Hunting

Once again, I'm sorry for the blog staying updateless. My fault, no valid reason, only lame excuses. 

The last few weeks I've been feeling much better. The stones are gone and it seems like the infection and exhaustion are headed out too. Praise the lord! 

The good thing about being um... Indisposed this summer is I had a lot of time to do things like art and Internet courses. I'm really praying and looking hard for a job, and weighing my options of moving, but it's been a slow and frustrating go. If you'd like to pray for that I would be eternally thankful! 

The downside of this downtime is I'm getting restless. Now that I'm getting much better I feel restless. Is much rather do something. Travel, work, crossfit (lol no.) unfortunately, I realize that restlessness takes its toll on my spirit. I have time to read and pray and really wait on God, but the humanity in me wants to game or take a walk or anything other than that. I want to be near to God , but I don't want to seek him out. Lots of people do that in relationships everywhere, but it isn't healthy for any relationship. Especially when that relationship is as important as your God, or your best friend, or your wife. I suppose I best sit down and do a heart checkup instead of looking online for more and more jobs. I need to move forward, yes. And handing out resumes to 20 plus places and phone calls, and book publishers, and school upgrades are all very good, but I also need to be ok where I'm at. I've always wanted to do more than I alone am capable of. So my prayer is this. God, you know my path. Show me the map please, I've had a long enough pit stop. Whenever you're ready I guess :)

Healthy as a... Sad little sloth.

I've been home since June. So far I've passed kidney stones three times since April, and had at least 5 infections. I have also learned I have a low risk heart issue, and still have no energy. And now I also have a cold. 

Those are all the fun things that people should know, but I really don't like repeating it, because to me, I sound like I'm complaining. In truth, I also work too hard instead of rest and I just want to get better. Prayer for health would be great :)

Despite me being a sickie, life goes on

and lots has happened. Benji came to visit, so we went to jasper, wowed him with eternal ice glaciers, the west Edmonton mall, and had fun in general. I frequented in napping.

Our uncle also came out and we did some house fixes that were desparately needed. 

Life has not been bad, but I'm really praying for a job, and health. I would very much like to move out soon. 

Even though I'm not liking this forced rest, God always knows what he's doing.

 

lackluster clockwork

My blog is late, and as always, my excuse is lackluster. I am human and i get sick every summer like clockwork apparently.
July and June have been very busy, with me getting over jet lag, sleeping off kidney stones, allergy reactions and plain old exhaustion, but I'm getting better. I have a bit more energy (if I am careful) and every weekend has something amazing in store.
A few weeks ago I caught up with my childhood best friend, going to the river in  the freezing wind (Canada, I'm not used to this anymore! be nice!) and scoring a call-in job at a coffee shop that makes great Italian cream sodas.
 The next week was a Smith family reunion. Relatives, baked beans, stories of my embarrassing antics as a kid, and missionary stories from a cousin that went to the same YWAM base as me 13 years ago were the staples. its amazing to see what God can do in a family as big as ours, and I pray every day He keeps doing more.
This coming week Shyrrelle graduates, next week I'm spending time in the city with my Aunt, the week after that is a Lee family reunion, and after that Benji is coming out from Norway! So tell me
How is that rest the doctor and the bible talk about even a thing? Oh well. The Lord sustains me, and my mom kicks me back to bed if I need it.
I've been using as much spare time as i can to work on my painting. I love it and always have, but the last couple years ive been so busy, it gets neglected. I thrive off intelligence and creativity, so painting and music and reading have been a wonderful healing tool. if God speaks so much out of the Arts, I am constantly covered with His voice.

welcome wherever

I am now back, safe at my parents house after an uneventful trip.  I miss the base and my friends already, writing sad leaving songs on post it notes and quests to find the best chips (fries) and hanging out in the cafe. YWAM was an amazing time in my life, and I'm sure i'll see a few of them again, but not soon enough. My health  is a bit better, the kidney stones seem to have passed into the bladder, so they ll be gone soon i hope.

I've realized i have become acultural, meaning i don't really have a culture. I take slang from Australia, pair it with some japanese greetings and norwegian insults, and finish up with some canadian accent. I have to get used to this house again, my families weird schedule, trying to keep myself busy and rest, and get over jet lag. as much as i love my family, it doesnt feel like home here anymore. I'm not sure where that is though. what is home? if it's where my heart is can it be somewhere i have never been? I would love to keep in contact with all you in AU or elsewhere, so skype, facebook, and email are great. kynyalee@gmail.com for anyone that wants it :) 

As for finances, I'm in a bit of debt for doctors and things, but I'm sure ill be ok. Your prayers are much appreciated. 

This month I'll be resting, July ill be connecting with my family and friends here, and august hopefully Benji will visit, but I'm keeping an eye out for jobs in the film or coffee industry, and I'm still planning to move to Vancouver in a couple months/years but for now, rest. 

this video is one i made, hopefully it works for you guys. 

