Catch Up!

I DID MY LAUNDRY!

I'm so proud of myself!
The Musos also had a picnic. It was truly lovely. It was great, just relaxing and enjoying a beautiful day in the sun.

I got some amazing letters the past weeks. To every person who has sent me a letter, you are amazing and I love you more than life.

It's been a crazy week. Complete with bonfire shide-n-seek in the dark, and God has released me from some major stuff. I would write about it, but I would probs write a book and it still wouldn't even scratch the surface of what He's doing here.
I love everybody here so much. The students and the staff are incredible. I'm getting over being sick, and today, the Mus-Os went to Hamilton to go shopping and check out the Hamilton gardens. Because I was feeling like pooh, I sadly opted out. But I couldn't help but smile to myself as the boys came to the cottage door and shouted "GET BETTER DOUGLASS", or in frenchie Schnegg's case "GET BETTER DOOG-LASS." Elisa, my lovely German roomie, made me lunch and lovely Hannah came to visit me before the van left.
A few hours later, I finally dragged myself out of bed and took the most pitiful shower in all Hannah History. I forced some pills down my throat, ate Elisa's sandwhich, and skyped with my best friend, Mary Kate. Which was wonderful. I'm pretty sure she healed me. It was so good and refreshing to talk to her! I miss you boo!
Then I layed on the tramp with Beth and Brent. They're both great snuggle buddies. Then I went on the loveliest walk all by myself, and it was great. I just enjoyed the sunshine and talked to God and he romanced me with His creation. He said "Look at everything I created out of nothing just for you! This is for you to take delight in, because I want you to know how much I delight in you, my bride." He scattered little promises in all the wild daisies and shown down on me in the warm sunshine.
I found little Jacob after my walk, and we had ourselves a nice little impromtu jam session in the Gap. Then Carly joined us and totes showed us up with her awesome Adele piano skillz.
oh yeah,
btdubs,
CARLY'S HOME.
My one-on-one left me for her sister's wedding.
Sheese.
So selfish.
But she back now.
And I so happy.
This is her.

She's da bomb.
Then the Mus-Os came back.
And I felt so loved. I loved feeling loved. Like God's love was already brimming over in me, and then He made His love even better though these peeps.
They got me presents.

Thank you:
Schnegg - for the chocolate. :)
Kat - for the INCREDIBLE suction-sheep and my lovely PURPLE flowers :)
Johannah - the most beautiful scarf in the history of any scarves Hannah has ever owned
Sarah - my totally awesome PURPLE nail polish

thanks guys. :)
I love you all so much.
It's beddy-bye time! (Or time for me to actually start my CIR...which is due tomorrow. Whoops.)

Peace out girl scout.

Blue Water Walk

So, while Outdoor Pursuits did an adrenaline course, Music and Worship took a hike along the blue water mountain stream! It was beautiful. We all went one at a time, so it was just me, surrounded by New Zealand countryside and God. It was so peaceful and so surreal. I would do it again a million times over.
So we wrote songs. Our own personal Psalms.
Then we jumped in the river.
Which was cold.

Evidence:

 

It was even colder than the ocean.

 

Mattheiu and Matt love to snuggle.

 

 

 





OH LA VACHE!

The water was cold.
If you couldn't tell.
I'll tell you more about it later.
Peace out girl scout.

Sock Wrestling

I’m gonna do a post on the Blue River walk this weekend and song writing later, because it requires a lot of attention and I don’t have that time right now!

Wow, I’m so busy here, I’m never bored and I have to actually stay up late to do a blog post! We have optional prayer and worship stating at 6, then breakfast at 7 usually followed by base or Pursuits worship or intercession. Then there’s lectures and at 12:45 is lunchtime! Depending on the day, we have a little bit of free time to work on creative presentations/sermonettes/student worship/CIRs (creative integration record)/etc until 2 when have community rec or outreach or the DTS work program (projects around base). We have to complete our work duties (basically chores) every day. My first week was cottage duties, which consisted of vacuuming the cottage and cleaning the bathroom and kitchen among other things like emptying the trash. Last week I had breakfast dishes – I washed dishes with Henk after breakfast (my favorite duty so far!)! And this week I have late dinner prep, which means I go to the kitchen at 3:30 and cook with the dinner crew until we serve at 5:30. After dinner, depending on the day, we have small groups or base meetings, etc. Fridays are special because we go to town in the afternoon (if you want to Skype me, that is the time to do it since get free internet in the library!) and we go to the Tauranga House of Prayer at night. Saturdays are usually scheduled for outings for the different streams. Last weekend, Music and Worship (I will affectionately begin referring to us as “Musos”) did a Blue Water walk while Outdoor Pursuits (OP) did an adrenaline course. Sundays are reserved for relaxing and fellowship.

