Sharing Her Heart

Lately, I have not been able to write up a good post for you to read. It's not for lack of things to say, more so, it's choosing the right words. You see, I have this little problem of not thinking before I speak (or type sometimes) and I have gotten myself into trouble. I have said things that others have found offensive without intending to offend anyone. I have good intentions and it sounds really good in my head, but it comes out all wrong. So, I'm going through a time of learning right now. Learning how to speak, and most importantly, how to listen. I need to start listening to people more, and It's a hard thing to learn when you've always been the first one to speak. I have always been so quick to tell others what I'm feeling or thinking, that I haven't taken the time to show them my love, by listening. I have also been praying lately for a 'heart change'. Just like the outside of my body got a makeover, my heart needs one too. There is al

For my birthday gift, my 2 great sisters took me out and made me over from head to toe! It was a really wonderful gift and a great experience so I thought I'd share my day with you. 6:15 am - Alarm goes off (not that I was sleeping anyway) and I get up and get ready. 7:00 am - Sister T comes to pick me up. We stop at the gas station for gas and then go to Mc Donald's for a coffee & muffin. Then it's off to Winnipeg to pick up sister A! 8:00 am - Arrive at sister A's house. We are very early. We go inside and finish our coffee's while we wait for her to finish getting ready.   My before picture 8:45 am - Off to the Hair Salon! 8:54 am - Arrive at Hair Salon. Go inside. Male assistant takes me in to "get me ready for my color".  He leads me to a dressing/bathroom and asks me to change into a cape (this is done to protect my clothing from any color getting on it). He gets me a coffee and seats me in the color chair. Stylist a

Some of you may be wondering where I have been lately. There have been a few things keeping me busy, one of which was my birthday. We have also had some amazing fall weather, which has kept us outside a lot more as well. A week ago today, I turned the big 3.0.  At the beginning of the year, I was not looking forward to my birthday but then my aunt gave me a different perspective, and after that I was REALLY looking forward to it! I was also looking forward to Saturday, because I was getting a makeover! My sisters took me out and totally made me over as a birthday gift to me. Man, am I glad they did. With me being a stay-at-home mom, I really didn’t do much with my appearance. I just didn’t see the need, but now I see what was missing. I will share more about my girls day out, once I have the before and after pictures to show you. God also has been teaching me, so I’ve taken this week to continue to get to know Him better and learn what He wants to teach me. On a different note, Sun

Test everything. These 2 words have played over and over in my mind lately. I knew that there is a verse that says this, but I didn’t remember where to find it, so last night I asked my husband. He, for some reason can find everything for me. He found it in 1Thessalonians 5:21 “Test everything. Hold on to the good.” What exactly does that mean? What I have found lately, is that this applies to ALL things in All areas. Especially those concerning Christianity and the Truth. These days, you can’t just walk into a church and assume that what you hear the pastor say is true. To do that can be very dangerous.  What I understand from this verse is that we are supposed to test everything against the Word of God and hold on to the Truth only. Take your Bible to church with you, check what the pastor is speaking against the Word. We need to make sure that what we are being taught is God’s truth. Everything that your church practices and teaches should be in your Bible. I’m so very thankful f

I am currently studying the book “Lord, I want to know you” By Kay Arthur with 2 of my friends. This morning as I was studying it, a passage really struck me and I want to share it with you. “…you have been created for His glory, for His pleasure. Your life is to be lived in such a way as to reflect Him , to show the world the character of God- His love, His peace, His mercy, His gentleness. You are to live for Him , to accomplish His will. To miss this purpose is to miss fulfillment. It is to have existed rather than to have lived.” Did you notice that the words “me” and “you” are not in that passage? It’s not about us, it never was. It always has and always will be, about Him. Something that our world today has forgotten. We are only here because of Him. We were created for His glory (Isaiah 43:1,3-4,7). I hope that passage affects you as strongly as it does me. Have you studied this book before? How did it affect you?   *Andrea*

Well, today I want to give my basement a big clean-up so I don’t have time to write you a long post. I do, however, want to share with you a website that I came across recently. I was looking for women’s devotions for my ladies coffee time on Wednesday mornings. So, like most of us, I just googled it and I found this site called “Girlfriends In God.” What a great site! These 3 women have so many wonderful devotions that speak directly to us women. I really think you should check it out. www.girlfriendsingod.com   If you do check it out, I would love to know what you think! *Andrea*

