Calm Seas, Big Thoughts
Hi Everyone!
We have had a really good week here at OTG and it was full of learning and new experiences.This week we got to learn all about how our behaviour affects the people around us, how to make better connections to people, and how to share our faith. In our Bible study we have been learning about Gods kingdom and the covenants he has made with people throughout history.
We have been getting more and more busy as we learn more about ourselves and our team, and we are all looking forward to the things we will learn while we are here at OTG.
This week we said good bye to Norm and Christy at OTG Basecamp as they sent us with Franko and Peter (two other OTG Leaders) to take us on a kayaking adventure in the Abel Tasman National Park.
On Monday we kayaked from Marahau to Anchorage. On the way we stopped at Adele Island to look at the seals, they were so cute and it was really nice to see their playful nature in Gods creation. Because we were all new to sea kayaking it took us a while to learn the correct paddling technique and how to steer with the rudder at the same time, and we had close calls as we were distracted by the seals.
After a lot of paddling and very tired arms we landed at Anchorage, there we unpacked our stuff, set up our tents and got to meet the cheeky Weka. Weka are a bird about the size of a chicken with green and brown feathers and they like to take shiny or brightly coloured things from people. We also learned that is it important to always close your tent. We had 4 of wekas come into the boys tent, luckily they were only checking out our stuff and did not take anything from us. They did however take a whole loaf of bread from our neighbours. Throughout the rest of the day we saw many wekas with a piece of bread in their beaks, trying to escape with their prize before another stole it.
We had an early start on our first morning in Anchorage so we could walk up to Pitt Head lookout and have our morning prayer as we watched the sun come up. We spent some time at the lookout reflecting on the goodness of our loving God and admiring his beautiful creation.
After breakfast we kayaked to sandfly bay where there were luckily very few sandflies. We saw a lot of ducks, beautiful water, and nice trees all around us. Our next stop on the kayaks was Cleopatra’s Pool where there was a natural waterslide carved into the rocks from the flowing water. Some of the team went down it and it was extremely cold. Back at Anchorage we had plenty of time to reflect on what we had learned so far. It was very nice to sit on the beach and have quiet time to pray and listen to God.
Peter shared a few stories from his life of God’s provision and guidance. We learnt about listening to God’s calling and being ready to follow. It is easy to hold on to our identity in the things we do in this world, but sometimes God calls us to lay this down for His purposes. We talked about making a decision when faced with many options in life. Often the hard choice is the way God wants us to go. Ultimately God will work through whatever we choose but we know that His direction is what’s best for us.
In the evening we lit a campfire and had great chats with other campers around the fire. The team has been encouraging each other to have spontaneous conversations with those we meet. This provides opportunities to share our faith in a friendly way or just show God’s love to others through a friendly conversation.
Both nights at Anchorage we walked to the end of the beach to admire the glow worms. When looking up at the roof of the cave you could almost see constellations like the stars of the night sky. Even for those of us who had seen glow worms before this was an incredible sight.
This week we spent time praying for the world, and it was interesting to hear about what is going on in the world right now. We have learnt to pray specific prayers and to have faith in God’s power. We have seen the group come together during these times and build a safe space where people can speak their thoughts and pray openly without fear of judgement. Praying together on a topic brings us together as a team and allows each of us to see everyone’s unique viewpoints and thoughts.
In our Bible study this week we have learnt about the covenants God made with his people in the Old Testament. We have learnt about the difference between the unconditional covenant between God and Abraham, when God told Abraham he will have as many descendants as the stars. God said this would happen no matter what and Abraham believed him. Gods covenant with Moses and the people of Israel was a conditional covenant with rules they had to follow. God gave Israel the Law and said if you obey this I will bless you. He also tells them about the many difficult things that will happen if they don’t follow the Law. After Israel’s many disobedient kings and years of turning away from God, we see new, perfect King come to earth, Jesus Christ. Jesus makes a new covenant with the people of this world and we are made right with God through Jesus’ sacrifice. He brings hope and shows the next stage of God’s plan of salvation for everyone.
Two of our team had the opportunity to share at Hope Community Church this past Sunday, about when they were compelled to faith in Christ.
Prayer Requests:
Mental capacity to make the most of the week ahead
Open hearts to hear what God has for us
To have good and inspiring conversations with each other
Thank you for praying for our team!
Written by Sam Lake (New Zealand, Tauranga ) & Ethan (New Zealand, Christchurch) on behalf of the entire OTG Team!