YWAM Update: The Weeping Traveller

Greetings, everyone! from the humble abode of Christchurch!
This is one of those updates that has taken a long time to come. As many of you know there was an earthquake in Christchurch on the 22nd of February. Just last week (before my birthday!) I had the opportunity to go in and see the central city for myself. It was actually the first time I've been in there since the earthquake. Though the damage doesn't look severe, most buildings are ready to fall down. It affects you in many ways. For me the experience is a solid one, everyone was asking me "what do you think, Nathan?" while I wasn't really able to give an answer, while I was walking through the city I remembered an experience I had before I finished my DTS. I'll relay that now.

It was a week before I would graduate from my school, the rest of my DTS hadn't yet arrived back from outreach. I remember it bucketing down rain just before I was asked to pray for the group of students going back to Christchurch for outreach in the city. I had been thinking about my family, and wanting to go back to see them because I had recently let them know the news that I would come back and staff at YWAM, praying in the prayer room (that was being built) though it sounds very casual, all of a sudden I heard from God that he wanted me to go into Christchurch with the school. I had to ask my leaders, because I was still on outreach, but this was my last day of outreach. It was raining anyway. I let them know what was happening as I was scrambling for phone numbers and thinking what stuff I'll need to bring, for a weekend at my parents house (They didn't even know that I was coming at this point) Nelson asked me "are you coming in with us to outreach" I said, "yes" but i still hadn't got everything, so I asked Him "i need to get some stuff packed and ready" and asked Him "what van are you in" so once I had prayed I came back outside, found some clothes and stuff and jumped in the van. by the afternoon end I was back at my parents house and explaining why it is I'm going to be praying in the prayerroom. It was a very dramatic decision (for both the prayer work, and the coming into Christchurch) - I had been intending to go back to working after I finished the DTS and hadn't let anyone know anything had changed (i was actually planning on travelling NZ, sometime, though I didn't know when - with my friend Steve) also coming to Kona for the jubilee.

I will be leaving to goto Tauranga tomorrow. I don't feel like I can finish this post. Wherever you are I love you