Ok Lord, how do we proceed now?

We're coming up to the end of week one. What a ride!!

I think one of the biggest realizations I've had so far is, this is way harder than I thought it would be. Not that I don't love what I'm doing, not that I'm not blessed beyond belief but it's hard work. Every single second must be intentional, intentionally loving, intentionally speaking, intentionally going and coming and watching and praying. Being a member of the "Lord's army" and those cheesy little Sunday school songs take on whole new meaning when you must live as though any minute you could be pressed from every side and must be ready to stand and enter into battle with the evil one. I think at this point I do believe Kim and others who've told me you do learn more as a staff person than you do as a student. (Not that I'm not praying heaps of new wisdom and knowledge for my students).

I love Jesus. I really love my Lord who just is so perfectly obsessive over details because no matter what we're going to mess them up. I am convinced we can try as hard as we can to protect every portion of the wall and Satan is going to find the one crack to assault. And so you act, you move the troops over and protect the crack in the wall. And he keeps finding more and you keep moving the troops and fighting the battles as they come. That's kind of the essence of this life isn't it? That fighting won't be done until He's come. We wait with hope and joy and thankfulness, trying our best to be steadfast in the time being but so painfully aware of the heights from which we have fallen. I look at the things my students are struggling with, namely identity. God has such good purposes for people, for identity's, for the things that make us, us; our names. Satan is so crafty in the way that he chooses to manipulate those identity's into something that semi resembles the truth, that almost fits into the kingdom. But Satan's best lie is 99% the truth, it's that 1% that always has and always will separate. I'm so thankful to witness God being to shatter these false identity's and beliefs my brothers and sisters have been holding to. (I am continually thankful for years of amazing examples, awesome teaching, healing and deliverance in this area).

I am so thankful for my girls! SO immensely happy in who they are and blessed by their willingness and honesty in this time. I understand how rare it is to find a group of girls SO totally different from each other but so able to unite and live together in peace. I am just overwhelmed by the joy, humor, humbleness, peace, and grace each one of them brings to the table. As the first week wraps up we've had our first small group meeting, lots of one on one meetings, first groups belly laughs, late night conversations, etc.
**Specific prayer requests for my girls....Miss Sarah Lou broke her wrist on the mountain on Wednesday. They have her in a plaster cast right now that's partially cut to help with swelling. I have to take her in next Friday for more x-rays and to put on the full cast. I am praying for a complete healing of her bones so when they review the x-rays they will not need to cast her arm. Soph and Alyssa are both from the Colorado Springs area. There families are both safe at this time but Sophie's family has been put on pre-evac and Alyssa's family can see the smoke and darkness from their porch. Prayers that the fires would be put out quickly and the girls families and homes would be safe.

Wednesday was the first day on the mountain at Porters. The day started incredibly cloudy and windy. To the point where they stop the t-bar (which I HATE using) and if the wind slows down enough for you to look up from your scarf you can't see the person in front or behind you. After a few hours it did clear up though and the day ended well. Sarah girl attempted to hit her first rail though, which did not end well. I took her to ski patrol who said pretty definitively that she'd fractured her wrist and we should get her some x-rays. So we did some shifting of vans and I took Sarah and Janie back to base to switch into a car and unto Christchurch to get x-rayed, casted, and sent on a little adventure. (As I got lost on the way home). We're thankful for supernatural provision though as a man gave us free parking in the front row of the hospital and Sarah was seen immediately and in, xrayed, and casted within an hour and a half.

Yesterday was a two Segars day. Segars is a FABULOUS little cook school/cafe in Oxford. It's run by Jo Segar who started the Italian cook school there. It's a small little place that I only visited once when I was here for DTS. One of the best things about Segar's is it's atmosphere. (Not to mention central heating). For some reason it reminds me of IHOP (the house of prayer not pancakes). I don't know if it's the candles of what but some smell reminds me of IHOP and the soft lighting, quiet seating, etc. A wonderful little escape. So I went twice yesterday.... Once with 4 of my girls for a coffee/caramel fix and once just with one to get a good quiet conversation in. God bless Segar's!

