Almost 3 Months: Life Update!

It is hard to believe that in less than a week, I will have lived in New Zealand for three months!  I am amazed by God's faithfulness and still in awe of the opportunity to be here and be part of His work.  I want to apologize for MY lack of faithfulness to keep my blog updated!  So much has been happening that I just have neglected it!  Here's a solid update on life and ministry lately.

EASTER CAMP

(Pictured Above:  Group shot at the end of Easter Camp outside the marae)

This Easter was the most remarkable of my life!  Easter Camp is a tradition in New Zealand, and I had the privilege of attending a small Easter Camp at a marae with three of our church youth ministries.  The majority of the camp was Fijian, and I was the only palagi (white person) there.  However, by the end of the camp I had been given sulus (Fijian wrap skirts) to wear, participated in action chorus dances, and even told I was now "from" Nawaka, Nadi in Fiji. :)  It was a beautiful cultural experience, but more than that, it was a beautiful Jesus experience!  Two young people made first-time commitments to Christ, and many found victory through the Holy Spirit over areas of struggle in their lives! We heard reports of, "I've never really understood what Easter was about until now!"  I've also heard of parents expressing that the young people who came back home after camp were not the same young people who went to camp.  How good is our God?

CONNECTING WITH CHURCHES

(Pictured Above:  With new friends after a garage youth prayer meeting on Sun. night)

Over this past month, I've been able to connect with nine of our churches/youth ministries.  I am still amazed by the diversity of the Body and the ways God is moving.  Just this week, I heard the testimony of another young man in one of our churches who had just given his life to Christ!  I am so excited about what God is doing and greatly anticipating what might be next!  By the end of June, the plan (by God's grace) is that I will have connected in some way with all of our churches on the North Island. 

REST, FUN, & NEW EXPERIENCES

(Pictured Above:  At the beach to go jet skiing with friends!)

 (Pictured Above:  With some mates having a picnic at Hunua Falls)

(Pictured Above:  Placing poppies on the monument at the Anzac Day ceremony)

One of my favorite quotes for a long time has been by Jim Elliot, "Wherever you are, be all there; live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."  It's my aim to do just that, both in terms of diving into ministry and diving into new experiences.  Sometimes I can be a pretty major chicken, especially in situations that require me to have any sort of coordination... haha.... But there is so much to explore and experience in this beautiful country!  I went jet skiing for the first time in my life, had a picnic with friends in front of a beautiful waterfall, and went with a youth group to the Waiwera Thermal Hot Pools!  The thermal hot pools were quite the experience... it's like Splashing Safari at Holiday World meets a hot tub and a movie cinema... Pretty sweet!  Finally, on Anzac Day I attended the dawn ceremony in downtown Auckland.  Anzac Day is the day of remembrance for those who died in war as well as those who have served in the military.  It was incredible to be part of this event.

All in all, life and ministry are exciting!  I still have lots of learning to do, emotional ups and downs are still part of transitioning into a new culture, and I recognize ways God wants to refine and shape me--but I am thankful and stoked for the journey!!!

Catching the Vision; Life Update; Learning the "Language"

CATCHING THE VISION:
My prayer right now is that God would give me a clearer vision of "why I'm here."  The BIG PICTURE of partnering with church leaders here to help enable young people to take hold of the hope of the Gospel has been my vision since day one.  Now that I am here, however, I am looking for the more specific vision.  What are the practical steps and how should they be ordered for me to fulfill the role God has called me to in New Zealand?  I can feel God stirring my spirit and speaking direction, both through conversations with other church leaders and in my personal prayer time.  Please keep praying with me for God to accomplish His will for the national youth program of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand as well as to show me what my personal role looks like in the midst of that big picture!

