We have arrived safely in Cairns and begin our orientation today... one small step for the Caradus couple is a giant leap in the journey of our life in mission!
Before we left NZ we had our parents pray for us and speak words of wisdom over us, the verses I will share with you here today:
"God will hold thy right hand and I will help thee" Isaiah 41:13
We were reminded that we have a faithful, never changing God who is in control. IN every moment, He is caring for us and brings His peace and hope into each circumstance.
I had that one strongly in mind when transiting through the airports and encountering a few little hurdles here and there. God does indeed pave the way and we had a relatively seamless journey - so grateful!
Also the reminder from Numbers 6:24-25 "The Lord bless you and watch, guard and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious, kind merciful and giving of favour to you. (AMP)
This next few weeks will be the time of forming and deepening our understanding of the people that we will be living alongside and serving. It is crucial that we maintain a positive, optimistic and loving attitude throughout all of that learning in order to keep our eyes on the main goal - to love our neighbour.
Well I have to get to class, but will be attempting to give a (close to) daily update throughout our time here. This will make the monthly updates a more normal size as I will get all my excitement and extreme word-giving capacity out day-by-day!
Love,
Kimberley
(with David)
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Hammer Time!
As the birds chirp us awake and Dave goes off to the Airport I am faced with a day of tasks!
The majority of my tasks at the moment consist of being on hold for a VERY long time while setting up our Bank accounts in Australia... or trawling the Biosecurity websites for any vital information that we need while packing our crates... as well as ordering said Crates and arranging the International Freighting of them!
However in the midst of all the hustle and bustle there is still time to sit and reflect on the incredible journey that God has brought us on. It's amazing to think that 5 years ago I was preparing for overseas travel that would transform my future from one in the Beauty Industry, into one that involves working with the poorest communities, both in body and in spirit... and Dave was in the midst of Flight Training... he was fixed on the goal of becoming a pilot.
When we fix our eyes on the goals that God has for us and pursue His plan for our lives we are bound to encounter blessing. This is completely due to the character of God, and His dependency. I am encouraged by the steadfastness of our God. In Malachi 3:6 God says to His people that "He never changes..." and again in James, we are reminded that its because of that unchanging nature we receive "good" and "perfect" gifts that we can rely upon as from our heavenly Father. (James 1:17)
I am very grateful that God has been there all along the way, redirecting us when we go off the path, and guiding us when we are uncertain. Sometimes it's hard to know whether or not we are even close to what God had in mind, when we first knew our souls while breathing life into us... and yet we know that when we call on Him, He is never far away.
So, as we prepare to leave "Godzone" land, and take off to the "Great Dry Yonder" we remember that as God has guided our steps along the way, so He will guide them as we step out in faith into the plans He has for us. We look forward to you - our readers - joining with us as we encounter God in the lives of those we serve. When we arrive, we will be sure to update you with photos, stories and a bit our usual hilarity!
~ Kimberley
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Fuelled for Flight
We fuel ourselves for life in a variety of ways. What is the food that we fill our minds with? Our souls? Our body is indeed for this physical life but it is also the vessel in which our true self resides.
Once fuelled up, how do we use the life we have? The way we spend our days, hours and minutes is something that has been at the forefront of my mind over this last month. Each day is a gift that we can choose to use in a way that is profitable and enjoyable... if we let them just slip by without notice or celebration we fail to live a life that we are made for!
Using each day to commemorate the small things, to celebrate each other and to look for ways to impact those around us in a positive way is surely a grand use of its many minutes and hours. We visited Wanganui this month and enjoyed a great birthday lunch with our Cox Family to celebrate Mum, which was a real treat. On the following Sunday we had the opportunity to visit Wanganui East Baptist and enjoy the service with our Church Family there. However the time flies by so quickly and now we are back in Hamilton, not long left in October now... which means David and I hope to have some celebrations and events to look forward to very soon!
In November we will have three events, first our MAF Awareness Afternoon Tea Party at Horsham Downs Community Church on the 9th (from 3-5pm) where we will have a chance to share Our Story of how we were both called into Mission Life with Mission Aviation Fellowship.
Secondly, we will join with Hamilton Central Baptist to have a Fun Family Fundraiser night on the 23rd, (starting from 6pm) where there will be games and entertainment for the kids, and for the Adults there will be an evening packed with everything from Bargain Auctions to Quizzes where exciting prizes can be won!
To finish up November we have our Commissioning Service to be hosted by Hamilton Central Baptist in the 10:30am Sunday service on the 24th, followed by a shared lunch with the Church Family there.
We would love for everyone to be able to come and join us for these events, so be sure to pass on the information to friends and family as we would love to see as many as possible.
Until next time!
