I mean it :)
Love,
Mendy
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Week #2: Whangarei
Well, today, we left Whangarei. After a full week of doing more of God's work, it is safe to say that the 4 of us are pretty tired. This past week, we finished our work over at Donna's house and it was a lovely time! There was a lot of bonding as a team, and we also had the privilege to work with locals from the church there. Dwayne, Amy, Anna, and Ty were four others who lent a helping hand on the project and made a huge difference on how much we were able to accomplish!
Besides that, we continued to work in Sunday School with the children. This week, we also had another bonfire on the beach, which was an awesome experience to have again. The next day, the team and I spent the morning and early afternoon with Sonya, one of the workers at Te Ora Hou, and we went to several shops around downtown and had a lovely time.
Later that evening, I got to witness something that I have never seen before. Three of the young adults in the church were baptized in the ocean in front of the pastor's house. It was so neat to see them all being lead out into the (cold) water and be baptized. I have always grown up watching people being submerged in a bathtub-like tank inside, so it was an awesome sight to see them in such a HUGE body of water. Kinda made me want to be re baptized, just so I could say that I was baptized in the Pacific Ocean, but oh well...
After saying our goodbyes to the families that we all have grown to know and love, we were picked up today by Jae, the pastor's wife here at Dargaville, and she brought us to her home where we met Nigel. They are a really neat couple and I am excited about what all they have planned for us to do with our time while we are here. After going through the schedule, we had lunch and then ran a kids' club after school program for local students around the ages of 6-10. From the looks of things, I feel like more and more will come as the days go on and word is spread. The children really seemed to respond well, which is always encouraging as you are spending time with them.
I have a feeling that I will be singing Oklahoma! again to someone here, which is a funny thought. Who thought that a song like that would be so popular here. Maybe they just want to laugh at me. Either way, I don't care, as long as people are entertained and it allows others to feel more comfortable in talking with me. I am so eager to find out what God has in store for the team and I this week- who knows! Please keep the team, the local church, the community of Dargaville, and the seeds planted in Whangarei in your prayers this week as we continue into our 3rd week of ministry here in New Zealand. We have come a long way, but there is still more.
I will hopefully be able to post pictures sometime if I can ever get a good enough Internet connection for my lap top, but I am not able to make any promises.
Blessings to all and I am praying for everyone back home!
Besides that, we continued to work in Sunday School with the children. This week, we also had another bonfire on the beach, which was an awesome experience to have again. The next day, the team and I spent the morning and early afternoon with Sonya, one of the workers at Te Ora Hou, and we went to several shops around downtown and had a lovely time.
Later that evening, I got to witness something that I have never seen before. Three of the young adults in the church were baptized in the ocean in front of the pastor's house. It was so neat to see them all being lead out into the (cold) water and be baptized. I have always grown up watching people being submerged in a bathtub-like tank inside, so it was an awesome sight to see them in such a HUGE body of water. Kinda made me want to be re baptized, just so I could say that I was baptized in the Pacific Ocean, but oh well...
After saying our goodbyes to the families that we all have grown to know and love, we were picked up today by Jae, the pastor's wife here at Dargaville, and she brought us to her home where we met Nigel. They are a really neat couple and I am excited about what all they have planned for us to do with our time while we are here. After going through the schedule, we had lunch and then ran a kids' club after school program for local students around the ages of 6-10. From the looks of things, I feel like more and more will come as the days go on and word is spread. The children really seemed to respond well, which is always encouraging as you are spending time with them.
I have a feeling that I will be singing Oklahoma! again to someone here, which is a funny thought. Who thought that a song like that would be so popular here. Maybe they just want to laugh at me. Either way, I don't care, as long as people are entertained and it allows others to feel more comfortable in talking with me. I am so eager to find out what God has in store for the team and I this week- who knows! Please keep the team, the local church, the community of Dargaville, and the seeds planted in Whangarei in your prayers this week as we continue into our 3rd week of ministry here in New Zealand. We have come a long way, but there is still more.
I will hopefully be able to post pictures sometime if I can ever get a good enough Internet connection for my lap top, but I am not able to make any promises.
Blessings to all and I am praying for everyone back home!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Week #1
Whangarei, New Zealand
Well, for the past week, my team and I have been in the lovely city of Whangarei (pronounced: Fong-gair-ray). We have been living with an American family mostly, the Abascals, who have lived here for about 2 years.
