Week Six
One Chapter Ends, and a New Chapter Begins!
There it is, we can see the end. Five weeks ago, we didn’t even know each other, now we’ve become very good friends. During the weeks, we shared a lot about our personal lives and our relationship with God through Christ. In one week, we have to say “Goodbye y’all!” But this also means we have still one week to go. On Saturday morning we started our five-day-road trip, so we packed the van with tents, gear, and our food. The landscape was spectacular, we could see a lot of variety on our way to our first stop: Kaikoura. This week is very special, not only because it is our last week, but even more because every one of us will share something with the team from God’s word. So, on this day we heard something about the Letter of Ephesians, about the unity that we as Christians have, because of the sacrifices of Christ and because of the new life God’s Spirit gives us. We have unity in Christ, and we shall live as People of Light in our daily lives.
Our morning started with a visit to a new church. We heard about how to practice our leadership and to be a good leader, and also that we must stay deeply rooted and let God be our gardener. The fruits of the spirit were also mentioned which is very important for growing in and using them in faith. After lunch we drove to the coast and on our way, we stopped at some wonderful spots where we had the opportunity to take some awesome pictures. On the coast walk, we saw seals and had a discussion about ourselves.
Today we were hitting the road again and headed further down the south coast. On the way, we visited some seal and bird colonies. Sometimes our life is also such comfortable as the life of the seals lying in the sun. But as we have heard in today’s Bible story about some friends of Daniel, sometimes the circumstances require us to take action and to stand against other opinions. We needn’t compromise our faith, just because of what others think about us. We can trust God in every situation and be sure that he will keep us safe. Through all the difficulties we face, we will grow and get more confident in our beliefs.
From the east coast to the west coast and from rain into sunshine. This contrast ties perfectly into what we learned today. In Christ, we are a new person, and we belong to the kingdom of heaven! So, no matter what we’re going to face in this life we have a solid foundation and anchor in Jesus. In every situation, we can think about what is going to come! With the Holy Spirit, we are changed, and we’re no longer ruled by our desires!
Waking up in Greymouth, we were a bit chilly and tired from our big road trip, but nothing warms the heart and mind more than singing to the Lord and spending time studying God’s Word. With the seemingly endless Tasman Sea behind us and the massive waves breaking onto the rocks, we were led in a detailed bible study, titled “New Seasons for Good Reasons”. We looked in depth at the book of James, Colossians, and 1 & 2 Peter. The beautiful passages we studied in these books reminded us to set our eyes on heaven and keep strong in the faith, even amidst difficult trials. We learnt to keep moving and have hope because during these hard times, we learn endurance and patience. Another highlight from that day was visiting Pancake Rocks, the booming waves and spray of the blowhole were impressive! And finally, I would like to end by sharing with you a part of a conversation that occurred during our time on the road and leading up to our final few days on OTG: “We’ve been in a close little community, unaffected by the world. But now it’s time for us to go out and affect the world”.
Back at OTG Basecamp and after an experience on the road we had our last Bible study together. Today’s topic was about Covenants, especially about the one that God made with Noah. Through some chapters and verses we read in Genesis and Ezekiel we heard that the rainbow was a clear sign of an unconditional promise which means that God keeps and never forgets his promises and we should trust in him, no matter what it takes. So, God sent his only son to let us be redeemed and save us from our sins. What an undeserved grace!
Prayer Requests
- Pray that we still focus on Christ, when we go back and get changed more in his image
- Please pray for the future that God leads us to the right places
- Pray that we can implement our learnings in our life
- Pray for safe travels as we return home and head off on new adventures
- Thank God for all He has shown us during our 6 weeks here
- Pray for the next OTG team
Please leave a comment/short note for our team!
Written by the entire OTG-01/2024 Team
*The OTG team is now traveling/heading home to their different parts of the globe. Thank you for praying for them as they start this new season of life. – OTG Leadership Team