Jungle Adventures...

Well, today would have been a good day to have brought my camera on the hike I went on, I am sorry I left it in the car because you won't believe my story. Now, if you get scared easily, don't read the rest of this posting - exit now - don't read on...

My dear friend Brandi and I went for a hike up a paved path in the jungle (so she can take Kyra in the stroller). - I am serious about the whole don't read on thing - this isn't a book where a blue monster named "Grover" is going to say 'just kidding' at the end. There are real live monsters in this story. For serious!

SO we are walking up the steep'ish jungle path - there are jungle sounds, and jungle foliage (I love the word foliage) and we have a dog and a stroller and myself and Brandi.

I haven't seen a monkey yet though they have them everywhere in Malaysia - heard some on the roof at off campus dorm and even saw its tail briefly but no full views of these wild monkeys - Brandi assured me that I would definitely see some on our jaunt. We walked onto the path from the parking lot and what did we see?

Not a Monkey...

A scorpion that was about 6 inches long. It was dark blue and had an orange stinger and Brandi noticed it first. She assured me at that point that it was the first scorpion she had ever seen in this park... and that the bigger they are the less poison they sting with. I was not comforted., We walked on.

Finally at the top of the hill we see the first of the monkeys I saw today. They were cute little brown monkeys way up high in a tree. They chittered at me and were quite cute by all estimation. We walked on.

Next we were walking and there is a water canal made of concrete on one side of the path with run off water gushing down and we saw two random fish - big'ish fish even - that had jumped out and met their death on the path. How odd. We walked on.

Then we entered into a dark portion with lots of overhanging trees and you could hear the monkeys chattering way louder - we saw some with black faces and white around their eyes and mouth and lots of them came down further because they hate 'JUDE', the dog. Well, we lost sight of Jude for a minute and when we got around the corner there was a stand off between a very male monkey and a very silly dog. Brandi picked up a stick and called Jude to come. He finally did and then I was put on stick duty and walked between the mean monkey who was screeching at us (and the dog Brandi was carrying). We walked on.

Then we were coming down and we saw a beautiful leaf bug being eaten by ants and I just about stepped on the second Blue Scorpion of the day. YIKES! We walked on.

We were almost to the turn to go down the hill and Brandi sticks her arm out in front of me and says, 'Stop, Grab the dog" in a voice that compelled me to listen. She points and I see - my first snake in Malaysia and it is only slithering on the bottom half of its body - the rest upright and in its mouth it is carrying a huge hunk of something meaty and she says, "That is a viper, in case you ever wanted to know what a viper looks like." I didn't want to know. At this point walking on was a last resort not a choice. We walked on.

Now I had avoided, two scorpions, two fish, a giant leaf bug, Masses of angry monkeys and a viper but the worst monster of all was found in the parking lot... I walked right into it without taking notice but the second it happened, I knew I had trouble on my, well, on my shoe. I stepped right into a pile of doggy doo... The concrete jungle, it's the most dangerous of all, I tell ya.

Stuff that makes transition hard...

Jasmane and I after shopping for the right pair of sunglasses at the night market in Batu. Don't worry I didn't buy the ones I have on... Jasmane is the best at getting them to lower their prices. Hers were supposed to be 20 RM and she wouldn't buy them for more than 15 RM and 20 minutes later she walked away with them for 15 RM. She's more than just a pretty face! :)

I stole this from my friend Michelle. It is a picture of the sunset outside our windows. It makes me think of Saskatchewan when the sun sets here. It is nice after a few years of being in mountains and not actually seeing the sunset or the radiant colors it can produce. God shows off and paints the sky for us and I try to notice ...

This is a picture of two of my favorite fellas! I love my Dad and my Noah too! These are the things that make transition hard. We just had our 1st sememter debriefing for new staff. So these things are fresh on my mind.

My dad has been in the hospital the past few weeks. I have been here. I have felt pretty far away. I can't just fly home to support my family in these rough spots like I have been able to do in the past and yet God has shown me how He can take care of my family and me even from this distance. He showed me how overqualified He is in a reminder from Psalm 121 "He never sleeps or slumbers" Even in that, the smallest of ways, He is so much more equipped to care for them than me or even the health professionals who have diligently been working on caring for his needs. He got to go home today so I am happy for Him!

