Happy Easter... with love from Taiwan!!

This was meant to be a quick video telling you all how much we love you and wishing you a Happy Easter miles away from home. But I'd rather just tell you about Easter in Taiwan...

This is officially our second Western holiday abroad. Christmas was a little depressing as we'd been away for a couple months already, and were just starting to settle in. Plus, I (Steph) was so sick I spent most of Christmas and Boxing Day in bed. The Taiwanese also don't make as much of a fuss over Western holidays as we do, so they have a tendency to sneak up on you if you're not paying attention.

Thankfully we're both healthy and were able to celebrate Easter with our family across the globe- we joined our church family for a special Easter service, then followed it up with progressive lunch with some English-speaking friends we've met (from Taiwan and as far away as South America!).

After lunch we went to Bus 7 and chatted- it's amazing to just listen to people your own age talk about how God has influenced their lives. We talked about trusting God and waiting for his timing. We agreed that our generation is so used to immediate satisfaction and gratification that we don't often know how to wait patiently, and forget that God's timing is perfect, but often different than our own. He knows the desires of our heart- he knows what we want, but he also knows what we need.

He knew we wanted to travel after graduation, teach younger kids (Steph) and learn traditional Asian food (Dave). He knew we needed to stay together. He provided two jobs, allowing us to both do what we had wanted to do, as well as an income to pay off our school debts and save for a house when we return. And he provided us with a home away from home. He knew we needed good, Christian friends. And He knew we wanted people we could relate to. He provided us with both. 

But it doesn't mean we just sat around waiting. We worked hard for the things we wanted. I picked up extra classes. Dave chatted with local chefs. We went to church, and as scary as it sometimes was, made an effort to be friendly (anyone who knows me knows that in a crowd of people I'm never the first to jump up and say hello), took up offers for lunch dates, and occasionally went to small group (more on that another time). We served God while we waited.

During Easter we always talk about Christ's sacrifice, but sometimes miss that after death there was rebirth- something that's been resonating with us here in Taiwan. It's one of the few ways I could explain Easter to my students (maybe I can't tell them about Christ, but I can definitely love on them like He would have), and the concept of newness and getting rid of a former lifestyle in favour of a new one is something Dave and I discuss frequently. We don't have a choice in the matter- Taiwan is changing us. God is changing us. Our experiences here are shaping us to who we're meant to be. We're learning together, as partners. We're not sure of all the reasons we ended up here in Taiwan, but we do know we were definitely meant to be here.

So Happy Easter everyone!! We wish we could be celebrating with you in person, but we'd love to chat with you via skype, email or a phone call. It makes the distance seem a little smaller for sure!

We miss some of the regular things we get to do, and especially eat (anyone want to send us some scalloped potatoes, ham and Easter chocolate?!), but we are LOVING it here.

And without further ado, a couple photos from our Easter lunch with some of our family over here- we had beef noodle (Taiwan's national dish, and one of our favs), tea, and guava and pineapple pastries from El Salvador. And for dinner, Dave's making pork fried rice. A non-traditional Easter dinner for an Easter spent across the globe!!

 One of Alonzo's friends had sent him some El Salvadorian pastry treats, so we shared them with delicious tea and coffee from Bus 7- the cafe our church owns and Dave is working at!

Lunch with some cool kids from church- between the 8 of us we can speak a combination of English, Taiwanese, Chinese, Spanish and French to varying degrees!! (And yes, we did have lunch before dessert!)

A little bit of summer to help drive the cold away...

On love... from another mouth...Meet Alex, midwife-in-training in the Philipines

About the same time Dave and I were applying to and doing interviews with schools in Asia, a friend of mine was packing up her life in preparation for attending a midwife school in the Philippines. Aside from being an amazing sister-friend and an absolutely beautiful woman of God, Alex is doing something I've never actually seen before- practically learning midwifery skills on the mission field. Not a week or two deal either. This girl is in it for the long haul.

First, tell us a little about yourself.

