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[MJ]

"I asked for a car, I got a computer - how's that for being born under a bad sign..." ~ Ferris Bueller Well - I can't help but sympathize with Ferris on this one however I managed to get the double portion myself! :)

Yes, ladies and gents - Michael has just returned from a trip out west, off to the frontier - the frontier where dreams become reality (excuse the poet in me...)
So, yeah - I asked for a guitar, I got a plane ticket to fly to British Columbia!!! - how's that for being favored of God!
It seems that in the midst of dire circumstances (I was a bit stuffed financially) God still chooses to bless us!

"So just how DID you get a plane ticket to fly out west?" I hear you cry! - well, that was due to one mans awesome obedience and friendship - he will remain nameless but let us just say that he has a magnificent chin ;)

So after some frenetic planning and last minute offers of accommodation (God loves to push the faith envelope!) I flew out on Air Canada an hour and a half late... thankfully my connection was arranged so that I only had to wait about 10 minutes before jumping on the flight to Kelowna (with Boston Cream Doughnut stuffed in gob).
By the time I picked up my rental car I was only half an hour behind schedule, however this wasn't really an issue after I headed the wrong way up the highway for 50k's (doh!)... when I finally hit the mountains night was beginning to fall along with light snow - the realization that I have never driven high altitude mountain highways at anytime, let alone night, began to hit home!
To put myself further behind schedule, I took "the scenic route" through the coastal mountains - yeah, silly Michael turned off too early when he should have taken the toll route...
However the winding snow covered roads provided me with the opportunity to fantasize about being a rally driver, and I got to see my first flying Elk!!! - yes Elk can fly people!!! - especially when they are given a gentle shove by a transport truck... needless to stay seeing a dismembered Elk flying toward me did not put me at ease and my prayers turned from "Jesus, please help me to drive in snow" to "Jesus, please keep all wildlife off Highway 5"... so after a few more encounters with Elk, Deer and Coyote's taking strolls along the highway, I finally made it to the town of Hope (which was aptly named considering my gas/petrol tank was nearly empty!) - I filled up and called ahead to explain why I was over an hour late and why it would be another hour before I reached Abbotsford...

In Abbotsford I met up with Adrian Wi (Audrey's Brother, for those who know her...) who has recently moved over there to support a pastor who owns a retreat centre in a town called Mission. Interestingly, two of the leadership guys from Singing Waters had met up with Adrian two weeks beforehand when they were connecting at Vancouver from a ministry trip to Taiwan. They had shown him a picture of a retreat centre I had drawn from a vision back in 2002, which Adrian said was 70% accurate of what was already there!!!
So as you can imagine, it was quite a trip when I saw it with my own eyes!!!
It wasn't exactly as I had drawn but much was correct - the giant square windows (which, oddly, I had seen from the inside), a split level property, a verandah, the surrounding trees, the mountains all around...
Even crazier was the presence of God in the place - unnnnbelievable!!! - let's just say THICK! - in fact when I got into the room I was staying in, I could hardly stand up!
This might explain why they have had 80 people convert to Christianity just by walking through the door! - God is in the house people!!!

Waking up the next morning after hitting-the-sack at 3am EST I couldn't believe how refreshed I felt - I can honestly say it was the best night's sleep I have ever had!!! So, after a quick call ahead to the crazy-wonderful Geurt Brenkman (who had just flown in the day before me) I headed out to Vancouver, city of my dreams!!!! - in case you don't know, I have been dreaming about going to Vancouver ever since I first traveled to Canada, 3 years ago this month!
It was a great experience - even driving down the mountain roads from Mission I was giving little whoops of joy, and laughing to myself - driving into the city was pretty easy and drivers there are MUCH more chilled than in Toronto.
I parked downtown and made my way to meet my friend Geurt at the famous 'Steam Clock' in Gastown (the original town from which Vancouver has grown). I had a Starbucks (Tim Hortons are a rarity out west) with Geurt and we did some catching up, then we took a walk around Canada Place (site of the Expo '86 worlds fair), then we checked out the downtown core - with a walk along Robson Street, which is like a more pleasant version of Queen St East!
The weather was glorious - sunny and crisp - perfect!!!
Later we drove across the Lion's Gate Bridge (built by the Guiness Family!) to the north shore and checked out Lighthouse Park, which is like a mini-wilderness park next on the coastline - there were some fabulous views of the city from there...
We drove along the coast road whilst checking out the sunset on our way to Horseshoe Bay, the harbor where the ferries leave for Vancouver Island, had fish & chips and then made our weary way home.
It was a very short but very sweet taste of Vancouver - can't wait to go back now!!! :)

