My San Diego Itinerary

It's been so nice to come a bit early to enjoy San Diego at the Crowne Plaza. This hotel used to be the Red Lion Hanalei, complete with Hawai'ian theme. Some of that history remains. Let me fill you in on my wonderfully non-eventful time here so far:

Friday:
-Arrival to sunny San Diego
-Shuttle to Hotel & check-in
-Watch a Harrison Ford movie. It was really good, but had to google 'Jack Ryan' (main character) to find out it was called 'Patriot Games'
-Nap
-Order room service: bacon, pepperoni & mushroom pizza
-Watch Food Network's Food Network Challenge & Chopped
-Soak in outdoor hot tub
-Sleep at 9:00

This is what my room looks like, except on the ground floor with a sliding door to patio facing a grassy area & the pool. The hot tub is just around the corner!

Saturday:
-Sleep in until 9:00
-Watch The History Channel. Topic today is the history of the hot dog!
-Back to the hot tub!
-Read a magazine & drink coffee on my patio, overlooking palm trees & pool area
-Free shuttle to Fashion Valley Mall (outdoor) where I procede to buy cute little outfits for Amos, Jude, Judah & Katie.

I also bought an iPhone case at the Apple Store, to keep a little crack in check. This is my Kate Spade case, except in turquoise. At another kiosk I asked if they had a anything to prop my iPhone up on my desk. "Oh, you mean like this?" She showed me a little plastic dodad. "Yes! How much is it?" She placed it in my hand and said, "Free!"

-Back to hotel. Pay for internet to see if Mel and Rae had their babies... YES!
-Call my mom & chat with her and Phil. (She lives in Torrance, California.)
-Order room service: New England Clam Chowder & Hanalei Platter (wings, spring roll, coconut shrimp
-Chat with Ken
-Hot tub in the rain!
-Post blog
-Bedtime!

It's pretty much been a nothing trip so far. And, well, really, that's the point! Tomorrow, if it's not raining, I may take a short run to Old Town before the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions board meeting begins.

Where will your next trip take you?

If you're looking for me, I'm at an all-expenses paid trip to a conference in Newport Beach, California!

Day 4: Thanksgiving Thursday

We had a great lunch on Murphy's Wharf today. Fish and chips was the most affordable at this dockside restaurant. Murphy's Wharf was one of the 2009 top 10 attractions in Canada by Where Magazine! Note the clouds, but no rain all day. Whew!

This is Ken's little Thanksgiving pumpkin. It was the table centrepiece. We considered bringing it back to the hotel for supper but didn't think we could cook it in our coffee maker. We're still at the Atlantica, so no need to pack our bags, which was nice.

The historic properties and beautiful architecture are a site to behold in this harbour city. We saw this row of houses on the way downtown, to tour the Salvation Army.

And we saw this on our way back!

Day 3: Wild Weathered Wednesday

Today we walked and walked and walked for the second day in a row. Oh, and it did not rain. In true Maritime fashion, it POURED!

We finally found the homeless today! Instead of heading to the tracks, we had to head to the docks and the bridge. Had great chats with several service providers and the community police. I had to laugh at the email advice I received from Mike, our LifeChange Program Men's Resident Manager's. I confirm that we are definitely finding this to be true:

Things you're probably figuring out: There is a little white church and a Tim Hortons on EVERY corner and the Easterners like to use these two references as land markers when giving directions. (ie: Turn right at the Little White Church and it's just past the Tim Hortons). The other is that they have absolutely NO concept of distance or time. 5 minutes up the road is more like 25 minutes. A mile away means 5 or more and it's usually past the little white church.... the good thing is that you can grab a Tim Hortons on the way.

Tomorrow we will be calling Ella, who is paid to know what's going on in the community. In our wanderings we stumbled across young Pastor Dave from All Nations Christian Reformed Church. Ella is a part time, paid church member who is their community liaison. We were so thankful he took time out for us, and that this church is trying to make a difference and impact their community and campus'. And, as you can see by the picture, the architecture of this building is beautiful, complete with rounded wood pews inside. They are blessed, indeed!

At the end of a long, tiring day we had fish soup and half a lobster sandwich. Very yummy! We could get used to this fresh fish. We're off to bed now. It's still raining. Very happy that Hotwire randomly picked the Atlantic 4 star hotel last night. The beds here are the best. We shall sleep well, for tomorrow we may be at the Citadel Hotel.

