I will waste my life.

What does the missionary life look like tonight? I'm nursing a second run of Yogi tea while my room reeks of the tea tree oil I've rubbed into my shins. (Those I've rubbed raw ice skating tonight with my team). Tomorrow morning my team will lead worship at St. Andrews church and I will preach on wasting your life for Jesus.

Wasting you life...because to the world waiting, resting and trusting in Him will look like waste. Giving it all with no regrets to find myself at his feet will look like waste.

Tomorrow will start our last week here in QT. I'm trying not to get too reflective at this point and keep my mind and heart in the present. But I'm proud of my team. I'm proud of Brendan. I'm tired. We've worked hard, we've played hard, we've succeeded and we've failed. I've run, I've walked and I've fallen.

Last night our youngest, Janie and Andy surprised me by performing at the Youth Booth. To say they are both amazingly talented is too light of a thing. They are beyond that. But the most amazing part is 3 months ago we could barely get Janie to sing. I literally bawled last night as she sang her heart out in front of a crowded room when just months ago she almost cried when I turned her mic up during worship practice. Janie has grown SO much in three weeks. She has formed numerous relationships with people here in Queenstown. There is rarely a time when we will pass a store front or business and she will not know someone or have some memory of a conversation there. As the youngest female on our team it's inspiring how many of us look up to little Janie girl. She's not the same girl I picked up from the airport so many weeks ago, she is a mighty and powerful tool in the hands of an Almighty God.

Tonight we attempted an event at the skate park. It was an opportunity for trust and humility. I continue to be impressed with this teams flexibility and grace in our ventures here. I'm proud of their pioneering spirit and willingness to try. While tonight didn't turn out how we planned necessarily none of them are ever willing to let an opportunity to love on people go. I found so many of them pouring into relationships with people we already know or are friends with when the crowd we were aiming to get didn't show. That's one of the awesome things about being here in QT is we have relationships. Last night we were walking home and a woman I've met and started a friendship with saw me while she was at the movie store with her kids. For some reason this is really encouraging to me because I see it happen with other members of my team almost everyday. We will be somewhere and someone will recognize one of us, while some days it does not feel like a typical outreach and it's often a temptation to get discouraged when we see facebook updates or pictures from the other team it's nights like tonight and last night. Days when there's a friend seen, or a ministry recognized that I am encouraged that our presence here is seen, needed and appreciated. That what we're doing, although most days we don't understand it is making a difference. In Queenstown, in lives and in the Kingdom.

And then tonight we ended up with a late night deal at a ice skating rink. We laughed, we skated, we fell, we danced, we lived and we loved, we honored Jesus.

Sometimes I'm just so thankful He is so easy to please.

Reign down...

Today will mark the end of our first week here in Queenstown. Tonight we're going to work with a secular youth organization. This is going to be a really cool opportunity for our team to put life style ministry into practice. While we cannot go straight in with an evangelistic message our crew will be able to love on these youth; be that "cool" older person that just really wants to care for them, listen to them, hang out with them.  

We've had a lot of really awesome stories already. At the camp we are living at, this morning Tack ended up giving his Bible away to a Hindu man he ended up in a cool conversation with, Alyssa ended up meeting another Christian man who totally challenged her way of thinking about ministry. Yesterday we spent the afternoon ministering in Arrowtown. A little town 15 minutes from us built on the river after striking gold last century. A lot of our time here is spent in prayer, asking God where to go and what to do. I'm continually inspired by the faith and boldness of my little rag tag family. This Sunday we are going to be a part of four church services! Between worship, tech, testimonies and speaking. Next weekend I will be preaching as well! I'm thankful and challenged as I've been praying for creative outlets for God to let me honor him in creativity. 

While we love the rain because it means lots of new snow on the mountains, down here in the city it puts a damper on the ministries and things we can do. Today I'm sitting in a coffee shop next to the lake watching the pouring rain. It's beautiful in a reflective sort of way. I'm continually challenged in leadership and identity as God stretches me in new and sometimes unfamiliar ways. Sometimes there aren't enough words to explain this journey. I'm sometimes surprised by the consistency and unchangeable resolve of my God. He never changes, ever and yet all the time I am surprised by Him. There is never a time when He is not moving in my heart, whether it's an uncomfortable conviction, a peaceful reminder of His awesome creative power in this beautiful place or the reminder of the unsearchable depths of His love in a conversation with those I love. There is no rest and no escape from His power. No height or depth or opportunity outside of Him. 

I'm an completely, irrevocably, overwhelming loved by the most powerful entity of all creation...

What a breath taking thought.

A storm is brewing....

A snowstorm that is. We're here in Queenstown on Day 5 of outreach. Today we moved from one side of the lake to our more permanent housing on the other side of the lake. The same place we stayed in a few months ago when we were here for the first time. The girls and Tack have their same rooms even. 

Outreach has started off very well. We joined up with the National SFC conference when we first got here late, late Friday night. Saturday we helped with the conference and Sunday we joined up with Lighthouse Church in Wanaka. Monday we did some street ministry and evangelism in downtown Queenstown. Janie and Andy were busking, Soph and I felt read scripture in a coffee shop, Brendan and Alyssa marched around the block like in Jericho, Jeff and Jer gave out free hot cocoa and cake on the rainy gloomy day. After we met up with Freedom Church's Youth Group and spent time praying for them. Today as we were trying to move the snow came in with fury. But as snowboarders of course this is actually something we welcomed with much excitement. Prayers for safety and protection as tomorrow will be our first day up on the mountain doing snowboarding ministry. 

Outreach is underway! While it was hard to say goodbye to the Costa Rica team it feels good to be here. There is a different feel to being in QT this time than when we were here as a school. I'm not sure what it is but I'm excited to be here. Really excited for the huge faith my team displays. The leadership and boldness. I'm proud of them. Inspired by their integrity, humor, joy. We move and work as a family. There is a peace just being in this group. 

Not to say there are not challenges. Queenstown is taking a ton of initiative and pioneering on our own. The normal emotional and physical hardships of walking boldly into the Kingdom fight and knowing the enemy is not happy to see you here. Prayers for energy, confidence, solid identity, financies,  opportunity. 

Please continue to lift us up in prayer, along with our other team in  Costa Rica. Continued boldness and realization of the crazy, love sick eyes of our Father. More Lord! MORE! Thanks for reading, I will try to stay consistent in posting updates but things will likely be as sporadic as our internet access. Email continues to be the best way of contact. 

Worship session in Wanaka. Thanks Brendan for the fabulous photos!!