...actually it already has! Life has been FULL ON these last months. I am still thinking to myself its the new year. And its definitely NOT. It is JUNE. June. That is the 6th month on the calendar. We are half way through. Speaking of half way through... it has been a year for me. Did you catch that? I am half way through. Ah, heartbreak! Its going so quickly. The first few months crawled as I settled and figured out how to do life here (and leave Buffalo behind), but now that I am here (fully here), I just keep finding amazing people and projects to throw myself into... and the time flies.
LATEST and how you can be praying!
I am a Youth Worker at Albany Junior High (a middle school 7 minutes away from where I pastor) 10 hours a week. So many unknowns as I try to figure out how the school, teachers and students "work". Its fun. I have a great partner, Joel, who I work alongside. (AND it could turn into a paying job if I wanted to stay longer in New Zealand). PRAY for those connections and finding good things to plug into that will enrich the students' experience during Jr. High school and development in life. PRAY for connections outside of school where I can openly share about my reason for doing what I do/ caring for students, which is my relationship with God of course!
The youth group is going good. I get to regularly connect on Fridays with between 15-20 kids (activity dependent ha.) PRAY for ways to continually bring SIGNIFICANT spiritual influence to these kids, for receptive hearts and for me to be intentional with the kids who are keen to learn more about God. PRAY for good one-on-one times to be able to mentor specific students (there've been challenges there).
I love being here, feel so well supported by my home church. Although a big area of NEED is youth leaders within the youth ministry. There are some young ones, PRAY for wisdom in how to challenge and encourage them as leaders working with teens. PRAY for male youth leaders too, NEED them! I'd love to be working with a TEAM!!
I am taking on an intern this upcoming term, exciting! He is used to be a part of the youth group and now is a student at Bible College, PRAY I would have discernment on how to guide and encourage Tom.