I am a 26 year old Canadian who loves her country but has a heart for distant shores. I grew up in Sault Ste Marie, and to this day, it is still the place I call home. That word “home” took on new meaning though as I grew up and moved around. The feeling of home can be found wherever you are. I am blessed to have lived in a few places that have truly felt like home. But SSM will always have that special place in my heart. I am from a family of five; two fantastic sisters, and two hilarious brothers. I've spent time in Washington, DC, working as an Au Pair, lived in St. Catharines/Niagara on the Lake for almost 3 years, then spent a great year and a bit out west in Kamloops before deciding it was time to venture further.

What perked your interest in midwifery? How did you get started?

I've known since I was young that I wanted to work in some sort of medical field. For a long time I thought that would be nursing. I was accepted to the BscN in Nursing program at Sault College, all ready to start, yet felt like something just wasn't right. It was at that time that I decided to take a break from SSM and headed to DC for a year. While there, I began to discover how much I loved working with children and mothers. The seeds of midwifery were planted as I listened to different birth stories and read books. When I moved home, it just so happened that a friend of mine was pregnant. Her and her sister had both previously mentioned that they thought I should look into Midwifery. They thought it would be a good fit for me. She invited me to come along to one of her midwife appointments. I remember sitting in the room and clearly seeing her baby's foot kick her belly from inside the womb. That hooked me. I was amazed. It was like it all came to life before my eyes. The more I prayed about it and pursued it, the more my passion for it would build.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best route to go. Canada has an amazing program, but I really felt like I wanted to learn in a more hands-on missional environment. Midwifery is a very practical way to meet the needs of women and infants in need. I always felt that I wanted to use my education in that way, whether it be in Canada or a developing country. Because of this, I felt I would rather gain my experience in the developing country setting, then transfer those skills to Canada rather than the other way around. Better to learn with limitations and have your knowledge and skill level expanded, then to learn with excess and experience a lot of career culture shock when you realize most of those things are not available. That's my thought anyway :)

So after a lot of researching, I came across Newlife...

Tell us about the organization you're working with. How does it work? What did you need to do to be part of it?

Newlife is a midwifery school whose goal is to train midwives who will go into all the world and share the love of Christ through competent midwifery care. The students of Newlife (such as myself) volunteer and train in two birthing clinics, one in Davao and one in Tabuk. We are supervisied and taught by amazing Filipino midwives who, as is the case in Tabuk where I am, we live with as well.

It is specifically an awesome program because we get to see our student fees be put directly to work. The “tuition” we pay, which I fundraise for, goes directly to keeping the clinic's open and running well. For me, I have stopped viewing it as tuition and instead it is just my contribution to the clinic. Not only mine, but the contribution of all the people who have supported me thus far. It is really amazing to see the impact it has. Literally, every dollar counts.

To be a part of it, you have to apply and be accepted as with any other program. You have to love mom's and babies and want to be a part of helping mom's bring babies into the world... it's quite simple really!

How did you decide to pack up your life and move across the globe? What did your family and friends say?

It was just the right time. Things fell into place. God provided a way. I wasn't an easy decision to make, but that was mostly due to fear that finances wouldn't come 
through. It's easier to say 'no' to something than to say 'yes' and have to deal with the disappointment if it doesn't work out. I was ready to say no. It all seemed too impossible. But I couldn't let go of it, and the people that knew me best wouldn't let me let go of it.

My family and friends were amazing. Still are. I wouldn't be here without the support that everyone showed. When I lacked faith that it would happen, someone would be right there encouraging me to keep going. Whether is was financial support, encouragement, or prayer, so many people that I love and am blessed to call family and friends played a huge role in me getting here... and they continue to play a huge role in me staying here.

What's the best part of living in the Philippines? What's the worst?

Oh goodness. There are so many things. Fried Chicken and Pancit? Warm buko rolls? Am I allowed to just name food? ;)

If I had to narrow it down to only one, I would say the best part of living here is knowing that it is exactly where I am supposed to be right now. That gets me through even the hardest of days. This is a beautiful country and the people are amazing.

The worst would be being so far from my family and friends at home. With my sister having a baby soon, best friends getting married and more best friends having babies it's hard not to feel like I am missing out on important things. With that being said, I would never trade this time here, and I think everyone understands that. I have a feeling I will spend my life “missing” a lot of things... but I also feel that I will spend my life gaining a lot as well.

