Only 72 hrs to go!

Guam Ho! Well friends and family- Christmas has come and gone once again- and now I'm super stoked on NEW YEARS in GAUM! This holiday season was one to remember from beginning to end- I got to help cut down my own tree, cook half a pig (and it was AMAZING) So delicious. This last week was outreach prep and it's been more of a down time for our teams, we've practiced skits and journal entries, last minute details and fun times. Tonight was a battle of our favorite spider Jordan vs. (what ever was found in the laundry room) Jordan, our resident lounge spider lost out to our new reigning champ, Charlotte; such is base life. Thank you all for your phone calls, letters and gifts- they were very much appreciated over this Christmas time. 

Another team from NZ arrived back from 4 weeks in Suva Fiji and are staying the night. Sometimes the base bubble can become so restricting- and having a new team come in was fabulous and refreshing. It is inevitable that the YWAM world becomes your life, however perspective is everything, and I have to keep reminding myself that there is much more moving on in the world than just lecture phase and outreach. Anyways that's enough processing for now. The next entry will be from Guam!

Much love,

Laura Yemen

The Final Week

This week was on evangelism- and it was just in time! I spent last Sunday crying to a friend that I did Young Life with about how much I miss it all- and who would show up the next day but a regional YL leader that had us sing YL songs every lecture! I was in Heaven! That and multiple phone calls from so many that are near and dear to me made this Christmas week so much more bareable! Guam is a mere 8 days away- and their is so much to be done. My room mate left this past Friday, and my x BLS leader has also permanently left. The Base leader moves off the base and away from YWAM and a new director takes over on Jan 1st. It is warm here, sunny and charming! ( I know you are all in a deep freeze right now!) Please pray for faith, and provision for Guam. For me personally, I really could use prayer for wisdom and patience. There is more to write I'm sure- but for now, I really need to shower! ( I got stuck on the rd after my brakes fell apart on my bike!) That's another story for another phone call! Bless you all this Christmas! 

One Week to go...

It's the final week of lectures, and oh my goodness I am not ready to go! There is one final week til outreach and traveling to Guam. it's 12 hrs on the flight over to Korea, then another 4 to Guam. We have to get a visa for the Korean on our team, and as usual it has been left too long. It's hard to ask for prayer when we have created the need for it! I have to also pack up my entire room and store it away somewhere for 2 months- I am frankly a little annoyed since I am staying on for the next DTS, but that is base policy. 

We had a youth group come up this week end, as well as a birthday for a close family/base friend's daughter- who is dating one of the staff. This week was unbelievably hard to go through- we had a kiwi teaching on the Lordship of Christ and taught us the parallel of the Old testament and new testament covenant. It was a 12 hr prayer and worship session on friday, where it was a giving day, openness and brokeness, healing, praise, anointing and more worship. People cut their hair, gave up their pass ports, laid down their tickets home, gave up their families, ipods and cameras. It was heart breaking and exhausting. It was almost harder to go through the second time.

Fortunately I got your care package that same day mom, thank you so much! I also got the birthday card from Stacy and family, and Tracy's christmas letter. It all couldn't have been received at a better time. My room mate and ex BLS student is leaving for her home on the 19th, along with one other student who isn't going on outreach (she never planned to go, it was just the lecture phase for her) It's going to be very strange to come back to this place- 6 ppl are leaving. Oh, and I just got news this Wed that I am leading the next school with the base director, Adrian! I'm beyond overwhelmed- But then I really stop and let God be God, and know that he has called me to this, and greater things than this. It sounds like some students are already making plans to stay on to help around the base for a little while after! 

Another blessing is that I got to see two students from New Castle that I did my DTS with- They came up to visit The base director's daughter who just finished her DTS there. They had just got married and are now heading back to New Castle for one more school- then they might move here!!! It's crazy! It really is amazing to have seen them after all these years! That's enough and all for now. It gets warmer here every day, and last night was the biggest full moon that I've ever seen (besides the harvest moons). I've been listening to that cd that you made me Jay, everyday!

loves laura

To Auckland we go...

