The Journey Home...

This would be an epic way to travel.

It has been a few months since our last update blog! We have received a few messages and emails asking about our progress. We thought that it would be best to write this blog as an update on The Walker’s. 
It is also way easier than answering every message separately.

To say that the past few months have been very eventful for us would be a substantial understatement. Our capacity for transition has gauged at a pressure so intense that I am sure you could power a steam engine with the resulting combustion of calamity. We have experienced everything from laughter, joy, tears, and confusion. We have wondered if we will ever again have a full nights sleep! I might go out on a limb and say that we’ve never experienced this much eventfulness in our lives. 

So you may be asking, “What series of events could produce such eventfulness?”  


1. We welcomed our first child into the world on September 21, 2014. 

1 hour old. 

Her name is Olivia Pearl Walker. She was born weighing 6 lbs 8.5oz. Isn’t she beautiful? Olivia has been a source of so much joy and excitement in this eventful season of life. (and also sleep loss) We are so thankful that God has blessed us with the gift of our daughter Olivia! Kaylee and I still cannot shake the surrealness of entering into parenthood. It is like nothing we have ever experienced before. 

The days before her arrival were filled with preparation and expectation. We diligently purchased cribs, prams (strollers), car seats, diapers, onesies, and a whole host of necessary items. We read books. We researched the best parenting practices.  We attended parenting classes. We sought out advice from fellow young parents. Did this prepare us for the reality of parenting? Were we sufficiently ready for the task of caring for a baby? 

No….not even close. 



Nothing can fully prepare you for this phase of your life. The only way to fully know is to walk the path and experience it firsthand. I expect that this could probably be said about a good many other things in life. I am convinced that ultimately, experience is the best teacher. But I must warn you; she charges the highest tuition. So be prepared my friends. 

Here is a video of Olivia sending her greetings to you.

2. We are moving internationally…again!

Improper lifting technique. She might throw out her back. 

I imagine that some of you have moved a few times in your life. It can be quite a hassle. You have to organize all your possessions, pack boxes, clean house, rent a u-haul, and eventually drive down the road and unpack everything.



This picture represents moving to Florida. 

Moving internationally could be compared to “normal” moving, in the same way that space travel could be compared to airplane travel. In both space travel and air travel, you have left the ground and ascended into the air. You will experience, in both forms of transportation, g-forces, in-flight meals, washroom breaks, and travel vast distances in a short time. The difference between the two methods is the intensity and reach! Space travel takes you to new heights beyond the atmosphere. There is a whole different preparation involved with space travel. There is a whole different set of risks in space travel. In the same way, moving internationally is going to stretch you to a whole new level. 



Just how far will you be stretched? What new heights will you reach? Let us give you a few examples of the challenges of moving internationally:

Not sure what happened to his feet.

The cost of moving internationally will stretch you! If you were moving from Saskatoon to Calgary, you could rent a U-Haul or borrow a friends truck to move the larger items. Then you and your loved ones could leisurely take a drive to your new home city. You might even buy your friends pizza for helping with the move and contribute a couple bucks towards gas. This is not the case with internationally moving. Your airplane pilot is nothing like your friend with the truck.You need to book flights months in advance for each of your family members. Airlines tend to charge way more than the cost of pizza for your pals.You will need to pay custom fees on declared items. Tax !? You heard me right! The government will charge you tax on all those possessions that you have to take back home with you. You will need to pay for visa’s and passports. Our U.K. visa’s were $500 CAN a piece! And that’s all before you leave the airport to drive you humble abode! Oh…Did I mention luggage yet?


This will cost $150 as extra luggage.

Luggage! You need to come to grips with the reality that you cannot bring all of your possessions with you. You need to collapse your life into a few suitcases. If you are lucky, you may even get a few boxes to ship over the ocean with a courier. Whatever the case may be, you will soon realize that hauling your possesses overseas is an expensive affair. When Kaylee and I first moved over to the U.K. we took seven full pieces of luggage and shipped three guitars through Fedex. The total cost was around $2000 CAN. (And that was the cheapest option available to us!) My honest advice to anyone moving internationally is to rid yourself of as many possessions as you can. Take only what you need. Live simply. It will help you make the transition to your new home in one piece. That being said, it is extremely difficult to decide what will you will fit into your suitcases. Do you keep the books? Do you keep the extra coat? Do you get rid of those jeans you swear that you’ll fit into one day? These are the decisions you will have to make. I cannot stress enough that luggage is very expensive! Try to have the least amount of it as possible. 


