Above: Ponui Xtreme, the building where it all happens.
I just got back from an amazing week on Ponui Island
with a Scripture Union Youth Camp. The island is located just an hour and a
half south of Auckland
and is owned by three farming families. I was tremendously blessed by the
students that spent the week there; ministering to them and them ministering to
me. Its times like these I realize how much I love youth work focused on Christ. Multiple
highlights- but the one that shown out like a beacon to me came in the form of
a young Maori boy. He didn't know much about Christ/God at all coming into camp
and was placed in my group of 5. He is being raised by his grandmother in South Auckland (considered the most dangerous/poorest
part) and was just an all around pleasant kid. After 3 days of good
conversations, he fell quite ill, alongside another camper from my youth group.
While the evening’s activities continued, this young boy prayed for the first
time in his bed, asking God to heal him. A short while later, he was beaming
from ear to ear telling me that he had been healed… attributing it all to God. This
stirred a flame in my heart to lay hands on the other boy who was sick with
stomach junk. 10 or so other youth laid hands on him and his mattress as I
prayed; the next morning he went hiking with our group as we cooked pancakes
over an open fire on a remote beach on the far side of the island. He felt markedly different. I felt markedly
different. Later that night I was approached by other young men for counselling/advice
and prayers. I’m so thankful God used me as a mediator of blessing. Leading up
to this camp was one of the fullest seasons of my life. I wrote around 11,000
words for Laidlaw projects in a short span of time whilst making coffee running
youth ministry and filming. Previously, passion was present but wearing thin.
That couldn't be said from where I sit right now. Physically exhausted but
spiritually/emotionally high. I’m currently forcing self-care upon myself by
staying home tomorrow and do nothing but sleep.
Above: Wynand suggested this pose. Nuff said.
During the week I was able to share my testimony and do a bit of MC
comedy as well as reading aloud the ‘bed time story,’ to the guys and girls at
camp. Despite what some may say, you’re never too old for a bed time story- especially when it’s The Cross
and the Switchblade; a detailed account of David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz in New York. What an unbelievable
story that amped us up as a body of worshippers. At camp during a quiet time, a
poem came to me. I don’t traditionally write poems, but I thought I would be
vulnerable by sharing it anyways:
You have heard it said,
But now I say to you;
Behold my child I am making all things new.
Warm blood washes away
the stains from the
corroded shackles that
once held humanity
You make all things
new.
Roots go deep like a
tree with wings like a dove;
you send our spirits
soaring, ablaze with your love
You make all things
new.
Above all Christ, I
give you my life-
Prepared like a bride,
pierced in the side;
To death with our pride.
You make all things
new.
Jesus you’re the
reason we live and sing,
the truest Adam, a God
among men.
You make all things
new.
Death you’ll never get
the best of me,
we only put our faith
in thee;
In You we still trust.
In the historic life we live, we are given a few moments to
work with our Father as sub creators beneath him (How grateful I am for this!). We may never get to see the produce of
our labors on this side of eternity; but everything is being artistically
weaved together for good in the glorious mosaic of broken pieces
across humanities canvas- Christ at the center. I can’t help but be reminded of
Genesis 1 and Revelation 21. Life started in the Biblical account of creation
with God’s creative breath transforming the chaos (void) into order; this
glorious story ends with Him recreating and renewing all things. Not making
all new things, but making all
things new. What joy it is to think that we have been given these years to
work towards the final redemption that we know is coming. Praise the Father, Praise the Son, Praise the Holy Spirit.
-piper
