Oh life

I've booked a ticket home in July, and am really looking forward to seeing everyone! It's been a productive week of sunshine, but the monday didn't start off so wonderful. The rain can really get to you and the lack of sunshine, but as the week progressed the sun shone and the mountains are covered in snow. All the boarders are here now, it's going to be a great team! Another couple is coming on base and will be doing outreach co-ordination. It's going to be great. As far as plans and decisions, things aren't clear, but I must trust.

Dick Rasanen:
    
"Dear God, I find it so easy to try to be the one in charge, I find it so painful to realize that I am not the one in control. Help me to know when saying  "I just work here." It's a confession, and not just a way of evading responsibility."

(matt. 6 25-26)

"For this reason I say to you, [fn] do not be worriedabout your [fn] life, as to what you will eat or whatyou will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body morethan clothing,
		"Look at the birds of the [fn] air, that they do not sow,nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenlyFather feeds them. Are you not worth much morethan they? Loves Laura

Lead climbing and Poi dancing!

It's been another rainy week in Oxford, with 2 days of sun to break it up. I finished a bed in 2 days, I was really happy about that. I also got to help teach 2 sessions of BLS. Other then that, time flies here, but I don't know where it's going :). It's hard to get up earlier than 7:30 am because the days are short.

 We've got one more week until the whole of the snow boarder staff come along. Things are running into routine now, it's neither here nor there. The word that I'm getting from God is WAIT. For what I'm not sure, but I've got some social patterns to change- rather wrong beliefs that effect my actions, It's gotta go. God's so into character development. I also found I place almost ALL my worth in what I can do, so when we've had 2 weeks of rain and I've done nothing, I'm feeling so low because I'm not able to get my self worth from work. Scary. My faith is actions right now, not heart. It's taking a long time to adjust, 2 months actually. I was thinking though, I really did want to have some time to fly, because on outreach it feels like I live 2 days in one. I'm up at 5:30 am and to bed at 10pm, and the days are so full on and stress filled that it's really nice to just have a bit of stress free- if only counterfeit, and only once in my adult life.
Loves
laura

Rain, rain, it's time to go, come back if in the form of snow...

It's been absolutely pouring in most of New Zealand this last week, apparently the worst in years, good for the hills though, I guess about 4 feet or something wonderful like that! This week was very very slow for the grounds keeping- it was a week of Saturdays, which may sound appealing at first but really, not at all. I ended up skim boarding in the back of one of our properties, we had about 3 inches of flooding all over the grass- it was perfect!!!

The BLS started up this Sunday night and I'm on the BLS leadership team with another base staff guy and  headed up by Mary Huffman. She's a long time YWAMer and she has asked me to apprentice under her, I'm stoked to be apart of the team. Also, the SFC (snowboarders for Christ) met this weekend in Christchurch, and myself and another kid (Scott Blythen) went to check it out! I think it's really going to be amazing! I was with friends this Friday and Sat in Christchurch, and we went all the way to littleton, Taylor's mistake and back around to ChristChurch, it was so beautiful! The rain just let up as we went to look at some WWll Guns on the coast and the sun came out. :)

Things are getting better around the base, like my good friend who left said, the clouds do lift. The snowboarder staff are getting going and it's one month to the day the school starts. I've started P90X with some base staff, which has quickly become HUGE and almost everyone is doing it! It's kicking my butt that's for sure, I could barely get my arms above my head. I'm more at peace here now than I have been for the last 2 months. I'm supported now from leadership and from (most) of my peers. My main goal is to setting the tone as best I can. It's pretty good so far- humbling, but good. Love you all!

Hello Good-bye

It's a revolving door here at YWAM, I had to say good-bye to a dear friend that I met last year and now she is gone back to England via thailand/ Israel today. Last night was a huge dinner for all of base staff, it felt like a thanksgiving dinner- so fun and so much food! It's a new season for this base, snow boarders DTS is already under way! It's very exciting and new energies are coming through- many new personalities as well! The landscaping project is coming along well, I got to go to heaps of different green houses to shop for plants and weedmat and other soils and seeds. I hope to put in a winter garden as well- anything is possible here in NZ. I get to learn so much as well.

I have just finish a 5 day fast to pray for this new season on base and to also get direction on what the next step may be. I haven't received anything much in the way of direction but I have been given peace for this time in NZ. I have found it challenging in many ways, some I was anticipating, others came out of left field. God fights for us, and He sees us when it may seem that no one else does.

Loves
laura

Sympathetic Fallacy

Kia Ora from the land of the great white cloud. Half the students from the AW80 have left today. the rest leave tomorrow evening. My good friend Ally will be leaving in 6 days and so will Lisa and Justin Mckinny from Oakridge. It is all around tough, thank goodness for my friend Courtney Todd that is going to be our Chef staff come this next week for two years. There are some fun things on the horizon, I'm so glad that we will also be rooming together.

The snowboard staff arrive tomorrow.

I know it is good for me to be apart of this transition to know what longer term missions is about- turnovers and comings and goings, wonderful people that get to share a bit of their visions and talents and lives that inspire and challenge you, and then they are off on their own journeys. The landscaping project is going well, and the revised plan is getting reviewed tomorrow. In the mean time I'm just up-keeping the grounds, and will try to make contacts for plants.

Blessings
laura

Quote of the week:

"A dream is the seed of possibility

planted in the soul of a human being,

which calls him to pursue a unique path

to the realization of his purpose."

                     Sharon Hull

A fortnightly update I guess

Hello out there! It's been a wee while since I've written, simply because It's been a bit overwhelming my time here. I am waiting and waiting some more on God's direction. It's been hard, especially the mornings where I wake up and wonder what the heck I'm doing with my life. Then I remind myself that the wisest course of action is God's, and it's worth the wait. He hasn't taken me anywhere that He hasn't provided the means and support, so I keep trusting.

I work the hours I want, when I want, I really enjoy it. I'm learning to do basic construction and apprentice under an amazing Kiwi bloke! I've had an awesome few weekends, with many firsts! I had a road trip with an english girl and we proceeded to tramp, pan for gold, have spontaneous hot pool runs, sleep in car, wake up on the beach, acquire free jade all in the span of 48 hrs!

The last weekend I spent was with a girl I met up in the north Is. Who is fast becoming a close friend, we hung out all weekend, and then I had to say more goodbyes as the last of the backpackers from my Oct DTS left.

I'm really enjoying my space as base staff, it allows for lots of alone processing time as i'm working on the landscaping project. I should send pics rather soon. Big changes are happening next week. Our AW80 school leaves for outreach come next sat and the Snowboard DTS Staff follow up in 3 weeks! YEESH

It has been a birthday week here on base as well- I've had so much dessert that I'm constantly haveing to look for pants that fit. ;) Oh YWAM food. I spent the night at the Blakelys' house (the family that I staffed the earhtcare DTS with) to celebrate Jenny's birthday. It was quite lovely and so nice to be in a house with a family. It provides so much stability.  Love you all and thankyou for your prayers
laura