Actually in time

Past Two Days

2007-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Some of the things I've done since yesterday morning:

1. Burned my toaster...There is only one outlet in my kitchen that works; it's the one behind the stove. I was boiling a kettle and making toast at the same time, I turned on the wrong burner.
2. Spilled coffee all over my desk at work while on the phone
3. Poured a glass of water all over myself while out for lunch with colleagues.
4. Went home to change, and realized I left my keys at the office (I climbed in the window)
5. While returning a the car I borrowed to do an interview in Woodstock, I carelessly left my keys on the passenger seat of the car. I didn't realize this until I got home. This time when I climbed in the window, I noticed that there is a bee hive VERY close to the window...I should wear them around my neck.

On a positive note, I am taking care of a friends community garden while she is away, and I get to reap what she has sewn! Yippie!

Creations From My Very Small Kitchen

2007-07-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

My kitchen may only be about one square meter, but that doesn't stop me from making big messes, experimenting with new foods and EATING! For anyone who is interested, I have included the ingredients I used for the delightful things I have made recently. In terms of measurements and instructions, you are on your own. If you really want to know, I can tell you.

Chickpea salad: Chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and many spices: garlic, celery seed, pepper, salt, dill, oregano, basil, garlic and peppers. It's delicious as an appetizer or light lunch.

Spring rolls: cabbage, shredded carrots, bean sprouts and rice paper. I cheated and bought a sweet and sour sauce from the store. However, you could use a peanut or curry sauce too.

Red pepper and black bean soup: Red peppers (3), a can of black beans, olive oil, water, chili powder, chicken stock, garlic, red pepper spread that i get at Food Basics, onion, zucchini, tomato sauce.

Curry-Ginger Rice noodle stuff: I don't remember everything i put in this, but here is what I can think of. Rice noodles, veggies: red and green peppers, carrots, green and yellow zucchini. For the sauce: plain yogurt, lots and lots of curry, ginger, peanut oil and NATURAL peanut butter, honey and garlic. Instead of plain yogurt you could also use coconut milk, but then you need to thicken it. If you use coconut milk, you don't need honey. I didn't have any coriander, but this dish needs it for sure.

I hope that these ingredients find someone well. If anyone actually tries any of them, let me know.

Today I bought lychee in a can, I'm excited...

2007-07-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

I changed the template of my blog again, because the last one was making me feel seasick every time I read it. I also changed the caption at the top to more realistically reflect this blog. Perhaps this new colour will inspire me to blog more often...but don't count on it.

Now that I am blogging, I will take this opportunity to give a little update on my life. In short, I'm working full-time at Homestead now. I have two jobs there, one as the "Coordinator of Volunteer Resources" (pretty fancy eh?) and the other is as a support worker in the group home. Also, I think I'm becoming a better speller...honestly... we'll see. My parents are building an arena, and they have a functional website now: www.drummerhillstables.ca check it out, there are some pretty pictures.

I think that's about it...

Who'd a thunk?

2007-06-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

As you may have guessed by my sporadic blogging, i am running out of ideas to blog about. So, i have decided tell you 10 (if i can come up with 10) things you may not know about me. The idea of this blog was inspired a few months ago, but never came in to existence until now.

1. I had no sense of humour when i was a child...my parents can attest to this. I didn't actually develop one until i was about 15.
2. I didn't get my G1 until a few months after I turned 17.
3. I worked at McDonalds and Dollarama... perhaps the darkest secret of my past.
4. I went to 5 schools before University, 3 elementary schools and 2 high schools.
5. The doctor who delivered me was named Dr. Nurse.
6. I've been on time since the day i was born...yup, I was actually born on my due date!
7. I absolutely love George Orwell and i think he's the best author next to God.
8. I have an ugly green children's soft ball t-shirt that i got from Value Village over 6 years ago that i just can't part with. I still wear it.
9. I once died my hair bright red with a bingo dabber, and it didn't come out for over a month. It looked horrible, and after i washed it a couple of times, it was more pink than red. I won't tell you how old i was when i did this...
10. When i was in grade 5, i was late (yes, I was late) everyday for school because i stopped at the candy store on the way. I had detention every morning recess for the whole year.

Jasper and Frodo

2007-05-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Meet Jasper and Frodo, the most wonderful donkeys on earth. They are my long-time companions and friends. Let me tell you a little about them:

Age: 12ish
Employer: Drummerhill stables
Position: Lawn Mowers, Guard Donkeys.
Favorite foods: Christmas trees, grass, hay, carrots, apples, weeds.
Favorite pass times: Frolicking, eating, rough-housing.
Interesting facts: Donkeys protect other animals by luring in predators. They play dead, then when the predator comes for an easy meal, the donkey will kick the crap out of them. Luckily, neither Jasper or Frodo have ever had to do this... they have electric fences to thank for this!

Discovering Hamilton

2007-05-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago i headed over to Ottawa st. because i wanted to check out a used furniture store. Well, i didn't find what i was looking for there, but i did discover The Spice Emporium. It's a little shoppe that sells spices, (obviously) and loose leaf tea (4 kinds of which are Fair Trade). I purchased a little bag of English Breakfast tea and it's quite delightful! So, if you are in that end of town, check it out!

hamilton library main branch

2007-04-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

If anyone wants to know, the hamilton library on York is having book sale all this week. Apparently, there will be books from $.25-5.00!

Good Solid Teaching

2007-04-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

Today God has taught me something very important: It is so easy for me to kneel before God, but there is almost nothing more difficult than staying there. For the first time in a long time, I am both humbled and encouraged.

Most Exciting Thing Ever!

2007-04-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

I started sponsoring a child fromUganda...AND SHE'S FROM SOROTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only that, but she's from the Tubur Project, which is the World Vision Office i visited when i was there! Whoot Whoot!!!

Stupidity is Expensive!

2007-04-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

For example, locking your keys in your car costs $45!

On another note, this happened on my way home from a very successful shopping trip, so who can complain?

Work vs School

2007-04-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

As much as I like being in the "working world", I do miss school. I like the variety that comes with school. Classes, readings, papers, group studying, late nights, late mornings, early mornings, living cheap with too many people crammed into a small space, the feeling that comes with handing in a paper after I spent the entire night finishing it, walking down the halls and seeing countless people I know. Work has its perks too, but it's hard to get used to. I like that when i go home i have free time, i like that i can build relationships with new people and I really like the satisfaction of earning a pay cheque. But, I miss having deadlines, goals and small projects. I think I want to go back to school.

Ridiculously Loud Music in your Car Syndrome

2007-03-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Recent research has discovered a new illness called Ridiculously Loud Music in your Car Syndrome, or RLMCS. This illness affects people mostly between the hours of 11pm and 2am, however, it can hit at any time. Most sufferers drive American made pseudo-sports cars in the coulours of black, yellow and red and silver. Like many illnesses, those who suffer usually have no idea. I personally do not suffer from this illness, but because i live near a fairly busy intersection, i am affected. As a contributing member of society, i feel it is my duty to help those who suffer get help. The first step is identifying that you have a problem. Here are the symptoms and diagnosis criteria, as well as treatment options.

To be diagnosed, the affected individual must exhibit at least three of the following symptoms for at least 2 weeks.

1. An obsession with the volume dial on his/her car stereo.
2. A more than normal attraction to no down payment deals at stereo shoppes.
3. A ringing in the ears after exiting the car.
4. The inability to hear or converse with passengers.
5. "ideal world fantasy", this is the belief that no one ever honks their horn in traffic. It's obviously not true, you simply can't hear it.

