too comfortable.

I am sorry it has been a day or two since I have written. Classes have started, and there are not too many adventures to write about. More to come...plans are in the making! For the record, I am taking a Media/Journalism paper, a Geology paper, an Educational Psychology paper, and a Child Development paper. If you haven't figured it out, 'paper' is the New Zealand word for course. I have had a few people give me strange looks when I ask them what 'courses' they are taking.

Anyways, today's weather was excellent. The sun was shining (oh, apparently the sun can get brutal here by the way), and I actually got hot when I was running and had to take off a layer (it's all about layering!). That was a nice start to my morning. I had a geology lab to go to for 3 hours in the afternoon which was at the museum, so I got some neat pictures of the sun setting on the harbor while I was out there (see facebook).

Yesterday, some friends and I went to a Powhiri - the traditional Maori welcome ceremony. It was opened up to the international students, and was a great experience. If you are wondering how to pronounce it, the 'wh' makes the 'f' sound, so the word ends up sounding like 'potpourri' (that's an awkward word too) with an 'f' sound replacing the middle 'p' sound. Confusing enough? Good. It is extremely deep-rooted in tradition, and is held in the 'marae', an actual Maori house build on campus. We had an orientation prior to being able to participate in the Powhiri in which we learned a song we had to sing back to them, and were educated in the ceremonial procedures in a Powhiri. It lasted about an hour, and we had to take our shoes off before entering, sat on large pillows on the floor on a particular side of the room, and listened to a traditional Maori speech made. At the end, instead of shaking hands, both sides would meet in the middle and press their noses together, called the hongi, to signify the joining together of the two sides. Since swine flu paranoia is sweeping this country, we just shook hands.

This next part is going to deviate from my usual writing style. Lately, I have just been thinking about many things in my life and evaluating my effectiveness in each of them. It has been funny how all of this has come together so perfectly and at such an opportune time. I know the Lord is working His purposes. So many people, including myself, have told said, "this is going to be such a great experience for you. You will learn so so much!" You all are right. I have seen it already. Equally, as much as I wish to grow from this, I want to leave my mark on this city, on these people here. I know that I have been placed here for a reason.

Anyways, while this may sound wierd, I am going to say it anyways. As you all know I have been running all over this beautiful city for about an hour each day. I have been up and down every street, seen handfuls of people, and braved the rainy weather. A few times I have passed by this place called Barnardos. It is nothing fantastic - just an ordinary building with some pictures of children in the windows. Smiling and dismissing it as just a daycare, I would run by and think nothing else. Last night I had a dream about struggling children - those abandoned and left to care for themselves and other in overwhelming capacities, those who are forced to make decisions beyond their scope of understanding, those who are left, those who are physically hurt at the hand of someone they trust, amongst many other situations. I saw the Barnardos building in my dream, and woke up asking the Lord what, if anything he wanted from me and what His purpose was.

Even more disturbed during my run, I came back and resolved to go by this 'daycare' on my way to my lab. I walked in and, noticing that the receptionist was on the phone, picked up a brochure and began to educate myself about this place. Come to find out, this was exactly the place that I had dreamt about. There was day care avaliable for at-risk children, foster housing, special housing for teens in crisis, counseling for young children going through situations beyond their comprehension, teen pregnancy counseling, among many other programs that seemed to outpour love to children in need. I felt like my heart was about to pound out of my chest. Robin, the friendly, older receptionist explained to me more about the programs and their need for volunteers. I just couldn't say no after all of the Lord's leading to this very place.

Immediately my heart was drawn to the children in crisis situations (abuse, divorce, death), and the teens in special housing. Definitely not glamorous ministries, but it is where my heart is. I gave her my information, and she asked if I would like to go back and meet some of the children in their at-risk care. All of the children in this care have special situations that allow them to be cared for here. I did not ask details, but I knew that each of these little ones had a story. And my heart broke for each and every one of them.

There are children all over the world that need to be loved - that need to be spoken for. They need to know that they are worth more than the condemning 'truths' they hear daily. As the Lord does promise that He will never leave these little ones, so many of those entrusted with the cherished position of raising a child simply abandon it, seeing it as nothing more than a burden their shoulders are just not broad enough to bear. It is just another mouth to feed, a physical reminder of a bad decision or painful event, or a 'mistake'.

I cringe when I think of this - how these children have to grow up and make sense of it all in a world that seems to opress them at every chance. Too often, their precious childhood traits are exploited and the stronghold guarding their innocence is shattered.

We are, I am, all too content in doing little or nothing about injustices in this world and helping those who are lost to know Truth. I was never meant to hide in the church or in my sheltered social circle. I need to advance into the world, however uncomfortable it may be, instead of resolving to retreat from opportunities Christ so clearly wants me to embrace. Am I all too content in hiding my light in the inside of a church building, rather than stepping out into the unknown? Yes. Where selfishness abounds, love cannot thrive.

I will be spending some of my free mornings serving the children and teen girls of Barnardos, as well as devoting my evenings (and most likely early, early mornings) to love on people around me. I could not be more thrilled about these opportunities, and pray that the Lord would use it for His purposes alone.

Take joy, my King, in what You hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.