Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas family and friends!

This year I am far away from you, but would just like to give you a quick picture of what Christmas is like around these parts... quite different than the part of the world I'm used to. The last couple of days some of us traveled to the North side of the island, where life and culture is much different. We had a wonderful and adventurous time navigating roads with a map that had every town with a different name than the road signs said, and as you will see, saw the incredible beauty of the Northern Meditteranean. At a roadside market I bought some fruit for our Christmas dinner, and the lady working there said "oh, is it Christmas?" The part of the world I woke up in today had none of the signs my Canada has to announce Christmas - no media, no lights, no crazy shopping centers; no carolers, no Christmas eve church services, no nativities. So I am thankful for my heritage today - my country that at one time recognized God in its constitution, and to this day pays a nation to celebrate His entrance into this world "and His name shall be called Emmanuel, God with us." I am glad that I have never not known that it is Christmas... so to all of you as you celebrate (whether on "the" day or not - or on January 7th for you Orthodox people (not just Ukranians, I've discovered:))) - Merry Christmas! And here's some shots of the last couple of days.

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations Trevor and Rachel! But nice runner up, Kelly... thanks for playing. Trevor and Rachel, coffee's on me next time we're in the same country!
Answers are:
1 - the rhubarb cost $25CND... I know, outrageous!
2 - It's a preying mantis (I love these bugs:)) - I've heard both that it's called "preying" because its a great hunter, "praying" for its position.
3 - It is a Kiwi fruit, and it grow on a tree.
4 - This is a pomegranate tree.
5 - Greek Orthodox

Come on down!

Hello sports and game show fans, it's time for some Cypriot trivia time! So strap in and leave your guesses on the comments page. There will be a prize for the winner - whoever comes closest.

Pictures

1 - How much did this rhubarb cost? Hint - the checkout clerk asked me what it was:)

2 - What am I? Why am I called this?

3 - This fruit was growing in the orchard I visited this weekend - what kind of structure does it grow on (tree, vine, shrub, etc.)?

4 - What kind of fruit grows on this tree?

5 - This building was at the monastary we visited. In Cyprus, what faith does it represent?

That's it for now... enjoy the game - and feel free not to answer all the questions if you only want to answer one or two. Have fun!

Big Schmuck

As a general rule, cats are poorly treated in Cyprus. Maybe it's because they are an epidemic - literally hundreds of cats roam the streets here. The vast majority of them are skinny, diseased, and abused. They do not come to people, they are afraid when people approach because of past experiences, they are not even pleasant to look at. Except Big Schmuck. One girl here, Amber, loves cats. And she found Big Schmuk - a fat, white haired Persian who would let himself be petted, and even let us pick him up. Until one day... one day we went to visit Big Schmuck and he was different. He cowered at our approach, wouldn't let us come near; he was afraid. We knew that something had happened to him, something unkind, something to change the way he viewed people, something bad. It was so sad because we knew the before version of Big Schmuck - he's not just another Cypriot nasty cat - he was our friend. And I got to thinking about people - in one way or another we're all Big Schmucks. Unkind and bad experiences have molded us to be different than we were intended to be. The difference is some are so long ago that no one knows the "before" versions of us; sometimes not even ourselves. So I got to talking to God about it, and reflected on some of the places I've been hurt in my life that I've let shape who I am. The not for the better kind of shaping - the hardening, the wariness, the defenses. So as I thought about how I would be without all of these walls, I said to God "Wow... I was supposed to be amazing." He answered me about all peoples everywhere "Yeah, you all were." Our wounds and deep hurts and subsuquent defences were not His idea. They are the result of fallible hurt people redoing what has done unto them. They are the result of sin. We are not only the victims but the perpetraitors. Often not intentionally - I believe the majority of people do the best they can with what they have, we are all wounded and unable sometimes. We have all hurt one another when we've been in these places. The great news of the message of Jesus is restoration. No matter where you are or what brought you there, He wants you back. We don't have to live there forever. Here I am learning about recognizing wounds, forgiveness, and freedom... hope to learn. I want to love better than I do in the season and not just after it's done. I wish with hope the same for all of you. We can't escape being broken sometimes... the good news is that there is a Healer. For all peoples everywhere - yes - you too.

Pics this week are from last weekend's trip to Larnaca - we ate Mez-ay (? for spelling) which means a whole whack of food; couscous, beans, lamb, beef, pork, chicken, salad, fried cheese, yogurt, etc. etc. Then we did Meze ice cream for dessert - getting ourselves fattened up for India:)

Forbidden fruit etc...

