DECIEMBRE,2011.
I have done my best people but it may be a little mangled in places or some bits may be missing. Sorrow & all that but the formatting hates me & we have lots of trouble transferring it over. Ganeida.
In the month of October I was privi-leged to a cultural experience. This experience consisted of me spending 10 days in a Chilean family, complete Spanish. Of course it involves much more than those few words. Story after story could be shared, the highs, the lows and the in-betweens but right now I believe that it's time to introduce you to my Chilean family.
I knew from day one that we were all to experience the Chilean culture in this way. What we didn't know was what family we would go to. As the weeks came closer to our departure date I was full of so much anticipation. Who would they be? Would we get along? Would they be crazy? Would it be a difficult time? So many questions filled my head. It was two days prior to departure that we finally heard. Libby... "You will be going to Pastor Leo's. He has two children. No, I don't know the ages. Yes, he is a pastor of the Matta church." That was it. No more information. Oh didn't I just want to know so much more than just that. The morning of departure wasn't easy. It was the first time any of us had been apart since arriving, the first time that we had bags packed and the first time we were all walking into the unknown without our leaders. I was so nervous. It didn't help that I watched almost all of my team mates meet there families before I left.
And then I met him and his son...
Ugh O!!! Spanish... This was going to be terrible. I had the worst car ride. I didn't know how to begin conversation. I was so nervous and I forgot almost all the Spanish I'd learnt, if you could say that I'd learnt any at this stage. The first few hours were the most painful. I wanted so desperately to connect with them but felt there was no way that it could happen.
Slowly but surely I crept into a world of silence as I ran out of ways to express myself. How would we survive the next 9 days?
Before I'd left I asked for one specific sentence or phrase. That was `Can I help?' This proved to be very helpful. I insisted on being able to do the washing up for them. It was the only way I could think to be able to bless them and to show how much I appreciated there generosity.
During the mornings I would play with the children. It was the funniest realization when I found they didn't go to school until 2pm. I found the language was less of an issue with the children. Antonia, the girl, actually spent a lot of time teaching me basics of colour, and numbers. She enjoyed it so much, so that I found it very funny.
During the evening Paola would return home. This was my opportunity to try and connect with her. She is an unbelievably patient person who, as I have found out, works with children that have learning difficulties. Often we would sit at the table for hours only to gain the smallest information about each other. It was encouraging each time we would understand each other though and I can honestly say that she now has a place in my heart.
The hardest part to the trip was my time in a church retreat. I was fully immersed into the Chilean culture, something that I had been so sheltered from. I found that I couldn't communicate with them. It was like starting from the beginning once again. The progress I had made with Leo's family felt futile. I struggled to be surrounded by so many people but not to be able to connect with them. Even though they wanted to connect with me I felt as though most weren't willing to come to my basic level. This stopped us from being able to communicate. It was highly challenging but so rewarding when there was success. But I can sit here today and still praise God for the time. For this I am thankful..
The Language
Some thought it was silly to go to another country without the language, others thought I should commit to learning in Australia and I always thought that I'd learn best by immersion. This, by the way, did mean that I flew to Chile without a word of Spanish, no understanding of the language and an incredibly challenging task ahead of me. It's now been three months where I have been living in Chile. Maybe you are wondering how it's going with the Spanish. Well, please allow me the pleasure of sharing with you exactly that.
What do the classes look like? Dear me, the worst. Kidding It's called the immersion technique. My Spanish Teacher, Nancy, speaks nothing but Spanish inside of our lesson time. Something that I get to participate in twice a week for 1 and a 1/2 hrs. It was the biggest struggle for me initially. The other two people in my class, Josiah and Alexandra, cameTeacher, Nancy, speaks nothing but Spanish inside of our lesson time. Something that I get to participate in twice a week for 1 and a 1/2 hrs. It was the biggest struggle for me initially. The other two people in my class, Josiah and Alexandra, came
with some understanding of Spanish and therefore found it less challenging. For the fist 6 weeks I struggled to decipher anything beyond a blur of sound. Each lesson got easier but nothing was making sense. It wasn't until just prior to my cultural experience that I sat down with one of my leaders, Tineke. The patience of Tineke is amazing. She sat for a great length of time trying to help me understand the material I was given. This happened days prior to me leaving for my cultural experience and I am so grateful for it.
