Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Is it the 5th week already?

Time seems to be flying by! My days are always very filled now. When I am not doing homework I am in lecture or spending quiet time with God or running or trying to stay on top of my emails and skyping. And where is sleep supposed to fit into the picture? So because of my lack of sleep i think i have another sinus infection, bleh. But im on a slow recovery :) I love getting emails from people so keep them coming :) Something that i've learned lately is to trust God when i pray. Like is says in James 1:5-8 (look it up!) that i need to have faith in the Lord and not doubt when i ask in prayer. So i have the sniffles but im still positive! alright. i also need to be taking more pictures, because i am totally lacking in that department lately! Read all of James while you are looking up vs. 1:5-8 (James comes right after Hebrews in the New Testiment). I love you all, cheers!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Whats been going on....

Corina, me , Gloria
Girls Night me and Jill 
Cool View

Yipes it has been a while. All right, every morning I’ve been trying to wake up early and spend some quiet time with God. I’m reading the Purpose Driven Life (which I highly recommend!!!!) and just working on my relationship with God my Father and Friend.

Two weeks ago we finished up lectures on the book of Daniel, it was a really neat time because most of what I know of Daniel is from Sunday school and this gave me a chance to learn more and dig deeper. The principal of Capernwray was the speaker (Peter Thomas, or PT as we like to call him.) Here’s a quick overview of the book of Daniel: Daniel (along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azarah…better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) was captured by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzer. The cool thing is even tho he was captured he didn’t conform to their culture or ways and God used that to show his power. Daniel also could interpret dreams, to benefit God. Then there was a time that Neb. became crazy, actually insane, until he humbled himself before God. There is the part where the 3 get thrown into a fire, but God saves them and they come out of the furnace and they don’t even smell like smoke or have ashes on them or anything… and then the famous story of Daniel when he gets thrown into the lion’s den, because he got caught praying to the true God and not worshiping Neb. like the decree said BUT God saved him from the lions. Woohoo! Daniel goes on to interpret more dreams thru God’s help. Then later in the book there is a very historically accurate part about the future kingdoms to come: first Babylon, then Medo-persian, then Greece, and then Rome. Lets just say I learned a lot and you should read the book too . 

This past week Dave Sharman (the principal at the Australia capernwray) spoke on the character of God. It was SUPER informative and really great. This guy was just being super real with us students and was really on fire for God. He loved talking about Jesus. We talked about different terms, the Bible being inspired by God and how that’s determined, Hermeneutics (which is like studying or interpreting scripture, and I also have a separate class of that once a week!), who God is and his names/titles, works of God, angels, Satan (scary), sin, humans, and Christ! A lot was covered, and I tried to absorb as much as I could. I learned so much about how important it is to have a great relationship with God and through that I can truly live.

Outside of lectures I have been having a lot of fun too. The other weekend me and 3 other girls went on a night hike up mountain Kakepuku and camped at the top. The view was crazy awesome and we saw all the different lights from the major cities from the top, like Hamilton, Cambridge, and Te Amutau plus lots of cows and other mountains :). Last Thursday was girls night. The guys invited all the girls to a special night for us where we dressed up all fancy and they served us food and then we danced! The theme was masquerade, so we all made masks and just had a great time. This Saturday I went with a group of 10 guys and girls into Hamilton for shopping and then to an indoor water park, which was pretty fun. We took underwater pictures and went on this floaty tube. Just silliness. 

I’ve been skyping with some people, which is really nice, but I miss home a little, especially summer. It’s dreary here with rainy spring on the way. But each day I learn something new.


Saturday, August 8, 2009

this is the second part....
This is the first part of the tour of where I'm livin'

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Here for a week!

Roommates! me, sam, and melinda : )
our lecture room with a pretty sunset and some friends too!
view from the top!
half way view on our hike
Alright so it has been a while since I've first arrived and written, but I'm over jet-lag and finally all the way adjusted to life here in NZ...well kinda. It's pretty laid back and slower paced here, but  I love it. The homework is def. not slow paced tho. I'm working on a Bible study on John 15:1-8 (Jesus is the true vine and we are his branches etc. ), memorizing Isaiah 61:1-11 (truth be told I haven't really started it is kind of a daunting task buuuut soon), and also working on my testimony that I have to share :) Some of the pictures are from the awesome hike we did....it kinda reminded me of Alaska! Yesterday I got to talk to Emily and Devan on the phone and it MADE MY DAY. I love you guys so much! then i played rugby and that was spectacular too...Oh! another thing  I am working on is reading the book, A Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren..I just finished the 4th day! woo hoo! Heres the verse for today, "This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever" 1John 2:17 (NLT). alright I will leave you with that for now because its time for work day...and my duty is washing sheets! wish me luck and ill be praying for you all.