“I’m not sure what I’ll do, but-well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale” -F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald and I would have enjoyed each other’s company. We would have agreed on many things, passionately debated on certain topics and spent hours talking about life, travel, relationships, love, and literature among many other things while drinking copious amounts of alcohol into the late hours of the night. We share a similar world view. In many ways, I feel as though F. Scott Firzgerald would have understood my soul. 

Yesterday I graduated with my BA in Outdoor Leadership. It has been a long time coming. I left high school in ‘05 and did a 1 year outdoor discipleship Christian studies certificate in Huntsville Ontario, then moved to Lennoxville Quebec where I lived for the next 4 years studying Creative Arts in college then attending Bishop’s University for business. in 2010 I felt God was calling me to a different sort of life and I faithfully moved across the country right after spending the summer in the Philippines to attend Columbia Bible College. I spent 3 incredibly formative years here at CBC where I learned all about the outdoors, Anabaptist theology, Mennonite culture, community, relationships, leadership, and soooo much more… I wanted a foundation on God to prepare me for a lifetime of ministry and thats exactly what I got. 

I know my time as a student is not over. I want to pursue a masters in International Peace and Conflict Resolution as well as a Masters of Arts in Theological Studies. I love to learn and I’m excited for that next chapter in my life, but I’m not there yet. Right now im in the in-between stage. Finished one milestone, eagerly anticipating the next one, but content in this tention-filled state I’m in. I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be doing next. Right now I know im flying to Cabe Breton Nova Scotia in a couple days to be an administrative assistant at an orthodontist office-definitely not something I planned or aspired to do but I think this is the right place for me for this time of transition. I have the next 3 months planned and thats ok for me right now. 

I just had an incredible year filled with growth and development, exhaustion, joy, mistakes, and triumphs. I’m ready for a break. Im ready to debrief this past year as a senior, as a leader, as the President of Student Council, as a roommate, friend, peer and student. I’m ready to do some M&E work on myself. Its gonna be a good summer. Im not sure what Im doing next or where I’ll be. A friend asked me today if I was gonna be back in Abbotsford in the fall and I said “ya thats my plan… but I could also end up in South Sudan”…in other words, the world is my oyster and I’m open to all its possibilities. 

I have learned with my life to always be open to change, transition, and be ready for the unexpected. Like F.Scott Fitzgerald said, I’m not sure what I’ll do, but-well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale. 

This is my ultimate dream in life. I remember being a kid in elementary school and telling my friends I wanted to grow up to be a person who was always willing and ready to learn. I want to travel and meet people and change the world and be a part of something. Isn’t that what we all hope for inside? I think as humans we all long to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to be involved in a great story. God has written a beautiful story for you and I and its up to us to live it out. People who know me well laugh at me and say “what does Michelle want to do this week?” or “oh that was last month’s career ambition” and they’re right… I say I want to do just about everything. There is no denying that. I find all sorts of things in life so fascinating. We grow up being taught that we can be anything we want in life. We pick things like fire-fighter, school teacher, doctor, nurse, vet, astronaut… we are told of the glorious possibilities in life that await us when we grow up. Well I’m growing up now and I see all these incredible possibilities and want to be a part of so much. I think I will be the kind of person who will experience much in life. Its not really the norm and many people don’t understand it or want to be a part of it… but im learning to be ok with that.

I have been blessed in my life to be able to experience so much already and I look forward to the next 60 years of learning, traveling, and being a part of big things. Its a good life. 

I am so blessed and thankful to be a part of this incredible community.  The fact that I have the privilege to share myself with amazing people and pour into the lives of students and friends every single day is a gift. I have experienced tons of struggles and endured hard lessons and difficult days but seriously, what God has taught me and the work that He has allowed me to be a part of is worth it all. I wouldn’t trade this year for anything!

Thank you to all who encourage me and support me through it all and thank you to all who allow me to be myself. Thank you for loving me for who I am- weird, often times awkward and quirky, silly, off-side, ridiculous and french and excited and passionate and everything and more. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to get to know the real me. Thank you to everyone who has pursued friendship with me. Thank you to everyone who has listened to me in my struggles, weakness, and fear. Thank you to all who have walked alongside me in this exciting and scary journey of life. Thank you to everyone who has seen my potential and believed in me. Your words of encouragement and your affirmation mean more to me then I can ever really express. 

Right now I feel like God has just given me a glimpse of what he intends to use me for and I seriously am so excited. I feel like I have so much to give and so much to share with the world. I want to continue to become the best version of me I can be. I want to continue to learn and grow and develop into the best teacher, leader, student, friend, woman, mentor, ambassador, peer, and world-changer I can possibly be. 

As I finish up my degree, I am excitedly expectant of what is to come. I am eager to see where God takes me, what I end up doing along the way, the places I will go, the people I will meet, the jobs I will have. As I wait on the Lord and hope in Him I find myself having more joy then I could have imagined. It is not always easy, seriously.. there are days that I am very fearful and feel completely lost but God is so faithful in giving me what I need to endure and persevere and overcome in that day. 

I want to commit myself to pursuing a life-long journey of discipleship and mentorship, living in community and seeking to bring peace and justice to those around me wherever I am. I want to speak truth into the lives of those around me and into the situations I am placed in. I want to be a source of light in the darkness, hope for those who feel oppressed and marginalized. I want to be His hands and feet. I believe that God’s heart is to restore, redeem, renew, and reconcile all to him. I believe God’s heart is for delivering the oppressed and bringing salvation to all. And I believe God wants to use me to bring about these things for his kingdom. 

esti qu’la vie est belle. mèsi Seyè! 

You be a mystery, and I will uncover the truth.
You be the chorus, and I’ll be the verse you go through.
You be the dynamite blasting away at the walls we take apart.
You be Dave Livingstone and I’ll be his African heart.

You be my walker, and stay with me as I grow frail.
You be the wind, and direct me when I lose a sail.
You be the resonance pulsing through every nerve that fails my knees.
You be John Lennon and I’ll be the world that he sees.

Sweet midsummer nights with you in my life,
With you in my life.

You be a flask, and I’ll be the comfort you hold.
You can be stranded, and I’ll bring you in from the cold.
You be the ambulance, racing me back down that old familiar road.
You be Teresa and I’ll be her hands to the poor.

Sweet midsummer nights with you in my life,
With you in my life.

You be a train track, and I’ll never leave you for long.
You be a new land, and I’ll plot my home in your arms.
You be the coffee that brings me to life in the early winter blue.
You be my lady, and I’ll be your man through and through.

You be my lady, and I’ll be your man through and through.