hope you are all well in your part of God's world!
Because there's so much to share with you, I'm going to format this newsletter a little differently than normal, and divide it up into highlighted sections.
New CD in the works!
Many of you received an email letting you know about the new CD that I will be starting this summer in Vancouver and hope to have ready by the beginning of November. It's tentatively titled "Out Of Borderland" and it's a collection of my songs that God has given me on the journey over this last 3 years. They're songs of healing as well as prayer and scripture and will continue to have my signature celtic, world sound, but probably a little more mainstream.....sort of in between "Listen To the Sound" and "Once Upon A Time Forever After". I will do more of the layered vocals that I did on "Once Upon A Time" and I hope to also record a couple of my favorite old hymns. I will be working again with Adam Dickens from England and Graham Ord will also be involved with some aspects of the project, but I'm hoping to produce this one myself. I'm a little nervous as I've never done this before, and so I'd sure appreciate your prayers. If you're interested in pre-ordering this CD, you can go to my website and order it from the merchandise page. Until the end of June, I'm offering to cover shipping on this CD, so it's a great time to save a little money!
Northern Ireland
Randy and I had the awesome pleasure last month of returning to Bangor, N. Ireland to minister to the people of West Church. This time, I brought a worship teaching team with me, and I think God really imparted something special and unique. Renee Evashkevich, from Lethbridge, Alberta, whom I know from Abbotsford and my time at Northview where she was associate Music Pastor, brought her expertise in technical teaching. Ronna Holliday, from Vancouver Island, came last time I was in Bangor with the dance team from the island, and she taught and ministered about intercession. And lastly, Catherine Pedora, brought her wealth of experience in dance to West Church and I saw God touch people with the revelation of how powerful dance can be in the worship setting.
We also had such a great time seeing all our old friends and kindred spirits that we met last time we were there! How wonderful it is, that in our Father's world, wherever He takes us, we will meet family. God is SO good! Charles and Barbara McMullen, the pastors of West Church, took us out for some sightseeing after the conference, and one of the highlights for me was going to the grave site of St. Patrick. It was very emotional for me because over the last year or so, I've been reading about the history of this great man, and how God used him to not only touch all of Ireland, but through his teachings and the prayer settlements he set up, I believe all of Europe was touched and maybe even converted to Christianity. I'm so grateful for men and women like him in our Christian history who heard the voice of God, and were faithful to follow. There is also a sense or residue of God's presence at this site, probably because the Lord did so much work there. They're not 100 percent sure that St. Patrick is buried there, but they know that he baptised people on those grounds.
We also went to Dublin for the first time for a couple of days. What a fun, funky, artsy cool city! I mean, if you like music and the arts, GO to that city! There is buskers everywhere......you go into a pub (always live music and well done) and everybody sings along! It's so different than in Canada, where we are over the top polite and reserved. There's and area called Temple Bar that is full of great restaurants and pubs and the trendiest stores. And in Southern Ireland, they have this cool lilt to there accent that is stronger than in the North and it sounds like a musical instrument. We saw the book of Kells (amazing) at Trinity University and St Patrick's Cathedral (again, that sense of God's presence) and we took this very entertaining bus tour of the city. If you ever go to Dublin for the first time, I recommend you take a tour just to get your bearings, because there's so much to see. There is 2 things Southern Irish people are very proud of.....their independence, and their beer! Guiness is a large part of the city and it was very funny to hear our tour guide talk about it.
We took some great pictures, but after we got home, Randy went to Montreal on business and his laptop, with the camera, was stolen out of his car. SO I have NO pictures for the website and you will just have to take my word for it that all of Ireland is still one of the most beautiful places on earth! I am hoping to be back within the next year or so and celebrate with West Church as they finish their building program. I can't wait......
Just before we came home, we spent a few days with Adam and Ali Dickens (and baby Hope) in St Albans. Adam and Ali took us to see the Cotswalds region, which we'd never seen before, and even though it was absolutely pouring out, we had such a great time! I'm so excited that Adam is going to be working with me again on this new CD. He is so talented and brings so much vision to this project, that it makes me feel much more confident in producing this myself. Adam also took some great photos that I will probably be using in the CD booklet (another of his great talents).
Vibe Awards!
The Vibe Awards were held this year in May in Toronto, and because I didn't expect to win anything, I didn't bother going. So much to my surprise, I received a phone call from Roland Rep Jon Peters telling me that I had won "2004 Best Seasonal Album of the Year" for "Once Upon A Time Forever After". I've been nominated 9 times and never won (always the bridesmaid, never the bride......). I'd like to say a big thankyou to all of you who voted on-line for me for this award. I know as an artist, I wouldn't be doing this without you, my support base, buying my CDs or coming out to my concerts, so again, thankyou.
Winner of the Newsletter Sign Up
Congratulations to the first winner of the Newsletter Sign Up from my Website. Brian Watkins of San Bernardino, California received my 3 last CDs, autographed.
Family Stuff!
Lots has been going on with my family and it's been exciting and bittersweet to see the kids growing up and out in the last year. Vanya is graduating this month from High School. She decided she didn't want a traditional grad dress and instead is wearing a vintage dress that I wore when I was 15! It looks great on her and makes me feel very old. Her plans are to work this summer and then she leaves for YWAM in Norway at the end of August. She will be there for 9 months (it's a longer than usual DTS), and the school she's attending has an emphasis on the arts, so she will be ministering mainly in dance. Next year she hopes to continue on to University.
Our youngest Adam, is 15 and going on a missions trip this summer, bible camp and hopefully getting a job (problem is, it would mean giving up on his social life a bit, and I don't think he's too happy about that!).
Jordan, who moved back to BC last year, is doing really well and continuing to pursue music. Many of you read my newsletter and the struggle I had to let him go, but he's doing great! I guess it's a lesson again in how God loves our kids more than we do!
Randy has been doing alot of work back East in Montreal area and Toronto. It's been exciting for him to be involved in this new aspect of the company.
All in all, it's been an exciting few months with many decision and changes either happening or coming. The decision to make a new CD was a hard one because I wasn't sure whether to continue, but I felt God told me to step out in faith and do this. I would appreciate your prayers very much about this CD......that God will use it to bring healing to many and that He will anoint and bless our time in the studio. That He will give me wisdom in which songs to choose and which instruments to use.
I would love to hear from you. Remember always, that God truly is in control and loves us more than we know.
Keep dreaming
Lianna
For broken dreams the cure is, Dream again
And deeper..... - C.S. Lewis
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