Thursday, July 21, 2011

1 week left in Fiji!

thanks for all the prayers, things are going good here in fiji. we moved to Suva which is a bigger city. we have been so blessed by the people here (and fed very well :) lots of teaching, and thats been really fun. I got to teach a Bible study on 2 Peter 2 nights ago to a bunch of Fijian people and we had such a great time. They have us booked solid here with preaching/teaching/visiting etc. I can't believe we leave for Samoa in 1 week, finally returning to the homeland after 8 years! im soooo excited. I'll put up a more detailed update tomorrow hopefully! missing home and the fam so much these days, you're all in my prayers. thank you for ALL the support and love to all reading, a lot of you have made this experience possible for me. Much love

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Team Pacifica Update!!

We arrived in Fiji last Monday and were welcomed by the current leaders of YWAM Vunayasi which is about 10 to 15 minutes away from the city of Nadi. We had a warm welcome from the Vunayasi staff, who waited for our arrival dressed in traditional Fijian attire and welcomed us with a traditional song. It was quite a welcome as it continued into our dinner and they performed several mekes (dances) for us.

Our first week staying at YWAM Vunayasi we spent our time getting to know the staff and preparing our teachings for the following week. However we also engaged in the base activities during our preparation times. We attended the weekly bible study, where Catherine (who is from Fiji) spoke the word of the Lord to the staff and several visitors from the Fijian bible college. We also attended the base intercession time, which was fruitful for both our team and the staff and visitors. Later the same day we also joined the base staff in their Kid’s Club where local children from the surrounding farms and houses come to the base to sing songs, learn about the Lord, and play games. Jillian, the team leader led the kids in numerous songs and taught them the story of the Lost sheep using “Inductive Storying.” The following day our team led a time of worship for the base and later joined the staff at Babakula, a piece of land given to Loren Cunningham. The men on our team went along with the staff men and learned how to plant cassava while the women on the team went with the staff women to pray in the building they hope to turn into a prayer house for Fiji. On our first Sunday we attended two church services. The first of which was a small house church where Catherine lead the pre-service bible study. Later we attended an evening service at a large church where we would be teaching the women’s ministry the following week.

                Our first week at YWAM Vunayasi has been very relational. The team has connected with the staff and their visitors in some pretty incredible ways. Cultural barriers were non-existent thanks to God and the kind, generous, and compassionate hearts of those at the Vunayasi base.

                This Monday thru Wednesday the C-SBS team were given the privilege of teaching the women’s ministry at a local church a bible overview. We were able to reveal the Lord’s character to them on a broader scale and also build relationship with them as well. We were truly blessed by their hospitality and love. We were also given an opportunity to share our personal testimonies to a group of AOG Bible College Graduates who are staying on the YWAM base, telling them of how the Lord brought us from our DTSs to SBS to Fiji. We have also been given an opportunity to teach Jonah, James, and Colossians to the staff and another local church. It is a real blessing to teach these Christians as well as learning from them.

                So far Fiji has been ministering to our team indirectly in amazing ways. It has been an encouraging and inspiring thing to see the faith of the natives as well as their joy even in the midst of struggles for provision, which is biblically inspiring as well. In the week to come we will be leaving Vunayasi and going to a church in Suva about three hours away. This is the home church of Catherine Chander, who was born and raised in Fiji and was living in Reiwaqa, Suva prior to her schooling in DTS and C-SBS. We will be teaching Inductive Bible Study Seminars as well as a few books from the Old and New testament. After we have spent a week there we will be heading off to Samoa to teach the word there.

                Thank you all for prayers and support. This has been an amazing experience and we have the faith that the Lord will use this experience to strengthen and disciple us even more than he already has.

Personally- amazed at all God is doing, but homesick for both Kona and Manitoba at the moment...

Thanks for reading guys and God bless you

Sunday, July 10, 2011

let the teaching begin...

So today i taught 'Bible Overview' for the first time to the most precious group of Fijian women at a church on the top of the most beautiful mountain. God's presense was so strong and that made the teaching so incredible.  It s been really hard to get internet out here so i haven't been able to upload any photos but I'll try to as soon as i can. Getting adjusted to life here, its had ups and downs but in general learning a lot. please pray for team unity!! thanks for all your prayers and support, will write more soon!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Fiji :)

So I'm here!! don't have long but just wanted to update that I arrived here safe and sound. We are staying at a very random village in the middle of nowhere with a pet goat...it is extremely random. So far this week we are prepping all of our Bible teaching. which has been going really well.  The base leader here has really challenged us to get to know the staff here and pour out what we have learned and take the opportunity to bless them. This morning one of my students, Catherine, spoke on the life of Nehemiah and learning to live by faith. It was SO challenging, the presence of God was sooo strong, so many tears were shed in the room. Tomorrow we will run a day for kids in the community and teach them Bible stories. This weekend we get introduced to the churches which we will be teaching at next week...so exciting. There is 1 other American girl here (the rest of the staff are Fijian), and I've been so blessed by getting to know her....she is here teaching the Fijians to raise/butcher there own chickens so they can not only feed themselves, but have a business so that they can sustain themselves. I have been SO shocked and convicted by how little these people have, and how much I never even realize I take for granted...God is teaching me what it means to be generous and love people and what it really means.  It sure has given me a whole new perspective on everything.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers- please continue to pray for team unity. also, finances for one of my students, Catherine. We are still believing for money to come in for her to be able to come with us to Samoa in 3 weeks.
Bula Vinaka!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Goodbye Kona...hello Oahu.

So I left Kona on Thursday. Packed up my apartment, handed back the keys, sold my moped, said what felt like a thousand goodbyes, and got on the plane. It was sadder than sad. But also exciting.  We flew to Oahu where we are staying for 2 days to relax/prep for outreach.  It's been nice to see the island a bit and get to know my team better. Also, I got to reunite with my dts staff and best dts buddy, Virgil, after 8 years (how has it been that long since my dts?!). It was really strange....like seeing someone completely out of context. But he showed us around Oahu all day and it was so fun to catch up with him, and catch up on the happenings of all our dts friends. Tomorrow we get to work officially....time to get serious! The students will be prepping their Bible teachings all day, and then giving them in front of us. We also have some teaching stuff to prep so it'll be a busy day. Then Sunday morning we get on the plane to Nandi, Fiji!!! It's all seeming a little surreal at this point. But so excited to get there and get started on outreach....
Jill and I this afternoon 

Virgil and me :)
thank you all for your prayers and i'll try to keep you posted as best as I can.