...no price".
The sites were amazing...at one point a man on a bike rode by with a HUGE gurney looking thing on his head holding bread. These people are talented! What they can carry on their heads is amazing! The women hold their child on their shoulder with one leg in front and one leg in behind. And where ever i saw Lamps i always checked to see for a genie...although i think if i would have just given the shop owner a kiss on the cheek i could have got my lamp with the genie inside for Free! ah well i don't fly that way.

Any who i must say that was a very enjoyable experience. Although near the end of the evening a friend tried to sell my friend and i off for 20,000 camels. I was shocked when i proceeded to notify my professor that she might get a whole lot of camels and one less student, to which she replied yes that is great "pay off my loans". I tell ya the nerve of people trying to sell me off- least 75,000 camels! Well after that we spotted a really great store that we were in for quite a while. While in there i took the opportunity to banter with the owner. He was very funny and praised my Arabic..but as i opened my wallet to pay for something he caught site of my licence picture and proceeded to call me fat in Arabic! Now let me tell you something about this delightful culture...it is normal for people to tell their friends they are fat. I should have maybe been perturbed but i then proceeded to buy from him. So in the end i guess i was not offended and still bought from him. While helping my friend in another shop i was labeled a problem "mushkala" so i think it was great time. :)

On another lovely note. I leave Friday at midnight for Turkey! I am really looking forward to a time of learning from all these amazing people that will be there. As well of course all the history that is in the surrounding area. Wow opportunity!
I am so extremely thankful for my time here in Egypt. God is so faithful and desires to bless us. I have had so many opportunities to learn and grow from Godly people. Transition for me into the culture has been so smooth...not without its problems but none the less i feel like this has been a real home for me. I live with a wonderful family here that has been a huge blessing. They are a joy and pleasure to spend time with. I give God all the glory for what has has done this year to grow and stretch me! Thank you so much to all my friends and family who are praying for me and loving me from across the ocean. I love you all! I am really looking forward to getting lots and lots of hugs when i get home!! :)

Laughter, possible game cheating, and of course food!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:00:00 +0000

On Saturday March 1st my friend and I planned a an afternoon of games, food, and much conversation... and I mean English conversation. The girls that I teach English all came over plus 2 more to an afternoon planned solely to get the girls speaking in English and practising what they have learned. This was done with my Intern team. We had a lot of fun playing a game at the beginning and mingling and finding out stuff about each other.

After playing the game and talking with each other for a bit we sat them down to a good ol hamburgers ( or chicken if they preferred). Of course every single one of those girls LOVES chicken so they all ended up having chicken.. oh well. After we ate the girls taught us some games that they really play. Lots of fun..and not too many banged heads! After playing games for a little while we said our goodbyes and the girls went home.

It was such a fun afternoon, that allowed the girls a chance to practice their English with people whose first language is English. It was such a pleasure to see the girls enjoying their time and with our team. It was such a fun thing to plan and to see the way the girls really opened up more to me and allowed me to see a little bit more of who they are! These Coptic girls are a lot of fun to teach and are really opening up to us! Here is a picture of the girls and I. They have been a joy to be with this year!

UN borders, Surgeries, Black and White Desert!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:25:00 +0000

SO i feel like i need to give an account of my last two months here as i have been in 3 different countries! From January 19 to 30th i had an amazing opportunity to go to Morocco with my mentor. I was asked to go with her because there was a woman there that was diagnosed with a serious disease that gave her temporary peralises. This family had 3 kids all under the age of 3. I had the neat opportunity to go there and help look after the 3 kids and the woman when she was allowed to return home. Through God's healing she is healing very well and doing remarkably well! While in morocco i had the chance to be in Casablanca and Fes so i was able to see the country a bit and really enjoyed the culture!

