Cheerio!!

Well, today Kristie and I are heading off to England for 5 days to visit my Mum. We are so blessed by the chance to leave the city and head into the beautiful English countryside. We will take loads of pictures for you all ... I am determined to have my picture taken with a sheep dog. So, we won't be responding to any emails or anything until Monday night! See you all soon!!

Much Love,
J+K

Tonight, We Laughed

Jenn called tonight and it was exactly what we needed (not that talking to Todd wasn't just as good - it's just Jenn brings a more ... hyper quality ... nevermind). Seriously, I love this girl. WE love this girl. Here's a list of 10 things we love about Jenn Sanders:

10) Her great big laugh. It can almost overshadow mine (Jen) which is fabulous when in public places.

9) Her crazy mind - it works on a more intellectual level than most but when it comes to random stuff - this girl is the QUEEN. Example: She just yelled the name "Turd Ferguson" at me via Kiki - I love that she knows I will remember where it's from. (And by the way Jenn, $TEXAS)

8) Her energy - I don't know how she does it. She runs on pure love, I swear. Whenever you see her, she hasn't got coke, coffee or prescription drugs in her. She's just running on joy. We will have pulled an all nighter watching "Cat in The Hat" or "SNL" and she'll wake me up at 6am with a grin just ready to take on the day.

7) HER SKILLZ - This girl can dance - yes, all beautiful and stuff, but what I love? The way she makes up 80's dances with me (Jen) in the basement or somewhere public - and she dances like she's teaching the whole world how. It's like, everyone on earth was blind and she has organized a dance routine for when they simultaneously get their sight back. And the first thing they will see? Her doing her own rendition of "The Running Man" to "Jumping in the House of God". It's epic. If you haven't seen it, you need to. (Jenn, Kiki and I have since made up the BEST "Fruit Aerobics" for VBS)

6) How encouraging she is - We could be having the worst day EVER, and she just encourages us right out of it. And she can use anything as a tool to help - be it a dancing duck named "Puddles" or a picture of her looking like a little Irish boy. No funk is powerful enough to keep Jenn Sanders away. Except for Jen's funk - which is a whole different kind of funk!

5) How she deals with her emotions - Kiki loves how when she gets angry she just smiles and dances around. I like that she yells. LOUD.

4) Her inside jokes - Jenn manages to incorporate inside jokes to ANY public performance - especially VBS. I've never seen anyone make a puppet clear it's throat as much as Jenn.

3) Her love of SLEEP - She will fall asleep any TIME, any WHERE - it doesn't matter what the situation. If Jennifer Sanders is tired, so help you she will SLEEP. Like, in the middle of an emotional prayer time, or a movie, or VBS, even behind the wheel ... you get the idea.

2) Her ridiculous nature - She decides to get her hair dyed and then realizes half way through that she needs another box - now most people would send someone else to get them a box or just go through with the hair dying and do the other box later. Not Jenn. No no, she will just throw on sweat pants and treck out to Shoppers at 1am with hair dye still ALL OVER HER. I love girls who, like me, have absolutely no pride.

1) Her appetite and IRON STOMACH - This girl will eat ANYTHING. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Noodles and ketchup, cold fries, half eaten sandwiches, old CAKE - nothing gets out alive. "I'm not even mad, I'm impressed!"

So, we love you Gomez and we wanted everyone to know just how much. This is only a list of 10 things, but we couldn't fit them all on the blog. Love love love love.

Jen and Kiki
a.k.a Bob and Kipper

Stuck In The Middle With Youth

Kiki and I were talking about Youth tonight and it struck me that the Lord is really trying solidify a resolve in me to see a specific age group ministered to more. There's loads of ministry for young children, Christmas plays, pageants etc, and for older youth there's conferences, retreats, concerts etc. But what about those kids that are around 10-15. There's less for them to do. They're too old for pageants and Veggie Tales, but too young for concerts and retreats. They're kind of stuck in the middle and they're at that awkward scary age between child and teenager. They feel they don't fit in at Church, they probably feel like they don't fit in at school and yet this is the age that really messes kids up.

