an end has come, but with it a new beginning.

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not...Great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23


Well, how to sum up the last two weeks of something we never wanted to end…amazing, joyous, heartbreaking, tear-jerking, bittersweet, memorable, too short, painful, scary, exciting, basically an emotional rollercoaster.
We ended up with our course in Christian Worldviews, which was really well taught, and then headed to Tofino for the last time for some surf and relaxation. When we got back from that we had a little more homework to do for the after-class work and for Kristie Voth and then we headed out in groups to ride the white water of the Cowichan Valley, that was a lot of fun, I was a little nervous at the start but turns out there was nothing to be so afraid of, go figure (thanks again Lord). Then we were of to Mount Washington one last time for our final out-trip of the year. There was only one day of ski left on the mountain and there were surprisingly few people there, the snow was pretty good most of the day, but if you asked Jordan he would say it was a little hard…on second though, you better not ask him because he would not remember anyways. I say this because he managed to be the one injured this time with a pretty major concussion, not to mention a rather scraped up face. All day he was repeating himself and forgetting things that happened five minutes previous, luckily he had his wonderful Jen Lee with him to (first of all be scared out of her mind…causing her to forget keys and sandwiches in the most unlikely of places) and to care for him for the rest of the weekend, putting gel on his wounds and feeding him T3’s and other medication all day long. What a good caretaker she was. We had more great times in the guys side for our chapels as we went over memories from the year gone by, laughs were had and some tears (however “thought-to-be-hidden”). On one of the days there we were given a few hours to go out on and around the mountain to have some solo time for reflection on the past 8 months and what God has been doing in our lives through all that we have seen, heard, and done. It was a beautiful day and the view of Albert Edward, which is where it really all began in many ways, was spectacular. So spectacular in fact that I found myself unable to concentrate, my mind wandered aimlessly from one thing to the next, and I even managed to get a short nap in the island mountain air and sun. Perhaps I just was not ready to face the thought of Kaleo being so close to finished. Perhaps God had something else for me to do, sure enough later that evening we had some free time and I grabbed my board and boots and proceeded to climb half way up the mountain, which is surprisingly steep at parts, and half an hour later, watch the sun begin to go down beyond a line of mountains on the not-so-distant horizon. It was an incredible view, and more incredible was the way that God provided breath and endurance for me as I climbed up just in time to see the view he had painted for me. It was like I could keep climbing up forever, I was simply not getting tired, there is NO end to what God can do. I know that walking up a mountain is maybe not the most miraculous way for that message to come across, but it was the one which worked at just that time, as well as the many times we were running on nothing of our own strength in India. So long as we keep placing one foot in front of the other (physically and metaphorically) God will give us the strength and the stability and the direction of where to put it down again. I was brought back to many of the fond memories I have of the times we spent together, and even though I had to strap on my board and head down before the sun was completely submerged by the protruding peaks so that I was not boarding in the dark, and the time was not as long as I wish it could have been sitting there at the top of the chair lift, I know that God used it exactly how he wanted to.
Later on, back at camp, we had a chapel service (the very last one) and in it we got to name ourselves, in the same manner with which we had been previously named by others. This time we chose names for ourselves which will challenge us to continue growing in some and every way now while we are apart from each other physically in the world. Those names, I pray, will be written on my heart for years to come. I was given the name Reaching Torchbearer (I say ‘given’ because I believe it was chosen by God) that I would continue to reach out to all those around me, to God in heaven for direction and provision, and within myself to seek who it is God has made me to be for this moment in time and who He is continuing to make me for time immemorial.
On our last night out on the town, we had a wonderful meal at a restaurant called Just Jakes, which Jen and Jordan our beloved interns are sure never to forget (or at least not for a long time…or if one has another ski hill-to-face collision, lets pray that does not happen)…that night the two of them got engaged! The man of Kaleo lined the stairs and held roses and as Jen walked up, Jordan nervously prepared himself to ask the question I am sure he has been waiting a long time to ask. “Will you marry me?” and Jen said YES!! And then proceeded to put the ring on the wrong finger, but that’s ok ;). The wedding is planned to be in September, unfortunately I will be in school in the USA and likely will not be able to attend. But I love them both and look forward to hearing all about it! After leaving Just Jakes, we went to Victoria and had a wonderful time at the sea wall, where a small memorial was set up reminding us to “Be the Light” and we sand together and remembered and made new memories together. It was a bittersweet moment, but a blessed one which I hope never to forget.
Then came the graduation day, it was a lot of fun, started out with Ben getting baptized in the morning and people running around between hanging out with family and getting ready for pictures and the ceremony. Kylie and Jordana were our wonderful valedictorians, and then did a great job on the speech, and Lech gave us a challenge I hope to always seek to fulfill, to take what we learned this year and really apply it, that the fruit which has been sown in me will not sit and go bad so to speak. Thank you to Lech for that word.
Sunday morning came around and there was a lot of strain on all of us as final packing was done and we began to say goodbye to each other, one by one leaving the place we had called home for so long. Each of us had our hearts torn in 30 different directions that day, and I am sure you could have made quite the puddle with all of our tears. Yet there is joy in knowing we are all part of an eternal family, promised to meet again some day.
Now we are, for the most part, home and settling back in, yet settling is the most inappropriate word to use, because we are not the same, and we will not settle, we are called to be different and we have been shown how to do so. Lord let us never forget and teach us more how to do and say the things to be the Light in the world to which you have sent us.
Such is the way which Kaleo 6, as it was at Camp Qwanoes, has ended; yet Kaleo 6, as it is in our hearts, has only just begun. It's time to go beyond, time to go deeper.
God Bless you all and thank you so much for reading this blog for these past 8 months, I pray that God has shown you truths through some of it, and given you joy from other aspects. I hope to update this blog once in a while in the future so please visit again!

Much love, and forever yours in Christ,
Miranda Tiede


"Farewell for a while, I’m going away, but I’ll be back, though I go ten thousand miles,
ten thousand miles or more..."

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14