MARKS NEWSLETTER

There and Back again (the story of a hobbit on great adventures) March 2015 Just want to give a quick synopsis as to what I've been up to, what I'm doing and where I'm heading. Sorry it has taken so long for those that I haven't been able to catch up with since being back in New Zealand. I did a 6 month course (DTS) with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) in Perth which included a three month lecture phase and then an outreach phase in Nepal, India and Thailand.  What I've Been up to Nepal After about 5 days in transit we ended up in a town called Britamod close to the Indian boarder. We went to different rural villages, bus parks and churches. We did drama's about Human Trafficking and the Gospel with the help of our awesome friend and translator Zoell and his family. They also opened up their home to us and provided such good hospitality. We even got the opportunity to do an eye clinic in one of the rural villages and give out a lot of glasses. India This was where it got a little more challenging for me. After 2 weeks I got very sick. I got a mosquito borne bowel infection which caused bad bleeding. It was further complicated by my previous flax bush injury that punctured my bowel. I ended up in Hospital on IV for 5 days, then got discharged and started to get worse. After about 2 weeks of ups and downs, slowly deteriorating and losing more energy and blood, I made a few phone calls and decided that if I was not any better in 24 hours then I would have to leave. During this time many people prayed for me and it was one of the best experiences of my life, just resting in God's love and knowing that what ever happens he loves me so much. I had a such a great peace about the whole situation. I knew that my value was not based on what I could do for God, but that he values me in spite of all my action's good and bad. I slowly got better from that point on, but was too sick to join in the outreach activities until we left India. Although I was unable to participate my team was amazing and they did heaps of programs in schools around individual value, human trafficking and protection against sexual abuse. They also visited hospitals and prayed with people and saw some of those they prayed for healed.   Handing out small gifts to the Children of sex workers in one of the redlight districts in Kolkata Thailand When I arrived in Thailand I was still very much recovering from my sickness. I managed to go out with my team into a few schools and help out with the programs that we were invited to. I was feeling at a bit of a crossroad, not knowing what to do with my life after finishing this trip. During one of my times with God in the morning I prayed, "What do you want me to do with my life?" I felt the impression, "What do you want to do." God has been teaching me that he is not a dictator but actually gives us some choice in how we can serve him as long as it lines up with his principles and purposes. In response I wrote a comprehensive list of things that I would like to do (Bit of a dream list). Then within 3 days I met some amazing people who had very similar passions. They offered for me to come over and join with what they were doing and learn off them. I was so excited about the way God answered my prayers and if you read on I will explain what I am looking at doing.   What I'm doing now    At the moment I am working full time at my old job at Wormald and picking up extra hours. I'm also living in the lounge of good friends Aaron and Nicole. This is helping me save as much as possible to fund going to Thailand. I'm going to Redeemer Church and a home group. I have really enjoyed being back and being a part of peoples lives back home. I have also been organizing a Human Trafficking Awareness Forum called Free NZ. It will be Held in New Plymouth on the 21st of May. It has been awesome to see so many people come on board and volunteer their time and resources to make this happen. I'm excited to be able to Inform New Zealanders about what is happening in response to Human Trafficking in NZ and the rest of the world.    What I'm looking at doing So in June I intend to move to Thailand indefinitely. I have committed to at least 5 years with the intention of staying on long term. The first year most of my time will be taken up learning the Thai language. The rest of the time I will be assisting in the National office (Based in Bangkok) helping with administrative tasks, sorting emails and organizing conferences etc. I am also keen to get involved with other projects such as the MST project. This is a ministry that goes into the red light areas and helps men that have come for sex tourism. I am really excited about this opportunity but in order to make this dream a reality I need partners to support me.

Support Me Financially I would love to have you partner with me in prayer and finance. I will need $1800 NZD a month to cover living expenses. (accommodation, Food, Language study, Health Insurance, visa's etc. It is quite a lot for Asia but because I am based in Bangkok which is quite western it is a bit more expensive and language study will cost $400 a month. If you are able and willing, from your generous heart to give weekly or monthly by automatic payment could you please email/message me so I can thank you.  Bank Account Details M R Jackson 01-0723-0061237-01  Please Pray For the "FREE NZ Human Trafficking Awareness Forum" I'm organizing. Raising the finances needed to live in Bangkok. Priority management, making time for most important things. That all the finer details of moving will come together, Visa's, accommodation etc. Keeping in touch To keep you informed ill send you out a monthly newsletter Email:  mark.jackson@ywamthailand.org +64274210028 NZ ADDRESS 69 Valley RD Paraparaumu 5032 New Zealand

Week 12 !!!

