Oh you know, it's Just my life...

Monday morning our school swam with the DOLPHINS! We went on a snorkeling adventure where we took an hour ferry out to a group of Maori islands called the poor knight's Islands. It was unbelievable- they hadn't seen anything like it for at least three years! There were about 15 in this pod, and because it was mating season it was like SEA WORLD! They jumped 10 ft out of the water, spun around, came all around us, swam up to our masks, some people got to touch them! The crew on the boat jumped out to swim with them. We also went into the biggest sea cave in the world and had a whole tour of the islands. I got to kayak and snorkel into some smaller sea caves- just about died of fear :s it was a stretch for me for sure. Next we have a speaker on the holy spirit, but before he even started we were anointed by our "elders" for healing and I got healed! Not only that, but I started to laugh, the whole room started to laugh and continued to laugh for 4 hrs! God just healed me in so many ways on Tuesday! The staff has been going through a series of counseling sessions and there's a light at the end of this Oakridge tunnel. The staff are going down at the end of May to the Oxford base down in Christ church! Its been an exciting few days and I'm exhausted, but very stoked to see things come together.

loves!

laura  

Week Six

We have had a wonderful recovery from a kid's camp this last week by jumping down to Auckland for a shop till you drop kinda time! We have two polished speakers (married) with us for the next few weeks- Oak Ridge had them last school and now they are with us . As staff we were taken through a counseling secession to work out what has happened (or not happened) over these 8 weeks. Time goes super fast and I'm planning my trip home this week- there are many seat sales so I hope to tag some of them before this week comes to an end! I can't help but have my thoughts drift home to family friends and summer. It's getting harder to stay in the present, since I'm not going on outreach- and that's the big topic going around seeing as everyone is now settling in their teams and getting ready for another adventure!   

Fiejos, Friends, Fall

We're just coming to the end of our fifth week of Lectures at Oak Ridge, and things are faster paced, but things have slowed for me. I'm enjoying the changing leaves, my wonderful little wooden house with a back porch and a tire swing that faces east to the rising sun. Two more people left the base yesterday- a mission builder and a Student turned staff named Christine. She was the only girl that i've known since september and now they are all gone. Easter was an adorable outdoor good friday service and a very local Easter Sunday service. 

The school is moving along fairly well, we are reaching half way of the lecture phase- there are some screws that are coming loose and ideals being challenged, all in good timing and in love- I find this is the way that we become unraveled to be raised again in freedom from what we thought this life was or should be. Fatigue is also a culprit in this as we have three full on days of kids camp for easter break and then a child's youth group this coming Saturday- 4 full days of screaming kids!

Fiejos and care packages seem to make the week that much better- love you!

laura