Actual photo... seriously. ;)

Another huge hurdle to cross will be the paperwork. You will fill out a busload of it. You will need to fill out visa applications, passport forms, custom forms, airline forms, bill payment forms, bank account forms, etc……Then you will need to wait for the various organizations to receive and process your paperwork. The reward for this will likely be more paperwork! It also important to note that you should also make sure to back up all your important documents and keep them with you at all times. If you are traveling with medication, you should have a doctor’s note confirming the type of medication with prescribed doses, what the medication is for and any other medical items required, such as syringes or Epi-Pens. Failure to have the proper paperwork could result in loss of items, delay of travel, or worse. To travel with Olivia we will need a doctor’s consent form that will confirm her shots are up to date and authorize her to make the flight. We also had to apply for her Canadian citizenship and Canadian passport because she is not a U.K. citizen! We kind of assumed that she would automatically become a U.K. citizen, however the law was changed in 1983 to prevent foreigners from obtaining citizenship based on their birthplace, instead receiving citizenship based on their parents citizenship status. This was a huge reason that we are taking our time in coming home. 

I hope that gives you a brief description into the unique challenges of international moving! 

3. Searching for a new job

I wonder who wasted an afternoon cutting out the word "career"?


Searching for employment can be a challenge for anyone regardless of location. You need to update your résumé, search countless websites for job postings, write cover letters, and pray that you catch the attention of a potential employer. I find that searching for a job while living in a different country can have its own unique set of challenges. This was especially true for arranging interviews across timezones. Greenwich time was seven to five hours difference to many of the locations I called. I once had to have a Skype interview with a church in British Columbia at midnight my time. I, Paul, still wonder if my answers were coherent enough to pass, but considering I didn’t get the position, I doubt it! ;) 

We can’t release a lot of details at the moment, but we are happy to confirm that we will be candidating at a church upon our arrival back in Canada. Please keep us in your prayers regarding this matter! 



How have we coped through the eventfulness? 



We have some amazing friends here in the U.K. that have been a HUGE blessing to us! We have genuinely felt the encouragement and support from so many people here in the U.K. We have had people drop off food, babysit Olivia, support us financially, and drop by to visit us! We will miss our friends here in the U.K.! We have re-learned in this season that God loves to answer prayer by moving the hands and hearts of people around us… and we are amazed! 



What is happening next? 



We need to move out of our flat on November 5th. We will be staying with our friend's Scud & Rosie until November 8th. From there we will make the journey down to Birmingham to stay with our friends Cheryl & Michael Nimz, who are fellow Canadians living and working in Birmingham with the Anabaptist Network U.K. They have been a huge blessing to us! While we are in the city of Birmingham, Olivia will receive her eight week vaccinations. We will also need to acquire medical note in order for us to take her on the flight. 



Speaking of flights! We have booked our tickets home with Iceland Air! The advantage of Iceland Air is extra baggage allowance, low cost, and great service. We have just one layover in our whole flight home. It is in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. We are excited to spend seventeen hours wandering around Iceland before boarding our flight to Edmonton, Alberta. We will then stay with Paul's parents for a couple of weeks in Lloydminster. 

Here is a little video demonstrating our travel plans for the next month: 

How can you help? 

We are glad you asked! ;) 



Just pray for us. 

Pray for traveling mercies.
Pray for peace.
Pray for strength.
Pray for “open doors”.
Pray for renewed joy.
Pray for continued comfort.
Pray for encouragement.
Pray that we would increased in love. 

With love,



Paul, Kaylee, & Olivia Walker 


This Past Year & The Future

Greetings,

We want to start this letter by thanking our friends and family for their tremendous support over the past year! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We would like to take a moment to recap all the amazing work that has taken place over the last eleven months.  

School Assemblies 

I, Paul,  am a bit of an extrovert. :) (This is likely no surprise to those of you who have spent more than ten minutes talking to me.) As such, I must confess that leading monthly school assemblies is one of the highlights of my position. It is a great honour to speak into the lives of middle school children each month. In the past few months I have covered the topics of friendship, racism, life goals and the parable of the wise and foolish builders. 

I know that I have made an impact and difference when students and teachers stay after the assembly to speak with me. Students will often share their thoughts on the assembly material I have presented. One such teacher I have connected with as a result of the assemblies has been Judith Michie, who subsequently invited me as a guest speaker to her classroom. I am looking forward to resuming assemblies in the new school year, as I have already booked the September dates. I am told that kids look forward to “The Canadian Guy” coming each month.  