Well now.

Let me tell you about yesterday. For me, yesterday was Monday. I was tired. And late for breakfast since I overslept. So I consequently had to do breakfast dishes. The wash of shame is what I like to call it. This week David Cole is speaking on the Nature and Character of God. He’s been with YWAM for over 30 years and he’s got a lot of incredible things to say.

I swore I was going to do my laundry yesterday.

I didn’t.

Surprise.

I haven’t done my laundry since I left.

It just rains all the time and my clothes would never get dry on a line out here anyway! And when do I have the time?

Anywho.

Last night.

Small groups.

We had a girls’ night instead.

It was incredible.

We had a dance party in the lecture room. Then we ate junk food. And then we sock wrestled.

Talk about sisterly bonding time.

The point of the game, if you’ve never played, is to get the sock off your opponent’s foot. Usually it’s a sock that rises right up to the kneecap. Let’s just say it was the funniest thing I’ve seen in quite a long time. You should try it sometime. It’s actually hysterical.

Goodness. I’ll write about today tomorrow. That makes sense, right?

Peace out Girl Scout.

beachbeachbeach

Today was awesome.

We went to Tauranga. The beach just over the mountains. We all loaded up on the buses and drove to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen.

When we arrived, Hannah and I charged the beach and victoriously danced and jumped for the beach WAS OURS. And then I climbed a dead tree. On the beach. It was awesome.
 

Then we split up according to our teams. The Outdoor Pursuits guys went to climb a mountain, Music and Worship hiked a much smaller island mountain, and our one Surfer hit the waves.

Gosh, it was so beautiful. There’s something so romantic about a cold beach. I don’t know what, but it is. God just swept me away in the beauty of His creation.

The water was so crystal clear. On one side of the small island mountain, waves crashed against these incredible rocks, and on the other side was complete peace; still clear water and shady trees. It was so breathtaking to see God’s handiwork in such a wide spectrum on such a small piece of the Earth.

After we finished exploring our little island, we split up into 2 teams of 5 for a scavenger hunt. Matt (a Canadian) was our fearless leader, and the rest of our team was Hannah (a lovely Kiwi), Mattheiu (he’s a French-speaking Swiss kiddo), and Noemi (Austria – THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC AHHHHH) (sorry) (not really). We managed to create a pyramid with random strangers on the beach, find Dora the Explorer paraphernalia, get Burger King crowns and convince random strangers to wear them, have an organized dance party (JUMP ON IT) in the middle of the sidewalk, interview a local, and serenade an old couple with “Kiss the Girl” until they felt led to a little bit of PDA themselves, in under a couple of hours. We also managed a few other tasks, amongst them taking many group pictures and blazing trails in overgrown forests atop urban hills. I also somehow ended up singing “How Sweet It Is” with a sidewalk guitarist in exchange for an apple.

Oh, and let’s not forget that the dream team jumped in the ocean after completing said obstacles. We changed into our bathing suits and ran screaming into the unforgiving Pacific. Why unforgiving? Do you know how close New Zealand is to Antarctica??? Did you now that the hottest it gets in the peak of summer is around 85 degrees Fahrenheit? And that is in the PEAK of summer. We’re still in spring.

And so it was. Literally the coldest water I have ever willingly thrown myself into. I couldn’t feel my limbs. When I first hit the water, it was so cold that I could not breathe. Really, it took my breath away. Then came the stinging and then the numbness. It was crazy. It only hurt after I got out of the water and my body began to thaw again. I never thought that warmth returning to my body would be such a painful experience.

Legit.

Our team won the scavenger hunt by the way.

Pictures to come soon.

