This ones for Jim...

Ok, so here's the scoop. I cried again. But this time was different and it might make you all feel a little bit bac, but whatever. So lets take things from the begining...

I was born in the Stony Plain hospital at the age of 9 months, er summin like that, sorry but my memories are a lil bit blurry. But anywhoo, the hospital was located within a 7 min drive from my folks' 1972 Trailer on an acreage just west of stony (which is 15 west of Edmonton btw). But lets fast forward a lil bit now and say that I am still residing in the exact same trailer, renovated a few times of course. Who in thier right mind wants to be born in the exact same place and live thier thier entire life? I mean really, when i was in Grd 12, just like every other teen, i was gonna leave home someday. To speed up a bit more my dream came true when I was accepted into the Briercrest Program called 'Kaleo'. I had absolutly NO sadness or fear on the friday morning that Brandon drove up my driveway to carpool with me all the way to Qwanoes. I've been waiting for this day my entire life. All throughout Kaleo, I did miss my mom's cooking and my dad's stories, but I never once cried. Kaleo was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I finally got to move away from home and on top of that make some lifelong friends. When I went home for Christmas, the only thing i had on my mind was coming back to Qwanoes in 2 short weeks. Time went by incredibly slow but i finally got back. Second semester was even better. I became closer with everyone in Kaleo and really knew what it felt like to have community as believers. Jim you always told that that was the most important part of what Kaleo was about.

You specifically mentioned that yeh, it would hurt alot to leave Kaleo and for some of us that would mean more than hurt. Well I got home to mom's cooking and daddies stories yet nothing phased me. I was depressed. My spiritual life was fading because all that made me who was in Kaleo was taken away. As you read in my blogs over the summer things were finally getting better. But what was really happening was that I became so busy in life that Kaleo was lesson my mind. I started to make new friendships, work with the most amazing youth group in all of the universe and even started to become excited when I'd tlk about Kaleo. This entire time I was really only excited becuase in a few short months I'd be away from home again, on my way to Briercrest, and there was gonna be some kaleo peeps there!!!

Well heres why I write this...I cried tonight, lots, like a baby who craves its mothers attention and will cry throughout eternity until it gets some form of earthly motherly love. Anywhoo it only hit me tonight that Stony Plain IS my home, and Always will be* For years I wanted to just get away, Kaleo was my way out, and boy did it ever work fine. I remember Jim, when you always mentioned that Kaleo's ending was only a new begining. What we were to take from Kaleo, if anything, was the community aspect. To cope with loss by forming our own little Kaleo's. And it was only until tonight that I realized Ive built that Kaleo back in Stony PLain through my youth group, old friends and even my old parents...lol (just had to throw that one in)

So I sit here @, now 2:03 AM, writing from my desk in my room @ BBC, admitting to you all that, like Kirk, I sit here at this moment and dont even miss you guys!!! HAHAHA! I have a new Kaleo that I tended to all summer in blind aknowledgment of Jims words. Yeah I still pray for you guys, yeah I still love you to death and yeah I will still do my best to keep you pdated in my life, but I can say with a clear conscious mind that I will be wed, retired and dead in Stony Plain, Alberta. Thank you Jim, may all of you find encouragment through these words, and never lose sight of what Kaleo did for you, and is STILL doing for you!!!

I Love you all and (dont) miss (but really do...in a way) you all.

Be Blessed and keep walking in FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14***

I miss my mommy!

Your brother and prayer warrior in Christ...

Jason :D