Unfortuantly before i left my host family went through a bit of excitement as Heather found cysts in her abdominal cavity. So while i was away Heather went through surgery and got the Cysts removed. She is doing very well Praise the Lord and has had no complications! God is good! Then when i returned home from Morocco i got news from my auntie (who lives in Cyprus an hour plane ride nroth of Egypt) that she was having surgery to remove a mass that was a size of a 5 month baby. So upon returning home i went back and forth trying to figure out my schedule andfiguring out if i could go and see my auntie. February 14th i flew out to Cyprus and had 5 wonderful days with my auntie who lives there and my grandma and other auntie. It was a really neat time of rest and enjoying being with family. My auntie lives a 3 min walk from the beach so it was a really nice to walk along the beach and get that fresh air that i missed in Cairo!

So now i am home in Cairo again trying to slow down my time here as i am now seeing that only have 2 months left here in Cairo before i leave for home! Wow! I can't believe that my mind is already trying to figure out packing and figuring out summer plans! I am leaving again this thursday for four days with my intern team to go to the Black and white desert for retreat- i am really looking forward to it! But before i leave Cairo i still have another trip to go on the end of March to Turkey! Yes you read that correctly i have another amazing opportunity to go to for a a retreat to meet workers. I am really looking forward to this time of learning from these people and spending time with them hoping there wisdom will spill to me! So after that trip i am not giong anywhere else until i leave Cairo for good...i promise haha.

As of right now my time is getting filled with planning a little
afternoon service project for my girls that i teach english. We are planning a meal for those girls with my team where they can only speak English! In the classes before this i will going over questions and what we will be talking about during the meal to prep them. I think it will be a fun afternoon - especially where we make the guys on our team be the waiters!

Right now i am trying to slow my brain down from going 90 miles an hour! I can ahrdly believe the short time i have left here! Thank you so much for your prayers and i will be putting up pictures soon!

New year resolutions??

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:55:00 +0000

The new year has arrived and well this is the time people normally set goals for the year and try and start new and a fresh. My time now is consumed with thinking about this new semester and what God is going to bring and what i will be putting into it. Right now i am rethinking my teachign and figuring where i can put more of my time as i am cutting back my hours of arabic and spending much more time involved in "something" ! I find myself wondering how the heck 4 months have passed so quickly and already being in the middle of january!

I think often times you can have so many dreams and desires when you go overseas but then you get overseas and it is completely different from anything i expected ( of course)! God has given me wonderful people whom i can relate and connect with that are from back home but also i have met some wnderful local friends! I find myself thinkingabout what i can do this year ..maybe...exercise more...spend more tmie studying. I guess no matter what i want to do i think i about a section of scripture i memorized for camp. ...let us fix our eyes on jesus the author and perfector of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scornign its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God! This new year whatever goals i set i need to fix my eyes on Jesus! I am so thankful that whatever is going on here in Cairo or back home with family and friends- I know God is control! Praise The Lord for that!

This is a friend who was in Cairo for few days. Sarah and her husband are traveling around and we met up for a few hours!

The twelve am rooster call!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:55:00 +0000

Well at the bidding of many i am going to try and keep more updated with blogging. And so i am going to share a little bit of my life.

When i think about how important it is to laugh and look at the lighter side of life in egypt i think of this.... I am looking after a couples house while they are in the US for Christmas. After many a night staying up till 3 in the morning i start to really listen. Listen you ask listen to what ??? Well for some odd reason there is a rooster across from my apartment building. Why you ask - i have no idea! Normally there aren't animals around where i live! Well this poor rooster is confused probably avout life too. I was a "little" surprised to hear at 12 am that lovely rooster calling for morning. And the next night and the next give or take an hour.

Well as my dear friends here would say "T.I.A" (This Is Africa) anything can happen here i guess you just never know. From lawn mowers on Christmas morning to roosters calling out at midnight. Or to funny looking cats that looks very much like it should be a dog! Well I hope you all have a happy New Year!! Blessings!

