Gidday All,
Dave here, back from an amazing month down under spying out the Land of the Long White Cloud. Too much to say, even in blog form (this is my first blog). I was blessed, people prayed, the Spirit lead, and made many new mates. I was joined by friend and fellow American Dave Romeka for part one of the trip. Dave and Dave live from NZ. We had quite a adventure through the North Island beginning with new friends the Basel family in Auckland, taught at Calvary Chapel Auckland meeting Alex and Liz, local Kiwis who felt the Lord calling them to Dunedin to help start a new CC and have already put there house on the market to join us, and so much more. I’m sure I scared Dave with my left side of the road driving skills in torrential rain storms eating Tim Tams and bananas, while he took pictures ever 5 seconds of sheep, rainbows, green hills, and ate heaps of Massive Egg McMuffins and Diet Coke. We froze the whole time.Few have central heating in NZ and it was mid winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Home temps were the in the high 40′s (F). Yikes. Had a blast in Ohope Beach with our new South African friend Ben. Joined up with other CC pastors at Lakes Ranch in Rotorua, experienced the Maori hangi (ie traditional underground smoke oven, so tasty), and tried to ride horses but couldn’t find them in the rain. We proceeded to miss our flight out of Auckland to Christchurch, got lost in a storm and slept in a sweet camper bus with a heater (plus) courtesy of the McGhie family. Taught Sunday morning at CC Christchurch and was super blessed by all the rad people there. Then we were finally off to Dunedin.
This was my first visit. We’ve left home, jobs, ministry, sold it, stored it, forsook it for the sake of the gospel and sharing Jesus with this city. Dunedin is a city of 120,000 (2nd biggest for the South Island) & home of the University of Otago with 21,000 students. My heart is for NZ and university students making Dunedin a natural choice. We weren’t disappointed, surprised a bit, but not disappointed. The need is great, the city was freezing, but a few Christians we met were on fire. You can’t say Dunedin without saying “need in.” We stayed in a uni flat with 6 kiwi blokes (thanks Adam!) Interviewed over 6 times for positions at the uni, surfed insane freezing waves, visited local churches, met two people who had never heard of Jesus before (NEVER HEARD, remember this is first world European society), nightly outreaches in the city when most of the 21K students head to the pub to get smashed, prayed with students on the street, and met a guy who told me he was god. Got heaps (NZ term for a lot) of video to bring back to you so you can see and hear the needs yourself. Dave had to go back home leaving me to stay 2 more weeks. Made a good mate named Paul and stayed with he and his mum and her partner, self proclaimed atheists. Lively conversations at tea time (dinner in NZ), pray from them, they heard the gospel but rejected it. I even had time to get attacked by an angry seal that chased me down the beach, saw penguins while surfing, and went snowboarding in Queenstown. Missed my wife Mel and groms Noah and Corban…again heaps!
So this is where we are where at the moment. Got a call back from the uni that I didn’t get the job offer. Gutted (NZ term for really bummed) but God has something even better for us, like starting a church or something like that. We’re still called to go to Dunedin so we’re going job or not, $ or not, etc. We have been invited to share the NZ call at a number of CCs in Nor Cal, tomorrow CC Placerville. We are still waiting on our visa applications (could be another month+), getting our affairs in order, working on temporary transition logistics, catching up with family (sure missed them!), trying to stay cool (went from snow to 100 degrees in less than a week), and enjoying life while we wait.
Waiting is tough, but I’m reminded of how often God has had to wait for me over the years. He has given us so many precious promises in His word. God never calls His own to nothing. We just don’t know what that something is yet. However we know the ‘what’ and we know the ‘where’ and that’s more than I’ve honestly been able say before. Now we wait on Him to direct the ‘when’ and ‘how’. I know that when the dust settles and we see clearly what God has been lining up for us it’s for His glory.
We pray His fingerprints to be all over this thing. We are being emptied of everything. Mark 10 relates the account of Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler. I feel like that young guy…I’m not wealthy, but really I am in reality. He is calling me to give it up and follow…I don’t want to turn away sad as the story goes, so I’m letting it go. Giving up the stuff was actually liberating, it was cool to bless people with things and get to share with strangers what God was doing, but it’s the pride, ego, and expectations that’s much harder to put on the alter. I don’t much like sacrifice when it comes to the burning. I do a pretty good job of making my nice little alter look holy and acceptable but when the fire comes and it has, is or will, it hurts. David said that he never gave to the Lord that which didn’t cost him something. Jesus demands our lives. Not just the convenient part, but all of it.
What’s struck me as odd is the way some have thought, even I expected myself to think, that what we’re doing is some unique thing. Let me be clear, it’s not. God’s in to this type of thing. He’s done it before, He’ll do it again. Most won’t go to the uttermost ends but that’s the last in the list of locations Jesus lays out for His disciples in the beginning of Acts. He simply calls all of us who call Him Lord to go. Go to work, go to your family, neighbor, the kids at the park and share with them about Jesus. Go. That’s it. No promise of comfort, but every need will be met, no promise of success, but God defines that, no immediate answers, sure things, or done deals, but God promises to finish ever good work He begins in you. What I’m realizing is that it’s not about a mission to NZ, or even saving people (God does the saving by the way, I’ve discovered that I’ll never be able to save anyone), God’s battle is for us, for the hearts of His people. At the end of all things He died for you because you were worth fighting for. So be encouraged and go.