Please continue to pray for me. My family at home. (My Izze girl will be 7 tomorrow my time!!!!!) I can't believe where time has gone. I know people say it all the time but I still remember walking into that hospital room and seeing my baby sister holding her baby. My Mom handing her to me the first time and knowing without ever having any conversation with her, without ever even seeing her whole body, just one look at her, one time of her in my arms and I would not think twice about giving my life for her. There is nothing she could ask me to do that I wouldn't do. She has my entire heart captured in her. I am so incredibly thankful for my Izze baby. So glad I'm her Auntie. I'm so thankful for the ways in which I understand God's heart of love for me because of my heart of love for her. "And if you then, who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your Father give good gifts of those who ask him." Matthew 7:11. I am so proud of my girl, so happy in who she is, I miss her so much and am still as in love with that little person as I was the day I first held her!

So please pray some blessings on her new year. Her new home (along with the rest of my family who has moved), her Grandparents (who celebrate their anniversary on her birthday), her new cousin (whose getting bigger and cuter everyday) and her Great Grandfather who continues to battle major health issues.

And please pray for us here. Satan is crafty. Decisions are hard. But God is good, he is powerful and I know that I know that I know that I know that He has already won complete victory. He already has our lives planned and His will perfected. In my flesh I grow weary, in Him I do not worry.

Janie and Sarah at Christchurch hospital.

We begin...

I struggle a little to write tonight because I've realized so much of both my successes and my struggles in this season will be very private, to our school, to our students and to me. But I very much want to include you all, who've been supporting me along the journey into this adventure as well. So I will try to be as sensitive to both parties as I can while still being me.


This morning as I sat down after worship in church I looked around and down the row from me and behind me were all our students and staff. It was just this very comforting moment, we're here, this is happening, God has brought us all safely together. This afternoon Steve and I went into Christchurch to pick up Toby which means that all our students are finally here and we've begun. We had our official welcome and kick off tonight. Us ladies sang and danced to "Ne te Atua" I was so proud of all our staff guys (Jeremy, Matt, Loren, Steve and Tack) and the Haka they worked so hard on. They were fierce and powerful and did it with excellence. So proud of my guys! 


Later in the evening the SDTS had a time of worship together and man the Lord moved. In mighty ways. My God is just so incredibly faithful. So faithful! In the turmoil of knowing my family at home is going through scary, tumultuous valleys I am reminded in divine ways that I am exactly where God has me for right now. I've seen fears and anxieties in myself be shattered in a matter of minutes. Seen my fellow staff, my brothers really just be released into powerful giftings, started to get to know a bunch of really rad, talented, loving guys and fallen in love with five amazing young women! This morning one of my girls had a miraculous healing of a food allergy she'd learned to live with. This evening we prayed healing and deliverance over two of them. I am so in awe of the courage, grace, spirit, humility and vulnerability of this school. On DAY ONE! 


Tomorrow we hit the ground running. I can tell you right now, this school during this time, is going to take all of me! Satan is crafty and his attacks are non discriminate. I continue to battle in the quiet place for my family at home and the pain and fear they are facing. Prayer for consistency and peace of mind for and in other relationships I am trying to continue to cultivate back home. Praying for strength and wisdom as my family moves and obvious prayers and blessings for my beloved Isabelle's 7th birthday this week! Prayers for health and safety as we head out snowboarding this week. Strength to walk this road with Sophie, Kathryn, Alyssa, Sarah and Janie. Wisdom to speak life and encouragement into the hearts of all our students. God's continued blessing of family on our staff team. Wisdom and humility to be a proper vessel of God's power and grace in this time.


This road has not gotten any easier and I no longer believe that it's going to. But I see it a little more clearly now. I see God's finger prints in the comings and goings of this thing, I see his miracles on an hourly basis now. I see His hands through the fog, hear his voice through the clatter.


A new season has begun...

Broken heart.

It is with a very heavy spirit that I write this today. A few hours ago I got off the phone with my Mom in Minnesota to find out some very bad news about my Grandfather. I won't go into a lot of details here but we got the worst news we could as a family today and are in different corners of the world today going through immense grief and confusion. It is moments like these that I just don't know what to pray. I have gone through grief before but never like this, being so far from home, so helpless to comfort my family the way I would like and feeling in so many ways alone here in the smallest little part of the world. I'm so confused, I know this is God's will for my life to be here but in so many ways I'm struggling today with wondering why God would bring me here in this time to have my family and loved ones go through this and be so far from them in this time. To be so far from my dear Grandpa.

