Aotearoa, Oceania und Indonesia

Hello friends,

A lot has happened since the last update—except for progress on our third house. Not much has changed there, which is why us guys are still living in the RV.

In class, we’ve had several great topics, with “Missions” and “Lordship” being my two favorites. For the Missions week, we were back in Waitangi, just like during the previous DTS. That week focuses on understanding different cultures, using the example of the Māori and the first missionaries in New Zealand. This time, it was much more relaxed, and we had an amazing time with Uncle Ray. Last week during Lordship, things were more challenging, especially since many of us were either sick or exhausted. But it was incredibly good. Three of our nine students got baptized, and several committed to missions. We all surrendered things to God, and for many, these were deeply foundational aspects of their lives.

This week, we attended the Oceania Hui (YWAM Pacific Gathering). YWAMers from New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands all came together to worship God, connect, and refocus. It was super cool, and I met many people I know from traveling, outreach, and other places. It’s also so exciting to hear about different projects, schools and the vision for the coming years. For example, one of YWAM’s goals in the next few years, in collaboration with other organizations, is to translate the Bible into every language in the world (audio format). As a small pioneering base, it’s incredibly encouraging to see that we are actually part of something much bigger. This weekend, we’re heading to The Send, a big mobilization event for all of New Zealand. The goal is to inspire people for missions—not only abroad, but also in their local communities, depending on where they feel called. You could probably describe it as a wake-up call for the church.

After that, we have one more week of school, and then we’re off to Indonesia next Thursday. I’m not sure how much I can share online about our activities there, as what we’re doing is rather “unwelcome.” Last year’s team, for instance, had issues with Instagram posts. If you’d like to know more about what we’re doing, feel free to reach out to me personally—or check out the blog afterward.

I’m still short of a little over 1,000 USD for the outreach: