Finding freedom in the land down under the down under

Week 1!

 Imagine your
life is a backpack. Put your house, your car, your family, your friends, all
your possessions in there. Now think about how heavy it is. How much you are
carrying around with you all the time-what of this is worth it? What would you
be willing to let go?

This is the premise behind George Clooney’s character’s
“inspirational” speech in Up in The Air (a great movie, by the way-highly
recommend it). I don’t want to ruin the movie, so you will have to see the
conclusion he comes to about the empty backpack life he leads.

I thought about this a lot as I was packing up my stuff last
week. I kept having to remind myself that I was not, in fact, packing up my
life in my backpack. That my life is not found in stuff but in God, in Christ
and in people. This is something I will probably have to continue to remind
myself of as the year progresses.

We got to go to Tauranga and explore the beach-a day of
adventure is incorporated into Launch to build excitement, team unity, and some
relaxation before our ministry begins. Leyna and Noe jumped off a cliff into
the ocean!

Then it was time to get down to training. We have had some
amazing worship times and the presence of God is definitely felt. This is still
new to me, but I really love it and I am excited to see how God manifests
Himself in the next 11 months.

I feel so blessed for the emphasis leadership puts on the
need to walk in freedom. I want to free the captives, I want to bring release for
the oppressed, I want to share love and hope with the nations.

But first I need to be free. I need to release those who
have hurt me and ask forgiveness from those I’ve hurt. Some of this stuff came
up in training camp and more was unveiled this week. In Jesus’ name I let it
go, I release it, God sets me free.

SO now, let’s go! Let’s go change the world in Jesus’ name.

This month for ministry, we will be working at a family camp
near Wellington, at just about the southernmost tip of the north island. We are
really excited for this opportunity-to work with kids and families, to support
a huge conference going on, and to walk humbly with whatever other
opportunities there are presented to us. I am personally excited for this
because I love working with kids, and we get to work with two other teams-Team
Trumpets of 1 and Team 3:17. I think it will be an awesome time of ministry and
I am excited to see how God shows up and uses us in this time.

One more announcement: We have a change in our race route!
We were scheduled to go to Malaysia for March, but instead we are headed to the
Philippines. I am really excited about this opportunity-AIM and the World Race have
amazing connections to ministries in the Philippines. I have heard many stories
about the needs there and I am so excited to see how we will meet those needs
in March! Plus-many of the words the Lord has given me have been about the
islands and the nations-and here we go, headed to more ISLANDS! (Check out
Isaiah 41  [this week] and Isaiah
51, especially 4-6 [From training camp]). These promises for the nations and
the islands are awesome and I believe that we are going to bring the change that
God wants to see and has laid on our hearts to bring.

Please pray for safe travel and continued team unity! Thanks!
  

Blessings and love and hopefully more soon,

Glenalyn