So, I’m off to New Zealand in a week and have decided to write a blog so that anyone who’s interested can see what I’m up to. I’m hoping it won’t end up in one of those fake-half-brother-trying-to-kill-me-when-I’m-on-my-way-to-the-prom-scenarios. You may laugh but it does happen (respekt* to the One Tree Hill fans).
Why am I abandoning my hair straighteners and departing the ever-so-sunny shores of England for a country on the other side of the world with millions more sheep than people? (...if the sheep were organised...)
Well, I’m doing a discipleship course with an organisation called Youth With A Mission (YWAM).
“What’s that?” you ask (don’t worry, I’m not psychic, they just taught us how to read minds in our first psychology lecture). Well, it’s a course designed to ‘train Christians to be, and make disciples of Jesus.’ The course is split into two parts, a lecture phase and an outreach phase. The lecture phase has lectures (no kidding) on a range of different topics (e.g. nature and character of God, identity in Christ). The outreach phase involves, get this, outreach. I’ll be part of a team that travels outside of New Zealand to work with a ministry that tackles an issue of injustice. Location to be decided later, but possibly Cambodia, India, Israel, Jordan, Thailand or Uganda.
Let me guess, your next question is: “don’t they have any in England? “
Yep, YWAM has bases running courses all over the world, including locations a lot closer to home. Some courses have a particular focus, e.g. music, surfing, art. The course I’m doing has a focus on justice. As part of the lecture phase I’ll be spending time looking at justice related topics (e.g., economic exploitation, the sex trade) and where God fits in those (e.g. a biblical understanding of justice and mercy).
“Why justice?” I hear you ask (Didn’t those mind-reading lectures payoff? Next thing you know I’ll be Patrick Jane’s replacement, California here I come). Justice is important. Simple as. It’s important to God and it’s important to me. Many people are trapped by unjust situations which is something I don’t think should be ignored. **steps down from soap box**
The course lasts six months, so if I don’t see you in the next week or so then I won’t see you till April (you may see that as a good thing - especially if you're Benjamin Holmes). The course finishes in March but I’ll probably hang about in New Zealand for a bit before coming home.
That’s all for now, I'm hoping to update every week. Feel free to email/comment any questions or whatever.
If you want more info/are a student with nothing better to do/bored check out www.ywam.org for general YWAM info and http://www.ywamauckland.org.nz/Justice%20DTS.html for info on the course I’m doing.
* this is how we spell on the streets bruv. Get to know.
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