Since returning from the cultural experience I have found my comprehension has extended, I am able to converse on a basic level, I can express myself. Yes I still don't speak fluently, far from it, and more than anything I am destroying the rules and grammar. Nancy, however, is consistent and will persist with me in this area. I am also finding that the Chileans around me are very helpful in this area. Everyone from the Director, Lois, of the Children's Home, to a good friend, Naty, to the Chileans from church and those involved in the OM ministries.
The feedback I've had from Nancy recently has been very positive. She has been impressed with the progress and I have been happy to hear this and can only thank our God for the people around me, their efforts and my growing understanding of this language.
WHAT HAVE I BEEN STRUGGLING WITH?
TRUTHFULLY 1 HAVE TO ADMIT TO IT STILL BEING THE CULTURAL ISSUES. 1T'S THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, THE REACTIONS 1 THEN HAVE AND THE DESIRE 1 HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. 1 FEEL AS THOUGH 1'M THE ODD ONE. AS A PART OF THE 1.T 1'M THE ONLY ONE TO NOT HAVE SOMEONE FROM THEIR COUNTRY HERE. WITHIN OUR HOUSE WE HAVE 3 GERMANS, 2 DUTCH, AND 2 AMERICAN'S WHICH ARE SOON TO BECOME 3. ON THE PREMISES WE HAVE 4 AMERICAN'S, 4 DUTCH, 3 GERMANS, A CHILEAN AND A FINNISH PERSON. DURING MY TIME HERE THE OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE, BEEN ABLE TO SHARE TRADITIONS ABOUT HOME, (SPEC FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR) AND HAVE A CONNECTION TO HOME THROUGH THE SHARED CULTURE. 1T'S A STRUGGLE FOR ME. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
THESE THINGS HURT BECAUSE 1 HAVEN'T FOUND, AS OF YET, A DEEP FRIENDSHIP. 1 HAVEN'T FOUND SOMEONE WILLING TO JUST SIT WITH ME AND TALK. THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME FEEL DISPLACED...AN D 1 DESIRE TO HAVE THAT DEEP FRIENDSHIP, 1 AM SEARCHING FOR IT, HOPING THAT DESPITE THESE DIFFERENCES THAT 1 WILL BE ABLE TO CONNECT, THAT 1 WILL HAVE UNINTERRUPTED QUALITY TIME.
The children's ministry, my most challenging area but also the most rewarding....
Yes, I haven't been able to settle well. As a team we have constantly had changes. It's been everything, new team members, changes of authority, not knowing who the leader was and no longer having a leader specifically for the ministry of el Arca boys. In the three months that we have been here we have had no more than 6 weeks working together as a whole team. This time hasn't been constant either. Admittedly I am the type of person who likes predictability. Of course I don't mind working outside of it but I feel it is necessary to have some routine & regularity. To put two & two together is to say it is an area of difficulty for me.
What Do My Days & Team Look Like?I have done my best people but it may be a little mangled in places or some bits may be missing. Sorrow & all that but the formatting hates me & we have lots of trouble transferring it over. Ganeida.
In the month of October I was privi-leged to a cultural experience. This experience consisted of me spending 10 days in a Chilean family, complete Spanish. Of course it involves much more than those few words. Story after story could be shared, the highs, the lows and the in-betweens but right now I believe that it's time to introduce you to my Chilean family.
