Oh dear summer how I wish we could meet.... It is the beginning of winter here and I feel as though I haven't seen summer in quite some time that it's almost depressing. That's alright though, because along with winter I have my annual cold right now which is just marvelous... not! Most of the students are here we are waiting on 5 more to arrive in the next few days. With this ash cloud from Chile it's messing up all the flights. Except Air New Zealand which are flying. So a lot of people have lost their luggage. I went to the airport yesterday which is a 45 minute drive one way just to find that the plane was cancelled. I was like sweet, so I went to the baggage claim centre and sorted out all the lost baggage because the students gave all the wrong information. I felt like a mother giving out my info, I don't mind though, I don't know what I would do without my luggage! All the students so far are amazing! I really feel it's going to be a close knit group! They will be a small family but nevertheless whanau. I love the smallness of the school, although there is a lot to pick up the slack on because we are small we all help each other out.
For the welcome dinner tonight I am making Lamb Roast, Roasted potatoes, kumera, pumpkin, Steamed mint peas, carrot, and for dessert I made sticky date pudding with custard and caramel sauce. Traditional kiwi dinner. I am still amazed that God chose me for this job. When I stop and think about it, it makes me laugh because I put the lamb roasts in the oven today and I was like I'm cooking 12kg of meat for 50 people, I've never actually cooked lamb roast so I'm winging it and it's working. A year ago I hated touching raw meat, I just thought it was the most disgusting thing ever! Now, I just grab whatever meat and kinda gross other people out but I don't mind as much because it needs to be done. I believe in anything you need to have confidence in yourself in order to do the things God gives you. If God gives you something to do or picks you for something then that means he has confidence in you to get it done. So therefore we shouldn't doubt that we can't do it. Remember he chose us because we are weak not because we know everything. This has been going around the base and by that I mean a lack of confidence in people. When you're an insecure leader you are going to try and control everything. Therefore you will most likely have a lack of confidence in the people you are delegating to. I mean I'm speaking to myself here too. Whenever a new school gets in, I always struggle with believing that people will get things done because they are new and I don't know if I can trust them or not. We need to trust people which it is a very delicate thing that we need to hold with an open palm. If you hold anything to tightly it will slip out of your hand. Anyways back to confidence it is something that comes over time with going through different situations. Bottom line is to have confidence in the people around you to better not only yourself but the person you're believing in.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Hungry
Right so, there have been many events that have happened this past week and I will do my best to remember full detail on all of them because I really want to make you guys feel you are here part of the action. So everyone living in the staff apartments had to move out 2 Sundays ago because we were getting new carpet and the girls side was getting painted. Well let me tell you, I have a lot of stuff that I didn't realize I had. It wasn't to bad but it did take me like 50 trips back and forth. So we all moved to the main house which has a lot of space. Us girls were in a room that had a fireplace in it (non working) and the boys were dispersed among the rest of the house. No problem I said to myself, I can totally do this for a week. Monday comes along and we get hit with 2 really big earthquakes. Which means the main house is not safe because of the brick chimney going all the way through. So we had to sleep elsewhere. The next day comes around and it is still unsafe so we had to move all of our stuff out and into another room so they could start taking the chimney out.
Still with me?
So taking the chimney out meant that everyone would have to get involved. I had some ladies cover my lunches so that I could help. First of all let me tell you that I am part of the maintenance team in this way: I'm their PA. Whenever Juddy calls, he lives off base, he always calls me to give a message to someone. Because none of the guys carry a phone or if they do they leave it somewhere or don't answer it. I tell you what, it's real funny. So we were on the second story of the house and we needed to keep the good bricks and get rid of the old ones. Instead of running up and down stairs we came up with a system that worked, so Josh stood on the trailer and I got to chuck bricks at him all day. It was fun! Then we went and stacked the bricks in a field. It was a lot of fun being part of maintenance although after we did that I helped Stan and Josh with roofing, which meant oh Courtney you get to be the gopher. Running up and down the sketchiest ladder, and when walking on the tin roof make sure you don't fall through... So then after this long day, I had to go make dinner. So at 6:30pm when I was supposed to be done the girls were like we can move back into our house! In my mind I was like CRAP.... I'm exhausted and don't want to do anything! But I got roped into it because, Stan (this sweet 65 year old man) decided I was in-charge and was asking me where all this stuff goes. With everyone's help it was done in no time but it was the fact of coordinating a bunch of people that were looking to me. After this, I got to shower!!!! Then we had class at 7:30.... long as day...
