Guess who's having a slow day at work.

It actually took me a little bit to even find this blog. Sure enough, nothing here. However the husband, puppy and I are planning a trip out to Vancouver Island next month and I was thinking of old times and ended up skimming through quite a few of these posts. Turns out 8 years feels like an awfully long time ago.

Anyway, here's a picture for those who don't have me on facebook. Also, you should add me on facebook. The four sentence update: I'm the personal assistant to the Anglican Bishop of Edmonton. The husband's starting year 2 of his PhD in Philosophy. The dog's named Scholar (and is now at least twice that big). We are very happy.

If anyone feels like a 10 year reunion at wherever Jim is in 2 years you can count me in--my high school reunion's next year which I couldn't care less about, but you lot would be worth the trip to see :)

Happy nostalgic browsing!

Life lately in Jaarsmaland.

Hey guys. So it's been a long time since anyone posted on here, but I kind of just wanted to post on here and let you guys know what's going on with us and what's happening in our hearts and lives here. God has kind of been putting us through a very hard time, but yet his love, grace and joy prevail! Ever since we have been married, I have been wanting kids. Well, that time has come in our life and..... we can't have kids. I won't get into technicalities but simply put, Justin was born with a congenital abnormality, which is essentially a vasectomy. He won't be able to father children without the help of IVF. Meanwhile, everyone else in the world has continued to get pregnant and have beautiful children, and as much as I want to be happy for people.... I secretly just want to punch them, just a little bit. And of course everyone loves to give us a friendly "when are you having kids?" like it's just a how's the weather topic... ya it's been very difficult, there are no words to describe how we are feeling. In the meantime, as we wrestle with God's weird plan for our lives, we have made a huge decision to adopt a child from the USA. In saskatchewan, the wait is about 7 - 10 years for a newborn, so we decided to go through the states. As we are going through this process God has really just given us a new prospective. We have been adopted through Christ Jesus so that we can be called son's and daughter's and GOD!! How amazing is that? We're excited as we go through this very long, painful process. We currently have been approved by Saskatchewan social services to go ahead with the adoption. The next step is our home study and we are planning some fundraisers to help us with the cost. We are looking at spending anywhere between $26,000 to $40,000, and no apparently they aren't "selling" babies. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the cost, but we have an amazing God who has really called us to this adoption. We wanted to adopt anyways, and God doesn't always do things the way we want. We are getting so excited to meet our baby one day. In the meantime, we need prayers. Any time you think of us, send up a prayer for comfort and just the humility to fully rely on him and trust him. We miss you guys even though we never see you and really haven't talked to many of you guys in quite a while. Please pray for our fundraiser, that people will be willing to help us out of love. I have a huge fear of being judged through fundraising for a baby. Apparently some people are against it. Who has $30 K just sitting around to be able to afford a baby when nature won't let you do it the old fashion way? Also pray for some tact in dealing with people's judgements and rude comments. I feel like I'm coming to the end of my rope. Just thought I would put this out there for you guys, a little bit before it makes it's appearance via Facebook, as it will soon due to our upcoming fundraisers. We love you guys. Thanks for listening. Thanks for your prayers. We hope that God is working and stretching you in your lives as well. Charissa (and Justin too)

Hey guys! Im not sure if anyone checks this anymore but this is me now. Im Living and working in fernie! Weaver if you still read this i think im close to where you are!

Breaking Ground

God gave us a year of fallow - you know, like the Israelites were told to do with their fields every seven years - one in which things grew as they wanted to rather than had to. It looked like this: wrapping up our time with Kaleo; selling and moving out of our 100 year old house; giving up both of our dogs; two weeks in Ucluelet; another two in Kelowna; a month housesitting in Duncan and another in Victoria; a trip across Canada visiting 90 Kaleo students; then 8000 km of travel around New Zealand; and finally a month of volunteering at another camp on the Island.

So, what's next? Friday evening, I was sitting in a kayak on the quiet waters of Cowichan Lake with the sun warming my back, and suddenly I knew what we should do. So yesterday, I accepted the position of the Director of Camp Imadene's Auxano program. This is a discipleship program for young adults of college age, focusing on biblical training and service, running from September to April. The goal for the fall is about 12 students (they had 5 as a trial run this year) and I will work alongside two other leaders (like Kaleo's interns), who are yet to be determined.

Right now we are living in Honeymoon Bay (see? I can be romantic!) in a beautiful waterfront home that belongs to friends. We never get tired of looking out the window.

Just wanted you to know: we are breaking up the fallow ground and getting ready to plant once again. Your prayers have been and will be appreciated. Miss you all!

Jim & Sarah on Tour at a Town Near You!

A week from today, Sarah and I leave on a tour of Canada! We would love to see as many of you as we can manage, though of course we can't get to every community where you will be.

Here is what would be helpful: If you live in a place where a number of students could come for an evening or weekend afternoon, maybe you could arrange something and let us know, and you/we could invite people there from any of the years of Kaleo.

It would also be helpful - and especially fun - if you would be willing to let us park the truck (with a camper on it) in your driveway for a night or two. We are otherwise pretty self-contained.

