Beach mission - SWR – 2009 - 2010

In January ’09, beach mission at South West Rocks, kicked off the year. Running from the 2nd to the 10th, we had a week to share the good news of Jesus. This year we had a small but quality team, we worked hard to get the tents up and down, and had a great week of fellowship and serving. We made Jesus known to the campers and locals through song, dance, drama, talks, craft and activities. This year I was supposed to run games with Nick, but my attention was drawn away when one of the few campers, a 6 year old girl Hannah (who was the cutest thing you’ve ever seen) came along by herself and grew quite fond of me. I decided that I would stick with her, so that she would not feel rejected and give up coming along to the programme. What were really encouraging were the answers and questions Hannah asked, as her family aren’t Christian. I’m really thankful for scripture to be in schools, as this is sometimes the only way that kids and teens can come across Christ.

Halfway through mission I came down with a dizzy spell, getting a bit heady and wobbly, and not feeling that standing was such a good thing for me. Unfortunately I was forced to rest and take the afternoon off. I think that Satan uses headaches and dizziness against me often so that I’m not able to be used by God for his good works. It always seems to happen on mission and at bible study and when I’m spending time with God.

Overall it was a great mission – we were able to bring encouragement to the local churches, bringing them motivation and fellowship, that they may persevere and be living full-on for God. There was no room to be lazy on mission this year, due to the smaller team. This motivated me to want to do a talk, activity, and craft next year on mission. I’m really looking forward to next years mission, and looking forward to the ways God will grow me and prepare me for it.

But there will be a change in South West Rocks Beach Mission in 2010. We are moving to the school up the road – this means we won’t have long walks to the bathroom on hot sticky tar, not so much tripping over tent ropes and less potential to be covered in dirt, ants and mosquitoes! We will be faced with working out how to run mission on a different site, with different children and resources – but God’s in control. It’s exciting to have a few new people on team, and it will be great to enjoy fellowship with the regulars too. Party in the cool room! (For those who don’t know – we pulled out some dance moves in our portable very cold fridge on site 2 yrs ago – with glow sticks – as we were cooling down from our dance night – which the leaders enjoyed so much more than the kids) I pulled out my party trick (limbo), and had the kids limbo-it-up and I was crowned (in my mind) as limbo champion – it is my only claim to fame, so I thought I should milk it for all its worth!