Day 2: Tugboat Tuesday

Today our Russian Roulette landed us at the Atlantica. It was a great score because this hotel is a 4 star with free Starbucks & apples. This means we get breakfast tomorrow! We met the meanest taxi driver in the East getting here, though. He greeted the parking guy like an old friend and didn't speak one word to us the entire trip! Ken had slept so poorly - 4 hours - due to the three hour time change and springy mattress. If I lay on my stomach a spring would gouge my ribs! The time change worked in my favour, though, and I slept 11 hours or so, right up until the maid came into our room! Eek! Ken bolted out of bed to slam the door. LOL!!

So, today we got a lay of the land. We travelled with FRED. It's named for FREE RIDES EVERYWHERE DOWNTOWN. However, it only comes every 45 minutes so we mostly walked all day and finally caught up with FRED. We found out why he is so slow. He's actually a tour bus so we got a 45 minute historical tour around town.

We stopped at the YMCA, who no longer has any services to the less fortunate, as of a couple of years ago, and have lost the pulse of this particular segment of society.

I got to witness to a mentally challenged man at the bus stop who was reading a little budhist book on top of his Bible. I asked what he was reading and said the Bible was the much better book. He wasn't so sure, because he had been helped by some people who gave him that book. I told him that he needed to be careful because it could be confusing to him, and that he should stick to the bigger book underneath - the Bible.

We met a homeless man on our way after supper, with Ken navigating "one block to the bus stop" that turned into "7 blocks." This man let us know where to find a soup kitchen we weren't familiar with, and we gave him 50 cents for his time.

Ken signed a petition to save the view of the harbour from Citadel Hill. For this we got to interview this local man, who said, "I don't feel like I'm promoting our city well by telling you where the homeless live, but I guess it's what you're interested in, so it's okay."

Day 1: Halifax Hotwired

Day 1 was a travel day on our scouting trip to Halifax. After a day of travel, we arrived in Halifax with enough time and energy to find our hotel and soak in the hot tub. In the hot tub, we met a couple from Alberta that told us to head down to the Halifax harbour to catch the tail end of a concert. Well it turned out to be Alexander Keith's 200th Birthday Beer Bash. A couple of locals with dead give-a-way accents gave us their free passes on their way out. We took them just to buy a hot dog as we couldn't find any dinner anywhere. We listened to a couple songs, but the university beer bash crowd was a bit too much to take!

We walked all the way up the huge hill, burning off our hot dog, to stay at the hotel we booked that morning. On the way to the airport, I called the local hostel, but no private accomodations were available. At the last minute I fluked upon a site called Hotwire. This is the Russian Roulette of hotel rentals. Every morning, I check this site and book the cheapest hotel I can. The "catch" to these half price rates is that you don't find out which hotel you stay in until you pay for it. They are all 3 star and higher, and in the vincinity of the downtown area. Day 1 was the Citadel - lumpy beds, dinged up furniture. I booked this and the next days hotel all from my iPhone. Isn't that crazy amazing technology?!

So, what have we gleaned on day one? We read, Nova Scotia Book of Everything on the plane, and it was right on several counts already:

1. There are 173 Tim Horton's in Nova Scotia and that means a "Timmie's" on every corner around here. Some, right across the street from one another!

2a. They also said the people are VERY friendly, and we have already found this to be the case. We stopped to eat on the pier and although they were closing, he spent time finding his lunch menu so we would know the prices for the next day.

b. The two men with the beer passes and green moose antlers were also incredibly friendly, making sure we had directions and specific instructions: "They are closing in 20 minutes, but if you just turn left right there and walk in a straight line for about 3 minutes, you'll can get in and get what you can while you can!"

c. At the hotel we asked our clerk, "Can you tell us where we can find the homeless in Halifax?"

She knew we were on foot, and asked, "Oh, you want to avoid them, right?"

"No, actually, we are looking for skid row!"

Media Release & Public Invitation

Come to Undie Monday at the Good News Chapel Parking Lot tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

2500 pair of underwear will be received.

Meet Brent King himself, as he tours across our great country distributing 25,000 pair of underwear to Canadian Rescue Missions to raise awareness for the poor.

