Outreach Update #2

Kia ora! This is my outreach team's second update...

YWAM OXFORD JDTS 2012 - 2013 NZ OUTREACH TEAM UPDATE #2

Hey everyone! Since the last time we updated you we have run a family camp and have done a lot of evangelism. From December 31st to January 5th we helped run the first King's Kid Family Camp in New Zealand. The camp was incredible, the families were amazing. It was so good to see the families open up to God being the center of their family and them working together. Steph and Lily worked with the 0 - 6 year olds and had a fun time singing songs, making crafts and running around with them. Val and Hikari worked with the 7 - 12 year olds and shared a lot of God's heart for them, setting example while they are still young and keeping up with their energy levels. Lizzie and Jo worked with the 13 - 21 year olds, they had a great time, teaching, sharing and just chatting and getting to know them. We got to meet Ledua's family, his wife Vika and two wonderful children Jeremiah and Sofia.

We arrived in Auckland Sunday night and spent Monday and Tuesday praying and worshiping. Wednesday we spent our day learning to stop striving and trying to please God with our "good works". Later that night we participated in a community dinner that the base here hosts. Lily and Lizzie led communion before the meal which was a potluck of various dishes from around the world. After dinner we spent the evening worshipping and each member of our team shared what we've learnt so far on outreach. We got to connect with most of the people who live on base and the King's Kids base. Mandy Hudson was one of them. Go Mandy Hudson! Friday through Sunday we spent our evenings evangelizing. We worked with Peter Kim who runs a Prayer Station every Friday night on Queen Street, Auckland's city center. The Prayer Station is usually only on Friday nights but because there was our DTS, a University Korean DTS, and a Korean SOM Team, Peter organized it for 3 nights. We had an amazing time working with the Koreans. From 7 - 8 we had worship and prayer and then from 8 - 10 we went out onto the street for evangelism. Every night we had some really good conversations with people. Saturday night, Steph talked to 2 Korean guys, one a Christian and the other not. She did a really great job, sharing with them about God. They told her that they stopped to talk to her because they thought she was blushing, she wasn't though. Her face was just really red because we had gone to the beach for our time  off that afternoon. Sunday night we worshipped out on the street which was pretty cool to sing and worship God in the middle of the street. Val together with Jin, a Korean girl studying English for the next 3 months who is absolutely lovely, led a girl named Annie to Jesus. Hallelujah, praise the Lord! Lizzie and Jo spent their two hours Sunday night, chatting with a Muslim guy, Zachary, about the differences between Islam and Christianity. While they were conversing with him, an atheist, Leum joined their conversation. They ended up talking with him separately for another hour, and it turns out that he's from Christchurch and knows about Oxford and has met some us YWAMers before. He's only 18 but has an incredible knowledge of the Bible and other religions, he even debates for fun. We hope to keep in contact with him, as he is most definitely searching. Please pray for him. 

January 14th, in the morning we had a Powhiri, an official Maori welcome, at the Te Ao Marama YWAM Base, along with the Korean Uni DTS, Korean SOM Team and the English for Mission school students. 

Prayer Points:

- Steph's headaches that they would be healed

- team unity and that we would become stronger as a family

- that we would continue to be bold and courageous as we love people wherever they're at

- for the people that we've built relationships with during Prayer Station nights, like Annie and Leum

- wisdom in direction and following God's leading

- continued good health for our team

Heaps of love,

JDTS '12 - '13 NZ Outreach Team

p.s. ya'll are really really awesome, thanks for praying for us!