Homecomings

 Homecomings.
 So sweet. Overwhelming. Full of love and blessing. We try to go "home" each Christmas to see how tall the DeHaans are, if the Ludwig girls are dating yet, to cuddle all the newborn babies. At times it is exhausting, but mostly I'm filled with an incredible gratitude and love for all the amazing family and friends we have in Ontario.
  From the first hug from my younger brother at the airport to the rush of nieces and nephews at Hillside Hobby Farms and the joy of worshipping together at the churches we grew up in, every moment is one to savour. I get choked up during some of these moments; a song in church that is so full of meaning, an enveloping hug of a university friend, a realization that life is moving forward here without me-- but in such good ways-- being able to see glimpses of God's amazing faithfulness through generations.
  The sermon at our Sunday evening candlelight service took us through the Biblical story again from the beginning, from Creation and soon after when humanity's first sin separated us from walking with God in the Garden of Eden. Since that time, God had a plan to bring humanity back to Him again. That is ultimately what the Christmas story is about. It is the story of God fulfilling His promise to Adam, Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, and all the nations of the world to bring us back to Him. Jesus was born in Bethlehem as a baby to bring us back to God and to teach us what His perfect kingdom is like. Christ, in perfect humanity, lived among us. This means He understands the struggles and challenges we face in this world (what a comfort). He was a perfect human, but was sentenced to death. His death bridges the gap that sin created by taking our punishment. Then he rose again from the dead and through Him we will also rise again to live eternally in God's amazing kingdom. This world is not it for those who have faith in Jesus. 
  I can identify with being a wanderer. Feeling uncomfortable and unsettled. It is a good reminder that this is not our final destination. And if I feel overwhelmed by love, blessing, and joy at my Christmas homecoming, I know that the Heavenly Homecoming is going to surpass any expectation I can imagine. I don't think the only thing we will be doing in Heaven is singing, but I do look forward to some "Excelsis Gloria"s and this is how I picture it:
    Bon at the grand piano, Kev and Uncle Wayne VdW on the trumpet, Marcella on the violin with Charles from Whitehorse fiddling alongside. Meanwhile, Colin from Whitehorse and Karina from PEI are on the drums and bongo rocking out with some of my first grade six students from Kibera, Kenya who have rythmn like you've never seen before! My cousin Sarah will be belting out "O Come Oh Come Emmanuel" ("God with us")  with Alicia from Smithville harmonizing as an alto (pumped with me that we'll never ever deal with migraines again!). Emma, Anna, Kristin, and Autumn from PEI will have a quartet outburst of "Hallelujahs" while Alli from Cold Lake, AB runs her fingers up and down the piano or perhaps hangs a masterpiece quilt for all to see. Sienna van der Wier will be there in Opa Moesker's arms and Oma Blom will have a new body that is cancer-free- maybe she'll even go skiing with me through the beauty of the renewed Garden while praising the Lord for all He has made.
   I have no idea what the renewed world is going to be like, but I like to think that all the Christ followers that have touched my life from coast to coast to coast will all be together full of joy, free of pain, and bursting to praise the Lord for all He is and has done. I'm thankful that the emotions that well up within me during these first few days in Ontario can be such a great reminder and even a small taste of the glory, joy, and blessing that are to come at our final and ultimate Homecoming when Christ comes again to reunite us with God and bridge that gap once and for all.

  This is a song that really resonated with me and my prayers this season.


"As with Gladness Men of Old"by William C. Dix, 1837-1898

1. As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious Lord, may we
Evermore be led by Thee!

2. As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to Thy lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before
Thee whom heaven and earth adore,
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy-seat!

3. As they offered gifts most rare
At Thy cradle, rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King!

4. Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And when earthly things are past.
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

5. In the heavenly country bright
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down.
There forever may we sing
Alleluias to our King!


 Merry Christmas to all!
Looking forward to seeing you at our Heavenly Homecoming!

It was a cold day.

  At one point today, the weather network pinned Whitehorse at -45 with the windchill. Brrr! I'm so thankful that we can plug our car in and for Marcel who heads outside as soon as he gets up to start it. Today I was supply teaching out of town and so I drove in and thankfully nabbed a plug! Usually, as a supply I'm too late for a plug which means I have to sit in my car for 10 minutes at lunch to charge the battery.
  The drive to work was a bumpy one this morning. I've heard of occasions where it gets so cold that your tires turn "square" and so they bump down the road until they've evened out round again. I think that is what happened this morning! The steering wheel and gear shift was also pretty stiff and I knew that "Scout" (our little Nissan Sentra) wanted to stay put, plugged in at home as much as I did. It is also very dark at 7:30 am and often I was blinded by the exhaust smoke of the weary and cold vehicles in front of me as I scaled the Whitehorse hill up to Porter Creek. I've become a very cautious and careful driver around these parts.
  Usually when the temps go below -30 the schools call a "Red Day" which means "indoor recess". The school I was at today has a strategy for lasting through many Red Days in a row. When the recess bell goes, all the students have to either march around the school or run to the back of the school yard and touch the fence before they are allowed back inside. It definitely helps the kids focus for the rest of the afternoon and with putting on and taking off all their "gear" it fills a lot of the recess time that could otherwise be filled with mischief and chaos! However, the school I was at today also gives the students the choice of staying outside in the frigid temps if they so desire and I just happened to be on outdoor duty to supervise the warm-blooded Yukon-bred snow-children. I bundled right up, but I still didn't last the full 30 minutes.
   My lungs were in shock from the cold air, my nostrils were piercing from the cold, my hair became wispy and white, and my eyelids were coated with a layer of hoarfrost that made it feel like I had globbed on double mascara this morning or had fake eyelashes glued to my lids. I wish I could have taken a picture at this point. It is hard to describe, but below are some stolen google images that resemble the occurence.
 