LIFE UPDATE:
Life has been full and lovely over the past days.  I was down sick for one day, but thankfully it only lasted one day!  I'm actually amazed that I've gone through this transition and been here almost two months now without getting really sick.  Praise God!  A lot of administrative tasks have been my focus lately--while these don't necessarily make for fun updates, they are really exciting for the big picture!  Pastor Atu and I have two major events in the detail-planning process that are coming up.  On May 18th, we will be having a youth leaders' gathering that I am really excited about!  It's a sort of one day retreat with three basic elements:  fellowship/fun, encouragement, and vision casting/organization for the national youth movement.  Next, on June 22-23, we are planning a "Reconnect Weekend" for our youth.  The Friday night will be a concert and the Saturday a sports' day!  We are still trying to secure a venue for the sports' day, so prayers in that direction are appreciated!

Also, since my last blog update I have been able to visit two more churches for the first time as well as to touch base again with a couple youth ministries.  I am still amazed by the beautiful diversity of this multicultural church of which I am now a part.  I am so blessed and finding my perspective ever-widened about the kingdom.  Also, it is so exciting for me to hear the passion in different church leaders for the young people in their families and communities to experience Christ in a life-changing way.  Just this week, I was able to pray with some young people to make new commitments to follow God's plan for their lives.  Hallelujah!

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE:
A big part of learning culture is learning language.  While English is the dominant language in NZ, it is different than American English in many ways!  Also, I've been trying to pick up on some vocabulary of other languages spoken here as well.  I've been regularly updating a "dictionary" for my own vocabulary learning, and I've decided to share it.  My NZ friends, if you see anything that is wrong, please correct me!

Palagi--Samoan word for white people
Pakeha--Maori word for white people
Pukeko--Pretty big black and blue bird that makes really loud calls outside my house at all hours of  the day and night
Kia Ora--Maori greeting/affirmation
Aotearoa--Maori--Land of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand)
Knackered--Worn out
Lead--Leash
Sweet As--Cool; phrase of agreement
Eh?--Right?
Mate--Friend
Bench--Bar counter
Bench Stool--Bar stool
Petrol--Gas
Heaps and heaps--lots
Barbe--Barbecue Grill AND the event of a barbecue
P.I.--Pacific Islander
Keen to--Like to
Motorway--Highway
Bits and bobs--bits and pieces; all of the stuff being referenced, without leaving any small bit out "Be sure you get all your bits and bobs before you leave!"
Car park--Parking Lot AND parking space "I parked in a car park in the Countdown car park."
On Special--On Sale
Take Aways--Carry Outs
Ring--to call on the phone
Goodonya--Good job
Jandals--Flip-flops
Letter Box--Mail Box
Lounge--Living Room
Tiki Tour--Road trip without a definite destination; taking the scenic/long route
Tea--Dinner or tea time
Supper--Snack before bed
I reckon--I think so
A think--A time of thinking; "Go have a think about it."
A sleep--A time of sleeping
Footpath:  Sidewalk
Chilly bin:  Cooler
Rubbish bin:  Trash can
Fizzy drink:  soda
Zed:  The letter "Z"
Lollies:  Candy
Tomato Sauce:  Ketchup
Chips:  Fries
Jam:  Jelly
Jelly:  Jello
Biscuits:  Cookies
Scones:  Biscuits
College:  High School
Uni:  University
Malo e lelei--Tongan greeting
Malo--Tongan “Thank you”
Bula--Fijian greeting
Venaka--Fijian “Thank you”
Nofo a--Tongan “Goodbye” (from someone leaving)
'Alu a--Tongan “Goodbye” (to someone leaving)

"So, what exactly are you doing?"

I've heard this question a few times in reference to my role in New Zealand over the past few weeks.  While I can summarize my role here--"I am serving as the National Youth Consultant of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of NZ.  This means my role is to be a pastor to youth workers and a source for them of consultancy and resources, to bring a sense of unity and "team" to Wesleyan youth ministry in NZ, to encourage and facilitate the development of new leaders, and to help plan national youth/youth leader events," there are still lots of moments when I am trying to figure out what exactly that looks like!  I can tell you some of the activities I participate in on a regular basis--research/preparation for future training, planning meetings for the national youth calendar, traveling to churches, sharing my story and preaching, meeting with youth workers and individual students...  But in the midst of trying to sort through how God wants to use me here, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me so much about the way Kingdom work happens, especially when we are serving in a context that is foreign to us.  I want to share a few of these lessons I'm learning.

