About 6 months ago, while riding on a train from New York City to Montreal, I began writing. I was trying to as honestly as possible to begin reflecting and processing through the experiences I had had in the months prior: all that I had learned through the dts, and life outside of it; what I was beginning to understand about community; what I was beginning to understand about myself. My attitude at that moment was somewhere between joyful and confused... mostly confused though, it is harder to understand things while you are still in the middle of them.
A few weeks ago I was back on that same train riding through those beautiful mountains and I began writing again. Naturally my perspective was very different, although once again I was in a very reflective mood (gotta love the mountains, they inspire). It was lovely to spend those hours alone, soaking the view and good music, thinking, praying, wondering. Maybe its because it is fall (which happens to be one of my favorite things), but I'm pretty sure that train through those mountains is magic.
Maybe someday I'll be able to make sense enough of what I've written in all of these attempts to process life to share with the some of you. Maybe not, we'll see.
But at last here I am, back in the city and full of anticipation!
I realized why I have been terrible about updating this blog, usually I use photos to tell the story of what is happening with me, but due to quite a bit of trouble with my luggage, the camera I usually use (along with some of my darkroom equipment) hasn't quite made it yet (fortunately my cameras will be here any day now, however if anyone wishes to contribute to the safely-ship-Alyce's-darkroom-equipment-to-Quebec fund please feel free to do so with the donation button at the bottom of the page). So here is a brief update on whats happening with me:
I've started taking french classes, which takes up quite a bit of time, but I'm learning and reviewing much grammar and things that I've forgotten. I started helping out again at St. James drop in center for the homeless; I'm helping more in the art room now than before, which is really fun, and I've learned quite a bit from the guys who come there. I've been doing lots of different things for ywam; doing some work on the
website, preparing for the a big ywam
conference on the challenge of post-Christendom we are hosting this spring. We are also in the middle of a lot of transition (which is both exciting and frustrating, to say the least), so there have been many conversations about our vision, ideas and plans for the upcoming season, and how our presence in the city and the christian community should change or adjust, if we will have another dts, if we will do something completely different (feel free to email me for specific ways you can pray about this with us).
Thankyouthankyouthankyou to all of those who have encouraged and supported me. It means more than you know.
As I was writing this the mailman came to the door with the box containing my camera, running shoes, extra hard drive, and a few other things I've been missing. woohoo!
