I just feel like writing again! Another new day today, here on the Great Barrier Island! Today I woke up and Mizuki made scrambled eggs, which we had talked about last night before bed! Just to do something special and different. Mix it up a little bit, yo! And it was so nice of her!

After breakfast feasting we moved on to our work duties. I-chen and Mizuki wanted to be able to go to the garden today, but they unfortunately have not been able to go in a long time because they are always needed in other areas here. Bummer.

So Mizuki and I went to the laundry room and worked on that for a while! Then we had tea break and went back to it. Then we started making beds in a couple of the rooms with a beautiful ocean view. They're called "Seaview 1 and 2." In the middle of that we heard the lunch bell, and went to eat. I got up pretty quickly after lunch to get back to finishing the bed making. I-Chen came and relieved me so I could go to the Prayer Chapel.

Yay for that! I was in need, and she knew it and said, "Go get your heart in peace!" haha so I went. She's so sweet. And there, I did a long awaited homework assignment the Lord gave me through our "Reading God's Word" speaker from my DTS three years ago, Margaret Tooley. She told us on day to make a list of lies we constantly heard in our lives, and then to write the Truth of God to replace it. Replacing lies with Truth. I needed to do this today, because I feel in some regard I'm at a place where I can actually see that there is an attack of lies I can choose to believe, but I'm aware of them. And if I choose not to believe them, I can be empowered by God's Truth to act and live and behave from that faith.

Wow. Kind of revelatory for me in more depth just by writing that out and actually thinking about the big picture. Anyway, so needed. Because God has called me out to grow up more in Him. He has told me to step out to the front lines. How can I do this if I choose to hold back in the dark? I don't have to! He gives us His Truth, and by faith I can hold onto it. And walk out in who He has made me to be.

Eventually Audrey, the chef here, came to the chapel to get me! I was due back at a certain time and didn't show up because I stayed in the chapel, and when she came in we chatted for a bit, and then went back to the kitchen! Mizuke was working on potatoes. Audrey gave me a recipe for Pineapple Pie, and that was my big project for the dinner duty! It was fun! I really enjoyed baking today! And got to do a lot of bowl licking what with whipped cream making and mashed potato helping. :) I also ate a lot of Tim's Chocolate chip and coconut cookies today, fresh baked for morning tea today. haha I'm eating a lot here.

I enjoyed working in the kitchen after dinner tonight and getting to know a couple of the women who live locally here during our weekly Thursday Community Dinner. It was a lot of fun, and good for my soul. Even though I've been quiet, I'm learning not to be so scared to be myself and speak up, because A) no one thinks I'm crazy- we're all in this community thing together and social situations are normal. B) I can be at ease, and it only gets awkward when I feel and act awkward.

That reminds me, someone else once told me how someone once told them that things are only awkward if you let them be or make them that way. Good advice!

God is such an encourager and lovingly moves us to where we can be in Him. Amen! :)

Goodness

Oh Love! Thank you Lord, for your LOVE! And Faithfulness. His mercies are new everyday. And He is continuing to remind me of His faithfulness and failthfulness in PROMISES.

My time here at Orama is full of God's Promises and fulfillments of promises. Amen! God's Living Water has been spoken over this place, that people would be refreshed by God's Spirit in spending time in His Presence here. Amen! May it be. It is!
God has been answering prayer. I wanted to testify and just give a bit of an update. The only updates are of God's beautiful Loving kindness, breakthroughs and going deeper as His GIFTS IN GRACE. HIM. It's HIM. And answers to prayer!! BEAUTY!

haha I do have a silly update! I so looked forward to the day that sheep would be grazing up close and personal in the area I hang up laundry, a smallish area in a gated pasture. It finally happened this week! A bunch of sheep, so much bigger and rugged and beautiful, came down as I hung laundry, eating the beautiful grass away! They came walking by and ran across the paved path I stood on. I kept my eye on them just in case sheep charge. I've never heard of them doing that, I took 'em always as quite timid. Needless to say, I enjoyed it!

Blessings!

Orama Sunset