Wispy greys! Maybe that explains Santa Claus' North Pole beard!

 

Okay- a bit of an exaggeration- but you get the idea!
This is what I would look like if I was out in - 40 for a couple hours.

  Slowly, the students began to trickle back inside the school and when I was down to about seven students (after 20 minutes) I herded them back inside. Some of them didn't even have gloves on and their cheeks were getting pretty red (first sign of frostbite, I'm told) and so I think I could legitimately call it a safety hazard for them and me :) It probably was a great idea to send all the kids out for a break though- especially on the second last day of school before Christmas Break!
  
   The Yukon sure is a unique and wild place. It is neat to have all these new experiences and discover another part of Canada and another set of proud Canadians.

Dark Days and Christmas Goodness on the Horizon.

   This will be the darkest week I have ever experienced. The sun literally does not start peeking above the horizon until first recess. And when it does, it just seems to stream below the treeline and then disappear again. Today was indoor recess because the windchill has caused the temps to drop below -30 again so since I'm inside supervising hyper kids (last week of school before Christmas break- just in case you didn't know!) at lunch I miss my only opportunity to get a glimpse of the yellow ball blurred through the clouds. Sometimes, if I drive to school, I have to start the car mid-day and then I get to bask in the yellow glow for ten minutes while I let my vehicle recharge.

   I'm thankful that Marcel and I haven't felt any affects of S.A.D. and that by leading an active lifestyle and taking our Vitamin D supplements we've been enjoying the snow and going for brisk walks (as well as the reward of a hot cocoa upon sucessful return). Friday is the shortest day of the year and in Whitehorse the sun will rise at precisely 10:10 am and set at 3:48 pm. I just noticed by researching this Daylight Hours chart (http://www.timeanddate.com) that each day we were losing less and less time. This also means that each day after Friday we will gain more and more time. I was under the impression that our loss/gain was about five minutes each day, but it looks like it is sequential in pattern, gaining more and more time each day we are further from the 21st of December.

   I have also become grateful that I don't have to be in Whitehorse on the shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice; however, the chart below indicates that this Thursday is only one second longer than Friday. Ha. Well, I'm just glad that after Christmas the days will be getting brighter and brighter!

Rising and setting times for the Sun

			Length of day		Solar noon
Date	Sunrise	Sunset	This day	Difference	Time	Altitude	Distance
							(106 km)
Dec 17, 2012	10:07 AM	3:46 PM	5h 39m 00s	− 48s	12:57 PM	6.0°	147.204
Dec 18, 2012	10:08 AM	3:46 PM	5h 38m 24s	− 35s	12:57 PM	6.0°	147.191
Dec 19, 2012	10:09 AM	3:47 PM	5h 37m 59s	− 24s	12:58 PM	6.0°	147.179
Dec 20, 2012	10:09 AM	3:47 PM	5h 37m 46s	− 12s	12:58 PM	6.0°	147.168
Dec 21, 2012	10:10 AM	3:48 PM	5h 37m 45s	− 01s	12:59 PM	6.0°	147.157
Dec 22, 2012	10:10 AM	3:48 PM	5h 37m 56s	+ 10s	12:59 PM	6.0°	147.147
Dec 23, 2012	10:11 AM	3:49 PM	5h 38m 18s	+ 22s	1:00 PM	6.0°	147.138

   That said, I'm so excited to be going home to Ontario for Christmas!!! There is a new baby niece to meet, lots of family to hug, lots of great food to eat, and beautiful Christmas events and church services to attend. I try not to think too much about going home until its almost close enough to touch... three sleeps until our plane departs is close enough... I'm EXCITED!! My suitcase is open, gifts are wrapped, and soon I will begin my traditional pre-Christmas clean of our apartment so we can come back home to a neat and tidy home and cozy clean bedsheets. But first, our Christmas tour begins with only one free day left on our itinerary that I'm sure will fill up fast. It's going to be a quick, packed full visit of friends, family, and memories. We aren't sure when the next time will be that we are in Ontario so we are going to squeeze every drop of goodness out of it and collapse on the plane ride home.


3 MORE SLEEPS!



Oh- and here is the Toronto Rising/Setting times if you're interested. It doesn't seem like a big difference (3 hours or so), but do you ever feel it!!

