Kaleo Ministry #2

Exciting moments, adventures and opportunities filled this past week. Aboard the Pacific Grace, a SALTS (Sailing And Life Training Society) ship, our group ate, slept, worked, played, swam, worshiped and just lived together on all 138 feet of this gaff rigged schooner.

Our first day aboard the Pacific Grace proved a blast. I love sailing and the winds provided us with a great ride. For a while, I had the privilege to stand on the very tip of the bowsprit. Feeling the waves roll the ship and the wind on my cheeks, the presence of God through His creation filled me with peace.

In the evenings, the crew lead us in engaging, interactive games. Then, everyone mustered in the hold for a time of singing and worship. This was one of my favourite parts of the day. Singing songs of old, new, fun and worship created an atmosphere of community between everyone. I brought my violin on the ship and ended up helped with the singing. In these times of worship, God’s spirit was moving in my heart. One night after singing, Jim asked us to name each other. Names like how Jesus named Peter, names that might not fit us at that moment but that we could grow into. My name is “intentional” and “strong”. Please pray that God will mould me to fit this name. Pray that whatever I do has meaning and purpose behind it as the driving force; that when I lead, I will be intentional in living for Christ.

Another aspect of our adventure involved night watch. Each night while the ship was at anchor, two people were always on watch from the hours of 11pm-7am. Every hour the watch rotated and two new individuals took over. Monday (12-1), Wednesday (4-5) and Thursday (2-3) where the nights I was on watch. Two of the three nights, I had the same watch partner. We had some great heart-to-heart talks about life and God and everything in between. Those nights the hour went by too quickly. One of my goal this year is to openly share what I think and feel. In the past, I have kept my thoughts and feeling to myself. Could you please pray for me in this area? Pray that I will have a peace about opening up to my roommates and everyone else at Kaleo.

While on the ship, another student and I were asked if we would organize and run a worship night for the other students every Monday night. This opportunity is very exciting, but also very scary. The idea of these nights is worship; but not just focusing on the singing aspect of worship. Music is important, but worship is not just music. It involves our entire relationship with God, all our heart, mind, soul, and strength – it involves all the ways in which we can respond to God, all the ways we can praise him by what we say and do, all the ways we can demonstrate that God is worthy of all praise and honour and commitment. We want this night to be a night of expressing how much we love God, whether this is through drama, silence, singing, drawing, nature, dancing, communion, prayer, reading, meditating or anything else that brings us into Christ presence.


Tonight was our first worship night. Wow, did the spirit ever move through our singing, prayer, scriptures and testimonies. What was planned for an hour, lasted for two and a half, but no one noticed the time - the only thoughts that were present were of God and his love for us. Please pray for this opportunity that Eric and I have to organize these nights. Could you pray for the Holy Spirit to really move in and through us as we (being everyone at Kaleo) seek to worship and praise our Creator.

On a more personal note, could you please pray for health. These past few day, I started coming down with a cold. Pray that I will have the strength and energy to be attentive during class (which, by the way, started today! We are actually sitting in class for the first time) and the capacity to retain and learn from the Professor.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Kylie

S.A.L.T.S. Pictures

Waiting on the dock before we could board the Pacific Grace

Jayme and I on the Bowsprit of the Pacific Grace

Standing on the very front, enjoying the breeze

Alivia and I after a chilly jump into the ocean




My watch group (Fore Watch) enjoying a scrumptious meal in the hold

Rowing a dory to shore to take a hike

At the end of our hike, enjoying the view of the Pacific Grace in the distance

Chilling on the chests during calm weather

Victory after climbing the shrouds to the top of the mast

On duty at the wheel

The whole group at the stern of the Pacific Grace

Kaleo Ministry #1

Why, hello everyone, welcome to my blog. It is hard to believe I left home only 13 days ago! This adventure keeps showing me new and exciting things about God and myself. Seeing what God is doing in the hearts and lives of the other Kaleo students is amazing. I am excited to witness the transformation.

Where to start? The first few days included lots of orientation for the program and Camp Qwanoes, games (including a pudding war!), making wonderful new friends and lots of laughs. With each passing day, our group grows closer together like a family. God is so good in providing a family while mine is on the other side of the country. In addition, we helped with dishes, belayed for a youth retreat and picked the Church we would attend and help with for the year. We were given a sheet with information about seven different Churches and advised to prayerfully consider to see which Church God placed on our heart. Three of us felt God called us to St. John’s Anglican Church in Duncan. Ironically, all three of us are from Ontario. The people of St. John’s are very warm and welcoming but struggling because their pastor recently resigned. Could you please pray for the three of us as we enter this new church family. Pray that God will use us to bless this Church throughout the year and through the process of finding a new pastor.

This past Friday was the first Youth Group at St. John’s. Most of the youth only attend youth and not Church. Going into the group for the first time I had no idea what to expect. Kathryn (the youth worker at the Church) told us about the group, but nervousness still managed to sneak into me. Upon arrival, God answered my prayers: the youth were amazing. Kathryn describes them as the ragamuffin group. When you look at the group, it should not work, ages ranging from grade 7-12, only two girls in a group of twelve and some with disabilities. Somehow, God manages to make it work. I am excited to see how God will use the three of us in this ministry. Could you please pray for the me as I try to build relationships with the girls of the group and be an example for them. They are struggling with insecurities about their image and popularity. Pray that God will work a miracle in the lives of these girls.

Tomorrow begins a new adventure with the S.A.L.T.S sailing trip. I am eager to see how God will bring us together on this trip. Already, we have had group prayers down at the docks and even on top of Mt. Albert-Edward which we climbed last week. Please pray for health amongst the group as we embark on this 5-day ocean adventure as there has been a stomach flu around the Camp. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers these past weeks. God has been doing amazing things through all of us.

Love always,

Kylie

All our luggage in the back of the Van

The Ontarions of Kaleo



Our camping group atop Mt. Albert-Edward

The girls in our camping group

A cool cabin we found on our hike

The back of a bench