If you think about it, at this age kids have received enough damaging messages from their childhood that their hearts are wounded. The seeds the Enemy has planted in them at a young age are starting to sprout toxic roots deep into their hearts. They're confused, they're growing physically, emotionally and mentally and unfortunately, a lot of the time these feelings are brushed off as "hormones". I don't believe that for a second. Of course, hormones play a part. But I believe there's a bigger Enemy at work here. I believe that at this awkward stage in life, their emotions, beliefs and past experiences are twisted and used to manipulate them. Painful childhood memories, divorce, death, illness, war - all of these things are becoming understood, are becoming real. Things that these kids didn't understand when they were younger are now being remembered with startling clarity. I believe the Enemy has a 3 fold plan for the life of every child - it's a little rough right now so bear with me.

1) 0-9 "Seeds" - A childhood that is supposed to be happy and innocent many times is twisted into something perverted and tragic. Children at this age are suceptible to abuse, bullying and broken family dynamics. All of these things send a message to the heart of a child "This world isn't safe, you always need to protect yourself. You can't trust anyone". Seeds are planted and even though memories may be repressed or replaced with ones that are more idyllic, the battle for their hearts isn't over. It's far from over.

2) 10-15 "Roots" - Years of confusion and, a lot of the time, anger. The seeds planted years ago are starting to show their growth. Hormones are raging, feelings are out of control and the bad memories and experiences that may have been repressed can no longer be hidden. A lot of things resurface at this age and children can better understand what happened in their early years. Suddenly, memories of abuse resurface, the pain of divorce settles in, disappointment in God takes it's hold. They think "Someone was supposed to protect me, someone was supposed to make sure these things didn't happen to me. But they didn't". Children understand by this time that bad things DO happen to good people, and there isn't anything they can do to stop it. They can't protect themselves or their loved ones. They are vulnerable, yet they want to fight for good - they want their fairy tale. Little girls want to be the princess and little boys want to be the hero. But these dreams are twisted and used to convince kids at this vulnerable age that there isn't a fairy tale, it ISN'T going to be okay, and that the people they trusted have failed them - they didn't protect them and neither did God. They become anxious and confused children.

3) 16+ - "The Harvest" - This is where I get confused. Mainly because this is where I am today. I am in this category and I know what it's filled with. Anger, indignance, disappointment, apathy, resignation, guilt, fear. This is the age where youth understand their childhood, made significant decisions about their future and are now dealing with the poisonous roots left behind. Whether a decision was made for God or against Him is undeniably significant. We understand that what happened wasn't okay and we've decided how we're going to deal with it. Now we're left feeling angry that it happened, determined that it won't happen again and (many times) guilty for not knowing better or not being more prepared. I can't say much about this last one yet, all I know is that bad seeds and poisonous roots make for a bitter harvest when not mourned and dealt with.

So that's my thought for the night - that's how I feel. I know it sounds depressing and somewhat extreme and yes, I am aware that not all kids went through such experiences - but what child hasn't known pain and disappointment? The size of the seed doesn't matter - nature shows us that a tiny seed can grow into a massive tree, the Bible tells us that faith the size of a mustard see will move mountains, science tells us a microscopic seed is the start of human life. A tiny seed of anger, disappointment, guilt or whatever else can (and does) result in a massive amount of destruction.

I know what these kids are going though and I desperately want to help, I'm just trying to figure out where to start. Thanks for listening.
- Jen

I'm Not 35 ...

As some of you know, I want to be a writer. I have for a long time and being here in Ireland has kind of awakened that dream in me again. Recently, I decided it might be a good idea to start looking into schooling for when I return to Canada. I stumbled upon Briercrest Seminary School - and was totally excited because I could become a Youth Pastor with a degree (of some form) in Youth and Family Ministry and do my writing on the side! It was PERFECT for me. Not too expensive, the classes sounded super interesting and best of all close enough to home that I can come home to visit whenever I want. And then the axe fell all over that idea and my excitement.
Turns out I can't get into Briercrest Seminary without having a Bachelor's Degree first - so that's 4 years of schooling (at least) before I can even qualify for Seminary and then another 4 years of schooling on top of that. I know this is common knowledge for a lot of people, but I am not a lot of people. The only other way I could get in is if I was a "mature student" and normally, a mature student is someone over 21 without a degree - but not at Briercrest. A mature student is 35 YEARS OLD. So I am bummed. Really bummed. Every plan I make for school falls through. Is the Lord trying to tell me something here?!? I am determined to go back to school but the idea of getting a Bachelor's Degree FIRST, is a tad daunting. I guess I will just have to keep praying that God works this out for me ...