One of the things that my Mom said on the phone was that there is absolutely nothing negative you can say about my Grandfather. Nothing. He has been an amazing man, husband, father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather. How great a challenge that I would aim to live my life like his, that towards the end of my life even the people closest to me would have nothing negative to say. My prayers for my family in this time are that my Grandpa would not suffer great pain. That God would give Grandpa great courage, whatever it is that he's going to face in the next season. Specifically as well that the Lord would give my Mom and Uncles great faith, peace and wisdom in this season. How to support and love each other and my Grandma, how to handle this season with their families and children. I pray the Lord would fill Grandpa with the knowledge of how loved and cherished he is my his Heavenly Father and by all of us. I am so honored to be a part of this man's family. My Grandpa John is a man's man. Our family is who we are today in large part because of his example, his love, his humor, his laugh, his eyes, his hugs. I'm hurting today, that I can't be there to see and experience this in the flesh. I'm hurting to not be with my Mom today and my sisters and nieces. I'm praying the Lord is big and bold and real in all of our lives in the coming days. And I pray that God would bring people around my family to love and support them and hold them up. If you are reading this and can or are close to my family, please love on them extra in the coming days. Phone calls, a card, a hug, helping them move next week, helping with my nieces if need be. I know and trust that God is holding them in his hands right now, all of them, Grandpa, Grandma, my Uncles and Aunts, my Mom and the cousins, my sisters and nieces. It is times like these that I'm so thankful for the family that I do have, that is so close and can be there for each other in times like these. I'm also incredibly thankful for a Mom who believes and loves the Lord. I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am for my Mama right now. Oh Lord, hold my Mom tonight!

Ironically, while my family is walking through incredibly dark valleys this evening at the same time the leadership here was anointing us with oil and commissioning us for this time; as leaders of this school. In a few minutes I'll leave with the boys to go get our first student! Lots of airport runs tomorrow and the official welcome and start on Sunday! I am confidant in the team that I'm a part of right now and overjoyed at the arrival of the students. Today, in the midst of pain I am excited and ready to start this school. My girls' room is set and decorated with little "Mandi" touches on each pillow. I'm excited to finally get them here, to get the last month of plans and preparation under way. I have been hoping, praying, wondering and waiting for this time for a very long time. Lots of prayers, hopes and dreams are going to be be birthed and seen in this school.

My heart is full today. Excitement and anticipation; pain and grief. Above all I'm confidant that I am held, in the aftermath of the cross I am held and redeemed. My God is charge and he has my best at heart. I have to remember he is bigger and wiser and more loving than I could ever hope to be.

Recap of staff retreat

This weekend LT, Steve, Tack, Rebecca (Loren's PA) and I went to Dansey's Pass for a staff retreat as our last weekend together before students get here. We had an awesome time resting and relaxing. (Which in our case meant staying up extremely late and having crazy adventures). It was a wonderful time to just have fun with each other. We all got a chance to practice driving on the four hour drive, worked together trying to get meals eaten and cleaned in the below freezing temps and encouraged each other as we explored and tried daring new things.


Highlights:
The beauty of New Zealand. It's everywhere! Bright blue, snow capped mountains, amazing sun sets, CRAZY blue rivers and oceans!
Being gutsy trying to rope swing over the river and the zip line.
Seeing a real penguin come out of the ocean and find shelter on the beach. (We waited for 2 hours in the COLD to see this darn (but incredibly cute little penguin! And seriously how many people can say they've seen a penguin the wild!)
Climbing, hiking, resting, playing and laughing with the awesome and endearing SDTS 2012 staff team!

Rope swing over the river.

Morning hike.

LT, Steve and Tack (and the few hours of warmth we have outside the valley in the sun). Elephant Rocks.

The token New Zealand sheep photo. Steve tried to catch one at the Elephant Rocks. "Ok, I guess ya, they are pretty fast."

The team "Band photo". 

Planking...

The craziest tree I've ever seen. It's grown thru the rock and than the branches are growing straight up. (It's in a valley so I'm assuming the branches grow that way to try to reach the few sun rays that make it down but I don't know. It was in the middle of where they filmed a couple of the scenes for the first Narnia movie and the guys set it was a set prop at first but it's not. Totally legit).

Roots straight through the rock

Whale fossils in the mountains...how did that happen?

Beavers house from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Ancient Maori cave drawings

Loren

Seals at Bushy Beach, Oamaru

You can't really see him, but on the beach is the penguin we waited two hours to see come into the colony.

