Explode or break down and Cry....

As always vinjelu is fighting for a visa.

We need a student Visa for vinj to get into the states to do the Community Development School.

They almost make it inpossible for honest poeple to even have everything together for an interview.

They make you feel like a rat in the corner surrounded by exterminators... maybe if you say the right thing they'll let you go past.

It is seriously the MOST FRUSTRATING TIME EVER! I hate it sooooo much. I am so tired of dealing with stupid immegration officers and voice activated machines that tell you nothing.

Anyway we have one praise report and that is that vinjelu does not have to fly to Vancouver for an appointment. We managed to get an appointment in Calgary this friday, so will hopfully have everything togther by tomarrow.

We are rushing into Calgary tomarrow to get all of his papers ready.

Tyler shows my frustration in this photo. Sometimes you just want to fight it out with immmegration. Aysh, I wish it was that easy. If you read this on Thursday, PLEASE PLEASE remeber to pray for Vinjelu as he's going in for the interview on Friday morning at 9am, and please pray nothing stupid happens with the truck or getting down town. Thanx everyone.

ON the same hand, we are also applying for Permanent residence in Canada... oh ahppy day... not.

Sorry shell and trish for not calling this has been a huge stress on top of that I have been sick. Feel free to call it's my parents number that they've always had.

Feelings & one of my favorite things...

I love this photo of elizabeth. I found it in moms pictures last night. It caught my eye Number one- because Elizabeth is breath-takingly beautiful, but also because the way she looks in this photo seems to capture how i've been feeling latley.

vinjelu and I have enbarked on a journey into missions, which seems to be the hardest start I've ever had, and almost doesn't make sence some times. We've really been struggling through these past two to three months, wondering what we're doing right and what needs to change. I feel I've run off a bridge like in the photo, I am excited and feel free, but a little scared too.

Vinj and I have said many times we wish there was a different way to run the world then with money... it complicates things so much. But thats an obvious fantacy... just sharing that this season of life has been hard and we're trying to figure out how you start out in missions without wondering about how you're going to make the payments every day. I want to ask the quesion too of what God is teaching me through all this...

I don't know

...

If there is one thing that brings me life almost as much as the presence of God it's my three Nieces. Elizabeth-Sophia-and Emma. They are so full of joy, over christmas I sat down with the video camera and asked the girls what christmas meant to them, they're asnwers amazed me! They understand God's love so much, and they give it in all there smiles, hugs, and all there incredible insight into the world.

I love them and miss them. Lana or emma if you're reading this I MISS YOU! And hopfully see you soon.

P.S Emma you promised to come see me in January, I'm in New NOrway now so it's not so far to come!

Sophia looks so incredibly adorable in this photo!

She is wearing a dress that was mine when I was a little girl.
She's so beautiful

New Norway

Low temps. snow turning to ice and strong winds was the reception we got from the weather when we moved in. Kind of the discription of how we felt. Leaving calgary wasn't easy, but i guess it was bound to happen. Moving was done mostly by Kathryn, her mom and I. The Kungs (the family we lived with) eventually came to help. So it was not much of a community effort, just us. On the other end we got help from Daniel , scott and steven, so that made work a little lighter.Today as i'm writing this, the sun is shining bright. HOPE. That is what we feel in our hearts. Anticipation that as we have closed off (temporarily) one chapter , we begin another. We will be in New Norway untill the end of March when we will be headed for Montana to do the Community Development school. We look forward to that so much. We will be back in september and are praying about where we should be after that.

We are moving into the master bedroom, we're ripping out the carpets and painting it up and changing a few things. So that will keep us busy for this week. After we're done that I will be helping renovate some of the living room for kathryn's parents! Fun times!

My best friends babies!

Elias & Wyatt Munk

Wyatt Gideon Munk, Just born!

Shelby, Cory & Wyatt

shelby has been my best friend since I was 8 years old. I am so proud of her and so excited for the new baby boy! And you can see how much Elias has grown up, for those of you who know him.

anyway, I love you shelby, I'll be praying for you while you heal up and get used to two adorable little boys in the house (or is it three with cory...heehee)

Taking part in the emconomy could save a whole continent!

Fact- The whole of Africa takes part in 1% of the worlds economy.

Fact- If Africa was given a chance for 1% more, they would be making more money then the whole continent receives in AID every year!

Africa is tired of AID, they want Fair trade.

Buying merchandise, food, coffee, that has been unfairly traded is actually making billions of people poorer, contrary to popular thinking.

FALSE- Them having the unfair trade business isn't helping them, they barley survive on it. making people poorer doesn't help them.

please find out how you can fight against this.

Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.

Child headed homes in Zambia

Information on some of the problems we face in Zambia, poeple looking for the same answers we're looking for...

Zambia: Help for Child-Headed Homes

Zambia is grappling with the growing problem of thousands of child-headed homes, created by one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.
Kapiri Mposhi, a commercial hub in central Zambia, about 200km north of the capital, Lusaka, has one of the highest levels of HIV prevalence in the country and a significant number of child-headed homes. UNAIDS estimates the national HIV rate at 17 percent.