There is no known cause of this illness, and therefore no cure. However, the following treatments have proven to be affective.

1. Avoid buying car stereos that are really meant for stadiums.
2. Try having a conversation with the other people in your car and turn off the music.
3. Turn off the bass, usually other people outside of your car can only hear this. If you turn it off or even down, you can still enjoy music AND conversation at the same time.
4. Avoid driving between the hours of 11pm and 2am, as this is the time you will be most tempted.

* NOTE, RLMCS is not to be confused with RLMAS which stands for Ridiculously Loud Music in your Apartment Syndrome. Although most who suffer from one suffer from both, they are not the same and each require different treatment. I am not so concerned with the latter, as it does not affect me.

Cheers to new Beginnings

2007-03-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

So, I have two jobs and an apartment. I am a support worker for both Homestead Christian Care and Christian Horizons and I am spending my first night in my new apartment. After two months of stressing and not trusting, God has once again shown me that he does have a plan and that everything does eventually fall into place.

2007-02-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

So, once upon a day last week I decided to change my blog template. However, while i was changing it, I shut down my computer and decided to do it later. As you can see, it just went ahead and did it anyway. I didn't realize that i would lose all my links... So, it may be a while before i do all that stuff again, because i don't really enjoy that kind of thing.

I Love Sundays

2007-01-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

I love Sundays. I love Sundays because I see a lot of great people I don't see through the week. I love Sundays because I love First Church. I love how quickly I have been meeting people there, and how welcoming everyone is. I love afternoon napping, I love soup and buns, I love being able to relax for an entire day. I love fellowshipping on Sunday afternoons. Sunday is the best day of the week.

Faith Like a Child

2007-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Before I went to Uganda, there were not a lot of children in my life. Because of this, I never really had the chance to witness what can happen when a child prays. When I was in Uganda I was blessed with the opportunity to more deeply understand how powerful a child's faith can be. We had a little girl named Dinah, who many of you have already heard stories of. When she came to us at the age of one and a half, she weighed only 10 pounds. Her skin was leathery, her face was gaunt and her hair was wirery. She refused to eat and when we fed her with a tube she forced herself to vomit. She seemed like she had the will to live, but was doing everything in her power to die. We prayed for almost a week for her, and she was making little or no improvements. Sometimes she would eat her breakfast, but then not eat for the rest of the day. We were all broken hearted and giving up hope for Dinah.
One night after all the small children went to bed we gathered around her to pray. Many of us were crying while we watched this tiny child sleeping with a tube in her nose and socks around her hands (so that she wouldn't pull out the tube). Els, the founder of Amecet, asked Anthony, one of the older children if he would be the one who prayed. His prayer was bold and completely unreserved. The next morning Dinah ate all of her breakfast with out a fight. When snack time came at 10:00, she ate her entire mandazi (kind of like a cookie) and started grabbing them from the other children. She even started picking-up crumbs off the ground!
As i have mentioned, the thing that really strikes me about this miraculous turnaround, is that when Anthony prayed, he just said "God save this child". He said it as if it had already started happening. As if he knew that God would, because He is able. He didn't say "if it's your will, please save this child", he just said "save this child". In his mind, it had to be God's will to save a child, why wouldn't it be? I think Anthony was right and I pray that one day I will learn to pray like him.

Look What He Did!

2007-01-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

Mt. Elgon, the Nile River and the Soroti rock.

2007-01-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

The Hammer

2006-12-30T05:28:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays many people asked me what my plans are now that I'm back from Uganda. When i tell them i am looking for a job and hope to move to Hamilton, they say "Hamilton eh? You must have friends there". Or, "Hamilton, isn't that city scary at night"? And my favorite, "Doesn't Hamilton smell bad"? In my home, Hamilton really took a beating over the holidays. This blog is dedicated to "the Hammer". These are the top 10 reasons I would like to live in Hamilton.
10. It's only half an hour from my parent's house.
9. The view of the city from the escarpment at night.
8. One way streets that bicycles can (legally) ride the wrong way on.
7. Pier 4
6.Hamilton Farmer's Market ( It's got everything!).
5. Locke St.
4. First Hamilton CRC
3. The Bruce Trail along the escarpment
2. The Living Rock
1. My Redeemer friends, most of whom have taken up residence in Hamilton.

Free Time

2006-12-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

SInce I've been home i have had a lot of time to catch up with family and friends. It's been so nice to be able to enjoy Christmas parties, breakfast dates and just hanging out. Because I'm unemployed, i have all the time in the world to do the things i don't usually make enough time for. However, i don't know for how much longer i can do nothing. Being unemployed is fun for a little while, but i'm starting to feel anxious and a little bored. I know God has a plan for me to find a job and an apartment, but i feel like i have to be the one to make it all happen instead of just trusting Him.

My Children- Can't you see the resemblance?

2006-12-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

home

2006-12-11T03:21:00.000-08:00

After almot 40 hours of travelling i am home. Right now it's 6am on Monday morning. I thought after so much flying that i woud be able to sleep for a week, but my body is very confused about where and when it is. For me it's 2pm and that's just not sleeping time. I'm so glad that i am back to see everyone, show pictures and eat yummy food, but i miss the children so so so much right now.

IN the future i will blog about all the things i learned in Uganda, about World AIDS day (which was on Dec. 1) and my general thoughts about being home. Right now i just want to relax and drink my very tasty Ugandan coffee.

The warmest birthday ever!

2006-11-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

Wow! i was so blessed this birthday! Thank you to everyone who sent me cards, ecards and emails for my birthday! i felt very loved and missed! For the first time in my life i got to have a water fight on my birthday! ( it started wiht everyone throwing baloons at me) when i was a kid i was always jealouse of the other kids who had summer birthdays because they got to have pool parties and water fights. Who knew my birthday dreams would come true in Uganda!

I can't believe my time here is almost up! i am excited about comming home and sad about leaving. the other day i was watching some of the children dancing and it really hit me hard how much i am going to miss them. I will miss praying with them before bed, i will miss being called auntie a-sha-ley, i will miss the way they dance and sing, the way they eat more in one meal than i can eat in a whole day, the way the small ones giggle when i tickle them and the way i giggle when the big ones tickle me! The children here are really beautiful and i can't wait to post pictures of them.

On another note, i am a little nervous about the bus and taxi ride to the airport. I have to take a bus for 7 hours from here to Kampala and then find a private hire taxi from Kampala to the airport. i am a little nervous because it is not uncommon for the buses to breakdown. Also, it's a long way to travel alone. Please pray that i will be safe for the entire trip.

There isn't really a whole lot more to blog about now, however i hope to blog one or two more times before i come home.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for me! It is evident in the many blessings i am receiving here!

Uganda, Canada and the Philippines

2006-11-21T02:15:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while since my last up-date, but i again have time, energy and working internet.

we got another new child, her name is DInah. She is one and a half, wieghs 10 pounds and was named the day we got her. He family never gave her a name! SHe has a huge appetite (for obvious reasons) but hates drinking. Every time we try to give her milk, water or tea she fights. THis morning we gave her a feeding tube. I am really praying that she will live. SHe is a fighter. When I look at her i can she that she wants to live. I believe God can keep her alive.