Kimberley
Once fuelled up, how do we use the life we have? The way we spend our days, hours and minutes is something that has been at the forefront of my mind over this last month. Each day is a gift that we can choose to use in a way that is profitable and enjoyable... if we let them just slip by without notice or celebration we fail to live a life that we are made for!
Using each day to commemorate the small things, to celebrate each other and to look for ways to impact those around us in a positive way is surely a grand use of its many minutes and hours. We visited Wanganui this month and enjoyed a great birthday lunch with our Cox Family to celebrate Mum, which was a real treat. On the following Sunday we had the opportunity to visit Wanganui East Baptist and enjoy the service with our Church Family there. However the time flies by so quickly and now we are back in Hamilton, not long left in October now... which means David and I hope to have some celebrations and events to look forward to very soon!
In November we will have three events, first our MAF Awareness Afternoon Tea Party at Horsham Downs Community Church on the 9th (from 3-5pm) where we will have a chance to share Our Story of how we were both called into Mission Life with Mission Aviation Fellowship.
Secondly, we will join with Hamilton Central Baptist to have a Fun Family Fundraiser night on the 23rd, (starting from 6pm) where there will be games and entertainment for the kids, and for the Adults there will be an evening packed with everything from Bargain Auctions to Quizzes where exciting prizes can be won!
To finish up November we have our Commissioning Service to be hosted by Hamilton Central Baptist in the 10:30am Sunday service on the 24th, followed by a shared lunch with the Church Family there.
We would love for everyone to be able to come and join us for these events, so be sure to pass on the information to friends and family as we would love to see as many as possible.
Until next time!
Kimberley
Monday, July 15, 2013
It all starts...
Isaiah 43:1-2
But now thus says the Lord,
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
How the journey to following God varies... each one of us has hundreds of stories of how we found our way. Yet also the common thread of God's calling, direction and companionship are there in our circumstances, consistently giving us reminders that we are not alone. Jesus promises that He will
The simple words "Follow Me" seem to be the regular way that Jesus rallied His disciples. No fancy mantras or complicated technical details... just an invitation to journey with Him, wherever the path may lead.
David and I as a couple heard that simple "Follow Me" both in our own way, and I do believe we could never have imagined what lay ahead... or the amazing journey with Jesus that we currently walk.
Follow Jesus to Arnhem Land with MAF? Where is that even? I hope that those of you that are journeying with us have the opportunity to be enriched as we have been as we learn more about who we are being called to sit with, listen to and walk alongside.
Here's a handy link to up your geography skills and inform you of the work we will be doing:
Please feel free to comment and ask questions...
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Wedding details...
"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth..." Psalm 96:1 (NIV)
I awoke with the sun this morning - thanks to the very chirpy birds that make up the symphony in our garden... and while contemplating whether or not to fall back to sleep I thought of the joy of living in a world where every living creature is a testimony to the creativity of a wonderful Saviour. The beautiful patterns of life, light and love are reflected through every moving thing... and its amazing.
"The Word was first, the Word present to God and God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through Him; nothing - not one thing!- came into being without Him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was the Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; and the darkness couldn't put it out." John 1:1-5 (The Message)
So today, in this little life of mine, I will busy myself with all the details of Wedding Planning again... creating decorations and planning all the beautiful, small touches that will fill the space that we celebrate in, but as I do so I pray that God is preparing the inside space too. I hope that my heart is becoming a hospitable place, where God can dwell in the richness of His glory without feeling cramped or second-rate. Because at the end of the day, my space is God's space! When asking Him to be the One that brings His Life, strength and energy into my life I need to remind myself that it requires for me to be open to internal house-keeping and to have a teachable spirit. I guess God is just reminding me of His sovereignty in all these things.
God's sovereignty is something that has taken me years to get my head around... and I still don't fully understand it. So far, all I basicly understand is that God is fully just and good, that He loves me beyond measure and invites me to walk humbly with Him day by day in a life that is dedicated to loving others and showing them that love. What an incredible miracle that He brought my wonderful fiance into my life, that I might have a honest, caring, truth-loving and God-seeking man to walk with in my pursuit of God and all His plans for me.
It's quite an art seeking God's plans... we have been praying about scriptures, songs and all sorts for our wedding... we've even been praying for every person who will be able to be in attendance and I hope that even those who can't be there will be able to spend time with us in the New Year. I am so very aware that a Wedding is a day, and a Marriage is a lifetime - so in reality we have thousands of days for people to celebrate the joy of togetherness with us! At the moment however, it's the next 15 days that require some detailed attention!
"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the word of Christ have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives -- words, actions, whatever -- be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." Colossians 3:15-17 (The Message)
I awoke with the sun this morning - thanks to the very chirpy birds that make up the symphony in our garden... and while contemplating whether or not to fall back to sleep I thought of the joy of living in a world where every living creature is a testimony to the creativity of a wonderful Saviour. The beautiful patterns of life, light and love are reflected through every moving thing... and its amazing.
