A New Zealand Departure...
(not my picture...)
The time has come for the once far-off departure from New Zealand into the greater world abroad. It is a sad farewell from this beautiful country, however, it is not the last that I hope to see of this place, or the people here. The past eleven weeks have been full of adventure, relationships, amazing country, God, and ice cream. The next three months will be ripe with many of those same aspects, except, perhaps and sadly, ice cream.
Early this morning (Saturday here) the first team departed the Oxford Base. The Africa Team left at 4:30 am in order to catch their flight - they will eventually end up in South Africa. There were a number of us up, making much noise, in an effort to say our goodbyes and blessings upon this first departure. Over the next two days (Sun and Mon) the remaining 5 teams will depart for the ends of the earth.
Of the six teams originating here at Oxford we will reach out to over 30 countries on all but 3 of the continents (no teams to North America, Australia, or Antarctica - bummer on the Antarctica bit). That's a hard reality to envision right now and really quite staggering when considered.
We're setting out as traveler's - not tourists. Sure, we are planning on seeing some of the sites along the way and enjoying the many cultures we are enveloped by. However, our intent while out in the world over the next 11 weeks, or so, is to serve, to minister, to work, to experience joy and hardships, to develop our teamwork and our personal skills, to live life to the fullest, and, finally, to love.
The stars were out this morning (in fact, are still out as it remains dark for a bit longer). Not that they are ever really not out, just that they were visible, actually, they are visibly brilliant. They are beautiful - I have never seen the sky painted with such glorious stars, never. Have you ever seen the pictures taken from the cosmic telescopes - those pictures that display a panorama of stars almost as if a wet paint brush was flicked across a black canvas many times? Well, the stars in the sky this morning are such a picture.
The morning will soon dawn. As I type the morning sun will rise for what I hope to be a gloriously sunny day. Sadly, the weather here is turning towards fall and so it is quite chilly now outside, approaching freezing. This will certainly mean that even a sunny day will be a bit chilly - a nice, brisk fall day.
Just as the seasons change on the South Island of New Zealand, so change the seasons in our lives. If one was to ask the students (and staff) here I think you would discover a sadness in departing from this place and from these friends, however, we recognize the change that is approaching and now upon us. The outreach phase of this experience shall grow each of us beyond that which we have grown into during the now-ending lecture phase.
We expect to change, we want to change, we desire to see the world - to see the people of the world. We have asked for this season in our lives, we have come so that we might experience and many have come in an effort to change. It is not so much the desired change that brought us here - I doubt that many would have though 11 weeks ago that their lives would be so impacted. What brought us here was, and still is, the desire to experience God.
That which we desired we have found. That which we have found is just the cusp of a great vein of wealth. We intend to continue mining this vein, striving for the greater wealth that it leads us onto and into. The seam into which we now strike is that of spiritual wealth - the wealth that comes with knowing and being a part of the Kingdom of God.
This is a wealth that will not decay - there is no other wealth that will satisfy. Those who strive after this course are rich and rich in so much more then any monetary abundance could provide. To find this Kingdom one only needs to seek it with an honest heart.
+++
There are choices in life
Decisions to make
Some cause strife
Others are easy to take
All lead nowhere, and one leads everywhere
Never would I have thought
Nor would I have imagined
A trip such as this
A chance for such experience
An opportunity to change
A chance to live fully
A time to find what the heart seeks
Not just moments to live life fully
Moments quilted into life eternally
Where are you? How do you live? What do you seek? Are you alive?
+++
We have completed much of the base cleanup duties over the past day. There will be a couple hours to do today, however, much of the day will be last minute preparations such as emailing or blogging (like I am doing). Most importantly we will be spending the last moments with friends, with our family that has been created within the past 11 weeks or so.
The Far East Asia Team (including me) departs Sunday morning at 11:30 am from the Base and on into the Christchurch airport. Our itinerary will take us to seven individual countries in order to serve and to learn. We will arrive in Israel in mid-June, reuniting with the other five teams as we gather one last time prior to departing individually out to the ends of the world.
It is interesting to note that New Zealand is literally, geographically speaking, nearly the earthly opposite of Jerusalem. That is, if you were to take the earth, using a globe model of course, putting one index finger on Jerusalem and your other index finger in the middle-south of the South Island of New Zealand you would easily discover that your fingers create an axis through the center of the earth. Standing in Jerusalem, New Zealand is quite literally the end of the earth. Likewise, the reverse would be true, sitting here at a computer in New Zealand, Jerusalem is the end of the earth.
So, it is with greater significance that we set out across this earth - to the ends of the earth - finding our way to Jerusalem over the course of next 11 weeks.
Words will never adequately describe life or the experiences since arriving here.
I should hope that we meet again. If we do not, may God's presence be made known to you and His peace be upon you. Know that I go out into the world with peace in my heart, pursuing that which means everything. Blessings.
In the words of one of our speakers "GO GET YOUR OWN STORIES!!"
***
Our class verse/mission/commission:
Isaiah 61:1-4
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations."