 

Peace out girl scout.

Constellations

Wow, I have so much to say about the lectures. This week’s guy, Joshua Cole, says amazing things that can only come from God himself. More to come on everything later.

Today was the first time we did a local outreach. I would have loved to have picked the option to sing at the local coffeehouse, but I didn’t really put time into putting anything together, so the rest home it was! (We had three options: coffee shop performance, rest home, or Kid’s Club)

The rest home in Matamata houses elderly people who aren’t entirely sound of mind. As soon as I walked through the door, my heart began to break for these people who had been cast off. One woman could only speak clearly one word at a time. She would say to me “lovely, lovely” and then begin prattling off, repeating syllables and sounds like she was carrying a conversation, completely unaware that no one could understand the words she was saying. One man wandered the halls with drool dripping down his face like a wide-eyed baby. When I walked into the open room, one woman, Eileen was her name, just silently took my hand and slowly led me around the home, going in circles, like a goldfish unknowingly discovering its bowl for the hundredth time. I talked to Richard who can’t even remember his children’s’ names and thinks Patsy Cline is still alive.

The mental state of some people, like Ira, who is literally a different person every time YWAMers visit (her characters range from loud lawyers to satisfied housewife) actually provides a bit of comic relief until you realize that this is real life. Not some movie plot aiming to get cheap laughs, but people who have literally lost their minds.

It was sobering, and I’m not gonna lie, I was a little relieved to be back on the bus and on the way to the base.

Tonight we decided we were gonna finish all the movies we’ve started over the past two weeks. The Gap (the place where we hang out and watch movies) gets locked up at 10, so we have to be outta there. Unfortunately, we usually don’t start a movie until 8 or 8:30. So we always have 15-30 minutes left in a movie when we have to shut it down and get back into our cabins/cottages. So tonight was the night. We finish The Lorax, Star Trek, Prince of Egypt, and Tarzan. BAM.

And then we went star tipping. If you don’t know what that is, find someone that does. It’s basically the most fun you’ll ever have.

By the way. The stars here. Are incredible. And so different from the ones back home. Different constellations altogether. And since there’s no city for miles and miles and miles, just lots of mountains and cows and sheep, you look up and see thousands of stars in one glace. It puts perspective on the saying “count the stars”.

 

Peace out, girl scout.

BIRTHDAY - 19 - Like Adele - I Wish.

So, I am 19 years old now.

So old.

But not nearly as old as 20.

Gosh, i can’t tell you how loved I felt on this September 7^th. I woke up and my roomie, Elisa (she’s from Germany!) reminded me it was my birthday and gave me a lovely box of tea, the sweetest note and a Granny Smith green apple – my favorite fruit! Breakfast was awesome. I walked into the A Frame to find lots and lots of purple! Some of the students decided to wear purple – my favorite color – to celebrate my birthday! I got so many hugs ans so much love that I nearly burst! My birthday was on a Friday, and Friday is town day so I got to go to town and celebrate my birthday with an overpriced hot chocolate and fun times running around the Hobbiton welcome centre and the library. I also bought myself a new oversized sweater. Since we’re all broke and poor, the best we can do is chocolate. I swear, if I have to eat one more Moro bar I O.D. on sugar. Everyone bought me candy, except Matt, who got me a Red Bull – which isn’t much better if you really think about it…

I LOVE RED BULL.

Anywho.

Dinner was one of the best parts. I am the first student to have a birthday, so I didn’t know all the surprises the staff had hidden up their sleeves. They decorated a table for dinner with rock confetti and a Kiwi bird and fancy glasses and napkins and hearts and lovely little notes. I had a special setting and I was prayed over! Which was awesome. And then came the surprise. I was literally surrounded and attacked with a crazy birthday song. All the staff started screaming and there was a cake and something about birthdays and fire and then I was blowing out candles on a purple cake. It was awesome.

Then there was a jam session in the Gap and I went to sleep.

Yepyepyep.

I love birthdays.

Can’t wait to turn 20.

That’s so weird.

 

Peace out girl scout.

(i'm adding pics tomorrow when i have free internet for uploading!)

