A moment that must be encapsulated in a blog note

It is a dark, cold night. I've been walking back from cell church with a friend when I get to my hotel, "This is my stop!" I call out as I open the Empress Hotel front door, noting the bright neon signs out front. I've just been thinking about what I have to do tonight as I reach for the door to the old stairs I'm so used to climbing by now.
"Hey, you know the elevator's working?" says the front door attendant. I stop in my tracks.. What?! The elevator that hasn't been working since I got here? The elevator that hasn't been functioning for almost a year? The elevator that they tell us every month will be fixed? It's fixed?!
I'm very cautious as I look over at the green door. It catches me by surprise that the "out of order" sign no longer hangs where it did for so many days passed.
"Seriously?" I stop and ask. Another man in the lobby stops to tell me that he's lived here twenty years and would never trust that thing.
I think to myself, I don't really need to use it now that I live on the second floor.. but I MUST. I need to see for myself; I need to take the chance, at least once.
I slowly move towards the big green door, with caution; maybe it's all a joke, maybe I'll get stuck. My hand reaches for the up button...should I push it? Should I take the chance? Yes. Yes, everything is telling me yes. The button lights up! I watch in gleeful anticipation as the numbers above the door tell me what floor the elevator is approaching. It's like a fresh awakening! The sign reads the lobby, and the doors swing open.
Wow! So that's what it looks like! The inside is green, and surprisingly beautiful, with silver stripes all around. The smell, on the other hand, is nothing to enjoy, but certainly not something that I'm not used to living in the downtown eastside. It's musty, like old crack cocaine. It stinks at first, but I quickly recognize the scent and know I am used to it.
I stand there, as if in a dream. Am I really inside the Empress elevator? I feel as if I'm being taken to a strange and far-off land, where only candy and brightly coloured gnomes must exist. Where am I going to get out and what will it be like? Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows?
I remember where I am and think for a brief second that I am going to die, then the doors open. Staring right in front of me is a wooden door with a bold sign reading "202" and I'm home.

The End

True story by the way!

Grace,
Megan Smith

Back 2 School

So here I am, eating chicken soup, sitting on a mattress that we pretend is a couch, in my new room. That's right, four of us moved down to the second floor from the seventh. Benefits: toilet that works, plenty of space in the living room, four of us in one bedroom, two working sinks, a working shower, less stairs to climb, and of course, if there is a fire in the building, we will no longer have a 0% chance of survival. So, here I am, eating chicken soup, and contemplating the new term.

Monday 9:30am X-Cultural Ministries (Capt. P. & M. Mitchell)
1:00pm Squad term II

Tuesday 9:30am Spiritual Disciplines (Maj. W. Blackmann)
1:00pm Doctrine (J. Evans)
8:00pm League of Mercy (C. White)*

Wednesday 9:30am Multiplication Practicum (J. Evans)
1:00pm School of Justice term II (K. Ivany)
7:30pm Recre:8**

Thursday 9:30am Warfare Communications - homiletics from what I understand (Maj. J. Braund)
1:00pm Drill term II (D. Melanson)
6:30pm Kneedrill*

Friday 9:30am Extreme Prophetic (J. Lipsett)
11:00am Consistent Life Ethic term II (A. White & K. Walker)
2:00pm Holy Space term II (J. Lipsett)/Session Time
7:30pm Recre:8**

Saturday 7:30pm Recre:8**

Sunday 9:30pm Street Combat*

*not part of any class/not mandatory
**each student only covers one night a week

The schedule has changed a little bit, and now rations are up to us. This means pray the Bible starts at 9:00am, a full hour and a quarter later than term I. Most of the courses are new. I'm particularly looking forward to doctrine, although it entails a lot of work, and my personal favourite, consistent life ethic.

There is lots of work already, and we're only three days in. We have books to read, reports to write, questions to ask ourselves and answer. Already it's a bit overwhelming. It looks like an even bigger mountain to climb when you take into account all the other things that aren't on any recorded schedule but our own personal time: visiting friends in the hotels, excercise, rations, cell, kids cell, the Carnegie, community, journaling, rest, etc. This still doesn't include the extra personal things not related to the War College, like writing letters, phoning home, and applying to university & scholarships.
Well, we trek on. We don't do it without pain & a little bit of suffering, but we do it.

Pray for us.

Peace,
Megan Smith

I am so desperate for God right now.

An empty afternoon

We missed going to a conference to begin our new year and have filled the time preparing for classes and debriefing from last term. This afternoon the students have homework. "Do something selfless." What will come of it?

God, take lead of our lives this afternoon. Give us great encounters and stories that will edify the church, the students and your lost ones. May your name be great. Amen.

43 minutes left...

I wrote this last night....

And now, my dear ladies and gentlemen, I am about to entertain you with a rather cliche, and usually reflective blog on my experience of this past year.


My memory of the last day of 2006 is not one of clearness. I remember my soon-to-be- brother-in-law arrived from the US that evening, and I remember standing on the frosty deck, waving a sparkler around, and -- for pity sake would they stop hitting those silly pots!-- my head was pounding...

Not exactly a very exciting way to begin the new year. Oddly enough, although the "calling in" wasn't outstanding, the year itself has been one of many thing... all in immense quantities. Many new experiences, many tears, many battles, many victories, many defeats, many friends come, many friends gone, many masks, and many moments in which I realized what it means to live. Unfortunately, also, many moments in which I realized what it means to live a dead life.

I used to live in a nice big blue house. Not anymore. I used to walk 20 minutes to school (almost) everyday. Not anymore. I used to spend my days in a classroom, trying painfully hard to be smart enough, pretty enough, funny enough, and ______(fill in the blank) enough. Not anymore.

I'm excited --or maybe just over tired-- for this year to begin. Part of me is scared, actually most of me is scared... just as most of me is tired ;)Anyways...

Thanks, Lord, it's been a good year... now, let's do this allll over agian!