Well folks, it's been a fabulous week of birthday cheer phone calls letters and yes, christmas packages. Thank you again for your support. I'm just writing to you from my BLS leader's parents' home in Auckland where we staff spent the day wondering the streets of Auckland. Queen street is the 17th Ave equivalent. I got to go to several galleries, including an amazing glass exhibition! There are tonnes of surf and board shops all over the place, but everything is DOUBLE the price, I don't think the NZers know the extent that they are getting ripped off- I know there's shipping costs and such, but this is outrageous! 

Friday night some Tongans came over and danced and sang some traditional stuff for us, and tonight after exploring Auckland we went back to the house and set up the projector and watched the movie 21. The boys then practiced what we learned on friday night with the dancing to tecno- and it's made for another fairly memorable night here in NZ. 

Lectures were fantastic- and Kiwi named Jono talked on the Holy Spirit, it was very well presented and very thoroughly researched. It was awesome!! 

My Body may be turning 23, but my soul is 17...

Hey all! What a crazy few weeks November has brought! We have been learning so much that I have a hard time keeping up with my journal, and outreach prep and lectures and book reports- all of which I really want to do an excellent job on- so it takes time. :) Last week was a free weekend and I had a blast! I can't remember if I told you guys about it: we went to a hot springs resort that had 5 different pools, and 4 water slides (which were terrifying because they were so old!) Justin and Lisa and I went to the ocean as well as a random stop. We ended up finding a snorkeling cove with cliffs where we could jump off into the ocean and then climb back up!! We also climbed out onto this tree over hanging the ocean and jumped off of that! It was AMAZING. Today felt like the first day of summer, it was warm and sunny! I had such a wonderful day. I finally broke down and wore the clothes that came in my birthday package :) I love them heaps and will wear them all weekend long- a new shirt every day!!!! I'm hoping too that Tem and I can cut down a Christmas tree on monday and we'll all decorate it as a base! Also, I think we as staff are going into town sunday to watch James bond in theatres! I'm so thrilled!

 It sure feels different- I am trying not to play Christmas music or think too much about being away from everyone. I've met some awesome people here, but it is different being staff. Also, Nikki who is doing her BLS is no longer going to finish the school, and hopes to leave for her home in America come January. That was hard to understand, but right now my main focus is Guam: we are short on finances (what's new? :) But scarcity only leads into creativity. I look forward to the challenge but really realize the importance of taking care of myself, but it's hard to not feel like I'm withdrawing all the time. Hmm, is that enough for now? Thankyou all for your letters and gifts, they are appreciated more than you could know.

All my love

Laura Yemen

Summer is around the corner!!!

Hi Everyone!! Just firstly, thankyou so much for the gifts and cards, I haven't opened anything and won't until my birthday- so I'll be writing thankyous soon! (I'm also having a hard time sending off my packages to you- I really hope they get there in time!) But anyways- the school is moving quickly now, we are preping for outreach and are in the final month of lectures. We've had a biblical world view week and now we're on spiritual gifts. It's awesome and challenging. ( I grilled the speaker for 3 hrs!) Poor man! but anyways, I got to watch a lamb get killed and skinned. Sorry guys, there's simply to much moving to give a decent blog
all my love
laura

How the time flies!

So, here’s how the week began: I went to Matt’s (DTS Leader) small group/ bible study in the next community over- we decided to have a bon fire, and burned a bush pile about 10 ft high and 20 ft across, it was EPIC! I’ve never been so close to a blaze that huge! This should have been some indication of how this week was going to go, but it still caught be completely by surprise!

 

We had a spiritual Giant come through in a 57 yr old package named Goldie. She was 5’3 but fought for every student and staff. My world again was rocked and I am struggling to know what it looks like to be in relationship with God and not strive in my strength- or to strive at all. It is challenging but what I have prayed for.

