Travelling with the preschoolers was quite a breeze coz they were so happy in their own world! Very cute watching them and eavesdropping. When they got on each other's nerves, we just went our separate ways as families for a bit. That worked really well. 

Packing up and leaving the base was a really emotional for us. We started packing pretty early, as soon as the school ended but it was a really slow process.

On the weekend before we left, there was a gathering for all NZ YWAM staff, held at our base. We committed to staying to help out to host this last gathering before we left on holiday with Sue and Es. It turned out to be a great decision although very emotional at times. The gathering kinda helped to summarise all that we have experienced the past 2 and a half years - the NZ culture, the YWAM culture and family, the friends and the intimacy with God. We realised that that was going to be our last time as a YWAMer. After we leave the base, we'll not be YWAMers anymore! Sob! But the gathering helped to reinforce all the things that we've learnt - passion for people and the nations, for humility and servanthood, for the Father, for pioneering and living by faith not by sight. I love YWAM coz everyone is passionate about what they do and no one does it for the money (:)).

I thank God for the past 2 and a half years. It has been life-changing. I've been challenged to do things that I would never have done if I had remained here. I've returned to dreaming, writing, creating, driving, loving, marriage renewed, family life transformed. Now it's time to put all these to the test and live it out in the "real" world. 

We're on holiday!!!! (Again?:))

Our good friends the Wees are here on holiday and we're touring the North Island and South Island with them. We spent a couple of days at Ron and Heather's beach house last week and now we're in South Island in beautiful Queenstown. We just had breakfast facing the snow peaked mountains! It's meant to either rain or snow these couple of days. Very cold. Arriving in the South Island is like coming to a totally different country! Am absolutely loving the scenery.

Sophie and Skyler are playing happily together. Other than all of us being somewhat sick, we are having a great time. We're taking our time which is real nice.

On another note, we've finally packed up and left Crystal Springs on Saturday. The past few days have been kinda emotional for me. Almost cried when I walked into our empty Cottage 4. It's been intense with all the packing and saying byes.

More later.

One of the things that I will miss about New Zealand is their health care. Sigh...................................

You see, we have a 3 year work visa and that entitles us to subsidized drugs and all our hospital and maternity expenses are free. However, it's not good because it is free but that it is so good even though it is free! The midwives, nurses and doctors are great with children and extremely kind and helpful. You do not feel like a patient but like a respected individual. Even children are highly respected and treated like they have an opinion.

Recently Sophie had a "Before School" check up. Children in NZ have to go to school at 5 years old. It's a funny system - you have to be in school the day after you turn 5, it can be anytime of the year. It's not like in Singapore where everyone goes to school in January all at the same time as long as that is the year you are turning 7. Every child before they go to school need to see a nurse with a questionnaire filled up. The questionnaire is just a guide for the parents to bring up any learning, physical or behavioural disabilities. They'll check their height and weight and refer to the school dental nurse if necessary. After that, Sophie got a lunch box full of goodies - a toothbrush, toothpaste, magnets, pamphlets about health and school, colour pencils and colouring books. I liked the one that showed what kind of healthy foods that parents can pack for their children. Cool stuff. It made Sophie feel like a big girl. Almost 5.

I had told the nurses that we were leaving NZ and Sophie was not going to school in NZ but they said, it's ok, she should just have the check up anyway. So kind right? I guess coming from a system where everything has to be paid for, I'm always careful when the nurses or doctors here suggest procedures. At the back of my mind, I'm thinking, oh how much will that cost? No no don't want to buy. But actually it's a system that actually cares for its citizens and just wants to make sure that they are ok. Very different from what we've been used to. But of course, the locals and foreigners also abuse the system but that's another story altogether.

I love the way the Lord provides in His own way when we allow him to.

We really wanted a break after the school but we were not sure where
to go or how to go about doing it. We didn't want to spend too much
but still wanted sometime away from the base. We toyed with a few
ideas but made it a point to submit it to the Lord and trust Him to
provide the best for us.

Almost immediately, a contact that we had wrote to us (after not being
in contact for a almost a year). He wrote to us randomly to ask what
we were doing and how we were. Turns out, he's the chaplain of a
healing retreat centre in Whakatane, a beach town, about 2 hrs drive
from here.

