Thursday 23 May 2013

Rue Sansregret: Full Circle

I attended a debriefing session for recently returned Uniterra volunteers in Montreal. It was an opportunity to discuss and share experiences and give program related feedback to the Uniterra team.

I was in the company of those who recently returned from placements in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bolivia, Peru, Senegal, Ghana, and Malawi.  I was the only one there who had been placed in Botswana. 

While we had a range of experiences, we agreed on one thing:  when you experience life in another country or culture, you do so on the tips of your toes -- making everything you see, do, hear, feel, and yes, even smell, that much more vivid and intense. 



I stayed, once again, at the gîte (bed and breakfast) down the street from Rue Sansregret -- the street (alley) I happened upon one mild November evening when I was in Montreal for my pre-orientation.  If you recall from my very first post, I noticed the sign when I was startled by a clown.  To me, it was more than a street sign. It was a sign that beckoned me to take a detour from my regular life to explore an unfamiliar territory.  Sometimes, when you reach life's crossroads, there is no parking allowed. Sometimes, you just have to choose one direction over another...
...without any regrets. 
I am so glad I took the path down  Rue Sansregret. 
Like the graffiti painted on the alley walls, it was a fun and colourful journey !

Tuesday 14 May 2013

My hands are small...

My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes.  God's mind.  God's Heart. 
We are God's hands.
(Jewel)

My nephew, Henry Robert William Bishop, came into this world Saturday, May 11 at 25 weeks gestation, and weighing 850 grams.  He is in the care of the NICU staff at McMaster University Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, steps away from his daddy's lab.  Russ and Kari will be frequent visitors at Henry's bedside in the weeks and months ahead.  You are in good hands, Henry.
Love, Aunt Stephanie