Opal Springs

So, for you guys who don’t know, the base here at Crystal Springs was once a hot springs spa and resort. But, the water was contaminated with meningitis way back when and it closed down and whatnot and now we have the extensive and beautiful property to serve many more purposes than just relxing a rejuvenating. Well, more than just physically rejuvenating, that is.

However, the hot springs next door is not contaminated. Opal Springs is a 10-minute walk down the road and cost $7 for entry. So guess what we kiddos did with our free time on Wednesday? You betcha we went for a swim in the hot springs. It was awesome, to relax after rec. (We have required rec time at 2 on Wednesdays). There were three different pools, the hottest being about 39 degrees Celcius, the middle about 37 degrees, and the biggest, coolest pool (complete with a slide no less!) was about 34 degrees Celcius. It was awesome.

But slightly cold having to walk back to base in our wet bathing suits.

Yeah.

Peace out girl scout.

 

COMPUTADORA

MY PARENTS LOVE ME.

It’s true.

They sent me a computer.

Updates on my birthday, hot springs, and beach adventure to come soon! J

And pictures too!

 

 

LifeStories II and Other Important Things

Well, reason #78465 that I have not made an entry in a thousand years is because my computer died. It refuses to turn on.
So, farewell to the old Acer. I'm actually gonna miss you. And I'm so relieved that I backed you up.
I'm praying that the opportunity for a new computer comes through. If not, I won't be able to Skype and blogging will become a thing of the past as well as uploading anything on Facebook.
I will go completely dark and the only way you'll be able to contact me is through letters. Primal.
I want to go ahead and warn you that if there are any young ones that are keeping up with me, you might want to refrain from sharing this particular entry with them. There's going to be some more mature content this time around.
Well, I might as well start with LifeStories.
We told them.
It was crazy and amazing and so eye-opening.
I learned so much. Many times, you never know the struggles and and painful things that your friends, your family, and the people you spend your life and time with have endured. I saw so much hurt unveiled from stories of bullying, rejection, and abuse - both verbal and sexual. I saw so much struggle in dealing with addictions - Satan has an incredible way of holding us bondage. Alcohol, tobacco, weed, and masterbation. Goodness, if only the world knew how much of a struggle our generation, our young people have with sexual temptation, men and women alike. It's such a quiet sin, something done behind closed doors and in secret. And the shame it carries is crippling, especially for young women. Sadly, our society finds it "normal" for men of all ages to fall to pornography and lust, but girls are considered doubly dirty and worse for some crazy cultural mindset. And the shame works to cover the sin, because though it breaks her heart, she feels dirty and scared of judgement in confession and in asking for accountability. And girls, I cannot stress enough right now how important it is for you to have discernment in how you dress. We don't want to cause downfall to our brothers in Christ - whether they be boyfriends or just friends - we want to uplift them and steer them towards Christ, not become a stumbling block.
Now that I'm done preaching.
Learning these stories brought us all so much closer - I already felt such an incredible bond with these amazing people, but knowing their trials and triumphs and everything in between really broke down walls and made us all so vulnerable to one another. I really do love these people with all my heart and they feel so much like family.
We started lectures this week to! Definitely soooo exciting!
Mal Maloney taught on the Holy Spirit, and man, was it crazy. The Person, Presence and Power. Though I want to really dig in on some of the things he talked about - he downgraded (for lack of a better word) theology and though his lectures had heavy scripture in them, he seemed to run off 75% emotion/Holy Spirit impact and only 25% biblical backing  - what he had to say was powerful. After his lectures, he prayed over each of us.
It felt so amazing to have him anoint me with a spirit of creativity and a spirit of song. He also prophesied over me, casting out doubt and fear, casting out any feeling of restraint and inability in using my gifts. And let me tell you, it was a blessing. I feel God calling me to write songs, and I love doing it! He's clearly instilled a passion within me, but I constantly have a spirit of fearfulness, I am so afraid of doing it all wrong. I am so afraid of what I can't do, and who and what I can't compare to. Many times, I can't help but think how much better another person could do it. She could sing it better, he could construct music so much more beautifully, I am so unskilled and untrained, how could I possibly even measure up?
And that was rebuked! I am the only person holding myself back! God is calling me to worship Him in the best way I know how and I keep cutting off the means He gave me to do it! Isn't it funny how Satan works from the inside out, making our insecurities our downfalls? Man, if only we could cast it all out sooner!
Anywho.
The place where the students spend the most time on base aside from the lecture room is the Gap. It's basically a huge room with dusty painted walls, old sofas and chairs falling apart, and various instruments that are all constantly out of tune.
And we love it.
Besides, the only instrument we can't fix is the piano. And it's on it'a last leg anyway.
We watch movies in there, study in there, etc etc. But someone always up picking up a guitar or tapping the drums, and it always eventually leads to a crazy jam session. Whoever's present picks an instrument and we all just go at it. I love it so much. You'll hear anything from John Mayer to a full-on, spontaneous, student worship session. I love being around people that love it just as much as I do.
Oi, I've said so much and I have no pictures to give you. It's because I have no computer. And I can't upload pics on German computers.
Sorry.

