Dear Friend
** OFFICIAL NEWS **
On 9 Mar 07, I received confirmation that my application had officially been accepted to join the Ship LH. I was beside myself with excitement as this completed the final step in the application process and the reality of my mission is now tangibly within my grasp. I felt a deep sense of peace and contentment that daily, my life is being aligned with God's will and being obedient to His call has been one of the most amazing opportunities to draw close to God. I also feel affirmed that this is the right thing for me, at the right time and in the right way, and I've come to realise that God really does know what is best for me. If I allow Him the freedom and the control to work for my good, anything, and I mean anything, is possible!
March has been a really busy month and the weeks and days seem to have ticked over quicker than I could imagine ... with exactly 13 weeks to go before I leave, my finger is hovering over the minor panic button as I prepare to pack up my life and organise everything. My travel plans are now locked in as follows:
• Monday, 2 Jul 07: Fly to South Africa for 5 weeks
• Sunday, 5 Aug 07: Fly to London for 2 weeks
• Monday, 20 Aug 07: Fly/Train to The Netherlands for the Global Orientation ("GO") Conference for 2 weeks
• Saturday, 1 Sep 07 I go to pre-ship training, then board the LH
The most exciting event for me this month was my Commissioning Service which was held on Sunday, 25 Mar 07 at St Matthews, Manly. Despite the cold, wet weather, it was a really special day attended by 50 or so of my close friends. I was so privileged to have Jan, International Recruiter from The Netherlands as the key guest speaker! He was entertaining, funny, absolutely challenging and really inspiring. Everyone is still talking about the impact and impression he had on them. I felt incredibly blessed to have the love and support of my church family and being prayed over by everyone was very moving. Afterwards, we had a festive and scrumptious BBQ feast and enjoyed great fellowship together.
Thank You! I want to thank each and every one of my amazing friends who contributed in their own unique ways because without them, this event would not have been so memorable and I definitely would not have had so much fun!
Colour Conference
In mid-March, I attended the Hillsong Women's Colour Conference, which was phenomenal. Worshipping God with 17,000 other women is indescribable! The guest speakers were also excellent - J John really spoke to my heart. (www.hillsong.com/conferences/colour/) He showed me that when we pray, coincidences happen and we have HUGE potential because we have access to God's power within us. He also illustrated partnership in the form of a snowflake, which on it's own will melt within minutes of falling to the ground, but which together with hundreds and thousands of other snowflakes, can bring the world's largest cities around the world to a standstill. Partnership is fundamental to mission and I am more aware than ever how important your partnership is to me.
Finance UpdateI am still in awe of how God is working to provide for my every need. As always, God is faithful to His promises and yet I continue to be surprised when amazing gifts are given, but all the glory goes to God. To date, we have raised just over $2,500 in one off gifts, which is just so overwhelming! These generous contributions have fully covered my "GO" Conference ticket and transport costs from the conference to the ship. In addition, this money will also cover travel costs to get to Europe from the UK. My parents have also generously paid for my air ticket to South Africa and Europe, which is amazing. However, in relation to ongoing support, I still need to find partners who are willing and able to commit and pledge their support on a monthly basis. Many people have asked me what my requirements are, so I hope you don't mind if I make these needs known here. I am also happy to discuss this in person with anyone who wants further information. My total budget requirement is approx. $1,750.00 per month (approx. $450/week). So, in relation to the pledges I have received to date, and from our calculations, I require either:
12 people to commit $100 per month ($25/week) OR
24 people to commit $50 per month ($12.50/week).
Alternatively, you can pledge to commit a monthly amount or a Once Off gift, as you feel led to give in relation to your ability.
Other examples of practical support for me include a couple of friends offering me the opportunity to store some boxes in their garage and under their house which is a fabulous support, as it means that my storage costs will be decreased, and I can now budget for a smaller size storage container space. Another great initiative was the organization of a fundraising dinner hosted by Helen with 10 other friends at her home. We had a great night and also celebrated "Earth Hour" which involved everyone in Sydney turning off all electrical lights for an hour, so we spent the evening in candlelight as a reminder of our concern and care for our world and the environment … and it was fun!
Work & Other NewsI have been working as a Rehabilitation Consultant since 5 Mar 07 and it's been interesting and somewhat challenging to be tackling workers compensation from the other side of the fence again! The people I work with are all really lovely and, for the most part, I'm enjoying the challenge but I'm so pleased to daily remind myself that this is not my long term career and I'm counting down to my last day - Friday, 22 Jun 07!
Other events this month have included having my cousins Paul and Alison to stay for a brief weekend visit. It was great to have family visiting and to be able to share our beautiful city with them and show them our stunning beaches and coastline.
Praise & Prayer FocusI am very committed to praying about my mission and having prayer partners is vital to keeping me "afloat" literally and figuratively speaking! I am so excited that my Prayer Cards have arrived so if you don’t yet have one, please let me know and I will get one to you. In addition, please take a minute of your time to lift up these praise & prayer points on my behalf. Thank you for your prayers!
* Praise God for giving me confirmation and affirmation that His will is being done in my life
* Praise God that the Commissioning Service was so special, that Jan was able to speak to us and for the support and care of my church family
* Praise God for the generosity of so many people in contributing financially and prayerfully to my mission
* Pray that God will continue to raise up committed prayer and financial supporters
* Pray that my role on board the LH will be rewarding and fulfilling and that I will be able to utilise my God given gifts, skills and abilities to glorify God and to help and serve others
* Pray that my upcoming travel will be stress and hassle free especially with deciding what I can and cannot take with me
* Pray for the accommodation on board the ship and for the roommate(s) that I will be sharing with. Please pray that we will become close friends who live well together and are tolerant, considerate and respectful of each other's differences and unique cultural backgrounds
Food For The Soul
"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God" (Acts 20:24)
This verse in my prayer card is very special to me because it was actually prophesied into my life about 4 years ago. Stephen Lungu, a Zimbabwean ex-terrorist and guerrilla came to St Matts in 2003 and gave his testimony. Abandoned at a very young age, he lived under a bridge and had no education. Taken in by rebels, he became a guerilla fighter and was responsible for murders and violence. One day, along with his comrades, he had planned to bomb a Christian gathering in Harare, but in the process, he was powerfully transformed by God's love and convicted of his sin. He now speaks 10 languages, promotes the Christian organization called "African Enterprise" and travels the world. He spends his life sharing the gospel with hundreds of thousands of people in many countries and cultures.
He wrote the verse above as part of his autograph in his book "Out of the Black Shadows", which I purchased that night. I remember him telling me that I would live out that verse one day. What blew me away was that I had completely forgotten about this prophecy until I was in Melbourne trying to figure out what verse to include in my prayer card. I picked up a random postcard on a bookshelf and as I read that exact verse, I was reminded there and then of the moment that Stephen Lungu had written that verse in my book … and I knew that this verse was the one that was meant for my prayer card … it defined my mission and I believe it is anointed by God through prophecy in my life!
God is truly mysterious and amazing …
May you have a God-inspired and a Spirit-filled month wherever you may be and wherever God may lead you!
Blessings in Christ
Vanoosh :o)
ps. I'm updating my "snail mail" address book so please send me your details so I'm up to speed on any changes and check my BLOG for more photos and news throughout the month at your leisure