"...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8b
The time has come for the once far-off departure from New Zealand into the greater world abroad. It is a sad farewell from this beautiful country, however, it is not the last that I hope to see of this place, or the people here. The past eleven weeks have been full of adventure, relationships, amazing country, God, and ice cream. The next three months will be ripe with many of those same aspects, except, perhaps and sadly, ice cream.
Early this morning (Saturday here) the first team departed the Oxford Base. The Africa Team left at 4:30 am in order to catch their flight - they will eventually end up in South Africa. There were a number of us up, making much noise, in an effort to say our goodbyes and blessings upon this first departure. Over the next two days (Sun and Mon) the remaining 5 teams will depart for the ends of the earth.
Of the six teams originating here at Oxford we will reach out to over 30 countries on all but 3 of the continents (no teams to North America, Australia, or Antarctica - bummer on the Antarctica bit). That's a hard reality to envision right now and really quite staggering when considered.
We're setting out as traveler's - not tourists. Sure, we are planning on seeing some of the sites along the way and enjoying the many cultures we are enveloped by. However, our intent while out in the world over the next 11 weeks, or so, is to serve, to minister, to work, to experience joy and hardships, to develop our teamwork and our personal skills, to live life to the fullest, and, finally, to love.
The stars were out this morning (in fact, are still out as it remains dark for a bit longer). Not that they are ever really not out, just that they were visible, actually, they are visibly brilliant. They are beautiful - I have never seen the sky painted with such glorious stars, never. Have you ever seen the pictures taken from the cosmic telescopes - those pictures that display a panorama of stars almost as if a wet paint brush was flicked across a black canvas many times? Well, the stars in the sky this morning are such a picture.
The morning will soon dawn. As I type the morning sun will rise for what I hope to be a gloriously sunny day. Sadly, the weather here is turning towards fall and so it is quite chilly now outside, approaching freezing. This will certainly mean that even a sunny day will be a bit chilly - a nice, brisk fall day.
Just as the seasons change on the South Island of New Zealand, so change the seasons in our lives. If one was to ask the students (and staff) here I think you would discover a sadness in departing from this place and from these friends, however, we recognize the change that is approaching and now upon us. The outreach phase of this experience shall grow each of us beyond that which we have grown into during the now-ending lecture phase.
We expect to change, we want to change, we desire to see the world - to see the people of the world. We have asked for this season in our lives, we have come so that we might experience and many have come in an effort to change. It is not so much the desired change that brought us here - I doubt that many would have though 11 weeks ago that their lives would be so impacted. What brought us here was, and still is, the desire to experience God.
That which we desired we have found. That which we have found is just the cusp of a great vein of wealth. We intend to continue mining this vein, striving for the greater wealth that it leads us onto and into. The seam into which we now strike is that of spiritual wealth - the wealth that comes with knowing and being a part of the Kingdom of God.
This is a wealth that will not decay - there is no other wealth that will satisfy. Those who strive after this course are rich and rich in so much more then any monetary abundance could provide. To find this Kingdom one only needs to seek it with an honest heart.
+++
There are choices in life
Decisions to make
Some cause strife
Others are easy to take
All lead nowhere, and one leads everywhere
Never would I have thought
Nor would I have imagined
A trip such as this
A chance for such experience
An opportunity to change
A chance to live fully
A time to find what the heart seeks
Not just moments to live life fully
Moments quilted into life eternally
Where are you? How do you live? What do you seek? Are you alive?
+++
We have completed much of the base cleanup duties over the past day. There will be a couple hours to do today, however, much of the day will be last minute preparations such as emailing or blogging (like I am doing). Most importantly we will be spending the last moments with friends, with our family that has been created within the past 11 weeks or so.
The Far East Asia Team (including me) departs Sunday morning at 11:30 am from the Base and on into the Christchurch airport. Our itinerary will take us to seven individual countries in order to serve and to learn. We will arrive in Israel in mid-June, reuniting with the other five teams as we gather one last time prior to departing individually out to the ends of the world.
It is interesting to note that New Zealand is literally, geographically speaking, nearly the earthly opposite of Jerusalem. That is, if you were to take the earth, using a globe model of course, putting one index finger on Jerusalem and your other index finger in the middle-south of the South Island of New Zealand you would easily discover that your fingers create an axis through the center of the earth. Standing in Jerusalem, New Zealand is quite literally the end of the earth. Likewise, the reverse would be true, sitting here at a computer in New Zealand, Jerusalem is the end of the earth.
So, it is with greater significance that we set out across this earth - to the ends of the earth - finding our way to Jerusalem over the course of next 11 weeks.
Words will never adequately describe life or the experiences since arriving here.
I should hope that we meet again. If we do not, may God's presence be made known to you and His peace be upon you. Know that I go out into the world with peace in my heart, pursuing that which means everything. Blessings.
In the words of one of our speakers "GO GET YOUR OWN STORIES!!"
***
Our class verse/mission/commission:
Isaiah 61:1-4
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations."
"...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8b
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