So far, my team and I have taught about 3 lessons to the children at church, helped paint Donna’s (a local woman at the church) house and we will finish tomorrow and on Thursday, Seth has hung out with the boys at Te Ora Hou (a boys and girls club for at-risk children in the community), exchanged testimonies with several people within the church and community (there have been amazing stories and there are several more to come I’m sure). One in particular was from a man named Dave. This man is one of our team’s favorite people that we’ve met in the church so far. He is an on-fire Christian who has a giving heart, but what makes him and his story so incredible is that he is 1 ½ years new to the faith and he was saved from alcoholism by an incredible encounter with the Holy Spirit.
We spent the night at his house two nights ago (Saturday) after spending the whole day with his daughter and her friend. We climbed Mt. Manaia and the view was breathtaking. We had almost a 360 degree view from the summit and in that view we saw farms, beaches, mountains, and the Pacific Ocean all in one view… Later that night, we played games with the family and had heaps of Chinese food (they say heaps instead of tons). ☺
Today, the team and I had the privilege to teach the story of David and Goliath in the public primary school today. It was very neat to experience a culture in which the teaching of the Bible was allowed and even encouraged. My partner, Liz, was the storyteller each time, and it felt out of place for her to talk so openly about God, but it was a very rewarding experience, I think, for everyone- including the kids.
Tonight, the girls and I went to Te Ora Hou for the girls’ night. We shared the game of gotcha/ knockout with them and they shared net ball with us. It was a lovely time to experience young teen girls of the Maori culture. At the end of our time with the girls, I shared a song… none other than our great state song, “Oklahoma!,” while all the girls shared a Maori thank you song and dance with us. It was beautiful to watch and experience everything.
Tomorrow, we are painting Donna’s house again, and will return to Miguel’s house for sleep, and then it’s off to the schools again on Wednesday to teach about forgiveness by the telling of the story of Joseph and his brothers. It is all so exciting to see what God is doing here- as little as they may seem- but the relationships and the knowledge I am gaining is something that I treasure… God is great and his beautiful creation is a wonderful peak at God’s glorious creativity in our lives.
Here are a few words/ sayings that I’ve learned while here in New Zealand so far:
Sweet as: awesome/ sweet as it gets
Choice: right/ great/ fine
Gum boots: rain boots
Woolies: long johns
Boot: trunk of the car
Heaps: tons/ loads/ a lot
Smoke O: break (our team has taken several)
Hire a movie: rent a movie
Well, for the past week, my team and I have been in the lovely city of Whangarei (pronounced: Fong-gair-ray). We have been living with an American family mostly, the Abascals, who have lived here for about 2 years.
So far, my team and I have taught about 3 lessons to the children at church, helped paint Donna’s (a local woman at the church) house and we will finish tomorrow and on Thursday, Seth has hung out with the boys at Te Ora Hou (a boys and girls club for at-risk children in the community), exchanged testimonies with several people within the church and community (there have been amazing stories and there are several more to come I’m sure). One in particular was from a man named Dave. This man is one of our team’s favorite people that we’ve met in the church so far. He is an on-fire Christian who has a giving heart, but what makes him and his story so incredible is that he is 1 ½ years new to the faith and he was saved from alcoholism by an incredible encounter with the Holy Spirit.
We spent the night at his house two nights ago (Saturday) after spending the whole day with his daughter and her friend. We climbed Mt. Manaia and the view was breathtaking. We had almost a 360 degree view from the summit and in that view we saw farms, beaches, mountains, and the Pacific Ocean all in one view… Later that night, we played games with the family and had heaps of Chinese food (they say heaps instead of tons). ☺
Today, the team and I had the privilege to teach the story of David and Goliath in the public primary school today. It was very neat to experience a culture in which the teaching of the Bible was allowed and even encouraged. My partner, Liz, was the storyteller each time, and it felt out of place for her to talk so openly about God, but it was a very rewarding experience, I think, for everyone- including the kids.
Tonight, the girls and I went to Te Ora Hou for the girls’ night. We shared the game of gotcha/ knockout with them and they shared net ball with us. It was a lovely time to experience young teen girls of the Maori culture. At the end of our time with the girls, I shared a song… none other than our great state song, “Oklahoma!,” while all the girls shared a Maori thank you song and dance with us. It was beautiful to watch and experience everything.