1.  Mission takes time.  Most missionaries, upon entering a country, spend the entire first year just learning the language and the culture and building relationships.  Just because most people in NZ speak English does not mean that a missionary here is allowed to skip over the culture-learning stage.  Also, NZ is such a melting pot of cultures that this stage is even more complex in some ways here than it would be in a mono-cultural setting.

2.  Taking the posture of a learner and focusing on relationships are key.  One of the most important concepts in NZ culture is that of "mana."  Mana is a Maori word that means a deep, earned respect/trust.  Without having established mana, an outsider coming in could easily offend and burn bridges, doing more harm than good.  Thus, rather than coming in with an attitude of arrogance, a foreigner has to come with humility, recognizing that the host culture has a lot to teach him.  In many ways, the missionary is the most ignorant person in the Church of the host culture.  Thus, before anything can be taught, a LOT must be learned.  The missionary should be the first to experience transformation as a result of his presence in the host culture.

3.  Spirit-led planning is just as important as acting.  Especially in a role focused on national development, a lot of planning has to happen on the front end to ensure that objectives are being accomplished.  Spirit-led planning is not somehow less important than the actual "work" of the ministry being planned. 

Even in the midst of transition time into a culture, God can graciously allow us to see fruit.  Even though I am still very much in this time of transition, I can testify to how God has worked through my time here.  I have had the privilege of praying with teenagers, watching them get excited about a relationship with Christ and serving in His Kingdom.  I have seen the Holy Spirit begin to tear down walls and minister freedom and healing in young people's lives.  Through relationships with non-believers and struggling seekers, I see how God is drawing them slowly to personal knowledge of Himself.  I have been privileged to pray and share my heart with fellow youth workers as we walk this journey together.  Every now and then, God pulls back the curtain to reveal some small purpose of why I am here.  While I believe Him for great things, I am humbled to even be part of the small things.  What exactly am I doing????  I am looking to Jesus.  (See the devotion below)

"...We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help."  2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT

As a leader you'll be called upon to make decisions regarding relationships, money, time, values, opportunities, and disputes.  And your decisions will show up on the bottom line.  There, in the clear light of day, your leadership will be judged.  And there's something else you need to know; in that realm it takes longer to recognise your brilliance or stupidity because you're forced to lead for long periods of time without the benefit of knowing if you made the right call.  By the time your crop starts coming in, it's too late to change your agricultural procedure.  You have to wait until the next season of planting.

When it comes to leadership, uncertainty is a permanent part of all progress; it never goes away!  Furthermore, uncertainty isn't an indication of poor leadership, it just underscores the need for it; it's the environment in which good leadership is most often discovered.  As a leader you may think you should always know what to do, but in reality there will be few occasions when you are absolutely certain.  It's why King Jehoshaphat prayed, 'We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.'  Since you'll constantly be called on to make decisions with limited information, your goal should not be to eliminate uncertainty but to develop the ability to trust God and be courageous and clear in spite of it.

It's not your job to remove uncertainty; it's your job to inspire clarity, faith and progress in the midst of it.  When you can do that, you are learning to be a leader.

--The Word for Today, March 15th

God Speaks...

I've been reflecting today (as the result of a wonderful conversation with a friend) on the fact that God speaks to His people.  Sometimes it's tricky to discern His voice.  We have to (1) know His character, (2) know His Word, (3) watch for confirmations through others and circumstances, and sometimes (4) we just have to wait.  Today has been one of those days when I have experienced Him speaking to me in His own subtle, lovely ways.  This culminated in reading my NZ "The Word for Today."  The devotional spoke to me, and I thought I would share it.  (It is copied at the end of this blog.)