What an adventure the year 2007 has been!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:29:00 +0000

Ok i think i must apologize for taking two months to write another update on my life. I have been here in Egypt for 4 months now and can hardly believe how fast it has been going!For a while there things were farely routine and normal. Teaching is going really well and i am learning lots on teaching! Christmas seems to have come up on me so fast! My professor from my school came to visit me and Matt the other intern here from the same school. We had a really great time showing her around the sites and what our lives look like here.

After Emma left all the sudden it was Christmas! I enjoyed Christmas eve day at my host family's. We had people over and played games and ate lasagna. We went to the Christmas eve service and then went back home to watch a Christmas movie. The next day i spent it at my mentors having oh so yummy turkey and mashed potatoes! I must say waking up Christmas morning and hearing a lawn mower was a little bit different, and of course the lack of huge amounts of white snow! Call me crazy but i miss it! I have really enjoyed my Christmas here and i have been so thankful for the way God has provided me with the small blessings that reminds me he loves me and is watching over me! It is wonderful to know that we serve an awesome God who loves us so much to send his send for us! No matter what our culture makes Christmas to be it is a time to focus on our loving God who sacrificed his son for us! What a blessing it is to be able to do that with friends and family!

Not being with my family for Christmas is hard but the people god has surrounded me with here are wonderful and a blessing! Right now my family is all over the world. My little brother is in Mexico, My oldest brother is in Libya, i am in Egypt and my parents and other brother are home in Saskatchewan! We are world travellers my family! I am continually reminded of our loving God who provides us with "family" wherever we are!

I am really looking forward to this new year. I have some neat trips coming up these next few months. Our intern team is going to the desert for our retreat, i am headed to Turkey with a neat opportunity to meet with regional workers, and i also am going to visit my auntie who lives in Cypress! I know these next few months are going to fly by and before i know it i will be back home. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray that God will mold me and stretch me! Please also continue to pray for the church here as we are looking for a new location for the church and as well just found a candidate to potentially be the new head Pastor. There is a lot of transition going on in the church as we are losing two key leaders who have been solid pillars of leadership. I have been so blessed by them in the short time that i have been able to get to know them!

I think of you all back home often and am so thankful for the blessing each of you are in my life! I pray this Christmas has been a wonderful time with family and friends but also have been able to rest in Christ in who he is and the Joy we have in Him! To him Be The Glory and Honor Forever and Ever!

The joy of trying to communicate!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 23:05:00 +0000

The funniest thing about arabic is that i feel like i am cussing sooo much. This past week in my arabic class we have been learning negations. For some reason all the swear words have been coming out this past week in EVERTHING we have been learning to say! Now i don't know about you but when i am learning to say an word and it greatly resembles the F word..... i find it most difficult to keep a straight face, especially when the other people in class are already laughing about it! Our poor teacher just laughs at us and we then proceed to explain why this is soo funny. In talking with a friends from liverpool it has been really funny learning the different ways we say things and the different words we use for the same meaning! I have also run into people here who laugh at me when I say "eh" . Well i guess that is going to happen!

It has been far to long since i have written a post in here ..or so my prof says! ;) I guess it has been two months already. Crazy! I am now into what hopefully will be a regular routine now as i have decided where i will putting my time. I will be continuing with 12 hours a week of arabic (eek) and i will be teaching english to 4 young ladies! Wow God is funny, i just never thought i would do that! Coming here i thought that i would be working with the refugees and doing something with kids, but God had other plans. I am very excited about getting to know this women (ages 17-22) and being able to develop a relationship with them! Right now it is rather hard and sometimes frustrating trying to communicate with them because they don't speak very much english. This is VERY good for me BUT sometimes i just wish i was fluent :P ah well, i suppose God is teaching me through this learning time. I will be teaching twice a week for an hour and half each day.

This past week i had my auntie come visit me for 3 days. She lives in Cyprus which is an hour flight away! We had a wonderful visit and really enjoyed our time together. What a special gift to have family on this side of the world who i can see during the year! Now i am just waiting to see my brother who works in libya every other month! I love my family and find myself thankful over and over for skype! It has been really funny the reactions i get especially from my one brother danny. Its like i am on the moon and he is just soo surprised when i phone! :) So fun to do that!