So, here i am in Uganda (with a bunch of dutch people) and two canadians, from Kitchener arrive for a few days. It was weird to be around native English speakers again. i could use big words nd speak at a normal pace again. SInce no one here speaks English as their fitst language, i am constantly thinking about my vocabulary and speaking slowly

This past week we had a group of people from the Philippines visiting us for 5 days. it was nice because they took all the Ugandan staff out for a day wit the managers while myself, two Marleen and Nathalie and two Canadian women (who met up with the pilippinian team in JInja) took care of the children for the day. it was a long and busy day, but it was good for the poeple here to be able to get away. I also talked to one of the ladies from the Philippines who told me of a ministry that builds schools, trains teachers and generally works for education development. i told her i was interested in possibly going to help out in the summer... i am planning another trip while i am still here in Uganda. Ilove it!

Before i came here there were some things that i thought i would miss. there are also things that i miss that i never thought i woudl miss. i thuoght i would miss chocolate, but i don't miss it that much. i didn't think i woud miss the change of seasons, but i do. i've had summer for almost 6 months now. i think i am ready for snow.

I have a strange feeling of not knowing where i want to be. i want to come home, see everyone, tell you all about my trip and stop eating so many beans. I also want to stay here with the children, the easy-going pase and sunshine ( i know i just said i'm ready for snow, but that will pass im sure). I really feel like i don't know where i belong right now.

Jinja, Adventures on the Road and More Chickens

2006-11-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

It's already November 11! Not only does that mean that my birthday is in 14 days, but it's also remembrance day. Here there is no recognition of the wars, in fact, many people don't even know that today is a significant day in history. That's a little strange for me.

Jinja

This past week on Monday i left for Jinja, a city on Lake Victoria, after my shift was finished. i went with two Dutch girls, Nathalie and Marleen. We took the five hour bus ride, then stayed at the YWAM national office. The most significant part of Jinja is not just Lake Victoria, but that Lake Victoria is the sourse of the Nile! It was absolutely beautiful! We stayed for 3 days eating wonderful food, shopping and not being the only Mzungus.

Adventures on the Road

When we were in JInja we took bodas (the bicycles that carry you on the back) to the YWAM office. IT was a dark night and our bodas had no idea where they were going. Nathalie's boda hit a pedestrian and mine dropped me. When we asked them to take us the the children's hospital (because the office was near it), they took us to the middle of nowhere. We demanded that they take us where we asked to go. When we arrived, they wanted more money for the extra driving. We told them that it was their fault for not taking us where we wanted to go originally.
The next day we went out to a very nice restaurant called Gately on the NIle. We ate nice western food and enjoyed eachothers company. After dinner we began to look for boda bodas ( motor bikes that carry you on the back). As we were walking down the street in the dark i said to the other girls; "what would our mothers think if they knew we were walking down the street in the dark, in Africa, alone, looking for strange men on moter bikes to take us back to the office?" We laughed and decided we wouldn't tell them. Sorry mom. When we finally found boda bodas, they raced with eachother to our destination. i think they were going about 70 klics an hour. It was both scary and fun.
Onthe way home from Jinja there was no bus so we had to take the taxi. At one point there was already 18 people in the taxi when a very LARGE women wanted get in. Nathalie and i looked at eachother thinking, there's no way! But, as you all know, the taxi is never full and she and her daughter managed to fit in. She took up two seats, but there was still three other people on her bench. Each bench has two regular sized seats and one small fold down chair. I felt sorry for the other people on her bench.

More Chickens

We got back from JInja on Wednesday just in time to slaughter the chickens. Yes, i slaughtered a chicken. First i watched Marleen do it and then i did it myself. I will briefly explain how. First, i held the beek in my left hand and the knife in my right. I held down the wings with one foot and the legs with my right. I slit the throught with the knife. The neck bone was very hard, so i had to kind of saw through it. Blood was spraying out and the nervs in the body were moving like crazy. I managed to not get any blood on my clothes. The whole proceedure took about 3 minutes. It was very exciting and i will have you all over from fresh chicken when i get back.

So, that has been my week in brief. All of the children are doing well. Like always, there are children with Malaria, but overall, they are well. I am a little sick. i have had a cold for about two weeks now. It's difficult to fight it here because not all of the food is very nutritious. I am trying to eat more fruit and remember my vitamines.

The Village, Chickens and children

2006-11-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Helen's Village

Last week Wednesday one of my Ugandan co-workers was kind enough to take me and my roommate Nathalie (who by the way has Malaria again!) to her village. We left around 8am, took a taxi to the nearest shopping centre to her village and then road a boda through a dirt path to her family's compound. A boda is a type of bike. You sit on a seat on the back while someone drives you to where you want to go. When we arrived we were welcomed warmly by her large family. About half an hour after we got there they started to feed us. We didn't stop eating until we left at around 4:30. First we had doughnuts, potatoes and sodas, followed by oranges. When i only ate two oranges (which should really be called greenges because i have yet to see an orange orange) her father said "really, that's all you want?". She then took us to her uncle's house and her grandfathers house which were about a 7 minute walk from her's. After we came back from our small walk we had chicken and rice. A lot of chicken and rice. There was a piece of chicken i had never seen before in my bowl, so of course i didn't ask questions and i ate it. It was yucky. After we finished our lunch we had another doughnut (the doughnuts here are much bigger and thicker than one would find and Tim Horton's). Nathalie and I felt so blessed because we could tell that Helen's family had been preparing for our visit for days. They slaughtered a chicken for us, prepared doughnuts, potatoes, bought sodas and showed us all around. The entire day they didn't stop thanking us for comming. As a thank-you gift for us for comming to their village they gave us a pineapple. One of their family friends even said to me that they were so greatful because most Mzungus never come into the villages because they are afraid. I was quite surprised because when she asked me i though really? can i really come to your village? THe day was really amazing and i will not forget it.

Chickens

Today i watched the cooks slaughter a chicken. WHen they were cutting it open I recognized the unfamiliar piece from Helen's village...THE STOMACH! I ate the stomach of a chicken!!!!! I didn't even know that you could eat the stomach! Next week i am going to slaughter the chicken. i am a little nervouse, but i think i can do it.

Children

Noah is settling in really well now. He still cries for his grandmother (which is a good thing), but he is smiling and playing more and more now. Beatrice has gained a pound and is really happy these days. We are spraying the house to kill the mosquitos so the number of children infected with malaria shoud go down. It's the rainy season now which means more standing water which means more malaria. It's over is a couple of weeks so things should get better.

That's all for now,
blessings,
Ashley

Shelter of Peace, Shelter of Hope.

2006-10-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

It has occured to me that i never write about the weather here. It's hot all the time, sometimes it goes to around 20 degrees, but never colder. SOmetimes at night it's a little hot, but nothing to really complain about. Right now it's the "rainy" season. It only rains at night and then the sun comes up in the morning. As for getting a tan, well, the ozone layer is a little thicker here. I'm not much darker than when i came.

We have 3 new children here, Elvis who is 3 months and very fat and is always crying, Beatrice who is a year and 3 months and is smaller than Elvis. She was neglected by her family and weighs only 12 pounds. She also has Malaria. Our newest boy is called Noah. He is 8 years old, weighs 30 pounds. He has Malaria, TB and is HIV positive. He came two days ago and doesn't really like it here. He doesn't understand why he was taken away from his grandmother. This morning he was playing a bit withDuplo. I think he will warm up to Amecet.

I haven't had many new adventures since the last time i blogged. All the time that i am here i am feeling more and more at home. I'm in a place right now where i am not sure if i want ot be here or in canada. I feel like to don't really know where i belong. Since i have been visiting the school daily, i have felt a strong desire to go in to education development as a career. The children in grade 3 can't read in Atesso or English.

I miss you all and look forward to your comments (that was a hint)
God bless,
Ashley

I have already been here for almost 6 weeks!

