As you
can tell I haven’t written in this blog in about a month and a half! I have
been SUPER busy but loving life. Let’s see where I left off. I mentioned that
my Youth Group was going to have a 40 Hour Famine event. Well on 26 May we
spent the night at the church. We played games; Underground Church was probably
one of their favorites. At the event I set up a prayer room with different
stations to pray and focus on God. It was so neat seeing how the youth went
from yelling and having fun in the games to really focusing on God. It showed
me that these youth are really growing spiritually and that they truly know how
to connect with God. I’m so blessed to have them in my life. Then we put on a
movie and slept in the Sanctuary. I didn’t get much sleep since I was in charge
but it was fun. As we were picking up our stuff the worship band showed up and
we got ready for church. After church we headed to the shops to break our fast
and get some yummy food. It was so much fun hanging out with the youth.
Then
for the next week, last week of May, I headed to Totara Springs Camp for my
third block course of the year. We had a lot of fun. I had two in-class quizzes
that went really well and just learned heaps. It was fun learning about the Old
Testament and some of the aspects of God such as; King, Warrior, and Father. I
also love Galatians and talking about how the Holy Spirit helps you cry our
Abba Father!!! It really hit me hard thinking about how God is our Daddy. I
remember sitting in our worship and trying to visualize sitting on God’s lap as
He holds me and talks to me. It is such a wonderful thought.
After
camp I stayed at Andre’s house a couple nights and got some amazing home cooked
meals. We also went to a golf course. I have a new-found appreciation for
golfers, it’s hard work. It was the first day of winter but you wouldn’t have known
since the sun was shining and was a nice warm afternoon. That Saturday I ended
up riding one of the family horses. So it was a nice break after such intense
courses and quizzes. :)
June
was a fun time for the youth group. The first weekend of June was the Queen’s
Birthday we took that week off but we jumped right into discussing “suffering”
the first week back. Ye-Gon presented an awesome lesson on why we suffer. Next
term we might revisit the topic again to figure out some practical applications
to our lives and how we handle suffering. Then the last two Sundays of June the
youth group got their creative juices flowing and made a video for our Chapel
Hill Family Camp talent show, 13-15 July. They made a satirical video on safety
rules around the church. Hopefully I’ll be able to get it on YouTube once the
editing is finished so I can show how amazing my youth group is. We also
started planning events for next semester since it is now winter break.
I have
found being the leader of the youth group both challenging and exciting. I have
come to realize that if you listen to what the youth are searching for and
wanting to learn about, and just plain listen to them you can build wonderful
relationships with them and they are excited to learn. As you all know I tend
to worry a lot and I ended up telling my youth about that as an application to
a topic we were talking about. Now one of the youth guys tells me all the time “DON’T
WORRY”. It’s awesome seeing how the youth will care about you if you care about
them. Also, we have been growing in numbers since I’ve started which is really
cool. However, I want to be carefully thinking about how we are growing and
focus on more the quality of the youth group. I’m not so much concerned about
the number growing but about how the youth seem to be recommitting, it’s
exciting. It excites me that youth want to come now and also to bring their
friends.
Another event that we had in June
was a Root Beer Float/Games night. I bought some American candy and Root Beer
and we went to a youth’s house. We played computer, video and card games. It
was a lot of fun. However, the youth didn’t like the root beer all that much so
I get to drink some of the rest. YES!! :P However they did like the American
Candy and I also made dirt pudding which they also liked. It was really fun
trying to find the ingredients here that were needed for the recipe because
they don’t call it the same thing. But it turned out pretty good, next time
more Oreos though. We topped off the night with American hot dogs (hot dogs in
a bun). So it was a lot of American Fun!
Then last Friday some of the youth
went to a Les Misérables production that one of the high schools in Hamilton
put on. Two of our youth group guys were in it. It was an amazing production.
Half the time I forgot I was watching high schoolers. It was really neat
supporting our guys and seeing their show. I love Les Misérables
so that was awesome!!!