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in the darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon lie down in great torment.

Something to write on my heart for sure, and also another revelation that I’ve had is this: If someone is really damaged in an area, what is the gift that the Enemy was trying to destroy, and how much stronger will that person be in their gifting if they allow God to walk them through the attack?

This is just a small clip of what is going on here in terms of Character development for the people who are willing to commit to their spiritual growth and maturity- because God is far more committed to continuing a good work in you until the day of his return; these students are on fire. J

In terms of this weekend; OH MY GOODNESS- I would need another blog entry to tell what was happening. We went camping on the ocean just outside of Auckland for 2 days and 2 nights, so much fun!- summer is just around the corner!ye We played on the sand, hiked, repelled down 45 meter waterfalls, went to the hot springs, watched surfers at the sunrise and the sun set, played on a sweet-as play ground, and watched lawn bowling! ( I thought of Tony K.) J Hopefully I will be able to post pictures soon! Loves!

Driving Miss Daisy- and 16 other YWAMers

Well, it's official, I am now driving- and it is something else! Stick shift on a 12 passenger van on the OTHER side of the road- If I can do this on the metal (gravel) roads, I can DO ANYTHING!! This weekend was most eventful- we had a big sausage sizzle and lunch for Ross, who is stepping down as base director. There is a huge transition taking place- and the latest to take her leave permanently is my BLS leader. Straight up-  I don't know how I should feel about her leaving before my school is even half over, however I know that it is in God's timing and that I just need to wait on the Lord for understanding and direction. That being said we're also beginning the faith walk for outreach funds- very exciting, the team is just taken hold and committed this time and their monies to God- just what He needs to begin the impossible!!! 

I also took a group of students (because now I drive!) with 2 other staff ( Lisa and Justin) and a local "cave man" Mike to a local cave- unbelievable! Glow worms, crazy rock formations- pitch black nothingness. I was on edge but I wasn't doing so bad- until Mike and a 10 yr old girl got out of site and then fell 10 feet off a ledge onto the rocks. I was first to find them and It was by the grace and protection of God that they both walked away. Emily (10 yr old) was pretty banged up and Mike was in a lot of pain- he had dislocated his thumb, but he thought it was broken. We got back out, but I had to take the other 4 students back without Mike, thank heavens Justin and Lisa were there! It was an adventure that I won't forget!

We head down 3 hrs south of Auckland this week for a National conference. We're tenting it again, but there will be showers, hot springs and white water rafting!!! its going to fantastic!!

Love you all and thankyou for my birthday gifts- I just recieved them today!!! I haven't even had a chance to open the CDs but I'm sos soososososososooso excited! happy early birthday/ christmas to me!

Love Laura

YWAM: Young Women After Men

Well, it was relationship week at Oak Ridge- and man, what a charged week! Actually, it's ended sadly. We had a birth of a new baby boy on base Tues at 6am. 8:45 am we prayed for healing over for a man's eye, and it was healed within the hour! Ever after there has been discussion of dating, marriage, kissing, boundaries, "Will I be a single missionary woman?" - on and on and on. In the end though, it was really an impactful and eye opening week. The students really pushed through this one, and even though there were some questionable late night couple talks, I think that the students held out really well. The tragic part is that one of our girls just had her friend die today in a car accident. She's in shock and not doing so well... I can't imagine loosing my best friend- if you could please hold her in prayer- her name is Courtney.

It's Halloween here, and we're just getting ready for a HUGE bonfire; the boys are going of the rope swing first- no thanks. It took my breath away when it was sunny! This weekend is the official transition of a new base director!! It's fantastic- there are close ties being formed with this base and NEW CASTLE!!! I believe something pretty awesome is in the works here, and it just affirms in me more and more my place at Oak Ridge. I hope everyone has got their candy ready and their costumes assembled, have a very happy (and SAFE) Halloween.
all my love,
laura

The ITCH the ITCH!!!

