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Where do we begin? It is hard to believe that we have reached the half way point of our summer assignment…meaning we have reached 4 weeks of being here on west coast of Newfoundland! It was not long after our arrival that we began to quickly fall in love with the destination of our summer assignment. Driving home from the airport David’s attention was quickly attracted outside the power house in Deer Lake as there were multiple fishermen in the water and spectators to support their endeavour. The town of Pasadena is incredibly beautiful, with the lake only minutes from the quarters. Our love for our destination extends beyond it’s natural landscape though. We have come to fit right into the friendly atmosphere of Newfoundland described in an earlier post by cadets Justin and Colleen. On nightly walks it is quite common to pass at least a dozen people all of whom exchange a warm hello and comment on the evening. We have met and continue to meet some wonderful people, all of whom have helped us to settle into our home for the summer.

It may be safe to say that we have been afforded a unique opportunity here in Pasadena. While we came out to Pasadena for the summer Pasadena’s officer, Captain Darlene Burt, headed out to London, England! In her absence we are the acting local officers. This has already brought various learning opportunities as we have been involved with everything from business administration and Thrift Store operation to planning and leading services and pastoral visitation at the time of crisis…from duties “behind the scenes” to privileges at moments of great need.

Beyond our immediate surrounding we have had the joy of traveling twenty minutes down the road to Corner Brook where we have had hands on experience in their Family Services Food Bank. In addition to our responsibilities at Family Services our time in Corner Brook is also spent at the hospital, visiting those from our ministry units. Corner Brook was also the first destination to introduce us to “drive-in church”…open airs Newfoundland style – “Honk if you love what you’re hearing!”

Last Sunday we had the privilege of traveling to Hampden (about an hour from Pasadena) to conduct an evening service with them. The service was a wonderful experience, with each song filled with the heart and soul of the musicians who led them. It was a privilege to worship with them and we look forward to one more opportunity to do so in August.

People say that time flies when you are having fun, and that has certainly been our story here in Pasadena. Although we have had a full experience already, our schedule has allowed us to take in the beauty of our surroundings. We are having a great time building relationships and memories that will hopefully last well beyond the time of our summer assignment.

As we look forward to the rest of our assignment we know that God will continue to challenge us with new opportunities. He has already stretched us beyond the limits of our own abilities but he has proven that his strength is always sufficient for the task that is ahead.

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