What: Undie Monday
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Where:Corner of Elphinstone & 8th in North Central
Right beside Sacred Heart School

If you want to read about the Underwear King's adventures, check out
his blog: http://underweardrive.blogspot.com/

See you all tomorrow morning at 9:00!

"Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what you've got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot"
-Joni Mitchell

Blog on a Plane

Recipe for Relief:

2 parts WestJet
20 parts marital bliss
3 generous couples
1part tropical island

=a wonderful, all-expense paid trip to Hawai’i for our
20th wedding anniversary!


I’m writing this on the plane, the sun is blaring in my eyes, yet it is 10:00 p.m. my time. When all is said and done, Ken and I will be arriving at our condo past midnight. I had big plans for my arrival - sit on the beach in the dark of night and listen to the waves lap the shore, or maybe take in a rooftop swim in the salt water pool (no chlorine!), or dine down the block with live Hawaiian serenade. Truth be told, sleep may prevail.

But with a month of aloha ahead, I am sure the sleep will do me good.

The year has been a good one with much ado about the Mission. Ken has been busy with the inner city church plant and a full schedule of counselling, teaching and preaching. It’s a different kind of tired when the work is spiritual. In a manner of speaking, you find yourself responsible for people’s souls.

As for me, there have been enough adventures to wear me out a little: developing an executive team, restructuring & growing staff, purchasing and renovating a youth centre and daycare, two Gospel nights, myriads of tv and radio interviews, a fund raising banquet & graduation ceremony, a Paragon award, a Women of Distinction award, two volunteer awards (Yay, Beth!), board reports and meetings, a conference, multiple speaking engagements, some business travel… well, the list goes on. I mean, what does a CEO actually DO?!

I have an awesome team, and many of the things listed I am ultimately responsible for, yet I have great people to take the lead. Still, there is a weariness in the bones that creeps in after 11 months of go go go. And so, as I bask in the sun, streaming through my airplane window, I know that I am ready for this rest.

I’m a person who seems to balance my life in chunks. For the next month, I’m incognito. I become Michelle the wife. I set aside my CEO and missionary hats. It’s just me. And just the person who knows me this way. No masks. No deadlines. No charades. No shenanigans! ;)

Life isn’t always balanced. In fact, it’s virtually impossible to achieve balance these days, at least for those of us who work full time. But rest can come in ways least expected, and isn’t always regimented in the way we wish. For me, a month off every June keeps me coming back for more. It refreshes my soul, nourishes my marriage, and revives me for another year in the service of the King.


In the Service of the King

I am happy in the service of the King.
I am happy, O so happy!
I have peace and joy that nothing else can bring,
In the service of the King.

In the service of the King
Every talent I will bring.
I have peace and joy and blessing
In the service of the King.

I am happy in the service of the King.
I am happy, O so happy!
Through the sunshine and the shadow I can sing,
In the service of the King.

I am happy in the service of the King.
I am happy, O so happy!
All that I possess to Him I gladly bring,
In the service of the King.

Da Jesus Book

Ken found a Bible translation at Borders in "Hawai'ian Pidgin." It's called Da Jesus Book. Apparently a lot of locals purchase this to witness to their friends. I was chatting with some very cute children while shopping for eye glasses the other day.

"Are you Hawai'ian?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you know how to surf?"
"No. It's hard. Do you know how to skate?"

And the conversation continues until I realize he is not talking about ice skating, but skate BOARDING! He's never even seen an ice rink, so he's somewhat impressed.

I left that place wondering why he and his sister had such poor english, but as it turned out, they were speaking their local dialect!

Jesus say, "God wen get so plenny love an aloha fo da peopo inside da world, dat he wen send me, his one an ony Boy, so dat everybody dat trus me no get cut off from God, but get da kine life dat stay to da max foeva. (John Tell Bout Jesus 3:16)

Church on the Beach

Ken attended church on the beach, just outside the Hilton Hawai'ian Village, on Sunday. He said it was Hawaii's version of the Good News Chapel. Except for the hula and lack of air conditioning.

See that tree over there? Yeah, that's pretty much it for shade.