The Drop Inn

The Drop Inn was project launched in March of this year. The goal of the Drop Inn is to (1)To build relationships with youth in Morpeth, (2)To provide a safe place to hang out, do homework, and relax. (3)To encourage and mentor youth in positive decision making (4) To provide opportunities to point Youth to Jesus, through invitations to Youth Alpha, events, and sharing our faith. 

In our first month we saw an average of fifteen youth attending the Drop Inn, however there was a reduction in numbers after the term break and the arrival of beautiful weather. The youth who came were primarily from KEVI high school up the road, which was exciting given that our reach into the school is currently limited. We played pool, card games, hung out and played nintendo Wii. Oh... and they loved our “accent”. :) 

We are looking forward to re-launching the Drop Inn in the fall with more of an emphasis on younger youth. I find that older youth have an established routine. It can be harder to for older youth to “buy-in” to something new in the community. I hope to see a group of middle school youth connect with the Drop Inn and journey with us as they move to KEVI. 

Journey 

Journey is a collection of young adults (18-35+) in the Northumberland area. This group is a place where young adults can find community, spiritual growth, and encouragement in Northumberland area. We meet weekly at 7:30pm Wednesdays at NLCC, Morpeth to socialize and learn more about Christ. 

This past year we completed the Alpha program, heard from guest speakers, participated in bible studies, and connected for fellowship. A highlight of of our time together has been creation of a “safe place”, for those who are asking questions about faith, and for those who need support from peers. We look forward each week to “journey-ing” with fellow young adults as we live life together. 

Boy's Brigade 

I, Paul, have made a monthly commitment to volunteering at the local Boy’s Brigade in whatever capacity I am asked. I have led various games and activities with the Boys and Girls (mostly girls) of Boy’s Brigade. I have also had the great privilege of sharing my testimony, talking about Jesus, and giving fun “Ted Talks” type presentations on various subjects. One such talk that left an impact with the group was titled, “What you need to know before you travel the world.” It got quite a few youth interested in joining up with M10 mission in the next year.   

Liquid 

Liquid is a monthly ecumenical youth event for the Northumberland area. The purpose of the event is to gather different youth groups together to have fun, enjoy music, and build relationships with fellow believers. 

This event has been a great opportunity to hear from guest speakers, play games, and participate together in singing. It is our hope that this event will flourish in the year to come. I would love to see other ministry opportunities grow from this event, namely the establishment of a Christian Union at KEVI. 

Lifepath

I, Paul, found myself being approached ten months ago about something called “Lifepath”. The next thing I knew, I was participating in the monthly leadership meetings, and -planning to lead a prayer workshop. I am sure glad that I was give the opportunity to participate in the planning and leadership of this event.

Lifepath is a week long school focused VBS program. Lifepath was one of the best ministry events I have seen in a long time. In the course of the week, over 500 kids learned about Saint Hilda and the monastic communities that she helped to establish. I had a blast teaching children about prayer four times each day.  

Discovery Youth Group

When we first arrived in Morpeth there was no existing youth group and only a few youth in the church. We took the initiative to launch a weekly drop inn centre (mentioned above) as well as a weekly discipleship focused youth group, thus laying the ground for both evangelistic and discipleship opportunities.

 Discovery Youth was our discipleship based group. In our time together we have completed the Youth Alpha program, had social nights, studied the Bible, and had a blast doing it! We were privileged to watch each of the youth grow in their relationship with Jesus. 

Staying Alive 

Staying Alive is the camp ministry hosted at a retreat centre called “The Seahouses”. I, Paul, have been involved with the leadership meetings this year and really enjoyed our meetings together with the youth leaders from around Northumberland. There is a noticeable excitement in the air as we prayed and planned together. 

I am excited to be heading up the worship team for Staying Alive. I am putting lots of time into practicing with our worship team in anticipation of four beautiful nights at the Sea Houses.

Closing Remarks

When we think back to the past eleven months, we are extremely thankful for the partnership and collaboration from fellow ministers and youth workers from around the area. It has been a complete joy to work together with others to invest in work of the Kingdom. We are so blessed to be working with people who believe in the vision and mission of the Kingdom. It makes me think of what Helen Keller once wrote, 



"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

I believe that is true of the work of the Church both locally and internationally. It is through your support that we have been able to participate as workers at both New Life Christian Centre & The Mustard Tree Trust. These organizations are making a huge impact in the lives of children, youth, and young adults in the English county of Northumberland and beyond. 

