Two weeks and beyond

Well the last couple weeks have had their ups and downs.  Like I had briefly mentioned, my Mom has been diagnosed with cancer.  We still don't have a lot of information, but she now has an appointment with a specialist on the 24 of March (today), and then from there a surgery date will most likely be chosen.  She is doing pretty well so far, but the waiting game is never an easy one.  Your prayers are definitely appreciated.

Seeing as we only had a 2 programs booked between March 8-20th (which is highly unusual, we normally have about 5 a week!), the girls decided to send me home for a bit.  So I got to spend a couple weeks at home in Winnipeg, doing odd things around the house and just relaxing with my family, which was a real blessing.

I arrived back in Calgary Sunday morning, and we got back into the swing of things pretty quickly.

The evening was spent doing our missions program at Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church, here in Calgary.  We really enjoyed having the opportunity to share with the youth again and see some of our VTI alumni friends there.

Monday and Tuesday were spent catching up on things and hanging out together (Cayla, Carmen, and myself!), and exchanging stories from our time apart.

Wednesday...are you ready for this one...we had an early drive out to Olds, AB where we had 3 programs before 3 pm!  It was an exciting morning, a bit tiring, but good none the less.  The big relief, however, was that we only had a minimal amount of equipment to set up, since one of the schools was very small (only 14 students!) and the other one allowed us to plug into their sound system.  It's always nice when we don't have to haul out and set up our entire sound system, though we're definitely getting quite proficient at it! We were also blessed to visit Ron & Taya (VTI Staff) and their three kids and join them for a delicious dinner, before heading back to Calgary.

This morning (Thursday) was spent at Rocky Mountain College doing a program and sitting in on one of their music recitals and later today we'll be heading out to Carstairs for a youth program.  And lastly starting tomorrow we have a two day breather, before we hit the road again and start heading south (no need to get jealous though, cause we're only going as far as Montana!).

'til next time,
Cara R

Spring?! :S

Well.. the first day of Spring hit pretty nicely this year! Snowing like crazy, half frozen, half melted roads..

Anyways.. A lot has happened over the past 2 and a half weeks. As you may have read about Cara's personal prayer request about her Mom. So she was off to spend time with her family in Winnipeg.

In the meantime, Cayla and I stuck around Calgary for a few days... then her and I ended up heading out to Saskatchewan to hang out at my house and unexpectedly stayed there for a week. During this time we were able to hang out with our former team mates, Jake and Ryan, at Briercrest College, watch Refineded Undignified's "Secrets" Dance, visit my family :) and attend church at my home church, Osler Mission Chapel, along with attending a Family Feud College and Career night Sunday evening. In the meantime we got a lot of work done, e-mails, practice.. more practice.. more e-mails, calling.. the list goes on.. But it was great to just relax in the evenings and take time to just hang out (We don't usually get to "hang out" so it was a good change!)

Yesterday morning Cayla and I attended C3 Church in Calgary and picked up Cara from the airport around 11:45, we had a youth program at a church here in Calgary at 6PM and were able to pick up some groceries! :)

So what's up this week? Here is the list of events;

Today was: An Office Day
Tuesday:Another Work/Office Day
Wednesday: 3 programs;

1) 9:20AM, Olds Koininia Christian School Jr. High Chapel

2) 11:30AM, Olds Koininia Christian School, High School Chapel

3) 2PM Olds Mountain View Christian School
Thursday: 2 programs;

1) 11AM Rocky Mountain College Chapel

2) 6:30PM Program @ Carstairs Youth Club
Friday & Satuday: Days off
Sunday: 7PM Program in Vauxhall AB
Monday March 28th to April 9th: Montana Tour with the Jill Hagen Band :) woohoo!

Well, that's all for now. I hope you are all doing great!
Until the Next Time,
Carmen Pahl =]

Here we go 'round in Edmonton, Edmonton, Edmonton... (and surrounding area)

Where has Encore been these past few weeks?! Why haven't they written on the blog (other than the recent prayer request, of course)? Are they still ALIVE?! If you are asking these questions (or any others), do not fret - you are not alone. I myself have been wondering these same things...

Following the Feb. 17th post (thanks to Carmen, weren't the pics great?!) we did two programs: a morning chapel at Prarie BIble Institute, and an evening youth program at Highland Mennonite Brethren Church. Each program seemed to go well, but unfortunately we weren't bright enough to take pictures... just try to imagine what they may have looked like. :o)

Saturday morning we began our 5-day break! Carmen was able to go home, Cara stayed with our wonderful landlady Irene, and I was able to visit the Sorells! It was a very needed break following our month-long tour, and God really used it to refresh us.