Last week before we leave Perth, It is very busy completing our last week of lectures and getting ready to go. We have had missions conference here on base the last week and the teams that went out last quarter are here as well so it has been really cool to hear stories of what they have been up to as some of them have been in the same places in India where we will be going. 

We are learning a few skits/dramas to communicate human trafficking to grow awareness and effective methods in countering to show in different areas and villages that we will be going. We have also organised different presentations around sexual abuse, pornography, human trafficking and prostitution. About how they are all related so we can hold seminars and teach on these topics though the different places that we go.

Thank you so much to all of those who have supported the team in going we have got all the finances that we need a few people have borrowed from parents but we have booked our tickets and are leaving in about a week!  We have a busy week of lectures coming up with a few other training days and getting our gear ready for going out. 

I still haven't worked out what I will be doing after I Finnish DTS but I will be coming home for a bit over Christmas and maybe try and find a bit of work for a few months. I feel like my journey with YWAM isn't quite over yet but not sure what form it will look like. 

It will be quite busy and I'm not sure how accessible the Internet will be while I'm out of Australia so this might be my last update for a while but will try and keep you updated if I can the best place will be the priceless facebook page :  https://www.facebook.com/pricelessdts2014

Prayer Points

Pray for us as we got out, for unity and for effectiveness in what we do.

For direction for me as I look to see what I will do after DTS

For Dave one of my leaders as both of his parents have been quite sick.

Week 9 update

Well it's the beginning of week 9 now less than a month and then we will be leaving for Nepal (28th of sept), the last three weeks lectures have been on Advocacy, Fear of the lord, Relationships. I'm really looking forward to getting more involved in hands on out of the class room type of way. We have had a lot of opportunities in our spare time to get out around here. On Friday I went to the train station with a friend and ended up talking to a girl (15years old )there that was homeless and begging. As we talked she shared her story about how she had a mum who was a drug addict and her dad wasn't on the sence. It saddened me and seamed unbelievable that in such a affluent place this could still be going on. That hundreds of people would walk by but not really take interest in her and her plight. This stirs me up to want to take action to provide a place for vulnerable girls and woman to have a safe place to come and stay a place where they are protected and allowed a chance to live as children but also get skilled up on how to do life. I'm not sure where this will lead me but I believe my next season's will properly be something around this area.

This is the team of us going to Nepal, India and Thailand

This weekend we had a class on how to test eyes for the some most common conditions with eyes. So when we go we can test and give advice and hand out glasses to those whom need some. This was interesting to me having recently acquired classes myself and will be great to pass on this to others less fortunate than me. It will also be a great tool to make people less vulnerable to trafficking as if they can see they are more likely to be able to make a living and support themselves.




I have also been helping out with some
maintenance fixing bits and pieces and

After work duties moving things sand and bricks and digging holes
and trenches for the construction for the new accommodation block

helping with construction of one of the
accommodation block previously just open
warehouse that will be going to house new
students. It is cool to be part of a bigger vision and be able to help out in practical ways.


Prayer points

Thanks for good health

Direction for what to do next year:

(thinking at this stage returning to NZ for 4 months then coming back to Perth to help out in a few areas here setting up a girls home helping with property and with the Priceless ministry (working around the area's of prostitution and trafficking)).

Finance for other students and staff: Here are some fundraisers that I'm involved with if you could pray about supporting

For those of you not able to make it to this one
suggest Idea is that you could sponsor a worker over
here and they can get pampered and we can get some 
finances to our trip. I will be helping by providing
tea and coffee and moral support

I will be running this one I think it will be about 12
km, or if you want to challenge me... make a bet that
 I can/can't do it under a certain time MSG me on
 facebook !!!

For this one I Plan on doing a massive bible study
 looking at mapping out Kings 1 & 2 and all the
 prophets and other details of events and kingdoms
 during this time using inductive bible study To make
 staying up slightly more fulfilling

My Account NO is

M R Jackson
01 0723 0061237 01
(I won't be able to offer tax receipts eligible for tax rebates sorry )


I would Love it if you could Join in with me helping the rest of our team out.

Thanks for the awesome time that I'm having and friends I've been able to make.