Since my last blog post, I can already see how God is continuing to form me and speak more truth over my life in the process.  I have slowly started moving into my office.  Tomorrow I am taking some more books to leave there.  I've visited another church and youth group for the first time, East City Wesleyan and their student ministry, SURGE.  It was a wonderful experience, and I am looking forward to building a stronger relationship with them.  I've already gained quite a few Facebook friends out of the visit. :) 

I went through the car-hunt process and came out of it yesterday when I officially paid for and drove home my adorable 1997 Mazda Demio hatchback which I have named Ruthie.  One of my Kiwi friends suggested the reference to Ruth/Naomi as one that would say, "whereever you go, I will go."  I love it. :)  I'm slowly gaining confidence with the whole driving on the left-hand side of the road thing. 

I've also met with three different youth leaders over the past week.  Tonight, after a wonderful coffee meeting, a few of us went walking around the bay after dark.  It was a perfect close to the day. I drove home with the comforting thoughts in my mind, "This feels like home."  Tomorrow night, I am going to Papakura youth group to hear a student speak.  Last week, he told me that he would be willing to speak the next time I was able to visit.  I'm really excited. :)  Thursday, I have a meeting with the National Youth Ministry Director to do some hard-core planning/discussing about our goals and plans for the national calendar.  On Friday, I will be going with a youth pastor/missionary friend into one of the schools for the day to observe/learn more about Kiwi youth culture.  I am spending the weekend with her.  Friday night, I will speak to her youth at Shore Grace.  Sunday morning, I will be with her at her for morning worship as well.  Then Sunday night, I am speaking at East City Wesleyan. 

In the midst of all the activity and getting settled, I just sense God's presence.  While I haven't heard a booming voice from the heavens, I have a peace that He is speaking words of encouragement over me.  I hear His pleasure while I wait on Him, trying to discern what my role here looks like.  I hear His truth as He teaches me through the testimony and example of my new Kiwi friends and co-laborers in the Gospel.  His Word resonates in my spirit.  My God speaks.

Ok, below is the promised devotional, if you are still reading that is.  :)   

The Word for Today, Tuesday, March 6th:

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it..."  Psalm 127:1 NKJV

In God's Kingdom, centre stage is not for those who think they've got their act together and deserve public recognition.  Nor is it limited to those in leadership and public ministry.  It's a call to action, to you, whoever and wherever you are today.  When you trust God's timing He grooms you for bigger and  better parts.

But there are some things you must and must not do:  (1) Don't try to make it on your own.  Popular wisdom says, 'Fake it till you make it,' and you'll be tempted to debut in your own strength.  Don't do it!  If you do, you will get in the way of a much greater production.  The Bible says, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.'  Trust God, and when your moment comes He will give you your cue.  (2) Leave the shadows.  Are you ready to transform 'acting' into an authentic performance that reveals the real you?  Fear of rejection is powerful.  It takes courage to be yourself.  But you gain strength from the struggle and power from the pain when you are willing to risk moving from the shadows into the light.  (3) Confront your inner critic.  We are all subject to the little voice within that says, 'You'll never be smart enough, rich enough, pretty enough or good enough to stand in the spotlight.'  But when God raises you up, nobody can put you down.  So remind your inner critic of God's promise: '... You shall go to all whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak' (Jeremiah 1:7 NKJV).

Reflection on 10 Day Trip; Back Home in Auckland

I was sitting on a mat on the floor of a lounge, sharing a traditional Tongan meal with my brothers and sisters in Christ in their home, when IT HAPPENED!  As I prayed with two teenage girls, one who wanted to start the journey of really committing herself to Christ and another who wanted to commit to discipling her friend, IT HAPPENED.  IT HAPPENED again around a picnic table over tea with a youth pastor, and again on a beach as I witnessed for the first time a baptism at the beach.  Yet again, IT HAPPENED while I sat on floor mat singing worship songs in Fijian with new friends, and again when my new "Fijian sister" and I sat on a couch just sharing our hearts for young people with each other.  While sitting in a small circle in a church hall, sharing the Word of Life with young people, IT HAPPENED.  Over and over again, IT HAPPENED-->the fresh and beautiful revelation struck me that I am in New Zealand, where God has called me to be!  