2006-10-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

CUrrently, it's 11:15 and i am the night duty person. Right now we have a colicky (sp?) baby who cries a lot, so i will have a busy night. It's a perfect time to blog since the house is empty. I am also enjoying a cup of Ugandan coffee:)

Quick Up-date.

I have been going to the primary school here every day for half an hour to read with the children in grade 3. Most of them can't read English, so i spend most of the time asking questions like "what sound does an "r" make?" Usually the response is something like "house", or another random word. Basically, we have a long way to go. THere are 8 children in the class about 3 of them can read pretty well. The others just look at the pictures and guess. I am hoping to be able to do some lessons, but i am unsure about how to approach the topic, since it is a sensitive one.

More Rules of the Road:

The taxi is never full. The taxis here are 15 passenger vans which usually carry between 20 a nd 24 people at a time. When i went to Budariri i had to sit on Sophia's lap. It was a little squishy to say the least. The people here aren't exactly petit either.

Reflections:

Homesickness occurs mostly as times of boredom. I don't get bored her often, but every day for about an hour or two there isn't much ot do. These are the times when i think about family and friends the most. Also, when i see something really cool, or something that i think someone would really like, i think about people from home.

Sometimes i also think that a cheese sandwitch would be a nice alternative to beans. I don't really mind the food here, some of it is quite nice, but i could really go for some nachos and salsa or veggie pizza.

Although i learned this in psychology 122, the fact that money and happiness have no corilation has been confirmed. Most of the poeple here have never used the internet, driven a car, had a thanksgiving feast, or travelled to another country. None of this seems to matter. Faith here is stronger and more vibrant than i have ever seen it in Canada, America or Europe.

Most of the people my age who work at Amecet don't have both of their parents. I'm not sure what the average life expectancy is, but it is obviously not high. SOme of the people here (including one of the children) have had siblings and parents murdered by LRA rebels. I still can't wrap my mind around how difficult something like that would be. Still, life goes on here. One of the children here lost his brother and his mother to the LRA. When he was small boy ( he is around 11 now), the LRA rebels were invading his village. His mother was sick, so she couldn't leave. She told him and his brother to run as fast and as far as they could. When his brother went back to see if his mother was okay, he found her hanging from a tree. The rebels also killed him (the brother). The boy ran to Amecet and has been here since. Despite being HIV positive, and having lost everything he is still vibrant and full of faith. The faith of the children here has challenged me beyone what i can express in a blog. I can only pray that it is evident in my actions.

I have to do the midnight feeding now. Take care, i will blog again soon
Ashley

More Adventures from Uganda!

2006-10-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

.So, it's been over a week since my last blog... there are two reasons for that. THe first is that the internet wasn't working here for a few days. The second is that i was sick in bed with Malaria for 4 days. No worries, i am okay now. Malaria is probably one of the worst sickness i have ever experienced. WHen you eat, it either goes right down, or comes back up. WHen you stand up, the room starts spinning, everything changes funny colours and you face starts sweating like you ran a 30k race in 45 degree weather. But now i am okay. I had a whole plate of dinner tonight, the first meal is 4 days. I lost 6 pounds in 4 days, but i am assured it will all come back.

So, other news...
Last week i went on a little trip to Budariri with Sophia, one of the dutch girls here. Budariri is the coffee growing district here in Uganda, so you can imaging it was pretty exciting for me:). Our plans were to hike up a mountain to go in a cave, but it started pouring rain when we were about half an hour from the top. Our guide told us it would be too muddy to continue. A nice lady let us stay in her house while it rained. She made us tea and Chapati. Her house was a clay hut, about 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide in the room that we were in. Off to the side was a little kitchen. The poeple here do most of their cooking outside.

Budariri was beautiful! Everything was so green and tropical! I got to see the coffee farmers drying out the beans on mats outside their homes.

My time here continues to be very interesting! Throughout the week i thought of many things i wanted to blog about, but now i forget them all. I will try to blog more, we have power almost all the time now, so that if good news for the internet!

I miss you all!
blessings,
Ashley

Good times and Bad times

2006-10-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have some good things to write about and some horrible news. I will start with horrible, since that is always best. Baby William ( the 2 pound baby) died on SUnday afternoon. He just stopped breathing. No one really knows what happened. He was feeding and suddenly he died. At first it was a little shocking, then really sad. I knew before i came here that something like this might happen, but there is no way to be ready. WIlliam was such a beautiful baby and he was doing so well. It's really terrible for the other children, because they know they could be next. Rest in peace Baby WIlliam.

So, some good news. Two of the other babies were healthy enough to go back to go back home. Praise God!

Thoughts about Uganda so far:

Rules of the Road: Pedestrians are at the bottom of the commuting hierarchy. First is cars, then bikes, then people. For this reason you always cross the street between two intersections and never actually at an intersection. This is because there are only two possible directions the cars and bikes can be going. If you are in the way, that's too bad for you. Tday i was almost run over by a bike. The guy saw me and had no intentions of going around me. WHen i dodged him, i almost walked into another bike. I made the nearly fatal mistake of crossing at an intersection. I thought because i looked in every possible direction that it was safe to cross. Cars and bikes just seem to come out of nowhere here.

It's difficult to get a straight answer here. This is very difficult for me, everyone knows i like things straight-up. If you ask if something is okay the answer you get is something like this; "Maybe it's ok". I think that means yes, but sometimes it also can mean "no". You really have to pay attention to the tone.

The other day i was in the internet cafe writing emails, reading my blog etc. when i very strange thing happened. i looked over to my right and this guy who looked about 18 or 19 was staring at me. WHen i looked over he didn't even stop. i found that weird because usually when you get caught staring at someone you look away quickly and pretend you weren't. After about 5 minutes he left. I finished me emails and after about 20 minutes i left. WHo do you think might be waiting for me? YOu guessed it, the buy who was staring at me. "mzungu, what is your name?", "Mzungu, i want to be your friend", "Why are you in Uganda?" "WHere are you staying?", "WHere are you going now?" "Can i have your email address?". At that time i politely told him that i didn't give out personal information to strangers and went into the closest shoppe (which happened to be the one i wanted to go ino regardless).

It has been brought to my attention that some people may be wondering what i do all day. I work 8 hours a day, just like in Canada. I have a day off every 7 or 8 days. About every ten days i have a night duty which requires me to stay up in the house where all the babies are and do the feedings, 12:00 and 2:00 am medicines, bath the children, make the breakfast porridge and respond to anything that can come up. This shift starts at 6pm and goes to 8am. On the other shifts, either from 7-3 or 1-9 i help with meals, change diapers, give medicines, take toddlers to the potty and play with children. MOst of the time it's pretty relaxed here. Sometimes we need to take the children to the doctor. Usually before or after work i like to go to the market or for walks around Soroti.

I do have some prayer requests. First, please pray that will have continued strength. Also, pray that I will stay healthy. My roommate, who is taking the same anti-malaria vaccine as I am, has malaria. Please pray that she will feel better tomorrow, she has medicine she is taking, but she feels terrible. Also, pray for a little boy named Abraham. He is almost 2, very sweet, very happy, but has terrible nightmares every night. He is always screaming in his sleep. I don't know what happend to him before he came to Amecet, but it must have been pretty horrible.

I miss you all! Thanks for posting comments on my blog, i always look forward to reading them!

Yoga Everyone! (Remember, Yoga means "hi" here and is not a funky new-age exercise)

2006-09-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

I love it here! I love the people, the heat, the coffee and the pace. I'm getting used to wearing a skirt all the time and to eating beans every day for lunch and rice almost every night for supper.