The first of our students arrive on Thursday. I'm filled with excitement, anxiousness, nerves, and hope for what God is going to do in the lives of the 18 of us this school. Everyday God shows himself in new ways, to us as a school, a staff and personally. I'm thankful for a weekend away, it was cool for me to realize Sunday night when we still had an hour or so drive back that all I wanted to do was go home and in that moment home was here, in my bed in Oxford, New Zealand. I'm not sure what God's plans are for the next five months. But I'm hopeful, I know that His plan is perfect, that has rarely meant that I've understood it (or even enjoyed it sometimes) but I trust Him. Sometimes it takes every bit of me but I trust Him that the next few days of craziness as we get down to the final preparation and as we welcome in our students that God's been planning this school forever and all He's asking us to do right now is walk in obedience and enjoy His presence in every moment. 

Alright Lord, let's do this thing.

Brain overload!

WOAH! My love for learning has been filled for today! Today our speaker, Mike Dodge came to share and train us in Strengths Based Leadership. Boom. We had taken the strengths finders tests a few weeks ago and today we shared our results and got more training on them. Mike runs an organization that helps train people in their strengths and teaches these seminars. I think the part that really stuck out with me especially after so many years of working in education. Especially in North America we aim so much for creating and educating "well rounded" people. This is SO important in the states, so much so that we will even change the grading platform so that in certain tests we are giving kids a passing grade for leaving an answer blank! I agree there are certain basics that kids need to know. Math, reading, writing. There is a certain level of aptitude that a functioning adult must have. But at what point do we say, "Ok this kid is really struggling in Math. He's (or she in my case) is never going to be strong in math. Why don't we, instead of paying for or hiring math tutors hire an highly trained English tutor?" When someone shows very obvious strengths in a certain subject, why don't we focus on that instead of trying to get everyone on the same level and equally strong in all areas. Most adults, never end up his way. I'm awful at math to this day and in my adult life have avoided it as much as I can but I thrive still in English type activities. Teaching, speaking, writing. This was super eye opening to me, as was a study Mike told us about, about infant brains. When we are born there are a number or open pathways. Small brain vessels that exchange information. The study shows that whatever brain pathways are used most often, emotional exchanges, anatlytical approaches, etc, etc those brain pathways are actually strengthened and opened wider, and the lesser used pathways are closed. So the idea is, that the most used ways of processing are set from life. I'm not totally sure if I buy it completely because you will always have extreme cases (like kids who've been totally neglected or abused as children and end up being completely giving, healthy emotional, etc.) But it was fascinating to think about in the ways that my sisters and I are different based on how my parents were or what my Mom was doing when we were first born. I'm an incredibly emotional person and process emotionally. As an infant my Mom was super young and I was her first baby. I imagine most of my needs were immediately met with cooing, coddling and cuddling. I was used to being tended to immediately and emotionally. Whereas my sister Jess is very analytical, she's capable of emotion and very loving and caring but not near as much immediate reacting to something in emotion. When she was born she was number two in birth order, I was a needy toddler and my Mom was working multiple jobs. Jess learned very young to weigh her options and make good choices. I know the test is not without weaknesses but it made more sense to me when I compared it to my own life experiences. (And super fun to compare to my two nieces. What I witnessed in Izze's first few months and what I've heard of Faith's first few weeks!)

Something else SUPER interesting to me is when we were talking about Myers-Briggs tests and the typical answers you will get for that. Introvert/Extrovert, Thinker/Feeler and that your brain and person tends to function in your strengths within that but at about the age of 40 you start to function within the shadow characteristics because your brain never stops learning. That at the age, what if often taken as a mid life crisis is actually your brain assuming it has reached perfection in one area and so it will switch to the other traits to attempt to perfect and grow in those. How awesome is that?! Mike was saying most of his life he's been a super extroverted thinker but once he hit about forty he become comfortable finding energy on his own and started crying and goofy movies. (A funny life example to actually studies). Funny to think how myself, my friends and my siblings may change as we get older.