Life here has been crazy busy and i find that i am trying to keep myself sane sometimes. I do that with a strawberry smoothie! :) Over the past few months i have been able to conquer different stuff here. I finally rode a taxi by myself, i think i was jsut nervous that i would end up in some random part of Cairo. I got myself to a hair dresser and got my hair cut!I have also mastered the look ...back off buddy! =)) God is soo faithful has provided Godly people around me to encourage me when challenge me in my walk with Christ. this past Tuesday i was really challenged to fast and really know what that means in my life. This week has been hard but good. God is good and i am so thankful for my heavenly father who loves me!

Phil. 1:9-11

Wow one month!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:32:00 +0000

I am been here now for over a month and it feels like i have been here for forever! Orientation my first week was great and i was able to meet a lot of great people! There is a team of 6 of us and in the first week we got to enjoy this new culture and do some fun stuff. We rode Camels and went on a falluka ride and did a whole lot of walking!
As well i have been enjoying tons of visiting and meeting alot of really great people. I am really enjoying my church and being able to come along with them in there journey! I have enjoyed many strawberry smoothie get togetherness! ( this is like my favorite drink!) Although the heat was the biggest thing for me it is getting a lot cooler now so that has been really nice! I never thought i would say this (especially being from Saskatchewan) but i am looking forward to winter! God is so good and it is so neat to see the way he is working through people here! This past weekend was amazing! I had an opportunity to go to one of the prisons here in Cairo. Wow! I must admit i was very unsure of how this visit would turn out. There is a really neat ministry set up that is basically to visit the Christian prisoners in prison and encourage them. Wow what an amazing time! There is a group of Christian men that lead and are involved in cell groups in the prison. I was blown away by this godly men! Right now my team is working through the book of Philippians and how Paul was in prison and him encouraging the church. Wow what a lesson..i felt like i was looking at 6 Paul's! Most Prisons you walk into i think there is a general feeling of hopelessness, wow this men just exuded the Holy spirit and the joy of the Lord!It was the most amazing experience to talk to these men whose lives have been changed by being in prison. They had a sweet fellowship and freedom that only comes with having a real living relationship with God and being full dependent on Christ! One man i talked to had such a huge knowledge of God's word and a very obvious relationship with our Lord and Savior! What a lesson and what an example to us!

That night a group of were hanging out just leaving somewhere when right in front of our eyes this women covered in black veils and carrying a child was walking on this busy street ( this is late at night) and was hit! Both the woman and the child were taking to the hospital. The biggest thing to me and just boggles my mind is the the driver had no care or concern to stop - he just sped off! This is normal in this society to have hit and runs and it seems to be no concern whatsoever! This is such a hard thing to swallow when learning about a new culture. I can't fathom this careless attitude towards life! This attitude scares me and shows me the sin and depravity in our world today! Something my team and i were talking about today was serving and being a servant. This concept is so foreign and the idea to put others before yourself so against the flow of culture. It was such a good reminder today that we were created to serve and not to be served! What a worthwhile discipline to practice. every time i think about it i shake my head to see this woman being hit and the driver speeding off with no concern but himself! Praise the Lord that he is a forgiving God! We all mess up but i just pray that we would never lose sight of why we were created.

On a much lighter and shorter note- today my team and i went and had a very much needed time away. What neat time of learning and relaxation! This families house we went to had a pool ..and a donkey ( as well as a bunch of other animals) haha this donkey was soo funny. He enjoyed running after the dogs and just being a very quirky. ah such a random animal. hmm this is rather long blog. i think i starting babbling or something- thanks for sticking with me! Please pray for me in these next couple weeks as i figure out where God wants me to be involved this year. Please Continue to pray for safety as it is Ramadan and traffic is already crazy and the drivers are even more tired and less aware. Praise the Lord (PTL =) ) that my health is great and this month has just been an amazing learning experience so far. I miss my family and friends back home but i know that this is where God wants me!

ok ok no more typing :)

Thoughts of the day......