My next part of the story is that I am becoming part time school staff. This means since there are no girl staff Sophia and I are stepping in. So I will be in lecture for 3 days a week and cooking for 2 days a week. I will have a small group and do one on ones with 2 girls. I'm really excited to see what God is going to do. Our first student comes today. It's a Snowboarders DTS that we are running right now. It's so much fun and right up my ally. I love their hearts and all the love they bring. So with that being said, I am juggling a bunch of things but I know God will help me because he has called me to this for this season. It has been interesting letting go of the kitchen, I still do all the ordering and overseeing but for cooking, it is only a little bit. No matter what though I know I'm taken care of because he loves me.
If you would like to support me in this prayerfully or financially just send me an email and I will give you more details. courtodd@tds.net
God Bless
Still with me?
So taking the chimney out meant that everyone would have to get involved. I had some ladies cover my lunches so that I could help. First of all let me tell you that I am part of the maintenance team in this way: I'm their PA. Whenever Juddy calls, he lives off base, he always calls me to give a message to someone. Because none of the guys carry a phone or if they do they leave it somewhere or don't answer it. I tell you what, it's real funny. So we were on the second story of the house and we needed to keep the good bricks and get rid of the old ones. Instead of running up and down stairs we came up with a system that worked, so Josh stood on the trailer and I got to chuck bricks at him all day. It was fun! Then we went and stacked the bricks in a field. It was a lot of fun being part of maintenance although after we did that I helped Stan and Josh with roofing, which meant oh Courtney you get to be the gopher. Running up and down the sketchiest ladder, and when walking on the tin roof make sure you don't fall through... So then after this long day, I had to go make dinner. So at 6:30pm when I was supposed to be done the girls were like we can move back into our house! In my mind I was like CRAP.... I'm exhausted and don't want to do anything! But I got roped into it because, Stan (this sweet 65 year old man) decided I was in-charge and was asking me where all this stuff goes. With everyone's help it was done in no time but it was the fact of coordinating a bunch of people that were looking to me. After this, I got to shower!!!! Then we had class at 7:30.... long as day...
My next part of the story is that I am becoming part time school staff. This means since there are no girl staff Sophia and I are stepping in. So I will be in lecture for 3 days a week and cooking for 2 days a week. I will have a small group and do one on ones with 2 girls. I'm really excited to see what God is going to do. Our first student comes today. It's a Snowboarders DTS that we are running right now. It's so much fun and right up my ally. I love their hearts and all the love they bring. So with that being said, I am juggling a bunch of things but I know God will help me because he has called me to this for this season. It has been interesting letting go of the kitchen, I still do all the ordering and overseeing but for cooking, it is only a little bit. No matter what though I know I'm taken care of because he loves me.
If you would like to support me in this prayerfully or financially just send me an email and I will give you more details. courtodd@tds.net
God Bless
Friday, June 10, 2011
Family Ties
So within this past month there have been many people that have gone and many people that have come. Meaning my life is like a roller-coaster. Meeting new people while saying goodbye to good friends. You know when you meet people, everyone has a name (bare with me...) that you call them by. I always introduce myself as Courtney, as you do... We all have nicknames and only when you get to know the person or feel comfortable with that person you'll call them by something else. I'm sure we all have nicknames that our families call us, our friends and random people. For me, the reason I am writing about this is because I find it funny. Majority of people call me Courtney unless if I'm home then the nicknames go on and on, but here it's generally just Courtney. There is only one person on the face of the planet that calls me Courtney Renee and that would be my mother, either when I'm in trouble or when I'm being a goof -- Someone just started using that here, it makes me laugh. Really only people that call me Court is my mom and my brother. I give people a funny look when they call me it. A few months ago people started calling me that here. I was a bit taken back because I thought it was my mom or bro but it wasn't. I got used to it and I like it because I'm glad people are comfortable enough to call me that! Well now that there are new people straight off the boat they are calling me that as well. In my head I'm going "Hmmf, that's interesting." It's not that I don't like it, I just find it interesting.
Last night we were up real late because all the staff shared their testimonies. It was sweet because we can all get to know each other a bit better and it makes us more of a family with some background understanding. I was about to fall asleep though just because we started at 7:30 and we had a lot of people to get through along with dessert. It was alright though because they made me coffee and I drank it and I didn't fall asleep. Although when it came to me I was real jittery from the coffee and shared my testimony in 3.5minutes. I hold the record for fastest testimony, it's not a race but I couldn't help my jitters. I forgot to bring pictures except for what were an my itouch which was only a picture of Cameron and I - to add to that it was a goofy face picture, well what can I say you gotta go with what you got. They all said he's a cutie pie with his blue eyes, then with my almost black eyes I don't know if they believed that he is my brother but anyways, enough said about that.
