Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand.
The ship (M/V Pacific Link) sailed from our home port of Tauranga to Auckland, via Great Barrier Island. There is a Christian camp on Great Barrier Island called Orama.
Orama and YWAM have a long history and an ongoing close working relationship.
We anchored in Karaka Bay, enjoying the peace and quiet. We
The ship (M/V Pacific Link) sailed from our home port of Tauranga to Auckland, via Great Barrier Island. There is a Christian camp on Great Barrier Island called Orama.
Orama and YWAM have a long history and an ongoing close working relationship.
We anchored in Karaka Bay, enjoying the peace and quiet. We
were all able to enjoy swimming off the ship, kayaking, hiking as well as basketball in their gym. There were dolphins in the bay that came to play alongside our kayak
ers. This was such a nice time of rest aft
er the previous four weeks of stocking the ship, crew training, ship maintenance and generally prepping for outreach.
Here in Auckland we continue with our preparations, visiting churches and fixing a problem on our variable pitch propeller that developed as we were sailing into Auckland. The unit may need to be replaced…hmmm…
The Discipleship Training School (DTS) students are finishing their final week of lectures with training in evangelism and sharing their faith.
On Friday, 22 students and staff leave the ship preparing for outreach in Thailand and Cambodia. The remaining students and staff stay with the ship for our initial seven weeks of outreach in Fiji and Rotuma.
We depart Auckland on 19 April, arriving into Suva, Fiji on the 25th. We have a few days in Suva to clean the ship, restock food stuffs, gather up the arriving medical personnel and other outreach team members at the airport, getting them settled into their bunks and prepping for departure for Lakeba, Fiji in the Lau Group of Islands. It will be a whirlwind few days of activity, yet exciting as we prepare to take the good news of Jesus to this remote island.
This first outreach to Lakeba will involve Doctors and nurses with our primary medical team; two dentists, dental nurses and assistants; two Ophthalmologists, who will be performing cataract surgeries as well as other eye related issues. We have an Optometrist and team coming as well that will be setting up in villages assessing and screening people for their eye glasses needs. We have over 4000 pair of eye glasses onboard to be donated this year. Often we can get close to the necessary prescription.
In addition we have construction workers who will be doing various repairs to schools, medical clinics, churches and other projects as we discover them. Our engineers spend a few days in the villages welding tools for the locals. It is always amazing to see the tools which come out of sheds that have been broken for years. A few minutes of welding and they are functional once again.
Every patient receives prayer before and after, and lots of opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ become available as we befriend people.
Several days each week Jeannie and I, as well as others onboard, will be having meetings with local pastors to encourage them and help to equip them for ongoing ministry and evangelism. Many of the pastors have had limited training and are hungry for teaching and materials to assist them in leading and discipling their flocks. We have a small library of books and training materials onboard to distribute to them which will aid them in their work.
We covet your prayers as we embark on this five month season of outreach into Fiji and Western Samoa.
Our goal is to impact 10,000 lives in these remote island nations.
We will be updating this web-blog regularly this season, so check back often for updates and photos.
Blessings in Christ Jesus,
Mike & Jeannie Mears
ers. This was such a nice time of rest aft
er the previous four weeks of stocking the ship, crew training, ship maintenance and generally prepping for outreach.Here in Auckland we continue with our preparations, visiting churches and fixing a problem on our variable pitch propeller that developed as we were sailing into Auckland. The unit may need to be replaced…hmmm…
The Discipleship Training School (DTS) students are finishing their final week of lectures with training in evangelism and sharing their faith.
On Friday, 22 students and staff leave the ship preparing for outreach in Thailand and Cambodia. The remaining students and staff stay with the ship for our initial seven weeks of outreach in Fiji and Rotuma.
We depart Auckland on 19 April, arriving into Suva, Fiji on the 25th. We have a few days in Suva to clean the ship, restock food stuffs, gather up the arriving medical personnel and other outreach team members at the airport, getting them settled into their bunks and prepping for departure for Lakeba, Fiji in the Lau Group of Islands. It will be a whirlwind few days of activity, yet exciting as we prepare to take the good news of Jesus to this remote island.
This first outreach to Lakeba will involve Doctors and nurses with our primary medical team; two dentists, dental nurses and assistants; two Ophthalmologists, who will be performing cataract surgeries as well as other eye related issues. We have an Optometrist and team coming as well that will be setting up in villages assessing and screening people for their eye glasses needs. We have over 4000 pair of eye glasses onboard to be donated this year. Often we can get close to the necessary prescription.
In addition we have construction workers who will be doing various repairs to schools, medical clinics, churches and other projects as we discover them. Our engineers spend a few days in the villages welding tools for the locals. It is always amazing to see the tools which come out of sheds that have been broken for years. A few minutes of welding and they are functional once again.
Every patient receives prayer before and after, and lots of opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ become available as we befriend people.
Several days each week Jeannie and I, as well as others onboard, will be having meetings with local pastors to encourage them and help to equip them for ongoing ministry and evangelism. Many of the pastors have had limited training and are hungry for teaching and materials to assist them in leading and discipling their flocks. We have a small library of books and training materials onboard to distribute to them which will aid them in their work.
We covet your prayers as we embark on this five month season of outreach into Fiji and Western Samoa.
Our goal is to impact 10,000 lives in these remote island nations.
We will be updating this web-blog regularly this season, so check back often for updates and photos.
Blessings in Christ Jesus,
Mike & Jeannie Mears
1 comment:
God bless you Mike, Jeannie and Josiah as you embark on this years' trip. We are praying for your safety and a fruitful trip.
Post a Comment