Well i did something very brave yesterday... and unfortunately don't have any photos to prove it - so you will just have to believe me :)

Over the weekend we had a Leadership Camp for our kids camp leaders.  Yesterday Blue Mountain Lodge - and outdoor facility sort of near Lake Taupo Christian Camp came and picked up all of us at Leadership Camp and took us to the Tongariro and we went white water rafting.  I was pretty serious and focused the whole time, but really enjoyed it, and there were some pretty cool rapids we went down.  I'm kinda glad I've done it now and faced my fear of rivers since Ant's death.  I was a bit tearful as they told us about recovery positions and what to do if we fell out of the boat etc - where to swim to...

All in all it was an awesome experience that I would be willing to do again but am not jumping up and down to do :)  I don’t think I'm an adrenalin junkie - hence why I don’t climb trees and do adventurous stuff like that. 

Less than four weeks to go till we get on that plane!  I am so excited - got prayed for last night and they specifically prayed that we would move in the Holy Spirit while we are away - which is what I heard from God last week, so very cool to have a confirmation about that.  Yay!!! 

Leesh Out :P

Hi Everyone!!

It is now officially one month till I head off back to Asia!  Things have been quite tumultuous over the last few months, and my life will never be the same again.

First of all I would like to thank each of you who emailed, called, texted or wrote to me with your words of encouragement, sympathy and prayers.  I would never in all of my lifetime have imagined that Ant, my 16 year old cousin, five other students and a teacher from my old school, Elim Christian College, would loose their lives in such a short moment on the Mangatepopo river.  As I sat in disbelief that first night watching tv for news updates and desperately waiting for news from my family, all I could do is pray.  As I write this, tears still come to my eyes.  Out of the natural order of life, but not out of God's perfect plan and timing, He chose to take those seven home to Himself.  The pain is deep, raw and aching.  My family hurts.    I have found it so hard to be transparent about this, so often telling myself to hold it together but them forgetting to let go later at home.  I wanted to share my heart and my pain with those around me, but its so hard being vulnerable. 

Somehow God has been there through it all.  Sparks of hope fly everywhere and are beginning to light fires. 

LIFE IN TAUPO

Winter-time in Taupo really is a thing of beauty.  For the first time in my life I live in a house with a fireplace, I know how to light and maintain the fire even!  The mountains have snow on them and sometimes when I drive to work mist floats on the surface of the lake.

KIDS CAMP LEADERS & TEA PARTIES

Our last Kids Camp was an absolute blast with around 50 leaders there and helping out!  I missed the first few days but when I got back it was so great to just be around, taking photos, talking and generally catching up with all the leaders.  The following week I invited a few girls around for a tea party, went to the Salvation Army shop, bought a set of teacups, made cupcakes with one of the girls that morning and then went crazy.  We drank raspberry tea and ate cupcakes while dancing around my kitchen.  I love that I get to be a teenager when I'm with my girls!

CHAPLAINCY AT TAUPO NUI A TIA COLLEGE

Being a Chaplain certainly isn't what I expected.  I go to 'Nui' every Wednesday for four hours, hang out with the teachers at morning tea, spend some time with the ladies in the canteen, pray-walk around the school and spend lunch time making my way around the different hang-out spots around the school.  After lunch I spend some time with the schools Guidance Counsellor, catching up on what's going on at the school. 

CHRISTIAN CAMPING NEW ZEALAND

Our little two-man (or woman) office just gets busier and busier.  We have two conferences coming up after I get home from Asia and we are also working on numerous projects at government level.  The week after I got back from Auckland we visited OPC, took them morning tea and just listened.  I am so blessed to be part of this ministry in NZ.  Sometimes people in camping can feel so remote and living in constant community like you do living at a camp, is not always easy. 

BACK TO MY SECOND HOME… ASIA

Like I said at the beginning, today in one month I will be getting on a plane with Katie, and her dad Wayne – heading to ASIA!  Here is a quick summary of our trip…

• 21-29^th June - SINGAPORE – Attend the World Outreach International Youth Forum to discuss mobilising youth into short and long term missions.  I have now received further information about this forum and it will be an exciting and challenging few days!  Who knows what God will do through these meetings.
• 29-1^st July – INDIA, CHENNAI – Christian Missions base – visiting an orphanage/ school/ hospital/ community centre run by Colleen Redit, a fellow Kiwi.
• 2-7^th July – Katie and I will do the worship at the 'Children in Pray Global Consultation' conference.  We will be facilitating worship during the morning and evening meetings, and hanging out with the kids whose parents are at the conference in the afternoons. 

If you feel like you are lead to give towards this trip, either towards my flights and accommodation, or as a gift to orphanage in India please drop me an email.  I am also working on a pray email group who would get regular (hopefully) prayer request emails during our trip.  If you would like to be in this group please let me know.

So that is all a summary of some of the stuff going on in my life at the moment.  Please drop me a line to let me know how you are going, and keep me in mind if you are passing through Taupo.

Bless ya heaps

Love Alicia