So long story short, we were invited to spend the week at the centre.
It was just lovely. Great little family cottage to ourselves, lovely
food, an abundance of fruit in the orchard, wonderful times with the
Lord in the little chapel, 10 mins drive to town or the beach.

John who is the chaplain of the Titoki Healing Centre, invited us to
share during the weekly chapel service. So we spoke to an audience of
about 20 people, ages averaging 60, I think. They were all so sweet!
We were so blessed by the care and servanthood of the staff at Titoki.
After serving others intensely the past few months, it was just so
good to be served and having the space to spend time with the Lord and
each other.

Through this encounter, I really learnt to trust God even with my
leisure time. Sometimes it's so tempting to plan my holidays the way I
want it but funny how holidays don't really satisfy our longings for
peace and rest. Only God can.

Now that we are a lot freer, we've been going travelling! We just came
back from Whakatane where we spent the past 5 days, but more about
that later.

It's been so good just to pack up the car - fishing stuff, picnic
stuff, a couple of change of clothing, some snacks and just go! Oh...
and plus the children, of course! :) Within an hr's drive, there's
plenty to see and do.

Soon as the school ended, we went that Sunday to Waihi beach. I've
never been before. I really enjoyed the drive. Very scenic through the
gorge. We started early and just took it easy, stopping whenever we
wanted.

We spent the whole afternoon at the beach where there was no one.
James fished, Sophie played with sand, I read my magazine and Levi ate
sand.

Our class has graduated!

Family Ministry School is a level 2 school with the University of the
Nations (a YWAM university where the DTS is a foundation course, that
is, level 1). As part of the course, our students have to complete 2
book reports, do weekly journals, weekly assignments as well as write
and present a full length 3000 word research paper. Oh plus a final
revision test of 10 questions. That is on top of a full schedule of
classes, small groups, worship, intercession etc. Oh, and football.
(This class was football crazy - how could we not have been with all
the Brazilians, Ni-Vans, English n Singaporeans on the base. Btw, the
FMS "oldies" team won the Pursuits "youth" team 2 times!)

We had 12 students and about half of them spoke English as a second
language. Some struggled through school in the past. One grandma
thought she couldn't do it. Most started out thinking that it was
impossible to complete the school. But we are SO PROUD that every
single one of them got through it! Even those who wanted to give up
halfway especially when the research paper came about. Many of them
put in late nights and stayed in most weekends. Not easy at all.

But they all worked hard because they knew that God was calling them
to pioneer and serve families.

We are honoured that we could have been part of their journey. FMS
Class of 2011 we salute you! Praise the Lord who sustains us through
it all. We look forward to the fruits that the Lord has promised us in
the beginning of the school. He says "Take my healing to the nations".
It's not coincidental that every single student is heading back to
their homeland. I believe there's gonna be fruitfulness in their land.

Gonna miss you all very much.

Sometimes it's funny when I look back on my blog and realise how
little I blog about the work we do here - we actually DO work! Ha! But
it's just so much easier to blog about the kids or other random
things.

We're halfway through the school now. We just conducted a mid school
review and was really pleased with the wonderful feedback. There's
definitely lots to improve on but most are happy with how things are
going.

It's just a testimony to God's goodness - when we first came here 2
years ago, James and I struggled to even lead a worship time together
(just shows how different we are and how it's so hard to work
together!), then we struggled to lead an outreach team together (a
tough 8 weeks) but now, it's not so much a struggle anymore and the
attacks are on our health, not so much on our relationship anymore!
God has done an amazing work in us.

The past few weeks the teachings have been on Children Ministry,
Raising Great Teenagers, Parenting and Families in Missions and
Ministry. This week's topic is Counselling and Father Heart of God.

Buzz group - where the students form teams and have to use what they have learnt to
present skits/teaching points.

Class intercession - The class intercession times for this school have 
been very powerful. Clearly sense the presence of God and we have some
mighty prayer warriors amongst us. The staff and students have been
taking turns to lead this and some have been extra creative.

Homeschool - For this school, we didn't have a homeschool teacher for
the first 6 weeks and staff had to take turns to staff the homeschool.
Has been a great challenge for us to juggle so many responsibilities
but it was fun getting to know the kids. I really enjoyed the time I
had with them.