After our break we began our Edmonton and area tour, which brought us back to the Shaw Conference Center for the Alberta Missions Fest. There we were able to once again connect with the other missions reps we've been developing friendships with, so that was great. Each of us had some pretty significant conversations with other people, so we pray that we were an encouragement to all we spoke with during that weekend and that God inspired especially the youth and young adults through us. I know I was especially blessed by the Sunday morning worship service wherein the Pastor didn't preach, but rather had us minister to one another in groups of three. Two gentlemen prayed for myself and my family, and God really spoke to me through them.

One thing that WASN'T so awesome was the fact that Cara's car acquired a flat tire during the missions fest! Fortunately God provided a few helpful men who were willing to help us change

it in the blowing cold (and one without a jacket... yipe!). Praise the Lord for compassionate men, and that the tire was easily fixed... for free! :D Cara's cousin was generous enough to help us out with the tire issue, and all was resolved. I was also able to visit my little sister Celsey and my two adopted bros Mike and Matt at Grant MacEwan one evening, and it was a wonderful goot time. (Pictured above with me)

Monday was spent at West Edmonton Mall for a team day off! We shopped for a while, ate "The Kitchen Sink" at Jungle Jim's, and watched a movie in 3D. If I read my teammates correctly, they enjoyed it as much as I did! I'm looking forward to our next team day off... :)

Tuesday to Thursday was spent traveling to and

doing programs at: Concordia High School, Cornertsone Christian Academy in Kingman, Barrhead Alliance Church in Barrhead, and Strathcona Christian Academy in Sherwood Park. We then attended the Global Connections

Conference at PBI as missions reps.

One of the highlights of representing Christ and VTI at PBI was getting to know a fellow missions rep’s children: Glenna and Josiah. They were such a delight to be with during the conference! We were also privileged enough to stay with Nic and Linda Weins once again. We enjoyed fellowshipping with them over SUPER good food! :D

As Cara wrote, these next two weeks don’t hold a lot of programs for Encore, but we are still working “behind the scenes” in different ways. God knew we needed a bit of a break from traveling to and doing programs at a bunch of different places, so Cara is at home and Carmen and I get to visit her home in Osler this weekend! Please pray for spiritual and physical renewal for the whole team, so that we might represent Christ by loving as He does – unconditionally.

God bless you as you seek Him in your daily lives and strive to share the grace He’s given you with those around you.

Respectfully Yours,
Cayla :)

New Arts Internships Logos!! :D

Prayer Request

We got back up to Calgary yesterday...and I phoned my parents in the evening. I knew my mom was going in for some more tests soon, but I didn't realize that they had already happened on Friday while I was away. The news wasn't good. She has cancer again. They don't have much information so far. It's a bit of a waiting game for now, but she'll most likely be heading in for surgery within the next month or so, depending on the doctors' availability.

It just worked out (God's doing I'm sure) that we only had 2 programs booked for the next two weeks, so the girls (Carmen and Cayla) and staff decided that I should take that time to spend at home. So they sent me on a flight home early this morning. They are such a blessing!

Like I said, the future is still unclear, but Mom is on a lot of vitamins and other alternatives for the time being and we are praying and trusting God.

Your prayers would be appreciated for wisdom, guidance, and strength.  As well as for the ability to trust Him with all of this.
Thanks,
Cara R

Jan/Feb tour is finished! What's next for the 3 C's??

Another tour come and gone! I think I say this every time I write on the blog, but man does time ever go fast! Yesterday was our final day of tour and we arrived to a nice crisp, cold, and frosty Calgary. But before I let you all in on what's happening next for Encore I will just do a quick re cap on our lives for the past 2 weeks!
We started off heading to Providence for the Missio Dei Conference. This was really eventful. Once we arrived we found out we forgot our promotional banner in the back in Calgary, AND the heat in our building was not working and it was minus 30ish! What a crazy start to Manitoba! Yet through everything we had quick solutions to our mad arrival to Winterpeg area. Cara quickly put together a Chalk Art showcasing VTI and we used this for the rest of our time in the area as our promotional banner, as for the cold night, blankets, blankets and more blankets! :) Here we were able to present and do some henna for the students too!