Yesterday i went to a big rock/mountain here is Soroti. It was quite beautiful. I took many pictures, i hope to be able to post them soon. i will have to ask if i can use the computer that has a free USB port. It's officially a "management only computer".

At Amecet we have a baby boy who weighs less than 3 pounds. WHen he arrived a week and a half ago he was only 2.5 pounds. It's completely a miracle that he is alive. His arms and legs are so skinny. His hands are a little bigger than my thumb print. Although his head fits into my hand, he has a head of hair like a gorilla. It's adorable! When he first came he couldn't drink, we had to use a syringe to feed him. Now he can drink with a bottle.

Uganda is not a place for people who don't like bugs! Even the fridge has huge beatles and some other things i've never seen before. The other day i saw a cockroack the size of the palm of my hand. Every corner has spider webs, especially in the kitchen. I also had a little lizard living in the corner of my room, i named him Fred. We were friends because eats the mosquitos that want to eat me. I had to change rooms, so i haven't seem Fred for a few days now. Thankfully i haven't seen any snakes. I can handle just about any bug or small reptile but i HATE snakes!

Every day i am here, i realize how much i have in Canada. Yesterday i went out for lunch with one of the girls from Holland and and once of the girls from Soroti. When we asked the waitress to take a picture, she pointed the camera towards herself. WHen she finally figured out how to take the picture, she got a nice shot of our feet. Even children in the west know how to use things like digital cameras and computers. Most people here don't have either. Sometimes people ask me questions like "does the power go out in Canada?" and i think of the time we had a blackout and no one knew what to do! SOmeone asked me "is it true that almost everyone has a car?" I am embarrassed to say "yes" .

I think this computer is going to shut down on me, so i should publish this post.

I miss you all!
blessings,
Ashley

Week 2

2006-09-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I have so much to say again, I don't know where to start. Thanks for the comments on my last post. I got my suitcase on Sunday, which was a huge blessing! I fninally got to change my clothes:)

Right now at Amecet we have 7 toddlers, 3 babies and 2 older children (i don't know if i said that already?) I am learning some Ateso and i have learned to play one song on a lungo. It's an instrument with metal keys you pluck with you thumbs.

Everything is so different here. Yesterday i went to one of the villages to bring a baby back to her family. The childrn come to Amecet when they are sick, then when they are better they go back to their families. Her village was made up of compounds. Each family has a compound with little houses made of clay with bamboo roofs. This family was quite large. I think extended families live together. Polygamy (spelling?) is still common in the villages, so there were many children. The family was so greatful to have their baby back healthy that they gave me and the person I was with a chicken. Next Wednesday i am going to learn to butcher and cook it :) I am here to try new things...

The names of some of the stores here are really funny, for example "God's Grace Grocery". Also, Emma is a boy's name here and not a girls name. That was a little confusing at first.

I am settling in quite well and am not yet in a hury to come home. However, i do wish you were all here. There are so many things here that I wish i could share with my family and friends. Amecet is almost always open to new arrivals...if anyone wants to get away...

It's very hot here especially at night. Most of the time it's not humid.

In Atesso a white person is called a musungu, so when i walk down the streen i hear little children saying "Musungu, musungo" to eachother. SOmetimes they even come up to me a shake my hand. (If i am wish someone from Soroti they only shake my hand). Then they look at their hands to see if any of my skin came off. It's kinda fun! The kids are always so happy when i say "hi" to them. I think many of them have never seen a musungu before!

I miss you all!
blessings,
Ashley

Yoga! (the greeting here in Soroti)

2006-09-16T02:32:00.000-07:00

I'm Here! (Well, I've been here since monday). The plane rides were long, 7 hours to Amsterdam, another 8 hours to Nairobi and then another 1 hour to Entebbe. With the layovers it took me 22 hours to get here. On my first night i stayed at a flight hotel in Entebbe. The next morning we drove 6 hours to Soroti, the city where the I am living for the next 3 months. Surprise! there were 4 Dutch guys who also arived in Entebbe when i did and they are working at the YWAM base here in Soroti for 3 weeks. When i got here there was no power or running water. Also, my suitcase with all my clothes, toilettries and meds was delayed! (I'm getting it today finally).
I have so much to say! I don't know where to start. The people are very friendly and welcoming. The food is okay, we eat beans and pocho (imagine a mix between mashed potatoes and rice) everyday for lunch. I like beans, but not everyday. Thank you to everyone who told me to bring peanut butter!
I am staying at a house with mostly toddlers and babies! They are so cute! There is also two older girls at this house. In the compound next to ours there is another YWAM house with the older children. All of the children but one baby are HIV positive. It's really diffucult to accept that these children, who don't even know it themselves, have a terminal illness. Also, since i have been here two of the toddlers have had Malaria. I'm told that people get it all the time here. It's treatable, but is extra hard on babies who have AIDS. Yesterday i went to the hospital with 4 of the children. The only thing similar to hospitals in Canada is the waiting time. Many children come to the hospital alone to recieve their ARVs (AIDS treatment). The hospitals looked like the ones we see in war movies. The hosptials don't provide food for the patients, so the families must make their own. Therefore, in the court yard there are chickens running around. Also, when the power goes out (which since i've been here is more often than not) there is no power in the hospital. Only the hospitals in the really big cities have generators. So people will be waiting for an x-ray and the power will go out, so they have to go home.
Soroti (and Uganda in general) is very pro-active against AIDS. There is a clinic here where poeple can recieve treatent and get tested. Also there are posters everywhere that say things like "Protect your self and your partner and stay faitful". "Support your friends and tell them abou AIDS". It's good to see that the Ugandan government is fighting this pandemic fiercly.
I have experienced a lot of culture shock so far, but most of it has been a real eye-opener for me. I hope to blog again in a week. I can use the internet more often then i thought, so feel free to email me and i can send a more personal response.

God bless,
Ashley

The Official Site for Uganda Updates

2006-09-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

I am heading for Toronot in less than four hours! I am both excited and nervous. I have been planning this trip for eight months now, and it wasn't until last night that I thought; "can i do this?". Will I have the grace and compasion to love small children? Will i have the stamina to get through home sickness, no warm water and no friends and family to support me? The answer is "no". Alone i can do none of this, so my humanity forces me to depend on God for all of these things. Please pray for me and for the work of God in Soroti, Uganda.

Until December, this is my primary mode of communication, so stay posted for updates of my next three months in Uganda.

a good summer

2006-08-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

Because i love lists, here is a list of the 10 coolest things i have done (0r am still doing) this summer (in no particular order):
10. a lot of road biking
9. planed a barn dance
8. planning a 25th anniversary party for my parents.
7. working at the Rock
6. teaching one of the youth at work how to read (this has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things i have ever done).
5.Kat's cottage bash
4. visiting with my brother and sister in law who live in Halifax (they surprised us and came here for a week!).
3. Celebrated weddings with Andrea & Steve and Trish & Jay
2. Amanda's birthday party
1. Visiting Melissa at her cottage

This has been a good summer. I am looking forward to leaving for Uganda, but as i look at this list i realize that i am leaving a lot of good things here... I am blessed.

count down

2006-07-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for Uganda in exactly 7 weeks from today, which is only 49 days! Please pray for me because I still need to raise around $400 dollars. Any fundraising ideas? I would also like to bring some extra money with me to the orphanage.

