Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Ways to Pray After the Earthquake

I received this report today through Global Partners concerning how people can be praying for Christchurch.

On February 22 at 12:51 p.m. in New Zealand, Christchurch, the country’s second largest city, was struck by an earthquake that caused extensive damage. At the time of this report, 65 deaths are confirmed with approximately 100 people missing. The Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand has no churches in Christchurch, but plans for a church plant in 2012 will continue. National Superintendent Rev. Dr. Richard Waugh states:
"The city has been hit very hard, and Prime Minister John Key has suggested this might be one of New Zealand’s darkest days. Many of our Wesleyan family have relatives in Christchurch. . . .
Pray that those who are trapped will be rescued alive, and pray that rescue workers will be safe.
Pray for people who have lost family members, friends, homes, and places of employment.
Pray that the people of God will be able to bring the love and peace of Jesus to a community in shock.
Pray for pastors and church leaders as they work to help those in their community."

–reported by National Secretary Rev. Peter Benzie,
Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand

Earthquake in Christchurch

I'm sure you have all seen the news about the devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Many people have been asking me about the safety of my connections in New Zealand. No Global Partners missionaries were directly affected by the quake. However, many of the people in the Wesleyan Methodist Church of NZ have family and friends in Christchurch who were affected. Please be in prayer for the nation after such a catastrophe.

Providence and Provision

The past couple weeks got away from me before it seemed I could blink! I spoke at two churches—Somerville Wesleyan and Friendship Christian. Both churches gave me a beautiful welcome and responded with generosity. Also in the past two weeks I was able to begin substitute teaching. My first day subbing was for a kindergarten class. I have to admit, that was a little bit outside of this youth pastor’s area of experience, but God helped me through it. Since then, I have been able to sub a few times for fifth and sixth graders as well as for high school students. It has been so great to be around students again! I love being in the schools, helping kids learn, and learning more personally about youth culture.

Speaking of spending time with students, last week some friends and I spearheaded a youth/young adult ministry at my home church. We had a very successful first meeting, and from what I hear, we should have several more students this week. We are working through Romans together, seeking to strengthen students’ faith, create an environment of mutual encouragement, and to reap a soul harvest for the kingdom. The ministry is called The Grounds, and once renovations are complete, we should have a “coffee house” area in which to meet. Until then, my living room is the youth room.

God has proven faithful in the last couple weeks in ways I can’t even fully describe. Many situations have cropped up that have been difficult, some even tragic, in my life and the lives of people very close to me. However, even in the midst of such trials, I see God at work. He never leaves us to fend for ourselves—He walks with us, even through dark valleys. He also goes before us in mysterious ways. I will share just two examples of many from this past week of God’s incredible provision in my life. Over the past months, I have been able to fill every weekend of my calendar with New Zealand speaking engagements all the way through the last week of May. However, two weekends in February just seemed to be impossible to schedule. I was initially frustrated to have two weekends in a row empty, but after the events of this past week, I see that God knew those dates needed to be open for reasons I never could have foreseen. Second, I received a paycheck for substitute teaching earlier than I had expected for $113. The next day, my car broke down, and it cost $110 to fix. Thank God for His providence and provision! He is so faithful!!!

Please join me in prayer for God’s hand in the following:

1. A special unspoken which is heavy on my heart.

2. Traveling mercies and a special touch of endurance for my car as I travel over the next months.

3. Continued divine appointments with both churches and individuals for support toward New Zealand.

4. God’s blessing on The Grounds and those youth/young adults who will be reached through this ministry.

5. That I will be a light in the schools as I continue to substitute teach.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

NZ Phone Date, Ripping up Carpet, Spiritual Retreat, and More!

The past week has been another of God's faithfulness! This weekend, I was able to share with the Fort Branch Wesleyan Church Family about the vision God has given me for New Zealand. I was able to reconnect with a lot of old friends as well as make some new ones. The people welcomed me whole-heartedly, and it was a great day!

Also this weekend, some friends and I attacked a renovation project in my temporary house. We ripped up a bunch of old, moldy carpet from the basement. It was a dirty job--and a lot of fun! We still have a ways to go with projects around the house; it's great to be able to serve the Lord in this way.

This week I had a phone date with one of my dear friends in New Zealand. I was able to hear more about Ignite (the annual youth camp) that took place last month. She said that EVERYTHING that could have went wrong did, including the worship leader being taken to the emergency room just after the opening service. Since the speaker was snowed in, the leaders were given 48 hours to figure out their messages. It was intense, but God was so faithful. She said that they filled to maximum capacity the portion of the campground they typically rent. At every service, there were a number of students who responded. The last night, all 200 or so people (students and adults) gathered round a campfire for a time of testimonies. She said (paraphrased)--"We were all freezing to death and standing in cow poo, but nobody cared--at least no one who was in the Spirit!" The testimonies were overwhelming--students giving God glory despite heart-breaking life circumstances. God is moving!!!

This week I set a day aside for a spiritual retreat--just me and Jesus for a day. During my day, I read a few books and focused on the Holy Spirit in Scripture. It was good to put all the fundraising tasks on hold to spend time in prayer and in communion with the Lord. Thanks for your prayers as I continue on this journey! I will be in another local church this weekend. Also, I will be contacting numerous churches over the next couple of weeks. Please pray for divine appointments.

In His Service,
Amber Janelle