We have no set schedule, but here is an idea of where we will be and when:

August 24 - arrive in Halifax, Cape Breton, PEI, maybe Newfoundland
Early September - New Brunswick
After Labour Day - Ontario
Mid/late September - Winnipeg, Caronport
Late September/early October - Edmonton, Calgary
Early/mid October - BC
Mid October - back to Victoria

You can text, FB or email us even while we are on the road. In the words of Paul, we "long to see you so that [we] may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and [we] may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith." See you soon!

Chilling on the Island

So I know that posting on this blog has become sporadic, but I am guessing that at least once in a while most of you check this thing out just to see if there is something new. Well, today there is! But rather than write the same thing on every Kaleo Blog, may I direct you to the K8 Blog (not because I love them more - you are all my favorite year of Kaleo!) where I wrote an update on us. I hope you don't mind. It is true that I haven't seen many of you in the past while, but we hope to see some of you on our cross-Canada trip later this summer. In the meantime, we would love to hear from you! May God's grace be enough for you today.

Oh hey there.

Hi Friends.
So. I have been meaning to post on here for a super long time, but have been distracted and forgetful and busy and so I haven't. Good story hey? Anyways, I just thought I would update you guys on my life in the hopes that maybe more of you would do the same. I'm sorry there are no pictures to make this more interesting.

So I have no idea when the last time I posted was, so I will update you on the last year. Sooooo last summer I worked at camp and I directed WilderNess (the satelite camp with 40 campers and no electricity or running water). It was really great and I loved it and I think that I learned a lot and grew and it was definately a challenge at times and a complete joy at others. So basically I loved it. I also ran paintball for a couple weeks of camp which I think is hilarious. But that was also fun.

After camp was over I went on a road trip to Kenora for Amandas wedding, which was great. The road trip was ridiculous, but the wedding was great. and then I moved to Prince George. which was great. so I was living there and working in a cafe and having a grand old time in PG. I have a really great group of friends there that really encourage and support and challenge me. So that was good.

And then in November? December? I don't know when, sometime before Christmas, Skipper Tony from salts gave me a call and asked if I would still be interested in working for salts (I had applied in the spring before I left for camp) and if I would like to cook. And I said yes (obviously). So I had an interview and they interviewed a couple other people and then he called me back and offered me the position. and I said yes.

Soooo I am now the cook on the Pacific Grace. and i totally completely love it. We're about 2 months into out sailing season and it's been going really good so far. So i'm living back in Victoria now and sailing and cooking during the week and sleeping my weekends away.

And that is the last year of my life. and I live in victoria now. sooooooo, if any of you are ever on the island/live here (and it's the weekend) you should give me a call or fb! because i would love to see you. And if you live in vancouver, you should come over and visit.

Well, i heart you all and i hope you're doing great and that you tell us/me about your life.

To my dearest Kaleo (and the many other people who read this blog)

Hey guys,

My heart is beating out of my chest- I've never been good at being open with you all but I know that I need to be now.

I've come to a point in my life where honesty and truth are defining me- slowly chipping away at my heart. I'm coming to you now, showing you all of who I am with humility and I hope that you can read this post with discernment and most of all, love.

Kaleo- I want to tell you all that I am gay.... um. a lot of people choose to call its same sex attraction or a disorder. I'm simply telling you it in the easiest context that I find it within myself- not as a definition of who I am, not as my identity- but as something that is within me - a part of me that I have smothered for a very long time.

I've known that this is inside of me since I was about 13 - I've denied it and absolutely, whole heartedly rejected my feelings for fear of being rejected in return. I've felt disgusting in Gods eyes- I cannot begin to tell you how much I have hated myself over this. I have spent countless nights praying, begging for God to take this out of me- surely this cannot be me.... I would pray for God to "fix' me...

I've told myself a lie for a long time. That lie is that I am not gay- I do not have these feelings, they do not exist and once I find a good christian man who I can force myself to love- all my hurt and shame and feelings will wash away and I will live happily ever after. I can honestly say that I lived this lie the loudest at Kaleo- I truly believed my lie with all my heart and looking back it makes me so sad....

I've struggled with my Faith hard this last year- I've strayed feeling so unworthy- it wasn't until I spilled my guts to a dear friend and he told me that God loves all of me. Period, and it was like hearing it for the first time.

I listened to a sermon and the pastor yelled so loud "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"

It was my breaking point- my realization that I am loved, I am accepted by my Father and I cannot tell you what a feeling that was to realize for the first time...

I know there are many verses that are relevant to what I'm talking about, but for now I'm just wanting to show you what this journey has been..

Kaleo, my heart feels shattered and broken by God- it has been so hard for so long- I can honestly say I now know the meaning of unconditional love....

I know that this may be hard to accept- it took me a very long time to accept it in myself- I understand if you are upset or confused- Please know that coming to you like this, is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do- I have feared this moment for a long time... I wish that I could be talking to you all face to face

Please feel free to email me or fb me or call me if you want to talk or ask questions or whatever.. I might not have all the answers about this but I am open to hearing what you have to tell me...

I love you guys

Brys