ok so....

I have had a really amazing weekend. Really amazing. We went to Mile 88 beach and it was AMAZING! I will post some photo's on facebook. It was also the first time I have been burnt since being here. Ouch. We have had really good weather and it is getting hotter now each day I swear I am going to melt into a pool of sweat.
While the weekends are awesome and relaxing, the weeks are still pretty full on and intense.We spent this week with reading Genisis for two hours each morning, so we read the whole book and also Hebrews.It was really cool and eye opening.
Over this week we have to chose what countries we want to do a short outreach to when we are in Panama, I think I want to go to Colombia or Cuba, but we will have to see! At the end of the month I have to pay for my outreach flights which I still dont have all the money for, so Im trying to figure out ways to raise it. Prayer would be much appreciated.

The TRACK.....
SOOOOO. There is an option at the end of this DTS for me to join a group of people from this PhotogenX dts and other people from around the world on a journey to learn about and to expose the brokeness and injustice of the world. Our aim is to not just be 'photographers' but also to get involved and help make a difference while we are there, and to contiue to do so by bringing these issues to goverments, to nations, to churches.
We would literally be going around the whole world,(for two years) going to all sorts of countries and going to places that would most probably not be on your typical 'tour' guide. This is an amazing opportunity, however I dont know if this is what God is calling me too, so Im gonna be praying A LOT.

Ok so turns out not matter where I go this is the comment I get: " Naomi.... your really weird"

......im learning to accept this and asking Jesus to help me. haha

I miss you guys butt loads. Really. So email me. I may not email back straight away but i read them al. Its just hard to get time to get on here. mail me! Ill mail back!..put ur sender thingy on the letter. Honestly I would be so excited.

Ok dont know what else to blog about. Ill make my next one more exciting.

LOVE LOVE AND MORE LOVE

Growing pains...

This week has been...well crazy.So full of so much stuff it feels like a month has passed by. We had two speakers, a husband and wife speaking, Faith and Andrew Dutton. Amazing speakers, really in tune with God and listening to his voice.  Faith was born in NZ and she definatly has that bluntness that us NZers tend to carry, but it was still in love. It was so good to hear their message but really confronting. The topic was Freedom in Christ, so we really had to take a good hard look at our lives and sin and the junk but also the love of God and his grace, that he wants to set us free.

Its different to a lot of messages I have heard about repentance because it wasnt all caught up in feeling sorry for myself. It was more like, be an adult, make adult decisions about the crap in your life. God wants us to 'grow up'. I realised I cant keep making excuses or shift blame for things I have done. I need to take responsibilty for what I have done and what I will do. Also the fact its not about us. This whole relationship with God isnt all about US doing anything, its about God using us to do the work. I really had to look at the reasons behind why I want to love and serve God, was it so that I felt all warm and happy inside? Or was it because I want to serve God and show people his love.

Growing hurts, Im realising this quickly. It doesnt feel good, but I have to grow because I cannot stand just staying in one place. What a waste of a life God breathed, I have to be faithful with each day, or why would he want to give me any more?

I need to 'shutup and die' (to self)

Learning to not be led by emotions but by my will, is a whole other thing. Something Im growing in and that I have to choose to do each day.

I have had two words of knowledge spoken over me this week (flipin crazy week) one was Isaiah 61:1-3...over the call in my life, I am giving this up to God and asking Him to reveal what this looks like in my life. Also... I was in the prayer room, completly exhausted and just crying out to God, a guy came over and asked if he could pray for me so he did, and totally spoke into issues that I was facing at that moment, it was awesome.

So Ill stop my rambling but as you can see... a lot of stuff has been happening. I am learning a lot but I am still LEARNING, I have none of this down to a fine art so am continually asking for Gods grace. Thank you all for your prayer and please keep it coming. I also keep you all in my prayer and miss you all. I really really love you all. SO MUCH. you have no idea. You are my family.

MUM AND DAD, just thought I would let you know that I love you and am so apreciative of what you have done in my life, I'm so blessed.

So that was kinda like a dairy entry but. well this is me now

Love you all.

My first blog...EVER

Ok so here I am...on a land far far away, with people who talk funny...and who can't understand me at all. Welcome to YWAM! I have been here a week, but the week feels like months, not because its tedious or boring or anything bad. But because its all so new, and jam packed!

Our morning starts at 6:30am for breakfast, then at 8am we have our first class. This runs untill 12pm then we have lunch we have a short break then work duty for two hours. After this we have dinner then we have another class till 8pm. Then free to do what we want. But we are mostly wasted by this time so we don't last long.

God really broke through to me on the second night being there. We had a day and night of testimonys from each person in the class-all 54 of us- durring the last half God broke my heart for the people around me. Without realising it I had built up judgments of the people in my class, but durring this time I saw how broken and dependent on God we ALL were. God also showed me some of the love he had for this people and how he wants me to love them like that. I really think this is one of the main reasons I am here. To not focus on being loved as much as giving love. To die to self. That is going to be hard! But I am asking God to take me through those steps.

Our meals are pretty good, not cooked in pure lard like I thought may happen. But we have had curry's, roasts(kinda), salads, burritos...a little bit of pasta but not as much as I would have liked!

I know this will dissapoint everyone..except for maybe mum and dad. But I have not found the man of my dreams haha.

The people are also amazing. They are giving and loving. I have made some good mates, Im encouraging everyone to come back to New Zealand with me! Everyone loves New Zealand too.
I am also thinking about doing the 2 year course which I follow on straight after the DTS we go around the world using photography focussing on a main issue and then publishing a book or dvd about the issue at the end. Possibly approaching goverments about it, some how getting the word out there to bring change. I have given this up to God, I am not sure if this is what I should do or not, so a lot of prayer will go into it.

This is me, this is now.
Forever searching and listening for Gods voice.