Lately, I have taken on a few more ‘jobs’ than I’m used to. On top of being a wife, mom, hairdresser, childcare provider, and all the tasks that come with, I also co-teach Sunday school and now I also co-ordinate “Ladies Coffee Time” on Wednesday mornings at my Church. I LOVE everything that I do. I’m so thankful that I am able to do it. I love being able to serve in my church and out. I have to wonder though, how to create balance. I still need to make time for my husband and my children. I can’t forget to see my friends.       Lastly, I can’t forget to connect with you, my faithful readers. So, this is the next challenge in my life. Making time and spending my time, where it is needed the most, with those that need me the most. On those trips to the grocery store I won’t be alone anymore. That is valuable time I can spend with my daughter. Teaching her about purchasing the right food for our style of cooking/eating, and teaching her about money as well. Reading before bed wil

Wow, what a great weekend it was for me. It was also a weekend where God showed me (yet again) that he is always faithful. I have lost some weight and I was in desperate need of dress pants that fit. Or at least ones that don’t fall off (I didn’t lose that much, they were big to begin with!).  I had some things to do at the mall, so I thought I’d just get my pants there. I did make a quick stop at the local thrift store before going to the mall, but didn’t want to take the time to look for pants there.  My budget was $30. That should be enough for dress pants right? At least the ones on sale. Well, Our mall is not very big, but I went to every store that sells women’s clothes and looked for dress pants. I only found 1 pair that was under $30 and they weren’t really what I was looking for so I didn’t buy them. So now at this point, I’m very disappointed and tired, but I decide to check one more store close by before going home. I had no luck there either. They only had 1 style and the

Here’s the seventh and final point that Beth Moore gave us at the ‘Living Proof Live’ simulcast. # 7. We can be also be many convincing proofs that Jesus is alive . – We might be the only Bible that someone will ever read, so we need to remember to live accordingly. We need to share the gospel of God unhindered . Acts 28:28 “ Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” So, if they will listen, why are we NOT speaking? We need to banish all fear, bitterness and bondage and share the gospel. We don’t have much time, NOW is the time to ride! Let your story be “I LOVE YOU JESUS!”   I hope that these points have struck a cord in you and encouraged you the way they did me. All seven points were taken exactly as Beth said them, however, I shared a lot of my own feelings and thoughts. I am not a teacher, or a preacher, or anything in that category, nor do I claim to be. I’m just sharing with you my thoughts on these points and if

# 5. We can revel in the certainty of the things we have been taught . – Our faith is based on fact . There is proof that Jesus came to earth, lived here, and overcame the grave. This is not just some fairy tale story to tell your kids. It really happened, it is true. But, if you don’t believe me, try proving that it didn’t happen. Many have tried to, and failed. I have heard stories of college professors, or students trying to prove that God never existed and they can’t. There is too much evidence pointing to the fact that he does exist and is present in our everyday life. It’s really sad that many people believe that God created the world, wound it up like a clock and left us on our own. He is present in every part of our lives. Everything that we have been taught from the Bible about God, is true. It is really the only absolute truth that we have in this life. # 6. Jesus has passed us the salt also . – Salt is used for many things: to clean the body (Ezekiel 16:4), to season or pr

Well, I hope you all enjoyed part 1, cause here’s part 2 for you! I’m just going to dive right in to the next point. # 3. God NEVER overlooks a single “me” in the bigger “we”. – Isn’t that so great? It really doesn’t matter who you are, what your job is, where you live, how much money you make, God does not overlook anyone. We are all valuable to him and he has a plan for each one of our lives. It sometimes seems though, that he uses the ‘little person’ in a bigger way. Take Luke for example: He was not a disciple, he never witnessed Jesus’s miracles (he was a 2nd generation Christian), yet God used him to write the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Luke was just another ‘little person’ but he allowed himself to be used by God. He was just an ‘also’ as Beth put it. Here are some verses that mention ‘also’: Luke 12:8, John 10:16, John 14:19, Romans 8:30, Romans 8:32, 1 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 John 1:3, Colossians 3:4 and 2 Timothy 4:7-8.( I was going to

