Hello! Good day! And Salutations friends and families!
I hope that you are all well (actually I hope that you are FANTASTIC!)! While you are going to work, meeting daily demands, and spending time with both friends and family? I hope your lives are filled with immense peace and joy! I am thinking about you all. The people, places, and events here remind me of you at different times and it makes me smile. Know that I am thinking about you. I am so appreciative of your prayers, encouragement, and support! Thank you!!
The days have been so FULL! This week is almost bursting with goodness! I am meeting and getting to know wonderful people from ALL over the world who are taking part in various Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) on the Oxford base. People are from the US, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, England, Australia, New Zealand, and more! The lectures here are about God and are FASCINATING! As we learn the rhythms of life here with one another, we are learning to be a part of a community and how to love one another.
The YWAM Oxford, New Zealand base is currently in session with 3 different schools: Around the World in 80 days (AW80), The Father’s Love (Crossroads), and Biblical Core Course (BCC). Each school has a different demographic emphasis: AW80 is generally people in their 20s, Crossroads is generally 30+ and has singles, married, and even some children here, while BBC is the smallest school with a range of age groups. I am enjoying the multigenerational atmosphere and the balance it provides on our base. Although we are different schools we have overlap together in sharing some lectures, eating, sleeping, and work duties.
On Friday and Saturday we went into Christchurch to volunteer with earthquake relief efforts. Many people in Christchurch have been without water and electricity. Many of us volunteered at Graceworks Church. This was a large church-turned-distribution-center. Resources were brought to this location (food, water, clothing, blankets) and volunteers helped sort the mountains of donations, and delivery them into the hands of people who need them. This was an incredible opportunity to be God’s hands and feet. Watching people serve one another, and work together was beautiful to see. Sometimes I sorted clothing, folded blankets, SMILED AT PEOPLE and asked them how they were doing, recorded names, addresses, family sizes, handed out bread, got coffee/tea/water for volunteers… anything and a little bit of everything! This was a lot of fun, and I am so happy to be involved with helping!
Surprises:
1. I do NOT miss having a cell phone.
2. The sky here in Oxford is BREATHTAKING: sunrise, sunset, during the day, AND at night!
3. I ENJOY living in a room with 8 other women.
4. My love of tea time.
We have homework by way of journals (personal reflections, application techniques, lecture summaries, ect), book reports, geography, scripture memorization. We found out about the routes and country options for the second part of the Discipleship Training School– Outreach, and we need to select our top choices today.
Patience. Perseverance. Fun. Flexibility. God is so good!
Love and blessings to you!
Carla
Carla