Rising and setting times for the Sun

			Length of day		Solar noon
Date	Sunrise	Sunset	This day	Difference	Time	Altitude	Distance
							(106 km)
Dec 18, 2012	7:46 AM	4:42 PM	8h 56m 00s	− 14s	12:14 PM	23.0°	147.191
Dec 19, 2012	7:47 AM	4:43 PM	8h 55m 49s	− 10s	12:15 PM	23.0°	147.179
Dec 20, 2012	7:48 AM	4:43 PM	8h 55m 44s	− 05s	12:15 PM	23.0°	147.168
Dec 21, 2012	7:48 AM	4:44 PM	8h 55m 43s	− 01s	12:16 PM	23.0°	147.157
Dec 22, 2012	7:49 AM	4:44 PM	8h 55m 46s	+ 03s	12:16 PM	23.0°	147.147
Dec 23, 2012	7:49 AM	4:45 PM	8h 55m 54s	+ 08s	12:17 PM	23.0°	147.137
Dec 24, 2012	7:49 AM	4:46 PM	8h 56m 07s	+ 12s	12:17 PM	23.0°	147.129

Today I didn't pick up the phone...

  I have had a couple rough subsituting days lately and with the additional pressure of getting ready to head home for the holidays next week I turned my phone on vibrate last night. Normally, my phone rings between 7 and 7:30 am and Marcel wakes up to me saying "Goodmorning, Amy Vander Wier" in the most polite professional voice I can conjure. Then I hang up and groan...  "working at ______ school today... Time to get up!" Instead, when I heard a familiar buzzing and saw my phone shaking above my dresser, I turned around and snuggled tighter into the down of the warm duvet and whispered "I don't think I'm going to work today, Marcel"...
  Everyone needs a mental health day once and awhile. Today was mine. So instead of getting my sub "game face" on (which it has felt like lately-- classroom management to the max), I revelled in a day of self-indulgence. My perfect morning was spent at a local coffee shop. After dropping Marcel off at work I walked under the moonlight and saw the hope of a morning glow starting to appear behind the mountainscape (9 am). The past few weeks have been in the -30s, but recently the temperature has been on the rise and -17 felt fresh and comfortable to walk through town in. The Christmas lights were still glowing up and down Main street and many of the stores weren't open yet as I made my way to Baked Cafe.


 The aroma of roasting beans welcomed me into the homey feel of the local coffee spot. The soft murmur of morning conversations filled the air as I perused the chalkboard menu. Then, with my bowlful of latte and a white chocolate raspberry scone I headed toward a vacant corner. I curled up on a leather sofa, took my boots off, and pulled out this month's book club pick, "Love Anthony". Time passed slowly as I sipped and read, sipped and read. Finally, the sun began to peek above the horizon and the woman knitting across from me packed up and started her day so I had to assume that business was open in Whitehorse and my Christmas shopping could begin. I packed up my gear that I had spread out all around me and after taking a tour of the beautiful artistic scenes and portraits that hung on the walls, bundled up for a walk toward all of the best boutiques in town.

   I was pleasantly surprised to find a Christmas Market open today! It is called the 12 Days of Christmas Market and it features a number of local artisans. Craft markets are definitely a favourite of mine especially when I can tick some Christmas gifts off my list after visiting one! I also meandered through a few art stores and wandered about the local bookstore. Then I met a friend for lunch, picked up a couple of groceries, and headed home to listen to Christmas music while organizing, cleaning, and trying to complete a crocheted scarf.

  I know I could've used this day to deep clean our new apartment, search for some living room lamps, cook some meals to freeze for a rainy day, or even work... but sometimes we need to choose to slow down, have time to watch the sunrise, enjoy the fresh of the outdoors, dig deep into a new book, say hi to someone you haven't talked to in awhile, and smile at the joy of a self-indulgent day. Mmmmm.... I am feeling deeply satisfied.
  It is 4:14. The sunlight slowly seeped out of our living room as I was writing this blog. It feels like night time and if I didn't have hockey tonight I might have just put on my PJs for an evening of hibernation under our Christmas lights.

SinterKlaas! And some Sports News

 Happy SinterKlaas everyone! (or whatever it is you say in Dutch!) We don't usually do anything too special for SinterKlaas, but we had a few Dutch packages sent to us in late November that inspired us to make it more of an event. Some friends from church also suggested a Dutch potluck and so why not have it on December 5th?! A couple from our church hosted the event in their beautiful basement apartment and 10-12 people trickled in and out to enjoy Nasi Goreng, Croquettes, hot apple cider, and yummy speculaas almond cakes together. It was a really nice distraction from the cold, dark days we've been having lately and a great way to meet a few more people and get to know some of our new friends better. Everyone we meet seems to be very outgoing, hospitable, and easy to get to know. I'm so thankful for that.

  I wish I took a picture of the event, but here is one of the mountain of Dutch goodies we were spoiled with by some relatives back home! Yum!

  In other news, Marcel just got back from a 5 km jog in -32 degree weather! He is CRAZY! This is what he looked like when he returned!

 

I can't see if he is smiling or not! Will he do it again?