This week has been busier than I had planned. I had really hoped to have shared with you my Beth Moore simulcast experience by now, but I have not had much time to think on it. Today, I will share some of it with you. She gave us 7 points to think on, learn from and study. I’ll share these points with you and any verses that go with them and also what I have learnt from it. Everyone will learn something different, I’m just sharing with you my thoughts. # 1. We were created for good company .  - We were not created to be by ourselves. We were created to want and need the company of other believers. When we are in the company of other believers, that’s when we will grow in our relationship with Christ even more. We need other believers to encourage and inspire us, to pick us up and hold us accountable for our actions. We need other believers to love us, because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 Peter 1:22 “ Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a

Wow, what a weekend. It was very busy, but I sure learnt alot. On Saturday, as most of you know, I attended the Beth Moore simulcast. It was an awesome experience. One that I will probably never forget, especially the part when the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the building! We had just come back for lunch and were doing the praise and worship, when suddenly the alarm went off and we were all sent outside. There was no fire that I know of, so we were able to go back in shortly. We thought that we might miss something, seeing how it was a live broadcast, but they were able to pause it and continue where we left off, so we didn’t miss a thing. We were all very thankful. I plan to share what I learnt with you all, but I do need a bit of time to process it all. So please bear with me, it will take me a few days to get it all out. I can, however, share with you the main Bible passages that she used. They were: Luke 1:1-4 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrati

Deuteronomy 31:8 “ The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Psalm 103:10 “ He [God] does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” These verses have really encouraged me this week. So I just wanted to share them with you, maybe they will do the same for you? This week has been a busy one for me. It has been really good, but busy. At the beginning of my week, all I had going on was I had to bake 5-6 dozen buns for Saturday, and I was starting to baby sit a new girl. Oh yeah, Tuesday evening was Bible study. Sounds simple, easy even. Well, it quickly changed.  Monday evening I went for a walk with my friend, Tuesday I went to town to do errands and took my son for his immunizations. Wednesday I made salsa, again. For the 3rd and final time. Wednesday evening I got an email from our Sunday School Superintendent. She was wondering if I would want to bake 1

My daughter is the goofy sort. She loves to say silly things, and most people laugh when she does. Yesterday morning, was not one of those times. We went to go see my friend at work.  We were invited to join her and her co-workers and boss for coffee break. Sounds fun, right? Yes, it really was, until… She got too comfortable and made a comment to my friend’s boss that was very unnecessary. In that moment, I felt like a parent who doesn’t teach her child what not to say. I felt awful. My daughter however, just thought she was being silly and didn’t realize that those words could hurt someone’s feelings. So, not quite sure what I should do, especially in front of women I don’t know, I informed my daughter in a stern voice that “that was not nice to say, not nice at all”. What I forgot to do though, was make her apologize.  I can’t help but wonder if I did the right thing? What could I do different in the future?   What do you think? If you have words of wisdom for me, I would lo

Friday was a really good day. Not only was it the first day of my extra long weekend ( I didn’t have any kids to babysit), we were blessed to receive a letter from Niyomugabo in Rwanda. I’ll share it with you. He starts with “Beloved Sponsor, Your child Niyomugabo is greeting you in the name of Jesus Christ.  Niyomugabo and family are fine and thank God and believe you are also fine. Here, we experience a dry season but sometime back, we have been receiving some rain. Those who grow crops, are also happy because they will get a good harvest. He believe you do not have a problem of earthquake over there. If you have children, greet them. He came from school, is in holidays and there is no problem and his studies are moving on well. In Rwanda we are in the time of remembering our people who died in the 1994 genocide. Remembering our people ends in July and we wish you a good Easter. We love God and continue to be near Him. We remember that Jesus died and resurrected for sake of our s

I’m not a reporter, I’m not experienced in the least with interviewing, but, I was honoured to be able to interview  Shaun Groves . In case you don’t know who he is, I’ll share with you what little I know about him.  He’s a Christian musician that works with Compassion International to release children from poverty in Jesus name. He is a blogger who speaks truth and encouragement to all. He is a husband, father and friend. I really know very little about him. I have never had the opportunity to meet him and speak with him face to face. All I really know about him, is what he chooses to share on his blog.  And that’s enough for me. Very often, when I’ve read his blog post, he’s not only given me ‘food for thought’, he’s filled me right up. He writes things that really make you stand back and take a long, hard look at your life and try to see what you can do differently.  He encourages Christians everywhere, to stand up for what they believe in and give back. I was very excited to b