The other thing that makes my transition hard is missing the 8 1/2 nieces and nephews I have. I am super auntie to them! I talked to Sharla's 4 this week on the phone and look forward to the little one in her tummy being part of our family in February. Noah said to me, "Auntie, are you still in Manasia?" I said, "Yep! You still in Saskatoon?" And he said, "Yep, just checkin". I miss getting those moments with them. I have to trust that God will still allow those singing, praying, loving moments even from this distance... I miss them very much though.

I miss my friends. In the past few years, I have been either leaving Sk to go to BC or leaving BC to go to SK. I wonder if some haven't noticed I am really gone from Canada yet! :) Some have, I have heard from you through e-mails and real life mail (which I reiterate is my favorite thing ever!). It is hard to see how friendships change when convenience of being in community with them changes. I am also thankful for those who are far away who feel like they are right here with me from thier efforts to stay in touch. Blessings outweigh any sadness.

My last week since I wrote I have:

Switched dorms - There are two dorms that share time with me so I have switched over the other dorm.

I got sick - Germy kids everywhere will do that to ya!

We had Spiritual Ephasis week and saw 24 students come to know Jesus for the first time!

I ran into a student from Caronport who is here in Malaysia doing missions work at church! Yeah Meagan! How funny is that?

I slept in (wind up clocks must be wound up if you intend for them to wake you up!) too late!

I ate tripe - The stomach lining of pigs (this will be a one time event like the durian!)

I blessed friends and got blessed :)

Its been a good few days! I'll update again soon. :)
Much love

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

Age Old Insecurities...

Some of you have been wondering if I am not just glossing over and selling you this change in my life because I haven't included a smattering of negativity. Instead of going there, I think I'll just point out a few things that I realized don't change in our lives even when we are older and more confident or get the courage to move across the globe... these things just seem like part of our humaness and we can not quite seem to escape them. I am in the initial stages of relationship building in a new world and it feels like grade 4 all over again ... some things just don't change entirely because we've aged.

I want people to like me. Now when I was a kid, I guess I didn't care exactly what or why they liked, I just wanted to be liked. Now that I am older, I want to be liked for the right reasons but there is still this part of me that wants others to enjoy having me around. I think it sometimes can get in the way of who I am. There is part of me that has the ability to morph into the person that others like, unfortunately, that person changes from person to person and at this point in my life I am not willing to do that. SO how do I solve this? I am making the effort to become someone that I like. I am letting God shape in this process also. He's good with messy clay projects. He'll make sense of me somehow and He likes me already.

I think closely connected is our need to connect with others. I am prayerfully asking God to show me where I fit in this community. Inspite of the fact that my schedule is opposite every person on campus, I work when they are off - they work when I am off, I still need friendships. God has been so faithful providing some really amazing and significant friendships in the last year, but as wonderful as they are, they are in other parts of this world. I need presence at times. I need to be looked in the eye. I need to have those close enough to hug. I need community and I need it here. The 'getting to know you stage' is my least favorite stage. I am not good at small talk, strangers can attest. I just like to jump right in to the real stuff. That is not always popular or safe feeling to others.

It doesn't seem easier to learn the dance of making new friends in a new place just because I am older. We are pitted with age old insecurities. We remember all the times when others were careless with us or down-right mean. We still are not sure we're good enough, the ones we are seeking out are probably thinking the same thing. We still want to be liked and want friends. We all need to take off our masks but the false security that that provides is somehow our comfort and it won't ever happen.

I am thankful that God has given me at least one friendship where I do not sensor my thoughts. I just have one serious case of 'BLURTITIS" and somehow we are still growing closer together and she hasn't run for the hills. I think that it is what it all comes down to - We want to be known. Not just for the things that others can see, but really seen, really known. She pursues that faithfully and not just the fancy shmancy stuff, she wants as much of it as she can have. Though my friend sees so much of me that I feel pretty well known, she still doesn't get it all.

This deepest desire to be known - I think God set it into us, I think the desire of His heart was that we would one day come to the point of wanting Him to be the one who knows us. I realize in this mix of wanting to be known, that at times my focus has been about creating an environment that is comfortable for me. Being known is not usually comfortable, is it? He wants to know me. In this sea of humans all seeking to be known, HE wants to know me. Why look any further. He has all I need. He knows that I need others. He knows that need is filled first in Him.

SO I believe my God will supply all my needs according to his glorious Riches...