  He also got an email this week asking for his vote for the Canadian Press Athletes and Team of the Year! Pretty cool! He gets to vote on who he thinks the all-Canadian athlete/team of the year should be! It is really starting to feel like he is living the life of a sports reporter!

What would you do for something FREE?!

  So we are all moved out of our furnished apartment. This week has flown by and in the midst of teaching four days, I've been the primary "mover" and "cleaner". Due to unforseen circumstances we didn't know if we were going to get our $500 security deposit back from our first apartment. Nonetheless, I scrubbed and polished every baseboard, stove element, knick, and cranny with my awesome Norwex cleaning supplies until everything gleamed in the few hours of sunlight Whitehorse offers. Finally, after removing the last of the moose meat from the fridge and watching one last cable TV show (lacking in our new apartment), I nervously called the landlord down for the big inspection. She was so nonchalant, talking about her weekend plans and making a couple notes on her big clipboard. I just wanted to say: "Look under the cushions! All the popcorn crumbs are gone!" or "Did you notice the sparkly new foil in the oven and under the stove elements?" or "Check out how I folded every sheet and towel in perfect symmetry." But I tried to be cool, crossing my fingers that she would be impressed and write us that $500 cheque back.
   Well, at the end of this tense walk through (for me, not her), she told me that she would tell the owner of the building to cut us a cheque for the full security deposit and I nearly jumped in my excitement. Then I went on to tell her how that would really help us since we are moving to an unfurnished place and need to buy all of life's necessities. Well, don't you know, she just happened to have a leather/microfiber love seat that she was trying to get rid of! Marcel came by with me to take a look at the love seat and we negotiated a price and they even said they would drive the couch over for us if we did all the heavy lifting. And so now this sits in our living room and we are so thankful for a comfy place to rest :)

 

 

 Then our previous landlord told us about a couch her mother had in her basement that was for free!! FREE?! Well, we best take a look at it! We headed over to the address and into the basement of a kind woman who was frying up a bacon brunch. In the dim light, the couch looked pretty decent although I didn't like that it was white. Marcel and I briefly discussed our "thoughts" in front of the kind and generous owner (always awkward) who really just needed to get this large 4-seater couch out of her basement to make room for other do-dads. We took the pillows and cushions and promised we would come back later that afternoon for the couch. After leaving, we discussed some of the dirt on the cushions and thought we probably could steam clean the couch.... and maybe buy some more colourful cushions to brighten it up.... but how could we say no to a FREE couch?! It was in better condition than the ones I'd been seeing at Salvation Army for $75 and up.

 

  Well, not owning a vehicle big enough to transport this couch, we figured we could probably walk it over to our apartment. It was a distance of about one kilometer and one major street crossing. Bundled in our finest, we walked back to fetch this new treasure. After peeling the couch around a corner and up a steep set of stairs we were out in the open. Thankfully, snow in Whitehorse is very dry and clean... none of that slushy stuff of the south. This is an important detail because our white couch took a beating in that short 1 kilometer distance. That short 1 kilometer distance was a marathon to me. The couch soon proved to be awkward to hold, and especially slippery with gloves on. So, we took our gloves off. In - 29 degree weather. With a windchill of -39 degrees. As a married couple we have handled a lot of tribultations together-- driving 12 hour days, camping in chilly weather, coming up with 25 line poems during exam time --- but I think this trumps them all.

 

  I had to drop the couch every 10 steps. It was SOOOOO heavy. And AWKWARD. And my hands were COLLLLD!!! Somehow, Marcel had some kind of super human patience and was filled with encouraging words. It is amazing how when one person is weak, the other can just rev up their engine and be strong! I was thankful for his strength physically, mentally, and emotionally because I was breaking under the pressure. Our apartment felt like it was lightyears away and my whole body was getting cold. Finally, Marcel took more cushions off of the couch and left them on the sidewalk so we could try carrying it at a different angle. This helped. For awhile. Then we got to the road crossing.

 

  I think the entire road crossing I was saying "We can do it! We can do it! We can do it!" trying to motivate myself to push the extra foot.... waiting for Bob the Builder to take my place. Finally, we made it across and I dropped the couch and grabbed for my gloves to warm my hands for the final leg of the journey. We shuffled along to our apartment entryway where Marcel left to retrieve the fallen cushions and I went inside to warm my hands under some warm water. When he arrived back, I'm sure I had some new energy and zeal. We brought the couch in the door, down the short flight of stairs, and arrived at our apartment door. This is where the story gets really sad. After an hour of angle-ing, lifting, squeezing, and strategizing.... the couch didn't fit. BIG SIGH. Oh ya. It still doesn't. After I gave up, Marcel persevered for another 30 minutes to no avail. It now sits by the mailboxes waiting for Salvation Army to pick it up on Monday.

 

    If you didn't know, I can be a bit dramatic. Sorry for the length of this post. I just needed to get it out! And guess what.... I just noticed a FREE Boxspring advertised on Kijiji that would fit great with the guest room mattress we've already acquired. Do you think we could fit it on our roof with some bungees and drive for 20 kilometers??! 

What would YOU do for something F- R- E- E?!

Its ugly anyways, right?!