The Future

It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that our one year contract with New Life Christian Centre is now coming to a close. We had hoped to be working at NLCC in the years to come, however the leadership of NLCC has decided to move in a different direction and have made the decision to not renew our contract. We are saddened by the decision not to keep us on board. We gave our whole hearts to the ministry work of NLCC and will miss the congregation. 

Over the next few months we are looking for a new ministry position. We have been applying for ministry positions in both Canada and the U.K. In the meantime, we will be continuing to work for the Mustard Tree Trust.

We are asking for your prayers in the days ahead. As you may or may not know we are expecting our first child at the end of September and the news of our non-renewed contract has brought with it a new set of challenges. Please pray that God would give wisdom and knowledge about which church God would have us serve. 

We thank you for your support and prayers. 

God Bless,

Paul & Kaylee Walker

Coming soon...

We have some important news to announce to the world:

"The Top 10 Things": We love about the U.K.

Kaylee and I have now lived in the United Kingdom for six months! Can you believe that? It seems like only yesterday that we were living and working in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Wow. The time has flown by! 

We have settled in quite nicely. I have found a good rhythm of work and play. I've transitioned from a "what do I do today" kind of mentality, to a thorough planning of my monthly schedule. I am enjoying serving NLCC as a Pastor. I love the people here and the relationships that I am daily building upon. 

So, in honour of our six month anniversary of living in the U.K. I  put together a top ten list for your enjoyment. 

The Top 10 Things: We love about the U.K. 

10. The History

The United Kingdom has a very rich with history dating back further than the Roman Empire. The city of London even pre-dates what we know as the nation of England! The town we live in, Morpeth, has a a motte and bailey castle that was constructed and finished in 1095. It's amazing to think that a castle that pre-dates the nation of Canada, U.S.A. and the Reformation is sitting at the top of hill I walk past everyday on my way to work. The church building that I work in was completed in 1898, a mere thirty-one years after the establishment of Canada as a nation! This is all to say, I am constantly blown away at the depth of history on every part of this great island. 

9. The Accents 

What's not to love? There is a delightfulness in pronunciation of the English language here in the home country. As the originators and perfecters of all things English, the language has reached a diversity of accents here in the home country. It  has been said to me that every thirty miles there is a different and distinct variation on the English accent. It's fascinating to me the diversity of annunciations found in the U.K. Check out this video as an example. This is very different than our experience of Canadian accents. Canadians tend to divide our accents between East & West, culminating in the sing-songiness of Newfie. 

8. Beautiful landscape.

The rolling green hills are breath taking and diverse. It's a welcome change to the flatlands of Saskatchewan. (Sorry Saskers) I recently took a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. We took the A1 along the North Sea. I was really taken by the vast beauty of this island. There are even mountains in Scotland! (although nothing compared to the Rockies) ;) 

7. Lack of snow.

We had our first green Christmas ever. It was surreal. I keep expecting a -40 type blizzard to roll in any day now. Don't get me wrong. Snow is great, but I am enjoying a bit of break from the harshness of winter. The lowest temperature I've seen yet is -2 degrees celsius. Imagine, my Canadian friends, not having the air hurt your face and shock your lungs when you go outside.

6. Tea time.

It's a great way to relax and unwind. Tea time is a great way, to coin the popular phrase, to "keep calm, and carry on." I love the hospitality and community that is created through a simple hot beverage. There is a relaxed approach to life that is represented by practice of relaxing over a "cuppa". I love having tea and reading a good book, or finishing a meal with good Yorkshire Gold or Tetley. 




5. Chocolate

I do not joke.... the United Kingdom has some of the best chocolate in the world. It puts North American chocolate to shame. In the UK, chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa solids. In the US, on the other hand, cocoa solids need only make up 10%. In North America they add vegetable fats and wax to prevent melting during shipping & storage. The result is a very different product. I once left my Cadbury chocolate bar on our couch which is close to a heater in the room. I came back a few minutes later to a mostly melted chocolate bar. This may seem bothersome, but I let me assure that it is worth the hassle for such a great product. 

4. The Humour 

UK people know how to laugh! The humour is great here! It's witty, subtle, and smart. A few examples of the great British comedy: Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson,  Jimmy Carr. The comedy here can also be quite uproarious as well! I think the Scotts & Irish fill in any gaps that the English might lack in their humour. A  few good examples Kevin Bridges, Danny Bhoy, and Neil Delamere. 


