John-Paul's Kiwi Adventure Blog

The Lord is faithful! 

 Thank you to everyone who supported me in prayer during my time in Vanuatu. God not only provided a full visitor’s visa for reentry to New Zealand (despite my overstay issue), but he did some incredible work in my life over the last 31 days. This portion of outreach has had few jaw-dropping stories, but has instead been one of stretching, growth and discovery. God’s timing is so good! 

 What follows is a brief overview of what I’ve experienced and learned.

Our team of twelve people spent most of our time on the island of Ambrym. We traveled along the entire western coast, visiting more than 15 different villages, doing primarily the practical work of building water systems (gutters/spouting) that provide fresh water, also putting on children’s programs with skits, songs, and testimonies. 

A few of my highlights included jumping off 40ft cliffs into deep sea, climbing to the top of an enormous banyan tree, preaching a sermon on “Love & Obedience,” teaching a class of 4th & 5th grade students for a week, swimming in volcano-heated hot springs, flying in tiny planes, sitting on the front of boats in the open ocean, and trusting God throughout it all.

Before we got to Ambrym Island, we visited the YWAM Pongo base one night. One of their students was sharing his testimony and he gave this verse:

“Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10a NLT

I really felt like God was saying that life really is a gift from Him. It’s a grand adventure that we’re invited to take part in. This season of youth will last a short time and its my responsibility to man up and make the sometimes difficult, inconvenient and unpopular  decision to be the man God made me to be. To not fall into the western trap of passivity, but to push into the things of God and to pursue the desires he’s put on my heart.

Before I left high school, a close friend and mentor gave me this verse:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NLT

All throughout DTS, God has been revealing to me my wild and adventurous side. He’s been showing me that I honestly love getting dirty, tramping around in the bush, taking risks and jumping into things. He’s shown me that he’s a bit wild himself and that as His son, my nature reflects his. He’s inviting me to submit my mind to him for transformation, to live with a far more radical faith, and to rely on his wisdom and strength instead of my own.

It’s been a stretch to be a part of an outreach with such a physical work component, but I’ve found that I’m not as terrible as I imagined at hammering, and that honest labor can be enjoyable. He’s also confirmed to me that teaching is one of my key spiritual gifts. Just before outreach began, God put a desire to discover more of the depths of the “gospel” on my heart. So I’ve been gobbling up the New Testament. I started at Matthew and I’ve just finished Romans. It’s amazing how much God is revealing himself and his ways to me!

One the teaching side, during one of our team ministry times, during prayer one of our leaders, Papa Steve, had this verse of exhortation for me:

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.”

1 Timothy 4:12-15 NKJV

I am eager to finish the New Testament, and begin the Old Testament upon arriving home in early August. It’s been a huge privilege and honor to have teammates bring some of their questions to me and to see God connect the dots with what I’ve been reading as I open my mouth to answer. But as I’m learning so much (as this always seems to happen), I’m quickly realizing how much more there is to discover and how much of a treasure the truth of God’s kingdom really is. Truly one worth selling everything thing to possess!

I’ve been stretched a lot in learning generosity and confronting the core issues of selfishness and fear in my heart that make living truly generously so difficult. I’m learning heaps about the blessing of living in community, but that this requires the lifestyle of love that Paul describes in Romans 12 as being a “Living Sacrifice.” I’m growing in God’s grace with others and I realize how much grace God pours out on me daily. 

I’m discovering the beautiful simplicity of relationship with God that Paul describes in Romans 3-5, and that Christ talks about constantly in the gospels. - It makes me angry that a spirit of religion has stolen so much of this truth from the modern church, and it kills me to think that I’ve missed so many of the basics that Christ taught until now.

To be honest most of my stories from Vanuatu will have to wait until I can tell them in-person. But I will share one relationship with you. I made a new friend in the north of Ambrym. I met Peter at “Prayer Warriors,” a youth group in the village of Ranmuhu lead by a beautiful woman of God, our host Elizabeth. Peter and I began close friends after I prayed for him that night. On my last full day I have him one my t-shirts with a verse that God’s been blessing me with:

“I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

1 John 2:14b NIV

Even though I only spent a short time with this young man of God, his contagious smile, his generous heart, and his willingness to serve God and people were a huge inspiration to me. Considering he’s only a sixth-grader, there’s heaps that God is showing me about what child-like, full-on trusting, faith really is. 

I was blessed that Peter bestowed an honor on me that few westerners receive, he gave me a kustom (traditional) name: Kintor. So that if I am blessed to return one day, I will be welcomed back to the village and can count on knowing that I belong.

The message that I shared in Ranmuhu (Peter’s village) was in the Apostolic church that his father is the pastor of.  I will try and post it soon so that you might get a glimpse for one of the central things that God has been teaching me about sonship and obedience.

Tomorrow morning our team leaves the YWAM base for a five hour road trip down south to the CMB Children’s Camp in Ragland. My parents both loved their experience with CBM (Children’s Bible Ministries) when they were here, so I’m heading into the next 3 weeks with an expectant heart. I’m looking forward to pouring God’s love into young lives, sharing in heaps of adventures, and learning more about child-like faith.

Here’s a link to read more about the camp:
http://www.cbm.org.nz/campraglan/holidaycamp.htm 

I believe I’ll be out of e-mail and internet access for the next three weeks, so look forward to more post in about that time frame.

Thanks for your continued prayers! 

With all my love,

John-Paul 

Be Bold, Be Strong
By Morris Chapman 

Be bold, be strong
For the Lord your God is with you
(2x)

I am not afraid
I am not dismayed
Because I’m walking in faith and victory
Come on and walk in faith and victory
For the Lord your God is with you

© 1983 Word Music