Christmas Post

Merry Christmas!

Yes, the season is here, even in the summer. Coming from Manitoba, this definitely does not have the same Christmas-y feel, but the warm weather is such a blessing and I really love it, especially the lack of -40C below zero. But off the topic of weather, outreach has arrived.

The Bangladesh & Thailand team are leaving at 3 AM Saturday, December 15th in the morning. (Tyler... I'm going to miss you heaps cousin...). The Nepal team is leaving at 3 AM Sunday, December 16th in the morning. And my team (New Zealand) is leaving at 8:30 AM Monday, December 17th in the morning. This last week has been filled with a lot of talk about outreach and leaving this weekend. Last night, (Wednesday) was our evening commissioning service, each team got prayed for as well as each person by staff, trustees and fellow students. It was a really releasing and encouraging night. This morning at our last base intercession before outreach we got to pray for the teams and write down encouraging words, scriptures and pictures for each of the teams, as well as individuals. Today, the frantic packing has begun as the stuff we are not bringing along is being put in storage at 6:15 PM tonight, and our bags we are taking along need to be pack as if we were leaving the base now. Friday, tomorrow is the awesome day of cleaning. All schools, Justice, Backpackers and Climbers will be cleaning the entire base, every knick nook and cranny all day.

I've learnt a little bit more about what my outreach is going to look like. Our destination is Matamata, New Zealand. On our way we are planning on staying 2 nights in a rented house (*staying in holiday housing such as a house or apartment is cheaper than a hostel, especially at Christmas time) in Motueka, this is for team building. Then we'll be off to Nelson, where we will be staying with a local pastor, Allen. We will be staying at their house till Sunday. Not sure what we'll be doing but most likely we'll be helping out with the church, it's small groups and Sunday we'll get to be part of a baptism service. From there we'll head to Picton to catch our ferry at 1 AM December 24th and at 3 AM we will land in Wellington, NZ. Our plan is to spend Christmas as a team here. As a good Kiwi tradition (after some sleep of course) we will spend our Christmas at the beach! And rumor has it, we might get to see The Hobbit as our Christmas present. :) After Christmas at the beach we will make our way to Taupo. We'll be staying here from December 27th - 28th with a couple who spoke at our school 2 weeks ago. They are Kelvyn & Karen Watkins and they have wonderfully invited us to their farm. (Fun fact: they live 15 minutes away from the waterfall featured in the Lord of Rings scenery for the elves home). One night there, and off to Matamata where we'll help with the King's Kid's family camp till January 6, 2013. From there, our plans are not set in stone. We are thinking of  spending 3 weeks up at the Auckland YWAM base and after we'll head to the Taraunga YWAM base to help with some of their ministries such as street evangelism. There we'll get to meet up and work with 2 of our past speakers Josh Cole and Marty Emmitt. We're planning that after mid-February that we'll held back here down to the South Island and work with Nvader, who's founder also spoke on our school. So that's the plan right now and I hope to update you with epic stories and how awesome God is very soon as we head out on Monday. Love you guys heaps and if you would like to pray for me over my 11 weeks on outreach specifically, please email me letting me know that you're behind my team and I. Prayer is really essentially to outreach and it would be lovely know you are praying for us. I would love to hear from you. Be dangerous for Jesus!

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me TeTau Hou. (Maori)

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.