Free Weekend!

Oh man, how I love free weekend! I remember, as a student, how I never understood why the staff would choose to stay on base and not go travel the great unknown. I mean, you're in flippin' New Zealand for cryin' out loud!
I understand now.
All I did was sleeeeeeeep. And it was glorious.
On Friday, Rebeka and I got the BEST CARE PACKAGE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. Thank you Mamma! Seriously, chock full of goodies and treats and happiness that catalyzed me into my weekend of laziness. While the boys were out camping, hunting down and killing turkeys with their bare hands, the girls vegged out in from of the TV with cookies, Tim Tams, chippies, L&P, and lollies and watched hours of Anne of Green Gables and snuggled to our hearts' content. I went surfing with Joehelen and Barry on Saturday and then finished the beautifully long weekend with a tea party with the girls on Sunday afternoon.
Mmmm, lovely.
This school is moving along great! It's hard to believe that we're in week 10 - outreach in less than 3 weeks! Oh man, India is so close! We're still waiting on our visas - please continue to pray that they come in soon and all approved!
Ahhh! More to come!

Finally!

Oh man, sorry, I've been MIA since before I left Franklin for New Zealand! (Sorry Mom! You'll be happy to know I'm actually going to make an effort to write regularly!)
It's been the most craziest, hardest, most wonderful few months! I'm learning so much, in such a different way than I ever imagined I would. Being stretched, learning how to love, being humbled, all the while with this amazing peace inside me, embracing the grace He's constantly pouring out!
I love staffing, I love my leaders, I love my co-leaders, I love this school, I love my 1-on-1's, I love my outreach team! I'm so excited to be co-leading a team to India the beginning of December! We'll be ministering at an orphanage and surrounding villages as well as spending time at Mother Theresa's home! We're sending off our visas, so please be praying that the whole process goes smoothly and we all get entry! I think my favourite week thus far has been this past week - Lordship of Christ with Mark Parker. To be honest, on my DTS, I just didn't get this week.  I mean, I did with my brain. Kinda. But this week just smacked me in the face. In a good way of course! It humbled and affirmed me so much, I learned even more how to align my focus and perspective. I'm constantly learning how how to turn my focus outward. And then Tabernacle Day happened. Amazing things happen in hearts on this day, and some crazy physical things happen too! Part of Tabernacle Day is giving things away, giving an offering to God and giving to other extravagantly. I gave away a few things - the hardest one being a ring my 1-on-1 from my DTS gave me when I committed to Jesus a year ago. But another things I knew I was supposed to give away was my iPhone, which was less hard, but still hard because it's my connection to home, my connection to the outside world. But God is crazy and told a student to give me his brand-new iPhone 5 to replace it! HOW CRAZY IS THAT. Obedience can be so rewarding. In every area of life.
India profiles to come!

Today, I did absolutely nothing but everything at the same time.

Today, I got a taste of home.

Today, I told the world that I am going to India.

Today I cried like a proud mama.

Today, I learned how to let go.