This is kind of a continuation from Wednesdays post. I didn’t get much response from my readers in attending the simulcast, so I thought I’d try a different approach. Now, I know that $50 –60 dollars is a lot of money for a one day event. Especially now, when it’s back to school and most parents have had to shell out a lot of money buying back to school stuff.  So, seeing as how my kids are not in school yet, I thought I’d try to help out.  If you sign up to come to the simulcast, that will save me this amount of money. So, how about I put this money toward your ticket? Yes, you read that right. The first person who responds to this post, I will pay $10 toward their ticket. So, it will cost you only $40 instead of $50. And I’ll still give you a ride if you want. I will even buy you a coffee, if you come with me. Get ready… Get set… Go!!! Leave me a comment, or email me: candle_andrea at hotmail dot com Waiting to hear from you! *Andrea*

  In case you didn’t know, on Sept 10, Beth Moore a renowned Bible teacher, will be teaching women across the globe via simulcast. “Beth Moore’s life-transforming Bible study challenges and inspires women of every age, everywhere.” I can’t wait to go. I have never been, but I’ve been told that it’s awesome and that you learn a lot. I’m at a place in my life/walk where I’m hungry for knowledge. You too? You should definitely come. If you want to know more about this event and how you can take part in it, click here .  You can get local info when you click on this link . Or you can be part of my church group and come with me. We need a few more ladies.    It’s cheaper if you go in a group. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Not enough incentive? If you need a ride, I’ll pick you up. Just give me the address.  As long as you live close by, of course.  You probably don’t know this yet, but I really want you to come.   Sister.   I eagerly await your call, or email. We’ll talk so

Well, today It’s back to work. Holidays have to end sometime! So, I have 3 extra children to care for, laundry that NEEDS to be done, and I had a bunch of tomatoes that had to be used up. Fresh Salsa, yum, yum. Bring some taco chips and I’ll share!   How’s your Monday going?   *Andrea*

In case you were wondering why I didn’t post anything last week, I was on holidays. It was a busy fun filled week for me and my kids. We did a lot of fun stuff; I took them to build-a-bear, we went to the beach, we went to the splash park, we went to play at the school on the play structure, and many other things. So, instead of me just telling you about the fun stuff that we did, I thought I’d show you instead.   What a great week it was! Now, I just need a holiday to recover! How has your summer been?   *Andrea*

I am really looking forward to August 30th. That’s the day when Shaun Groves puts my autographed copy of Third World Symphony in the mail!  I pre-ordered it forever ago, or so it seems. It was probably really only a month ago.  I’ve listened to it online, but it’s not the same. I feel that to really get to know a new CD, you have to have it playing in the car, with the windows open and the volume on high, blasting it out there so that everyone who you pass has to hear it, whether they want to or not.  Seeing as how it’s a really good album with an even better message, I think everyone should hear it. So, I’ll do what I can to help. If you happen to pass me and you think my music is too loud, I probably just got my new Shaun Groves CD. Shaun Groves - Third World Symphony (Ethiopia Story) from Shaun Groves on Vimeo . Have you ordered yours yet?  It’s not too late. Do it now, while your thinking about it.   *Andrea*

So, I did it. I committed myself to assist in teaching Sunday School. I’m so excited! I have never taught Sunday school or any kind of school for that matter, so I will be team teaching with a lady in my church.  We will be teaching the grade 6 girls. I can hardly wait to get to know them and to learn from them. This is something that I have done a lot of thinking and praying over for most of the summer and I just wasn’t sure if I could do it. Then my friend suggested team teaching, I thought that was a great idea! Seeing as how I’m not a teacher, I don’t have the confidence or the know how to do it all by myself. I am very glad for this opportunity to learn from an experienced, godly woman.  I wonder what else God has in store for me?  He seems to keep drawing me toward kids. I still don’t know why, I hardly understand my own.  But, I have a great book that is helping me a lot. It’s called “Raising your spirited child” the author is Mary Sheedy Kurcinka                      This

   Yesterday, I received a courtesy call. This was not a typical call that you expect to get when you see a long distance number on your call display. Instead, it was a very pleasant call from Compassion Canada. They called just to see how things were going. The man on the phone told me that when someone starts a new sponsorship, they call at around the 6-month mark just to see how things are going. This caught me totally off guard. I did not expect this. I know that Compassion is an organization that is about building relationships, but I just ‘assumed’ the relationships were only with the children. I was wrong. Again. So, he asked me just a couple of easy questions and then the last one he asked me was “why did you choose to sponsor through Compassion?” Well, let me tell you. Compassion does it all through the name of Jesus Christ . That was the main reason.  But, as I think more on this topic, there is a lot more I can say on this.  Compassion is committed to releasing child

