Pitbulls and Preschoolers

These are just a couple of shots of Kael at Boys Road. He seems to attract the resident pit bulls and pit bull crosses. Thanks to Koos and Delaena's guitar teacher, Conor for the shot of Harlem, the red pit bull at the bottom of this post. I stole it off his Facebook page. Conor named the picture, "Lion and the Lamb". Kael's response was, "I'm the lion, right?" Conor has recently added a fun new dimension to Boys Road by bringing his guitar down there for "Live Music"- as Brooke drew in sidewalk chalk in front of him today. He is super patient and lets Delaena and any other kids who want to; sing and play along with him. We've loved it!

Harlem has been a regular at Boys Road since New Life started going down there. He is single-pawdly responsible for us keeping really good track of all the basketballs, footballs, any kind of toy balls at all - while we are playing at the park. If there is a ball left unsupervised on Boys Road, Harlem will make short work of it. No kidding, it has become something of a well executed Boys Road strategic drill now. Someone will see him sauntering down the road and the cry goes out. "HARLEM'S COMING!!" All activity ceases and everyone scrambles to find any loose balls laying around and get them to the trailer. If we are unsuccessful, there will be a group groan of defeat, "Ahhh, Harlem." But with the defeat, there are always a few giggles. Score one for Harlem. Some days he can be distracted by a well thrown tennis ball or cookie, but most days, the poor, unfortunate ball gets demolished. We used to tie him to the fence with a skipping rope, but then he figured out how to snap those, so we went for the heavy duty chain. Today was a good day, he had a collar on. Usually we just have to wrap the chain right around that big 'ol neck of his.

The black pit bull cross interrupting Kael during his attempt to lead worship songs, is Roscoe. Roscoe was a recent addition to the fun at Boys Road, but unfortunately Harlem decided Kidzone was his and we had an exciting afternoon of dog fights at the park a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, Troy, one of the dads who lives close to the park, got them apart before Roscoe got too badly hurt. Roscoe didn't give up easily though, Boys Road is some serious fun, and he wanted in on it. Harlem chased him off and Roscoe came back for three rounds before he finally gave up. We only see Roscoe sitting and watching from the street now.

Oats has had all her shots, so she's been out of the truck at Boys Road a couple of times. All the really little kids who live in the area love walking her around. They can't believe a dog exists that they can't actually ride on. It is fun to be the 'big human' and the one in charge of the beast. Oats could easily be a squeaky toy for Harlem. I have an image forever burned in my memory. The first day Oats was out of the truck and the call went out "HARLEM'S COMING!" Everyone scrambles for the balls and I think at the same instant, our good friend Mark and I thought of Oats. I was too far away and Harlem had seen her but Mark was racing at mach speed across the asphalt, towards Oats and whomever was walking her. Like something out of superhero movie, Mark dashed between the dogs, swooped Oats off the ground and safely into his arms. He was so fast that neither child nor chug had the chance to figure out what was going on. He introduced Oats to Harlem from that vantage point and all was well. It was awesome.

Every time Harlem strolls over to hang out at Kidzone, or Roscoe watches from afar or Oats gets drug around the playground, I can't help but think of the Psalm: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (150:6)

There was a lot to praise the Lord about today on Boys Road. A little girl who has a few times just sobbed inexplicably and uncontrollably was laughing hysterically on a swing. An elder who used to hate the church can't wait until next Sunday to go back. A four year old learned how to skip. Dino got so cozy comfy on Mackensey's knee he just fell asleep. Calahn kept 'accidentally' getting burrs the size of grapes stuck to her jacket. A little boy who used to eat as much as he possibly could while we were there, in case he didn't get any more for a while, wanted to share his last carrot with Brooke.

As we were packing up today, the gentle drizzle stopped and the sun shone for a brief moment as if the Creator just couldn't contain a smile.

It felt deep in my spirit, like our world and the Kingdom of Heaven collided today and the Kingdom reigned supreme. Darkness didn't stand a chance. It was like it should be, where the lion will lay down with the lamb and the preschooler can praise with the pitbulls.

And I just found some of those other moments captured by Pastor Shane!

This is just a quick update for those of you who like to know what's going on. The picture of the kids is them with their new sock monkeys. We have an incredible friend in Hay River who makes one of these little guys every day. She's been doing it all year! You can check out her blog if you don't believe me: Sock Monkey A Day. She sent us a huge box of the little beasties to hand out on Boys Road. Of course, we all had to make our own selections first!

