Ode to the Bouldering Room

Your walls are rough

With holds a plenty

To climb isn’t tough

Once you’ve tried times twenty

You move along

And the wall gets harder

My arms aren’t strong

So it’s hard to get farther

Climbing shoes help lots

But they’re tiny and small

They hold great on the rocks

And yet I still manage to fall

As I get close to the end

I try hard not to miss

After the very last bend

The last hold will I kiss

By: Janice Henderson

There’s No Way

There’s no way that I could ever depict

Just a moment of Your beautiful world

There’s no way, for me to start describing

How much I see You in every single day

And this because You’re so awesome

It’s because You made it all

From the ground up to the Heavens

All creation hears You call

There’s no way that I could ever hear

Every sound that floats to my ear

There’s no way that I could ever see

Anything in its true glory

And this is because You’re so amazing

It’s because You started it all

From the birds right to the ocean

All creation hears You call

There’s no way that I could imagine

Every thought that runs through my brain

There’s no way that I can understand

How long it must have taken

To make me this way

And this because You’re so awesome

It’s because You made it all

From the stars to the mountains

All creation hears You call

There’s no way that I could ever speak

A single word that explains all You’re worth

There’s no way that I could ever explain

All you’ve done for me with Jesus’ name

And this is because You’re so amazing

It’s because You started it all

From the clouds down to grasses

All of creation hears Your call

By: Janice Henderson

Mdumbi Creation

Wild horses block the doorway

Cockroaches crawling in my bed

A rooster crows on my windowsill

Geckoes living above my head

This is the place I live for now

I wish I didn’t have to share it

I would way prefer if it was just girls

But out here, nature rules

Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear

Sheep surrounding me on hillsides

Ants keep crawling up my pants

Stray dogs keep walking by my side

This is where I find quiet

And yet it’s not silent at all

I would way prefer if I was all alone

But out here, nature rules

This is God’s complex creation

He made us all in our place

I would way prefer if He was here to explain it

But I’ll have to wait ‘til I see His face

The bright side is I’m here and so

I’ll endure the bugs and love the world

By: Janice Henderson




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Jen Dyck

The idea of baptism has always been in the back of my mind. For me, growing up in a Christian home, it was the next natural step after dedicating your life to Christ. Over the years I have struggled to make my faith my own, by getting away from the mentality that what my parents say is right. On my Outtatown experience so far, I have learned that it’s okay to question and okay to have doubt that is controlled. In one of our morning sessions, it was mentioned that a water baptism was going to take place that afternoon. In my quiet time I prayed about it. The answer “yes” kept coming to me, but I was unsure whether it was from God or not. Then the song “All Who Are Thirsty” came to mind. The lyrics say:

All who are thirsty, All who are weak

Come to the fountain

Dip your heart in the streams of life

Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away

In the waves of His mercy

As deep cries out to deep

I really thought that at that moment those lyrics were especially for me: “Dip your heart in the fountain”…literally. So on Wednesday, October 20th, I took a leap of faith. The past couple of days have been overwhelming. I find myself full of joy and with a great sense of peace. It’s incredible.



Cyprian Peters

Well, this past week I was baptised and I have to say it was a pretty awesome experience. It was something I had been thinking about for a while but was kind of hesitant to get baptised at my church because I really didn’t have a close relationship with many people in the church.

So one morning, the leaders announced that during our regular afternoon class, we would have a baptism in the lake, which isn’t particularly warm in mid-October! I thought, what a better time to get baptised than in a loving community of tight-knit friends. It was an amazing afternoon for all involved.



A Little Inspiration

By: Becky Bowman with help from God

About two weeks ago while we were in Mdumbi we did the knowing yourself part of the year. During this week we had to make a personal mission statement. It didn’t come easy but I did it eventually. At the time I didn’t really think anything of it. My mission statement if you are wondering is “To live a life of serving God relying solely on this strength in doing so living out my passion to help others and bear their load. To hold the Christ light high enough for others to see.”