I knew from day one that we were all to experience the Chilean culture in this way. What we didn't know was what family we would go to. As the weeks came closer to our departure date I was full of so much anticipation. Who would they be? Would we get along? Would they be crazy? Would it be a difficult time? So many questions filled my head. It was two days prior to departure that we finally heard. Libby... "You will be going to Pastor Leo's. He has two children. No, I don't know the ages. Yes, he is a pastor of the Matta church." That was it. No more information. Oh didn't I just want to know so much more than just that. The morning of departure wasn't easy. It was the first time any of us had been apart since arriving, the first time that we had bags packed and the first time we were all walking into the unknown without our leaders. I was so nervous. It didn't help that I watched almost all of my team mates meet there families before I left.
And then I met him and his son...
Ugh O!!! Spanish... This was going to be terrible. I had the worst car ride. I didn't know how to begin conversation. I was so nervous and I forgot almost all the Spanish I'd learnt, if you could say that I'd learnt any at this stage. The first few hours were the most painful. I wanted so desperately to connect with them but felt there was no way that it could happen.
Slowly but surely I crept into a world of silence as I ran out of ways to express myself. How would we survive the next 9 days?
Before I'd left I asked for one specific sentence or phrase. That was `Can I help?' This proved to be very helpful. I insisted on being able to do the washing up for them. It was the only way I could think to be able to bless them and to show how much I appreciated there generosity.
During the mornings I would play with the children. It was the funniest realization when I found they didn't go to school until 2pm. I found the language was less of an issue with the children. Antonia, the girl, actually spent a lot of time teaching me basics of colour, and numbers. She enjoyed it so much, so that I found it very funny.
During the evening Paola would return home. This was my opportunity to try and connect with her. She is an unbelievably patient person who, as I have found out, works with children that have learning difficulties. Often we would sit at the table for hours only to gain the smallest information about each other. It was encouraging each time we would understand each other though and I can honestly say that she now has a place in my heart.
The hardest part to the trip was my time in a church retreat. I was fully immersed into the Chilean culture, something that I had been so sheltered from. I found that I couldn't communicate with them. It was like starting from the beginning once again. The progress I had made with Leo's family felt futile. I struggled to be surrounded by so many people but not to be able to connect with them. Even though they wanted to connect with me I felt as though most weren't willing to come to my basic level. This stopped us from being able to communicate. It was highly challenging but so rewarding when there was success. But I can sit here today and still praise God for the time. For this I am thankful..
The Language
Some thought it was silly to go to another country without the language, others thought I should commit to learning in Australia and I always thought that I'd learn best by immersion. This, by the way, did mean that I flew to Chile without a word of Spanish, no understanding of the language and an incredibly challenging task ahead of me. It's now been three months where I have been living in Chile. Maybe you are wondering how it's going with the Spanish. Well, please allow me the pleasure of sharing with you exactly that.
What do the classes look like? Dear me, the worst. Kidding It's called the immersion technique. My Spanish Teacher, Nancy, speaks nothing but Spanish inside of our lesson time. Something that I get to participate in twice a week for 1 and a 1/2 hrs. It was the biggest struggle for me initially. The other two people in my class, Josiah and Alexandra, cameTeacher, Nancy, speaks nothing but Spanish inside of our lesson time. Something that I get to participate in twice a week for 1 and a 1/2 hrs. It was the biggest struggle for me initially. The other two people in my class, Josiah and Alexandra, came
with some understanding of Spanish and therefore found it less challenging. For the fist 6 weeks I struggled to decipher anything beyond a blur of sound. Each lesson got easier but nothing was making sense. It wasn't until just prior to my cultural experience that I sat down with one of my leaders, Tineke. The patience of Tineke is amazing. She sat for a great length of time trying to help me understand the material I was given. This happened days prior to me leaving for my cultural experience and I am so grateful for it.
Since returning from the cultural experience I have found my comprehension has extended, I am able to converse on a basic level, I can express myself. Yes I still don't speak fluently, far from it, and more than anything I am destroying the rules and grammar. Nancy, however, is consistent and will persist with me in this area. I am also finding that the Chileans around me are very helpful in this area. Everyone from the Director, Lois, of the Children's Home, to a good friend, Naty, to the Chileans from church and those involved in the OM ministries.