Peace Out, Girl Scout

LifeStories

I woke up to the most incredible view this morning.

Just thought I should throw that in there.

Since it’s Sunday, breakfast doesn’t start until 8:30, so I slept in a bit, showered, and went to breakfast. I ate some yummy oatmeal and packed my lunch – we have to pack it on Sundays because the kitchen gets the day off and we can just eat our sandwhiches whenever we want. The base is on a tight budget, so oftentimes you have to choose between meat and cheese for your sandwhich. I missed the whole choosing thing because I was busy drinking tea, so I had a cheese, lettuce, what they called grass (it’s like sweet spring onions), with mayo and mustard. And it actually was pretty good. I had Rebekah’s sandwhich too.

After breakfast, we were supposed to have a meeting, but instead we walked into a worship service merely because the leaders felt lead to it. and that made me so happy.

We eventually got down to business. You know, after we got done praising our Creator.

 Then we toured the entire base, which is equipped with amazing things like a library, a recording studio, a room for only us students to hang out and worship is, a room that is open 24-7 for prayer – it is so lovely, decorated like a temple to really encourage a spirit of prayer.

I’d say that the biggest highlight of the day was finding out that we could turn on the stove to heat the entire kitchen.

jk.

But really, the kitchen was so toasty.

Anywho.

The real biggest highlight of the day was what we call LifeStories. Tonight, the staff leaders told theirs and tomorrow and Tuesday are the students’ turns. The Stories are so unreserved and they left no stone unturned, no addictions left unsaid, no hurt, no pain, no sin was hidden. I am truly terrified of telling these people that I love already so much my demons – things I haven’t even told my best friend or even struggles I’ve not journaled or written about. I’m scared of what how they might judge me or how their perceptions of me might change – that I’m not the person that they originally thought I was. It scares me that I might drive people away with my confessions and my prayer tonight is that I have to courage to give it all up and that God will give me the peace to do so. No regrets. Nothing unsaid. No shame, no judgement.

Oi, God, soften my heart and lend me yours for the next few days. I know, especially as a young woman, I tend to judge – especially other young women. Prepare me to love unconditionally and receive these Stories with an open and loving heart.

Also, I want to keep those whose first language is not English in prayer. I know it is going to be so exhausting to tell their Stories in the first place, even more in a tongue that is not their own. So please pray that God gives them the words and us the understanding to be able to reach out and draw just as close as those speaking English.

 

Big breath.

Peace out Girl Scout.

Saturday - Arrival

Today was the day!

Today we finally traveled out to the base!

I woke up, had a lovely breakfast with my fellow students.

Whom I love, by the way.

I love all of them so much already – it doesn’t feel like I’ve known them for merely a day, but for so much longer! We have such a great dynamic, and we’re all made from the same mold. We’re all here, seeking God’s heart and His plan for us! My fellow Music and Worship students have the same heart for worship that I do and we all get together and blend so well! The fact that we’re so different – we come from all kinds of different backgrounds all over the world (America, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Figi) – but so much alike just amazes me! It’s incredible how God can bring people together!

BAHHHHH

So.

We packed up and met our base director, Bearyl who prayed for us and sent us on our way!

 

 

 

And 2 ½ hours and a lot of friendly snuggling later, we made it! First, all the men greeted us with a Kiwi tribal dance and chant. Then the entire staff greeted us with the ritual of “Hunging” – sharing breath with another human being – you place you foreheads together for a moment, sharing a breath. It’s a really intimate experience. There’s no way you can’t be close with someone after it. which is the point, I would assume.