So my strengths are (and I'm sure this will completely shocking to those of you who know me.... ;)
Three-way tie for first:
1.Empathy
1.Relator
1.Significance

2.Connectedness
3.Communication
4.Context
5.Belief
6. Input

(And while Mike said to stay away from focusing on those that scored low because we're trying to stay away from everyone being the same "well rounded" person for the sake of the argument and to make a few readers grin when they see) My lowest three:
1.Achiever
2.Self Assurance
3. Adaptability

No surprises when it came to strength finder test but super interesting in the context of where I've been in the last five years and what I'm doing here as a leader. And when it comes down to it, I suppose the thing that really fires me up about the Strengths Finders is learning to really function in the flow in our God giving identity. I don't believe God intended for us to be copies of each other as the same "well rounded people". God made all of us different, just like he made the animals totally different, just as he made all people for all time totally different. He made us totally different, with totally different strengths and weaknesses so that we would need each other. So we would need him. So we would never be able to do anything in our own power. He did all of this and he looked at us and He said, "It is good." Like I'm really fired about that today. Really figuring out how God made me and why and how he intends to use that to bring himself glory really makes me excited. Our God is just so intricate and cares about the smallest things. Nothing from little brain vessels in infants to, creating jobs and teams for adults; none of that is on accident and none of that it out of His control. Blown away.

The thoughts for today.

Also super thankful for the Merrino wool shirt Mette left for me when she flew back to Denmark last week. It's coming in so handy today in the cold! As well as the red wool hat I stole from Dan in the dice game on Christmas last year. It's a chilly one!

Youch!

Ouch! When you're living on an incredibly limited budget without an ability to make a normal income on your own spending any large amount of money is painful.

This has been a $700 week! OUCH!
$500 USD went to change my flight from August to fall. I had to book my original ticket for August to stay within New Zealand Visa laws. Now that I'm in and my Visa extension has been filled out, I needed to change my return flight to be within my second Visa (post outreach). While I'm incredibly blessed that I did have the money to do that today, it halves my budget for the next 6 months. It was one of those unavoidable expenses of being here and having to work with the laws this country has in place. Before I left Minnesota I bought a "humanitarian rated ticket." This was a cheaper flight for people working as I am and more lenient with changing the dates of return flights or locations. While $500 feels so incredibly expensive today I know it is still about $200-300 cheaper than I had I booked my ticket alone and had to change it through the airline. I know I am meant to be here and that God has and will continue to provide for every need within his will it was painful to watch my checking account go down so fast. I suppose much of that may be my flesh, enjoying a small safety net of finances but part of it is obvious necessity. When my Visa extension is processed I need to be able to prove I have the funds to support myself in New Zealand. They require that I have $800 US in my account to support myself while I'm here, after having to buy my ticket out I don't have that much in my account anymore. It's one of those times that feels like squeezing. I know God has me here for this school, I'm trusting I will find favor in Him and that the money will be in my account in time to prove to NZ government that I can afford to be here.
$200 USD went to getting my NZ Visa extension. A fancy, albeit legal sticker for my passport that says I have the governments permission to stay here longer than they originally gave me.

It's an uncomfortable little financial squeezing isn't it? I'm not panicked by any means but the worry is  in the back of my head. I'm beyond blessed that God has provided for my needs so far. I am here, my lecture phase staff fees and activity fees are paid for and God provided the money that I could afford to change my ticket and apply for my Visa at the proper time. I know that my flesh is being burned in all of this. I'm learning to grow in faith and financial responsibility. For the sake of accountability and prayer I'm posting that here. Within the next month my Visa app will be processed and I will need to prove that I have at least $800 USD in my checking account to support myself here during the time of my Visa extension. I have $600 of that $800 budgeted now. Prayer would be appreciated that I would find favor with New Zealand government with the paperwork and that everything would go smoothly;With financial supporters that God would lead to help raise this money and most importantly with the Lord. That as my flesh is burning away and I am learning what I can do without and more importantly without knowing that I would grow in faith, trust and wisdom of what my God can do and what He can do through me.

"To the left, to the left."

Let driving lessons begin! I've begun learning how to drive here in New Zealand, on the left side of the road! Also I've needed to learn how to drive up and down mountains (as this is the snowboard school...) Tonight after dinner Loren, Tack, Steve and I went up Lee's Pass to practice now that most of the ice is melted. Good call on Loren's part to choose night time driving, I think if I had realized how high up we were and seen how narrow the roads were in daylight I would've freaked. I suppose I am pleased with myself, I'm defiantly more confidant driving the big vans, in the lower gears and controlling my speed. I want a try or two in the city on the left side and I think I'll be good to go.

