Learning to be a Blessing

Ich bin...
[Tana]. Child of God. Teacher. Youth leader. Music-minded. Blessed.
Ich liebe...
[Jesus]. My Family. My Church. P & W. Mission Trips. Music. Prayer. Traveling. Writing. Drama. Sunshine. Languages. Photography. Badminton. Nature. Snail Mail. Fruit. Green. Simplicity. Listening.

23 July 2007
just came back from two and a half days of camping at Crimson Lake with b & s from my small group (Ma's, Siu's, Huang's, Wong's and Lesley ^_^), and feeling quite refreshed despite not deep slumber both nights.

HIGHLIGHTS
Day 1 (Thursday, July 19)
  • seemed next to impossible for us to load everything into William's truck, but after some "Tetris-like" strategizing, we managed to fit all boxes, coolers, bags and people
  • Yoyo to Daphne in the car, "Why are you looking at your toes and smiling?"
  • setting up tents for all three campsites - though it was our first time, not as hard as we thought it'd be (simply a matter of sorting out which poles and clips went where)
  • 5 star luxury in a tent - Yo's collapsible bed & shelf
  • locating the water tap, washroom and paid showers
  • successful first attempt at hot pot in the wild
  • walking back and forth fr the tap w/ Sharon to wash vegetables
  • several of us trying to chop firewood bought @ $5 a bundle
  • singing praise songs as we watched the sun go down and the kids catch leeches on Crimson Lake beach
  • eating "radioactive" purple yams & talking about significant "God experiences" by the fire despite smoke flying everywhere
  • first night in tent w/ Sharon, Daph and Yo

    Day 2 (Friday, July 20)
  • very abundant breakfast, including 奶茶 and pancakes made by the girls
  • short yet meaningful group singspiration and devotion time...and a deer walking closer and closer to graze
  • at the beach again - walking on wet sand with the lake water lapping my feet, looking for rocks, holding Alister's hand and taking him to deeper water, Fion and me somewhat unsuccessfully trying to paddle the inflatable boat (along with Yo and Daph), building in the sand with 妹妹猪 (Zoe), lying in the sun and drying off
  • the Wilderness Trails petting zoo: baby zebra, Yo and I feeding the rebellious goat who would not stay penned up, "Zony" (pony + zebra cross), turkey with oversized gizzard
  • another hot pot & BBQ dinner, this time joined by our new arrivals (Stephen's family, Lillian, Daphine's boss & family - Wing, Aileen, Amantha and Alvin)
  • Sharon, Lesley and I rushing through dinner & dish washing, then catching the last of the sunset at Crimson Lake beach
  • helping Stephen & Daphine find the spare tire for their van & changing the tire, then inflating the air mattress
  • sitting further away from the fire this time & eating watermelon
  • going to the showers in shifts (carloads) to wash up
  • joined in the tent now by Lesley

    Day 3 (Saturday, July 21)
  • waking up to the sound of the sound of the campfire crackling
  • another delicious breakfast/brunch, enriched by the hot pot leftovers and Johan's pancake making
  • again a short but wonderful devotion time
  • cleanikng up the campsite
  • first time EVER horseback riding at Wilderness Trails with Fion, William, Samantha, Lesley, Daph and Yo - one hour on guided trails, horse named Timber
  • late lunch with everyone
  • heading back to Edmonton in the Ma's car with Lesley
  • semi-dinner (yes, eating AGAIN) at Good Buddy with the Ma's and Siu's after arriving in Edmonton...

    ...thus ending our trip!

  • posted by simplejoys @ 02:24 |
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