The staff is so hospitable – they helped us carry our luggage to the cottages.

Oh yeah.

By the way.

 I LIVE IN A COTTAGE.

A cottage in the mountains of New Zealand.

Really, does it get any better than that?
I am so blessed.

I’m gonna see if I can upload a video here – if not, check my facebook for an official tour.

I love my roomies. Rebekah is from Washington, she’s in the Outdoors focus. Oh, I should include that she lived an hour away from Seattle – the hippest city in the entire nation. So she’s pretty hip herself.

And then there’s the lovely Elisa. She’s from Germany, has INCREDIBLE English skillz and plays the violin. Like me, she’s in the Music and Worship school and is so funny. I love it when she uses American idioms.

 

All the students eat every meal with the Family Ministries – we share the base with families called to missions here in New Zealand – and I’m so excited for something as little as seeing what we are going to be eating every night!

And our room has a great dynamic – we love talking and we also love to sit and listen to music and marvel at our incredible view.

Anywho, I’m super sleepy.

So peace out Girl Scout.

 my views from my room!

Friday August 31

Yesterday I landed! It was so nice, getting off a plane for the last time for three months. I love planes, but I’ve definitely had my fill to last a little while.

I had the best present waiting for me in customs. Rather tired was I, standing in line at customs, staring at my feet. Then I looked up at two very tall boys in front of me, they turned around and BAM, I formally met Matt and Brent. My first YWAM brothers. We claimed our baggage and met Johanna in the lobby! We also briefly met Rebekah and Kyle before we were shuttled to King’s Kids – a hostel that hosts us while we wait for the rest of the students to arrive in Auckland.

 

I unloaded my suitcase a bit and settled in. and sat in the completely empty girls’ room.

For a full 2 minutes.

I was bored. To say the least.

So I knocked on the boys’ door and we took a walk. Through the ghetto of Auckland. It was interesting, to say the least. we played on playgrounds, played football with pinecones (a painful experience), and discussed the difference of our origins. (They are both from Canada – Manatoba to be exact)

Then, we walked back, met new arrivees Jacob and Jacob, (Yes, there are two) and went to the local Pac n’ Sav – our Walmart – to get food! We stocked up on the New Zealand version of Ramen Noodles and L&P – the official drink of New Zealand. And on the way back, the entire van spontaneously broke out in “Carol of the Bells” – and I knew exactly that this is where I belong. Nobody else tolerates me breaking out in Christmas music, much less join me! I was so happy!

I slept that night in a huge sweater with undershirts, a scarf, a hat, my wool socks, and heavy pants. It gets really warm during the day, but since the country is in transition between winter and summer, the nights get really cold and most buildings lack central heating.

 

I woke up the next morning to two new girls joining us – Tasia and Miranda – and the entire group decided to take a bus to One Tree Hill – a historic mountain on the other side of the city.

So we went to the bus stop. But we never got on the bus. We couldn’t decide which bus to take, so we never took a bus. Instead, we walked across the entire city of Auckland to climb a mountain; something that ended up being a 7 hour trek. We were very proud of ourselves.

 

On the way down the mountain, some guys offered us a ride in their car. We fit eleven people in a four seater. Granted, the boys were literally hanging out of the trunk, but we still did it. oh, and they took us down the wrong side of the mountain. Which added another hour, maybe two to our journey.

 

Yeah.

We rewarded ourselves with lamb burgers at McDonald’s.

And yes, that is a real thing in New Zealand.

Lamb burgers.

I don’t know why exactly, but I chose to wear my converse on this undertaking. My feet hurt at the victorious end, to say the least.

Anywho, the mountain was beautiful! I the grass was so green and the landscape was absolutely breathtaking, which makes me SO EXCITED for living out in the middle of nowhere!

And sheep.

There were so many sheep.

But I wasn’t allowed to touch them.

Because then the mommies wouldn’t want their little lambies anymore.

And that would be sad.

So I cried.

But I didn’t touch them.

Go me.

And now it’s bedtime.

Nighty night.