I think one of the biggest things I'm learning now is how to do life with guys. Being the only girl school staff has become...."obvious" this week. If you know me at home lets be honest, I'm a girls girl. I'm the oldest of three girls, and while most of us were pretty typical American tom-boy adult hood has swung in the opposite direction. Sissy is a waitress/salon manager and Ab is a nail tech/hair stylist. The second generation Izze and Faith seem to following in the girly footsteps. Isabelle even told me a few months ago she's not touching dirt, she's a "city" girl. I also have ticket stubs to the last 3 years worth of Disney Princess on Ice. My two best friends in the whole world (although not particularly girly) are both women. While I can handle some guys in Minnesota, my comfort zone and my normal mode of operating is around and with girls. Here, that's not at all the case, nor possible in many cases. While there are females on the base currently and particularly Jenny whose working on base before her school starts, the people I'm training, working, learning, living and being with are the guys. And while I was prepared to say I'm indifferent about the whole thing and it's not good, bad or ugly yet just is. I think for me, it's actually a good thing. (Not without frustration but good). Here's what I'm learning from my guys:

• They don't wait around for everyone approval. When an idea strikes (whether good, bad or just silly) they go for it. If it's fun; do it. If it ends up bad, well at least we tried. 
• If they think they have a better idea they say it. We tried 5 or 6 different configurations of human trains to move a load of fire wood today.
• Everything, I mean EVERYTHING is a reason to have fun. ANYTHING can be a joke, a song or quoted. 
• Everything is face value. If you mean something say it, if you don't mean it don't say it, what you said was what you meant. They don't play games and they don't think overly hard about what they say.
• They don't take or mean things personally. They're goofy and funny, their efficient (most of the time....see lesson 1) and do things to get them done to get to the next thing. They don't do things to be seen. (Unless they want to be seen in which case, you can't avoid them!)
• For the most part, they just don't care what people think. I think most guys just have an inborn confidence that most girls could really use a dose of.

I'm learning a lot about guys, but my guys in particular. But in the mean time I'm also learning a lot about myself. Not in the sense that I'm comparing but it has been interesting to reflect how my reaction to things is different from theirs, or my way of doing things is different. I'm seeing flaws in my system and my way of operating by watching theirs. Not that I do everything wrong or they do everything right but I'm noticing ways in which I am very stereo typically girly. I'm incredibly emotional and over-think EVERYTHING! I think the biggest thing so far is learning to say and do exactly what I mean and taking peoples words and actions how they meant them. It's been a learning experience that's for sure, from learning how to deal with their way of thinking and operating in training meetings, to enjoying their company as being different from girls and how they spend their spare time, to dealing with and working with their ways of teaching and encouraging me and learning how to care for and encourage them. How to keep an eye in the back of my head for snowballs, always expect an extra bite out of my food, and knowing that just like Izze, if they know I'm asleep they can only handle it for so long before they need to wake me up to "be with them." And understanding that when Loren says, "We're going out of town for a staff retreat this weekend" he means we're going camping to "have an adventure" and being happy with it. 

"Get some rest Cammi, you look tired."

Ways to bless missionaries:

• Prayer
• Emails
• Financial Support
• Skype Credit
• Mail (handwritten letters, drawings, photos, ANYTHING handmade)
• iTunes Credit
• DVD's
• Reese's Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal (Also good to be used as bribery with other staff members) ;)
• Cheese Itz
• Goldfish crackers
• Sweedish Fish
• Hot sauce
• Ranch
• Caribou/Dunn Bros coffee
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

A friend jokingly told me to put a list up here in case people are wondering of other ways I can be blessed right now. So there you have it, my favorite things from home that are send-able. 

This'll be short as today was probably my first "hard day" since being here. Nothing really to report other than today was the first day by heart felt heavy and my eyes started to feel heavy. It does not help that I don't feel the greatest and am working from a sleep deficiency. Today was a day that I really had to dig deep and trust God that His plan is perfect and powerful. It was hard today to believe there is a wonderful and powerful reason I am here tonight instead of in warm Minnesota holding my babies. But I know God's joy and promises are new every morning (and it's bed time so it must mean they are coming soon again!)

Today is one of our staff, Brenden "Tack's" birthday. Steve, Jenny and I woke up early to make him french toast and coffee. A friend of ours next door even invited us over after church so we could watch the Stanley Cup game for a good ole' Canadian boy's birthday. We went to church at the Baptist church here in Oxford (which is where my school used to have our lectures). It's amazing how different it looks after the remodel. Barely looks like the same place. They had some guest speakers down from Auckland this morning who had some powerful words for the congregation. 