The town is situated halfway between the industrial Copperbelt province and Lusaka on the Great North road, the only highway linking Zambia to Tanzania in the northeast, and is a mandatory stop for truckers. It is also a significant stop on the railway line connecting Zambia and Tanzania.

"Because it is a transport hub, frequented by truckers, the town has become a commercial sex centre with a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate," said James Zulu, a spokesman for the Zambia Red Cross Society, which runs programmes supporting child-headed households.
The UNAIDS '2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic' estimated that Zambia had about 710,000 AIDS orphans, of which over six percent were homeless and less than one percent were accommodated in orphanages. The rest either fend for themselves in their parents' homes or are looked after by elderly grandparents.

According to Charles Mwinuna, district director of health in Kapiri Mposhi, there are over 850 officially registered orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in a population of less than 300,000 but the unofficial number could be higher. "We have not been able to establish as yet how many of these vulnerable children are currently in child-headed homes, but we know that they should be in big numbers because of the locality and socioeconomic nature of this town, which has put people at greater risk of contracting HIV/AIDS."
Many orphaned children end up as sex workers along the highway, but there are exceptions. Memory Kawaya, 16, has looked after her two younger siblings for the past seven years. The family of three lives in a grass-thatched hut on the outskirts of town. She attends schools and sells mushrooms to help support the family, and she and her siblings have twice tested negative for HIV. Kawaya is determined to maintain her negative status by abstaining from sex.
"Many people have been approaching me for sex and [they] promise to give me money, but I refuse to give in because of what I have heard and seen about HIV/AIDS. I want to become a teacher after completing school, so that I can look after my brother and sister - that's why I don't even think about any sexual relationship," she said.
Kawaya was nine when she lost her mother, and her two siblings were aged seven and five. "We do not have any relative to look after us ... we have been living like this and we often eat only once per day - we can't afford three meals. I am only happy that we are all in school, although I am usually frustrated by my headmaster, who is always harsh with me for not looking as smart as other pupils," she said. They grow cassava, beans and maize in an adjoining plot to help feed themselves.
The Red Cross Society has started initiatives working with vulnerable children. "We have identified 734 orphans and vulnerable children in the town, whom we support with groceries, clothing and school fees," said Zulu. The Red Cross caregivers also visit child-headed households in Kapiri Mposhi to ensure they are coping.
Relevant Links

Zulu said the society was also encouraging older children to run small businesses, mostly vending, to support their families. "We do not want to encourage child labour, but we provide them with small amounts of money to buy groceries or other foodstuffs to sell."

Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow....

here's Vinjelu and I on the Snow machine, about to go for a spin in the field! It was Vnjelu's First time to ride or drive one. he had a blast!

Theres our mustang... sad sight I guess... Hibernating for the winter.

We still love you stang...

Accepted for Foundations in Community Development School!!!

Below is our exciting e-mail!

Dear Vinjelu and Kathryn,
Well we are thrilled to let you know that after praying over your
applications that you are accepted to the 2007 MT FCD starting on March
26. We know this is a school that will further equip you for the
work
God has called you too.
As we mentioned before we cannot guarantee a scholarship at this time.
There are at the moment 6 worthy African applicants (including yourself
Vinjelu) asking for scholarships and we at this time just have one
available. Pray for us as school staff that God will give us wisdom
who
out of these 6 we should recommend for a scholarship.
We would encourage you to seek the Lord and good counsel to do all
that
you can in raising the necessary funds for the school. As we do the
possible God is more than able to do the impossible. Do include your
YWAM
leadership in Calgary in the process as much as possible as to
confirming
God's leading to do the FCD at this time.
Many blessings,
Arnold
PS Don't hesitate to contact us with any further questions or concerns.

Merry Christmas Season!

Good link - please chek it out

http://www.phrusa.org/research/sudan/

Mercy Works- Kathryn going to Sudan

I have been praying about an opportunity I have been given to be apart of a Medicle relief team to the Sudan. The team is lead by a man in his early 70's, a doctor, he's been in YWAM for years. The team is going for three weeks to give medicle releif to Sudanese people in refugee Camps. It's from February 12-March 8 2007.

If you would like to check out the web site for the Relief team it's, www.mercyworks.org

I am filling out an application and will be sending it in the next few days. I need the flight money for this trip within the next week. And so need to really trust God for his provision. The whole trip will cost $4000.00.

Please look at the post below and take time to read some of the history behind the war in Sudan, as well for those of you that have DSL or somthing take 5 minutes and watch some of the Flash videos of Darfur villages and hear some of the refugee stories.

If you have questions or commnets please leave them on here or call. I have really been praying and thinking about this opportunity alot... so would be great to hear what poeple feel and think.