So this past week with being school staff I am finding that this season I am going to need to be more organized and on top of things. When I shared my testimony last night though I did get a revelation that all the things I said I didn't want to do growing up like being an entrepreneur, a missionary, living in a different country are all things I said in 4th grade and I've done all those. Things I said later in life like not going to Asia because I don't have a heart for it, I have gone and been and want to go back. I really thing God has this massive sense of humor and until we get the joke we can laugh about it. Thinking about that today, I said to myself God just likes to see me squirm and be uncomfortable, which when I thought again it is so true! We really shouldn't be comfortable we should be constantly growing! So to get back on track, training for school staff while being kitchen manager/head chef... hhmm... or in other words "School staff on LOAN." I enjoy it though it's going to be a great learning experience and I'm super stoked for the students to get here. I don't know what the future holds but I'm excited to find out! It's going to be a good season full of love, life and new things. I can feel it!
Last night we were up real late because all the staff shared their testimonies. It was sweet because we can all get to know each other a bit better and it makes us more of a family with some background understanding. I was about to fall asleep though just because we started at 7:30 and we had a lot of people to get through along with dessert. It was alright though because they made me coffee and I drank it and I didn't fall asleep. Although when it came to me I was real jittery from the coffee and shared my testimony in 3.5minutes. I hold the record for fastest testimony, it's not a race but I couldn't help my jitters. I forgot to bring pictures except for what were an my itouch which was only a picture of Cameron and I - to add to that it was a goofy face picture, well what can I say you gotta go with what you got. They all said he's a cutie pie with his blue eyes, then with my almost black eyes I don't know if they believed that he is my brother but anyways, enough said about that.
So this past week with being school staff I am finding that this season I am going to need to be more organized and on top of things. When I shared my testimony last night though I did get a revelation that all the things I said I didn't want to do growing up like being an entrepreneur, a missionary, living in a different country are all things I said in 4th grade and I've done all those. Things I said later in life like not going to Asia because I don't have a heart for it, I have gone and been and want to go back. I really thing God has this massive sense of humor and until we get the joke we can laugh about it. Thinking about that today, I said to myself God just likes to see me squirm and be uncomfortable, which when I thought again it is so true! We really shouldn't be comfortable we should be constantly growing! So to get back on track, training for school staff while being kitchen manager/head chef... hhmm... or in other words "School staff on LOAN." I enjoy it though it's going to be a great learning experience and I'm super stoked for the students to get here. I don't know what the future holds but I'm excited to find out! It's going to be a good season full of love, life and new things. I can feel it!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Rolling Random Thoughts
So two weeks ago I went to Queenstown which is five hours south of Oxford driving time about an hour flying. I flew down on the start of my two week vacation. Spending a week there and a week on base relaxing... Not really knowing what I was getting myself into or really what God had in store for me which is usually a good thing because if we were always expecting it, what fun would it be right?! So I have 4 very close friends that are living there for the next few months then they are coming back to staff the backpackers school. Queenstown is your typical tourist town with all the attractions and expensive stuff to do, eat and see. I never really liked it because it was just a place for people to pass through and go out on the town, not really taking in the beauty of it. When I was "living" there for a week with my brothers and sisters it was quite different and God totally opened my eyes to the remarkable creation that is around it. I say remarkable because one of the major snowboard fields and mountains is called the Remarkables. They certainly are! I would sit in a chair every morning and do my devos looking at the mountains on the lake. I gained so much inspiration from it that I got all my work done that had been bothering me the past few months that I never had time to do and I heard so clearly from God! It was such a great week and I was so sad to leave, when I returned to the airport and everyone was there to pick me up they ask "how was it?" my response: "I didn't want to leave I wish I was there". Let's just say I dug myself a hole at the airport, it's not that I wasn't excited to see everyone it's just I like the tight knit family feel in Queenstown. As well they are plugged in with one of the local churches there which used to be an old brothel. It's a sweet story because instead of the false intimacy that people would come there for, there is now real raw intimacy with the Lord! The pastor of the church made me feel right at home and she made me feel like I had known her all my life. It was so awesome! -Another reason I didn't want to leave...
So when I got back it was really like I was going through culture shock on the way I would think, act and what I would say. The life style there was so freeing that I could say anything and really be myself. On base I find that with ALL new people it's hard to keep my heart open, so to speak. I need to get to know people first, which is happening but in Queenstown it was there. I never thought I would go through culture shock I mean honestly since it is only 5 hours away, who would think! So then after a few days of settling back in we picked up our first snowboarder staff, a guy from Canada called Josh. It was interesting because at the moment there were no other boys on base so he had to chill with us girls, which was fun but I would feel weird if I were the only girl around a bunch of boys. So we as in Sophia, Josh and I wanted to do something fun this past weekend and I randomly said lets road trip to Queenstown... They were keen, this came about at lunch time on Friday and we left at 5pm on Friday night. Drove straight through, made it on one tank of gas (thank you Jesus) and rolled in safe and sound. Spent all day Saturday hanging out with those guys, made dinner for them, went to church on Sunday then drove home. Crazy weekend but God totally blessed it and hooked us up! The church was so packed that when they said stand up, I had to kneel on my chair because there was no room (ps the church is also a coffee shop for people to sit so it's not very big). It was so great to bond with those guys again even though it was a short time it felt longer. Josh got some good male bonding time and I got more inspiration and Sophia got rejuvenated. It was such a great weekend!