Tell us a little about what you've learned.

It feels like I have learned so much in such a short time here, yet the more I learn, the less I know. There is SO much to learn and I just try to soak it up day by day.

I've learned that every woman is different. You can't really predict how someone is going to be in labor so it's better to just go in open minded. I've learned to be confident in the skills I have been taught, but to never fear not knowing. There is always someone to help.

I've learned that birth is freaking amazing! More so then I could have ever imagined. Women have a strength like no other... and that is true whether they experience childbirth or not.

I've learned to be a guest in another culture. To find joy in respecting a different way of life.

I've learned there is nothing to be said for living your life in excess, but so much to be said for living in simplicity and putting the highest value on lasting things.

What was your first birth like?

It was amazing. I had been here for not even 48 hours when I had the privilege of observing my first birth... ever! I came here very green. Lots of people come with previous experience such as doula-ing or at least observing births. Not me. Besides YouTube video's I had seen nothing. I'm pretty sure my jaw was on the floor the entire time and there were many tears in my eyes.

My dear friend and fellow student(second year), Aisling, sat with me the whole time and taught me how to chart a birth. I feel like I learned so much just in that first birth by writing down the whole process.

The mom was a 19 year old beauty who was probably half my size. I often look at these women and think “there is no way a baby is gonna come out of that!”.. but I'm always proven wrong :) At one point during pushing the mom somehow found this incredible focus and concentration. She would count herself down for each contraction “3, 2, 1, push!”. Baby was out quite quickly and I was left picking up my jaw from the floor. I will never forget that day.

In what ways have you seen yourself grow?

That's hard to say. Not because I haven't grown, but it's hard to pinpoint things. I think the longer I am here I grown more into the person God created me to be.

I've grown to love the unknown through trusting in God's provision and faithfulness.

I've conquered fear and insecurities that I didn't even know I had until I came here.

I've learned to trust my intuition a whole lot more. And to ask for help. It is so important to live in humility never being afraid to ask for help. Pride builds huge walls, humility breaks them down.

I've learned that there are very few things that I need. I could think of a whole ton of comforts that I “want” and miss... but I certainly do not need them and they only bring momentary comfort.

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I'm looking forward to continuing to learn and grow. To becoming a midwife. To seeing where that takes me. There is so much to look forward too!

Anything else you'd like to add?

I wish I had some great words of wisdom to share... :) I guess I would finish this all by saying patience pays off. It took me a long time to get to this place and the road here was not all rainbows and sunshine. It was hard, I was often frustrated, and a lot of times I felt like the things that were on my heart would never happen. Yet, here I am. Exactly where I have wanted to be for a long time... and it's so worth the wait!

I think it's also important to remember that your story and your journey is never just about you. It's always like pieces of a puzzle fitting together in the right timing and all we know is the one piece we have... that's it. Take the pressure off. Just enjoy life and trust that things will happen in the right time.

I feel weird talking about myself so much... haha!

To donate:

People can go to my blog www.alexandrapag.blogspot.com and click on the Donate link that links directly with paypal. Or they can e-mail money transfer to pagnucco.alexandra@gmail.com.

Basically, when it comes to fundraising, people can always give however and whatever they feel. It will always be put towards my clinic fees which are, well, literally that. Clinic fees to keep this clinic running so that it can provide care. It's amazing how much we see this money in action.

On culture shock, sooner than I expected.

I am in stage two culture shock. Everything annoys me. The heat, the dirt, the traffic, the food, and my inability to understand or communicate with people. I’m past the glorious ‘Hey, look at that! Hey, look at THAT!’ stage, and have fully regressed into anger and frustration.

We talked about culture shock during training, and how different people adjust at different times, and can have any variety of culture shock symptoms at any given time.

So while I say I’m fully into stage two, I’m also in stage three, the ‘I am just fine, thank you. I’m still alive, even though everything is strange’ stage.

Things that have become (almost) second nature.