Have you ever wondered about the history of Compassion International? I know I have. Today, as I was catching up on some blog posts that I’ve missed lately, I came across this video.  I thought it would be good to share with you. Whether you sponsor with Compassion or not, it doesn’t matter. I recommend that you take the 3 minutes and watch this video.   Watch Pastor Everett Swanson in Family | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com It’s beautiful to see how despair can turn into hope, just with one man’s dream and the power of God. Will you sponsor a child? If you decide to sponsor a child, feel free to share it with me. I would love to share in your joy!

   This morning, on my way to grocery shopping, I heard Hebrews 11:1 on my radio. “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.” I really like that verse. It gives me hope and reassurance.  It helps me to remember what Faith is and why I choose to believe.  Last night, at Bible study, one lady shared Hebrews 11:6 with us. “And without Faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” I just love that! You can’t do good works to try and please God. Believe in Him and good works will happen as a result. These are both great verses to meditate on. I just wanted to share them with you! Have a great weekend!! *Andrea*

    You know which lies I’m talking about. The ones that say “your not good enough” or “you can’t do it” or even worse “you’ll never amount to anything.” These are some of the lies that we deal with every day. Lately, mine have been “your a terrible mom” and “you just don’t look good.”  These lies hurt and that’s exactly what their meant to do. Their meant to ruin the way we look at ourselves, so that we won’t believe that we can be loved so much by a very big God. So, why do we believe them? Because we think so little of ourselves? I don’t think so. Because it’s easy to believe them, instead of fight them? Maybe. Or is it because we need to get back into the word and/or talk to our Saviour more? Yes, I’m sure that’s part of it. I believe that we need to daily spend time with our saviour, sharing with him, what’s on our heart. He tells us in his word to “Watch out that you are not deceived”… (Luke 21:8) In order to do that, we need to keep in touch with him daily and confess to h

For us, these regular summer pests mean nothing but irritation and itch.  However, for others, it’s not so simple. You see, mosquitos carry a virus called Malaria which kills almost one-million people every year.  Most of them are children and pregnant women. 90% of people who get Malaria live in Africa. In Africa, 20% of infected children under the age of 5 , die. If they don’t die, many will have brain damage.   But, there is hope. YOU are that hope.   All you need to do, is click here to donate a mosquito net for only $13 (Canadian funds). This will provide mosquito nets and Malaria prevention for children and their families. It’s a very inexpensive way to save lives.     Join with me, and together we can BITE BACK and fight Malaria.   Andrea

    My children are a handful some days (usually the days that I’m tired and have limited patience), my daughter is ‘spirited’ and my son is just a trouble maker. He loves to make people laugh and does so in a variety of different ways. Take last week for example, He decided to crawl onto our table (which is higher than normal), stand and then touch my light fixtures. Well, the other two babies that I babysit thought this was hilarious, so they would laugh and he would keep doing it. Then mom (me) seeing what was happening, would come take him off the table, tell him to stay off and carry about my business. However, that doesn’t work with him very well. So he would do it all over again and get the same response from his ‘audience’.  Finally, in order to make him stop, I had to put him into his crib where he couldn’t get out. My daughter is very exuberant. Anyone who knows her can attest to that. When she walks into a room, you know .  She is a child who is ‘more’. More persistent, mo

I’m sure you are probably wondering why I changed my blog address and everything else. Well, let me tell you. I have been doing a lot of reading lately about blogs and how to start them and design and so on and so on. During all this reading I realized that my blog could really use some major changes, one being that my blog title and address should match. So, now they finally do. Also, I just haven’t been happy with the way my blog has been looking and I was having a hard time figuring out how to change it or what I should change it to. So, I started fresh with a whole new theme. I’m not finished tweaking it yet, but I am a lot happier with the way it looks now. Now, it’s your turn. What do you think? I would love your feed back, leave me a comment and let me know! Have a great day! *Andrea*

