Week 4
Gain some “WHY-sdom” (Wisdom)
COUNTDOWN…
10 Hours hike over two summits to our hut
9 Challenging questions
8 Records our team has broken so far
7 Sisters
6 Loads of laundry
5 Different languages
4 Summits in…
3 Days
2 Snowmen were built
1 God we serve
‘FIRE’! (analogy)
Which of these numbers made it to your highlight this week?
So, let us tell you why this week has been not only a 10/10 but also ‘FIRE’!
But before we lose ourselves in counting numbers (and counting down the days which are left *sniff sniff*) let’s begin with the first day of the week which for us is Sunday. We had the opportunity to volunteer as a team & welcome people as they arrived at Hope Community Church.
With all sisters ready on Monday morning at 6 am, the new adventure in the backcountry could start rolling agaaaiiiiinnnn… hands up - whoop whoop!! Special guest this week was our new OTG leader! She joined us on the longest and most challenging hike we’ve done yet :P (Did we chose the hike? For sure not :P But if we had the chance, we probably would’ve chosen this one as well ;) Our tramping trip took us through Kahurangi National Park, over Mt. Arthur to Gordon’s Pyramid to Mt. Peel and finally Lodestone.
Climbing from streams in the valleys to the top of mountains, our legs did kilometres but also our hearts and minds took an alpine hiking route. The second half of our OTG adventure climbed to another state of intensity. Our ‘smoking heads’ burnt more calories than the elevation itself. And there was a lot of elevation for those four summits. We talked through what appeared to be easy questions that turned out to be more weighted later as we made our way through rocky, snowy, and grassy fields.
After a one-week break from hiking we were all looking forward to this new challenge. Especially two of us who were soooo keen to run up the mountain and dive into the first snow they’d ever seen! (Pretty funny for us Swiss/Dutch/German girls;)
Keepin’ on marching – Keepin’ on thinking!
As we think about the reasons that drive us to do the things we do, to laugh the way we laugh or to act the way we act– each one of us slowly discovered the root of our behaviour. But boy! (even if we’re a girls’ team) we had to dig deep with all our girl power!!
Silvana:
Another analogy to digging deep would be: You gotta get to the “bone of your chicken-wing”, to the bone of your heart and that can get ‘pretty chewy’. Slowly approaching myself down deep (to the bone) can sometimes be hard for me, hard to enlighten parts in my life or to get to know them closer. But why? It’s hard to wait for answers to be revealed - especially if you’re hyper curious as I am. But why? It can be challenging to keep on chewing your bite, your thoughts, your questions. But why? Understanding the “Whys” in your life more and gaining wisdom throughout the process can be releasing.
My question for you is: Is there a topic (summit) in your life that you need to consider step by step and ask “whys” –without rushing?
Our journey that day was long. After ten hours of hiking we arrived at Salisbury Lodge hut. At our hut we had the chance to talk about/share our faith and show the way of living as an imperfect Christian. We shared with a friendly man and his daughter which were staying there for two nights, as we did.
On our second day hike, we saw and experienced once more God’s powerful might. In this season the weather is unpredictable even if the weather forecast announces good weather, changes can occur quickly. So cold/rain weather gear was always packed even when the sun was brightly shining. On our second day the sun was surrounding us, but all of a sudden, clouds were coming from all directions. The rain-drenched clouds drew a circle around us and let their waterfall into the area - but not on us. It was as if we were walking under God’s huge umbrella - not a drop touched us. Have you experienced God’s umbrella over you in your life? When storms were raging around you, but your boat stayed dry?
During our 3-day hike this week we had lots of ups and downs thanks to the four summits. The hike challenged us not only as individuals but also as a team. Some people felt stronger when trails were flat, and others were stronger when the elevation increased. But as a team, we supported each other - each one with its strength when the other needed a hand.
Yellin:
So, I made the experience of how important a team can be when we came to the foot of the last summit. We easily could’ve “cheated” and chose the easy way around the mountain to the carpark, or we chose to climb the summit together as a team. Before we decided what to do my legs were so tired and exhausted, but I really wanted to reach the goal and climb up the fourth summit. And you ask yourself now, why it is important to have family, friends, or other people around you?
Here is why: It’s important because a good team supports you on your way, sometimes with words or small acts of service like my team did for me. They were behind me and strengthened me so I was able to climb up the summit. The support allowed me to feel better than before we started.
Don’t underestimate the support you can give to your neighbour even if you think small words don’t have an impact on them!
This week has been another win of knowledge, wisdom, and strength for each one of us personally. We were shaped as God’s diamonds through hard & lighter exercises to be warriors for His kingdom. Back at Basecamp we entered another bunch of study sessions, leadership development and teachings (this time a special one about correct chewing and biting your bites :P)
After a week full of questions and answers but then some more questions on the answers – we had the opportunity to settle down and let the words resound in our minds, hearts, and souls. Some time to think. Time to wrestle, reset, and focus again.
On what or better, on who? On God, then in the end all the glory goes to our One and only!
Yellin:
Hoi zäme
I hoffe dir heits guet ir Schwiz u gniesset die farbige Blättr ade Böim. Wie dir sicher wüsset wird’s bi mir geng wermer o we hie dr Früehlig sehr abwächsligsriich isch wie bi öich aube dr Apriu.
Es isch e Zyt wo mega id töifi geit u ig dr huufe cha lehrä. DWanderige und o sBibustudiuem wärde gäng wie herussforderender, aber es fägt mega, die Herrusforderige zmeistere u drbi bini nid mou elei. I darf die sächs wunderbare Girls u Gott um mi ume ha, womi geng ungerstütze. Danke viu mou für öii Gebät die sy u mega wärtvou.
Syt gsägnet, i ha nech auzäme gärn.
Öii Yellin/Lea
Ps: Dir dörft gärn vonech loh ghöre ;)
Translation:
Hey there!
I hope you’re doing well in Switzerland, and you enjoy the colourful leaves on the trees. How you might know, here spring is getting warmer, but the weather has its own temper, like April for us.The time here goes really deep, and I can learn a lot. The hikes and the bible studies are getting more and more challenging, but it’s a whole blast to encounter those challenges and I’m not even alone. I have those six wonderful girls and God around me, who support me anytime. Thank you for your prayers they are really precious. Be blessed, I miss you all. -Your Yellin/Lea. (PS: It would be nice to hear something from you!)
Three Swiss girls checking out the unpredictable weather (from left: Jaelle, Silvana, Yellin)
Thanks
Dear friends and family the last days and especially we as a team have been blessed with:
Good team building
Good community
Good conversation in the team but also with people we met along the way
Good weather
Great experiences
Funny times
Enough food and a roof/tarp
Deep and healing talks
Good understanding even though we have language barriers
Prayer Requests:
Health: Two of us have ongoing knee pain – please pray for healing
Growth: We’ve seen the changes from what we have learned so far. Please pray that our journey can go on even if we are counting down the days. And we can carry on digesting the things we’re learning.
Protection: Please pray for protection for our hearts, souls & bodies so that the enemy will not have a chance to get a grip on us
Prepare: As we’re preparing ourselves for the re-entry into life after OTG.
Thank you very much for all your prayers & your comments on the last blog. We appreciate your support & look forward to hearing more from you.
Written by Yellin (Switzerland) & Silvana (Switzerland) on behalf of the entire OTG Team