Well, it’s been nearly a week since I arrived in New Zealand, and I’d
be lying if I didn’t say it was nice to be here. I miss home, family, church,
friends, and a lot besides, but both the environment and opportunities here
sure do ease the difficulty. It’s high summer right now and here in Tauranga that
means beautiful, comfortable days and dewy nights with only a refreshing touch
of coolness. And unlike our time in New Zealand from July to October, it stays
light until 8:30 or 9:00 instead of being dark by dinner time – a fact that
makes organizing games of ultimate frisbee much easier J.
As nice as it was to be here during winter and spring, I’m not sure that much
beats the summer weather here.
Still, we certainly haven’t had too much time to lounge around outside
since I got here last Sunday. For me and the rest of the staff, our days have
been filled with almost non-stop training and preparation for the students’ arrival.
There are nearly 10 more students than there were on the last school, so new accommodations
had to be set up in addition to the required cleaning of much of the base and
the constant stream of little tasks that Linda Cowie can always come up with
for us to do. There are so many details that have to be taken care of to run a
DTS with 43 students!
During our training times we covered all kinds of really important
topics. Most importantly, we started every morning with worship and prayer, acknowledging
that if He isn’t our focus and leader and foundation, this DTS will go really
bad, really fast. We talked about the vision we had for the DTS and the culture
we wanted to create that would allow the vision to become reality. We talked
about communication within ourselves as a staff and with students through
one-on-ones (kind of like mentoring sessions) and small group times. We learned
about our spiritual gifts and strengths and how they all fit together as a team,
and each of us was assigned certain staff functions according to those
aptitudes. Then we discussed time management, a vital part of life when you
have as many responsibilities and obligations as DTS staff do.
Although it was a little hard leaving home a week before the DTS actually
began, I can really see how incredibly important this staff orientation week
was. I think we all got a better sense of just how much responsibility we have
as DTS staff – it would be a very stressful amount if we weren’t certain that
God was guiding us and extending grace when we don’t live up to everything we’re
supposed to be. Because of His leadership we can be really excited instead of
being stressed because we know that He is going to transform lives on this
school. I can’t wait to see how people are changed and healed and brought closer
to God in the next few months.
Students began arriving yesterday (Friday) and will continue to arrive
up until Monday morning, when the school officially starts. Amazingly, this
school is even more diverse than mine: within the 43 students, we have 15
different nationalities! Many are from Europe (Switzerland, Austria, Germany,
Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway), but we also have students from
North America, Korea, Singapore, Fiji, New Zealand, Brazil, and Chile! Fourteen
are in the Medical Mercy stream, thirteen are in Pacific Challenge, four are in
Go, two are in Devoted, three in worship, and seven with me and my co-staffer
Danny in the justice stream.
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| Photo credit: Danny Aviles |
I want to again thank all of you who have supported me in my return to
New Zealand to serve as staff. I feel certain that He handpicked each of us who
are on staff for this school and that I am in the right place. In fact, the
very first night I was here (last Sunday) we saw a sight that seems like confirmation
from God that we are right where He wants us to be and that His favor is over
this base. We had just finished having dinner at David and Linda’s house (they
are the founders of Marine Reach Ministries) and were walking back up past the
chapel to the base when a rainbow began to appear. It got brighter and brighter
(the double rainbow was easily visible too) and soon arced all the way across
the sky. If you stood in the right place, the rainbow actually connected the
chapel with the training center, a picture of the
intersection of prayer and discipleship. It was one of the most spectacular
rainbows I had ever seen, but it was only the beginning. As the rainbow faded,
the western sky lit up, soon becoming one of the most vivid sunsets I have ever
seen. We ran up the hill to see it better, and I couldn’t take pictures fast
enough! Both the rainbow and the sunset were nearly miraculous sights to see,
something only God could create, so we took them as signs of his pleasure over
us and this YWAM base, and reminders that He is the source of all beauty.
Without Him there is no good thing.
Off to a great start,
Dan
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