Quilt & Graduation

I finished my quilt today!!! I'm very excited that I finally finished it. Thanks to my fantastic sewing teacher, Eleanor, who actually did the quilting part (which is bringing the 3 layers together) my quilt looks beautiful. I'm so pleased with how well it turned out, especially since this is the first thing I've ever sewed in my life! Pretty cool, aye?

Also, graduation is this Saturday; which means that good-byes are also this Saturday. I can't believe that I've been in Canada for 2 years already and now I'm graduating and leaving. I'm definitely going to miss the friends I've made here and the staff that I've really gotten to know so well. It's been an awesome 2 years:-)!
P.S. ~This picture was taken after the 3 of us girls threw each other into the lake.

Sewing Class

Amongst the business of classes this semester, I joined a sewing class! It has been a very busy time and probably not the best time to start a quilt, but the class was offered to me and I decided to take it. I've always wanted to make a quilt and now I was going to have a chance to. So today I just finished sewing all my rows together which completes the entire pattern for the front. Now I just need to add the borders and then the padding for the middle with the back fabric and then I'll be done:-).
My teacher has been a staff lady here on my campus, Eleanor. My class has been every Thursday as one of my P.T.C. (Practical Training Course) classes. I have P.T.C. class Monday -Friday from 1:30-4:30. I definitely would say that sewing has been a very practical class to have! Thanks Eleanor!!!

What am I doing?

You guessed right! Snowmobiling in the springtime.
















My neighbor, this morning, asked me if I could do him a favor, so I said, "sure." After hearing the favor, I thought my neighbor was kind of odd. He wanted me to just sit on the snowmobile and steer it while he pulled it:-). It was fun, you should try it sometime.

Hammocks

I'm studying hard for classes in my new hammock chair that I got in Mexico! It's a great chair, if you ever go to Mexico you should pick one up:-).

Annual Pig Roast w/Alma Bible Church

Every year Alma Bible Church (which is the church I have been attending here in Canada) gets together to enjoy snow activites and have a pig roast. It was quite a sight to see an entire pig on a stick! But it was great and very juicy and tender! I've enjoyed getting to know the people at Alma Bible Church and appreciate all the activities they plan.

This is Yvonne DeBoer who goes to Alma. Yvonne and her husband, Alan, decided to go through the training with New Tribes Mission this past year. It's been nice getting to know them since they're fellow classmates now from Alma Church.

Snowmobiling!!! It is soooo much fun, especially in Canada since we have so much snow! I'm just thankful I haven't hurt myself yet or better yet, wrecked a snowmobile. Just so you know, I didn't drive this snowmobile because it's just simply too nice and I don't trust myself:-).

Grammar Class

The Grammar Problem:













My Answer:













So I just finished a 3-day GRAMMAR problem!!! The problem itself was 5 pages long and my answer was 5 pages long as well. This problem was given to us (my classmates) on Friday. The problem was basically a summary of all the things we learned in grammar from this semester and last semester, so it was long. Even though it was long and frustrating, it was still cool to see how much I have learned in grammar.
The purpose for studying grammar is so that I can take advantage of language learning helps when I'm overseas when studying a foreign language. As well, it will help me improve my accuracy in the language and even avoid "language shock". And most importantly, it will help me speak more clearly and write more accurately. Pretty cool, aye?!

SNOW

YES, we have more snow:-). Isn't it beautiful? It is kind of nice to not have a car to take care of during the winter time since they do require more maintenance.

As for me, yes, I am feeling better. The past two days have been pain-free, which is quite amazing! I believe I am feeling better because of prayer. Thank you to those who have lifted me up in prayer the past two days, God is answering your prayers. I did get the medicine I needed on Tuesday, which is also an answer to prayer. Please continue to pray that I will continue to feel better throughout the rest of the semester. Thank you again for praying:-)!!!

Some more beautiful scenery shots of God's creation. This was taken on my campus here in Durham, Canada.

"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." ~Jeremiah 29:11

Health & Wellness Class

Our International Health & Wellness class finished last week. Our teacher was Faye Brown who has been a nurse for 30 years. We learned several practical things for the field. We learned about different diseases and the symptoms that come with a certain disease and then how to treat it. For example: malaria. Malaria would be a good thing to know how to treat and what the symptoms are, since it is so common for missionaries to get overseas.
The highlight of our learning was of course our labs! We learned how to give injections, how to check blood pressure and how to check the eardrums for ear infections. My classmates were excited to look into my ears since I have man-made eardrums. They said that my right eardrum looked like a sparkling diamond or a piece of aluminum foil, whereas normal eardrums don't sparkle at all! Pretty cool, aye? As for the injection, I was a little nervous being the recipient of the injection, but my partner, Amanda, did a superb job:-)!!! I didn't feel a thing!