The feedback I've had from Nancy recently has been very positive. She has been impressed with the progress and I have been happy to hear this and can only thank our God for the people around me, their efforts and my growing understanding of this language.
WHAT HAVE I BEEN STRUGGLING WITH?
TRUTHFULLY 1 HAVE TO ADMIT TO IT STILL BEING THE CULTURAL ISSUES. 1T'S THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, THE REACTIONS 1 THEN HAVE AND THE DESIRE 1 HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. 1 FEEL AS THOUGH 1'M THE ODD ONE. AS A PART OF THE 1.T 1'M THE ONLY ONE TO NOT HAVE SOMEONE FROM THEIR COUNTRY HERE. WITHIN OUR HOUSE WE HAVE 3 GERMANS, 2 DUTCH, AND 2 AMERICAN'S WHICH ARE SOON TO BECOME 3. ON THE PREMISES WE HAVE 4 AMERICAN'S, 4 DUTCH, 3 GERMANS, A CHILEAN AND A FINNISH PERSON. DURING MY TIME HERE THE OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE, BEEN ABLE TO SHARE TRADITIONS ABOUT HOME, (SPEC FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR) AND HAVE A CONNECTION TO HOME THROUGH THE SHARED CULTURE. 1T'S A STRUGGLE FOR ME. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
THESE THINGS HURT BECAUSE 1 HAVEN'T FOUND, AS OF YET, A DEEP FRIENDSHIP. 1 HAVEN'T FOUND SOMEONE WILLING TO JUST SIT WITH ME AND TALK. THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME FEEL DISPLACED...AN D 1 DESIRE TO HAVE THAT DEEP FRIENDSHIP, 1 AM SEARCHING FOR IT, HOPING THAT DESPITE THESE DIFFERENCES THAT 1 WILL BE ABLE TO CONNECT, THAT 1 WILL HAVE UNINTERRUPTED QUALITY TIME.
The children's ministry, my most challenging area but also the most rewarding....
Yes, I haven't been able to settle well. As a team we have constantly had changes. It's been everything, new team members, changes of authority, not knowing who the leader was and no longer having a leader specifically for the ministry of el Arca boys. In the three months that we have been here we have had no more than 6 weeks working together as a whole team. This time hasn't been constant either. Admittedly I am the type of person who likes predictability. Of course I don't mind working outside of it but I feel it is necessary to have some routine & regularity. To put two & two together is to say it is an area of difficulty for me.
During the last 3 programs the boys and girls of el Arca have been working together. It has been strange to work under different leadership however I love the leadership of Tineke. Her love for these children is very apparent to me.
For the remainder of December this ministry will continue as it is. We will have the boys and girls together, we'll work under the leadership of Tineke and I will be working also with the team for the girls ministry. After the end of December I am uncertain as to where or how the ministry will run. The uncertainty, the changes... it's some¬thing I am beginning to see as normal.
In regards to the boys. I have to say that everyday that I spend there my heart only grows for them. Their faces are more than just familiar. They have personalities, traits and habits. Little by little these little boys are becoming known to me. Little by little my rela¬tionship grows with them. The trust is building, my ability to communicate with them. This is so encouraging...
Other Activities
After 2 months of Evangelical training, Art ministry and Drama we finally hit the streets so to speak. The first glimpse of our Art ministry was through the gate on the front yard.
The idea behind this was to show the neighborhood a little about our house. We wrote out and painted the words "JESUS LOVES YOU" in a variety of languages. Each language represented someone who was a part of the minis¬try in OM Chile. A simple idea how¬ever an idea that would kick start an ever changing ministry. The next paintings to go up are of hands gripping jail bars, representing someone trapped. These words "Are you really free?" accompany it. The second painting is of hands opening these bars with the the team for the girls ministry.