Encouragement.  Isn’t that a great word? I love it. I love what it stands for and how it makes you feel. I love how it can change a person’s outlook with just a couple of words. I love how when you hear the word, your mood instantly goes more positive. Well, encouragement is what I have been receiving lately and man do I feel good. I have been encouraged in small, subtle ways, with simple words. With words that are meant to encourage and lift up. It has been really nice to hear and be reminded, because I have let myself believe otherwise. I have been so tired and dis couraged that I found it hard to believe that I am good and useful and that I am a blessing to my family and to those around me. But through kind words from my family, friends and my church family, I have been encouraged again. The best encouragement came this morning as I was reading my devotions. I read Proverbs chapter 31, and God showed me through that passage how much like her I really am. I Love Proverbs 31 an

  My mailbox sure has been exciting lately. I have been receiving mail from Compassion Canada on a regular basis. So, yesterday when I checked the mail, I was excited to receive an updated picture of Nsengimana.      He looks so grown up, doesn’t he? He is now in grade 10 and his favourite activities are running, soccer and volleyball. He also attends youth group and camp regularly. He lives with his mother, where his duties include carrying water, washing clothes and cleaning. Did You Know? - Letters to your sponsored child have an incredible impact on his/her life - Notes of encouragement are often a sponsored child’s most cherished possessions Have you written lately? *Andrea*

    If you would have asked me a year ago “who is Shaun Groves?” I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. Now however, I can give you at least a partial answer. Shaun Groves is a gifted musician, and a powerful advocate for Compassion International. That is actually how I heard about him first. Not as a musician, but through all the work that he’s done with Compassion. He is a very inspiring and encouraging individual, and he’s given me ‘food for thought’ many times. I have never had the opportunity to meet him or even see him speak or sing, but I really believe in what he’s trying to accomplish through his music, blog, and Compassion. On August 30th, Shaun will be releasing his newest album titled “Third World Symphony”. From my understanding, it will not be available in stores, online only. So to pre-order your very own copy for only $10 U.S. click here . If you want to listen first, click here . I really think you’ll enjoy it. I know I do. Let me know what you think. *Andrea*

   On Tuesday a friend of mine came over for coffee. Somehow we got to talking about my sponsor boys (she probably saw the pictures on my fridge) and what kinds of things I send them and also what I write about. She is so confused because everyone she has talked to has told her what not to write about and what not to send. So, we got to talking and I shared with her what she can and should write about. Some of the things that I shared with her are: - Send a picture of her son in his football uniform and talk about our version of football and why he likes to play. - Tell about something silly that her twin girls did that day and send a picture. - Send lots of pictures, especially family ones. - I told her to keep it simple, that he just wants to know more about them and their family. I told her she can send all kinds of thin paper items (you will find more ideas on my page “letters to my boys”) to her sponsor child and anything that’s not in Compassion guidelines, they donate

   I guess some of you might be wondering where I’ve been lately. I have not been posting as much and when I do write, it’s not about my life or the work that Christ is doing in it. You see, I have been learning a lot lately and I’m just not sure how to put it all into words. I’m in the middle of a study with some other women and we’re studying the book “Lord, teach me to pray in 28 days.” This has been a challenging book for me. “How have I been challenged?” you ask, I don’t know. “What have I learnt?” I don’t know that either. I honestly can’t say. Not because I don’t want to, but because I don’t have the words. I am a person who needs time to absorb knowledge and with this busy summer so far, I have not yet given myself the time to let it all sink in. There is one thing that I know for sure though, I feel different. Maybe it’s the holy spirit moving in me and changing me? I hope so. I’m sooo ready for change. But, like everything else, I will only know for sure after it’s happe

   This week were supposed to get really nice weather again, so I probably wont post much. This past weekend we had ‘Fun Days’ in my town. There was all kinds of things to keep you busy. Friday evening was community slo-pitch, and a wiener roast after. Saturday was a free pancake breakfast, a slo-pitch tournament all day, bouncers for the kids, face painting, petting zoo, a flea market, a silent auction, evening entertainment, and so much more. It was a busy place to be! In the morning, we went as a family for breakfast and then my husband went to go help a friend of his, so it was just me and the kids. I took them to the ‘Fun Days’ for lunch and we stayed for a few hours. It was very hot, and they needed naps so we came home and relaxed for the rest of the day. Here are some pictures from our weekend: We ate a lot of freezies, and cotton candy, got our faces painted, and tried to find shade where ever we could! It was a really great day! I love summer festivals, how about

