Mosquito Six and the Message

The problem with waiting a month to update my blog is that when I finally sit down to write it I’ve got heaps of thoughts in my mind that are wanting to come out on paper and its takes awhile to figure out where to take this thing…

I truly believe that every person on earth with was made with this space in their life that wants to be filled with significance and purpose. I am no stranger to this space as I feel like I have a monumental desire to be a person of significance. When I think about being significant I am not thinking about being some huge public icon, celebrity, well-known speaker, or something like that. In my life this desire takes the form of wanting to be significant in the lives of others, on a personal level. I want to make a positive difference in peoples lives - to challenge them, grow, them, care for them, remind them of the fact that they are important and full of potential.

In coming to New Zealand I’ve been given the perfect opportunity to pursue this desire of significance as the essential role of my job is to mentor the guys here. Like any dream or idea however there is always the challenge of making it a reality, putting it into practice. Practically, what does it look like for me to make a difference in the lives of the guys here? What does it take to earn the privilege to speak into their lives or even give them the impression that what I have to say to them is of any importance or weight?

Cliché sayings are cliché for a reason: they are true, and in my particular situation I’m realizing that actions really do speak louder than words. As I’ve thought about these questions I’m realizing that the truest way to impact these guys here and earn a role of significance in their lives is through the way I live and act. If the way I carry myself and treat others doesn’t match up with the words I’m saying or proclaiming to believe then my words will have no significance at all. And another cliché saying comes into play – practice what you preach. If there is a huge disconnect between the way I live my life and what I claim to believe then any platform of trust or respect is likely to be non-existent. This is particularly true in the realm of Christianity. In order for the world to have any interest in what we say from our mouths they need to first hear it from our actions. I am all too guilty of this.

One of the benefits of working at a Bible school is that I get to sit in on night classes when I’m done working for the day. The other week I got to hear a couple of lectures on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7). The biggest lesson I took away from it was the fact that the Beatitudes aren’t just another list of commandments or behaviors that Christians must strive to attain. Rather, they are a description of person whose heart has been surrendered to and changed by Christ. This isn’t a work that can be done by the individual alone, it isn’t set of behaviors that can be attained by hard work and determination; it is a transformation that is made possible by the life Jesus Christ in us. There is a huge amount of freedom in this. This truth can be connected to what I mentioned about living out what I believe. If changed behavior comes from allowing Jesus to consume and change your heart, then the most effective action we can take, that I can take, in being a person of significance is to pursue Jesus with reckless abandon.

I guess that’s what’s been on my mind and heart lately.

I am so glad that I made the decision to come down here. New Zealand is an incredible place and I’m a big fan of the laid back and simple lifestyle they have down here (that lifestyle might just because I live in the country surrounded by sheep). The school is going very well and its an awesome group of students. They’ve been here for about a month and they’ve meshed together really well. While it felt like everyone was friends right off the bat, it seems like it hasn’t been until this last week that students have really started to come out of their shells and go deeper in their relationships with one another.

Laughter, good times, and shenanigans have been anything short of lacking. We play a lot of games here and the guys are very good at being guys. We’ve had our shares of campfires that end with the guys dancing around the fire chanting like a bunch of Indians. Us guys have also made it a habit to go on a weekly night hunt on our property which consists of grapping a bunch of lawn tools like rakes and pitchforks and running around the property looking for animals. We’ve named our hunting party Mosquito Six and while most of our hunts are unsuccessful we did get an eel out of our pond. Rugby has been a pretty big part of the school year because of the Rugby World Cup being held here. New Zealands almighty All Blacks are quite the power house so as a school we’ve watched all their games which turns into a pretty big hoopla. We’ve definitely caught rugby fever at the school and we’ve played a few matches of our own in the afternoons – even the girls come out and play. Its loads of fun.

As a school we’ve gone on a couple of outings on the weekends. There is a camp ground about three miles from the school with a river running through it so there have been a couple of nights that we’ve gone up there to make a fire and hang out. This awesome older guy from town took us white bait fishing the other weekend on the coast. White bait is a super tiny, translucent fish that is something of a delicacy down here. The goal is to scoop them up by the hundreds with a big wire scoop the deep fry them and throw them on a burger. In our two hours of fishing we caught one. We’ve also gone to a nearby city called Timaru a few times. We got a good day of mini golf, playing on the playground, and picnicking on the beach in last weekend.

I’m very grateful to be here.

Sorry there are no pictures in this one. The internet is a bit of a different story down here than it is in the states...