itslastcall

dear Readers,
here i am. yes. i've made it. my blog. how i've longed to fill you in. and look...its 12 a.m. and i have class tomorrow morning. woe is me.

last week was "Pioneering in Missions" (I said that with a deep loud voice). really we just sat back in our chairs, chatted a bit, and laughed at Randy our speaker. He is actually the founder of YWAM vancouver, and we've seen him around enough to know his sense of humour. it was quite entertaining.
the week before that was "Urban Outreach Week" which really is where the story lies. Frankly Vancouver has a ton of issues. did you know this? neither did i. i thought it was a quaint (Hah) pretty city with a multi-cultural sense about itself. little did i know....dum dum dum

no really. there is a lot about vancouver that many canadians don't know. or do know, but choose not to tell their wives about. the city is known for its "hospitality" for starters. one of our days consisted of what mission adventures (which runs out of the same building as us) calls Roses for Prostitutes. We formed groups of 3 or so and prayed a bit, then took off to a place about 5 blocks from my home. yes. in the neighborhood.

Look around. Warehouses. Nothing there. Not a main street. Not a store open. Nothing. Except traffic. Why on earth are so many people driving in this area at 10 p.m.? i'll give you one guess.

we found our girl after some prayerfull consideration (and a few shocks of having our others picked up 15 seconds after we past them on the sidewalk). her name was amanda and braden quite flattered her. we gave her a rose, and a little card with a verse on it. we picked the one about how we can do all things through christ who gives us strength. it was an interesting night.

another vancouver issue is D.R.U.G.S. i feel like yelling "Do hugs! NOT drugs!" but i know it'll fall on deaf ears. i can't think of many times i have walked down my sweet commercial drive, bringing my laundry to dry, or grabbing some coffee at continental, or shopping, or walking to the sky train, when i haven't smelt mary jane. yes. ITS EVERYWHERE. and no one cares. the sweet smell drifts out of doorways, and from behind bushes, and down the street. everyone is doing it. its true.
We did something called the "Downtown Plunge". If you haven't heard about Hastings and Main you should. look it up right now. it is the poorest area of canada....more homeless live in this area than anywhere else in our beautiful nation. (Its because they don't have anything similar to winter out here...you'd be surprised ...or maybe you wouldn't...at how many winnipeggers are out here). on this "plunge" we were releaved of our purses, and umbrellas, and money. anything we could barter. we we plunked in the middle of this area around 10 a.m. and were told where we could be picked up come 4 o'clock. robert, linda, and i moved out into the unknown.
hastings and main. its the section of town that, if you happen to have to stop at a light, you WILL lock your doors. the sidewalks are littered, with garbage and with people. its not a strange sight to see people with blankets laid out on the street, their precious collections spread out in hopes that you might want to trade or buy.
at carnegie (sp??) hall, there is a safe injection site. one of our groups actually went in. apparently you go in, say a number and are allowed into a completely sterile room equiped with a camera, and needle. the camera is in case you o.d. and if this is fact happens nurses are available. ,
prostitution is not illegal here. the girls are everywhere. it breaks my heart. i saw people shooting up. i saw deals. i saw girls giving themselves away. i saw so many people who didn't have their right mind about them
in the area, sometime during the 80's there was a asylum that decided to try something different; they shut their doors and placed all of the patients on the street, telling them to fend for themselves. no one to make sure they are taking their meds. no one to moniter where and what they do. the sellers take notes, of course. and sooner faster than later many of these people are addicted.
this is what downtown vancouver looks like. after that week i took on such an appreciation for what YWAM is actually doing here in this city.
oh and by the way, the downtown is actually the most evangelised area of canada too. ask me one day and i'll tell you all of the stuff that is offered there. its really simply amazing.

our last week of lectures start tomorrow. Wade and Jo are speaking. giving us the lowdown on outreach; how to pack, what to expect. it should be good. i'm getting really nostalic already. keep in mind i wont be with half of my fellow students come outreach. half of us are going to malaysia and the other half to indonesia.
Sam, Jaimie, Linda, and i are staying here for christmas. we have a few plans and it should be fun. Linda has been missing home so much lately. i do believe i'm closest to her out of all of the girls. thankfully shes coming with me on outreach.

i love you guys. i miss you guys. i wish i was around to see everyone get married, and to celebrate all these babies, and to simply give you all a hug and a kiss. but till march, please know you are all dear to me.

p.s. i leave Jan 1st. Wow.....