The Reason For God

  Today I had the opportunity to teach Religion and Phys. Ed at the local Catholic school. It was great! My B.A. was in Religion and Phys. Ed. and so I always thought it would be cool to teach those two subjects. My dreams were confirmed today.
  Most often my role as a classroom teacher in the highschool setting is much more as a supervisor than as a teacher. It is just easier (on the teacher and on me) to give project time or an assignment as a sub plan than an actual lecture topic or instructional period. However, as students become more familiar with me and I with them, I have been able to have some meaningful discussions.
   Many of the students who attend this Catholic school will tell me that they are Islamic or Buddhist or Atheist. Often times I think this is just an excuse to try and get out of their work. It does open a door for discussion. These teenagers are at a stage in their life when they are questioning the beliefs of the people around them and the authorities figures that in some ways dictate their life. Today I had the opportunity to guide some students through some of their own beliefs and provide some meager responses for a few of their doubts about Christianity.
  Here is sample of some of the brief discussions I was happy to have today:

Q. How do we know Jesus was a real person? Isn't the Bible just a book of moral stories and myths? (like all the other religious books)
Me: The Bible was written within a generation of Jesus' death. Why does this matter? Well, for example, say Kyle (student) died and then you wrote a book about his life... maybe you wrote that he was the captain of the volleyball team and then was tragically killed by the Hell's Angels. Well, if Kyle's kids and grandkids were still around and this was not true, and really Kyle played basketball and died of natural causes, don't you think they would deny the stories in your book? Then your book would not sell and it would disappear from history.
Well, when the disciples wrote the gospels there were still people alive that knew Jesus and had walked around with him and definitely people that had heard stories from their parents about him. If the gospels were false realities, they would be denied during that time period. There are also other sources that confirm the historicity of certain events written about in the Bible.
*

Q. Christians have a history of doing terrible things (ie. residential schools, crusades, causing division), why would I want to be a part of that?
That is certainly true and although some of their intentions were noble, these acts are to be regarded as cruel and unlawful behaviour. However, don't forget that Christians have also acted as the catalyst for many very good things about our society. It was the Christians that during the Bubonic Plague, instead of running away and trying to care for themselves, stayed and cared for the sick and in the end developed the first hospital. The basis of our justice system and many of our western laws are founded on principals from the Bible and initiated by Christian men. The Education system was also started by Christians. So Christians have had a large role in the progress of our world as well.
**

Me: If you don't believe in Christ, then why do you attend ______ catholic school?
Students:  Because it is a good quality school. Because walking through the other public school makes me uncomfortable- people aren't nice there. The teachers here are better- nicer and more fair.
Me- Why do think that difference is there?
Students: Because people here have to follow all that respect stuff and teachers believe in the Bible and so they live that way.

 It is interesting that they would choose to live among the Christian community, but don't want to commit to Christ themselves. I'm studying the book The Reason for God by Timothy Keller with a group of people right now and it has helped me tremendously in being able to respond to a secular mindset and doubts about the Christian faith. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to being able to refine my own defense of the faith in the public sphere (as I'm sure even above there are many holes and much work to be done).

  After some thought-provoking discussions, I got to spend the rest of my day playing badminton! It was really fun and also a great way to interact with many of the students I've encountered in other classes, let loose, and get a little competitive! What a great combination!


* Virtually all historians agree that the gospels were written at most 40-60 years after Christ's death. Most would say Mark was written in the 70s, Matthew and Luke in the 80's, and John in the 90's. (The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? - F.F. Bruce or The New Testament by Paul Barnett)
**Keller would add that when people have done injustice in the name of Christ they are not being true to His spirit-- who Himself died as a victim of injustice and called for forgiveness. Only when people give of their lives to free others as Christ did do they realize the true gospel.

Moving

First, a weather update from the north:



It is a little chilly today. Ice Fog occurs when humidity is near 100% and temperature dips to -30 and below which creates ice crystals that suspend in the air or really thick fog. Today the ice fog was not that noticeable except over the Yukon River as we encounter temps in the -30s and -40s it will become more of a driving hazard.

The outdoors actually looks quite inviting today because of the SUNSHINE! I didn't realize how much I missed the sun, but it has been quite dreary lately although we've enjoyed warmer temps because of the cloud cover (-15ish). I'm very motivated to bundle up and go for a walk to soak in some natural Vitamin D :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

  In other news, we are moving this week! We found an apartment (all through word of mouth around here) that has two bedrooms and will save us about $400/month. Currently we are in a one bedroom apartment that is furnished; our new apartment is unfurnished. We are only moving about two blocks and are thankful that we can stay in our current neighbourhood which is close to about five schools. We are also moving almost next door to the highschool that I supply teach at most often :)

 

Our Current Apartment:

 

 

 

 

 We're going to miss this storage compartment
for our stinky hockey equip!