Moving?

We're in need of a little guidance here. Today, as Kiki and I bickered back and forth about trying to fit 2 sets of bunk beds and a 3 foot wide dresser into my bedroom (that measures 6ft x 8ft)we got a phone call. But first, let me tell you a little bit about our living arrangements.

Kiki and I live in a beautiful (but small) 2 bedroom flat. It's just enough for the both of us - but now, Justin (who lives around the corner) is moving and his adorable christian polish roommate has nowhere to go. So, we prayed - and then invited her to live with us. So that's 3 people. Then, we realized that in a few short months Tasha (Boule/Roto Tiller/Axe Handle) will be moving in with us too. So that's 4 people in a 2 bedroom house. We decided that since Justin is moving out of his house, we could take his bunk beds and then we would have enough beds for everyone. Yes, it would be a little crowded but we could stay in our beautiful little house.

So, back to the present day. Kiki and I are bickering and the phone rings. It's Justin - and he just spoke to our landlord Mic(we have the same landlord) and Mic has suggested again (he's already mentioned it once) that we move into Justin's house. It has 2 bedrooms but they are wayyyy bigger than ours and the bunk beds are already in each room. It needs a lot of fixing up, but when Mic was talking to Justin, he promised to fix whatever we want - such as the mould in the bathroom (that Kiki is allergic to), the kitchen counters (they are from the 50's), fresh paint on the walls etc. So, it would be nice and new again.

So now, Kiki and I are torn. Do we tough it out with 4 girls in our small house just because it's pretty? Or do we haul all of our stuff over to Justin's and have the room to house 4 girls (and whoever else might come to stay)? There are a couple things to consider:

a) We have the internet and phone line hooked up. It would mean another huge hassle with getting it all hooked up over there and we wouldn't be able to keep the same phone number.
b) We'd have to change over all our bills to Justin's address and get the utilities put into our names.
c) His house is ugly.

As you can see, this is a bit of a dilemma for us. We are trying to be mature and remember that "It's not about us" but still, we're settled here, we love our house, we love our neighbours - but we are only going like 40 feet away. Any thoughts, suggestions or prayers would be more than appreciated. Let us know what you think.

Impromptu Ministry Night

It's 8:15pm here and we are exhausted! Our last post was about DIY - and not half an hour later we were outside with 4 adorable children. It's nights like these that remind us why we're here. We were just bumming around the house when a little girl showed up - she's loud, she's cheeky and she's fabulous. She comes over every day just to see what's new. Then another girl came running - Kiki's favourite. She's this beautiful, well mannered girl but she's got this dramatic flair that makes her completely hysterical. Example: We told her we had to go in for the night, and she argued that we had to stay out and play with her because as soon as we leave, she's packing up and moving to "the strip". She's kind of the ring leader of the group. Then came a young lad - he's got firey red hair and a heart of gold - he's this big gymnastics buff and can cartwheel himself into the splits - CRAZY!

We hung out with these kids for over 2 hours and swung them around, chased them, hugged them and let them climb all over us. I'm tired but delighted - Kiki is chuffed. In fact, she's so excited, she's now making sugar cookies.

Full time ministry isn't an option for us right now as we have to work and pay rent - but if it was an option, I'd very much like to think we could do it. I was so impressed to watch Kiki turn herself into a jungle gym for these kids - and her smile never faltered. I glanced around me and my cheeky little friend jumped up and hugged me. She smiled "This is the best night of my life. No one ever plays with us. You guys are so cool." She then hugged me so tight, my eyes welled up. And when I thought it couldn't get any better, she whispered in my ear "I love you Jen". I love her too. We love these kids. It's not easy being here with all of the crazyness and spiritual attacks - but nights like this make it worth it. What was going to be a night of relaxation turned into a impromptu night of worship. I believe that what we're doing here is a ministry - absolutely. But I also believe that ministering to these kids (and allowing them to minister to us) is, in essence, worship.

