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. :)