A final farewell to my home of many moons

I'm leaving on monday. It's a lot to think about, especially because its a month early. After two months of fighting illness and fatigue, i finally decided it is time to come back and rest. But even though i'm excited to see my family and my country again, i have a lot of memories from nearly two years here. Those crazy DTS dance parties, the street evangelism confusion, the nights i spent staring at the stars instead of homework, the insanity of SDF and all the passion and knowledge that came with it. and all the memories and joy that resulted from the Barista interns. I'm going to miss coming in late from deep conversations, or seeing miracles of provision for those ive come to love. I might even miss the roomies, however not the lack of sleep they cause ;P 
A lot of people have been passing on messages asking what my plans are, and i have a rough idea, but i prefer to keep it to myself. however, this summer is one of rest. rest in its many forms. possibly in the form of sunbathing and netflix. the last time i had this much time to reflect i think i was 13, and i've changed a lot since then, and i need a refresher with God. 
I'm also hoping to make contact with my church again, because even though i do update (admittedly less than i did a year ago) unless you talk face to face, we forget whats going on in peoples lives. 
Saying goodbye is hard. im still not feeling well, but now that im leaving everyone wants to hang out, and so do i but its tiring! its just a reminder. if you love someone, dont forget to say it to thier face as often as you can, because one day you might realise you dont have much time left. but there's always skype, email, facebook, snapchat and a ton of other ways. 
thinking of that, if you want to talk to me then Kynyalee@gmail.com is a great place to start ;) i do love you all. goodbye for now, and goodbye YWAM.

little taste of heaven

My outreach, instead of of Peru, is Cup from Above in Aspley. Local, if you count an hour bus ride as local. That's if you don't miss your stop. I frequently do, so I always start out very early. CFA is in a very sketchy part of Brissy, and is geared towards getting homeless people off the street and giving them good life skills. In the last few days, I have re-covered chairs, built custom plant pots, made and hung curtains made from burlap coffee bags, taught a homeless gentleman coming off a drug high how to sew,and not made a single coffee, among other things. I'm really enjoying everything except the transit and the tiredness that follows. And the fact I feel like I always need a weapon. But the rest is great! Tomorrow, i'm going in to the doctors to find out what's up with the ultrasound for my kidneys. I really hope all the stones are gone. Please pray for my health and finances, if either one of them don't change soon, I may have to head home early. Thank you all so much. You are all very dear to my heart!

My organs are stoners

More specifically, my kidneys. I go along my life, taking care of all the hospitality of the cafe, making sure life behind the scenes runs smoothly and we all have clean aprons, but slowly, my body gets sick. my moods are moodier, my pains are a pain in the back, and I go to the doctors, after weeks of putting it off. Yes, they say. An infection and kidney stones.
    Moving along, that complicated finances, spending 200$ I needed for school already, as well as adding insurance claims and exhaustion to my already busy life. I passed one in the middle of a prayer meeting, taking up all the time we were supposed to be praying about other things, and ended up passed out on the floor. Ow. and it's not over. I still have stones, and I need an ultrasound, but I'm not sure I have the finances for it. So please, don't just pray, donate too.
      I need 1300$ for base fees, and more than that for my ticket home. This also means I'm not going to Peru. It's really sad and frustrating to me that my own health and finances have held me back from doing the work God has called me to. I try to be in a good mood, and I truly love what I'm doing here, with all the personal relationships with Christ I am in, and the people I am ministering to, but it's hard to stay optimistic when I'm in pain and scarcely afford the treatments. And yet, God has set me here for a reason, and I'm going to do it, even if it means a lot of naps in between.
     Instead of going to Peru and helping the backpacking evangelism there, I'll be staying in Australia working at a church affiliated coffee shop, where if an emergency arises, I can get healthcare. I really wish the money had come in, and that my health was better, but I want to give my full self to wherever God has in mind. I also have a possibility to help take care of the children of post-partum depression diagnosed moms, and that's exciting, I love kids and I miss the ones at my old church a lot. (shout out to you beautiful kiddos!)
  This week specifically, I'm running an art auction as a fundraiser for the cafe itself, and its crew. We are all long term missionaries, and we've all been in the field for at least a year, most of us much longer. But it's very hard for long term missionaries to provide for themselves, because we have dedicated our lives to God and other people instead of jobs. and being a missionary isn't a job you can just take time off of. its a constant pouring out to others. even when you're home, you're still working, and constantly feel pulled to other people, other places. I guess its similar to being a single mom.
    I constantly miss my family, and my boyfriend, but I know I'll miss this place too, when I'm gone. I savour it while I can. when I'm in Evansburg, I'll savour that, when I find a new place,(I always do) I'll love that one too. It's very true when I say my home is not on earth. Thank you all for constantly praying, those of you who donate, giant thanks and many tears of gratitude to you. You may literally be a life saver. Please keep in contact, Email me at kynya@goywam.com or kynyalee@gmail.com, friend me on facebook, follow The Meeting Place Cafe,
 and donate to me at  https://secure.goywam.com/home/donations/donate-to-a-staff-member/
I would love to hear from you. I'm not just saying that. sometimes living life with so many people is lonely. I love you guys.