 

 

  Last week on one of my days off I checkout out the Sally Anne and all the local consignment stores as well as any local furniture/kitchen supply stores in Whitehorse to get an idea of what resources are available to us to furnish our place this week. It was pretty discouraging. The consignment stores were jam-packed full of furniture and do-dads that were all very expensive. The Sally Anne did not have a lot of choice. Overall I found the thrift store options out here lacking and overpriced. Sad day. From my research I realized that our best options were going to be Canadian Tire and Wal-mart for all our apartment needs. Wal Mart and Can. Tire have some good sales, but as I began to make lists of all the forks, knives, bowls, couch, desk, lamps etc. that we would need, I realized this was going to be a bigger investment than we first assumed. I had a bit of a meltdown as I pictured us sitting on the floor of a very barren, lifeless apartment. Meanwhile, Marcel tried to revive me with a rousing "Livin' on Love" rendition and anti-materialistic lecture. Blah.

 

  Well, this story gets better. Our new landlords are a sweet elderly couple that were also once new to Whitehorse and are sympathetic to new-to-town, pregnant couples. Yes, I said pregnant. NO! I am NOT pregnant... apparently I just need to work out more!! While touring the apartment, our sweet host said to me, "So, you are with child?" I was stupified. I really couldn't respond and so I think Marcel negated the assumption for me and then our sweet landlandy dug herself deeper by replying, "Oh, it just looked like it by the lump under your coat." Thanks for the compliment. I blame the many layers of clothing forced upon me by the Whitehorse climate.

 

  Because of this incident I think our landlady either feels guilty for her mistake or really does believe we are the modern day wandering Mary and Joseph without a home or any worldly belongings to our name so she and her husband have been very accommodating as of late. The apartment is already unoccupied and so we brought some odds and ends over on Saturday. We met up with our new landlords and they had a whole list of items that we could have for free if we wanted them! Awesome. We spent part of the afternoon moving a desk, kitchen table and chairs, a dresser, and coffee table into our new place. It is starting to look a lot less barren and once more of our clothes and pictures get moved over, it may even look like "home".

 

 This past weekend, Marcel and I were also introduced to the church congregation we've been attending for the past two months. They do something called "Meet and Greet" at the beginning of the service where everyone shakes hands with everyone else and then often they introduce people that are new to the church community. We had the opportunity to tell everyone where we were from and why we came to Whitehorse. The pastor also mentioned that we were moving and in need of furniture etc. and so after the service we ended up meeting a whole bunch more people from the church, including some that had pots or dishes and even someone that has a queen size bed we can use!  

 

 This week I was reminded of a verse from a VBS camp I helped at this summer. I memorized it as a song and so in my head it bounces around to a cheery camp tune, but it reads "My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" and continues "Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen" (Phil. 4:19-20). God has supplied for my needs in countless situations, yet I'm still suprised every time. You may not need a couch or frying pan, but maybe you need a friend or an affirmative word; He sees you and He is faithful. Trust in Him.

 

Snapshots of our next apartment:

 

Living Room
 

Living Room and Kitchen (Free Desk :)

Bedroom (Two Closets!!! Whaaat?!)



Second Bedroom. AKA Hockey Equp Room/ Guest Room
(Appealing guests?)

 

 

 



Suzie Home-maker in the Cold

  Current Forecast

  It is currently -21 degrees outside. This means if your hair is wet it will turn white outside and your nostrils will become crispy as you breathe. We also noticed our neighbours plugging in their vehicles and so Marcel went out and did likewise. It is true that it is a dry cold, which I think means that if you are dressed properly you should be fine; whereas in a wet cold environment it doesn't matter what you are wearing because the cold still seems to creep inside your bones no matter how many layers you have on.
  The sun came up at 9:19 am this morning and it set at 4:18. At 6:30 it already felt like it was time to get ready for bed and now at 8 pm I feel like I'm really pushing it... like it has been a late night and I should settle in soon. Strange how the lack of sunlight affects you. Marcel and I went for a walk so that at least we would get some fresh air and sunshine today, but we were happy to sit cozily (not a word- I know!) in our apartment all afternoon and evening.
  On these cold Sundays I enjoy being at home and learning to be a Suzie-Home-Maker. Since moving here, I've learned to make guacamole, salsa, cupcakes and frosting from scratch (thank evwier! They were/are delish!), and whole wheat bread. Michelle J. posted a No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread recipe that Marcel and I have come to love. I've missed my $5 breadmaker that died in PEI (R.I.P.), but this receipe has been a lifesaver. I've found that the bread in Whitehorse is not only expensive, but goes bad quickly. With this receipe I've been able to make two loaves, one to eat and one to freeze for later in the week. There is nothing like the smell of warm bread, fresh from the oven. The first loaf I made was devoured with butter within 24 hours. I just have to share the recipe! Thanks again, Michelle!

No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread
To make two loaves, mix 3.5 cups warm water, 1.5 tsp. yeast, and 1/4 c. honey in your mixer bowl and let the yeast proof. Next mix up and add half of your 7 cups of whole wheat flour (3.5 cups), 2 tsp salt and 2 heaping tablespoons lecithin granules or olive oil (I use olive oil because I have a bunch, but I think the lecithin makes it even spongier). Mix it all up and let it sit for one minute. You can just use a wooden spoon here.
Now add the second half of the flour (another 3.5 cups). I do this part in the Kitchenaid. Mix it on high for 7 min. Then let sit for 15 minutes. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and divide in it half (I use one of those big pastry scrapers). It will be quite sticky and stretchy (see the first photo), so work quickly and with plenty of flour. Shape it loosely into loaves, put it in two pans and let it rise until it's sticking over the top of the pan. I line my pans with parchment paper and reuse it over and over. Bake the bread at 350 for 35min.



