Hurricane Agatha that struck the south of Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador has left a wake of destruction, devastation and dead bodies. With countless families loosing lives, homes and possessions we find ourselves in the midst of great need. Having hit on 29 May 2010, shortly after the Northbound team left, the effects are still being felt with problems far from over. With the hurricane comes torrential rain causing mudslides and rockslides leaving everything in near proximity buried.

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Hurricane Agatha that struck the south of Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador has left a wake of destruction, devastation and dead bodies. With countless families loosing lives, homes and possessions we find ourselves in the midst of great need. Having hit on 29 May 2010, shortly after the Northbound team left, the effects are still being felt with problems far from over. With the hurricane comes torrential rain causing mudslides and rockslides leaving everything in near proximity buried.

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Hurricane Agatha that struck the south of Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador has left a wake of destruction, devastation and dead bodies. With countless families loosing lives, homes and possessions we find ourselves in the midst of great need. Having hit on 29 May 2010, shortly after the Northbound team left, the effects are still being felt with problems far from over. With the hurricane comes torrential rain causing mudslides and rockslides leaving everything in near proximity buried.

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Moncara, Peru through Quito in Ecuador (and some Columbia!) then Cosat Roca and finally in Nicargua... Our firt set up ministry in 15 days began...

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My time in Peru has come and gone,
and certain memories have lifetime status won!

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Location: Mendoza Airport, Argentina. Destination: Lima, Peru.

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What a way to wake up after a rather topsy turvy start to NZ... I can hardly believe its over, its nausiating really... but the good kind.. the I 've got butterflies from excitement 'cause I know what lies ahead kind..  the realisation of how much we need Jesus kind.. the scream into your pillow and kick your legs around kind.. the look how God rocked our world in NZ kind!

After being fined 400 dollars for an orange at the airport (insert little gag effect here), we were greeted by Work Your Way (another team who we seem to run into often) Clara (project leader who travels with us for the next 3 months), three white envelopes and the cries of "Challenge"... (Nausiating! -and no, this time its the oh my soul its 1am i'm about to faint kind!).. By the grace of God after 30 min of 'challenging' it was revealed the leader only made a funny :) - (die span was amper vani pad af daai aand :)

         
  We began our ministry serving at Totara Spring christian centre in Matamata. What a place! Our work included loads of gardening,LOADS of removing of leaves, kitchen assistance and cleaning, camp task assistance, function working, gym clearing, cleaning and prep and than the HM Rage set up... The team blessed us with indoor hockey, the hydroslide and rock climbing among other, yet just to be on the site was a blessing on its own! The fellowship with the staff was great and we were blessed to meet ex SA residents! A great time!
  
We were blessed by a trip to Auckland via Rotarua... what a day was had by all... Boiling MUD and thermal activity was on the cards with some amazing rapids!!! Gods's hand in nature never ceases to amaze me...!!!! We even got to see th infamous silver fern...
       
We found oursleves in Torbay being shipped off to guest parents... and its a ship we ALL couldnt wait to board :) The families were nothing short of welcoming with warm cooked meals, snugly beds and a homely atmosphere that simply irreplacable! Blue team's ministry included serving at the Salvation Army's old age  home (below pic), house cleaning, bible study and church ministry. We also got the opportunity to do some internal ministry initiated by the project leader. 

 

We were reminder of our love for one another and the dynamics we possess as team , but, too, as individuals. Our strengths and weakness can easily be a catalystic for destruction or the key to encouragement in truly seeking Christ. We choose the latter! As a body, a family, a unit, we work together to build the church. Along the way we were able to share in the love of Jesus because we truly believed, being it with ladies walking dogs on the beach, SA staff in a Kiwi Care Home or famous authors and their friends at a cafe... all devine appointments... all with a purpose... :)
     

We look to South and Central America wit hthe expectation of great things from God! Join us in prayer for Southbound as body that we may be filled with humility and wisdom, with obedience and perseverence, with love and laughter and the joy of the Lord!

GOD BLESS!

SHRIS

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The Canon on Mt Victoria, Devonport... how we searched for this! On top we also had the most amaing by 360 deg night view of Auckland. We completed the mushroom counting and pic task, the hidden letter in the canon task and the prayers for Auckland here at 7pm at night in the rain!... The Americas Cup Voyager :) we had to track down its number...
   
We met up with LIME team along the way and what a spurt of fun that was. A sign we found rather amusing along the way. Sky Tower, which was part of the bonus task - 2 points per person that jumps - but you may not pay for it, a stranger hs to bless you! We were eager to see God work with this one but we ran out of time.
       
Spitfire... Part of the Museum task - we had to make our way to the museum and navigate ourselves inside to find certain artifacts and the likes including a Moa (huge bird), a 'punga' (tree), a waka (Maori canoe). The dinosaur was not one of them but I find it amazing!
         