-squatters. Really, not a big issue. But I’m very excited when I see a porcelain throne.

-on the subject of bathrooms, carrying tissue, throwing used tp in the trash not toilet, and the fact that you can frequently spray the toilet with the shower without ever trying.

-trying certain new brands. I’m still not willing to give up all my home-brands, but for the most part I’m pretty okay with (hopefully) picking a great one.

-the amount of tea. I am REALLY okay with how much tea gets drunk here. I also may or may not be addicted to Nǎichá (milk tea).

-the garbage truck jingle. Dave and I always to look for it when we hear it!

-chopsticks. Probably the smoothest transition of them all.

-most of the food. Turns out I love dumpling-type foods. And egg pancake. And the amount of garlic that is sometimes used. Oh, and shaved mango. Seriously, best.treat.ever. Oh, and the oranges are green!!

We have been in Tainan almost a week now.

Things I’m getting used to.

-the significant lack of potatoes (hey, I’m a farm kid- potatoes are a STAPLE!)

-the foliage. They’re not everygrees, but they are always green!

-the smell. It’s a mixture of dirt and food and I’m not really sure what.

-the fireworks from the temple. Not an exaggeration to say they happen all the time. Sporadically, but really at any point during the day you can hear some loud ‘BANG’s from across the street

-communication. Dave pulls up google translate on his phone when we’re really stuck. It’s a quick fix, but we are trying to learn more Chinese! Considering I entered the country with maybe two words (hello and thank you) and have upped it to a dozen without any real classes (although the impromptu ones from my new friends certainly helped!) I’d say I’m on the right track.

Things I may never get used to.

-the heat. And yes, I realize I moved to a sub-tropical climate! Doesn’t mean I like it, nor am I prepared for swimming in my own sweat during the summer!

So what’s next?

I’m in branch training right now, and start teaching my first class on Thursday. Our apartment is really nice, has huge windows and a bathroom (no really, we have a toilet room and a bath/shower room!), but is probably an hour’s walk from my branch. We are planning on getting a scooter, but buying and driving one without an ARC is technically illegal (yet so many people do it, but that's another post in and of itself!), so I either have to break the law, get used to walking, buy or borrow a bike or take a cab. By the time the summer’s heat comes driving a scooter shouldn’t be an issue (thank goodness, I do NOT want to be biking in that!), but it is a little annoying for the time being. Especially when it comes time to buy groceries (or anything else, for that matter!)

I don't want to.

I just read this blog post. It's about the joy of sponsoring a child, and how you become invested in not only their life, but in their community as well.

Dave and I sponsor two children- Marilyn Isabel from El Salvador and Gulf from Thailand. They will both turn 17 this year. Marilyn has been part of my life since she was 11 and was 19. I remember just deciding that enough was enough and sponsoring a child was 100% where my heart was. I wanted to sponsor a girl from South America. Those were my only two conditions. I remember nervously calling World Vision, telling the lady what I was looking for, and how happy she was to tell me all about child sponsorship and what I could expect. I was thrilled. A short while later I received my first photo, and my first tidbit of information. Honestly, I just remember feeling proud that I was part of her life, and grateful that I could be a part of her life.

Fast forward a few years and her photo is still on my fridge or sitting in a frame in my room. A Christian group of mostly college/ uni kids decided we wanted to reach out and sponsor a child. We would take donations every month. Our child would be set up under my account should anything happen to the group. I called, and Gulf was ours.

A little while later, the group did, in fact, change into a slightly larger, different group and Gulf was now solely my and my new husband's responsibility.

I don't regret our decision. I don't harbor ill-will towards my friends. I love supporting communities overseas and the fact that it has absolutely, without a doubt broadened our view of the world.

But sometimes it's hard.

Minus the few months since we graduated, Dave and I have spent our entire married life as students. That means small incomes and lots of bills. We don't really have lots of leftover money. More than once my charitable givings on my tax statement has been larger than my income.

Often, we have people ask us why we'd continue to sponsor two children. Why even sponsor one?

Frequently, people ask us when we're going to stop sponsoring our children overseas as we'll be travelling, living in a different country, and barely have any money (because that last one hasn't been a problem before).

