Sindy or Surrey

An introduction of sorts for Sindy:
I met Sindy while interviewing her for her job.
Parkdale EMC decided to find a youth pastor for the blooming youth group it had gained and Nathan Horch and I were asked to be part of the 'committee'. We were already actively involved as leaders within the youth group. It was summer and I had just graduated.
So the interview went well. We liked her. We clicked. And I got to hang out with her for a week at camp that summer. CSC took a week all to themselves at camp. The first half for their jr. highers and the second half for a family camp.

Sindy was in charge of yuck games (she came from CSC). How can you not get along with someone responsible for things like condiments twister and digging around for hidden objects in oatmeal with only your face?

Normally Sindy preferred to have youth leaders take at least a year off after being in youth group before becoming a leader, but I was extra mature or something and she made an exception (like she had a choice...).

She had a really rough first year. But we got along very well (whenever she didn't want to kill me). I was going to RMC at the time and once a week the band I was in practiced at the church. So I would go there straight from school and hang out for the remainder of the afternoon. There was lots of good afternoons hanging out chatting, sometimes planning / prepping.

There have been a couple of people in various pieces of my life that have pushed me. Sindy was one such person. Leadership came out of that pushing. And all the while strong spiritual development continued along with a lot of growing up.

And there was fun. Lots of silly fun. Cleaning her house for her and leaving an axe in her bath tub splattered with ketchup.

Such a funny youth group too. It was almost ALL girls Sindy's second year. It didn't help that more girls kept coming for the hot male youth leaders (that was the real reason Sindy kept me around).

We were friends through good and bad and when she moved to BC and told everyone to come and visit her I knew I should. So I did.

And picked up as before. Both of us with another two years of life thrown in to our being. So we hung out and chatted Sunday night when I got there. But we were both tired so retired fairly early. She'd just returned from two weeks in Mexico with some of her youth. Monday we hung out and chatted some more after eating some delicious grapefruit. Then we headed out to Horseshoe Bay with a picnic lunch of wraps. We forgot a knife so I got to utilize a house key to slice: cucumber, tomatoe, and cheese. So much fun.
Then we just climbed out on different points along the bay and sat and relaxed and rested with God and the sunshine and beauty and waves and the little bird that couldn't help but keep singing. That evening I beat her in a best of 3 in Sequence. Then we headed out for some East Indian buffet. There is a LOT of East Indian restaurants in Surrey. The one we tried didn't happen to have the greatest food.
Sindy discovered that I hadn't been to Vancouver Island (my Dad later claimed I have been - when I was two or three) and decided we had to go. So we went to bed at 10:30ish and woke up super early to go off to the Ferry. Super early isn't a bad thing for me but not so for other people. So while Sindy napped on the Ferry I started reading The House by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti.
What an intense book, at least at the beginning.
Vancouver Island was great fun. We wandered about downtown Victoria and visited a Dutch Bakery, went into an evil but interesting store (I don't have the spiritual discernment Sindy does but I am very adventurous). It was really funny because we walked in and the store clerk told me there was something in my hair (there was and I knew it).
"It looks kind of like seagull shit"
Oh nope, look at that, just a flower.
Why was there a flower in my hair?
Because there are tons and tons of pink trees and I climbed up one and later I put a bunch of flowers in my hair just to be silly.

That was probably also why I dangled off the edge of the waterside thing just to cause a commotion too.

We prayed for the government by the Parliament building. Then we went to a breakwater thing and walked way down it, and got to see a cool Sea Lion! Then we went and found a cool park beside the ocean and had another picnic lunch with some birds. Picnic lunches are fabulous.

Then we drove to see a castle and instead we found the cool Governor's House with an ENORMOUS, elaborate garden that my sisters would have adored, with a stellar view of Victoria and even a very British road to get to it.

We were going to go to some other cool Bay on the way back to the ferry point but we never found either of the turn-offs for them and instead went to Nanaimo for the fun of it.
We stopped at a beach along the way, and listened to the CDs Sindy had picked up for her youth group.

In Nanaimo we found a cool local restaurant. Some Pirates Fish & Chips place. They subscribed to the Scottish deep frying trend (Andy told me so) for desert so I had some spectacular Nanaimo Bar, in addition to some tasty Fish & Chips.
Then we went and got in line for the Ferry. It would be a three hour line.
So we listened to a Graham Cooke CD talk I'd brought along and chatted and fooled around and caused a scene in public (again).
Then when we were finally on the Ferry, I caused more scenes, doing silly things like imitating some girl who was obliviously doing yoga with headphones. I didn't see, but apparently she eventually noticed what I was doing and left.
Then Sindy went and napped again and I read again.
When we got back it was late and we were both tired.

In the morning when I woke up suspiciously early I read some more. And finished the book. It didn't end with the same intensity as the beginning but God used it anyway to convict/inspire/speak. Sindy woke up later on and let me finish the book and went off to work for a little bit.
I went for a run and pushed hard because I knew I wouldn't be going as far as I might want. And I prayed. Running is a good way and time to pray. And I knew where I must go. I went to the school.

Sindy has an interesting situation of a youth group / church and it would be hard to explain without making this thing EVEN longer than it already is. But I told her right at the beginning that I was going to pray through it. And I had been listening and asking questions and praying already.

So I got to the school and slowed to a walk and listened and prayed and made my way to the next school and did the same and danced around and worshipped God in the soccer field inbetween. Then it was back to the furious running and praying.

In the morning Pam told me that we were supposed to have been doing the Daniel fast. She wasn't sure if I should be going through the Deliverance if I hadn't. But if the point of the fast is to focus on God then what had I been doing this whole time? And I was having an amazing time with him. I was also really looking forward to the Deliverance Prayer.
So I prayed about it.
I'd already told Sindy yes to going to the Phankoeken House for brunch and so I discussed it with her and we prayed. And I felt total peace about not doing the fast.
So we went out for brunch and I had a tasty triple berry dutch crepe-like thing. Then we got some wine for communion and split up. She to get some fresh vegetables for dinner which I had insisted on the entire time (I got to make Omelettes). I to get new windshield wipers. Then we met up again and went to her church. And she gave me a tour and then I went through and listened and prayed and sang and wrote scripture passages on white boards throughout. Then I found her and we went to the sanctuary to pray some more. I prayed a blessing for her and the church. Colossians 3:16+
Funny that God would choose that passage. It was very fitting but it was a passage that God gave me for my life way back when I was a youth leader at Parkdale. I'd almost forgot.

Then we went home and I made supper and it was AWESOME. So many vegetables. So tasty. MMMmmm
So we ended with communion and more prayer and hugs before I headed out for the second phase of my trip.