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So this week I have been billoted out and am living at a pastors house in a city called Hamilton. This is ministry week where 7 of us students are assigned to a church and work along side of them and serve in any way can. Tasks include running bible in schools programs, running a youth group evening, door to door evangelism, sharing testimonies in the sunday service, worship music etc. I was asked to be a ministry team leader... Sometimes I feel like the least mature person on the team but I just have to pretend Im not and continue to wonder why I was asked. Maybe thats the devil telling me I am not good enough. In truth, I probably am not qualified to be a leader this week. A passage I have been reading is matthew 14. Jesus calls Peter to do something he is not capable of doing: walk on water... Jesus didn't say, "I'm sorry, Peter, but water-walking is for Messiahs only." No, he said “Come.” It must have taken a lot of faith by Peter to take that first step out of the boat in the middle of the wind and waves and he only took a few steps succesfully. Those few steps were only possible because his eyes were fixed on Christ. God calls us to do “impossible” things by faith so He can receive glory when they are done. Although I may feel totally unsure of myself I can be confident in Christ. The only thing in this world that remains constant is God. This week is not about serving myself, not even about serving others but about serving God. These names wont mean much to you but, Mattias, Rebecca, Julia, Helge, Leighton and Hilly all have incredible attitudes and we have all learnt a lot about each other and shared many laughs while enduring some frusterations. I think a measure of our attitude of God is shown through our trials. So ya, the group has grown very close. A few of us have spent quite a bit of time in my old car. The car seems to be making more noise each day. We removed one car part today which has improved a horrendous sound. Haha, oh we laughed. The car does not have power steering and my arms ache after so many roundabouts.

Anyway, it is nice to be living in a home for a week. Free internet is always a perk I just have not had time to use it. This family is so funny, they never put away their milk products so every night I find at least two full milks on the counter to put into the fridge. Today there was cheese and yesterday butter left out. But then as I lay in bed I remembered that not all families refrigerate butter so I got out and put it back on the table. I know, Im so thoughtful. Maybe their milk has extra preservatives, I cant figure it out. Its weird cuz the grocery stores here do not refrigerate their eggs. Crazy New Zealand. They also do not insulate their houses. BRR.

This family has 6 daughters, the one I am finding myself drawn to is 20 and has autism. Her Dad told me she calls me her best friend. Pray that I can find ways to relate to her and also be patient. Today I told I joke. You know the feeling when you tell a story that is intended to be humerous but no one laughs. So you hope that it can just be brushed off without comment... haha well the girl (Becky) blantantly points out how unfunny my joke was. Hah, I just turned the music up in the car and chuckled to myself about how beautiful honesty can be.

neat. I have never had a title before.. "kiwis"

I discovered another delight of new Zealand today: the price of kiwi fruit. Today I bought a bag of 15 for $1.34. I eat them like apples. My friend who lives out here does not like the skin but I do, so sometimes I just eat the skin with no kiwi fruit. Tasty treat, in fact Im enjoying one right now. Im writing this in my bunk right now shivering. The night temperature has plummeted. Many people bring hot water bottles to bed but I believe they are far too dangerous. Just wait, one will burst and they will think the dropout nurse will know what to do.

Last week we had a lecturer that came here from India. India is 88% Hindu and for many of his years he was a part of the religion. He came from incredible wealth and a family of much power in India. When he became a Christian his father put a gun to his head and gave him two choices: “Either I shoot you now or you leave and never return, never telling anyone where you are from.” He walked away from his family, knowing the only time he would ever hear of them is from the media. He said the only reason he was able to walk away was he had a new joy; his new identity was in Christ. He still lives in India and has been faithfully ministering to the untouchables. The second night that he was a Christian he said he awoke to the sound of about 100 people coming closer to the mud shack that he was hiding in, wanting to kill him. It was the first time he fell to his knees and worshiped God. His heart broke for the lost. In horror he realized that a man was pouring kerosene onto the mud hut to light it on fire, but before the match was lit the 100 people were running in the opposite direction. Fear drove them away. When Satish (the speaker) looked up he saw a ring of fire surrounding the mud shack, one in which the persecuters had not lit. He said his Jesus and his Master was there. He is our safety and our hiding place.
He said that the biggest curse of Christianity is that we do not know how to depend on God. We say “Jesus” and we don’t see him as a real and living and holy God and therefore people are not seeing “Christ” live through Christians. Everyday he says he wakes up and thinks, “I want to know Jesus a little more.”

I have never been so inspired. Its been a week where I lay in bed thinking about stuff too deep to think about before going to bed! The more I learn about the bible the more I realize that I don’t know. Haha but im one of those lucky ones that doesn’t need 8 hours of sleep to function. Id love to be able to function on 5 but that could take some training. Sometimes I do get tired during lecture but I surely would not want to miss anything cuz this stuff is so good. I was concentrating so much on listening and keeping my lids open the other day that I forgot about swallowing saliva so I had a good drool on the table. I didn’t know the fellow beside me that well so he just pretended not to notice. That was kind of him, yes. Last week I also did my 10 minute oral report on snowboarding and related it to pain and suffering. I had my cardboard snowboard that I strapped onto my feet before climbing onto two chairs. Yup, not too smart. Its really hard to climb onto chairs with implanted feet. I finally got up on the chairs but then was facing the wrong direction with back to audience. I was sweating so much. Also cuz I was wearing a toque and mitts for effect. I have it on tape if you ever want a chuckle. I don’t think I could bare watching it to be honest. My thought process works differently then others I think. I should probably get it checked out.
Hmm what else is new, this weekend I was one of many leaders at youth conference called HM rage. There were 400 teenagers. Whew I almost feel like one again after coming out of it (cuz im sooo much older. Haha) It was fairly evangelical and by the end a lot of kids came to know the Lord. Heaven is being populated. Haleluajia! The theme was “army” so of course I brought afew fake guns which was surprisingly appropriate and many others had them as well. I had a fake grenade which I decided to keep in my bag though. Soo that was cool. Other then being involved with a church youth group I have been a bit detatched from people. this year has been less of a social year then I once thought in the beginning. I have focused more on my relationship with God then relationships with other students. this could partially be because a four year age gap does make a bit of a difference. I can hardly believe I will be 23 in a few weeks. That will be a tough day. Haha. Maybe Ill throw on a party hat and get a kazoo and celebrate with the sheep. Anyway the detachment may also have to do with the fact that God will remain constant in my life forever where many of these people I will be saying goodbye to in a month. I hang out with the staff a lot which is sweet sweetness. There is an elderly lady, Ruth who is head housekeeping who lives on campus. We hang out enough that sometimes I go there and we just hang out in silence. Hey check out this cool verse on silence… “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own affairs and to do work with your hands” (1 thessalonians 4:11) The only thing is that she keeps her place hot like a sauna so I need to go there less dressed. Last time I secretly tried to shut off her heater when she wasn’t lookin but I got caught. Its cool cuz we do favors for each other. She loves rice Pringles so I get her a can everytime I go into town and she gives me free internet and washing machine tokens and guitar lessons and tea and pudding. Whoa sounds like she has the upper hand. And sometimes I take her dog out but the last time I brought it back wearing clothes from the craft room and shes pretty protective of it so I dunno. Anyway the point is… Ive made a few friends but not that many as I am busy discovering what my life could look like if I am flexible to listen to what God is saying. A lecturer told us “there is a YOU shaped hole in Gods kingdom. Find it and fill it.”