My revelation for you today:
'For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:25-31
Thank you to Mista Johnny Cash because I have the Bible on audio books and it's him reading the new testament aloud. I love it! Anyways when I was on a walk this caught my attention... It made me think Gods army is made up of weak people because his weakness is stronger than man. He chose the weak because they have the most to learn and they are the most eager to learn! They are humble and give all the glory back to the Lord! The underdogs are the ones everyone roots for. When the strong one wins only the proud are boastful and glad. It's the weak that rejoice the most when they defeat the strong. The weak are Gods chosen people. God wants to work through the weak to show how powerful and mighty he is. We are only vessels that he uses to bring glory to his name! He chose us because we are weak and wants to teach us all he wants us to know! I love that saying that I used a few times on here "God did not choose you because you are strong he chose you because you are weak." I just think of my situation in the kitchen, sure anyone can do it if they really wanted to.. But if a professional chef came in they would probably be bored because you don't get paid and it's basic work. He chose me, a little, massage therapist, little, american, little, black and white, did I mention little... Seriously the first few months kicked my butt! It doesn't matter who you are, whatever God is calling you in to he will bless it! Not only bless it but abundantly bless it! I don't regret anything from this past year it has truly been one of the best! Getting to know all these people from all around the world is simply amazing. I get to learn so much about him and I know he's not done with me yet...
So, there are my random thoughts that have been in my head the past few days... Enjoy.
So when I got back it was really like I was going through culture shock on the way I would think, act and what I would say. The life style there was so freeing that I could say anything and really be myself. On base I find that with ALL new people it's hard to keep my heart open, so to speak. I need to get to know people first, which is happening but in Queenstown it was there. I never thought I would go through culture shock I mean honestly since it is only 5 hours away, who would think! So then after a few days of settling back in we picked up our first snowboarder staff, a guy from Canada called Josh. It was interesting because at the moment there were no other boys on base so he had to chill with us girls, which was fun but I would feel weird if I were the only girl around a bunch of boys. So we as in Sophia, Josh and I wanted to do something fun this past weekend and I randomly said lets road trip to Queenstown... They were keen, this came about at lunch time on Friday and we left at 5pm on Friday night. Drove straight through, made it on one tank of gas (thank you Jesus) and rolled in safe and sound. Spent all day Saturday hanging out with those guys, made dinner for them, went to church on Sunday then drove home. Crazy weekend but God totally blessed it and hooked us up! The church was so packed that when they said stand up, I had to kneel on my chair because there was no room (ps the church is also a coffee shop for people to sit so it's not very big). It was so great to bond with those guys again even though it was a short time it felt longer. Josh got some good male bonding time and I got more inspiration and Sophia got rejuvenated. It was such a great weekend!
My revelation for you today:
'For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:25-31
Thank you to Mista Johnny Cash because I have the Bible on audio books and it's him reading the new testament aloud. I love it! Anyways when I was on a walk this caught my attention... It made me think Gods army is made up of weak people because his weakness is stronger than man. He chose the weak because they have the most to learn and they are the most eager to learn! They are humble and give all the glory back to the Lord! The underdogs are the ones everyone roots for. When the strong one wins only the proud are boastful and glad. It's the weak that rejoice the most when they defeat the strong. The weak are Gods chosen people. God wants to work through the weak to show how powerful and mighty he is. We are only vessels that he uses to bring glory to his name! He chose us because we are weak and wants to teach us all he wants us to know! I love that saying that I used a few times on here "God did not choose you because you are strong he chose you because you are weak." I just think of my situation in the kitchen, sure anyone can do it if they really wanted to.. But if a professional chef came in they would probably be bored because you don't get paid and it's basic work. He chose me, a little, massage therapist, little, american, little, black and white, did I mention little... Seriously the first few months kicked my butt! It doesn't matter who you are, whatever God is calling you in to he will bless it! Not only bless it but abundantly bless it! I don't regret anything from this past year it has truly been one of the best! Getting to know all these people from all around the world is simply amazing. I get to learn so much about him and I know he's not done with me yet...
So, there are my random thoughts that have been in my head the past few days... Enjoy.
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