November 11, 2010

 

Here is a bit of an update from this last crazy month. On the 28th of September, once again, I left my parents and sister Maggie standing in an airport terminal as I tearfully walked to an airplane. Leaving never gets easier and this time was just as hard as the last. From North Carolina I flew to Seattle Washington where I stayed for a week with my dear friend from DTS, Nicole. We spent the week catching up, eating great food, visiting with mutual friends and experiencing Seattle. Along with the Space Needle we visited Pike Place market, the very first Starbucks, saw the Seattle skyline by night and never stopped eating. After five days of tourist bliss I left for Newcastle, Australia. Twenty-four hours later I was, once again, ushered into my second home, Lewis House. I was greeted with familiar faces and hugs and laughter and was filled with a sense of peace. From the moment I walked back into my DTS home I new I was where God wanted me to be. The four months of questioning God's call were quickly forgotten as I found my way to my old DTS room (now my permanent staff room) and let out a sigh of relief.
My first week on base was a week of relaxing and getting settled. Because everyone on base was working or in class during the day I was able to spend most of my time with God. We went to the beach and on coffee dates and  He continued to stir my passion for teaching and discipline young people. By the end of the week I was itching for a job to do, something to keep me busy, and was put in charge of cooking lunch in the mornings and working in Training in the afternoons. In the mornings I would go to whatever meeting was being held and then, with my two fabulous helpers, proceeded to cook lunch for 70-80 people. In the afternoons I would go down to the office and work alongside the head of Registrar in the Training Department. Registrar is the part of the department that deals with new and potential students. We communicate through phone and email about DTS information, visa directions, travel details, and everything else that falls in between. I have loved learning how the system works and have also enjoyed the fact that we do not just hand out templates of information, we give pastoral care, pray for students, genuinely care for the people on the other end of the phone or email. It has changed my whole view of what an office job can look like and how we are able to bring God into everything we do. For three weeks I spent my time like this, along with reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones. Last week my Staff Training School began. This is a three week school of learning about our base, ourselves and how we fit here. We have leaders of our base speaking on work ethic, mentoring, and much more. We have also learned how to use our bases data base and took a strength finders test. We have two more weeks of lectures and other events which I am looking forward to.
When my Staff Training School ends I will start my three month provisional staff positions. During this time I will get the chance to work in two different ministries and choose the one I fit best in. God has been speaking to me about staffing a DTS in the near future so in order to be prepared for that task I will be attending a Phase 1 at the end of November. Phase 1 is a two week training program that is taking place in Sydney this year. It will train me in the things needed to staff a DTS as well as other leadership qualities. I am really excited to see what God does during those two weeks and to become better equipped to do what God called me to Australia for. The future, after all this, is looking pretty unclear at the moment, but God has been speaking to me from Deuteronomy 4 in the last few days. In that chapter God is talking to Israel about taking the land that he has prepared for them. God has been inviting me to move into the land he has prepared for me and I am mustering my courage to move forward and face the giants. I am very excited to see what God has for me in these upcoming months but I also love living in the moments that are flying by.
Every aspect of this last month has been stretching and, as hard as it is, I love it. From relationships and missing home, to purpose and finances, God has been calling me to a place of reckless abandonment and unnatural trust. Please continue to pray for peace and provision in these next months, they are greatly needed and I love having that form of support.

Until later (goodbye in Registrar language)

Hannah

Pray Request
My visa will go through quickly and be granted as soon as possible
That my faith in God's provision of my finances would not falter
That I will hear clearly from God the ministry I need to work with during my time here

Financial needs
Phase 1- $300 for transportation, training, housing, and food
Monthly support- I am still in need of consistent monthly support of $500.

Thank you so much for being apart of my God's ministry through me.