People Who DIY ...

Okay, honestly now - do you DIY? As in Do It Yourself? I don't. I most definitely do NOT do it myself. That's why I know boys. I know that's like 100 steps back for the feminist movement, but I look ridiculous in a hard hat and plaid just isn't my colour. I know boys like Eric and Josh and Justin (here in Ireland) who can Do It Themselves, and then I won't have to worry about it. However, today, and yesterday, I Did It Myself (with Kiki's help of course).

When we got our internet, the deal was, they give you the snappy looking box, and you set it up yourself. Kiki and I don't do well with things that can break ... or electrocute us (i.e. the exploding hair dryers on Day 1). But I decided to try and set up the internet connection (and install Windows on our computer) all by myself. So I did. It took me 2 days to set up and properly install Windows and then 3 weeks to get the internet to work. And when we finally did, there was a huge drama about the computer not being in the right spot and Kiki wanting it in the kitchen - so we went out and bought a longer ethernet chord (I know that's not worded properly but I just install it, I'm not lingo savvy). We picked up a 3 meter one and it wasn't long enough - so ... we bought a 20 meter chord. Kiki would like to point out that some might find a 20 meter electric chord a little excessive - but to her, it's just practical. And by the time we had wound it all the way around the kitchen, over the cupboards and doors and down to the computer - she was right. With a mere 2 meters to spare, we hooked it all up. I scaled the kitchen counters, balanced precariously on the stove, and Kiki handed me tape. It was fantastic. We Did It Ourselves. For those of you who do this all the time, I applaud you. Now if you wouldn't mind, we have a couple pipes that are broken and could use a look-see...

Tina, I think your advice to become an electrician may be a little off base judging by this last little expedition - I stood on the stove and TAPED a chord to the cupboard. Hmmm ...

** Just a quick announcement - for those of you who care, Kiki just bought "snazzy new yellow, purple and blue velcro shoes" from the hippest shoe store in Ireland. Not like, Granny velcro, but the new "hip" velcro. I also have a pair - thank God the 80's are back because velcro is a lazy gals best friend.

J and K

Now Showing: Jen and Kiki's Theater of Shame

Because we can't post pics of the kids we minister to right now (without signed permission etc), we decided to take one for the team, and post the most embarassing pics we have of US since arriving in Ireland. Kiki wouldn't let me post her most embarassing ones, so I will have to show you them when we get home - but mine are here. Oh yes, I have no shame. Please remember, we don't always look like this ...

Taken on Kiki's birthday outside the restaurant. Yes, this was taken in public. I don't know how I made my face take that shape ...

This pic is funny not only because Kiki is slightly cross-eyed in it, but because it's on an angle. I maintain it wouldn't be nearly as comical if it had been taken the right way up.

Also taken outside the restaurant on Kiki's birthday. I think we were trying to take a picture of something behind her, but on closer examination, her facial expression is still the funniest thing in the shot.

This is a tradition for me. If you leave your camera unattended, I will take this exact picture for you. Ask all my family and friends, everyone has at least one of these pictures. The best part is how straight my eyebrow is.

Okay, I never ever wanted this picture to get leaked. I know .. it's hideous and I look jaundice. It's completely humiliating but terribly funny because, again, look how straight my eyebrow is!! I hate myself because of this picture, but Kiki wouldn't let me put up the next one unless I showed you this one.

Kiki almost didn't let me put this up - but clearly it's majestic. I love it. Her beautiful blue eyes, that look of stunned confusion, and the slack jaw. This is what she looked like when that cupboard went flying across the kitchen.

We hope you enjoyed this Theater of Shame and that it made you giggle and, quite possibly, miss us less.

Much Love,
J and K

Greystones

Seriously, if you want to have a real encounter with God, you need to go to Greystones! It's this quaint little town outside Dublin city center and all you can see is the Irish Sea for miles ... it's so beautiful. You can sit on the rocks and watch the waves come crashing in, or stroll along the rocky beach picking up shells. It's beautiful, it's quiet and it's so peaceful. Kiki and I took a much needed break and spent the day there a couple weeks ago. We came back to the city so refreshed and at peace. Here's just a glimpse of Greystones - although the pics could never do it justice.