Wondering what's expected...

THis is Michelle... She's a goofball and is the new gr. 5 teacher at Dalat. She can always make me laugh and is always up for an adventure.

THis is Bethany! She's the new highschool counselor and she has a husband Dave and 2 beautiful children, one named Carly (my sister's name is Carley so that is why that is interesting)

This is Vi (Jaffray Dorm Mom) and Val (REsident supervisor). We went out as a dorm staff for supper at the Batu stalls. It was a fun time! I think my resident life staff are pretty amazing.

Shauna and Annie and I went for 15$ pedicures... they are incredible. Can you tell who's who?

Well friends, I am sitting here and wondering what exactly this blog is in exsistance for. I wish sort of that I had established that earlier on in my writing process on it. Right now it seems to be serving mostly as a newsy report of some of my happenings, I think that is a fair assessment. I don't think that is a bad thing, but I am wondering in some ways what the audience who has chosen to embrace this blog (now Paul has me wondering how many I have - not as a competition I assure you) wants.

I don't want this to be just the details of my time here

I don't want it to be my bare raw thoughts either

I guess for now, unless you, my faithful few tell me otherwise, it will be somewhere in the middle...

So I just finished my first week by myself in dorms. Since I was still recovering, I had to do my morning shift (7-8:30) and come home to sleep and rest and then head back to dorm at 3:30-10:30. It was such an amazing week. I could tell you the names of the kids in each dorm I was in and am beginning to realize some key parts of my job more intimately too. I just have been falling in love with equipping ministry, dorm ministry and with overseas ministry. God has blessed me richly.

First, I realize that just like any position when youa re working with others, the first expanse of time is a banter of boundaries. SO they try to find out where yours are using whatever means they can. I was ready for them... :) Teaching for 10 years really has given me resolve to know what I expect so when that boundary is tested, I can show lovingly and clearly where the line is. I also have no expectations of having my mail goal to be that they 'like' me. I hope in time that this unfolds (and it already has in major ways) but my calling is to love the, equip them, call them to higher ground, challenge them, teach them, stretch them and guide them into a life-long, vital, growing, dynamic and fruitful relationship with Jesus Christ. I don't think Jesus just went for the popular vote either. He knew how fickle we humans are and so He sought something much deeper.

Second, As 'Aunt Lana', I am afforded some priviledge and some ins that dorm parents are not. I guess I see this more and more with my own neices and nephers as they get older too. They share differently because you are not thier dorm/parent. I will always be wise to cover and support my dorm parents (as I do my sister's and there husbands and other important kids I get to mentor's parents too) but it does give me some special times already. I have done devotions with each of my dorms. I am giving them time to get to know me and have been so encouraged by the attentiveness but more blessed by the interaction in each dorm as a result. God is good.

This job is a direct reflection of God having me where He wants me. I have not waivered on that even once. Even in the midst of 3 weeks of not being well I was sure this is where God wanted me (maybe even because of the phsyical attacks on me - Satan wanted to distract and discourage me but has been unsuccessful) Some moments have come where I have longed for somewhere else, for home, for a face to face coffee with a friend or even just a familar smell, but I have not wondered if Dalat is where God wants me for right now. That is so evident and clear. I love love love my job.

Some of you know that I have 7 ladies who are important to me who are praying for me one day a week each. I have to tell you how this has impacted me. I am so overwhelmed with blessing! I love these ladies and each loves me, differently but in so many ways exactly the same because we have one shared Father who has brought us into relationship together. These ladies have provided for me support and have freed me to have a boldness in my transition that I believe would have been harder without their prayers. I want to also thank those of you who are praying for me when I come to mind and heart. What a joy it is to serve the Lord as an extension of you...

I went to the mainland and bought dishes and a tennis racket today... I also went to the mall tonight and SPLURGED on bed head hairspray because they really do not have non-areosol hairspray here. It was a long day of chugging around Penang but I got to be in community with new friends. We laughed lots and are learning each other so it was a good day inspite of the tiredness that ensues.

K, that's all tonight folks. I need to take more pictures! I will soon soon :)

Check out my facebook if you want to see some that I have posted lanasg@hotmail.com is my address for adding on there or lana gummeson. I also have a skype address of lanagummeson for those who are asking.

Thank you for partnering with me!

Your love and prayers are felt over the vast ocean.