Following Providence was Steinbach. Then came Manitoba Missions Fest, here we met so many great people and met some new friends along the way too, and so many fellow VTIer's; even our booth buddies, Curt and Chryselle!


The next week that followed we went to so many great places, SBC for a chapel, LBE, West Park School, City Church, and Cara's home church ACC. And during this time Miss Cayla Schlamp turned the BIG 21(Feb 9th)!

We had the privilege of celebrating her birthday on three separate occasions, first with GILLIAN at Montana's! If you remember back in October Gillian is our former team mate who got into a big accident, well God is so good and she is WALKING! Praise the Lord!! It was so great to see her and celebrate Cayla's 21st year. Secondly a wonderful singing of Happy Birthday at SBC and thirdly wearing a crazy hat at LBE. We wish her a wonderful year ahead, God has great things for her to glorify HIS son and I can't wait to see how God will use my fellow team mate and sister in Christ for HIS glory. Exciting :) So with that being said Winnipeg flew by and we will miss seeing Cara's parents, Brian and Anne along Cayla and I's hosts the Guille's and their daugther Cheryl!

Our forth "C" for the past two weeks! And finally we concluded tour with a wonderful program at Millar College of the Bible.

Overall God has been so great over this whole tour. We met some amazing people, built great relationships, learnt a ton, and were challenged in many different areas! We really learnt that no matter what happens, HE is faithful and provides what we need to accomplish the work He has lain out for our team, and despite constant personality differences, technology failing, bad driving conditions, forgetting lines and objects and personal struggles we know that the Lord is hold us each up with His righteous right hand and ultimately He loves us! And along with that we know that all things work together for those who love God. We love God and He surely loves us! After all He is the definition of true love right? :)

Thanks again for sticking with us!! My hope for you is that you will constantly be reminded of the fact the God loves you with a crazy love that blows my mind every time I think about it! Nothing you do or say or think can ever make him not love you. He sent His son to die for us.. that's how much He loves us..Unconditionally! In return all He desires is for us to follow Him with all of our hearts and be set apart for Him. That people would see His love through our actions. And I myself and challenged with this everyday I get up, how can people see Christ in me today? What can I do to for others to see Christ in me? God sent His son for me! How crazy is that? Wow..

So as promised, tomorrow we have two programs, one early at Prairie Bible Institute and following at 7pm in the evening, Highland MB Church in Calgary. We then have a 5 day break followed by a week long tour to Edmonton from Feb 25th to March 6th. Then, touring, touring and more touring. Encore will be heading to Montana, all over Alberta and eventually out to Ontario in May.. so stay tuned, we will update you before we head out again. You can also find our tour schedule at www.vti.ca.
Before I close there is just three things I can think of that our team would ask prayer for;
1) For contacts for our upcoming tours
2) Unity as a team
3) Guidance for each of us in the future after Encore
Well, I think I covered most everything, hopefully looking at the length of the e-mail! Wowwy!!
Take Care and God Bless! :)
Until the Next Time!
Carmen Pahl

Manitoba Schedule!

Just to update you on our whereabouts...After our weekend at Break Forth (Edmonton), we spent a quick night in Calgary before hitting the road once again, this time for my home town of Winnipeg, MB. We had good roads most of the way, and arrived in Winnipeg this afternoon (Feb 1^st). For those of you in the Winnipeg area, we would love to see you at one of our programs.

February 2-3 Providence College and Seminary Mission Conference, Otterburne, MB (Look back drama on the 3^rd)

February 4 Steinbach Bible College morning missions chapel (no drama)

February 4-6  Mission Fest Manitoba(Winnipeg)

February 9 (11:30-12 noon) Steinbach Bible College morning chapel (Look back drama)

February 9 (7-8:30pm) Living Bible Explorers youth program (Winnipeg)(What is love drama and music)

February 10 (10-11am) West Park School (Portage la Prairie, MB) morning missions chapel (Look back drama and music)

February 11 (7-9:30 pm) City Church youth program (Winnipeg)(What is love drama and music)

February 13 (10:45-12 noon) Assiniboia-Charleswood Community Church (ACC) morning service (Winnipeg) (Look back drama) and (7:30-9:30pm) L.I.G.H.T. Worship night at ACC (What is love drama)

If you have any questions about locations, times or anything, just drop us an email at: encore@vti.ca

Blessings!
Cara R