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| Since January 2010 I have given away 6 Bibles to NEW believers |
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5 people I work/live life with have had a
God-awakening (two I am particularly close to!)
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Shore Grace Church is small but our impact in
our community is strong, and we’re planting a new church in a neighboring
developing community called Grace Point
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| Albany Jr. High has asked me to stay on for another year as youth worker |
Kids encounter God in amazing ways at Ignite Camp 2011, many of us cried as the kids shared their stories around the camp fire on the last night
Champions has spread to ANOTHER school
· I had intern for a semester and it went great!
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On September 11, 2011 I was ordained as Wesleyan Minister and my dad flew me home for it
On September 11, 2011 I was ordained as Wesleyan Minister and my dad flew me home for it
· There have been people who couldn’t continue their support financially over this whole term but others have stepped into the gap!
On a sadder level, if I am really honest with you, it has not been easy. I have been navigating through the waters of grief this past year. Its taken me almost as long as I have lived here (18 months) to realize that I have been, in a sense, grieving the loss of my life and relationships in Buffalo. I so love my city, its people and the life I'd spent 23 years building. I wonder if the disciples ever felt that way when they gave up everything to follow Christ? On top of that, grief also intensified when I lost both my grandmother and my other pseudo grandmother within months. Being far away from those I love and not being able to grieve collectively with them left me craving home in a deeper way. I am sure this may sound like your life, right? It seems like a lot of people I know have or currently are experiencing these life things. It does comfort me to know I am not the only to ever experience these kinds of things, I think it is just part of growing up.
Although its not always healthy, some days the only thing to hold back my tears was just being so busy. Our church is so plugged into our community there is always someone to see or project to join.
I was incredibly blessed and I used this term strongly) to go home to Buffalo in September, reuniting with loved ones I have desperately missed, and reminiscing with those who'd been over my way for a visit, and celebrating my ordination and decision to stay in New Zealand for another 2 years.
Not only the loss of my home, culture, relational ties back home, but the literally loss of my grandma and my pseudo-grandmother, too.
( I never finished this post but thought I would post it anyways!)