In regards to Drama... The theatre group was given three weeks warning of an opportunity to perform. At this stage we didn't have a drama prepared. From scratch the ideas came forth and a play was born. We had no more than two weeks to practice. The perform¬ance was done prior to a seminar on `Damaged Emotions' The play itself was about an average man. A man who was just going through the motions of life. His wife was angry because of the lack of help, his boss hated him, he was pushed around on the bus by complete strangers. All of this combined stained him and his emotions. The only hope of healing was through Christ. There was also a model who was torn apart for her looks, a teenager who idolized her and they both did not think very highly of themselves, the people around them only enforced these ideas. The play was done in silence bar the short message at the end.
The evangelism consisted of us planning a morning of activities. We had about 4 different outreaches, free hugs, paper roses with bible verses attached to them, an art strip for others to paint or write their ideas of God on but also the most precious thing in the world box. This box had someone sitting inside of it. To look inside you'd have to peer through a small opening in the side. When you looked in you would see your reflection in the mirror that the person was holding. This opened up the opportunity for us to express that this is how God felt over them.
In the month of December we have different activities planned for us. The first is the damaged emotion seminar which will go for 4 days prior to the team retreat and Christmas celebrations. We also have Christmas celebrations for just the I.T on the 24th before we get given time off. As of yet there are no plans for this time however we are able to do anything during this time, includ¬ing travel. They have also planned for us to stay on the coast, Valparaiso, for new years. The I.T have many different Christmas activities to prepare for the children in the children's homes. Gener-ally speaking it's going to be a month of winding the year down...
• The books. They have been very revealing, challenging and helpful to my walk with God and what it means to bare fruit for his kingdom.
• The Spanish progress
• The relationships that are build ing outside of OM
• That I've found a church to attend and am very happy with it
• The calm inside the Intensive Training program at this time. We should be hitting a low, which hasn't happened... yet
• The continued financial support
• The children's ministry. I haven't been able to settle properly. Jona, the team leader, was away for some time and is now no longer a part of the ministry. Please pray for the children as they adjust but also the team for the boys of El Arca.
• The 3 month period. This is the time that we will all, supposedly, enter into the phase of culture shock.
• My relationship with Intensive Training Leaders, Tineke and Whi ney but also Kellie, another I.T participant.
• Spiritual Warfare, the team is cur-rently experiencing many different things.
• For the arrival of a new team member, Bec. For her settle-ment but also for us as we adjust to another person being in the house, making it 9 in total.
For the remainder of December this ministry will continue as it is. We will have the boys and girls together, we'll work under the leadership of Tineke and I will be working also with the team for the girls ministry. After the end of December I am uncertain as to where or how the ministry will run. The uncertainty, the changes... it's some¬thing I am beginning to see as normal.
In regards to the boys. I have to say that everyday that I spend there my heart only grows for them. Their faces are more than just familiar. They have personalities, traits and habits. Little by little these little boys are becoming known to me. Little by little my rela¬tionship grows with them. The trust is building, my ability to communicate with them. This is so encouraging...
Other Activities
After 2 months of Evangelical training, Art ministry and Drama we finally hit the streets so to speak. The first glimpse of our Art ministry was through the gate on the front yard.
The idea behind this was to show the neighborhood a little about our house. We wrote out and painted the words "JESUS LOVES YOU" in a variety of languages. Each language represented someone who was a part of the minis¬try in OM Chile. A simple idea how¬ever an idea that would kick start an ever changing ministry. The next paintings to go up are of hands gripping jail bars, representing someone trapped. These words "Are you really free?" accompany it. The second painting is of hands opening these bars with the the team for the girls ministry.
In regards to Drama... The theatre group was given three weeks warning of an opportunity to perform. At this stage we didn't have a drama prepared. From scratch the ideas came forth and a play was born. We had no more than two weeks to practice. The perform¬ance was done prior to a seminar on `Damaged Emotions' The play itself was about an average man. A man who was just going through the motions of life. His wife was angry because of the lack of help, his boss hated him, he was pushed around on the bus by complete strangers. All of this combined stained him and his emotions. The only hope of healing was through Christ. There was also a model who was torn apart for her looks, a teenager who idolized her and they both did not think very highly of themselves, the people around them only enforced these ideas. The play was done in silence bar the short message at the end.
