There's no place like home!

Hi everyone from sunny and not so hot New Zealand. It is the perfect temperature here, the students graduate tomorrow, there are 4 BLS students starting this next monday and I now live in a log cabin in my own room with a rap a round porch that overlooks the base and has a fridge, stove sink bathroom and grapes growing on the fence!!!! I'm in HEAVEN! I'm also heading off on Saturday to Coromandel with the other base staff and then dropping them off in Auckland on the 3rd of March. Things are moving rapid fast, This week has flown by so quickly- there are now about 16 or so students arriving in 2 weeks time- there is very much to be done, but that's all good, I'll be talking to the base director soon about everything, I'm now assisting staffing the next DTS, which is huge for me and I'm very excited, this outreach was tough, but they are always hard, and NOTHING compares to the other outreach group! So it's all good now. God is faithful. Thankyou all for your e-mails and skype, I hope to come into more time in the following week to come, so I'll be able to write and call. All my love,
laura

Time Out

Week 7: February 10-16, 2009

Tuesday started off nice and slow, until Chad gave the base a scare and we rushed him to a clinic. We still made it to the basketball courts for only a few hours. Mary, Courtney and Rebekah all got ill as well. The rest of the team carried on the focus groups- we had three separate ones running because We got into Southern Christian Academy and ran a wonderful group there.  We also had an opportunity to hang out with the SCA kids at their rugby games on Saturday as well as go to the Yigo fiesta. Sunday three of the team went to help lead worship at Touch Point and the rest went to Zion.  

 This is a nice way of saying this week was HELL. Everybody got sick, or into a sick/ passive/ check out mentality. One of our team members got really sick though, and scared me really badly. He threw up so much that he had what the doctors think was a panic attack and his muscles seized up really badly. Fever, chills- the works. It was not pleasant for anyone- but he is a real trooper. Things are winding down here, the next blog I'll be posting will be from NZ. We have a 12 hour lay over in Seoul, South Korea. I'm very excited to go and explore that city of 10.5 million in 10 hrs! It was featured in this month's National Geographic, and I'll be there within the week! That's never been a possibility before!

Team dynamics and shepherding haven't been my strengths on this team. Every suggestion that was sent to me mid outreach I had already done, so I have done everything in my power to make things happen for this team to the very best of my ability. I have seen huge gaps in my leadership- but God is big enough to restore any damage that my inexperience has caused, and I feel that over all I have been able to do more for the team than just live my faith and hope they'll get the hint. Another thing that I've learned is that I should never build up outreach beyond the students' capacities. Evangelism is so exciting, but if they've never been pushed on lecture phase, what made me think that they would be able to dive in on outreach is beyond me. I was terrified to go and talk to people, let alone tell them about Jesus! It's still hard, and I think until I really get a better understanding of Christ's love for others and for me, I will hesitate. But God's way is truth and logic is not foolish to the ones that He has called- and He calls everyone. I gave a short (and messy) testimony this week at a bbl college and it was on this passage, that has really impacted me and I've taken it to heart.

1 Cor. 2:2-4

Dear brothers and sisters, [fn] when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message. [fn]

For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.I came to you in weakness--timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you.

That's tonnes for now. All my love, and a very happy Valentine's day!

Laura

Week 4: January 27- February 2, 2009

 

We ended the week by taking the Zion Church service- it was amazing: great worship, great break through for some Oasis clients, and after we all ate and celebrated pastor Ron’s birthday! Then we went to Enaronhon for Sunday night BBQ and met a girl named Crystal and Lamia.  We Hit up the Basket ball courts for some soul patrol and danced twice with the Hula dance troop. St. Pauls’ north and centre ran the first sessions of their focus groups and as well we all did a car wash and made 200$. We also went to Tabitha’s 19^th birthday and helped decorated and make food for her party. During our Saturday night fire spinning session the boys prayed over the Latte stones at Latte park. Wednesday night we took over the kids service and the rest of our group sat in on the Truth project- and apologetics video series made by focus on the family.