The beginnings

First blog post of canada! Just a few days ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My last few days in Chicago were spent with some of my closest friends, many of which I will not be seeing again for a very long time. Saturday held a not-so-surprise going away party, filled with picnic games, unbelievable friends, and the dancing of musical numbers from past shows (It's to be expected from theatre kids). The night was rounded out by an astounding concert by Bright Abyss, to which I was given the honor of dedication for the performance. I've been blessed by so many people in Chicago, but those boys hold a special place in my heart and I will miss them dearly.
Graduation, movie dates, and final lunch goodbyes filled the rest of my days. The reality of the move didnt start to set in until the hour before the flight. Suddenly, the whole house was bursting with memories that I wasn't ready to let go of. 14 years of broken walls, band-aids, spilled milk, and dirt soup were coming at me full force, and the emotions that came with them seemed to be pounding at me even harder. The ride to the airport was a rough one for me and Molly, but (tearfully), we made it through.
Airport security with a dog flying as a carry-on is a unique experience to say the least. Not many people expect the duffel-looking bag around your shoulder to contain a dog that will be on the plane right with you, and TSA was a little thrown off by her. But Ethel was a calm little puppy and made it through the plane right just fine:)
The first thing that I noticed here is the amount of daytime that is prominent. When our flight was in descent at about 2 AM, I could already see the sun coming up on the horizon. The sun didnt set until about 11:45 last night, and came up at about 3:30. When my dad woke up, frantic because he was scared that he had missed his alarm, he checked his clock and it said 10:15. Only in Edmonton do you have to double check whether it is AM or PM, because the light quality outside is about the same.
We went out tonight to Whyte Ave in Old Strathcona, which is the place to be in Edmonton. The neighborhood is young and artsy, with a feel very similar to that of Old Town in Chicago. The streets are lined with bars, vintage resale shops, and nightclubs- a wonderful and eclectic mix of establishments. The only way that the neighborhood could be descibed in one word would be "Hipster". Its definitely a place that I could fit in:)
As for how the move is working in me, its rough. Being away from the amazing community of christ-followers that exists back home is hard, especially when moving to a place where the population is 55% atheistic. There hasn't been too much for me and Molly to do, so we've exhausted the resources of WiFi and phone games in these past couple days. I know that, regardless of the perfection of the city, it will be difficult for me to enjoy it to the fullest, simply because it isn't the town that I'm used to, but this seems to be more difficult for me than I thought. I don't have a phone with long distance or Skype just yet, so communication back home has been limited to Facebook and texting apps, which has been difficult for me. I'm so used to simply picking up the phone and calling my best friend, or texting a friend to invite them out for lunch later that day. Having that luxury gone has proven to be a good way for the devil to combat me with feelings of sadness and regret. I know for a fact that God has HUGE plans for me here. Just before I left, 4 different people suggested that God may want me here to help spread his love and compassion, and I don't believe that that was a coincidence.
As it was put to me by my friend Bonnie Rose: "When you move, you have to have complete and total trust in God, that he knows what you need and that not only will he provide what you need, but that he will be all that you need." This is the first time that I've ever had to step out in my faith, to a place where I know God wants me, but am beyond terrified to be. I choose to spend my year here glorifying him, and although there will be fears, he WILL be all that I need.
These past few days, the last few lyrics from the Gungor cover of 'My Father's World' ring true and calm my heart.
"This is my father's world,
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King, Let the heavens ring!
God reigns, Let the earth be glad!"

As always, prayers are accepted and will be well used:)
In his name,
Sarah