After a hearty breakfast of bacon & eggs at Eagles' Rest (the retreat centre), I made my way down the mountain to have even more breakfast with Adrian Wi and Pastor 'PC'. We discussed my vision for a Healing/House of Prayer/Music Training kind of ministry and their current ministry operations. Interestingly enough, they have recently met with IHOP execs. to discuss the use of Eagles' Rest! So, fully stuffed on Croissants, I began my journey back across the Coastal Mountains - what a ride!!! - such magnificent natural beauty - a glimpse of heaven to be sure...

I arrived back in Kelowna with plenty of time to spare and Petra [SoM13]picked me up from the airport.
Her driving lessons with Michael Schumacher are obviously paying off, and were a great aid in developing bowel control on my part... ;D
Wasn't long before we were in the first session of the "Come Up Here" Conference - woohoo!!!
First session praise was led by Norm Strauss (guy that wrote 'Lift Your Heads') and then this guy called Kim Unrau spoke - he used to be the Youth Pastor at TACF, he spoke on living "Up Here"' - in the spirit I guess he meant? - I was tired, we left early.

Thursday morning praise was led by Kevin Prosch - it was pretty darn cool - he uses loops and stuff, and the guy is just plain nutty for God - God Bless the Apple Power Book, that's all I have to say... Instead of speaking he just did a "Question Time" which was great! - he spoke very candidly about his adultery and issues of accountability - I think that is really his message of the moment... he also talked a lot about the Christian Music Industry (in fact I think he described it as 'all that BS' ) and how the days of the 'Superstar' worship artist/leader are over - oh AMEN bro...
The Thursday afternoon was taken up with workshops - I went to one on "Prophetic Intercessory Worship" - the guy teaching was pretty random - I think I caught a few nuggets of wisdom but a lot of it went over my head...
That night Kevin Prosch did his thang again - it was a wild time! - he had people come up and dance on stage - it got pretty crazy at times!!! - I did get all that much out of it - tired again... you know me! :)

Friday Morning - the guy I had been waiting for took to the stage - Jason Upton! - boy oh boy, God was already in the place during the sound check!!! This guy is really on the cutting edge of Music Ministry! - totally prophetic and spontaneous!
He went into a time of bringing us back to the Father Heart of God, proclaiming the truth of who God is as a Daddy and ministering into rejection and sonship. I came out feeling like I had been in a 2 hour counseling session!?!
Friday Afternoon - workshops again but I was getting "Christian-Meeting-Overload-Syndrome" so I went shopping with Nicole McBeth [SoM13] and her pal.
Friday Evening - I think this was the high point of the conference, Jason Upton ministered again. He seemed to be trying to break through something in the spirit - proclaiming freedom over us and breaking off stuff like 'Fear-of-man' - that was the most profound thing for me... He really hit a wall when he went after the Spirit-of-Religion - crikey!... it was a totally intense evening! - one of the funniest parts was when he said "...and I'm not playing the stupid song! - it's not just a song, it's a proclamation and we aren't ready to go there right now..." - oh, I hear you Jason! (he was talking about his song "Come Up Here")
So, I walk away after another session feeling like I had just been through 2 hours of counseling - wild!!!

Saturday Morning - Kevin Prosch again. Can't say I remember all that much of this session. I remember him honoring the older generation - which was pretty cool. And he kinda did this little prophetic thing... but I just wasn't "feeling it" - y'know??? hmmm...
Saturday Afternoon - they had an event where people could perform their own songs - it was all right I suppose...
Saturday Evening - The final session with Jason Upton. It was just sweet - he was talking a lot about the state of the church and how we have turned it into an organization that resembles a corporation more than the living organism it should be - his 'skit' about being the CEO of Key of David Ministries was particularly amusing!
At the end he played 'That Song' - I was really chuffed :)

So, after all that I was pretty wiped - we went to church the next morning, where that Kim guy gave a great talk on unity - and then after a quick coffee and some good conversation with Petra, I started the journey home feeling very satisfied with my faith in music-ministry very much restored! - thank you Jesus! :)

Oh BTW - I now have a car. Anyone remember Greg Veenstra's Mazda? - well, now it's mine The first three letters of my plates are 'ASK' - I thought that was kinda profound, since that was all I had to do... yay God! (and Dad!)