Preparation Month

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Right now I'm in the middle of the preparation month. I met the group and they're great people that I can't wait to go to Ghana with. There are five of us--me, Elisha, Amy, Katrina, and Sarah.

The first week we spent near Guelph doing intense workshops, getting to know each other--and ourselves, and learning a bit more about the journey that lies ahead. Our co-ordinator had these sort of inspirational, tarot-like cards. You pick one or more to read and they can give you hope, inspiration, or just put a smile on your face for the day. I know I might be making these cards sound cheesy, but one day I picked three and they were eerily very relevant to my life at the moment. One card told me to unleash my "inner vision" and imagination for everyone to see, and at the time it was something I was working on because we were all getting to know each other. The next said: "Clusters of angels/All along your path/Wherever you go/There are clusters of angels on a mission/These angels surround your soul/Wherever you go/Whatever happens" It reminded me of all of you that have been supporting me through this part of my life. It was hard to leave home at first, I was stressed out, I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and I was scared because I was doing it alone. But now I know that I had nothing to worry about, and I want you to know that I'm very grateful that I can call you my friends. The last card was the one I didn't understand the relevance, so I thought I'd share with all of you, since most of you are going back into your hectic schedules of school, work, or whatever: "Measure time by mugs of tea//Our lives are filled with gorgeous moments. The smell of clothes dried in the sun is one of those. Relax, and let moments like these seep into your soul."

The next week we went to Kitchener to work in a soup kitchen, and it was really fun. You should see the amounts of desserts they get! I had to hold myself back.

This past week was spent at Algonquin Park on a canoe trip. The canoe trip--FROM HELL! The first day was absolutely beautiful--the sun was shining, the weather was perfect. We got to our campsite in great time, and then we got charged by a moose. A family of moose--mother, father, child--decided to eat near our campsite. They saw us, and started to get a little protective. They stamped their hoofs (hooves?), snorted, and came closer and closer, pushing us closer and closer to the water. We had no choice but to get into the FREEZING COLD water and swim to another campsite. Luckily, soon after we got in the water and realized that we couldn't swim in the state of panic some of were in, some lovely boys showed up and helped us. They chased the 900 pound beasts away and got us back to our campsite. We were cold, wet, hungry, and couldn't sleep that night, which was great for our 2.3 km portage the very next day. Most of the rest of the trip was cloudy and rainy, and cold! Things started to look up as our flashlights went out and our stove broke. We were living off of peanut butter, pitas, and trail mix. Our lives were saved yet again when two beautiful angels--Catherine & Bill, and their dog Sophie--invited us on their campsite and fed us a hot meal. All in all, we made it back alive and had tons of fun. As low as our lows we at times, we had a great experience and if we can survive moose, we can survive Ghana!
It was my first real camping/canoeing experience, and now I love it! So, if you're planning on going on a canoe trip, invite me!

I'll be back in Ottawa from September 26 to 30, so if you want to see me before I leave, then is your chance.

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