  Below is our forecast for the next week! Ow! A lot of Yukoners say November is their least favourite month... I'm not totally sure why as I've embraced the snow and the fact that the ski season has arrived. It could be because of the creeping darkness though which is disheartening. I think I'll be wearing either my long johns or snow pants on my walk to school tomorrow morning though.

Long Term Forecast Updated:Sunday, November 18, 2012, 18:01PST

• Day
• Night

	MondayNovember 19	TuesdayNovember 20	WednesdayNovember 21	ThursdayNovember 22	FridayNovember 23	SaturdayNovember 24
Conditions 6am - 6pm
	Scattered flurries	Cloudy with sunny breaks	Mainly cloudy	Cloudy with sunny breaks	Cloudy with sunny breaks	Cloudy
P.O.P.	40%	30%	30%	30%	30%	30%
Conditions 6pm - 6am
	Scattered flurries	Cloudy	Mainly cloudy	Cloudy with clear breaks	Cloudy with clear breaks	Mainly cloudy
P.O.P.	40%	30%	30%	30%	30%	30%
High	-18°C	-19°C	-19°C	-18°C	-16°C	-13°C
Feels Like	-24	-23	-24	-23	-23	-22
Low	-21°C	-21°C	-22°C	-21°C	-22°C	-18°C
Wind	N 5km/h	NE 5km/h	NE 5km/h	N 5km/h	N 5km/h	NW 10km/
24-Hr Rain	-	-	-	-	-	-
24-Hr Snow	1-3 cm	-	-	-	-

In the News

  One of the best ways to get to know a new town is by reading thier local newspaper. What is important to the town is in their local paper as well as information about how to get involved as a newbie. I took some pictures of some advertisements and articles that allow for some insights into life in Whitehorse.

Pets and Animals are extremely important to Yukoners. I'm sure many newspapers have a pet of the week, but in Whitehorse dogs and foxes can actually gain celebrity status. Just look up Trevor the Dog and Whitehorse and you will see what I mean.

Christmas craft sales have begun! There is one every weekend until Christmas and they bring me so much joy!!

As most northern towns can relate, Whitehorse has a shortage of doctors.

Big issue in the Yukon: The Peel. The Peel is the dark blue region of the Yukon pictured below. It cannot be reached by roads, but is a beautiful area that has been enjoyed by First Nations people as well as other Yukoners for a long time. This is the local environmentalists vs. economists battle. There is a proposal for industry to begin in the Peel such as mining and environmentalists and First Nations are trying to rally the population to stop a road from being built into the region.

Mining: Still a very big industry here. The highschools have courses on mining (I haven't had the opportunity to sub for them yet :(  Many believe there is going to be another RUSH beginning here in the Yukon.

Published in early November, you can now use your snowmobile on the Dempster Highway. This highway takes you to the Arctic Circle. Only in the North do they swap trucks for snowmobiles in November :)

Also- they have modified the caribou hunting season this year. There are apparently two separate herds that migrate through the Dempster Valley: the Hart River Caribou and the Porcupine Caribou. Usually environmentalists can time their migration patterns accurately, the Hart River Caribou move through first, then there is a vacant period, followed by the Porcupine Caribou. Thus, they plan the hunting seasons around those migratory patterns. However, the Hart River Caribou are still making thier way through the valley and the Porcupine Herd haven't made it through yet (at this time they are usually on the move). In order to avoid endangering the Hart River Herd by overhunting them, caribou hunting has been prohibited for a time.

These ads always makes me laugh. I'm not sure who funds them, but they are there every day! I've been really tempted to email or call.

Call for Artists. Whitehorse is a very artistic city and there is also a lot of funding available for artistic grants, especially to do with the environment or First Nations.

 

     They don't snowplow here! The roads have become packed down and completely white. We get a couple of cms
at a time and sometimes the sidewalks get plowed and some of
the main roads. It is really strange to drive on completely white
roads all the time. Oh- and those are Marcel's new boots- he is
pretty pumped about them.

We tried out curling one day! It is a lot harder than it looks, but by the end of the day Mar and I had seen some improvement in each other :)

 

 

    I know I didn't include any sports in the clippings, which I do feel guilty about! I know those days will come because Marcel just broke a story about the NHL visiting Whitehorse and of course the Quest is coming up after Christmas. He is really enjoying his job which is so great for me to see. Unlike any other newspaper he has written for, the paper comes out in the afternoon. Normally a paper is printed in the evening or early morning and for a sports reporter this means a lot of late nights writing up about the most recent sporting events (many of which occur in the evening). Since, deadline for Marcel is at 1:30 pm now instead of ten or midnight, he comes home tired, but pretty relaxed. The morning is his stressful time and often lunch doesn't occur for him until 1:30 or 2 pm.

