Last week marked the start of the next phase of our journey this year: after completing our initial formation period, we embarked on our first high school mission. It was a tough week – physically, emotionally and spiritually – but it was so, so incredibly rewarding. It made me realise just how privileged we are to be able to do what we do. Day one was so packed that I don’t think I sat down for more than 15 minutes in the entire day, but seeing the team pull together and support each other in the moments of chaos was a huge encouragement, and this was something that continued throughout the whole week.
Right from the beginning we saw the various words we’d received for the school through prayer beforehand being confirmed and fulfilled. It was humbling to see the power of God at work through seeing the reality of issues, names and situations we’d already prayed into prophetically, and being able to deliver the message of Christ where and how it was needed within the specific school we were in.
All the assemblies were thoroughly blessed, and we enjoyed them more and more as the week went on. Since joining Sion Youth I’ve rediscovered my love of performing, which I haven’t had the opportunity to do properly since leaving school, so I absolutely loved the dramas, and the reactions they got from the students. I even surprised myself by actually singing in front of a packed hall (praise the Lord: He knows I’m no singer!!) - made even more surreal by the Franciscan friar on bass.
I really enjoyed running the girls’ workshops – I know only too well just how desperately the message of the Father’s love and the beauty He sees in us all is needed, and the girls were really receptive to it. Hearing girls from Year 7 upwards move from describing the way they’re made to feel fragile, weak and inadequate to using words like strong, beautiful and courageous – of their own accord – was really moving. In one workshop, Hannah and I were able to pray for a girl with bone cancer in her right knee. We may never know the impact of our prayers, but our hope was (and is!) that our faith in that moment may be a witness to those who shared it with us.
Receiving words of encouragement is something which I always get a lot out of, so the prayer and affirmation we offered each other as a team in the evenings were essential for me. Knowing that other people noticed and appreciated things I’d done, even when I may have doubted myself at the time, made me feel acknowledged and valued, and reminded me that God also sees and appreciates everything we do for Him.
Most of all, I LOVED being together as a team, learning more about each other and growing to respect each other’s individual gifts. I love that we work so well together, I love that we can have a great laugh but also pray intensely and be vulnerable with each other, and I’m SO excited for what the rest of the year will bring!
Right from the beginning we saw the various words we’d received for the school through prayer beforehand being confirmed and fulfilled. It was humbling to see the power of God at work through seeing the reality of issues, names and situations we’d already prayed into prophetically, and being able to deliver the message of Christ where and how it was needed within the specific school we were in.
All the assemblies were thoroughly blessed, and we enjoyed them more and more as the week went on. Since joining Sion Youth I’ve rediscovered my love of performing, which I haven’t had the opportunity to do properly since leaving school, so I absolutely loved the dramas, and the reactions they got from the students. I even surprised myself by actually singing in front of a packed hall (praise the Lord: He knows I’m no singer!!) - made even more surreal by the Franciscan friar on bass.
I really enjoyed running the girls’ workshops – I know only too well just how desperately the message of the Father’s love and the beauty He sees in us all is needed, and the girls were really receptive to it. Hearing girls from Year 7 upwards move from describing the way they’re made to feel fragile, weak and inadequate to using words like strong, beautiful and courageous – of their own accord – was really moving. In one workshop, Hannah and I were able to pray for a girl with bone cancer in her right knee. We may never know the impact of our prayers, but our hope was (and is!) that our faith in that moment may be a witness to those who shared it with us.
Receiving words of encouragement is something which I always get a lot out of, so the prayer and affirmation we offered each other as a team in the evenings were essential for me. Knowing that other people noticed and appreciated things I’d done, even when I may have doubted myself at the time, made me feel acknowledged and valued, and reminded me that God also sees and appreciates everything we do for Him.
Most of all, I LOVED being together as a team, learning more about each other and growing to respect each other’s individual gifts. I love that we work so well together, I love that we can have a great laugh but also pray intensely and be vulnerable with each other, and I’m SO excited for what the rest of the year will bring!
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