LAKESIDE COMMUNITY GARDEN

As all of you know, a couple of years ago, I was part of helping establish a local community garden here.  Last year we had a successful time gardening.  This year 2013 we decided to expand the garden and create more beds for people to use to plant.  With the help of the community we were able to expand the local garden and add around 18-20 extra raised beds which puts us at around 40 raised/elevated beds.  It is amazing to see how the hard work of so many in the community have caused this local garden to grow and expand and be even better established.  All of our beds are being used by locals throughout the city; which is amazing.  Things are going so well that we actually have a small waiting list.  :)  Which is a good problem to have.  I am blessed to be able to be apart of such a wonderful ministry happening here in the valley.  I will hopefully be putting up more photos on another update here in a couple weeks or so.  Enjoy the photos!!

Filling up the beds with aged manure and soil

Me

The Pile

One of my flowers

Me standing at the main entrance to the garden.

Part of the garden

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP (EARS)

 

As many of  you know, I applied back in January to do a training school within YWAM called Environmental And Resource Stewardship. The jest of the school is that this school is designed to provide us (students) with knowledge and hands on experience in the following areas:

1. Water collection, purification and storage
2. Food production with creative techniques for difficult environments
3. Solar energy via thermal capture and photovoltaic cells
4. Animal care and development
5. Recycling and creative use of waste
6. Scriptural basis for being a good steward of our land, water, air and bodies

So part of my training includes taking care of 10 goats, 2 horses, 4 dogs, 4 cats and around 120 chickens.  Not only do we (as a school) have the animals to take care of, I personally am overseeing the 2 main gardens we have in which we are growing many different fruits and vegetables. What are we growing?

Arracache (a local root veggie), Broccoli, carrots, corn, cucumber, garlic, granadilla (passion fruit), green onions, jalapenos, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, strawberries, tomatoes, squash, cilantro, rosemary, oregano

Before I came to this school I really felt that during this time, not only would I gain even more skills and become stronger in some hands on work, but that God would use this time to counsel me and teach me things about my self and his character.  Well for the last 2 and half months He has done that. God has been showing me more and more things in my life that need to change and be improved.  Which has been good, however a little messy at times.  Not only has God been showing me things in my life that need to change he has been showing me more and more different aspects of his character that I really did not understand or even knew He had until I took the time to study his creation and gain an understanding of his heart for what he has created, and our roles as Christians to take care of creation and tend the garden; according to Genesis.

The EARS school has only 3 students; myself, a girl from the states and another girl from Mongolia.  Definatley a small school! 

Each one of us was given a specific area of the base that we needed to research and create a research paper/manual that can be used in the future to help this place become a fully self-sustaining facility.  The area I was given was in the area of fruit and vegetable production specifically and how we can provide all the fruits and veggies we need for our selves.  During my studies I researched things such as Aquaponics, Permaculture/bio-intensive gardening, companion planting, etc. 
Aquaponics is a closed system which uses fish waste to fertilize the roots in the grow bed, then the plants in the grow bed filters the water and then the water is then taken back to the fish tank.  with this system you get fish and veggies to eat, and it is completely self-sufficient. 

Permaculture is a type of gardening/landscaping that makes sure that everything grown, placed and design has a purpose to maximize the amount of food grown in a smaller space.

So, as you can see I have been extremely busy, therefore my communications have been slim.This school has been a great help, because now I am feeling even more confident and prepared to take what I learned and my passion in creation care to the field long term!! :)

Israel (1 week)

For the last week I was in Jordan, I decided to take a quick trip over to Israel.  While I was there I stayed at a great hostel and explored so much of the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Galilee area.  I waked all around the old city, up to Mount of Olives, through the city of David, went through part of Hezikiah's tunnel, went up through the Canaanite tunnel.  Went to the Israeli museum.  When I was at the museum I saw the Shrine of the Book, where they have on display replicas and original portions of the Bible, and other works. So incredible. I was there for only a week, but it was well worth it. :)  Below are pictures of my time in Israel.  Enjoy!

Jordan! (6 months)

During 2012 I spent 6 months in Jordan.  Being with people and friends and doing lots of traveling.  I was also able to help teach English!  :)  So I spent six months there during my time there I took two semesters of Arabic.  You know trying to learn Arabic is hard, the Arabic language is such a challenging language because of the all the sounds they have that we don't have in English.  Why learn Arabic? I figured if I am going to be there for several months, then I might as well try and learn the local language, plus it helps keep your mind sharp. :) I must say, being there in Jordan was great, sure there are the challenges that you would face like normal, but the people are great and friendly and that place has its own certain beauty.  Of course its in the middle of the dessert, but it still has its beauty, especially the sunsets! :) I would recommend anybody to go and visit Jordan.
Some of the places that I was able to go were: Amman, Petra, Acaba, Mount Nebo, the place where Moses died, and the Dead Sea. I am attaching photos below, with more detailed info about each place.

AMMAN, JORDAN

 

 This is overlooking a small portion of Amman from the roof of my house where I stayed.

This was a great place to by cheap pants and shirts, for like $1 or $2, located just in the downtown Ballad\

 

 Great place to eat mansef with meat, and drink a cold Pepsi!...  satisfaction. :)

 This is the Roman Theater in downtown Amman, This place is so cool, and so high, and so very old.

 Great meat place where I bought my steak many a times. :)  6Jd for 2 kilos, that's about $8.45 for a little over 4 pounds of pure, wonderful meat! :)

 Vegetable market!

 Here is the famous ruins of the Citadel in Amman.

 This is one of the sunsets looking out my front window.

 Neighbors house.

 Sunset from my house

 Same sunset

Just a 2 min video of the streets of Amman. Enjoy!

Petra, Jordan

Going to Petra, Acaba, and Wadi Rum was great!  So amazing to see the Architecture of Petra to the great sand dunes of the dessert to the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea.

 Katelyn and I on the camels in front of the famous Petra pic.

 A tomb for many?

 Overlooking an ancient place influenced by the Romans

Wadi Rum, Jordan

After spending the day at Petra we all went to Wadi Rum. We stayed in the tents in the desert, went on a four wheeling trip, and had some time of fun and dance at night.  Enjoy!

 My home for the night.  Was actually really neat. :)

Random people on camels.

 Sunset at Wadi Rum

 

Acaba. Jordan

Acaba is so beautiful, and the water is incredibly clear.  After leaving Wadi Rum, we all headed straight toward Acaba.  Acaba is a touristy place.  It was such a wonderful thing to be swimming in the Red Sea; and no, I did not see any Egyptian people from Pharoah's ruling in the Red Sea. :)  Enjoy!

 A ginormous ship in the Red Sea.

 The crystal clear water! So refreshing.

Mount Nebo, Jordan

Mount Nebo is the mountain in which Moses was on as he died overlooking the promise land.  Interesting place. Enjoy!

 A map showing you were the ancient cities of old are the cross you see there is at Mount Nebo, looking out over the desert, following the arrows shows you which direction those cities are in comparison to Mt. Nebo.

People working on making really neat tile mosaics.

Dead Sea, Jordan

When I went to the Dead Sea it was so incredibly hot.  When I got back I looked online to see how hot it was there and I remember it being something like 120 something degrees!  When I got into the water it was like swimming in a very hot "hot tub" with the water being so salty if felt like hot salty oil. It was such a weird feeling. Here are some pictures. Enjoy!  Oh yeah and litterly you could just float on the water without any effort and have a full conversation with out feeling like you were drowning or running out of breath.  And don't try to swim..fyi!  :)  Enjoy!

No biggie, just floatin and talkin on the old Dead Sea.

Me.

Dead Sea