The evangelism consisted of us planning a morning of activities. We had about 4 different outreaches, free hugs, paper roses with bible verses attached to them, an art strip for others to paint or write their ideas of God on but also the most precious thing in the world box. This box had someone sitting inside of it. To look inside you'd have to peer through a small opening in the side. When you looked in you would see your reflection in the mirror that the person was holding. This opened up the opportunity for us to express that this is how God felt over them.
In the month of December we have different activities planned for us. The first is the damaged emotion seminar which will go for 4 days prior to the team retreat and Christmas celebrations. We also have Christmas celebrations for just the I.T on the 24th before we get given time off. As of yet there are no plans for this time however we are able to do anything during this time, includ¬ing travel. They have also planned for us to stay on the coast, Valparaiso, for new years. The I.T have many different Christmas activities to prepare for the children in the children's homes. Gener-ally speaking it's going to be a month of winding the year down...
Praise Points
• The books. They have been very revealing, challenging and helpful to my walk with God and what it means to bare fruit for his kingdom.
• The Spanish progress
• The relationships that are build ing outside of OM
• That I've found a church to attend and am very happy with it
• The calm inside the Intensive Training program at this time. We should be hitting a low, which hasn't happened... yet
• The continued financial support
PRAYER POINTS
• The children's ministry. I haven't been able to settle properly. Jona, the team leader, was away for some time and is now no longer a part of the ministry. Please pray for the children as they adjust but also the team for the boys of El Arca.
• The 3 month period. This is the time that we will all, supposedly, enter into the phase of culture shock.
• My relationship with Intensive Training Leaders, Tineke and Whi ney but also Kellie, another I.T participant.
• Spiritual Warfare, the team is cur-rently experiencing many different things.
• For the arrival of a new team member, Bec. For her settle-ment but also for us as we adjust to another person being in the house, making it 9 in total.
THE CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Busy! The first few weeks here in Chile were all about orientation, discovery. What does OM Chile look like? Well OM Chile is a team of approximately 25. 7 are part of the 9-month intensive training program, 1 a part of Global Challenge, 6month com-mitment, and at least 4 are Global Action, committed to at least 2yrs of service. I believe the rest are full time workers... As a team we have a prayer and fast day. It's held on the first Tuesday of every month. On top of this there are also daily devotions, Mon-Fri. It's how the team starts off the day. Each person is required to share and there is a rotational system happening. Lucky me, I've already been... One thing to mention about the team is their focus on prayer. It's been brilliant and lovely to see. It's a constant re¬minder that there is no hope but through Christ. Each time before leaving the house for ministry we spend at least 30mins in prayer.
It was about three days after I arrived in Chile that some of the OM team went shoe shopping. This was an op-portunity to try and familiarise myself with the local area but to also explore more of my new home. Of course I am not much of a shopper. By the time we were looking through the third shop I'd decided to whiz around, have a quick peek and pop outside onto the street to wait for them to finish. This was where my first encounter happened with a Chilean child. Franko was the little boys name. It was such a brief encounter but I was able to use the little Spanish I knew to converse with him. It was a small encounter that God used to reopen my eyes to working with children from difficult backgrounds. It was an encounter that showed me how little could bring great joy, not only to the child but also to me. My heart grew for the children's ministry that OM Chile was involved in. I could barely wait to catch my first glimpse of what it would be like.
Then came the ministry training & the revelations of what the children had possibly faced in their life and I couldn't help but desire God's hand to heal their little hearts. I expected to be able to give to them but found on my first visit they gave to me. We built kites. One little boy left me with his. All I could share with him was a few words of praise and who I was in Christ.
On arriving at our destination we spend a few moments in prayer but also as we leave. I can't stress enough howimportant it is to do so but also how much that youprayer support is uplifting and strengthening.