Ba! Along with spring comes a new enemy- you thought that mosquitoes were bad? Give sand flies a try! You can't tell they're biting you until 3 hrs later when the ITCH takes over!!! It wakes you up in the night, and if you manage to not scratch your ankles during the day- you will subconsciously in the night- there is no escape!!!!!

But all in all, it has been another incredible week at Oak Ridge! So much to tell- not enough attention span for the reader! lol. Sea Kayaking was out of this world spectacular. I was an all day trip with a lovely lunch break where we had tea and biskets and hummus on crackers. (So good after 3 hrs of paddling!) I was doubled in a tour kayak with a girl who never paddled in her life, and she didn't really speak english, but the more we got on, the better and better it was- we were pro by the end of the trip. Where as in the morning I spend a lot of time talking with the guides who would correct her stroke every few minutes, and keep me going since i was hauling for the both of us! It was fantastic and I would do it again in a heart beat! One of the guides actually made it up to Malibu YL camp many yrs ago! It was sosoososooo cool to talk to him about it- all these kiwis are so chill, but live such unbelievable lives!!!

We announced the teams this week, and it was quite bittersweet, no one was really happy- they were just bummed about not being all together, so that wasn't the reaction I was expecting. We have a speaker by the name of John Childers this week, they are really AOG ppl, which I'm not used to, but their lives are incredible!!!! John was in Isreal in 1972 when it was under attack, and him and his wife were caught smuggling bibles into Romania- It was a miricale that they weren't held prisioners! He was talking on the Authority of the Believer and although it may sound fairly basic, the truth is profound and life changing. As usual the speakers are amazing and challenging and cutting edge. John is 76, and still going strong, partnering with the Philippines church to purchase land for a bible school. I can't believe the energy and wisdom and vision for a man his age- it really is the spirit at work in his and his wife's lives.

The students are well, the staff is amazing- Lisa, the married woman is fast becoming a life time friend; God gives you the most amazing gifts in the places that you'd never expect. I am getting a bit tired, but fortuatly my strength is being supplied by an unexpiring God. There is a rave that we are helping org. for a church in Mungatoroto this weekend and we are putting on a Sat morning pancake breakfast for the students.
Blessings!
Laura

Wow, Does this Week only Have Seven Days?

Well, how do I start? This week was on intercession and Hearing God's voice- absolutely amazing things are happening in the students lives and in mine. This week pretty much equips an individual to have a personal relationship with God through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. So cool!! I've learned again the power of prayer and transformation comes through getting God's heart for something and then fighting the spiritual battles over it, from that point tangible fruit comes. CRAZY!

Praise item, thanksgiving dinner was an epic success!!! I invited everyone to dinner, and had them dressed up and then had classical music playing. We had wild turkeys (4) that Grant (the farmer) Shot, we gutted, de-feathered, washed and then soaked in brine (yum yum!) then cooked and it was just as good or better than turkey at home! The evening was relaxing and really meaningful to everyone- and it wasn't about being Canadian, it was about family!

Also very exciting news- we have worked out the outreach teams and I am SOLO leading a team of 5 to Guam for 2 months! I'm terribly excited and so honored that the base believes that I can do this and I'm going to absolutely throw myself into it!

Another praise item, I got a spinning wheel loaned to me, and I'm in the early stages of carting and preping wool to be spun, we are going sea kayaking this weekend, and for the first time I lead worship with 3 very inexperienced girls, and we pulled it all off in an hour!!!