My answer?

I don't want to.

Not a calm, 'thank you for your opinion' answer, a whiny, arms-crossed 'I don't wanna.'

And I really don't know why. Maybe I have trouble letting go of things. Maybe to me, they are my kids. And maybe God's just letting me hold onto them a little longer. Maybe my obnoxious 'I don't want to' is actually a plea. A we will make this work. A this is the right thing.

We'll make it work. I don't know what God has in store for us in the next few months. I absolutely have no idea. But somehow, it'll all work out.

On loving ourselves, our body, each other.

I just read this. An open letter to Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. In it, the author apologized for the way we, as a society, judge a woman's body, and how proud she was to see Kate, as a brand-new, day-old mom standing in the spotlight holding her firstborn and glowing with mommy love. And wearing a dress that didn't quite conceal her brand-new, day-old mom belly. And the author apologized, because she knows what nine months will do to a body. How everything will be shaped and stretched until it's barely recognizable, then you will bring a new life into the world, and promptly be judged for what your body does naturally when conceiving a child.

I'm not a mom yet. I dream of days playing with my husband's and my children, rocking them to sleep, the kind of parents we'll be and the not-so-perfect days. And I am so happy to know women are joining together and praising the way the body looks. I struggle enough with the way my body is, and I'm the only one changing it! I look at my girlfriends, and think, 'girl, you could totally lose a few more pounds. You're a mom, for goodness sakes! You should be able to play with your kids and drop those extra pounds!' My mean self is a complete snob. It's true. I judge more than I love sometimes, and I am completely ashamed to admit it. I don't pour Christ's love out like I should.

As a photographer, what use am I to anyone if I'm just going to be sizing them up? My job is to make them feel as beautiful as they actually look. As women we have a hard time seeing it. I've completely lost count of how many times I myself have looked a woman up and down and thought to myself, 'If only I had her stomach/boobs/legs/hair/ ect.' I'm not helping myself any, and I'm not helping those around me.

Our God wants us clothed in dignity, not beautiful clothes. He wants us to be kind, not fashionable. He wants us to love, not obsess over what we're wearing that day. He wants us to spend time with him, not hours primping every morning.

Ladies, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for judging you. And I'm sorry for judging myself. 

Some days are better than others, but I'm realizing God has put each of us here, just the way we are, for a reason. Our hair colour doesn't matter. The size of our bra doesn't matter. The fact we look better in red than blue has no affect on our salvation.

That is not to say we can't wear nice clothes, or style our hair, or check out the latest trends on Pintrest. But if that is our life, if that's all we do or think about or love, we're not living as we should.

I'm grateful for a husband who loves me, exactly the way I am. Even on days when I put myself down, or am unkind, or whine when I don't get my way. He is my greatest helper when I feel not good enough. He tells me my photographs could be published, he tells me the girls on the tv don't compare, and he's willing to go on crazy adventures with me.

Girls, I'm praying for you, for me, for us. We are what keeps hate in a circle. Few men really care what we're wearing as much as we think they do. I read once that women dress for themselves and for other women. We they dressed for men, we'd go around naked.

You know that scarf you love? Wear it. Those earrings that bring out the blue in your eyes? Put them on. That dress that makes you feel like a 50's bombshell and is actually long enough but shows the c

urve of the stomach you're trying to hide? Wear it like you'll never own another dress.

Ladies, let's love ourselves. Our God made us, so He thinks we're perfect. Our husbands married us, and they likely wouldn't have if they found us unattractive. We looks like our parents, so they probably shouldn't complain about our looks. And our siblings probably don't care. And if you're not married yet, don't fret.

You. Are. Beautiful. 

love, Steph

PS.My husband took this photo during a shooting tutorial. I can't explain how much I love it. Yes, I was dressed up on purpose (honestly, not even sure why I own red lipstick!). Yes, it's posed. But it makes me feel beautiful. I was freezing, and absolutely not wearing enough clothes for April. But my husband put it up as his desktop background ages ago, and refuses to take it down. :)

Tough Mudder 2013

I'm not a race-type person. So when my husband told me he wanted to run Tough Mudder, I looked at him (and our friend who had proposed the idea) like they had gone off the deep end. While I flatly refused to crawl through tunnels and jump in ice water, I did end up along for the ride- as a cheerleader of sorts.

