Dreaming afresh

I just realized that almost four months of "blog silence" has snuck up on me and that perhaps I should just end it tonight while I was thinking about it. I could blame the silence on many things... a busy schedule that leaves me very tired at the end of the day, a broken computer, or ... but anyways, I'm still here and will try to go back to regularly updating my blog.

So, it's been 14 months since I left Victoria and I'd have to say that a lot has changed in that time. For the moment, I'm not working but instead going to school full-time to learn how to speak the only official language of Québec... French. I actually didn't even know that French is the only official language of Québec until a few weeks ago, but that is besides the point. I decided a few months ago that I really need to learn the language and be able to speak it fluently, for many reasons... hence the school.

So, 6 hours per day Monday to Friday, I'm completely immersed in French. It's intense and exhausting to say the least, but a really good way to learn, and I can't believe how much I've learned and how far I've come in just four months. My plan is to continue studying for another 4 to 6 months, so hopefully I'll be able to speak pretty much fluently by then. I'm getting close, as everyone tells me, and apparently my accent has improved a lot. I know I still sound like an English Canadian when I talk though. :)

It's really exciting to see how much and how quickly I'm progressing and it'll be very cool to see what God has in store for me afterwards. I know that it is God who has allowed it to be possible for me to go to school and I know that He has many reasons for me learning French.

Dreaming afresh... what could those reasons be? I have dreams and desires for my life that I would have thought bizarre a year ago but now seem normal and exciting. I've realized that I have always seen myself through my own eyes and my perspective, but I'm starting to see myself through God's eyes and to dream with His vision and perspective instead of mine.

Almost five months ago, a couple from Victoria were visiting us and, in the midst of Victory Heights' Christmas Party, told me that I have good rhythm. I happened to playing around with a shaker while the band was playing, so it wasn't completely random. :) I told them that I had been thinking about asking one of the leaders of our brand new worship team to teach me how to play the djembe so that I could play with the worship team. They encouraged me to do it. I honestly thought the idea was nuts and really weird but I couldn't get it out of my mind. I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't go away, so I finally got up the courage to talk to Guy and Rachel about it... they told me to go for it.

So, Louis started teaching me how to play the djembe and, one day while we were playing, he said I was ready to play with him and Marinet that week at church. I think that kind of scared me, but I've played with them the last two times that we have had live worship at church, as opposed to using the CDs, and it's been really fun. I think I was really nervous last time, but the encouragement I received was that "the Holy Spirit is a really good drummer". Phew - thanks for the reminder that it's not really me who's playing.

A year ago, I never would have seen myself speaking French and playing a djembe with a worship team, but I'm starting to dream through different eyes. God is showing me that He sees me in a whole different light and has a world of dreams for me that I never would have thought of myself. I'm certainly not the same person that I was when I left Victoria a year ago and I know that the dreaming doesn't stop here.