We took this picture from a rock that overlooks the sea. It's just so ... Irish! This is what I pictured Ireland as before I got here.

That's Kiki (obviously) and behind her is the beach and this cute little cove (and way way far behind her is Bono's house!)

That's me, same view obviously. The clouds were coming in with the tide and the weather turned sketchy by supper time. It poured on us all the way home.

And just me and Kiki, smiling real big and wishing you all were here to see a little of God's beauty in a big big way.

Kiki's 20th Birthday!

There are just a couple of pics from Kiki's 20th birthday! We had a blast with Kiki's family, and she was delighted as there was a never ending flow of virgin Pina Colada's for her! Look how pretty she looks!! At the end of the meal, all the waiters came and sang to her ... she turned a lovely shade of purple.

So this is me and Kiki after leaving the restaurant. Clearly I could hardly contain my excitement! (April 06)

(L-R) Lori, Me, Marlys (Kiki's Mum) and the birthday girl! We went to this ridiculously fun restaurant called Thunder Road and made a huge spectacle of ourselves (in true Canadian style!) (April 06)

This gent happened to be celebrating his birthday at the same restaurant, just one table over. When it was time for the staff to sing to Kiki, they went past his table, grabbed the balloons and decorations and repositioned them on ours. He feigned indignation until he saw this beautiful angel and decided to pose with her instead. He revealed that he was turning 40 and was extremely upset to find out that Kiki was turning 20 and was, in fact, half his age.

The Day My Hair Caught Fire ...

So far, not a good day. Kiki left early to meet her friend for lunch, and when I (Jen) emerged from my comatose state and started to get ready, the stench of a "bad day" fell upon me. I went to take a shower and the bathroom light burnt out - our house is far too dark to take a shower without the light on, so I am shower-less. I couldn't reach the bulb to change it, and the chair wouldn't fit through the unreasonably small door way - so I couldn't even change the bulb. I was annoyed. I figure, "Oh well, I showered last night, I will just straighten my hair with Kiki's brand spankin' new straightener (that gets up to 215 degrees) and I will head out.

So, I heat up the straightener, and go right for my bangs. I don't know why I did this. I never ever straighten my bangs first - I go in layers. I straighten the very bottom layer of my hair (you know, the most HIDDEN layer) first and then work my way to the top. Today, no - I just went for the most noticed and front most part of my hair. It took a good 3 seconds before I realized that my hair was smoking and (wait for it) the straightener was melting and my hair was on fire. (The large amount of hair spray used in my hair yesterday was no doubt a factor.) I gasped, and removed the straightener, struggling with where to place it - not on the lacquered wood table, not on the porcelain plate, not on the plastic bag ... so finally I ripped the chord out of the wall and put it in the sink. (No, there was no water in it and the chord itself wasn't in the sink!) I returned to the mirror to survey the damage - and there it was. This 3 inch long singe mark right in front of my head - BRIGHT ORANGE and very very unattractive. And oh THE SMELL. You all know what burnt hair smells like right? Couple that with perm solution and you're approaching the smell of my roasted coiffe. So, here's what my head looks like today - complete with head scarf so no one can see that I no longer have bangs - just what looks like an orange brillo pad stapled to my forehead.


From this image, you can't really see where the fire began but if you would indulge me by taking a look at the next image ...


And there it is. My finger (looking unnaturally long) is pointing at the exact place (under the strategically placed scarf) that the horrible orange fuzz is.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed my humiliation - Kiki sure did.

Much Love,
~ J

The Holidays and The Team

So, these are kind of backwards, and once again, please forgive the formatting! These are from Christmas, New Years and St Paddy's Day here in Dublin!

Tasha, Kiki, Jen, Chelsey and Shelley eating junk food and watching (what turned out to be) a fabulous game of Rugby! That's our living room - it's a little crowded cause there's a mattress on the floor! Bless you and your back Jason!!) (March 06)

Jason and our lovely friend Konrad! Thick as thieves but so much quieter. (March 06)

St Paddy's Day! March 17th 2006 - Shelley, Chelsey, Kiki and Jason, all decked out in their Paddy's decorations! We had so much fun shopping with Tasha for the most embarassing hat for Jason to wear - and he's hiding his delight - he truly loved it.