Right now I'm sitting in the kitchen, just finishing the topping for a happy birthday cheesecake. Freshly picked mandarine oranges from a tree just down the street. In fact, I've been picking oranges from this tree all week - they've been amazing. And to be honest, simmering with a little cinnamon, allspice, and brown sugar, they smell pretty good too. Well, they're forbidden oranges... I found out today that the tree I've raided all week belongs to someone. Without knowing it, I've stolen them. It's not that I didn't wonder about the tree - it's a beauty and heavy laden, and I marvelled that it would be in this alley. But mid-pick today the owner returned to his house (the house this alley is beside) and was understandably upset. "It's ok," he said "but you should have asked." And the truth is, if I'd have stopped to think about this well taken care of tree in an alley...adjacent to a house...I would have suspected it belonged to someone. This was the second bust of the week... the first was Thursday night when a local missionary let our small group (6 of us) come to his house to play games. Well, one of those games ended up being Mennonite Madness (many of you are smiling from our good mems and understanding, aren't cha?:)) leading the neighbours to believe that someone was being assaulted, which led to the police arriving to see what the matter was. Our friend arrived home at the same time and had to explain that it was just a bunch of psycho foreigners screaming bloody murder trying to get the pen. Sigh... do you know what has annoyed me more than anything this last week? Inconsiderate people... everyone's epidemic in close quarter living. Do you know what got me busted twice this week? Being inconsiderate. Both times I was just enjoying life and never stopped to ask or consider the literal neighbours. Yikes... how many times have I been selfishishly unaware and not gotten busted? (I'm sure some of you are tempted to take this opportunity, eh?:))Oh, and here are some pics from our last weekend trip to Paphos - the first time I've ever been to a biblical city. And I know the pics don't reflect it - but 5 days a week really are intense:) Oh - and a very happy birthday to you, Lynn! I love you very much!

Feels like summer, looks like fall

This last weekend, 6 of us headed to Troodos to do a little hiking... it really was beautiful. We spent Saturday on a couple of different trails (and one crazy off-roading experience through a terraced grape, nectarine, apple orchard- despite the pic I'm posting, I wasn't the driver for this one:)) We went to the top of Mt. Olympous which was a really funny tourist experience - a major tourist site - the highest point in Cyprus- surrounded by military bases, so you can't really take pictures of the view - but it's amazing! We slept under the stars that night, roasted marshmallows, and ate copious amounts of nuts from a multitude of vendors. It was here amidst people who a month ago were strangers that I was remided of... me. I love this kind of stuff - trekking, camping out, wearing a toque to bed, eating nuts for breakfast. In every country and place, with whoever - this is me. I love the little tidbits of life that remind us who we are - whether it's to break up the mundane of normality or provide connection in a world that is totally unfamiliar. It was wonderful refreshing weekend... enjoy the pics. A fall scene, the Canadian girls, the 6 of us, and scenes from the hike - the mediterrainian sea in the background of the mountain shot:) Finally got an internet connection that lasted long enough to post pics - YAY!

I got my second real six string...

Something on my to do list in Cyprus is learning to play the guitar. It has been a desire of mine for years... I bought my first one 6 years ago, but had to sell it to buy a stethascope when I went to school. That was a different time and different place ago. So just before moving here, I bought another one (a seagull acoustic with a hard shell case and a funky green strap:)) and let myself dream again that I would someday know how to play. It is good to be getting started - I have a long way to go. But because of this, something happened that I didn't anticipate. This morning, I was listening to a favourite song of mine (Give, by 3rd day...) Now, I'm a huge lyrics person, and for all the times I've listened to the song, they have stood out to me. But this morning, I heard something new. I heard the guitar. It was beautiful, and I couldn't believe I'd never noticed before. So I started to listen and try to pick out other things - all the instruments that make up this amazing song. And it reminded me of class last week - talking about relationships with people... how we are called to unity if we are part of God's body. To translate that Christianese statement - God made each of us different, but by being who we are and using our gifts and talents and appreciating one another, this is unity. One purpose, one goal - yes - but not made out of cookie cutter people. So do you feel different today? Misunderstood? Like you don't fit in completely? Awesome... can I encourage you to keep playing your part of the song? It's time to face the music - you're not who you want to be. But truth is that the real you is something far better... you have a place in this world and every other part playing needs you too. So get in tune if you have to, just don't stop playing. Oh, and here are some more Cyprus pics for you visual people out there:)

A Snapshot of Cyprus

Ok - pictures are worth 1000 words, right? So here is a 5000 word post:)

It's all Greek to me...