-Kathryn

Sudan- be a voice

Women in a Refugee Camp

Two children orphaned by the war

http://www.darfurgenocide.org/darfur.php

Wake Up and Smell the coffee...

Check out the site

Become aware

make a difference

Stand for justice

Rent the move from your local block buster

Child Soldiers- Become Aware.

please visit, www.invisiblechildren.com

Step One: Go to Good search Type in "Invisible Children."

Step Two: Click on the link to the Invisible Children GOOGLE VIDEO, and take 45 minutes to watch and make your self aware of whats going on and has been for year in Northern Uganda.

There are millions of children displaced in Uganda, disapeared, vanished... where?
I know alot of poeple would just say this is Africa, thats the way it is... but I beg to differ...
Children all over the world, poeple deserve the same rights, human rights, and life style, color race or country shoulnd't make is ok to be slaughtered, raped, and destroyed as a child.

Thousands of children are abduicted by the "Lords Resistence Army" in Uganada, they mostly abduct children between the AGES OF 5-12, because they are moldable at theat age. The first thing that happens when the children arive at the LRA's Camp tied up is, brutal murder, the children have to kill in order to be saved, they are forced to stand and watch or, to do it them selves.
Many children in rehab now have gone mentaly retarded because of the trama they've gone through while in the LRA.

Please read and find out whats happening in the world. Keep your self informed!
If you already are, great! Spread the news!

Relief Teams

I've just found out about a relief team that YWAM has running, one out of Texas and Austrailia. Some YWAMers sign up to be apart of these disaster relief teams, and stay on call of any emergencies. This is something I have always been very passionate about, but didn't know how to go about it safely. So I am looking into it more and some of the relief trips coming up in the next few months and years. I may sign up to be apart of this list as well go down to Texas for training. It excites me because it helps me understand where I can further my education and also get practicle experiance on the feild. It's all just in the beggining stagest though.

Kathryn

Gave our demo out...

Those of you following our music news...

we went to an event tonight held at the centre street youth church, (it wasn't a centre street youth thing though, they were just using the venue) Anyway, the guy vinj has been in contact with introdued us to a lady who organzises up and coming bands, she promotes and sets up gigs for them. As well as has a lable and a recording studio. So we met her and gave her some of our songs. She's going to cantact us... hopfully.

Anyway, she seemed very buys like one of those rich important people... but we found her waiting for her husband to pick her up, so I talked with her a bit. Turns out she knows Kevin and Ivy Birch.. weird... and she has been to new Norway. So, that was cool.

We will keep you posted.

Gave our demo out...

Those of you following our music news...

we went to an event tonight held at the centre street youth church, (it wasn't a centre street youth thing though, they were just using the venue) Anyway, the guy vinj has been in contact with introdued us to a lady who organzises up and coming bands, she promotes and sets up gigs for them. As well as has a lable and a recording studio. So we met her and gave her some of our songs. She's going to cantact us... hopfully.

Anyway, she seemed very buys like one of those rich important people... but we found her waiting for her husband to pick her up, so I talked with her a bit. Turns out she knows Kevin and Ivy Birch.. weird... and she has been to new Norway. So, that was cool.

We will keep you posted.

ThE WaY - A new up and coming Hip Hop Group

Vinj contacted a guy that's in the music business (or has been) in Clagary and has contacts in Calgary and beyond... so he's been in toush with him over the past year just talking about different opportunities that could work between us. So yesterday vinj really shared the heart behind our music. The guys said he was trying to get "Pigeon John" a hip Hop artists who had recorded with KJ-52 and Toby Mac. anyway, He siad if he gets him to come and play we could open up for him! Cool hey! So vinj and I have been practicing, we are looking into getting a drummer, and vinj has contacted a guy in Calgary who raps and wants to get into live shows, so there is a possibility of him rapping with us, it depends on him alot though, there is a specific purpose to our music we're not just up there entertaining. So we will see. We'll keep you updated.

Our Flat Mates!

Art and Corina Kung

These are our friends. Before we moved into their house we were over there almost every day anyway, so the transition to living with them was very easy and natural. It's going really well actually. I think vinj and I have gotten used to living with other poeple over the past 5 months. its somthing you really have to grow into i think. anyway, they are both awesome people who encourage us and bring so much life to life!

The NEw Locks

The Beautiful Blond

The Crazy Red Head.... it only last 2 hours this time.

The ned result, a rich dark auburn for Kathryn... what do ya think?

I first dioed it what was suppose to be a dark auburn, but I guess my hair had never been so blond before, so ti turned VERY RED, which maybe in my teen years would have loved, but not so much anyway more, so we went back to shoppers and died it again:) Dar Brown. So here it is. It's fun, I was nervous though because my hair was so light. I like it alot though.

Trisha my friends from toronto dyed my hair. as most of you knwo I am secretly very picky about my hair and who touches it, but she did an awesome job! Thanx trisha!

P.S I feel like this is very useless information compare to the many problems in the world... but I guess it's ok to be girl some times:)