3. The Architecture. 

When Kaylee and I visited London back in December of 2013 we saw every kind of amazing examples of architecture. Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, Modern, Industrial, Post-Modern.... it's all here in this one beautiful country. A local attraction that drew my fascination is the Durham Cathedral founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture. I sat in the traditional evening service with a full choir and was mesmerized by the gravitas of experience. The arches pull your attention upward towards the many stain glass windows- that each illustrate a passage of scripture. There was a point during a period of prayer that I stopped to reflect on the almost thousand history of prayers offered in this Cathedral. It connected me to the past and a history that I previous was completely unaware of. My sense of wonder has been ignited by ancient buildings that speak of long forgotten people who have gone before me. And through it all... God is faithful, enduring, and present. 

2. British food & drink

Pub food is great! There is nothing like a good fish & chips at the local shop. My personal new favourite food is called a "Steak & Ale Pie". I am seriously obsessed with it. Some other local favourites include: Bangers & Mash, Bacon Butty, Full English Breakfast, Cheese Scones, and Sunday Roast Dinner! Mmmm... There also some mean Curries here in England! There is nothing like a good curry on a cold rainy day. It warms the cockles of your heart. :) 

1. The People 

U.K. people are great! There is no "one type" of Brit, Scot, Irish, Welsh etc... but if I may speak generally, I find the people of this island have heart, calmness, friendliness, resilience, and wit! I see here in the fabric of the United Kingdom my own roots of being Canadian. There is a culture here that has made an undeniable impact on the history of humanity. The very fact that you are reading this blog in the English language testifies to the amazingness of all things British.



Take care eh,
Paul & Kaylee Walker 

Kaylee's thoughts...

Where we live..

Moving to a new place can be scary; moving to a new place on the other side of the world is terrifying. When God puts a call on your heart you have to put that terrifying feeling behind you and trust in Him. 

As someone who has never even vacationed to this side of the world, I had no idea what to expect upon moving here. Everyone said it would be different, but I couldn’t even grasp what that meant. All I ever knew was Canada. People warned me about culture shock, but again, I didn’t really understand what that meant. 

When we arrived, I quickly realized what “different” really meant. The landscape was different, the roads were different, even small things like the way the sidewalks looked, were different. 

Grocery shopping for the first time was a challenge. All the brand names are different, with the exception of a few. It look Paul and I the better part of 15 minutes just to pick out laundry soap; figuring out which one seemed better and what was the best for the price we were paying. 

It’s hard to explain what culture shock is, and how it feels. Just try to image feeling totally lost and confused by everything. Everything that you thought you knew is turned upside down. It was after about a week here that the shock set in. Paul wanted to help but wasn’t sure what he could do. One night at 2:00am I called my mom crying, very upset, telling her that we made a mistake and I wanted to come home. She helped me to relax and just take it day by day and to trust God. 

It was with the help of my wonderful husband, my loving mother, and the kindness of our new church family that I have come to settle in well in our new home. I’m really enjoying being here in England, and I’m excited for the things God has planned for us. 

On a lighter note, in one of our earlier blog posts, we showed you some things that are different from Canada, here are a few more: 

Because the building here are so old, this is what most of the keys look like:

British Money; Pounds and Pence:

Two things strange about this washing machine: 1. It's in the kitchen and 2. It's a washing machine/dryer combo; it does a wash cycle and then dries in the same system. Also, does not have a lint catcher or a vent to outside.

Dish soap, Laundry soap, and Kitchen cleaner:

Outlets; they all have a switch, not sure why:

In addition to new items and the like, we are also learning new words, and different names for things. Some you may know or have heard, others maybe not:

Canada	England
Garbage / Garbage bags	Bin / Bin liners
Fries	Chips
Chips	Crisps
Supper time	Tea time
Cookies	Biscuit
Underwear	Pants
Pants	Trousers
Pharmacist	Chemist
Doctor’s Office	Doctor’s Surgery
Elevator	Lift
Bathroom / Washroom	Loo
Line-up	Queue
1 Dollar / 1 Buck	1 Pound / 1 Quid
TV	Telly
The subway	The tube
“Hi, how are you doing?”	“Hi, alright?”
Zucchini	Courgette

Thanks your reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

God bless, 

Kaylee

P.S. Here are some other pictures of Paul and I having fun in England!