Tomorrow, we are painting Donna’s house again, and will return to Miguel’s house for sleep, and then it’s off to the schools again on Wednesday to teach about forgiveness by the telling of the story of Joseph and his brothers. It is all so exciting to see what God is doing here- as little as they may seem- but the relationships and the knowledge I am gaining is something that I treasure… God is great and his beautiful creation is a wonderful peak at God’s glorious creativity in our lives.
Here are a few words/ sayings that I’ve learned while here in New Zealand so far:
Sweet as: awesome/ sweet as it gets
Choice: right/ great/ fine
Gum boots: rain boots
Woolies: long johns
Boot: trunk of the car
Heaps: tons/ loads/ a lot
Smoke O: break (our team has taken several)
Hire a movie: rent a movie
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
I MADE IT!!!!
It is beautiful here...
I can't write a lot because today, my whole group is going to the beach with the pastor and his family to spend a day with God and to enjoy all that Whangarei has to offer.
I am excited. I've already cried at the beauty of it all... God is here and I am super excited about all that is going to happen this summer! :)
Tomorrow we go clean the church and paint a widow's house, and then our ministry projects here are REALLY going to start to kick into high gear. Its such a blessing to give to others and I am just anxious for it to all happen.
Thanks for the prayers... More to come! :)
Mendy
I can't write a lot because today, my whole group is going to the beach with the pastor and his family to spend a day with God and to enjoy all that Whangarei has to offer.
I am excited. I've already cried at the beauty of it all... God is here and I am super excited about all that is going to happen this summer! :)
Tomorrow we go clean the church and paint a widow's house, and then our ministry projects here are REALLY going to start to kick into high gear. Its such a blessing to give to others and I am just anxious for it to all happen.
Thanks for the prayers... More to come! :)
Mendy
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Training Camp: Bonita Park
Well, today was our first full day here at training camp in New Mexico, and I am just overwhelmed already. This is not the bad kind though. I have just heard so much and it is all becoming a little more real to me.
Tonight in particularly, I was hit really hard by what the speaker had to say. I have always been one to question my motives for things. I tend to be a people pleaser, which can be both good and bad. It is because of this that I question my motives for ANYTHING that I do!
His example tonight was actually going to New Zealand. He said the one thing about our trip that all of us had heard the most when people find out where we are going- "New Zealand... LORD OF THE RINGS!!!!" While its true, it makes me second guess why I am going there. Did I choose to go there for the right reason, or did I go for my own agenda; to go to a beautiful country? While I am still going no matter what, I will just trust myself and God that this is where I'm supposed to be.
I am going to a beautiful country and it's a wonderful experience and blessing from God. Yes, it's not Africa or some more "difficult" place as far as setting/culture goes, but there are still lives that need to be impacted. God will use me in ways, I am willing. I can't even begin to describe the feeling I have inside me! Despite all my doubts and second guesses about my motives, I know this is where I need to be.
More to come, tomorrow will be great- I can just feel it! :)
May the love of Christ be made known in unique and intimate ways to you today...
Melinda Leanne
Tonight in particularly, I was hit really hard by what the speaker had to say. I have always been one to question my motives for things. I tend to be a people pleaser, which can be both good and bad. It is because of this that I question my motives for ANYTHING that I do!
His example tonight was actually going to New Zealand. He said the one thing about our trip that all of us had heard the most when people find out where we are going- "New Zealand... LORD OF THE RINGS!!!!" While its true, it makes me second guess why I am going there. Did I choose to go there for the right reason, or did I go for my own agenda; to go to a beautiful country? While I am still going no matter what, I will just trust myself and God that this is where I'm supposed to be.
I am going to a beautiful country and it's a wonderful experience and blessing from God. Yes, it's not Africa or some more "difficult" place as far as setting/culture goes, but there are still lives that need to be impacted. God will use me in ways, I am willing. I can't even begin to describe the feeling I have inside me! Despite all my doubts and second guesses about my motives, I know this is where I need to be.
More to come, tomorrow will be great- I can just feel it! :)
May the love of Christ be made known in unique and intimate ways to you today...
Melinda Leanne
Friday, May 23, 2008
New Zealand
Well, in 9 days I will be in New Zealand. It's true, I have all my funds in- Praise the LORD- and I am packed (the suitcase opens and closes as I go over all my things constantly, but the items never change... I'm just a worry-wart).
