Refreshment Time...

I just got back from the mid-year conference which held in Saskatoon from the Feb. 5th to 12 th. It was really greatttt time of being together. We did have a very good time. The time of getting to know one another deeper and we felt closer than we have met once in the first conference. Time of sharing and learning from everyone. I want to call the time of Refreshment! We have been refreshed by learning together from the very special session-Peaceful Action in Conflict. The peace we have learned and want to share to people among us. The session has made to show more of Jesus' love in peaceful way to my host family, the people at work, at church and everywhere I go I want to...Back to my home country-I have learned about the peace that I want to do more than before of time with my family, friends and others...Learning back my home culture a lot during this Refreshement time. The refreshment of soul, mind, heart, and strength by having devotion, singing, and hearing the word of encouragement through our local pastors in the conference! The time of knowing more cultural Canadian family even it was just a week together with our host families, it was really meaningful time together. I enjoyed a lot of knowing my host:) I can't forget this wonderful time together.







Asian Continent Group









My host at MC-Jane, Rose + Daden (IVEPers) and Michelle.








These are our places, where we are from!!!









We are enjoying the bacany!!!








Daden, Rachel, Donal and Lucille at IWF.








Betrice, Daden and Eun-Kyung

The Pine Trees
At Fiske, I have spent Christmas with my host mother and two host brothers with her parents and family. All pics of pin trees I took in Fiske-the farm where 3 hours and a half drive from the Regina city.


MY FIRST X'MAS with the Snow
At the Christmas gathering in December, SK IVEPers can be able to share about each of our countries' Christmas celebration at church. Also, I have shared about how we celebrate Christmas in Cambodia as well even we do not have snow...
we still can celebrate the King of Peace to come on earth...it is a time to tell the gospel to our family and friends by invite them over to the special Christmas celebration at church.

Here, they had a pin tree in the house for decoration during Christmas as I saw in my host family and most people at church...they were very pretty trees with the decoration. I have shared with this as well that we just have the artificial one in Cambodia, we could not have the real on like here... Along the way on the bus I saw lots of pin trees they grow in Regina...I always say to myself: Oh, I like this one and I will choose that one! There are so many to choose. So which one will you choose in these three pictures?

It's my HOUSE! It looks clear without snow...I took it in the Fall actually. We can see the beautiful blue sky through the tree without leafs....

And this is the one in Winter time with a little big hill in front of the house... The hill was made up for opening to children from the neighborhood as our community, my host father said, so that they can come and slide down and have fun...sometimes on the weekend there are some children they come and play around and slide down the hill...the dog-Clipsey, she barked at the first time but now she get used to them... Me too I have stoped by at night time from work, sometimes on the nice day, the weather is not so cold, I just climb up to the top of the hill and look up to see lots of stars and the moon...it is very beautiful. Then I slided down...it was fun:)

"It's good to see the children from the neighbor come and play around, so we can getting to know them", my host father said. He added that this is one of the ways we can building up a good community.

And you're welcome to come and have fun with this a little big hill as well!

Snow Angel


The youth at making snow angel in the park near the Youth Centre.

The snow angel that was made by the youth at the Rainbow Youth centre I work with.

National Song
O Canada
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The true North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Christmas and Christmas!!!
Christmas is coming!! Let us receive his king!! It is a big event. Everyone is celebrating the season. Happy Holiday!!! Time to buy gift for each other. And also the time of gathering with the family. Time of sharing the good news of the Son of God, He is born. The new born king. Jesus was born in a manger. Why did he come? He came down so that we may have love, peace, joy
and hope. Allelujah, forever more!!! Not only a season of holiday but Jesus is our reason why we celebrate Christmas. A question: Do they celebrate Christmas in Israel as well? The home town of Jesus' birth. Here in Canada, I can see most of people they are very busy with this season. A busy season. Not only celebrating one day and finish like we have in Cambodia but lot of time of celebrate with Christmas caroling. I like going to Christmas caroling or concert. There are Christmas Banquets in different of Sunday services-Non stop! Here are some pictures I took them at Christmas in my host parents house:)

This is the day that the Lord has made
Yesterday-today and tomorrow are on God's hand and control. Today is the very special day that I can do one thing unique or even the little simple thing, and it mean that I have fulfilled the day of the Lord because this is the day that the Lord has made. God has touched my heart with this one sentence through a lady who say a prayer where I have attended the conference and that God he reveals me that the things I have done in the past, continue up to today and will look to the future I can see God is overthere...He is the one who made it happened. It's not by accident that I can live on today but God has put me into today and my heart praise unto the Lord, I will rejoice and be glad in it!