The inspiration part of this story comes from God when I was climbing Rhino’s Peak during our time in Pietermaritzburg. So I was climbing the mountain and I wasn’t having the greatest of times. My asthma was kicking in, my legs felt like they were 400 lbs each, and my heart was beating out of my chest. All the while I kept thinking, “I’m never going to make it to the top… I’m going to die!” But then God spoke to me. He reminded me of the part of my mission statement that says, “Rely solely on His strength”. He also gave me Psalm 121 which reads, “I life my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth”.

After that I was a different person climbing that mountain. My negative attitude left and a new positive one rolled in making the rest of the hike easier and more enjoyable.

Life to the Full

By: Ingrid Dykxhoorn

Upon our arrival, it looked like a typical South African township. Dusty dirt roads, shacks crammed together and animals wondering the streets. The people however, were far from typical. The people were quite shocked to see a big tour bus of white people. Despite their surprise, they were quick to welcome us with big smiles on their faces. As we got off the bus, little kids waved and shouted hello to us. And so we were welcomed into Khayelitsha. We went there to help the people of the community to build houses in place of their shacks. We did the best we could, but really noticed our lack of skills. The people really didn’t seem to mind though; what was important to them was the fact that we came. It didn’t really matter how much we did, they were just touched by our desire to help. We came to help, and we went away with a whole lot to learn. In the worlds eyes we are much better off then they are. I’m starting to believe that they know a lot more about a full rich life then we do. The material possessions they have would appear to us as nothing to be proud of, but they are so content and live with a joy that most people never find. These people show true beauty and even though they don’t realize it they show the heart of Jesus. It was a huge honour to work with them and learn from them.




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Surveys

(the results are in!...)


Top 25 things we have learned in Republic of South Africa
By: Ingrid Dykxhoorn & Janice Henderson

1. One camera makes twenty kids appear out of thin air

2. Ocean swimming = sand and salt everywhere

3. Canada has a cricket team!

4. You need a tutor to give a proper South African hand shake

5. Contrary to popular belief, lions and elephants are not a natural road hazard – but dung beetles are!

6. At the end of the day, you can wring your shirt out even if you didn’t go swimming

7. How to Bargain – say “no” and walk away until you get the deal you want

8. Ignore car horns and whistling

9. Wild horses really are wild – DON’T PET THEM!!

10. Fifteen digital cameras and two elephants = hundreds of pictures

11. Always get a second opinion when learning new languages

12. Between rugby, cricket, and soaps there is always something on T.V.

13. It is possible to master the art of sleeping on the floor of a bus

14. Strange looks and behaviors are usually the result of a poker game

15. Shopping is addictive (Mr. Price is not your friend)

16. Always check for spiders before sitting on the toilet

17. Seeing a 7-year old in the front left seat in a car is normal, natural, and inevitable

18. Mountains in South Africa are actually taller then the hill at Kawkawa – believe it or not

19. We can be filthy 24/7 and stay that way even after showering

20. 18°C water is still refreshing if it’s 35°C outside

21. Learning someone’s name is really hard if you can’t pronounce it

22. You can put on SPF 45 sunscreen, burn anyways, and peel all in one day

23. It takes hard work and practice to kill cockroaches – if you’d like lessons call us

24. Curry, rice, and pap will be apart of at least one meal a day, it never fails

25. If you don’t understand, smile, nod, and back away

Kawkawa Survey

Part A

1. If you could be any animal, what would you be?

1. Cat/ Monkey- 13%

2. Lion- 10%

3. Giraffe/Dolphin/Eagle/Bunny- 7%

(Other- 70%)

2. What is one thing that intrigues you most about the country of South Africa?

1. Culture- 19%

2. People- 16%

3. Class System- 10%

(Other: 55%)

3. If you could have an abundance of any one fruit of the spirit, which would you choose?

1. Love- 32%

2. Joy- 26%

3. Patience- 16%

(Other: 42%)

4. If you could meet any character from the Bible (besides Jesus), who would you choose?

1. Paul/David- 13%

2. Moses- 10%

3. Job/Rachel/John/Whale- 7%

(Other: 49%)

5. If you could live in any decade, which one would you choose?

1. 1970s- 16%

2. 1960s/1950s- 13%

3. Present- 10%

(Other: 48%)

6. Would you rather be stranded in the Arctic or in the desert?

1. Arctic- 65%

2. Desert- 35%

7. If you could have one wish granted to you, which would you choose?

1. Hear God clearly- 13%

2. Travel World- 10%

3. Know my purpose- 7%

(Other: 70%)

8. If you were to be confined alone in a jail cell for one year and could only bring one item with you, what would you bring (note: food, water, a bed and toiletries are granted)?