That God will Continue to grow me and I would grow in intimacy with him.

Week 5

Week Five update,

I’m going to split this into two, things that I’ve been up to and things that I’ve been learning/processing

 What I’ve been up to:

Week 3 Lectures on Repentance and Forgiveness, We had a good time of confession as a Group on Friday and as people turned and confessed it was a great time of healing and bringing to light some areas of guilt and shame and turning from them. It was quite an emotional time but God really moved and brought about freedom in people’s lives as they fully committed all to him. I have also been able to use a lot of my skill helping out in different areas around base fixing their industrial Fire alarms on two different occasions and plastering and electrical work.

Week 4 Intersession and Worship looking at the importance of prayer and how important how it is to pray and that it is not boring but a two way conversation and sometimes interactive. How Worship is a lifestyle of obedience and sometimes sacrifice not about the individual but giving to God who is worthy. This week I also found out that I’m going to Nepal, India and Thailand for the second half of the 6 months. So I’m really looking forward to this.

Week 5 I am in Busselton about 2 hours south staying at a campsite on the beach. It has been lovely having lectures and getting up for beautiful sunrises and learning about the Person of the Father in the trinity, often most neglected in our church teaching. Looking at identity and how value is found in him alone and what he thinks of us. It was a week that made me extremely thankful of the parents that I have and even extended family and how they have endeavoured to portray God character throughout their lives and have done a good job showing me unconditional love I sure needed it J. I am so thankful for this.

Aunty Roslyn has also been here for the last week lecturing at another school (community development) and it has been awesome to have her around to hang out with. We on Sunday last week went to a wildlife park and had a real Australian experience even kangaroo steaks, eaten before feeding them at the wildlife centre. On Thursday night we went out and Saw Nana (Jacksons) Cousin, Aunty Anne. This was nice; one to get out and drive and two to make connection with relatives.  On Saturday we went into the city and did a bit of shopping and had lunch on the water front. We went up the bell tower it was so nice having a familiar face around.

 Things that I’ve been learning/processing

Week 3 we had lectures on repentance and forgiveness. One of the main points from the teaching that has impacted me is that true repentance consists two parts. First Faith in God and second confession. Making an active choice not to continue in practicing the same sin (wrong behaviour) and turn to God instead and practice his way of thinking. That Pride has two expressions, Superior and inferior. Superior looking at our own ability and self-righteousness and lack of need for God and inferior believing lies about ourselves or value based on things, relationships, performance, and success as our culture portrays it to us. This leads to all sorts of insecurities and causes us to compensate with superior pride and try to elevate ourselves to have a scene of significance and worth. But this will always fall short as we will never be fully at peace within ourselves unless we agree with God on how he views us and we believe that ourselves. For me Superior pride has been a major battle especially with my theological training; judging others, valuing others based on cultural values rather than how God values them. It has been humbling removing some of the masks I have had up and not even been aware of allowing other people to have an opinion that is different than mine and not have to prove to them why they are wrong. But to take what they are saying and ask myself ‘is there any truth in what they are saying that I can challenge some of the lies that I might believe’. Being slow to speak and quick to listen and learning how to serve with pure motives instead of trying to gain influence and or power of some description.   

I have also been meditating on how much Pride has influence the church in the west. How we value being of right doctrine so much that we will cause so much division. That our opinions are so much more important than the people we communicate with. Now I still understand the importance of sound doctrine and not falling on hearsay but how often do we stake a position of assumption that we are right and not let character trump our unity and both parties humbly approach disagreement with the presupposition that perhaps I might be more wrong than the other party and seek out our own faults before letting other know of theirs.  For me this extents into the rest of my life as well. Realising that my world view is far from the biblical ideal and continually seeking revelation and understanding.

Prayer Points:

Finances for other people on my Course that have still not raised enough to go on the second half of the trip.

That God will contiune to teach me and grow me: In particular for my attitude of Pride (that God will continue to produce humility in my life)

Applications as we apply for visas for the second half of our course and good cheap tickets

For My family back home as Mum and Dad and Emily and Joel are moving towns

The View from the bridge that I cross on my Daily Morning Run the Swan River

The Sun Rise in Busselton at the Camp we were staying at

The View from the end of the Busselton wharf 1.8 Km long

 

Aunty Roslyn up the bell Tower looking out towards the swan river 

 

  Panorama of Perth city from the bell tower including the new redevelopments that are taking place