Welcome to my life...

This is my week - in no particular order...

This is my friend Bronwyn and I. We had a good time with a bunch of the girls this weekend. We went to do batik (kind of fancy paint by number type art on cloth). She teaches at the school and has a sweet spirit. She is Canadian but grew up in South Africa so she has a great accent!

This is the BATIK party! Brandi, Bronwyn, Jasmane, Me and Kari! We had a great day!

Brandi did the most beautiful Batik for her daughter. We got together and we designed our own patterns this week. Her's turned out the best. I loved it!
This is Brandi and I. She is American but has not been in America for quite some time now. She and her husband (who is a principal here) were teaching on a remote island (no really) for 7 years and then moved here last year. She's got a gentle way about her and I like spending time with her and her 3 girls!
This is my spicy South African, Jasmane! She is so much fun! We tease each other pretty much non-stop and she cracks me Up! She is also a woman of God and I see God using her in my life already. She is beautiful and is the mum to 15 yr old Dylan!

Myself and two of the dorm mom's (Aunt Vi and Aunt SUzette) decided to go to MOMMA MIA for a late night showing with some of the girls. I decided to compete with my friend's 6 in a picture self portrait and it turned out pretty good. It was my first movie in Malaysia and it was an evening to remember! (Sheena, Tiffany, Kat, Rami and me with Cat Foster in the front)
This is Cat. She's a redhead and I have always had a special spot in my heart for redheads! She is a guitar player and a song writer. I enjoy her very much :)
These two are entirely silly and dearest of friends. Sheena and I were born in the same hospital if you can believe it! She will be going to Moose Jaw at Christmas and I am entirely jealous! They wear their pj's to late night movies and tote about their pillows and sneak in snacks. They are great fun!

THis is Rami and Kat (yes, they're are two Cat/Kat's and they are in the same dorm!) They are beautiful and talented young women and I love teasing them. Kat is the president of the student counsel and is hands down the girl who can eat the most in the resident life program. Dont be decieved...
Tiffany is a sweetheart and a baller :) I love our talks and she gives the BEST hugs :) I am enjoying getting to know her. She is actually as cute as she appears.

This is one of my plants that lives in a big clay pot outside my house! I have Bamboo and a leafy guy and this beautiful flowering plant! I have enjoyed a few sets of flowers already since I got here.

This is Danae Frentz. She is my friend Tasha Frentz's cousin in law. Her husband, Chad, is cousins with Danae. She lives here in Penang and I went out to "Sizzling Chicken" with her parents and her last week after church. I have been friends with Tasha for a lot of years now, she was even my freshie when I was in gr. 12! Its funny how small the Christian circle can get.
This is Brem and Donna Frentz, Chad's aunt and uncle. They are lovely people who are serving God in Asia with the Christian and Missionary Aliance. It was a great lunch of fellowship followed up by a "Magnum" (walls icecream bar!). I was very blessed to have been invited to dine with them.

This is 'Rat Island" from a different view, my friend, Brandi's balcony view of the water.

All that wonderful stuff AND I have just recieved my first BIRTHDAY PRESENT! Kristi is coming to visit me for 10 days over my birthday in February! What fun to anticipate my first visit from a friend here in MALAYSIA! She'll get to see all these things up close!

SO that's my week in a nutshell! This life of mine is pretty wonderful I must say!

Friday Nights...

Tonight's blog will only have one picture but please feel free to find a wack of new ones on Facebook. I uploaded them the other night...

Well, This week has been good. My dearest friend Kristi had a birthday in Germany and entered the rhelm of the wise (30). We welcome her with arms wide. I had fun writing her a song called "Schwing Schwing All Night" as her present, it is on YouTube if you are able to find it. Some of you have been asking so here it is. Bear with me, its my first song ever and I am not a guitar player BUT I do enjoy my dear friend, wanted to honour her and Oh, I love love love her hair! (watch the song to find out why that is significant) *link at bottom of this posting.

Friday Nights are an interesting time in the dorms. Most kids are So excited to be out eating other places or off campus. They work hard and have restrictions on them all week and then Friday Hits and they just love getting to go to the mall, or movies, or to some event. They must be back to campus by 10 and then they can go to indoor soccer or play games in dorm till bedtime at 11 for JRhighers and 12 for SRhighers. It can be a bit long and not too eventful but it also has afforded for some good conversations when a dorm student stays behind to visit or has no other plans... I am choosing to believe that God has good plans for Friday Nights too.

Oh, if you read this blog - can you leave a comment and ask me a question you are dying to know about me or my time here in Malaysia just so that I know you read this blog? I found out a few new people this week who read it and I had no idea :) it is mostly just interesting to me and I would love to know! AND I'd like to answer the questions you have!

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=aPolGKY5IOY - Here's my YouTube link.

Good things to come

FEATURING: CHANDLER DORM! Here are some good shots of some of the CHANDLERITES!


THis is ABBIE! She's the only girl in gr. 12 in Chandler and is great fun!
This is Nathan... he's a fun guy!
This is my buddy Laurian!
This is Sophie! This is her first year in Chandler.
This is sadly the best shot I have of Alan. His sister Abbie insists on putting his hair in ponytails.

This is me and Shauna on our Roadtrip to IKEA - yes, she is driving as we take this. :) She is the dorm mom of Chandler.
This is Mary! She's got the cutest British Accent!
Here's the one who runs the dorm! Little Sabrina is the youngest and is sisters with Sophie.



Now for the ramblings...

Sometimes we get glimpses of what God is doing, I am crazy enough to believe in those moments that it is not chance or luck or fate, it is Him. He is working all around us and it amazes me that He, who could do everything without our help, chooses to include us in His plans. It is not for His benefit, let me assure you, it is for us, his Children whom He loves dearly.



Today I got a glimpse of and answer to "WHY?', a question I ask all the time. Today the "Why?" question was "Why have you brought me to Dalat?" He answered me loud and clear.



I guess when we make a big move, a 'jump off a cliff and hope you really did want me to' move. We want to know that we made the 'right' choice. There are times when I am not convinced that there are as many 'right' and 'wrong' choices in this world. If we are going after God then that is right. BUT when you sell your life, give up all that is known, security that you could have a hand in providing, your family, your beautiful life in a beautiful place... when you give that all up because you believe God called you - just expect to see some of the reasons come to life... Maybe that it is one of the reasons He shows us how He's working - faith building. I have come expecting and He has shown me many good things.

I have committed to preparing short devotionals and praying with them in my dorms on the day that I am in them. This week I was wondering if it was needed partly because a few students asked "Will we have to have Aunt Lana Time every Thursday?" I thought and prayed about it and gave them the explaination that night. I told them after explaining that I wanted to get to know them, wanted to share with them and give them chance to share, I told them that I believed God had good things for us all in that investment and told them that I was not requiring them to come. I was humbly requesting their presence for 15-20 minutes once a week. They plan to attend :)



Well, the next day God showed me how this investment is growing into some significant interactions with my dorm students and through one of them making a decsion for Christ (YEAH GOD!) after our God time in his dorm this week. I see that God has definite plans to continue to answer the question, "Why have you sent me to Dalat for this time". He has overwhelmed me by giving me a glimpse of what He's doing. He doesn't have to but He is so good. He knows it changes us. I plan to allow Him to live that out in me whatever ways He sees fit... His plans effect eternity and that is a worthy pursuit.



There are definitely good things to come... I come expecting