It started with, "Please stand facing the flag and sing with us." First, God Bless America, then Star Spangled Banner, topped with America the Beautiful. It's inbred in Americans to stand and put their hand over their heart during these songs, so onlookers, sunbathers and the like were all standing and singing for church!

Miss Lillie found God at a Hawai'i beach chapel service...

I just wanted to tell you I got saved on Waikiki Beach when the Waikiki Beach Chaplaincy set up church around me and I just wanted to catch some rays. Well it was a time in a my life when the bottom had been pulled out. I went to Hawaii to escape and I found Jesus in 1976. Now my husband and I are serving the Lord full time with this (New Beginnings Home) ministry.

The beach chaplaincy ministry is alive and well. Faithful men and women brave the sweltering heat and have services, whether anyone comes or not! I went to an early morning chapel and no one else attended! I made a donation for an "Aloha Bible" to leave in the condo. I pray it will touch someones life.

Bodies... The Exhibition

WARNING: PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH.

SKINLESS CADAVER PHOTOS--

Ken and I had the chance to go to a limited engagement of BODIES The Exhibition while in Hawai'i. Not for the faint at heart, these plastinated human bodies and parts were fascinating and reminiscent of some kind of CSI episode.

I had a few favourites, such as a complicated and difficult dissection of a man's nerves, running from his brain. All you could see was his head, with the nerves coming out of them. I motioned Ken over and said, "This one's feeling a little nervous!"

He returned the favour:

"I have a split personality!"

"Has anyone seen my skin? I'm feeling a bit of a draft."

"Oh, there it is!"

Another favourite was the speciman where a body was cut up like a cucumber similar to what an MRI scan would observe.

All the bodies were displayed with respect and gave me an amazing education on the human body. Did you even know they have been plasticizing animals and man for years and years? In fact, the 14th Annual Plastination Conference is coming up in Germany next month. We've come a long way since earlier centuries of carving cadavers as quickly as possible in the race against rot.

In 2003 The Human Genome Project was successful in identifying the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA and in determining the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that comprise it. In the same year, Dolly the sheep was cloned and lived 6 years after giving birth to 6 lambs.

Consider this!! What is next in this exciting world the Creator has given us to discover?! While this exhibit left Ken somewhat creeped out, he did make a two word comment in the guest book afterwards:

Intelligent Design

No matter what your view on plastination, the human genome project, cloning and the like, you cannot deny that the more we know, the more evidence we have of a Creator.

Tropical Paradise

This webcam is attached to our beautiful Hawaiian condo. If you keep it on long enough you'll see Ken and I going back and forth to the beach all day long! Aloha!!

To view the page, go to:
http://www.mycampage.com/cheeseburgerlandwaikikibeach

Enjoy!

Dear Staff & Board,

Hello, Pardners!

Rebecca and I are coming to the final leg of our journey. This morning, in about an hour, Becca will be completing City Vision College. Hopefully you can all celebrate that with her at our July All-Staff Reunion. That is kind of an inside joke. We had "District Reunions" this year, and both Becca and I thought it would be snacks and fellowship, but it was rows of chairs and a meeting. Kind of a loss leader, don't you think?! Still, the first-timers got to share, and Rebecca was able to introduce herself. She's met a lot of new people, but of course, as is always the case when I travel with ya'll, the "20-somethings" are quite scarce at convention!

I have been so busy this year! Our board meeting went "overtime" and took the first whole day and evening, (which I had planned and left early for) then one of the free afternoons because we couldn't get finished. I taught a seminar. I had signed Becca and I up to be Rangers, which means you stand guard at the door, Mountie sytle, to make sure people aren't sneakng in who haven't paid for lunch! I was also able to meet a man who is just starting a mission in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and hooked him up with Gary in Expansion, and even had the priviledge of paying so he could complete the conference! I tell you, not to receive acolades, but because, really, the Mission paid, so all of us together are growing our mission family!

We have had a couple of VERY hysterical moments, such as when Rebecca displayed her super-strength powers and managed to open an elevator door with her bare hands, after it had already closed. Yes, folks, this, right before our very eyes! The secret of Super-Becca is out! Bill Butterworth is an asolute HOOT, to the point where I want to buy the CD and let you all listen to it. We nearly peed our pants, people! (Can I say pee here?) And last night was the night of corny humour and cowboy (complete with banjo & harmonica) music when the English Brothers treated us to a night of entertainment. If you want to hear their sound click the link and a little ditty will play. My FAVOURITE kind of music! One of them used to be with the Flying W Ranch, which Ken and I went to during the Dallas Convention, where I graduated from Rescue College.