Hollywood, CALIFORNIA

Isn't it amazing how much a hug can affect someone? And how many people were willing to participate in Hollywood, California? What an amazing way to show Christ's love for the community! My dad sent this video to me awhile ago, it's great! If you've already seen it, then watch it again. If you haven't seen it, then enjoy and hug somebody afterwards:-).

Short film

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and any time off (if you had any). Over my Christmas break I had a family reunion in Indiana. My cousin, Brandon, made a short film that is hilarious. Some of the jokes are only funny to my relatives and I, but I thought I put the link on my blog for those of you who are interested in seeing it. Hope you enjoy.

Click Here for: "Christmas at the Dodgen's" Video

"Black Friday"

*What is "Black Friday"?

Supposedly "Black Friday" is the day when stores make up for all the bad sales throughout the year by having one really good sale.

*Why do I even know this?

Last night, I was one of those crazy people standing in line at Best Buy waiting for it to open @ 5:00 a.m.!!! I pretty much went for the experience, and all I have to say, is that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that doesn't need to be repeated:-).

We left at 11:00p.m. Thursday night from Durham, Canada and arrived in Buffalo, New York at 2:30a.m. Friday morning, to be #200 in line!!!

The popular items at Best Buy were the laptops. Since there were only 20 laptops at discounted rates, being #200 in line was discouraging. So we stood in the line (in the cold) for 2.5 hours and came out with some cd's & dvd's. All in all, it was a shared experience I'll always have with those I went with:-).

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

~Mom & Dad,

Wish I could be home with you for the holiday. I love you both and I am so grateful for you.

~Briell

Now YOU take the test...

See if you can connect the right "Naso" phrase with the correct "English" phrase:

Naso phrases and English phrases:

***(Click inside the box to enlarge the phrases.)

P.S.~ This is an audio clip of the "Naso" phrases #1-10. This is so you can actually hear the language for yourself. The voice you hear in the audio is my language helper. ENJOY:-)

Click To Play Audio

*Click here for: Answer key to "Naso" phrases!!!

Culture/Language Acquisition PRACTICUM

"CLA" is short for Culture/Language Acquisition which is the process of learning a new culture and language through building relationships with those who are within the culture and language that I'm learning. For me, the culture and language I will be learning for the next 6 weeks is Naso. Naso is a tribe located in Panama (see below for a map of Panama and Panama's flag). Since I obviously can't fly to Panama to learn Naso for 6 weeks; my language helpers will be Simon and Lavonne Challinor, who are the missionaries who have lived among the Naso people for the last 10 years. So for the next 6 weeks I will be using certain techniques that I have learned in class and building relationships with my language helpers to acquire the Naso culture and language. The purpose of this practicum is to practice what I have learned in class so that I will know how to go about learning a new culture and language when I go overseas.
*Thank you for your prayers during this time:-).

Cat Videos

Here's some funny cat videos, just for fun:

(Don't worry, the cat is ok.)


...and this is MY cat, Yoda, isn't he cute:-)!!!

Building a fence...

Today, during P.T.C. (practical training class), I learned how to make a jig, and how to use a router; as well as what a jig and
router are:-). The project I am working on is a fence. When the project is done I'll show you more pictures.

Here I'm sitting on the wood so the cut will be even for the other pieces to slid in (see next picture). Jim Abbott is the one who is teaching me. Jim and Joy Abbott (see last 2 pictures of their family) are fellow classmates here at New Tribes Mission. You can check out their blog too @ http://abbottcouple.blogspot.com.

Fall is here...

...isn't it beautiful?

My Soccer Team

This is the girl's intramural soccer team at New Tribes Mission of Canada: Here we are preparing for the picture:-), especially Amanda (who's in the front demonstrating how one might hold both arms and one leg up while balancing on the other leg). Thanks Amanda- love ya girl:-).

Now the real picture:

Phonetics

Phonetics has begun!!! Of the 24 students in my class, 7 are in my class. We've been divided into three groups for more one-on-one teaching. The picture above is my group: (from right to left) Ruth, Ben, James, John, KayZue, Joy, me and my teacher, John Challinor. For the next 3 weeks these are the people I'll be seeing and spending most of my time with.

For those of you who have no idea what phonetics is, here is a definition: "Phonetics" is the study of speech sounds; each letter stands for ONE speech sound and each sound is represented by ONLY ONE letter.

For example: English has problems!

A.) Same sound, but different spelling:

boo too

bo to

bew new

B.) Same spelling, but different sound:

"Though he pulled through a cough and a hiccough, he still had a rough night on a bough!"

The Purpose of Phonetics is:

1.) To be able to write down an unwritten language.

2.) To be able to read material that others have written phonetically.

3.) To be familiar with sounds that I will find in the new language that I will be learning once I head overseas.

4.) To help me sound "more native" when I speak another language.

* Please keep me in your prayers during this time. Right now phonetics feels like one big hearing test everyday. Everyday after class I am exhausted mentally from concentrating so hard on hearing the sound correctly and then re-producing it back onto paper.