The Maori culutral experience was truly a sight - we delved into the history of the tribes and the were moved by the finess of skill and vocal ability. As part of a task we to source the words for an ancient song as perform it (eek), meet a real maori and transalte a whole list of words... Top is Blue team with Riaan attemping the 'fearful' tongue gesture - men also slap part if the body in an attempt to intimidate their enemy. (hakka). A woman would widen her eyes.
     
The Holy Trinity Church on Parnell Road, Auckland. We nealry didnt make this one in time! The statue was also part of a task. Blue Team on North Head at the wrong canon! We would've saved hours if we got this right first time!
    
Using the Internet at a randon Billabong shop in Takapuna. We also traded our egg for stickers! (we had an egg and the aim was to trad it as many time for the most valuabe item we could get. We ended up trading 15 times with the most valued item being flowers and chocolate gift valued at 100 dollars)... The Kauri holes in Takapuna.
     
LAVA rock! Blue with the challenge paper and a dear soul who loaded the 5 strong team into his car :)

The day was filled with grace from the Lord, who came through with divine appointments and blessing after blessing... May we never cease to see His hand in all we do... We walked many many KMs but through which HE taught us patience, submittance, obedience, perseverence and trust. Though the devil came and tried to steal our joy at times, we prayed and focussed on our time at hand... We were blessed to spend a bit of time with Lime team along the way... Blue crossed the finish line 2nd just before 10pm. The overall placings are not final - but leaving out all bonus tasks we are happy to have completed the rest and done it all to God's glory!!!

God bless!
SHRIS

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I cant even begin to contain the truth about God's faithfulness and the joy that it has resulted in!!! And this is only the beginning...

Let's consider gold: if we look at a gold alloy, from the outside it appears to be genuine, real, but within it's is has many other substances added making it hard, difficult to shape and ultimately worth less. Pure gold, however, is soft and pliable and worth a small fortune. To purify an alloy one would need to grind it to a fine powder, add flux and bring it to the boil - at such a time the impurities will rise to the surface and can then be scrapped off.

During Aus and beginning NZ I got to the end of my rope - I couldnt anymore! It was as if I was on this big swing swinging confidently, and now I had fallen - HARD. "Where are you Jesus? Why do I feel this way? Confused, offended, neglected, misunderstood... I was doing ok, right?" During a fast God revealed much to me - to be faithfu in the little things and its when God seems far away that He's actually working the most!

This is my testimony. Like an alloy I appeared fine, genuine, but deep within I was hard and filled with impurities (pride, far of rejection, resentment, emotional dependancies, earthly passions and worldly routine) - its is hard to admit it! It's what I had come to know. But how can give my all to Jesus if I wont even let him mould me. I have hurt many people and done questionable things, and the guilt of the past enveloped my thoughts...So God broke me down into a powder and added a lot of flux (Jesus). - and the impurities are surfacing faster than you can say Timbuktoo... Its a painful process and the devil still tries to steal my joy by feeding me lies I've believd for so long. But I say NO! For PURE GOLD I want to be!

For someone who is results driven and "I want it all and I want it now" this is a challenge I could never have imagined myself. It demands patience (tough), obedience (what? no rebellion) and the release of control (oh no!)... and trust (big eek)! Each day I choose to hand over to the big man upstairs and HIS will...

* I dont want a courtship until I can 100% be satified with myself and Christ alone - no expectations - only Jesus!
*I dont want a career until God's will is revealed - and though I have the promise that He will use all for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28), I dont want to (again) decided without confirmation from Him
*I dont want to lead nyone. For a leader without God's perfect foundation is relying on the world - I am not ready (yet :)
*God does not call the qualified - He qualifies the called!

In Feb 2010 a prophet, Joe Ewen, proclaimed a prophectic anointing on my life.. For too long I doubted that I was good enough, even for Jesus... I now choose to accept Christ's plan, though I cannot rush it... "Hold it".. I opened myself to be used at the expence of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE I know...

I can never take back all my wrongs, my failures, my unfaithfulness, my lies. I can never fix all problems, take away troubles or mend broken hearts, including my own.. But I can encourage you that God really uses anyone. I am living proof! It is NOT too late! God's time is not our time! I will never say its easy but GOd has a plan - and that includes YOU!

If the Holy Spirit moves you today, are you ready to stop, drop, and roll it all out for the Saviour who gave it all for you? Are you ready to be on fire?
(John 3:16)

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How do I begin to describe a journey that has changed my life!!!

I planned to write a long testimony on all the things that have been revealed to me and how the Lord had worked in my life thus far - but it would be a very long letter and I may begin to cry... So, a quick note :)

The Phillipines moved me in may ways, well Christ did, i loved the intense ministry and I found a love for prophesy and prayer! I, too, got the privelage of leading and being part of worship as well a teach dance. Not to mention the fact that I preached my first sermon to a 300 strong crowd. The Holy Spirit gets all the credit as he came to the party each time!!! But what an honour to be part of that!

     
Intramuros in Manila and Olango Island's ministry

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