The best part of this photo? How none of us knew quite what we were getting ourselves into...

Our team leader designed the shirts!

While the mudders ran up the ski hill, we got to take the chair lift to the top!!

I'm convinced Candice was the only one of the three of us who wasn't terrified of the height.

Oh, hi boys.

Due to the spectator's course, my fellow cheerleaders and I did miss a few of the obstacles. (Although, I know for a fact that not every one of the thousands of participants ran every obstacle either!)

Apparently some of the monkey bars were greased!

Someone had a little practice ahead of time with this one! (Tyler's in the reserves!)

First few tasks finished. They're still doing great!

And still excited for what's next!

See all those wires? There's electricity running through them!

We're tough and we're muddy! Well, we were muddy!

Group huddles, not just for morale- it was freezing!! It even snowed on the hill!

I am convinced they're strutting on their way to the next task...

That. Is. Disgusting.

And yet, Mel seems almost proud of it!

I guess I'm not one to talk...I still have dirt in those pants! And those shoes just got worse after this!!

Waiting...

Jump Carl!!

 Trevor, you don't need to make it look so easy!!

Nearly there guys and girls!!

Finally!! Running through some more electrified wires to cross the finish line!

Proud Tough Mudders. My husband's headband still has mud on it...

That's it folks!! Our mudders (and our cheerleaders as well, in certain cases!) braved hypothermia, heights, mud, small dark spaces, water, electricity, and lots and lots of walking (up and downhill!), and are all still alive to tell their stories!

On living Christ, through another's words.... Meet Alyssa, Miss World Canada Delegate 2013

Alyssa and I met years ago at camp Aush-Bik-Koong while helping clean the camp up for the following summer. She is one of those people who actually enriches your life when they're a part of it. And she's just done something super-cool. 

In her own worlds, Lyss talks about her experiences as a Miss World Canada delegate, what being a woman of God means to her, and how reaching out to others is an extension of Christ's love.

(photos supplied)

My name is Alyssa Piazza, I am 22 years old and am from Sudbury, Ontario. I’ve always been inspired by people who are passionate and have used their zeal to become world changers and that is what I am trying to do with my own life. I firmly believe that the voice of a single individual can make all the difference in this world.

What does being a woman of God mean to you?

Being a woman of God to me means that every day I strive to be more like Jesus. It means I choose to daily take everything I am and have and place it before God saying use me in any way you want, take me anywhere you want me to go. It means that I’m constantly asking Him to break my heart for what breaks His, to give me revelation of who He created me to be, and for the courage to live that out.

You're a contestant in the Miss World Canada pageant. Tell us a little about the pageant. Why did you get involved? How did you get involved? What is your role in the pageant? 

This year I was selected as a national finalist for Miss World Canada 2013. I can tell you I had never thought of doing a pageant, or really had a desire to do a pageant before this. It is something God literally placed in front of me and asked me to go, and even though I had no idea what it would entail or how pageants really worked I just said yes to Him. My journey to the pageant itself was such a beautiful and challenging one. God really used this experience to teach me more about my identity in Him, and really how critical it is to be speaking His truths over myself daily. On May 1st I joined 35 other exceptional ladies in Vancouver B.C at the beginning of pageant week. We had a week full of press events, photo shoots, interviews, and so much more. It was absolutely crucial that everyday I spent time with Jesus and kept my heart and self focused on my purpose for being there, and making sure I stayed true to myself and didn’t compromise who I was or my values in any way, which was not always the easiest thing to do. Thankfully God has surrounded me with some great people in my life who kept me reminded of those things to. Going into this my ultimate goal was not to take home the crown. My heart was really to grow as a person, to challenge myself, to represent the heart of God well on and off the stage, and to use the platform God had given me wisely. The night of the pageant I did not win which was not at all a disappointment to me. I was runner up for Miss Congeniality, which my fellow Delegates voted for, and that in itself meant more to me than the crown. I was so thrilled that my beautiful friend Camille Munro was crowed that night, and was also incredibly proud of all of the other ladies because they really are amazing women who have hearts to change the world. It is not easy to do what we did, to be so willing to do something in the world and put ourselves out there despite much of the criticism and trails many faced to get there.