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:39:00 +0000

So i feel like i have been here forever! My mind is going 90 miles an hour just thinking. I love the passion and i love seeing Christians spur each other on! Where ever i go in the world my foundation and strength lies in Christ. Even walking down a street with creepy men staring at me i find myself praying and through the Holy spirit God's peace just fills me. Even losing my camera ( i know i know so not impressed with myself! ) i just continually said OK lord it is just stuff that is not life! ( hence no pics in this post :) ) Funny how sometimes we need to go across an ocean to learn a lesson. I am SO excited to learn Arabic and also working on spiritual disciplines in my life! What a year! I'll close with a song i love!

Here I am
Holly Available
As for me
I will serve the Lord

My prayer is that God will use each one of us who are willing to be molded and shaped by Christ!

I made it! I crossed the ocean!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:29:00 +0000

OK so i left Regina at 11:20 on sunday morning...good grief i was rather tired that morning from visitng and trying to get everything done so it was so nice to just sit on the plane. I was set off by my family and friends. it was hard to say goodbye but knowing my destination i was excited! I got to toronto and oh good grief i had to change termnals!!! I come from Regina!! there is only one building one terminal!!! lol What a funny time. I felt like i was 13 years old and so small and so intimidating trying to find my way in the airport. I got to the other terminal through walking boarding a train and finally arroved at my gate to wait four hours for my plane to leave!! But i was not leaving the gate to get lost!! Met matt the other onsite team member who was going as well. my flight to london was 7 hours BUT!! i was aile (sp??) seat and the nexxt two seats beside me there was no one in it..oh so nice not having to move! Then we arrived in London heathrow and entertained our selves for 9 hours with cards, my book, and 10 dollar ameracan cofee!!! Unreal matt had to pay 10 american for his coffee!! I paid 6 for mine haha. so expensive though!! Anywho we boarded our last flight to cairo and got in at 12:30. Temperature when we landed was 29 C oh good grief lol hot!!! So we got throught no problem were picked up by friends and then got to our place we are staying at. Finally got to sleep at 3:00 and kept waking up and walking to then end of my bed then giving myself and shake and telling myself to get back to bed! Ah jetlag and lack of sleep! Today we got some money stuff worked out and i got my cell phone while i will be here. This still feels so sureal but i am here! So exited about what is to come they said a boat on the nile so pumped! anyway i will upload pictures when i can but for now you will just read my words and imagine it =) I feel fine and fell like i am adjusting pretty good with the time. i din't eat very much on my way here ( haha sorry jeanetter :) i tried! ) Been drinking lots of water though! Its hot here haha and i love the fan in my room above my bed and the air conditioner on the wall!! I am well i hope to get a big email sent out but till then this will have to suffice. I feel sticky and hot but hopefully i will adjust quickly to the weather. By for now =)

MY time clock in egypt!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:52:00 +0000

Thanks will good idea!

2 days and 25 hours!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:35:00 +0000

Good grief time is flying i still can't believe it is Thursday and i leave on Sunday at 11:20am. God has been so faithful in providing for me and showing me that he is with me every step of the way! It is so weird everything is in the works and very soon i will be in Egypt probably wondering how in the world i will be learning Arabic! Everything is coming together i have some things left to do and have been visiting like crazy. I have had lots of fun visiting with my family and grandparents and enjoying playing card games as much as possible. This picture is of us just before my auntie left for Arizona. I have so enjoyed my time with family and friends...it is so precious and important to take this time. I was reminded of this when i went out to visit the camp i normally work at in the summer. There was a camper there two weeks ago who just passed away yesterday from a car rollover. His sister was at camp this week. What reminder that we need to take the time with the people we love and not to let that time get away. This death just reminded everyone how real our ministry is out there and for those campers to know our wonderful lord and savior!