For those of you who don't know, I will be volunteering in an orphanage where most of the children lost their parents to AIDS and many are therefore infected themselves. Many of the children are also infected with Yellow Fever, Scarlet Fever and Malaria. I am blessed that God has given me such an amazing oppertunity, but at the same time I feel very inadequet to work in a setting like this one. Pray that God will give me wisdom, patience and perseverence. Pray also that God will turn my cozy world upside-down and use this experience to help me figure out where I should be serving Him after.

confession

2006-07-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

The other day i was surprised at something God is doing in the life of one of the youth at work. Then it occured to me that i shouldn't be surprised, because of course God changes lives. Then I started to realize that my faith has been lacking lately. I don't doubt at all that God can do miracles, and work in peoples lives and do amazing things. My doubts are more serious than that; I have been doubting that God does not that He can. I know God loves, I know God is Love. I know he forgives, shows mercy and grace, gives us things we don't deserve and showers his blessings on us. I know these things but sometimes ( especially recently) I don't believe them. I never really thought to make a distiction between faith in God and Knowledge in God. What I mean is that if I know of God and what He can do, then why not have faith that He will? I have no explaination for this other than a lack of closeness to God. So, I am hoping that this confession will make me accountable to my faithfulness to God, so that I can see and believe His faithfulness to me.

exciting news!

2006-07-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

My flight is booked! I got my itinerary today in my inbox. My departure date is September 10th and my return date is December 9th! I'm getting excited! Less than two months to go! I am also not scared of going to Uganda. The conflict with the LRA in the north has been going on for years, it's just making news now because of the negotiations that government of Uganda is attempting to have with the LRA and the UN. No worries:) I will be in central Uganda, far from the conflict. Although i do appreciate that my inbox has been filled with headlines about Uganda. What can i say? i have good friends.

On another note, every Friday i do car washes with the youth at work, so if you are free and have a dirty car you should come! It's between 11-3 at Part Source on the corner of Cannon and Hughson (both one way streets, cannon goes west and Hughson goes north). Its all by donations and the money supports summer youth projects for the Living Rock.

I feel like after i write a blog i should sign my name or something...
Peace, Ashley

about time

2006-07-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to all the poeple who still check my blog often enough to get anoyed at the fact that i haven't blogged for almost a month.

For the past 6 weeks i have been working at the Living Rock. For the first time in my life, i love my job. I have had jobs that i liked, or didn't mind, but this is the firs time i have actually been able to say "I love my job". I supervise 7 youth who are going through our Tri-Rock program which is basically a program that teaches employment skills. I also get to teach a nutrition group every week and plan day trips.

Also this summer, i have fallen in love with cycling. I have always loved riding my bike, but it just doesn't compare to riding a road bike through the country for long periods of time. My bike is around 30 years old, rusty in spots and baby blue. I have named is hype-T, short for hypothermia. Don't ask. I love cycling so much that i even bought bike shorts....

All month i have been thinking about things i want to blog about and right now i forget all of them. When i remember them, i will blog again.

Barn Dances are the way to go!

2006-06-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

My barn dance benefit was this past weekend, and to say the least, was very successful! We raised over $4000, which means that I have over $2000 for my trip (half of the fundraiser was for a breakfast program in Peru). Not only was it a huge success, but the donations keep comming! My mom's vet donated some money and so did my uncle's friend from his bridge club! People who I don't even know are donating money for my trip! I really believe that God is blessing this endeavour and is being faithful in providing me with the means.

I want to thank all the people who prayed, helped set up, donated stuff, an came out to support me. You guys are all awesome and the bestest-best friends ever!

I don't have pictures yet, but I plan on getting some and I will post them on here as soon as I do.

Barn Dance Benefit

2006-05-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday June 10, from 8:30-11:30ish i am having a benefit to raise money for my trip to Uganda (where i will be volunteering at an orphanage for 4 months) and a breakfast program in Peru. It's a barn dance with a live fiddle band, DJ Mudd and a cold buffet all included in the ticket price. Also, there will be some very cool raffle prizes and a silent auction. Raffle and auction items include a quilt, $50 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant in T.O., art, bird houses, horse back riding lessons, massages, and many other very cool things. Tickets are $10 in advance for students or $15 at the door, and $15 for everyone else in advance or $20 at the door. If you would like more info (such as location) leave a comment and i will get back to you. It will be a TONE of fun, so don't miss it!

Diversity

2006-05-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was walking through a park, I saw two middle-aged poeple sitting in the middle of a feild, playing "Hot Crossed Buns", on recorders. Hamilton is diverse.

Starting Now: Another List

2006-05-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

There are many things I want to start doing this summer and continue doing well into my adut years. Now that I have graduated, I realize that I can no longer avoid structure and order in my day to day life. So, here is a list of goals I have, starting now. I do all of these things now, but not enough.
1. ride my (new/very old road) bike at least 3 times a week.
2. go to lane swim once a week.
3. plan regular fundraisers for organizations I like.
4. give myself at least 1 hour everyday to read the news and the International Development Research Centre webpage.
5. find a job that is satisfying and enjoyable.
7. visit my parents often.
8. read lots and lots of novels.
9. become diciplined enough to do long and thoughtful devotions every single day.

My First Narrative Post.

2006-05-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

It's good to blog again. My appologies to all of you who have visited this blog and have been dissapointed with the lack of bloging lately. This post will hopefully make up for my negligence.

So, on Thursday April 27, I wrote my last undergraduate exam! After that, Gayle, Laura, my good friend Johanna from high school, and I went out for nachos at The Brassie. They were good. Very Very good.

On Friday Johanna and I helped the Van Dorps move back to Wiarton (because they were so generous to offer us a ride up to the Bruce Peninsula so we could go hiking for the weekend, and because we like them). We left a little later than we had planned, but that was okay, because moving was a lot of fun. Before the three of us girls made it to Wiarton, we were privileged enouh to attend a high school fashion show. Jo, Carrie and I all decided that we are all glad to be out of high school. Later that night Jack and Craig joined us at the Van Dorps. At some point in the evening an unnamed person may or may not have locked his or her keys in a running vehicle. It was not me.

Since the Van Dorps offered to let us stay at their house for the weekend instead of camping on the trail, Jo and I slept in warm beds. It was a pretty sweet "camping" trip. On Saturday, Jo and I spent the day wandering down the Bruce trail. It was beautiful. If you haven't been to Wiarton you really should go. If you're lucky, maybe Jack will take you to see Wiarton Willie.

After church on Sunday, we were back on the trails. We saw a porkupine and ruins from an old mansion. Again, Wiarton is beautiful. Go! Sunday night Craig drove Jo back to Guelph (so I won't get to see her for a while :( ) and me home. The weekend can be summed-up in about six words: good trails, good company, and good food.

So, now that the weekend is over, Erin and I have been working at a greenhouse. It's not bad work, however, one can only move so many geraniums. It's quiet here, but we have been enjoying eachother's company (all the time).

Today I set a part of our kitchen on fire. Don't worry housemates, it was only the burner and I smothered it.

So, here is the past week of my life in brief. Kat, Melissa, Mira, Rachel, Laura and Gayle, I miss you, come back home!

April 12 2006

2006-04-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today, April 12, 2006, was the last day of classes in my undergraduate career! I am 22 and i have been in school since i was 4, that's 18 years!
Please don't ask me what I plan to so with my life, because I don't know.

Reformed

2006-04-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I blogged about joinig a church and why I was hesitant, while at the same time feeling a desire to join a church community. I have been praying a lot about what church to join and I have decided to become a member of First Hamilton CRC. Yup, I'm Reformed! It's little weird for me still, I didn't grow up in a church and the one I went to in high school was Brethren. Still, I am looking forward to getting involved with First and getting to know a certain John Calvin a little more.

