So I just got home last Saturday from faith week. I described in my last post on what faith week is. It was amazing! we got dropped off in a town called Sheffield and we just chilled there for like 2 hours doing devotions and talking, that is pretty much how all our mornings started, we didn't rush and just devoted that time to really hearing God's direction for us. I think that really helped us alot and kept the focus more on God and what he wanted. We got a few interesting people that gave us rides, like a couple from Israel had this station wagon that they spray painted a boat on the one side and painted "sail away" on the other. They where really cool, they took us to Lake Tekapo. They shared their dinner with us and let us borrow there tent for the night, which was barely a 2 person tent and there where 3 of us so that was funny to look back upon. So the first night was super cold, crammed, barely any rest and there was little bits of snow on the ground from that night. But thankfully that was the only night we had to sleep outside, God provided a warm place every night for us! We then got to go to an old stone church for Easter Sunday, it was super awesome. We had a beautiful view of the snow peaked mountains across the clear blue lake.
We ran into Jon slack and his family and they blessed us with lunch, snacks and some money. It was so cool to meet up with them and totally be blessed. We then ran into another team: Kayla, Kari and Heesuk. We all got a ride from this guy named Dave, 2 sat upfront with him and the rest of us jumped in the back of the truck with all the chopped wood. It was so much fun, we got better sleep back there than the night in the tent haha. We stopped by mount cook and saw the BEAUTIFUL scenery. 
So Dave let us crash a his house overnight in Wanaka, he cooked us steaks, salad, salmon and red potato's that we helped pick from his garden. It was awesome getting to know him, he has this website called snowdrifta.com and he pretty much helps kids do something with there lives and not waste it away. He's totally reaching out to others and it's just really cool to see that. We got a few more rides from people, got to talk to them about what we are doing, YWAM, God and other stuff. It was fun and we got to make some stops along the way and see more of the south island. We had bummed into like 2 other teams in Wanaka, so that was random and fun to see how others where doing. We then got to Queenstown, which is like the most tourist city in NZ so you had to have money to do ANYTHING there. While we where wondering around, looking for a place to sleep cause it was like already 7ish, we ran into Jacklyn, Amanda and Jaeshik. They had looked in a phone book and felt like they should call this number and when they did they where briefly telling their situation and the woman right away said a van would be there to pick then up in a half hour. So we thought that was great they had possibly found a place and we continued to walk a little ways and sat on a bench to pray. While we where praying and just being quiet in God's presents listening, we pretty much thought we where going to have to sleep outside. But I just let it go and stopped trying to make it work and surrendered it to God. I was thinking it was kinda fun actually and right then Beau just looked at us smiling and was like "this is fun guys!" haha so it was cool that we all where just on the same page and letting God take care of us. Literally like 5 seconds later the other team ran over to us and told us to come with them the van had room.
We had no idea who this guy was, where we were going and what we where doing but we just felt like God said to go and I loved it cause I knew God was taking care of us. When we got to his house to our surprise 2 other teams where already there! So they fed us and told us their story and about the church they where starting. We got to go over and pray over the church and see God's vision for the place. There names where Janet and Chris, and they showed us sooo much hospitality and blessed us. We stayed there for 3 nights, and while we where there we cleaned, helped cook, gardened, built the church website and prayed over the church a few more times.
The cool thing about the website is that someone prayed 6 days before we came and prayed that someone would come within a week and make the website for them. We saw God answer prayer in so many ways, little and small it was amazing. We also got prayed and ministered over like every night. There ended up being like 7 teams staying there by the 3rd night, and totally not planned at all. So we know God totally wanted us all to be there for a reason. So we left to start heading north toward home on Thursday, we actually got a ride from a guy named William from Hong Kong with another team all the way to Christchurch (45min from Oxford) He not only got us some food for lunch on the way there but also took us to his house and made us Korean noodles with diced ham in it, it was sooo good. And he make us coffee which was awesome cause we where just saying how great it would be if God gave us coffee and choc. We got choc. like the next night then. God did things like that for us the whole week, it really showed me how he truly cares about us, even the little things he loves to bless us.
We went to like every hostile in Christchurch and asked if we could work for accommodations. All but one turned us down, but we gave the spot to another team we bumped into. It was actually alot of fun because we took turns in 2's asking the hostiles and it was just a great opportunity to stretch us in asking for help and jump in and just do it. We ended up staying at a friend of Jacklyn's that she knew near the square. So we got to crash there for the last 2 nights and in return clean up the apartment for them. The last night we had a BBQ and just chilled with all the people that where coming in. The apartment was so cool, it was in this alley that had a bunch of bars and restaurants and the apartment was above them. The guys there where real chill and cool to talk with. We actually got some deeper conversations with them about religion and explain our points of view and hear theirs. Last day we walked like 1 1/2 hours so we could like just talk and debrief about the week. Our last ride was cool, Rebbecca and Ben. They didn't even live near Oxford but that day they just out of the blue decided to go to Oxford for the day. I was so happy to be at the base, It was the best feeling EVER. Overall we only missed like 2 meals, had to sleep outside only once, and our longest time waiting for a ride was like maybe 45min...pretty much God REALLY protected and provided for us. I can't even put into words what God did and I could just go on and on with more detail about this week. He just showed me that he is my comport and home wherever I go. He will provide for me and more if I just let go and give him the wheel and he thought me more on FAITH. I think this week helped prepare us for outreach and also drew us even closer together, It's amazing how much love there is here for each other and how we have grown together so far.
So that's the most part of what happened on faith week. There is more events and details, not to mention all the other teams and there story's. But this post would be never ending if I tryed to write it all. So Faith week is over and done, now only 3 weeks till outreach...
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