Also, I’ve
been studying heaps lately. The last few weeks consisted on an average of 22
hours of study each week. I had Galatians, Youth Elective, and Old Testament
Themes essays to do. I had a lot of fun writing them and learning about them
but also worked pretty much non-stop on them for two weeks. I kept finding
myself reading something interesting and then researching that, and then go
from there to other things and then realizing that yes this stuff is awesome to
learn about but has nothing to do with what I should be writing in my essay. I
love learning though so I guess it’s alright and I got my essays done so that’s
good. I would love to type everything I learned but I could go on for years so
if you’d like to read an essay you can. I’m not sure if they are any good but
you are more than welcome to see what I’m learning about.
Since
it is winter here my flat has been really cold. There isn’t snow or anything so
that’s good and a lot of time during the day it is nice. Their winter seems to
consist of rain and this wet/humid cold that makes you chill through the bones.
I don’t think it is nearly as cold as a Kansas winter but sometimes with the
wet cold it feels colder. I have been sitting with a heater on in my room
because it gets no sun and we don’t have central heating like most of us have
in the States. I am also going to be buying a hot water bottle so that I can
keep warm at night (don’t want to leave heater on overnight cause too much
electricity).
I have
also decided that I want to not just get spiritually fit for God but also physically.
I have realized that if I sit all day working on assignments or ministry then I
get tired and worn out. I started going for walks during my day and that helped
get me energized and work better on my assignments. Then after talking to my
mom we decided that we were wanting to start working out together, even though we
are half way around the world from each other. We have started Couch to 5K and
just finished our third week. I have never been a runner but I am finding this
quite fun. I am getting motivated to run a 5K after the 9 weeks of the program.
It is a challenge but also makes me feel closer to my mom! It’s a lot of
fun!!!!
Last Friday,
29 June, was the last day of my first semester at Pathways. This means I’m half
way done with my year here. It was such an amazing semester and I’ve learned so
much!!! I am looking forward to next semester, even though I’ve heard it is
tougher. We have a couple weeks of holiday until we go to Finlay Park for the
start of our semester on 16 July! I can’t wait to see all my friends at block
course and meet the mid year students. Apparently there is a fellow American
starting from California.
So far
for my holiday I cleaned my flat, hung out with my wonderful friend Rachel who
is also a Pathways intern, worked at the church, went to Les Misérables,
and bought two puzzles and started one. These puzzles are quite cool. They are
called wasgij. Click on the
link and it will show you how awesome they are. Well the puzzle I’m working on
is in the Destiny category which shows a picture of ladies in a contest. I’m
supposed to put the puzzle together of what happens to them in the future. I
don’t have a few clues and the present picture to go off of. So as I’m putting
the puzzle together I have some idea of what I’m doing, a slight idea of what
the picture will look like. The more pieces I put together the more I see and
understand which helps me figure out what the picture will look like in the
end. Okay so why am I explaining this puzzle? Well, as I put this puzzle
together I’m realizing that it is a lot like my life at the moment. I can see
where I’m at right now. I can see a picture forming of my immediate future but
I’m not sure what the finished product will be. As I put the pieces of my life
puzzle together I’m seeing more and more of what God wants for me. I’m not sure
how far I am to seeing exactly what He wants for my life after December but as
I find one piece after another I’m getting a better idea. Sorry about another
puzzle analogy but it is exactly how I’m feeling right now. I have made it to
New Zealand and I’ve been studying and interning through Pathways but what does
God have in store for me next year, five years from now, ten years? I decided
that since the year is half over I truly need to start thinking about this. I
have been trying hard not to stress, been sticking “my future” on my prayer
wall, and trying to trust and listen to God!! Hopefully I hear what I should be
doing sooner than later.
If you
could pray that God shows me the answers! Maybe even let me know if He has
shown you the answer to my future, one of my youth guys tried to convince me
God told him I must stay here and be their youth leader. Then when I asked him
to tell my parents that he said he was joking. But if you have heard from God,
please let me know. =) Also, pray that next semester is marvelous and that God
will take care of my youth group! Please be praying for my family. My parents’
birthdays are this week! My brother lives in Colorado so if you could pray that
he stays safe in the fires, the fire has passed him but please continue to pray
for Colorado. Thank you all for your support. I appreciate it so much!!! I’ll
continue to pray for you!! God bless!