See! He's smiling! He loves that hat! I (Jen) look like a 10 year old in this picture. And you will all be relieved to note that shortly after this picture was taken, I got my hair cut. Yikes. (March 06)

YAY! Kiki and I on the Ha'Penny Bridge in Dublin City Center - this was New Years 2005 and we had a blast that night.

*Sigh* Our ghetto fabulous Christmas tree. Special thanks to Todd, Eric, Josh, Tasha and Jenn for making us this beautiful tree that we still haven't taken down, despite urging from ... well ... everyone. We couldn't afford to buy one, and we came home and they had made one for us! We were, and still are, delighted!!

One of my favourite pics of all time. Kiki, my beautiful sister Tina and I on New Years 2005. It was such an amazing blessing to have her here in Dublin - and we had sooo much fun.

Stay tuned - there's more to come!

Epsiode 2: The Cleanup/Aftermath

These are all pics from after the backyard had been cleaned and the huge bin outside was overflowing with debris.

This is the huge metal bin that was RIGHT OUTSIDE our door! That's right folks, your eyes do not deceive you, that's a bed frame, some shingles and a boxspring. Let's take a closer look ...


Now, there's that bag of potting soil, some garbage, some paint, and various other delights. And just a quick reminder, that ALL came from our roof. Just ours, no one elses. Amazing.

This is the backyard after the cleanup! Look how beautiful it is! Look how clean! Look at that huge ladder ... (On the left, that's Kiki's window sill and mine is further back, near the ladder. I know you don't care, but still.)

This is the view from our back door. We had NO IDEA that big metal thing was there. We don't know what it is, but we are delighted that it's not covered in sewage anymore.

And, alas, the cause of all our trouble, the source of "the smell" and most disgustingly, home to the huge matted hair ball, many spiders and more than a dozen slugs. Those 3 pipes drain the water from the shower, the laundry machine and the toilet. Mmmmmm ... the word you're searching for is "rustic".

So that's the end of the Backyard Thrillogy pics. Not very entertaining, but at least now you can picture what we're saying in the emails.

Episode 1: The Backyard Thrillogy

Sorry we couldn't get the pictures sent in an email to you all. The attachment was just way too big, so we created a blog just to show you guys all our pics and give you the latest news. We will try to update frequently, so bookmark this page (if you like) so that way you won't have to remember the address! Enjoy and leave us comments! We love comments! Love J and K.


Jen in the backyard with all the garbage. That's right, all that garbage was loose, and she bagged it all and it came up to her shoulders.
Disgusting. Absolutely revolting. This is Jen's sandalled foot standing amidst the garbage. Right before the sewage came. *Shudder*
That's right, baking pans were sitting there in our backyard. We just don't understand what's going on most of the time.
Can't even see the ground for all the garbage bags. Makes me sick just remembering "the smell".
Jen, post sewage and garbage bagging. I have still not recovered. Oh, and Todd, I'm gonna be needing a new Mohawk shirt ... thanks.


(look for post 2, Episode 2 of the Backyard Thrillogy)

Anita, Dylan and Cameron

This is Anita, she's crazy and fun. She's 22 and has 2 little "angels", Dylan and Cameron who keep Kiki and I laughing.

This is Cameron - he is ridiculously cute. Like, it's stupid how cute this boy is. He's 3 and so cheeky - so of course I (Jen) just adore him!

This is Dylan, he's adorable and so LOUD! Also very cheeky but just turned 5 and is sooo cute.

The boys together on Dylan's birthday! They came over so we could blow up balloons for them, and then proceeded to beat eachother with them!

As I mentioned above, the boys beating eachother with balloons (inflated and not inflated - they're versatile those East Wall kids)

This pic was put up by Kiki's special request. She loves the look on Dylan's face as he pelts Cameron from behind with uninflated balloons. Apparently this pic is "so phenomenal and hilarious".