Each day I find myself waking to three other girls in my room. (I have been so thankful that I grew up in a large family.) We have a fairly settled routine now. Monday and Thursday are focused on the children's ministry. We have been spilt into our teams and I am working with the boys from el Arca. In regards to responsi¬bilities. As a team of 3/5 we pre¬pare a program that consist of, songs, message, memory verse, bible story, prayer and craft but for Thursday it is less formal. We choose an activity to do and share something with it, like teamwork, etc. Tuesday's and Friday's are art and Drama focused. This will mainly be used for evangelism outreaches but will also be beneficial for working with the children. Even though I have experi¬enced all ministries I have cho¬sen not to partake in all. I felt no calling towards the home¬less and have shied away from it. Of course on top of the ministries is the training com¬ponent and the expectations there. During this month alone I have submitted 1 book re¬port, 1 essay on Chile, weekly encouragement notes, 2 stories and an interview. This is on top of the evangelical training, Spanish lessons, culture train¬ing and ministry training. It is overwhelming but amazing to be involved in.
What am I struggling with?
IN WAYS IT HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT FEW WEEKS AWAY FROM HOME. I HAVE STRUGGLED TO ADJUST TO THE TIME DIFFERENCE. MY NIGHTS ARE NOW DAYS... MY AUSTRALIAN ACCENT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR MOST PEOPLE AROUND ME TO UNDERSTAND AND THERE HAS BEEN COMMUNICATION STRUGGLES BASED ON IT . I AM FACING THINGS ?SPIRITUAL BATTLES? IN MINISTRY THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND. IT IS CHALLENGING, FRIGHTENING AND SO IMPORTANT TO COMMIT TO GOD. I AM STRUGGLING TO FIND TIME TO GIVE IT PROPER ATTENTION. MORE THAN ONCE I HAVE WOKEN DURING THE NIGHT WITH FAMILY ON MY MIND. I MISS THEIR DAILY PRESENCE... DESPITE THE
ABOVE I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT I FEEL SO AT HOME. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES, THE MINISTRY AND HOW GOD'S HAND IS SO OBVIOUSLY ON THE MINISTRIES AND PEOPLE. IT'S A HUGE BLESSING TO BE HERE.
PRAYER POINTS
• Please entre into the battle of Spiritual Warfare with me for all ministry's... Homeless, Art, Skate Board, Drama, Children's & Evangelical outreaches.
• For the leaders of the Inten¬sive Training
• The Children's homes—Sion & el Arca
• Language Learning
• Personal Relationship in God
• Continued unity amongst all teams.
• Specifically for the boys at el Arca and my team working with them.
DELDEN, Holland ~ the Aussie hat is doing the rounds.
The Chile Team
The view at the end of Libby's street....
Time in Chile -
I wanted to briefly let you know that I arrived in Holland, Delden yesterday evening 6:20pm local time. This would have been 3am AESTD!!! I was very tired after the trip and didn't have the energy to write this then. Currently I have slept 12hrs which is just brilliant. Having an actual bed to sleep in was AWESOME! I want to thank you also for your prayers. It was my first time outside of Australia and to say the least is to say I was freaking out a little bit. Thank the Lord I had no complications in the journey. On the plane from Dubai to Amsterdam I had an initial freak out about getting the train to Delden but God was gracious and clamed my anxiety. I was able to navigate areas very well, surprisingly well. :) When I arrived at the the second train station, needed to transfer, I met another man heading towards the GO Conference. He was telling me his story of lost luggage. So far I have met two people to have lost their luggage. If you can spare a moment for them and pray for that it would be greatly appreciated. I must go. I'm still fairly tired but wanted to briefly touch base. Thank you so much for praying!!!
I apologise for the poor quality of the pics but the printer ink is very low. Clicking should enlarge these enough to read. Unfortunately whatever Lib has done with her file I cannot work with it! Blessings, people, & thank you for sharing the journey. ♥
