The Story That Brought Me Here

Thousands of newcomers are pouring into Alberta from around the globe, bringing unexpected gifts. Many are writers and storytellers. What pulls them to Canada? What happens to them on the journey? What experiences have they deliberately left behind? What treasures do they bring? How do they describe their emerging sense of place and their creative aspirations in a new home? In this moving collection of stories and poems, writers from around the world share their thoughts on creating a life in Alberta. Expressed with beauty and clarity, and sometimes translated from the writer's native tongue, these very personal accounts of joy and sadness, regret and humour, homesickness and exuberance, describe the defining moments of a departure and an arrival. Contributors to The Story That Brought Me Here include Jalal Barzanji, Edmonton's first Writers in Exile; Rita Espeschit, Thuc Cong, Mohammed Al-Nassar, Monika Igali, Sabah Tahir, Therezinha Franca Kennedy, Sangmok Lee, Sudhir Jain, Yi Li, Athiann Makuach Garang, Marsh Hoke, Tortor Maruku, Reinekke Lengelle, Brian Brennan, A.K. Rashid, June Smith-Jeffries, Magdalena Witkowsky, Anna Mioduchowska, Ikponwosa I.K. Ero and Comfort Adesuwa Ero, Wilma Rubens, Patricia Lopez de Vloothduis, Neung-jae Park Mary Cavill, Mansoor Ladha, Chantal Hitayezu and many others. With photographs by Shabnam Sukhdev.

Grace Brought Me Here gives you a vulnerable and raw insight into Lima's compelling journey of grace. Lima retells her story with a great deal of transparency, authenticity, and courage, revealing some of her darkest and most profoundly heart wrenching moments of brokenness. Lima bravely shares stories of God's relentless pursuit of her, and courageously shines a light on the circumstances behind our dysfunctional, repetitive behaviors. Her story demonstrates how to recognize the importance of insignificant moments in our history that can lead us beyond our shame and pain, discovering strength and purpose. Lima's story has the power to encourage us to look back over the unexplored details of our own lives, to find new levels of healing that have been hiding in plain sight.

The Road that Brought Me Here is a wonderful story of a journey to love. It will make you laugh and cry. It will make you angry, and it will encourage you in your own life struggles. But through the emotional ups and downs, one thing is for sure: you will finish knowing without a doubt, that you too can be redeemed, delivered, and loved! About the Author Jacqueline Dye is a licensed minister and a gifted teacher. She has been passionately teaching and working with youth and young adults for over 12 years and possesses the unique ability to break down biblical truths about spirits that plague our young people today. Jacqueline shares revelatory wisdom to empower her audience to overcome the attacks of the enemy. God has truly given her a heart for the youth. Her deepest desire is for young people to be set free and delivered out of the hands of the enemy, and walking in the divine plan and purpose that God has for their lives. She has committed her life to doing all that God has ordained her to do to bring this vision to pass. Jacqueline is a wife, and a mother of three boys, and she is currently serving as a leader at Go Hard For Christ Youth Ministry, Prayer Minister for Bill Winston Ministries Prayer call Center, and VP/CEO of Generation Next Empowerment, a youth program and transitional house she established with her husband. She is a faithful member of Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, IL, and resides with her family in the Chicagoland area.

Losing Myself Brought Me Here is my journey from being so completely lost in life, to finding the roads that lead me to where I wanted to go. Although I have found my way I still get lost at times. I go on detours, make pit stops, and hit dead ends, but I have learned to embrace the ride. Come with me on my road trip.