The first two weeks, I will be working in Whangarei. It is a community near Auckland on the North Island of about 40,000 people. Next, I will be traveling to a near-by communnity called Dargaville. There, my team and I will be working in the community of about 4,ooo doing a kid's club from about 3-5pm each day. After two weeks in Dargaville, we will be heading off to Auckland, which has a population of about 1 million. We will be located there for just over two weeks, and will be touring the rest of our time (about 4-5 days) in a popular tourist place- Rotura. When I get there, I'm sure I will receive more information about what all we will be doing, and I will be sure to pass that information along!
It's crazy to think that a little over 5 months ago, I found out that I would be going to that great country and now... now I'm almost there! Sure, I have reservations- will I do a good job? I'm not all that happy about having my 20th birthday over the Pacific Ocean for about 4 hours as well. Despite those two things and more, I wouldn't pass this opportunity up for anything!
I was thinking the other day about how I would feel next semester in school if I had decided last minute NOT to go. After thinking about it, I realized that all the fears I will conquer and get over, no matter how difficult they are to face, will be reason enough to actually go ahead and do it! I can still hear my grandpa telling me that I'm "the kind of girl that goes out and accomplishes anything I set my mind to." That may not always be a smart thing, but it is good to hear that from someone else.
I have always been one of those girls who doesn't want to look back on my life and wonder "what if." Anyone who knows me well has probably heard me say that a lot, but it's true. I really seek to stick to that way of life. I will face things that aren't the best, but with determination and the strength of God empowering me daily... I can achieve great things. Who knows when you're faced with a seemingly impossible task, what the outcome will be? The very least you can do is give it a try.
I'm going to New Zealand... I've focused myself on the mission God has called me to do this summer and I won't back down! Let's see where this journey takes me! :)
Prayers are greatly appreciated...
Hei konei ra ( See you later),
Melinda Leanne
**I hope I come back with an awesome accent and amazing rugby skills :)**
Friday, March 21, 2008
Isaiah 58:9-10
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
As I was doing my FUEL for tonight (a guided bible study our youth group is doing together) this scripture was part of what we were supposed to read. It seemed to jump off the page at me and get me really thinking. There are so many of us who claim to be Christians and do God's work, yet seem to only stay within the confines of the four walls of the church. Now, I know God calls each of us to be used for Him in different ways, but do we sometimes hide behind that when we encounter the people that God is talking about in this passage? Do we hide behind our deeds towards the "perfect church service" when we come across someone in need right in front of us on the street corner?
It seems that throughout scripture God tells us, either through prophets in the OT or from Jesus' own lips in the NT, to reach out a hand to those in need. I think many have heard this call and have embraced it fully, but I also think a lot of us miss it- especially those of us who have been churched our whole lives. I know that I have become quite content with my pew-sitting self in the past and have often turned a deaf ear to the cry of those in need because I'm a good, tithe-paying, song-singing, Bible-quizzing Nazarene girl.
Its not enough to simply live a life of a good church-goer. I've felt God's tug on my heart to do more than simply be a good Christian girl who stays within those four walls of the sanctuary. While the church community is vital to our walk with God because of its fellowship and accountability, I think that what is beyond the front doors is something we can't forget about. God is calling us to step out of our comfort zone and listen to the voice of the oppressed.
Listen and act and your days will be filled with a wonderful light that can only come from God. :)
As I was doing my FUEL for tonight (a guided bible study our youth group is doing together) this scripture was part of what we were supposed to read. It seemed to jump off the page at me and get me really thinking. There are so many of us who claim to be Christians and do God's work, yet seem to only stay within the confines of the four walls of the church. Now, I know God calls each of us to be used for Him in different ways, but do we sometimes hide behind that when we encounter the people that God is talking about in this passage? Do we hide behind our deeds towards the "perfect church service" when we come across someone in need right in front of us on the street corner?
It seems that throughout scripture God tells us, either through prophets in the OT or from Jesus' own lips in the NT, to reach out a hand to those in need. I think many have heard this call and have embraced it fully, but I also think a lot of us miss it- especially those of us who have been churched our whole lives. I know that I have become quite content with my pew-sitting self in the past and have often turned a deaf ear to the cry of those in need because I'm a good, tithe-paying, song-singing, Bible-quizzing Nazarene girl.
Its not enough to simply live a life of a good church-goer. I've felt God's tug on my heart to do more than simply be a good Christian girl who stays within those four walls of the sanctuary. While the church community is vital to our walk with God because of its fellowship and accountability, I think that what is beyond the front doors is something we can't forget about. God is calling us to step out of our comfort zone and listen to the voice of the oppressed.
Listen and act and your days will be filled with a wonderful light that can only come from God. :)
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