the art of listening....

every friday night as a DTS we go out onto the streets of the city of Tauranga to pray for people and tell them about Jesus. honestly its sometimes a hard thing to do at the end of a really busy week because we are feeling weary and in need of rest, Sometimes its a real challenge and people just dont want to talk, but every single week i come home feeling so much better and so blessed that i decided to go out!

and this week i think was the best of them all.....and really i dont feel like we did that much.

and so the art of listening....

so we met a couple on the street who were just hanging out and started to talk to them. I got to talk to the guy along with a couple of the guys we were with and he just started sharing his story....he just really wanted people to listen to him. He told us his background and that he would steal and sell drugs to support his wife and baby but that he really didnt like doing that and really wanted another way to live but felt so hopeless and trapped in that. He said he didnt believe in God but we asked if we could pray for him and he agreed, so we did. And God just moved to greatly in his life. You could see the Holy Spirit moving on Him and definitely doing something really significant., and he acknowledged that.
He also shared how he would see evil spirits and they would torment Him in different ways and he was so open to sharing about that and was surprised that we didnt think he was crazy or making things up! so we got to pray and ask God to deliver Him from this, that he wouldn't be living under that anymore.

He told us we changed His life that night and it is so significant and he will never forget it.... but we know we did nothing but listen...God did the rest.
 did he commit his life to God? Is everything suddenly going to be fine?
No, probably not, but that doesn't matter, God touched Him and planted seeds and became real and tangible to Him that night. Just because some random people took the time to stop, and listen to his story and speak hope into his life.

It challenges me to make more time to listen.....how many more people just want someone to hear them? to know they are not alone in how they feel and to know there is a hope?

and what a blessing it is to be able to share that hope!

week 5......already!

So i've been in this thing called dts life for 5 weeks now, can't quite believe how fast the time is going!

i think i have taken in so many things every week and before i have a chance to process anything its right on into the next thing! but its all so so good!

week 5: THE FATHER HEART OF GOD.

God's heart is that of a father who wants the best for his children!

He has spoken to me so much this week and reminded of some many truths and promises that have been given to me in the past and that are grounded in His word. it is good to be reminded of things and to hold fast to them and I am excited to see the path he is taking me on as He continues to reveal it to me. I know he has a good plan and a purpose for me, and sometimes i may not see that because i don't understand the specific steps.

I love this picture that as i continue to reach and hold to his heart he will lift me where i need to go!

this week we also got to ask God WHAT he wanted to say to someone and HOW he wanted to say it. i love getting to share God's heart for a person with them, it is such a joy. we are all so different and unique and need to hear different things that God thinks about us at different stages in our walk.

I am just constantly reminded of how good my Father in heaven is and that he WANTS to be a Fahter to us all...we are never an inconvenience. He delights in us and enjoys us and knows each of us so so well. i think sometimes we forget this, i know i certainly do.

I love my Father in heaven, i don't need to come to Him as a servant but as a Royal daughter.

who is Jesus?

this week we have been looking at the person of Jesus, especially in the light of His return. And that is the truth,

JESUS IS COMING BACK, AND IT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

I have been humbled this week and reminded how much i just don't know my Bible and don't know as much about Jesus as i thought! I love to study and i do read my Bible a lot but its just so cool to be reminded that God is so big and so diverse that i will never understand and know everything! and its good because it just really inspires me to want to know more. I love receiving teaching from people who are so knowledgeable and able to back up what they say from the Word of God, so I have a lot of notes to go through and pray through :)

There are so many diverse attributes to Jesus and a lot of them just don't make logical sense to me....bottom line.

We looked at Jesus the perfect judge who will return to restore Justice to the oppressed.

Jesus the Bridegroom and the church is his bride whom he has a jealous love for.

Jesus the servant, He came to serve US that might serve others. i think is the one i struggle with the most. The thought that Jesus, the King and great judge and ruler of the nations came because he DESIRES to serve me. and the greatest way he did this was by dying on the cross, but he also wants to do this is so many small ways also.

There is so much I could say about this week, my eyes have been opened to so much and i just need to process it all. There is so much i want to be able to share, so many things i wish i had understood earlier, But i think it would be the longest blog ever!!

But if anyone ever wants to talk about any of these things, i will, i love to discuss and hear people's point of views!

it has been a really overwhelming week, with so much going on! but so good!

will you partner with me?

the day the earth shook

its a pretty crazy time to be in new zealand right now!
this country is in mourning with the earthquake that has stuck christchurch. it is definately in everyones throughts and in our discussions and our prayers.
Just wanted to let everyone know that i am safe.....i am living on the north island and the earthquake hit the south island.
Please keep this land in your prayers as people come to terms with the devastation that has happened and try to get their lives back together.

jump in.....

week 2:

this week seems to have gone so fast and yet so much has happened at the same time thats its hard to believe its been fitted into only 7 days!

its been really nice to get stuck into a regular schedule. I’m up around 6 every morning (i know its hard to believe) and we start into the day at 8am and its usually pretty packed right through.

Its been a pretty tough week for me in many ways and yet it is so hard to express how. it seems to be a real time of transition and change inwardly.
I think in a way some of the thought processes i have had for a long time are being challenged and i need to work through the elements of that. it is a good thing to be faced with challenges though sometimes it can be a overwhelming experience and at times uncomfortable. However if things are always comfortable i dont think i would ever be pushed to the next level in anything. it is a good thing to be stretched even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time!

we have had really good teaching every afternoon this week and then we get to spend the mornings in the prayer room. during this time i have the opportunity to talk with God about a lot of the stuff He is revealing, as well as taking time to read the Bible and pray for this nation of New Zealand. It’s a real blessing to have this time and space to process things as so often we are bombarded by a lot of information and have no time to really figure out what it all means.

Its been good to get to know people better this week and grow as a group and be on this journey together.

I guess the other big news is that i am going to be working in the Middle East for 2 months! This is an unexpected turn for me as i had hoped to spend some time in South East Asia but i think it the right place for me to be going and I’m excited to see what will happen there!

introductions....

week one.

this week has gone by so fast and yet it has been so packed it feels like we have been here so much longer! its been so busy i haven’t even had time to take an pictures!!

I moved into my new home last sunday and ts been great to meet so many new people that i am going to be sharing my life with for the next 3 months.

Its been a busy week of introductions.

Introducing ourselves, hearing other people’s stories and backgrounds.

Introducing New Zealand and the cultural background of this land.

Introducing YWAM as a whole and what it stands for.

Introducing the heart that God has for this school and for this time.

I think i quite like introductions.

We had the opportunity to go onto a Marae which is where the Mauri people have their cultural base and can hold strong to their native heritage. it was a wonderful experience to be welcomed unto their land and there is a strong sense that God wants to move in the people here.

We also have had the opportunity to spend tine asking God what he wants for this time and getting into his presence again and being able to draw close to him though times of prayer and worship.

This is going to be an exciting few months in New Zealand, so much has happened already in 1 short week and its all very hard to put into words. I just have such a strong sense that i am in completely the right place at the right time for whatever God wants to do.