And that leads us back to Becca. I wanted to let you know we are buying her the following gifts, which I will present to her this morning at the grad: a plaque that has a grad prayer on it and a picture of architecture of some sort, framed in black; a black leather-like grad promie book, complete with tassle; a RESCUE mug (this is kind of a joke because she won a case of these but I comandeered them for our fund raising department! Plus, of course, the trip out here to Dallas!

It would seem I have time for one more cup of joe, so off I go and I`ll see ya`ll real soon!

In Christ,
Michelle
xoxo

Dallas hosts national homeless meeting

By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News

Less than a week after Dallas opened a new homeless center, hundreds of leaders from shelters nationwide will meet in the city to discuss the latest ideas for helping people leave the streets.

More than 600 people are expected to attend the 95th annual Association of Gospel Rescue Missions convention at the Hilton Anatole. Meetings get under way this morning.

One of the group's goals is to move beyond the image of charities that simply provide a bed and a meal, said Bill Thompson, executive director of the Union Gospel Mission in Dallas.

The Dallas mission, for example, plans more outreach and to provide housing and extensive job training, he said. The charity is raising money for 30 single-room apartments for the homeless near the city's new downtown homeless center, The Bridge, which opened Tuesday.

Projects like the Union Gospel Mission's apartments are exactly what's needed to make The Bridge a success, said Mike Rawlings, Dallas' homeless czar.

"Now that we were able to build The Bridge, they [charities such as Union Gospel Mission] are evolving and looking at other ways to fill the need," he said. "People are realizing that's the right answer, that a lack of affordable housing is such a big issue in Dallas now – that's where we've got to focus our attention."

The Dallas mission also is working on a program of vocational training in carpentry, masonry, floor and wall covering, and auto mechanics, Mr. Thompson said.

"We realize how undersupplied a lot of the building trades are, and what would be better than to have schools that produce people able to compete for those jobs or even start their own small businesses?" Mr. Thompson said.

Phil Rydman, spokesman for the Kansas City, Mo.-based Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, said the shelters need to adapt to an increase in the number of intact families – mom, dad and children – seeking help.

"That's a big change for us," he said. "Certainly not all our missions are able to serve entire families."

More apartment-style homes are needed so women and children don't have to be in a separate dorm from the fathers, he said.

For more information about the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions conference, go to: www.agrm.org.

Wedding Bells

Ken and I had a great long weekend in Calgary, where he officiated at my brother's wedding. He and Tina have already been together for a long time, and have a beautiful daughter, Jacquie.

We got to stay with my oldest little brother, Richard, and his family, getting to know little Lexie, as we hadn't seen her since her "bobblehead" days!










My Aunties from New York and Edmonton, my cousins and their new baby, and my Grandma from Saskatoon were all there, so it really was a very nice little reunion. Rich had a huge steak BBQ at his place the next day, and we had a great time catching up and eating Suzie's amazing dinner. That night, once everyone was gone, the four of us had a WII bowling tournament, where Sue and I rocked!

I'm home now on the "flip flop," as Sherry Mebs says, and heading off to Dallas next week, where you'll likely hear from me again!

Presidential Treatment

So, Candace, President and CEO of Open Door Mission in Omaha, pesonally took us to this wonderful restaurant for lunch. Earlier, we had a tour of the ministry personally given by Karen Applegate. (I threw in the last name because... well, isn't it a great last name!)

We are in Omaha for a District Meeting. I'm up for President, so we'll have to see what happens. Imagine, a Canuck in charge.

Learned some great stuff today about raising funds on a shoestring budget (Karen APPLEGATE) and Beginning a Major Gift Program, by one of my mentors, Del Maxfield.

Sent back some liquor laced tiramisu at lunch but enjoyed the supper spread with Christian tiramisu for supper. Can you believe a RESCUE MISSION has a real chef and cooked authentic Italiano tonight? Way to go, Brian!

The weather is really warm. I think it's 20-something. And not a trace of snow. So far so good.