Money

2006-03-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

The other day i was thinking about money. For example, the large amount of words we associate with money: cash, g's, coin, bucks, dollars, dough, cashola (i've actually heard poeple say that), buy, sell, purchase, wealth, consumer, tax, etc.. Then i was thinking that we have way too many things to do with our money: save, invest, spend, pay taxes, give, lend, hord, borrow, pay tributes to Mammon, count, waste, gambl etc.. Which led me to thinking that we have unending forms of money: credit cards, bills, coins, debit cards, stocks, bonds, travellers cheques, RRSP's etc.. These are just some of the words and ideas that crossed my mind when i was lyingin bed thinking about my student loans. Some food for thought:)

Old and Gold

2006-03-25T16:08:00.001-08:00

In the past 2 or so years, i have been resurrecting much of the music i grew up listening to. In my teenage years i had forgotten just how good my parents' taste in music is. Although during the 80s i suffered through the Erithmics, Rod Stewart and Melissa Ethridge, and for all of my childhood Pink Floyd, most of what they exposed my young ears to is pretty good. The Stevie Miller Band, for example (they sing "The Joker" and "Dance, Dance, Dance) is a good combination of accustic guitar and fun rythms. Eric Clapton, who has most recently employed my CD player, has mastered blues quitar and has an amazing voice. Of all the music i grew up listining to my favorite is that of Creadance Clearwater Revival. Their mixture of blue grass and classic rock sprinkled with 60s/70s hippy lyrics makes long car rides and traffic jams almost fun.

Big Empty House

2006-03-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

For the past 9 days i have been house-sitting a very very LARGE house. Although it has a huge TV, jecuzzi, a work out room that's "nicer than redeemer's", a baby grand for decoration and a very cute dog who wakes me up if I'm not out of bed by 8, i am lonely here. At first it was kinda fun, i mean what's not fun about living in a gigantic house and eating other people's food for a few days? But, it's Friday night and i am blogging... So i guess the moral of the story is that living in a small house with one shower, grammed with 6 girls who all seem to cook dinner at the same time(but not the same food) is much better than being lonely in a big beautiful house in the middle of nowhere. I'll take lots of good friends in a small space any day!

Good Friends Make Good Gifts.

2006-03-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

I mean that in both possible ways. For example, Rachel Legg made a good gift for me (which included "Jagged Little Pill" [before i blogged about it!] and Nerds [also before i blogged]!) and she is herself a good gift to me!
Thanks Rachel, I am blessed to have you as a friend!

Nostalgia

2006-03-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I miss being a pre-teen and doing the things I did when I was 11 and 12. So I have compiled yet another list. I will entitle the list the "It's been way to long since I ..." list.
1. Listened to the entire (minus "You Oughta Know") Alanis Morisette "Jagged Little Pill" CD.
2. Ate a sundey with sprinkles and chocolate sauce and caramel sauce and whipped cream and nerds on it.
3. Told my mom I was sick so I wouldn't have to write my spelling test (for those of you who read my blog often, you are probably thinking that this was a bad idea, well I didn't know that then...)
4. Showed-up late for school because I stopped at the candy store on the way and took to long deciding whether I wanted jelly gobstoppers, hot gobstoppers or regular gobstoppers.
5. Went to bed at 9:00.

Social Justice Week at Redemer

2006-03-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

This week is social justice week at Redeemer and I am very happy about this. For the past few months I have been very convicted and excited about doing what I can to promote social justice her and around the globe. But the truth is I feel small and rather helpless. I know I can buy fair trade coffee, tea, sugar and cocoa (apparently some places even sell fair trade fruit) but it doesn't seem like enough. I feel helpless when it comes to huge issues like corporate corruption and child labour. This is why I am glad that Redeemer is promoting social justice iniciatives. Potentially, 800 more people will be inspired to do what they can to promote justice around the world. Please forgive the utter cliché-ness of this next phrase because although it may sound cheesy, it is nonetheless true. Together we can make a difference.
At Redeemer we can:
1. Buy fair trade coffee from the Market--- and request tea, sugar and cocoa.
2. NOT renew our contract with Coca Cola (see article written by Steve Dykstra in the last issue of the Crown regarding the huge murder scandel)
3. Attend at least one Social Justice Week discussion at Redeemer.

Gayle Tagged Me

2006-02-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

Four Jobs I've had
-Joggers-selling shoes
-Fairview Mennonite Home- feeding old people
-Sunset Villa Restaurant-Serving
-Ancaster Paving-painting tennis courts

Four Movies I could watch over and over again
-School Ties
-The Wizard of Oz
-Save The Last Dance
-Mary Poppins

Four Books I could read over and over again
-The Bible
-The Wizard of Oz (It's really really good, and the book has a little villiage made of glass)
-Operation World
-Mere Christianity

Places I've Lived
-Kitchener ON,
-Cambridge ON,
-Puslinch ON,
-Soest Germany (if three months counts)
-Ancaster and Hamilton

Places I've been on Vacation
-Denmark
-Germany
-Switzerland
-Florida
-West Virginia

Four favorite foods
-chocolate moose, chololate fondue, chocolate ice cream, chocolate pie, chocolate pudding, chocolate bars, chocolate truffles
-pizza in all forms
-almost all Danish food
-pasta

Websites I visit daily
-google
-hotmail
-blogs

Four favorite kinds of beer
-Moosehead
-Corona (must have lime)
-Heinekin
-Carlsberg Red

Four favorite non-alcoholic drinks
-milk
-Fair Trade tea and coffee
-grapefruit juice
-water

Four favorite musicians
-Jars of Clay
-Jack Johnson
-Gershwin bros (and anything by them that Ella Fitzgerald has preformed)
- the Hip

Four places i would rather be
-many places in Africa
-Germany
-Denmark
-Anywhere with mountains

Most recent books I have read
-Things Fall Apart
-The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauda Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written by Himself
-The French Revolution (I have a midterm on Wednesday)
-The Wizard of Oz (again, it's really good)

Most Recent Movies I've seen
-The Juror
-The Constant Gardiner (very very good!)
-Flight Plan
-Lords of Dogtown

What's on my Desk
T4s, pens, a computer that doesn't work, box of envalopes, pictures of cool poeple, deodarent, a belt, candles, vases, stickers, paper, work I should be doing right now, books (it's a little messy right now)

People I tag:
Jo
Mikey
Jason

The Mountain State on a Whim

2006-02-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

On Thursday February 17 Rachel and I decided to drive to West Virginia the next morning. We basically woke-up, packed and hit the road (with a minor delay at Shoppers). We arrived at the Ramada Plaza Hotel around 11 pm, where we would be staying until Sunday (we found a really good deal on hotwire.com) . Map Quest said the drive would take 8 hours and 1 minute, it took us a little longer... So to make what could be a very long blog short, I will list some of my favorite aspects of the weekend (in no particular order).
1. Rachel sort-of learning to drive standard.
2. me trying to save Rachel's life in my sleep in the middle of the night (Rachel's blog may have more details about this adventure).
3. Target.
4. The Olive Garden
5. Me not putting the oil cap on tight enough after I topped-up (it was on too tight the last time and I wanted to be able to get it off again) and it comming off and oil exploding all over the hood of my car.
6.Rachel and I pretending to be synchronized swimmers in the pool.
7. Driving through West Virginia on the way home.
8 Not knowing whether or not my 1992 Saturn SL would be able to make it there and back ( I almost didn't get it started this morning).
9. Listening to the Stevie Miller Band on the way home.
10. Rachel Epps-Legg (and many of the very very funny things she said).