What an amazing experience to be able to really ground yourself in Jesus on such a national scale!

You spoke a little about going where the Lord leads you. You've done a lot of work with underprivileged kids, and are a huge advocate against human trafficking. Tell us a little about your work. What keeps you motivated?

In regards to much of what I do, one of the main comments I hear a lot is “Alyssa, it’s so great that you ‘do’ humanitarian work”. I wouldn’t say I “do” humanitarian work. It's a way of living. Being conscious of the world around me, and issues facing the world. Doing my part with the voice I've been given to fight for what's right, and to love people. It's not something I choose to "do" on occasion, it's something I choose to live out everyday. Jesus didn't say "Hey guys, I need to do some humanitarian work and stop these people from stoning this woman, or go heal the sick, and love the broken." It was his lifestyle, and if I'm striving to be like Him, than it should be the way I live out every day as well.

God has really given me a heart for young people. I so desire to see others get a revelation of their identity, so they can live out their destiny and become all that God created them to be. So with that passion I have had incredible opportunities to work with youth globally. I have spoken at, and mentored conferences in my city, as well as co-lead a self-esteem and empowerment program for young girls ages 12-15 in my city. Last summer I was absolutely blessed with the experience of living in Chicago Illinois and working at a summer camp with under resourced youth. The program was summer long for them, and we spent time speaking truth and identity over them, and just loving these incredible teens where they were at in life. I can’t tell you how much this experience changed me. The teens I worked with were some of the most amazing people I’ve met and I do not say that lightly. People have often said how great it was that I helped these teens, but really in many ways they did the same for me.

I am also a huge advocate against human trafficking because I’ve seen and heard the realities of it both here in Canada and throughout the world. That 27 Million people are enslaved around the world today (take time to picture faces of people in your mind as you read that number, and not just a big statistic). It is the fastest growing crime on our planet. This means that daily men, women, and children are being sold and exploited. I couldn't turn a blind eye, and pretend I didn't know what was happening, so had to somehow get involved in the movement to abolish modern day slavery. It has been such a journey and God has blessed me with platforms such as Miss World Canada to create awareness about this very present and horrific reality in our world today. In Proverbs 31:8 God calls us to “speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” and I take that seriously for my life. Injustice breaks the Fathers heart, and like I mentioned earlier I have countless times prayed for my heart to break over what breaks His and this something that absolutely does. I refuse to keep silent, to be desensitized, or think it’s too big of an issue to do anything about. I challenge all of you readers out there to get educated about human trafficking, and find out how you can help end it.

Anything else you'd like to add/ share?

Basically I am just a girl who has chosen to follow God’s leading for my life, and to be not just His hands and feet to the world, but His heart. It keeps me humble that without Jesus I’m a mess, and could never do what He has destined for me to do. But with Him all things are possible and that is the journey I am on, watching Him do the impossible through me.

Thanks Lyss!! I can't wait to see what God has in store for this next chapter of your life!!

On who I am.

I am one of those people who gets jealous.

I am one of those people who hates confrontation.

I am one of those people who needs to keep reminding myself that no matter what I do, someone likely put more time and effort into the same thing, and can likely be considered better.

I am one of those people who gets so eaten up by worrying about things that have yet to happen that I disappear and end up in solitude.

I am one of those people who struggles with what happens next, and where I’m going to be.

I am one of those people who wants to give up and just quit, continually.

I am one of those people who’s mantra has to simply be ‘you CAN do it.’

I am one of those people who wants more than she needs.

I am one of those people who wastes their time, then regrets it.

I am one of those people who doesn’t understand why life isn’t fair.

But I am one of those people whom He loves.

I am one of those people whom He delights in.

I am one of those people who is His.

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.- Psalm 100:3 (highlight mine.)