I'm very busy over here but God is showing me how to rest and draw my strength from him. 

all my love

laura

Oh... A Hunting We Will Go!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Well, so much has happened this week, as in every week that I feel like it would take books to express to you the amount of growth and change that has happened already in the school! This week was the Father heart of God, and it was truly profound. It was presented completely differently than what I had heard from previous lecturers- which was extremely challenging in it's self- God really showed me areas that need work not just as a leader, but as a follower too. Everyone save one student had an awesome break through and I really feel that there is so much unity and bonding happening just in the first week!!!! God is so good! also, outreach will have to be decided very soon and I'm excited to get in early the teams and be praying for the outreach time. All of a sudden 3 months doesn't seem like very long, and I'm now thinking in 10 month increments, and time seems to be flying.  It's hard to find time to spend with the students, and write home, and lead matainence crew (oh lawn care all the way! I have a crew of 3, 4 mowers and a ride on I like to call the Grey Pearl, and I have 'em call me capt'n) and do my own course lectures and book reports.

Now i have to go again, beacuse I'm late, again. But this week I'm really hoping to head up a thanksgiving dinner, where we will go shoot, pluck, brine and cook our own turkeys. oh, and te students when caving today and saw glow worms, I couldn't bring myself to be in those tight spaces

All my love

laura

So many things I can't even handle it

 Week 3, the DTS has begun!  Already these students are blowing me away with their talents, hearts and willingness to put themselves out there and make friends. It is unbelievable to be apart of. It’s also crazy to hear about how world events that seem so distant when they were learnt in school become very real- such as Chernobyl.  Two student’s families have been impacted by that disaster, one student’s sister is now mentally handicapped because the mom was exposed to the radiation during her pregnancy. It’s just so tragic. Anyways, we went to some local waterfalls on Tuesday and from Wednesday to Friday we were camping and went to the town of Dargarville and made it to a beach on the west cost called Bayllys Beach. It was very cold camping, we are still in early spring and there were no fires allowed. There was a beautiful lake, but no one went swimming because the wind was so strong and there was no hot water. We made blow darts and  It was an experience to be sure, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. We hiked in the morning and afternoon, played capture the flag and had all the students give their life stories. There are HUGE sand dunes at Baylly’s beach and it goes on for miles and miles- unbelievable landscape. Driving 5 min inland you would never know you were even close to the ocean. The lakes we were on are fresh water.  It’s been an amazing time, the students are so open, I wasn’t expecting this much transparency until half way in the  school, but all these kids are so gung-ho!

 

This Saturday the school went docking on a local farm, we cut off the tails of shrieking lambs, clipped their ears to identify male and female and castrated the former. :S I was a bit green for my first one, but after the blood spurted on my face, I got over it- just like the rest of the school. We all came back from the pasture (called a padox) tired, hungry and happy. The farmer made us an enormous meal – mutton of course and played redicous games all night; it was so much fun! Tomorrow we’re off to church and then finally Monday is the first official week of lectures. So exciting! It was a packed week, and Im so glad I have this blog so I can recount all the activity that went on, I’m sure I  missed something, but It’ll be in my pictures for sure. 

Oh, and I'm also in the process of spinning wool, I have raw wool, but it's neither carted or washed. :s Everyone is eager to help me learn, but no one seems to know exactly where to find someone who knows how to spin... more on that later. :)

No Love For the Possum In Kiwi Country!

Well Week two was much more eventful than the previous week. I really got to experience some Northland culture in ways that I would never expect. Last Saturday we went to a museum of the Northland that was the equivalent of Heritage Park in Calgary. Pretty cute, because it was settler's day and volunteers were all dressed up in turn of the century attire. I got to try spinning wool and now have a contact to receive fleece in raw so that I can spin on my own! (That may prove harder than it sounds because no one on this island cares to spin or know anyone who still does, it's a dying art here.) 

We have spent most of our time this week praying over the students and cleaning the whole base, which is a fairly gnarly  job in it's self. On Wednesday however the staff was invited over to Grant and Glenda's home (local farmers that are involved with YWAM) for dinner and a possum hunt! We had the most amazing dinner, than set off in the dark to track over cow paddocks (fields) to find the loathed possum. We shot them with a very lovely 22, I got 4! However Grant thought that it would be funny to take one of the dead possum's babies that survived the fall and stick it on my arm, so I had a wild baby possum clinging to me- dripping in it's mother's blood as I was shooting another possum out of a tree. You can't buy an experience like that. Eventually the baby possum was taken off my head and then ran away. 