  Wow! July has barely begun and I have had a lot to share about my ‘boys’ already. On July 8th Niyomugabo had his 19th birthday.            Happy Birthday, Niyomugabo. I hope that you have a wonderful day. I hope that today is a very special day for you and that God will continue to bless you and your family abundantly. You are very special to us and we love you very much! Love: your family in Manitoba. Have your sponsor kids had any birthdays lately? I would love to hear about them. *Andrea*

   Last night when I went to check my mail, there was nothing in it except these two envelopes: So you can only imagine how excited I was! It was even more exciting for me to open them up and see that they were both from Nsengimama! I have not heard from him yet so I was very excited! The first letter was just introducing us to him. This is what he said: “Dear Andrea & Timothy Sawatzky, Nsengimana Claude greets you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. He is very glad to thank you very much for being his sponsor and may God bless you. Your child (meaning him) is now in senior 4 and studies are going well so he asks you to often pray for him to be clever and he wishes to proceed his studies at university after high school. Now in Rwanda it’s raining, what about over there? Your child requests you to send him your photo because he is eager to see you, may God continue to be with you.”  In the second letter he said: Dear Andrea & Timothy Sawatzky,  I first of all greet yo

Well, It’s writing day again! I really love writing to ‘my boys’ and I have so much to say this time. I could probably write my next 3 letters to them with the thoughts that I have floating around my brain. I’m so thankful that the Canada post mail strike didn’t last too long. I don’t want ‘my boys’ to wonder why they have had to wait longer than usual to receive a letter from us. I did email some, but I prefer to hand write my letters. My hand writing could be neater, so it’s good practice for me when I hand write the letters and not just type them. I can’t wait to tell them about the fair that we went to, Canada day, and the fair that we are going to this weekend. Summer time is so busy that it’s so easy to come up with writing ideas. I have also been taking lots of pictures. Now, I just need to develop them so that I can send some with my letters. If it’s time to send a letter again for you and you don’t know what to write, go through your pictures, choose some favourites and wri

Today, my little Alejandro turns 4!!            Happy Birthday Alejandro! I hope you have a wonderful day! I want you to know that I’m thinking of you a lot today and I’m praying for you as well. I hope that you enjoy your day and remember that God created today just for you. I hope your day is extra special! We love you! Love: your family in Manitoba

   Can you imagine this is the water that you drink every day?                            This is reality for millions of children around the world. I’m not telling you this to guilt you into something. I’m not good at that, nor do I like to be treated that way. So, I won’t do it to you. I will, however, share something that I recently heard with you, so that we are better educated about the conditions of the world and how we can help. Compassion International started a program called “Water For Life” http://www.compassion.com/water-filters.htm which provides water filters to a child and their family for only $55 (U.S. funds) . It’s a one time donation that will change lives. This water filtration system cleans over 1 MILLION gallons of water.                        That is enough water for one family for their lifetime. That is enough clean water to help children who would otherwise get sick and possibly die from diseases like: Cholera and Typhoid. Diseases that are easily pre

…Speechless. Messy. But, oh so gooey. *Andrea*

    I am beginning a quest. Care to join me? In this quest, I hope to find many things but most of all I hope to find contentment. You see, I currently am not content. Not even a little bit. I’m also needing peace. Peace and Quiet. The kind that you don’t get when your kids are small and your house is trashed. Yes, my house is a disaster. I just get it cleaned up, and then 5 minutes later you would never know that it took me an hour to clean it. Take last night for instance, I put my kids to bed and then I spent a good hour and vacuumed and washed my floors. I thought it was a brilliant idea, doing it after the kids were in bed. However, I forgot about the dog. My dog is as messy as my kids. She leaves her toys everywhere, and she also sheds so I have to keep on top of that too. So, this morning when I woke up, I vacuumed again. Anyway, back to my quest for contentment. I have been feeling lately that I would like to do something (anything!) different. I’m not sure what though. I wo

We had a couple of things that we did this past weekend. First, Arielle had a baseball ‘jamboree’ on Friday, where they played a baseball game and also they did some different tests (?) to see who could throw the farthest, bat the farthest, run the fastest, etc. Afterwards, all of the kids received medals and t-shirts. It was a really fun time for her. Also, on Saturday, there was a fair in a town nearby that we went to. It was a lot of fun. There was a little of everything…                                               Clowns on Stilts…                                                Face Painting…                                                                                                  Stick on tattoos…                                               Crafts for the kids…                                                       Musicians playing on the street corners… And of course, we can’t forget…                                       THE PETTING ZOO!!!!!  That was the