This posting is both literal and figurative. The official language of Cyprus is Greek – and unlike other countries I’ve visited, there is sometimes precious little English to decipher it. The internet’s wisdom has also translated many of my weblog headings into Greek as well, making surfing a little tricky. And – the Greek word for yes sounds like “nah”, and no sounds like “O.K.”, which has led to some confusing conversations. So literally, Cyprus is Greek to me.
Figuratively, you know you’re in Cyprus when:
- All your prior knowledge of how to cross the street is null and void… driving is on the left, and the rules and signs are not the same. It also complicates matters when you have representatives from several countries trying to cross the street with you, each trying to use their own how-to principles.
- You can eat figs, pomegranates, and olives directly from the trees. Oh - and citrus fruits galore… Jasmine fragrances the air in the early morning and evening, and hibiscus type flowers are everywhere.
- There are kebab stands and independent produce sellers all over the place – and it’s totally ok to sample fruit from the markets and stands without buying anything.
- The government buildings are only open for service 3 hours a day (including banks)… maybe the same in my country, but here no one thinks it’s weird.
- And perhaps particularly in my class, you find yourself as the only native English speaker, and one of the very few that can speak and write in only one language. I admire the non-North American world so much for this, and am hoping to change my own statistic… After Arabic, maybe French… or Spanish?
- Speaking of Arabic, they have some very common words that sound like English words you would get your mouth washed out with soap for saying… we laughed very hard in Arabic class yesterday:)
So that’s a wrap for now. I could go on but am going to header here today. Thanks for keeping up with my life here; I’d love to hear about yours!

I could have done without the drama...

There is a cost part to missions, everyone knows that. I knew that to come to Cyprus, this account would be charged to my family, friends, job, income, car, home, and cat. A couple of weeks ago, I distinctly remember saying to God (in a casual conversation sort of way) that I didn’t need any drama this time when I left the country – my dance card was full. My desire didn’t include a flooded bathroom, declawing the cat, renters changing their minds, or my house insurance getting canceled at 13:00 the day before I left. It also left out the part about Edmonton check-in telling me I would need a visa for Cyprus and refusing to check me any further than Frankfurt (the situation was remedied at the same time my final boarding call went out. I was still at the front kiosk). But that was last week... there are still ends to tie up back in that other world, and I wish I could have left everything tidy and in check, no loose ends. Even so, I knew I had to go. Even if the ends never tie there, I am to be here now. God has work to do in each of the 8 students and 6 staff I will share the next 5 months with. What we have each left behind was necessary because we were called to come here now. One student in my class has come at a great risk - and will not be able to return to their country when this course ends for literally a fear of death. When I return, everything (no matter what state it's in) will be returned to me. Not so for my new friend. Their home and family and car and pet and job left behind cannot anticipate their return. So for those of you missing me today from across the miles, think of my new friends' family and friends who are joyful for their loved one's departure - for it brings them safety and hope, and be thankful for all that we have simply because of the nation of our birth. So I could've done without the drama last week... but my perspective is a little different this week. Thank you to my new friend for coming here even though it cost you dearly - I only had to put on loan for a while.

A waitress named linda

A little insight to the title of this blog... it's in remembrance of one of my childhood dreams. I had received a tea set as a gift and was playing with it in the basement of our home, and enjoying the set, I thought the greatest thing in the world would to grow up to be a waitress. And probably since I had 2 cousins with the name, I wished my name was Linda. Well, so far neither of these dreams have come true:) Not that there is anything wrong either with waiting on others (and I'd have been horrible at it), or being named Linda (which I've since learned means beautiful), God had other plans for me. He has given me my own name (which means helper and defender of mankind, and to delight) and my own calling - my greatest vocational desire is to bloom where I'm planted, in whatever place and country that may be. So I am resigned that I will never actually be a waitress named Linda but am waking up to the fact that there is so much more than I could ever imagine that will fill up the days of my life. So may you know today that there is a God who above all you can ask or imagine wants you just as you are in this moment. His love for you is more than you can imagine, and is in fact, the stuff dreams are made of. And I hope this blog will show an honest journey of someone who is seeking to love this God with all her heart, soul and strength... and her neighbour as herself.