it's.... CHRISTMAS!

I love these people...

even though you can't see all of us... we're awesome.

Carlye hates it when...

people use their ear/eye medication in public..

EW!

Best Kettle Shift Ever

Nothing for the rest of the kettle season can beat my last kettle shift, and I really would like to see something that could, because I think it would be amazing.
ANYWAYS....
The night started out relatively normal, I forgot my bells so standing there became boring really really fast. All of the sudden, I hear a band.. and I look down the street and a Salvation Army band is standing down the street with a kettle... my first reaction was (what the junk? they're stealing my thunder!) So, being the curious person I am, I pick up my kettle and head down to the band to see whats going on... Once I get there I realized its the CTV tv station and the Harbourlight mens choir is singing on the news. I saw all the guys and they all told me that they were worried about me standing there all alone. I dont mind it (but's its good to know someone actually cares). I hung out with them for a little bit because there was no way I was going to make any money at my kettle if there was a band 10 metres away from me... I eventually wandered back to my kettle and about 4 of the band members came out to my kettle and played for me for about 15 minutes! it was awesome! THEN Darrin and a couple other people came out to my kettle and talked to me for a while and Darrin bought me a coffee (hot coffee = awesome on a kettle shift) My night ended with about 20 guys singing christmas carols around my kettle. Completely hilarious and I loved every second of it.

Foreign Silence

Sally and I were in New West the other day for a band concert we were volunteering at, and we were waiting at the bus stop to go home, and we looked at the streets, and they were empty, and everything was quiet. We started getting really weirded out, because a quiet street has become something totally foreign to us. Then a guy walked down the street and we started getting really uncomfortable because there was no one around, and Sally mentioned that she was scared. It was funny to think about, how we're scared of an empty street in New West more than we're scared about walking down Hastings.

something to think about...

(p.s - the guy turned out to be a 15 year old who was probably scared of us...)

Nanaimo

I had a really interesting day yesterday, seeing people in treatment that I really doubted (HALLELUJAH!) Had a kettle shift at HMV which went by really fast. I was listening to the comedy of Mitch Hedberg, and it was really funny when I would laugh at it and people would walk by thinking I was laughing at them...So kettling every day has finally kicked off, and it's not that bad...yet. Right now I'm just content with whats going on, but ask me again in a month and you'll get my real opinion.
Lately I've started to feel homesick, and that doesn't really happen very easy for me, but it's just starting to set in. I miss my brothers, and my mom and my dad...I just miss Nanaimo, which is weird to think about because before I left I couldn't wait to get out of that place. and I was thinking about it, and I think I really just miss being comfortable, being at home and being comfortable with where I am, (not that I'm not here, just more so at home...) Im excited to be home for 2 weeks at christmas, that will either help me... or really make me miss home more... We'll see what happens. Im just counting down the days until I get to have a break from this place and finally hug my mom, and go to terminal park mcdonalds, and go to woodgrove mall and eat poutine from pirate chips and go to my CORPS! I'm just so excited to go home!

20 days!

He Is The Redeemer!

Hallelujah!

Today I was waiting in the harbourlight line for my lunch and a guy wearing a Santa hat walked (key word, I'll explain later) past me. I knew I recognized him, but I couldn't place where I knew him from. I suddenly remembered who he was and I couldn't breathe. I had met him previously while we were doing an open air in pigeon park and he was drunk out of his mind in a wheelchair. He sang with us the whole time, and I remember him asking us to sing amazing grace over and over again, and here he was in front of me, completely sober and WALKING around... I was completely flabbergasted and I couldn't believe my eyes. PRAISE THE LORD! Answered prayer is so sweet. After I saw him I went back to my house and opened up my prayer journal and found about 2 or 3 pages of prayers for this guy. Right now I'm just overcome with happiness that he's found sobriety. He didn't remember who I was when I talked to him today, but he thanked me for whatever it was that I did. Give glory to God!

Praise The Lord!