So this week has been kind of a getting to know things time and figuring out how things work on the YWAM base. We start each day at 6:30 (or at least we try to) with personal devotions. That basically means just time by yourself reading your bible or praying or journalling or walking....however you want to get some one-on-one time in with God and get yourself into a good headspace for the day. It's been really good for me because I've never really made the time to do that before (anyone who has lived with me knows I'm not too good with mornings).
After an hour of devotions we are supposed to be done our breakfast by 8am. The guys eat at the base and the girls who live in the house with me all eat there. After that we have work duty for an hour. basically what that means is that each person is assigned a job to do somewhere on the base to help cut down on costs and also to give us a chance to serve the base because not only does it cut down on operation costs, but also gives you a sense of responsibility for your home. My job is pretty sweet: my roomate Petra from Holland and I wash the breakfast dishes and tidy the kitchen and living/dining rooms of the girls house. Some other people have to clean bathrooms, do laundry, clean offices, or help prep for dinner. You switch work duties once over the course of dts, so I'll have this one for half the time.
After work duty we've been having a talk in the classroom on the base. We've learned a bit about what it means to live with so many people in close quarters and about some of the guidelines and rules that will help make it go smoothly. We also talked about what worship means, what devotions and bible study can look like, and also about how to do intercession (which is basically praying for someone and seeing if you hear God speak). Our speakers have been the leaders from the different dts's. After this we'll have speakers coming in to talk to us.
The other thing that happened during the morning this week was that our leaders shared about what the vision is for each of the different schools going on at the base at the same time: the backpacker school which is about travelling around backpacker style (both hiking backpacking and travel backpacking) and ministering to other travellers, the crossroads father's heart school which is for people over 30 who are interested in learning more about the father heart of God-they are going on missions to China, and then of course earthcare which focusses on giving people in developing nations the tools to farm sustainably and also works with women and children who are disadvantaged (we are going to Bali for two weeks in December and then Cambodia for 3 months). It was really cool to hear about all the schools, but when the leaders for Earthcare got up and shared, as corny as it sounds I felt tears come to my eyes because it's exactly what I had been hoping it would be.....working with kids who haven't been loved, showing people how to get clean water and grow their own food....ways to help people in the cycle of poverty get out and through our actions showing how God loves us all.
After our morning session (with a break for morning tea which usually consists of warm baking by the 5 star chef Ally who is volunteering on the base this year...such a blessing!!) we have lunch at one. Then we have some other session in the afternoon. Sometimes we volunteer in the community or on the base with larger work projects (I cleaned a lady's house this week), my dts went on a hike, some days we get free time, and today we did a digital photo scavenger hunt in Christchurch which was really fun.
We have dinner at 6. There are teams each week who look after either the lunch or dinner dishes and we all have a turn doing that. After dinner some nights we have free time and other times we have worship or other activities.
By the time all this is over, lights out by 10:30 doesn't seem too early and we are starting all over again.
On the weekends there are trips around the South Island doing all kinds of stuff...rock climbing, hiking, hanging out on the beach, going to hotsprings....the chef and the base staff don't work on weekends so everyone takes turns being the Weekend Warriors (which means you stay on the base and set up, clean up and cook the meals for anyone still there, and do basic cleaning). There isn't a big trip planned this weekend so most people are still here and I am on Weekend Warriors...I'm kind of glad because it means that I don't have to miss any of the trips, although there is kind of more work to do because there are more people than usual still here.
Anyway that's sort of a summary of "Life as I know it" right now. I'm sure I didn't say lots of things and if you have questions I'll try to answer them....
OH and I forgot....early spring in New Zealand has some very interesting weather...it's been pretty cool and rainy most of this week, with a couple sunny afternoons (perfect for soccer games), but today it actually snowed! Didn't stick on the ground at all and was more like rain, but still...not exactly the hot weather I've been spoiled with for the past 4 months. Ah well, it's totally worth it being here. Definitely feels like home.
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