Blockbuster Should Deliver

2006-02-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

because when you rent a movie it's because you don't feel like going out... Am I right?

What I love about being Danish

2006-02-04T15:03:00.001-08:00

Over the past three and a half years I have aquired many Dutch friends, from whom I have learned to love such things as frugality, nasi goreng and Calvinism. In the midst of these wonderful people I have not forgotten my roots. I am aproximatly 1/4 Danish, which is really the only non Canadian thing I can claim. What I love most about being Danish is how Danes greet one and other with lengthy, but not overwhelming sentances. I used to work at a Danish restaurant about once a month and still the regulars seemed to know everything about me. When I arrived at work on Saturday morning Else (pronounces Elsa) would say; "Hellow Assley, how aw you today, how is school going for you? It's good that you are getting a good education, you know you can't get a job these days without one." Aside from the general warmness of the Danes, my favorite Danish things are: danishes (chocolate, or the ones with the almond-butter paste), rice-almond pudding at Christmas and havarti cheese, and that Danes swear everytime they try to say my name. Generaly speaking, I love being Danish.

Good Combinations

2006-01-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

The other day I was eating tortillas and hummus with a few of my good friends. One of those friends wasn't quite satisfied after our snack so she proceeded to put pb&j on her sundried tomatoe tortilla (I wont give away her name, but her initials might be GD, or as she prefers, gd). I thought that was kind of weird, so I am proposing some of what I think are better food combinations. Here are a few of my favorites:
-hazel nuts and chocolate (this is pretty much the best edible thing in the world).
-cocoa powder and vanilla yogurt.
- chocolate ice cream with melted peanut butter.
- ketchup, mayo, gravy and fries.
Bon appetit!

a word on voting

2006-01-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago I said to someone; "I'm not sure who I will vote for yet".
That person replied; "You mean you don't know that you're voting Conservative?"

It's funny that Christians just assume that other Christians are voting Conservative.
I didn't know then that I would be voting Conservative, I had to think about it a little first.

Why Fair Trade?

2006-01-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Most people in Canada enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, which they most likely put a teaspoon or two of sugar in every day. If we go out for a cup of regular tea or coffee (say at Tim Horton's or WIlliam's Coffee Pub) it will cost us less than $2. For the low price of about $1.35 (the aproximate price of a large coffee at Tim's) you get someone to grow the coffee beans, pick them, defruit them (the process of removing the "flesh" off the bean), dry them, sort them, age them, roast them, grinde them and finally brew them for you. Included in this low low price the coffee beans are shipped from somewhere in the third world (usually South America and Africa) to North America. By some miracle, there is still money left over to pay the Tim Horton's employee to serve you the coffee, and the cardboard cup it comes in (which William's has priced at 13 cents) . What a deal! All this for only $1.35, and all you had to do was order your coffee and sort your change.
Actually the point of this blog is not to condemn anyone for buying coffee at places like Tim's and Williams or even from the grocery store (where it's even cheaper). I simply want to make people more aware that fair trade coffee, tea, sugar and cocoa are available for them. If you are paying only $1.35 for a large coffee, and the coffee goes through such a long process, how much is left for the farmer who does most of the work? To answer this question I will use an example of the picking process. The average pay per basket of coffee beans picked is $2 or less. Many farmers only make 10 cents per basket. An experienced farmer can pick 6-7 baskets each day. That means that farmers who pick coffee beans are making between 70 cents and $14 per day. This is hardly enough to support themselves and their families.
Fair Trade coffee (and other products) ensure that farmers and artesians recieve a minumum, fair price for their product. As an added bonus fair trade coffee is grown in a sustainable environment wich is also ecologically friendly:)
In order to help combat this I encourage you to buy fair trade products. Fair trade coffee is available at the Redeemer food store, Ten Thousand Villages and many other places. Check out www.maketradefair.com and www.fairtradeusa.org for more information. Some common brands of fair trade products are Just Us, Level Ground and Cocoa Camino.

10 Things I want to do This Year

2006-01-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

After I graduate in May I will be taking a year off before I go to teacher's College. Here are the 10 things I want to do.

10. Figure out where I should go for Teacher's College.
9. Re-decorate my room.
8. Get a puppy.
7. Learn how to replace a flat tire.
6. Get a job I like.
5. Go to Taize for a week.
4. Take a road trip to Halifax to visit by brother.
3. Go anywhere in Africa.
2. Go to Germany to visit friends.
1. Go to Denmark to visit family.

Smash, Face and Other Nicknames

2006-01-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

I have always been facinated with the phenomenon of nicknames. For as long as I remember I have always wanted a good one (I've had plenty of bad ones. For example, when I was little my best friend and I wanted to give each other nicknames so we chose them after our favorite animals, she was kitten and I was horsey, no need to say who got the bad end of that transaction). When I met my good friend Katrina Meerveld I got one! In first year she called me Smashley, which got shortened to Smash, which has replaced Ashley for almost everyone I know. If this is not a big enough blessing, my good friend Rachel Legg calls me Face (as does she other people) and my good friend Melissa Kuipers calls me Head (she also calls other people Head), or any type of cereal (honey bunches of oats is most common). So where did an odd name like Head or Face come from? As I said, Melissa calls people she likes Head, or Name-Head (eg. Ashley-Head). There're isn't really a logical explaination for a nickname like Head, you have to know Melissa. One day she called Rachel "Head" and Rachel, flattered but a little confused, called her "Face". Ever since we have all been Face and Head. So, if you are blessed to have a good nickname (especially one you didn't choose yourself) consider yourself loved.

Being just a Christian

2006-01-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

When I was 16 I became a Christian and since then I have been "just a Christian". By that I mean that I have never really affiliated myself with a particular denomination. After my conversion I went to a Mennonite church for a few months while at the same time attending a Brethren youth group. Soon after I started to go to the Brethren church. After high school I came to Redeemer, a Reformed institution. Until now I never really felt the need to become a member of a church. Regular attendance at church has always been a priority for me, but the denomination didn't really matter. Most of all, I d0n't want to become a member of any particular denomination. The truth is that I have always been a little proud of being "just a Christian". Recently, I have been very convicted that I should join a congregation and become a member. That means that I would have to confess the doctrines of a particular church. Because I have been a part of so many different denominations this is very diffucult for me. I have always been afraid of calling myself one thing or another. I want to say that I'm a Calvinist, but I'm not entirely. Do I have to be if I join a Christian Reformed congragation (the denomination of the Church I am currently attending)? Can I become a member of a church just because I like the preaching and community within it? Maybe I should be asking the question; "do I really need to become a member of a church" instead of what church to join. Maybe it's all over rated. I look forward to, and am at the same time afraid of the day when I say; "I am CRC", or whatever else it may be (although CRC seems inevitable right now). In the meantime, I am just a Christian.

why i caved

2006-01-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have a blog. For a long time i refused to blog and made a point of not getting involved with the blogging world. Well here i am. I realize that by doing this many of my close friends will say such things as; "I told you so" and "haha now you're gonna be hooked", and worst of all; "I thought you said you didn't like blogs". Well your all right and im wrong, so don't bother saying those things.

So, the 5 reasons why i caved:
5. Because I can make a lists like this one and not write in fully developled arguments all the time.
4. Because I have a lot of opinions and think you all should know them.
3. I like writing random ideas, thoughts and qoutations that i like.
2. Because I'm not afraid computers anymore, because I CAN do this!
1. Because lots of my favorite people blog regularly, and I want to be more like them.