The beginning of the end....

Well every day gets closer to the end of my time here in Melfort, Saskatchewan. Hard to believe that 7 months have already gone by! And as I prepare to leave, I'm excited for Christmas with family and friends back home, and being able to hang out with my Ontario family and friends - but the flipside means some very tough goodbyes.

Saskatchewan is a beautiful province - the various colours of the crops during the growing season, the fabulous and extreme (the only word I can think of at this moment that can describe the depth of loyalty) Rider pride, the quieter and simpler way of life without the huge cities.... It has been a really great place to live. And Melfort, though considered a city in Saskatchewan, with a new Canadian Tire and a brand new Tim Hortons, is probably what we would call living in a small town in Ontario. But perhaps that's its charm. A city that has the basics and some more, but a town where the street lights flash yellow after 6pm (makes me smile every time!), most everybody knows everybody, and the pace is much more relaxing than the hustle and bustle of a big centre.

And the people..... When I go to work every day or to church every week, I look around and I can't believe the people I'm going to have to leave. People who have touch my life deeply in such a brief time - some people who I've really only known the last four months but now feel like family and that they have been a part of my life forever. The depth of love that has been shown to me... I'm going to miss you all. But I have lots of memories to look back on, and hopefully one day in the not too distant future I'll be back to visit.

Endings are always bittersweet. This time has accomplished much - learning at work, finding some direction for future plans, learning more about myself, and getting to know some very amazing people.... But when I go home I look forward to what awaits as well - a new nephew to love and cuddle, family to laugh with and play games with, friends to hang out with, university to finish and new areas of my life and future to discover - God has used this time for good.

I have been tremendously blessed throughout my life to have some very special people come in and make a place in my heart. Thank you to those that have made this season so special and have filled more corners of my heart.