There is soo much running through my mind and i find myself lying awake at night just thinking! Each one of us in our group is preparing and some are already out in the field! God is soo good its exciting to see what will happen for each one of us this year. Jon and Kristen aren't in the picture but they are already in Poland and deep in language study! Shaunna just left on Monday for Quito! Will is in Quebec already. He is going be visited by Nathan and Kara who are travelling before they head off to Mexico. Andrew is headed to closed access Asia. Matt and i are both headed to Egypt for our internship and Matt, Andrew and i all leave the same day! Eric is headed to Mexico as well with Nathan and Kara. Heather is going to Pakistan! We had had a great year all of us getting to know each other and we will be able to encourage and pray for each other as we get settled in a new culture!;)

Again over and over God has been using people to encourage me through this and support me through prayer and giving! My prayer is that i will be sensitive to the holy spirit and his leading! I know i will miss my family and my dog!! I joke around with my parents that i will miss my dog more. However God has orchestrated it so that i am living only an hour flight away from family! My auntie works for world vision so she lives in Cypress, and my oldest brother works in Libya every other month so i am sure i will see him once or twice! God is good i won't see anyone back home for 10 months but i still have family that i will see! A great section a verses that i learned from staff training at camp one year is Hebrews 12:1-3. That is
encouraging as i go into really the unknown, but knowing that my eyes are on Jesus he will be my strength!

6 girls, hot weather, horses and so much more!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:24:00 +0000

The last week in June i had the privilege once again working at Dallas valley Ranch camp for the 6Th summer as staff. This is one of my favorite places in the world to be. I love the opportunity that we as staff have to impact this kids lives and tell them the their creator loves them dearly and wants to have a relationship with them! Although this summer i am only able to work one week, i am soo thankful for the one week! i had six 11 to 12 years olds for the week. The week went really well and one of my girls accepted jesus as her Lord and savior! Praise the Lord! I had such a great week with fun and laughter! One of my girls was a real character and loved to pose and had that sassy kind of attitude like heck yes i am doing this. I hope to work at this camp for as many more summers as God will allow me! Hopefully one day come back there with my husband as well! God has blessed Dallas Valley with a wonderful ministry and something that i love is that they are making sure the inner-city kids have a chance to go . I had a great week though and besides having a little bit of a brunt face it was absolutly Superb! I am soo thankful that God uses these ministries to stretch and grow me. LAst summer i had the scary opportunity of being able to program direct the last week of camp. SCARY!! I was never going to be a program directer but look what God did!! :) It helps that me and the kids are the same height ;)If you haven't been a councellor for one week of camp i would encourage it greatly! What a chance to grow! I think i should go to bed though 1:05 in the morning...but i was able to get pictures up yay i know and am succesful in being able to do that!!

Slowly but surely!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:32:00 +0000

Well it everything finally seems to be starting to get going! I am getting excited because right now i am shivering and just thinking about the delightfully warm weather warms me right up =) So I am now leaving Regina on Aug 26th, i thought i was leaving later on ( second week of september) but we found out from our mentors we need to be there fro aug 29th. My summer right now is full of making blizzards and sundays for the ice cream cravers. At the moment the job will suffice but i really wish i was working outside. ah well. God is good and he will provide!

Who am I?? Good question!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheri) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:00:00 +0000

Hello my name is Cheri Ross, and i am a student at Alliance UNiversity College/ Nazarene UNiversity College ( or formally known as CBC). I am in Intercultural Ministries, my heart is for missions and seeing people growing closer to God! I have the most amazing family in the World. My parents live in Regina with my puppy! My three brothers are currently in Calgary working. In September 2007 i am planning to go to Cairo, Egypt for the year. I am very excited about this opportunity that God is giving to me to go and learn a new culture and share Jesus with them! So far everything is slowly coming together. I am so excited to see God work in my life and in the people's lives there!

God bless