On October 20th, Rick and Deanna Bergen hopped a ferry to come visit us on the Island and meet with the New Life missions board. One of the conclusions was that we will stay in Duncan until at least the fall of 2013. The main reason for this is that there have been / will be a couple of other families move down there recently / before us and it would be best for them to get settled before we show up too. And that usually takes a couple of years. We are actually quite excited to be able to settle down in Duncan. It really is a beautiful place. The only thing I am a little sad about (and I am the only one) is having to endure some more Canadian winters. I am really anticipating shorts and flip flops all year round! Caitlind put me in my place this morning when I was whining about the 'cold' and said, "Minus 5 or minus 35??" Okay, minus 5 it is.

Speaking of Caitlind. We got a crazy gift yesterday. She has been having a difficult time with French 30 to say the least. And we are coming down to the crunch on having to get it in. So yesterday we sat down (for some unknown reason) to look over her transcript, discuss requirements, etc and realized, that somehow, we overshot on the number of credits we had her doing and she doesn't even need French to graduate!!!! It was like the angels were singing in heaven. So then we were trying to arrange for her to write her departmentals for her other two courses. It is a mountain of paperwork and a lot of inconvenience to write them here because she is taking the courses through Alberta Distance Learning and we live in BC. Again, out of the blue, she says, "Do you think I could just fly back to Hay River and write them with this year's grade 12s?" "I don't know, phone and find out." The guidance counsellor at the school up there says, "I am just submitting the applications right now, the deadline is in 10 minutes." Unbelievable!! So in a matter of half an hour yesterday, we discovered that she is only two exams away from graduating, and avoided all the rigamarole we thought we were going to have to deal with to get those exams done. So, all that to say, she has no more assignments, work to hand in, questions to answer, etc. Some studying and a couple of exams and the long road to grad is DONE!!!

Since we've decided to stay in Duncan until 2013, we would like to buy a house again. There is currently one for sale right across the street from the kids' school. I would really like to get that one! We have to sell this one to get the down payment for that one and unfortunately what we have to sell it for is higher than what the market has it valued at right now. It is definitely going to have to be another God thing if it is going to work out.

Koos has been approached by Ekati to work up there again. He has gone for a few interviews around here, but the pay just doesn't quite cover a family of 6, or I guess 7, until we can get Caitlind settled with a job and her own place. If nothing comes up around here by the 27th, he will apply to Ekati.

I have been doing a bit of 'EA'ing at the school. That has been fun! I am officially on the Education Assistants on Call list now! Haven't had a title like that since before Brooke was born!

And that is about it. Sandy's cancer is a treatable one, so she is currently undergoing all her chemo. Her daughter has started a new blog about her journey: Cancer Wars.

Take care everyone. You know, we would love to hear how all of you are doing too! This is my email if you ever want to drop us a line: reintjes1991@live.ca.

So, we've known for seven days or so now and just today, have stepped out of the 'denial' stage.

In November 2009, Dan and Sandy Thiessen braved the North to visit us and bless our small Oasis Fellowship for a few days. Sandy kept the kids occupied while Dan took Koos and I apart piece by piece and read us both like books. She taught us 'Pairs', made tie dye t-shirts and introduced us to the world of Webkinz.

After Dan did a number on us, in the most loving way of course, Sandy encouraged us and built us up. She read us too, but didn't mess with our heads as bad as Dan did. Kind of like the 'bad cop', 'good cop' couple of Christian counselling. Then they took time out of their lives to talk with quite a few friends of ours from Hay River and pray for and encourage them too.

So, then we moved to Duncan. Dan kept calling us and making our lives miserable, in the most loving way of course, and then we'd get encouraging, cheerful, uplifting emails or blog comments from Sandy. Then, they decided to hop the ferry and come for a visit. Just to check out the Island and see how we were making out and settling in. That time, Sandy taught us Dutch Blitz and a dice game.

Just this past September, only 39 days ago to be exact, we hung out with Dan and Sandy and some of the Xingu Mission / Xtreme Mercy crew in Abbotsford. The kids got to add some more tie dye t-shirts to their collections, I can see the bird houses Sandy gave them to make outside my window right now as I am typing this and she fed us freezies and puffed wheat squares. And just generally, she made us feel good about ourselves. That's what she does.

And then we got an email. A short email, but one that kind of stopped our world. But we couldn't stop. We had a 'holiday' to go on. I was celebrating a new life and had to work hard to shove the possibility of the end of one of my favorite ones to the back of my mind. We had a fantastic visit with my brother and my sister in law and my nephews, but there was a cloud looming just over the horizon.

Now we are home and the storm has hit full force. This is real. My first question is this: How can you hang out with someone a grand total of three times and feel like you've known them your whole life? No answer, but it happened. Second question, How can someone influence your ten year old so quickly that a comment like this comes out of her; 'I love being around Dan and Sandy, it is like having Grandparents who are Christians like us!'? No answer for that one either, but it happened too.

How did we go from puffed wheat squares to chemo in 39 days, exactly? Can someone play that over again please? I missed something somewhere.