1. Bible- 42%

2. Musical Instrument or Music- 16%

3. Photographs- 10%

(Other- 32%)

9. What personality trait attracts you most to the opposite sex?

1. Sense of humor- 19%

2. Integrity- 16%

3. Gentleness- 13%

(Other: 48%)

10. What is your biggest fear?

1. Heights- 13%

2. Not getting married/ Continual pain- 10%

3. Being alone- 7%

(Other: 70%)

11. Would you rather be rich or famous?

1. Rich- 77%

2. Famous- 23%

12. If you could play any musical instrument, which would you choose?

1. Guitar- 29%

2. Piano- 23%

3. Cello- 13%

(Other- 35%)

13. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?

1. Red- 23%

2. Green (all different shades)- 19%

3. Blue- 16%

(Other: 42%)

14. What emotion to you most dislike to feel?

1. Sadness- 29%

2. Anger- 23%

3. Fear/Hate- 10%

(Other-28%)

15. What emotion do you most like to feel?

1. Joy- 58%

2. Excitement/Love- 13%

3. Bliss- 7%

(Other- 9%)

16. What is your worst habit?

1. Nail Biting- 19%

2. Procrastination- 13%

3. Being sarcastic/ Burping- 10%

(Other- 48%)

17. What is your biggest pet peeve?

1. Not listening- 16%

2. Conceitedness- 13%

3. Chewing with mouth open- 7%

(Other- 64%)

18. What is your dream career?

1. Missionary- 23%

2. Artist (Visual, musician, etc, designer, etc.)- 19%

3. Doing nothing- 7%

(Other- 51%)

Part B: What is your favourite...

1. Praise & Worship song?

“One Heart One Mind” by Nathan Rieger

2. Dessert at Camp Kawkawa?

Brownies

3. Outdoor Adventure?

Hiking

4. Disney movie?

Mulan

5. Activity to do during free time at Camp Kawkawa?

Hanging out

6. Genre of music?

Rock (variety of genres)

7. Bible Story?

Creation

8. Book of the Bible?

Psalms/John

9. Way to spend time with God (setting, activity, etc.)?

In nature

10. Personality trait about yourself?

Craziness

11. Season?

Winter

12. Day of the week?

Friday


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Ode to the Girls

Mandi wakes up early to see Janice writing

Poetry down by Kawkawa Lake

Jenny sleeps in ditches, Lindsay loves to boulder

Elise only eats the marshmallows on the cake

CHORUS

These are the girls we've come to love

You girls are flippin' sweet

These are the girls we love

You girls are flippin' sweet

Brittany is an Oogachucka and trips on her skirt

And Ingrid falls down a waterfall making her finger hurt

Rachel bobs her head while workin' on the website

Shauna sacs Cyp when there wasn't even a fight

*Chorus

Kendra's legs are fabulously furry

And Suzanne's are catching up in a hurry

Becca's bent on world domination

And Eden loves all of creation

*Chorus

Vanessa is a farm-girl, Kaylee is a horse-girl

Katrina enjoys some broken-leg bobsledding

Becky's got a mean thug walk

And Jen does some fine poker betting

*Chorus

Leah laughs crazy and Mellary bowls backwards

And breaks a nail ha ha!!

Have you ever seen Napolean Dynamite?

Because Lynda looks like Lafawnda

*Chorus

Wearing her coat Marleen looks

Like a burnt marshmallow

Charlotte joined us for this week and her

Personality is colourful like Jell-O

Elyse held her pee

All the way from Esperanza

II'm sure her bladder felt like it was

Being cut by a saw

Bridge (4X)

Ask me, Erin, before you sop up my gravy



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