The latest

Hey all! As promised, here's your long awaited update on the latest and greatest in my life. I'll try to stick with to the reader's digest version to save this from getting too long.
I'll start with the job... I worked my last day at Soup Etc! on Friday June 8th. I started my orientation and training at E-Comm on Monday. Training involved ten hour days for the entire week. It was very exhausting, but also really interesting. I'm learning a lot about the Greater Vancouver Region - geography was a huge part of the training. My class (there were four of us in training) was supposed to be ready to work on our own early this week, but due to staffing shortages, they worked it out so that we could be signed off on by Friday. So, as of Friday afternoon, the trainers (following our assessments) set us free. I worked on Saturday from 3pm to 3am. It was actually quite fun. I'm really enjoying the job so far. It's exciting. At times it's funny too... you'd be amazed with some of the things that people call 911 for. It's also a fun environment to work in... I'm really enjoying getting to know my coworkers. This week I only work a couple of days and then start my regular eight day rotation on Saturday. I'll be working two day shifts (7am to 7pm), followed by two night shifts (7pm to 7am), and then have four days off. I'm not sure how my body will adjust to working some nights and switching from days to nights. This will be a new experience for me.
Liz came to visit last week. Unfortunately she came on a cold rainy week, but we had fun anyway. So when I wasn't working or training, I got to be tourist again for a while. We went to Victoria on the weekend, where unfortunately we saw the naked bike racers (yikes!). That's right... in Victoria and Vancouver they have naked bike races once a year. Sort of humorous, sort of crazy... especially on a cold rainy day. We spent some time with one of our friends from college who we haven't seen in many years. It was a good week.
You may remember from my last post that I was going to meet with "mom" a couple of weeks ago. I had a nice chat with her and started volunteering that night. My schedule doesn't allow me the luxury of volunteering on consistent evenings, but I'm been trying to go out at least once, sometimes twice, each week to help. I have loved every minute that I have spent downtown helping so far (I've also had some very interesting public transit adventures). Most of the people Ellen now serves are adult men. I've gotten to know some, and recognize more faces every time I'm there. I look forward to serving and building relationships with mom's friends. God is there. I see His image and His fingerprints in so many ways when I spend time with these guys... the forgotten in our society. On Friday night, I spent almost an hour talking with one of the younger guys who had come for food. He's a drug dealer who portrays a tough exterior, but as we talked, I was amazed how similar we really are. People are people. We all have the same needs and desires. I hope that I will see this individual again... he's someone I'd like to be friends with.
That's all for now. Oh... one other exciting thing... I was granted the time off that I need in August to come back to Ontario for the weddings I will be attending. I'm going to book a flight soon. I'll be in Windsor for a few days and then off to the cottage for a few more. I'm excited!