“If you are looking to find the soul of Calgary, the Mustard Seed would be a good place to start.”

-Her Excellency the Right Honorable
Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada

you know, i've done this before..numerous times...and each time i think that it'll get easier, but it never does. i'm talking about coming to a new place, meeting some incredible people, and then having to leave again to go home. it's not that going home is bad at all (it really isn't..i mean, it's Vancouver!), it's that leaving is so hard.

When I first arrived in Calgary 7 weeks ago, I don't think i was fully prepared for what i would experience here. It's true what Adrienne Clarkson says here in the quote above. I've been to Calgary twice prior to this time, and never once did i feel a draw to return to this city. And yet, somehow i landed here. it is only thru my time here at The SEED that i can confidently say that i have experienced Calgary to its fullest.

The soul of Calgary, aka The SEED, is more than an organizational entity. it is a place where many people call "home". and as such, it has a very family-like, warm environment despite the many broken people that walk thru its doors. it is a place filled with compassion, love, and above all, respect. it believes in the potential and worth of every human being, and does not give up on addicts, prostitutes, drunks, and people who are just plain rude. instead, it continues to love - with a love that is unconditional. the people i have met here at The SEED (staff) have a huge heart to help people. they aren't motivated because it costs the city more to take care of "these people". they aren't motivated because it makes them feel good to be working there. but i have encountered staff members who are here because they believe that when Jesus said to feed the hungry, give water to those who are thirsty, invite in those who are strangers (consequently providing a sense of community and friendship), clothing the naked, and taking care of those who are sick (matthew 25: 35-36)....that He really meant to actually do it! there are those who i have met who live with a passion to serve others and to model a kind of love to people, communicating that they are valued, and cherished. this has been so inspiring to me, and is something i seek to model in my own life.

the family-like atmosphere at The SEED has also helped make the "dividing line" between "us" and "them" invisible. when one of my street friends takes the time to pray for me, or to encourage me in my walk with God, i know that there is a spirit of unity within us that is unmistakably God. when other staff members have recognized certain traits and skills that i possess, and have taken the time to encourage me in continuing to developing those skills...i know that is God speaking to me thru these people. and when i see in so many ways that the friendships i have made out here are the depth to which they are in the short time span, it is not a coincidence that i happened to spend the last 7 weeks here in Calgary.

i'm going to miss it here...i really am. i am going to miss the community of people out here. i have been so blessed by each one of them in a way that they will never fully comprehend. i've changed, and i'm coming back a "new" person. hopefully i'll still be the same Debbie, just with a bit more perspective on a few more things in life.

to all of you who have shared a bit of yourself with me, if not a lot, thank you. you know who you are.

as always, thanks for journeying with me. i'm coming home.

much love,
deb