The days are getting much warmer- which is good because it was absolutely freezing for the first two weeks. The students arrive today, which is so exciting and nerve racking in it's self. I've just bought an amazing bike that I got 40% off, and am the envy of the base ;) because of it. Sun is shining, there are 5 swings to count all around this base, we are camping at the end of this first week and I am so excited. So many powerful and uplifting things have been spoken over this base and DTS, this school is going to be history making in YWAM! 

All my love,

Laura Yemen

Culture shock- There's no other way to describe it

Hi Everyone! I hope that a blog doesn't seem to impersonal, but with the slow connection and soon to be limited access this seems like the best option. 

My first full week here has been an amazing growing experience in patience. God is so kind and has made this place feel like home- everything was so familiar and everyone is so laid back it was great! 

I room with one other girl named Nikki from Fairfield Connecticut who just turned 22 on thursday! She speaks Japanese, a bit of Korean, German- quite the accomplished linguist. The dorm that we stay in can house 4, so we have plenty of space and our room faces East, so the sun streams in everyday at 7 am and fills the whole place with gold light. It is extremely tranquil here, and extremely cold! It's the kind of damp cold that chills you all day long. Needless to say I pound back the hot drinks like they're going out of style. The showers and bathrooms are outside and up across the courtyard for Nikki and I, so the mornings are a bit of stretch to get up and out.  I got a heater in our room the second night, which made a huge difference. There are three full time staff; Matt is scottish and is the DTS Leader, Mary is from Oregon and Is Base Leader, and Beks (Rebecca) is Kiwi and is my BLS Leader. There is also a couple here, Justin and Lisa that are from the greater New York area and are helping lead the DTS. So far our week has been simply relationship building and settling in- and let me tell you, that was a feat in itself. 

 

I spent the first few days were spent in complete disarray trying to get into some sort of routine. I can honestly say I've never felt so trapped in my entire life. There is NOTHING around this farm except more farms. The nearest town is 10 min by car- a car that I can't drive. There are maybe 3 cars on the road from morning until night, there's no where to go and no way to get there. As much as I'd like to think that I'm a country girl at heart, I was shown that I've nothing on these Kiwis! I am in at least three layers of clothes, long pants, mitts and a hat and the maintenance  man is running around in short shorts and a t-shirt whacking possums by the hot water heater (heated by a fire he lights with petrol) so that there is blood splattered on the next log placed on the fire. ( Don't worry, the possum didn't go to waste, he toasted it in the hot water furnace before feeding to the cows.) I'm not making this up- culture shock is the only way to put it. You can't romanticize the smells of the cows or the poo hanging from the lamb's tail. This place is one hundred percent authentic, just like the people that inhabit it.  

I'm quite pleased to say that after 8 days of orientation, 3 days of fasting and 2 trips into town I feel so great about this place and I already consider it my home. I really feel that I am exactly where I need to be for such a time as this. God is already moving powerfully within our group and on our base. This place covered in the favor and the grace of God and His presence is peacefully sought and easily found. There is a guitar here so that I can practice and worship. There are herbs growing everywhere and the lavender is in full bloom. There is a garden being tilled and planted and Lisa and I are slowly but effectively ridding this base of dust and grime! Tasks that would take me one day to accomplish have now been spread out over days and my primary objective is to spend time with God, and spend time with others. It is a beautiful and rich existence- that they tell me is short lived; the DTS arrive a week from Saturday. :) We are all excited and eagerly await their arrival! 

Hopefully this post isn't too long- but it was overdue. Hopefully I'll be sending these out on a weekly basis. For now I'll send my love and leave you with this:

Eph 2:10 For we are God's master piece, He has created us anew in Jesus Christ, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

All my love,

Laura Yemen