Final Countdown!
Hello everyone! This week was full of surprises, and was a slower paced week on the road with plenty of adventure, activity and time to reflect on our past 40 days.
Road Trip! Five days on the road with Christy as our driver and with lots of music for the journey. We saw seals on the rocks and had the chance to see more of NZ. We had an early start on Sunday to see the sunrise over the Pacific and later enjoyed a walk along the beach and cliffs at Point Kean. Every person shared their thoughts on some topics from the Bible each day, and in the evening we continued in with our study led by Norm & Christy and enjoyed some games too with plenty of good moments to share. We found a bakery nearby that offered a place for many of our team to begin the day. Monday brought lots more travel, driving along the coast and then going inland to see more of the hills and fields of NZ. We had forest walks with stunning views and interesting sculptures where we had plenty of time to think and reflect on what we have done on OTG, as well as preparing to go back to ‘normal life’ as changed people.
This week we let the team reflect on OTG and give their thoughts on their experience:
Eva: Such a good time with amazing people! I feel so blessed that we’ve had the chance to be here and learn everything that we have learnt. I am excited to take everything with me home and start a new routine.
Eden: A great opportunity to grow and challenge myself. Have loved doing life with this team! Excited to see how this time impacts the rest of my life and how God will help me to put what I’ve learnt into practice.
Stina: A great time with good opportunities to grow. This experience changes lives.
Adam: OTG for me has been an opportunity to go deeper in my faith, but also to learn so much about myself and how and why I do things. The team we have and the love, support and fun we have enjoyed is amazing and has been great to be a part of. Doing all of this whilst experiencing the NZ back country means I have memories that last a lifetime. I can’t wait to embark on the next adventure.
David: An amazing experience with a great balance. This time will make a huge impact in all of our lives.
Louisa: OTG was so important because, first of all, you start with the things you ever wanted to start because you have to. OTG brings you closer to God because you put all of the distractions from your daily life away. There is so much more to say but please ask me face to face.
Mirjam: This was such an interesting and worthwhile time with a unique experience to grow nearer to God and learn a lot for my leadership and mentoring. I have learnt a lot about myself and how to handle different kinds of people in a group.
Noah: This as been such an amazing experience and a great opportunity to grow in my faith. I’ve learnt so much about myself and how I think as well as being around such a great team throughout the 40 days. An unforgettable time that will help shape me for the rest of my life.
OTG has been an amazing experience for us to grow as a whole team, learning more about each other and how one another work. We have been able to help grow and shape each other during this time, with new and unique challenges we went through as a team, encouraging, sharpening, and praying for one another. We have all been surprised at how much we have changed and how much we have all been able to achieve.
We are so grateful to God that we have had close to perfect weather for our adventures. So much sun and so little rain has made it a joy on every trip that we have been on. We are also thankful that we have had this time to study God’s word and to worship Him throughout the 40 days. He has helped us to grow and mature in our faith so much, coming back prepared for life back on the grid and ready to live a life on mission.
We have all enjoyed this time so much and we are looking forward to coming home to see our families and friends again. We are so thankful for all your prayers and comments, keeping up with our happenings and adventures.
Many Blessings,
OTG team signing off for now!
Prayer Requests
Please pray for safety on our travels home or within NZ.
Please pray that we keep this momentum going back home, when we get our phones back, and that we are not overwhelmed going back to normal life.
Please pray that we can continue to be image wearers of God when we leave OTG, that we would be a light for Him.
Written by Mirjam (Switzerland) & Noah (England) on behalf of the entire OTG Team