To the Land of the Long White Cloud, Aotearoa
For those who are curious I am now off to New Zealand.
My hope is to keep this blog as a central place for everyone to check in and see what I'm up to now and in the future. I also want to incorporate posts about my past adventures and some personal details as well.
Plans often change so bear with me when I say this might happened on such and such a date or this is what I am going to do but then you hear I am doing something different. Just know that I will inform you when I know, with what I know.
My plans for now...
I plan to be in New Zealand by the end of January but plans may change depending on when I am able to get my visa. I am going to be working with the same organization, Youth With A Mission (YWAM), that I was with for the last half of 2022. I will be staying with the YWAM Tauranga base called Marine Reach. I plan to serve there on staff for at least a year. In the beginning, I hope to be helping with the February DTS (Discipleship Training School). Staff training happens first for a few weeks where I will learn my role and prepare for the incoming students. The first three months of the school will consist of the 'lecture phase'. Students are taught about different biblical topics each week. There are the different 'streams', which are different groups of students, who meet up with the leaders and learn about specific topics. I am going to be the Medical Compassion, or MedComp for short, leader. During the week, my role will be to meet with my group and teach them medical skills and knowledge to take into the mission field (during outreach). I will also meet with them on an individual basis to have an opportunity to disciple them and listen to what is on their hearts. After the lectures the 'outreach phase' begins for two months. At this point the different student groups or streams will go to different parts of the world and apply what they learnt in the previous three months. After the school ends around July I plan to be base staff and potentially a MedComp leader for the fall quarter which will take me to the end of the year.
Check out the stream I will be leading
Frequently asked Questions:
Will you be paid?
No, I will be in a volunteer position again like I was in Papua New Guinea (PNG). I will be required to pay a weekly amount for food and lodging. Certain things will be included in this sum but things like outreach flights will not be covered. My current financial needs are listed on my donation page.
Do you have financial support/How will you be supported?
I have some savings from working previously which I can use towards my living expenses. While I was in PNG I also was in the same situation where I had some money saved aside for living expenses and rent. However, this time I am in need of support towards my rent and outreach costs. You can read more details on my donation page. I hope that I can be supported financially in these areas especially since this is a longer time period. I have set up donations through YWAM Canada for ease of supporters receiving receipts and multiple giving options.
Why are you doing this?
This is a broad question that might be hard to answer the way the you'd like. The main reason that I am doing this is because it is what I have always wanted to do. This specifically, in this way? No, but I have always wanted to serve others in places that are not popular. I have always wanted to try to show and give others grace-filled, merciful, justified love, the same love Jesus gave. I know that each individual opportunity that I have worked or volunteered in before now has benefited me in some way and given me the skills I needed for whatever came up next. I do not want to be motivated to work only to earn money. In the same notion, I don't want to not work to earn money, for practical reasons. With both thoughts in mind I will journey where God leads me and whether it is working to be paid or working/volunteering without a steady income I will have faith that whatever I am able to give to others will help to change their lives for the better.
What are you going to do after?
I have no idea for certain. Some ideas are: to continue in my volunteer role at Marine Reach, potentially find paid work as a nurse in Canada or New Zealand as an RN depending on paperwork or to maybe work/volunteer at another YWAM base or organization like an orphanage! OR I might even do a combination of these ideas. Stay posted! Fortunately God has a plan and I will listen and follow.
If you have a further question feel free to connect with me by using the chat button in the lower right corner of my website, you can connect with me over social media or even in the Community tab on my site. Keep in touch and I will too!
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