So, denial has passed and anger has arrived. And that's about all I can blog because any more would be just a big long string of inappropriate words. Like the giraffe in the quicksand.

Some of you would have met Dan and Sandy in Hay River and you know what I am talking about. Here is the link to their daughter's blog to keep you updated: Foment of the Moment. Jen Snell has some updates too: Snells in the Amazon. She seems a little more calm and in a reasonable state of mind than I am right now, so for the facts, go to those blogs. For a rant, read this one again.

About one thing, there is no question, we love Dan and Sandy. They have had a big effect on our lives in a small space of time. That is for sure and for real. The rest of this **** would best be only a short, ridiculous nightmare.

An Ice Cream Scoop Then Facebook

It is a day for nostalgia. This morning on the way to church, Caitlind pointed out that it is the one year anniversary of our leaving Hay River. That caught me by surprise. A year, already?? Can't be, but it is.

We got in the truck and were all kind of wimping and whining about how 'chilly' it was this morning. The truck was telling us it was +18C. We have been wussified. Hay River would have probably been glad to see +8C today. I will admit, I don't miss Hay River much at all. The cold and wind and I never really did get along. But man, today, it struck me hard how much I miss the PEOPLE.

I guess if I am honest, I would tell you that probably until today, I have been kind of numb to that fact. We started this crazy adventure, and missing people is just a given. But today, a year later, I am not so numb. I guess the +18C has thawed me out. I miss my friends.

But I am glad to be doing this thing in the age of phones and Facebook. It takes a bit of the edge off I guess.

About nine years ago, a bouncy little girl came to our door in Hay River to deliver an 'ice cream scoop' that Koos had bought from her for a school fundraiser. She must have chatted at the door with me for twenty minutes in -25C before I realized she wasn't going anywhere and invited her in. That was pretty much all it took. She became a fixture at our house. She would show up at my craziest moments and take the kids outside or sit with them while they bathed so I could have a breather. She was my 'rescue hero'. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through some of Koos' shifts without her. And she was our babysitter. She handled pretty much everything our kids threw at her. She was more like a big sister than a sitter by the time we left. She encouraged me, even though she probably didn't even realize she was doing it. And then we left, and we all miss her. She's not a bouncy little girl any more, she's actually quite a stunning young lady now, and she managed to encourage me again. With a simple little message on Facebook. I was beginning to question God, feel sorry for myself. Why did He make us leave our friends, and in some cases, people who were more like family than friends? Then He used Kelsey to remind me that I should be seeing it as a blessing. We are in this age, where we can still encourage and cheer each other on, even if there are many, many miles between us. So those friends we left behind can still be a part of our lives.
A couple of days ago, we had a meeting with some people at New Life. And it made us realize that already, here in Duncan, we have the beginnings of a new family. God blessed us mightily with not only an amazing church, but a phenomenal school family in DCS. So quick, just like that, in a year. He knew there would be big holes in our hearts, leaving the people we love behind, and while the new people He has given us here will never replace the ones we had to leave, their care and concern for us will help ease the ache.

In fact, if I get really corny about the whole thing. It looks like our hearts are going to have to get a whole lot bigger. To hold all the people He seems to be blessing us with.

We were looking through old Hay River pictures for a school project and that brought back even more memories. And then the day ended with a phone call with my best Hay River friend. And now, I will admit, I am crying. I really miss them, Tara and her boys and Kelly. And Bonnie and Randy and Colinda and Vee and Kierra and Mackenzie and Kellan and William and on and on and on.

So, I will be sad, and then I will be glad. That I live in this age. That He takes away, but that He also gives. I will be thankful for that ice cream scoop, which I still have, and all that it represents. But I will look forward too, and let my heart get bigger.

Investment Vs. Return

Hi it is Koos here, Aubrey has done all of our blogging since we started this blog and she has done a great job, but just the other day I felt I have to put a entry in so here it goes.

I am going to start this entry with a question for you all.

How many of you have done some sort of investment?

Weather it was something like Brex ( I got into that one and came up short), or some type of investment where you are looking for a return that you can cash in on and feel good about what you put into it at the beginning? Well in today's society we are all looking for that type of investment and we can miss the investments that really pay off in the end. What I am talking about is the investment in each other weather it is some thing small like a word of encouragement or investing time in someone. We all have the ability to make wise investments we just don't always make the correct ones. I am going to tell you about a investment that our family just made and it was well worth it and we know that it will pay off ten fold. We know this great Christian based rehab program that helps people over come their addictions and the program has God in the whole program.

It is called .http://www.teenchallenge.ca/ we have made relationships with the men that attend this program as they are located just outside of Duncan a ways. The men that attend Teen Challenge can range from 18 to 80, what ever you age and what ever your addiction they are welcome there and are being helped by fellow graduates from the program and they have God on their side every step of the way. It is a great ministry and we enjoy being able to build up relationships with the guys that are here at the Vancouver Island site.