Tomorrow starts our third week of staff training. Two more weeks before students arrive. Excited, nervous, full of anticipation and hope. 

Yes, tonight I am heading to be hopeful. God is a good God with good things to say, I'm excited to wake up to newness and joy in the morning. 

Blessings!

Snow day!

Oxford, New Zealand. 

This photo was for Jenny. The Oxford Fire Brigade.

"Tac" working on the pre-breakfast jib we built. 

Steve.

Attempting another build at the skate park in Oxford.

At base about six or seven hours before it stopped snowing!

The SDTS staff team. Brenden, Steven, Loren and myself.

Rain, rain go away...or stay if you must but please turn to snow!

It's been raining for the last many hours, which is disappointing only because we got super excited when one of our staff let us know our city was under a major snow warning earlier in the day. Rain...is just not cutting it. But hopefully this means there getting a lot of snow up in the mountains.

We're well into staff training now, working with our guest speaker; Trish. She's from Taurunga and has worked with YWAM for years. She's been amazing! She has such a gift of leadership in the most gentle way I have ever seen. Our team will be sitting around the table working through information on leadership, time management, confrontation styles and systems, etc and she'll just gently ask what someone thinks. If someone hasn't spoken up in a while she will specifically ask that person what they think or how they've experienced that in their lives. Total and complete intentionality but completely normal. Nothing about it feels forced or pre-conceived. I find myself learning so much about my team and even myself in the most natural, easy, safe way possible.  You can tell by her flexibility and ability to work with our (ok...somewhat spazzy and off task aka snowboarders) team that she's just has so much godly wisdom which comes from just practicing this stuff and living it out. I didn't even realize I was learning so much until my English friend Jenny asked me how today went and I had so much to tell her about what I learned. (I point out she's English because it was POURING rain when we decided to WALK the quarter mile to the Dairy to buy lollies and ginger beer. When we realized it was raining before we set out I asked her if we were still going to go and she replies, "Yes, I'm English I live in the rain!")

Finance report: PRAISE GOD!!!! The entirety of my staff fees ($100/week) have been paid! My $500 activity fee has ALSO BEEN PAID! There is still some money left in my staff account after lecture phase (staff fees + activity fee) have been paid that will be put towards outreach but as we don't have the details for that set in stone yet the exact amount of what still needs to be raised I still don't have. The next purchases will be my New Zealand drivers license, which we are going into Rangiora to get tomorrow and my Visa. For those of you who don't remember two of us staff need to apply for Visa extensions which will allow us to stay in New Zealand past our three month visitor Visa which will expire in August. (Steve got luck of the gene pool draw as his Mom is Kiwi and thus holds both American and New Zealand passports...lucky kid!) Prayers would be appreciated and it's pretty expensive process (about $200) and involves a lot of paperwork.

Prayer requests:

• Praise for and asking of God's continued blessing on finances and financial supporters. I am keenly aware of how important you all have been. Without my heavenly Papa and y'all I wouldn't be here! I'm so thankful for you'r obedience to His call to support missions and honored that would choose me to do it through! For those of you that I don't thank often enough THANK YOU!
• Our SDTS staff team : Loren, Brenden, Steve and myself. That God would continue to unite us as a team and continue to pour out His peace, grace and joy on us; filling us with HIS wisdom. And a praise: These are three really awesome guys! Man, it's just been a huge blast getting to know them and start working with them. I'm really thankful knowing that there are going to be days when it's tough and stuff gets hard and we just have to trust God and push through, I'm glad these are the guys I'm going to have at my side.
• My small group girls. (Whom I have yet to meet but have now gotten to at least have email conversation with each other them) Alyssa, Sophie, Janie, Kathryn, and Sarah. That God would give them peace and calm as they prepare and travel. That their last few weeks at home would be an awesome time with family and friends back home and that God would already be planning an amazing time of life change for them here.
• Family and friends back home. This is a crazy time of the year in Minnesota as seasons change and school lets out and everything transitions. I have family and dear friends with new babies, birthdays, big moves, major projects at work, big races, trips, etc that really could use prayer and blessing. (And if you're in the Minneapolis area and subburbs give any of em a hug for me)