There is no way to fully explain the beautiful diversity and outstanding faith that I encountered on my tour of several of our churches in the central region.  I still have many churches to connect with, but it was so incredible to see what God is doing in some of our congregations and build relationships with pastors, youth leaders, and students.  I was able to share my "Jesus story" on different occasions, but more than anything I was able to learn, observe, and connect.  I was so excited to hear SEVERAL testimonies of recent conversion from our students.  God is moving!  Those of you who were praying for Ignite camp in January--your prayers and the prayers of others were definitely heard!  As two teenage boys shared with me, one night at camp, the Lord just pushed them forward to give their lives to Him.  I am so excited to be part of this movement and come alongside our leaders as they pour themselves into these young people!!!  One over-arching theme that I heard from leaders over the past week and a half is that there are not enough leaders to meet the needs!  Please be praying for God to raise up more leaders who will commit themselves to serving young people and the church in general in New Zealand.

Today, I went with seven other young adults to a Young Life training conference.  It was a great day, but I am definitely exhausted after ten days of traveling, and short night's sleep, and a full day of seminars.  It's time for laundry and a bit of rest before hitting the ground running again.  Below are some pictures to try to convey some of my trip.  If you want the full effect, check out the albums on Facebook.

 Maori performance at Whakarewarewa in Rotorua

 With a Maori carving at Whakarewarewa, representing Disciple of course :)

My Tongan friends though it would be fun to dress me up as a Tongan. :)

 With Gisborne Tongan youth group

Another pic with Gisborne Tongan youth

 With Pastor Sione and family

 Beach baptism with Living Waters Church

With some of my new friends from Streams Gathering

 Kathy, my Kiwi friend who took me on this trip, and leaders from Whanganui Wesleyan

With youth from Whanganui Wesleyan

Insights on the Beach for my Land-Locked, Midwestern Friends

So, when I was growing up, a trip to the beach was something that might happen every so many years.  When you are land-locked, going to the beach becomes synonymous with mega-holiday!  I am quickly learning, however, that on an ISLAND, this is not the case at all!  In fact, there are TONS of public beaches within a twenty minute drive of my house!  Going to the beach is not synonymous with holiday here--it's just a normal part of life--like a trip to the park or the store.  So, when you see pictures of the beach on my facebook page, I just want to explain that this doesn't mean I'm here on vacation!  In fact, it means that I am spending time where people are and learning more about Kiwi culture.  This past weekend, I had the joy of spending a day on the beach in a group of seven young adult gals who are all up and coming leaders in the Church in New Zealand.  It was a wonderful time to learn more about culture and engage in some awesome theological discussions.  This trip was more of a one-day holiday than most beach trips because we were visiting friends who had a "bach" (beach house) at Pauanui, which is about 2 and a half hours away.  It also meant that I got some valuable driving experience. :)  However, most beach days will be close to home.  Going to the beach is a cheap way to chill out and build relationships for an evening or a Saturday!  It's also a common youth group excursion. :)

Ministry Update

Good stuff is happening! Please keep praying for God to help me connect and adapt appropriately for the sake of the kingdom!

Here's a brief ministry summary. So far I have...
1. Connected in some way (whether in person or by other forms of communication) with five churches.
2. Met with the National Student Ministries Director and prepared with him a calendar for national youth/youth leader events.
3. Shared with two different youth groups.
4. Started my first mentoring relationship with a new, passionate, and amazing female youth leader.

Upcoming events...
1. Meeting tonight with the Collide student ministries leadership team from Cession Community Church.
2. Leave tomorrow for a ten day tour of connecting with churches/youth groups on the southern part of the North Island.