"The Word was first, the Word present to God and God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through Him; nothing - not one thing!- came into being without Him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was the Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; and the darkness couldn't put it out." John 1:1-5 (The Message)
So today, in this little life of mine, I will busy myself with all the details of Wedding Planning again... creating decorations and planning all the beautiful, small touches that will fill the space that we celebrate in, but as I do so I pray that God is preparing the inside space too. I hope that my heart is becoming a hospitable place, where God can dwell in the richness of His glory without feeling cramped or second-rate. Because at the end of the day, my space is God's space! When asking Him to be the One that brings His Life, strength and energy into my life I need to remind myself that it requires for me to be open to internal house-keeping and to have a teachable spirit. I guess God is just reminding me of His sovereignty in all these things.
God's sovereignty is something that has taken me years to get my head around... and I still don't fully understand it. So far, all I basicly understand is that God is fully just and good, that He loves me beyond measure and invites me to walk humbly with Him day by day in a life that is dedicated to loving others and showing them that love. What an incredible miracle that He brought my wonderful fiance into my life, that I might have a honest, caring, truth-loving and God-seeking man to walk with in my pursuit of God and all His plans for me.
It's quite an art seeking God's plans... we have been praying about scriptures, songs and all sorts for our wedding... we've even been praying for every person who will be able to be in attendance and I hope that even those who can't be there will be able to spend time with us in the New Year. I am so very aware that a Wedding is a day, and a Marriage is a lifetime - so in reality we have thousands of days for people to celebrate the joy of togetherness with us! At the moment however, it's the next 15 days that require some detailed attention!
"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the word of Christ have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives -- words, actions, whatever -- be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." Colossians 3:15-17 (The Message)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Graduation!
"If Jesus Christ is God and died for me
I've been reflecting today on the work of C.T. Studd, the great English cricketer, and man of God whose love of people led him to China, India and Africa in search of God's plan for all people. Due to the start of that mission, and the many that followed, a little bible college was built in Gordonton to prepare individuals for a life sold out to Jesus.
http://www.eastwest.ac.nz/links.htm
I started a "Diploma of Intercultural Studies" in 2011 and am graduating today! It's been a long and winding road to this point! After years of pursuing God into mission, where I've been on adventures with Him through short-term mission, learned more about myself and my culture, made plenty of mistakes and some victories, while seeking to find new ways to seek Him in the lives of others. I think that one of the most powerful things we can do, is to choose to love others, simply because they are made in God's image, and made to pursue Him in a life that is filled with light and love.
“Missions then is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there [...] You see God where others don't. And then you point him out. So the issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst. ”
― Rob Bell
I am so excited to be finishing up at Eastwest College, and beginning the next chapter... I am marrying my true love in 3 weeks, and together we will be seeking to serve Jesus and the people He loves through MAF. Before we do that, we have set apart 2013 as a year of preparation, prayer and petition as we seek to partner with others who will be our 'ground crew' back in New Zealand as we get ready to serve the remotest communites on earth.
http://www.mafnz.org.nz/
I can't wait to begin 2013's huge journey, and yet I am aware that every day is one step in that lifetime of service. We are all free in Christ, free to love, life and laugh together as we find a future that is bright and full of hope.
I've been reflecting today on the work of C.T. Studd, the great English cricketer, and man of God whose love of people led him to China, India and Africa in search of God's plan for all people. Due to the start of that mission, and the many that followed, a little bible college was built in Gordonton to prepare individuals for a life sold out to Jesus.
http://www.eastwest.ac.nz/links.htm
I started a "Diploma of Intercultural Studies" in 2011 and am graduating today! It's been a long and winding road to this point! After years of pursuing God into mission, where I've been on adventures with Him through short-term mission, learned more about myself and my culture, made plenty of mistakes and some victories, while seeking to find new ways to seek Him in the lives of others. I think that one of the most powerful things we can do, is to choose to love others, simply because they are made in God's image, and made to pursue Him in a life that is filled with light and love.
“Missions then is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there [...] You see God where others don't. And then you point him out. So the issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst. ”
― Rob Bell
I am so excited to be finishing up at Eastwest College, and beginning the next chapter... I am marrying my true love in 3 weeks, and together we will be seeking to serve Jesus and the people He loves through MAF. Before we do that, we have set apart 2013 as a year of preparation, prayer and petition as we seek to partner with others who will be our 'ground crew' back in New Zealand as we get ready to serve the remotest communites on earth.
http://www.mafnz.org.nz/
I can't wait to begin 2013's huge journey, and yet I am aware that every day is one step in that lifetime of service. We are all free in Christ, free to love, life and laugh together as we find a future that is bright and full of hope.
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