Anyway here is our investment, some basic food supplies to make supper and some card games and the Wii and Super Nintendo and vast supply of glow sticks from the dollar store. You ad all of these basic things up and you get a investment that is light years beyond any money investment that we could do. Our family went out to the Teen Challenge property and made supper for the guys, it was simply chilli and caesar salad and bread and mashed potatoes. And to top it all off ice cream sundays. This simple supper was just what the man up stairs ordered. The guys came back from a hard days work of picking weeds at a blue berry farm and sat down and we all enjoyed a meal together. It was great to see them so happy to have some company over supper and they all just kept saying " Thank you for this treat". To us it was just a supper, nothing fancy, just supper but it was what they needed. So we finish supper and help with the dishes, which Delaena was happy to help with as they have a super industrial dish pit with stainless steel counters and a big hose that rinses the dishes off and a dish washer that takes about 30 seconds to wash the dishes. She was in her element and she told me that if we had a dishwasher like this as home she would do dishes for the rest of her life.

Then after supper and dishes we all go the the man cave and set up the video games and some people play and some people watch and some people are playing cards. It was a hour or so of complete fun. Then to finish the whole great night off Mark one of the leaders out at Teen Challenge says " Ok guys lets go outside and start a camp fire and run around in the dark with the glow sticks" well every one goes WILD. we all get ready and get out side and have some more fun for about another 45 min or so. Some people were running in the tree's chasing each other and some were hitting glow balls up in the air and some were sitting by the fire and watching all the fun going on. It was a beautiful night and we all had a great time. Then we all sit by the fire and Mark says " Well we should pray and be thankful for the great night" so we all came together and prayed and it was great to be part of that great way to close off the night.

Well here in one of the great things about investing and not worry about the Return. During the night we here two of the guys say some things that made our investment come true. One guy said some thing alone this " This was a great night and it was great to laugh and hear everyone laugh as we have not had laughter around here in a couple of weeks." Then Aubrey said to one of the guys, " we are probably keeping you guys up late as you worked all day". He replied " I am very happy where I am right now and am enjoying this night, I am very happy with the way it has turned out". Well there was the Return right there. All we had to do was show up and hang out with a bunch of guys and make a simple supper and invest some time with them and they paid us out double of what we put into it. All they did was say a simple thank you and our family was blessed back.

So how may times do we miss times like this?

How many opportunities are we going to have to do some thing like this?

We all have the ability to do this for someone we just have to take the risk of investing our time and love for others and our return will be more than we can imagine.

Are you willing to invest in something?

God is on your side, just make your move........

Just General Hysteria

Okay, so things are a little rough around here right now. We as a family have two choices when hit by stress and diversity. Roll up into a ball and cry; or laugh. So, we have chosen to laugh. As part of our journey toward serving in Brazil, I have had to come face to face with my worst enemy. My body. Long story short, it is a wreck. But God has promised that if I trust in Him and persevere, I will have victory. So the battle has begun and so far I am getting my rear end kicked. Badly.

I went for a walk yesterday and basically forgot where I had told Koos I was going and got lost, but came across a 'stairmaster' sitting on someone's lawn with a 'free' sign hanging on it. So, hoping that meant 'free', I hustled home to get Koos to load it in the truck. He agreed that it really was free and that it worked, so he brought it home and put it in the back yard. Anyway, I am still suffering immensely in my attempt to conquer this mountain, so my children and Caitlind decided to inspire me. So I laughed, and laughed and laughed and now my ribs hurt too, but that is okay. It will all be....okay.

Proverbs 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

A Very Special Family

Let me introduce you to a very special family that we get to hang out with most Sundays on Boys Road. They are Antoinette, John, Dante, Charlize, Bronson and Piper-rane and a new little brother or sister in December. Lillian and Glenn were at the river swimming when we took this picture, but I found some other ones I had of them. This brave family has made a decision that the enemy of our souls is not pleased with. They have made the choice to hang out with people who believe in and follow and speak about Jesus. So they need us to pray for them. I asked them if I could blog about their family and put their pictures up because that way they could be sure that people from Alberta, the Northwest Territories, British Columbia and perhaps even the United States and Brazil would be praying for them. They need peace in their household, they need a complicated situation with one of their children resolved and mostly they need to know first hand how much the Creator loves them and how valuable they are in His kingdom and His plans for Boys Road and the Cowichan valley. The Kidzone van sets up literally right on their doorstep every week, so they are on the front lines and they need the support of other believers all over the world in this battle.

So, I am asking all of you who read this to please join us in praying for this family. I would love it if any of you who are praying for them and get any encouraging words or thoughts to share will let me know. I will be sure to pass your messages along.

Acts 4:24 - When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God, O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them...