God is amazing...

Psalm 74:17 ''It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth, you made both summer and winter.'' I am impressed with this verse because it say God alone who made both seasons for us as human being. I can see that those seasons, they are the blessings from God to all of us so that we can feel hot-warm-cold. The sun and the snow are the blessing from the Lord!!! This has made me remember the Israelites they were walking on the desert, God has sent the Manna from the sky so that they can have it as their food for everyday lives. ''Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.'' Psalm 78:23-24. How amazing that God has sent those bread to them-Maybe it would be the same way as the snow is falling down from the sky as well. My heart praise to God who give us this wonderful season...the Lord is so creative and He is an amazing God!!!

Being Together...
In Saskatoon in last weekend on November 3-5, My IVEPers friends in Saskatchewan were being gather together by joining the Annual General Meeting. It was good to see each other again. We have had a wonderful time together by went to swiming in the pool, watched movie together and took lots of pictures...It was a bless time from the Lord that we could learn from each other as well. This is some of our pics in front of the Saskatchewan River.

I have got impress and amazed by the sevants of God they are sharing their mission with the children and the poor people around the world...How amazing of our Father that His blessing is moving and it's remembered me that God said we all have lots of poor people to help with and they can be blessed by all of God's servants and as we are the light and salt to the world!!! Praised be to God!!:)

A girl at the door on Halloween

Halloween...
October 31st-alloween is one of the celebrations here in North America. Here in Regina, I have seen many houses with decoration on halloween stuffs. I have asked many people that why they celebrate Halloween and some of them said they do not know for sure but about something trick or treat...Continue with my host family said that it's a kind of spiritual belief and some people they like with this celebration but some of them don't...Added from my host father said that it's good for the community that we can have opportunity to see our neighbor's children come for trick or treat from door to door and we are happy to see them enjoy with that and they can have lots of candies with them on that night!!! For me, I was glad to see some of the little children came at our house for a treat. They dressed up with different costumes like little lion, soccer dress and so on....they were so cute with those Halloween costume...The weather was not too bad for them to go door to door and they came with a group of children or there was only child came at a time...I took some pictures of them and this is one of the pics.....

First Visited in...

Saskatoon...In front of Mennonite Centre Committee Saskatchewan, it was my first visited and travelled to Saskatoon. On that day, I went to the air port with my provincal cordinators and with others two IVEpers from Brazil and Jordan. We were there to pick up Esther and Michel. They both arrived from English Class in the States. It was a good time of being together with three IVEPeres' Host parents and we have been to Tim Hortons for coffee during that night....

Flower in Akron...

I love flower very much! It's so beautiful!!! How nice that God has made this flower in a pretty color:) The rememberance when I was in Akron-the States...

Welcome place in Akron.

Fall...
Fall is a very nice season. I love the tree leaf so much when they are turning into yellow-red and purple. It so lovely to see...I remembered one day I went to the farm with my host parent-a long the way I could see many pretty trees with the green hill. It was so pretty!! Oh, I love this season!!...

Seasons...
The weather hitted me when I first arrived here in Canada. It's cold! And now it's getting colder and colder! And it's getting worth and worth! But I think now I am getting used to this weather. It's very lovely weather. If I talk back to Cambodia. It's a hot country but it's not that hot! I still thanks God for both beautiful weather!!!:) I was so excited to see the snow in last two weeks;-p and it's gonna have snow on this Sunday again!! When I walked a long the road I cautgh the snow on my hand and it was so lovely to see the parttern of the snow. It's amazing how God has created this snow parttern!!!

Hello! My name is Daden Rath. I am from Cambodia. I live here in Canada for a year on Exchange Program with MCC. I volunteer here in Canada as a Youth Worker. I love and enjoy working here! And I thanks God for this opportunity too. I have attend the Grace Mennonit Church in Regina-Saskatchewan. I love and enjoy worship the Lord with all of the people here and even it's a little bit different from Church where I came from in Cambodia-AOG.