  However, Fridays can be the opposite. On Friday, the newspaper is significantly larger due to an influx of ads and it being the "weekend" paper (I'm so glad there is no Saturday/Sunday paper!). The Whitehorse Star is printed on location (a very old-school-cool-looking operation!) and when the newspaper is extra big (say 68-72 pages) the press needs to do three separate "runs" due to the additional sections. This means that some sections of the paper need to be ready for the press at 9 am so they can get the whole paper printed in time for the afternoon deliveries.

  Yesterday Marcel was told that the sports section needed to be ready by 9 am. After dinner I went to the gym and then watched some friends play soccer, meanwhile, Marcel was at home typing away. I got a taste of what our life used to be like when he worked on midnight deadlines. It made me so thankful for these afternoon deadlines. He didn't make it to bed until 1:30 am and then needed a ride to work for 7:30 am to get his work readied in time. Thankfully, he'll be able to leave work a little earlier now that he's put in some advance hours which isn't too bad for a Friday of a long weekend (we get Monday off for Remembrance Day :) The best part though was when, despite his lack of sleep, Marcel woke up this morning cheerfully and said, "You know what, it wasn't even that bad staying up late to work. It was kind of fun!" That is when you know you are working in the right field, doing what you love.  

Healing Totem Pole

 On Saturday, Marcel and I had an opportunity to help raise a totem pole in Whitehorse. Originally, I thought it was a ceremony we could watch and we did observe a bit of a native ceremony prior to moving the totem, but then they needed help moving it to where it now stands along the Yukon River. I've got some pictures of the process, but let me give a little bit of background on the totem first.
  Nine years ago a man had a vision of this totem while in a sweat lodge. He saw a healing totem where all the chips from the carving would be saved. Over the past five months, a team of carvers have been working on the totem at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Center. At the same time, residential school survivors as well as family members of those that have passed have been dropping by the center to sign their names on the fallen wood chips. On Thursday of last week, a special ceremony was held to burn the ashes which will then be placed inside the totem.
   Residential schools were church-run, government funded boarding schools that took First Nation children from their families in order to educate them and assimilate them into European-Canadian culture (some sources say "civilize them"). These schools were often overcrowded, had a lack of sanitary conditions, and physical and sexual abuse were common. Many students died in these conditions and since speaking their native language was restricted, much of their culture was lost in these years. The first residential schools began in the 1840s and the last closed in 1996. I think they were started with good intentions, however, quickly they became something very evil that have had lasting effects throughout the generations. In 2008 a public apology was given by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on behalf of the Canadian government for the abuse and neglect that occurred during these years.
  On that note, this totem was carved in order to help in the healing process for victims and their families. Each part of the totem was thoughtfully designed:

 

The most important figure is always on the bottom of the totem. The figure pictured there is of a mother. The mother is holding the ashes and this symbolizes the residential school children being returned to their mothers.

The bottom of the totem respresents the past. Above the mother are two children, a boy and a girl that represent the children that were taken.

 The top of the totem represents the future. Above the children is a father figure with a shield that shows strength (father) and pride (shield) of First Nations. Then above the father is a wolf and a raven (the two Yukon clans). There is a blank spot between the clans that represents the unknown future.

  It was a neat experience to be a part of the community that helped move the totem. They needed at least 84 people to carry the totem and, to be honest, we missed the actual raising (instead we went to get Marcel a pair of winter boots before his toes fell off due to frostbite :P). The ceremony started at 10 am, we got there at 10:30 (typical Vwier style). At that point there was a lot of drumming, speeches, smoke being feathered over the carvers, and a prayer to the creator. I think we started moving the totem at 11:30 and it was finally raised by the river at 1 pm.

  Here are some pictures of the process:

They put "tree"ed poles under the totem to prepare for the group lifting.

Drummers and dancers in traditional garb. Guess: Is this woman from the raven or wolf clan?

84 people ready to lift on three! 1...2... 3...

Got it! The men at the front had the heaviest part. There was a steel rod put on the back of the totem that was weighted heaviest at the bottom for obvious reasons. The Yukon Premier and Mayor of Whitehorse can also be seen in this photo (both whearing black coats).  

Marcel and I in on the action! This was my view looking forward. We would walk for a couple hundred meters and then they would get two dollies out so people could take a break and switch in and out of the process. The men at the front needed breaks.

Our view behind us. We were near the top of the totem (this is the wolf head- the raven head was put on after it was lifted) which was quite light.

Marcel- smiling despite his frozen feet!

Talk about teamwork!

 



As we walked there was a man leading the group with a large painted paddle. He would encourage us by saying "Can I get a HooHAww?!" and we would all respond "HooHAww!" We also walked to the sound of the drum.

 

 You can check out two videos of the action here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds1vJskNVw0&feature=youtu.be  (Watching the community work together)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WernZnNBC0&feature=youtu.be  (Amy's Viewpoint- I really wasn't carrying that much weight so I went one-handed while videoing)

 

It was pretty cool Yukon experience to be a part of!