Camp Life

After going through six days of camp life, it's a familiar experience to feel like one lived through an eternity and a whirlwind all at once. Life outside of the camp routine becomes a bit fuzzy while life in the midst starts to spin. The whole experience must be approached with a sense of humor and the right sort of perseverance - the kind that keeps your feet moving lightly and your spirit grounded firmly - as you recognize this is a brief season.



I came out of the week with so much more respect for my friends that were counselors at The Oaks the summer that I was on the leadership staff as the Arts and Crafts Director. They signed on for four solid weeks of campers! Granted, this was one of the most rewarding things I've done, and I feel quite accomplished now, but it is also a lifestyle that demands great selflessness and a high standard of consistency and alertness. In my case, this looked like undisciplined emotional nine to twelve year old girls who could were obstinate toward me and downright nasty to each other.

Of course, this was not the scenario twenty-four hours a day. Peace and joy extended beyond sleeping hours to one-on-one conversations with the girls, much laughter, and many hugs. It was just that witnessing the meanness that human beings can show to one another wrenched my heart and having to interact much more on a disciplinary level than a more straightforwardly loving one left me drained at the end of each day (though the belief that discipline can be a form of love kept me going).

When I thought I had been drained of all patience and wisdom at the end of each day, I would rest my head on my pillow for a precious six and a half hours, wake up to the stars at 5:30 A.M., and gather with my fellow leaders for an hour to pray and encourage each other. With hot potent tea in one hand and my Bible clutched in the other, I would get to drink from the Source that truly revives.

I think that was the greatest gift I received from the past week. Consistently spending time with my Bible hasn't come easily in the past month or so, and the fact is that most months out of the year 'easy' is a foreign concept, but whether or not it is a natural inclination in my downtime or a consistently sectioned off activity in my schedule, it needs to be done. Not for legalistic reasons of need, but for soul-satisfying, relationship-growing reasons...and ones I am not even aware of until I dig in and open up.

So, as contradictory as this might sound, the past week brought me refreshment. It also brought names and faces into my life that will always be dear to me, especially the ones that were hardest to love.



But oh so many were easy to love! I was one of three Americans at the camp, and almost everyone else was from New Zealand, so I got to be more immersed in Kiwi culture and learn/be reminded of a lot about the lingo and food. For example, the use of as at the end of expressions, such as sweet as, isn't actually a different pronunciation of the word ass, and therefore it's okay for eight year olds to say (ask Elise about that!). Also, canned fruit combined with Neapolitan ice cream is not a strange idea for dessert/pudding, and New Zealand's version of an American hot dog is still a far cry from the real thing (which I really don't mind, since I could take or leave both countries' versions).

As I was saying, though, the people were wonderful, and while I probably won't see most of them again, they'll always bring a smile to my face. The leaders of the camp have passionate hearts for seeing the lives of children touched by God and the story of his Son reaching their ears. That was a beautiful, invaluable thing in which to play a small role.

[Thank you so much to my sister, Elise, for sharing her photos with me. I left my camera safely at home, so the girls you see are from her cabin.]

Church Ministries and Tea Drinking

I have taken up residence in a little home on a small cul-de-sac called Felicity Place. Ironically, Felicity was the name of one of my closest friends when my family lived here. This time around, though, it is associated with a Kiwi family, a mother and seven year old son, who have welcomed me into their lives and provided, among other things, a much appreciated electric kettle, able to boil water for belly-warming tea in minutes.

I've spent plenty of my life in this type of weather before, but, perhaps because of the sudden switch from California summer to New Zealand spring, I'm having a hard time shaking the cold from my bones, particularly my toes.

Elise and I said goodbye on Sunday night but will be seeing each other on Saturday morning, as we've agreed to be camp counselors for a week up in Whangarei. I believe the kids are seven to fourteen years old but don't know much else beyond that and our wake up call being at 5 A.M. every morning...you can pray for energy for that!

This was a last-minute opportunity that arose out of this camp still being in search of two girl counselors, so I'm glad to help. Most of the time, however, my energy will be focused in the North Shore area, helping with ministries such as Toddler Rock (a sing-along time for toddlers and their mums on Wednesday mornings at the church), Bible in Schools (a thirty minute Bible lesson taught once a week in public schools), Walking School Bus (walking kids home from primary school), and then getting to know the middle school/intermediate and high school/college age girls within the church.

As I get into these activities more, I will certainly elaborate on them (and bring out my camera at events, since it often ends up being the best storyteller). For now, if you're curious about pictures or emotions upon arrival in this new-but-old place, you can visit my other blog: One Hungry Soul.

I have had my lemon ginger tea and am ready to curl up under some heavy covers for the night, even though it's just after 9 P.M. Sometime soon my body clock will fully adjust, and then I'll miss the energy I've been feeling as I naturally wake up at 7 A.M.

Being Here: In the Old and the New.

I will never get Friday, September 18, 2009 back. I never got it at all, actually. It slipped around one side of the earth as my plane flew the other direction and landed me in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday the 19th. I left Los Angeles on Thursday the 17th.

So, here I sit in the living room of a family I already know is going to become very dear to me. The Marlars are missionaries from Texas who picked Elise and I up at the airport and have been doing their best to encourage us to stay awake throughout the day. We're doing quite well considering it's already 5:15 pm.

Much of today has simply felt surreal, revisiting One Tree Hill and the house in Glendowie we lived in for three years.


Conversation is continuing to bring about a clearer picture of what my daily life will look like here in Auckland and the ministries I will be working with at North Shore Church of Christ, and I am encouraged by the knowledge that I have three months ahead of me to learn from and build upon.

Please pray that I dive in deeply and confidently, with roots well planted.

Getting Closer

While the blogged-about version of my life has been overtaken by a lapse of silence, the real thing has been far from it – silent, that is. Rather, it has been characterized by bus motors, car horns, sirens, and the mumbled appeals of homeless men and women crouched on the sidewalks.

I’ve been living in San Francisco, can’t you tell?

Sadly, that all-too-brief season of my life is over. I had a wonderful time in the beautiful yet raw city of SF with its masses of pedestrians and fantastic farmers markets but won’t expand further than that here. If you’d like to know more, I managed a few meager blog posts over at One Hungry Soul. I’ve been gone for a week now, and it would have been a much more tearful departure if I didn’t have New Zealand hollering his seductive accent my way, reminding me that I have a plane to catch in mid September.

So, that’s what I’m here to tell you about tonight. You guys have all overwhelmed me with your generosity, and I find myself a little breathless each time I tell someone I only have $15 left to raise for my internship – $15! As in, I should take some of my paycheck from the past month, do some giving of my own and call it even!

I do not have much other news for you, but I so appreciate your prayers and support. As of today, I just flew into Seattle and am excited to soak up some time with my family before heading overseas. I will keep you posted as need be.

On Our Way

I cannot believe all that has happened since I wrote my last post, just nine days ago.

I bought my plane ticket on Tuesday morning, and throughout that day, I had the silliest secretive grin tugging at the corners of my mouth...of course I wasn't keeping it a secret, but I feel like the emotions attached to returning to New Zealand are so personal that the inability to communicate them does make it a bit of a secret between me and God, the only one who knows my heart fully.

Some of you may not know the semi-recent decision my sister made to go to New Zealand at the same time as me. Yes, we purchased our tickets together, and will be there for four months, tentatively, though my commitment to the church is only for three. While Elise may not necessarily be living in Auckland, I am very grateful to know she will be nearby. Our sisterhood has formed a strong friendship, and I will gladly take the consistent access to accountability and honesty from someone who knows me well.

We both received notification of the approval of our holiday work visa applications the night before we purchased our tickets, which means we are eligible to stay in NZ for twelve months. Even more importantly, though, it means that Elise is able to work while there, and right now she is still in the midst of searching out opportunities, so please pray for her in this...and speak up if you have any connections.

I would also like to find work and stay in the country beyond my internship, but I am taking my life in smaller steps right now. The internship is currently my main focus, and after it is over, God may very well be directing me to another location entirely. I trust that He'll reveal what's next in the timeline that I need to know it.

The way things are falling into place, I am sensing God's affirmation more strongly than I have in a long time, which is an amazing place to be, of course. And putting it down in writing will surely be a good reminder when the tough times come.

Since I am leaving Texas soon, please pray for me in these transitions to California and then Washington, that in the eventful times ahead, I would be intentional in practicing His presence and nurturing my love for those I have yet to meet in New Zealand.

What a Couple Hours Can Do

Around noon today I found myself having a not-so-unexpected conversation with my mom about the what-ifs of "this whole New Zealand thing". Realistically, even though I had already received $350, the financial needs I have can not be met by my own accord.

Well, about two hours after that phone call I received a statement report from the church handling my support that took my breath away...and then in one big gulp of air sent my heart racing a mile a minute. My current need stands at $850 (out of $4000)!

Last week I received a generous donation from someone I know simply through my other blog. The unexpectedness of it all seemed to be God's reassurance that He is capable of exceeding all that we ask or imagine, and, just perhaps, His blessing is strongly on this internship.

Today there is no backing out. I have more than enough money to buy my plane ticket, and must simply pray - and petition your prayers as well - that the rest come through, that I seek growth in humility and trust, and that I am sensitive to the voice of God as He guides me forward.

Thank you so much for your generosity.

Important Detail!

For those of you who got a letter from me in the mail, I realized it might not be obvious that there's a very helpful little bit of information on a slip of paper in the pre-addressed envelope you received.

So, if you're unsure of how to make out any checks you may be writing, pull out that little card. But make sure and put it back! Or, just take note here that all checks should be made out to Beltway Park Baptist with "missions" in the memo line.

If the card isn't there, or you lose track of it, its main purpose is to designate who the money is for. Because all these donations go into the church's books and are tax-deductible, they should not have my name on them anywhere.

That's all for now!