Firsts and lasts

Over the past week we have run our first two encounter days (which is NET terminology for retreat days). The first was a group of grade 9's and it was on sexuality, the second was a group of grade 7's and it was on leadership. They were both very different and posed many different challenges. They both however have one thing in common; they went by very, very, quickly. It took us 6 weeks to become equipped for something that lasted 5 hours... Obviously training was a lot more than just learning about how to run encounter days, so don't think I'm putting down training, even for a second because it was quite possibly the most incredible time of my life. But it was just like wow; this is what we came here to do, especially as the National team as we will be running Encounter days nearly every day. The days were both exceptionally long we had to wake up at 5.15am and then 4am the next day, I'm beginning to think maybe this year won't be so easy, but the Encounter days were so worth it, anything is worth it for Christ's sake.

Today was our Commissioning Mass, so it is official I AM A NETTER! It also marked our last contact with the other teams. We are not supposed to remain in contact with anyone from other NET teams, they do have legitimate reasons for this but it doesn't make accepting the rule any easier. Saying goodbye was tough! For the people I'd already known well before coming to NET but also the people I've met while here, if any of my readership ever done NET or plan on doing so then you might understand otherwise it is impossible to explain just how close you can grow to people and how deep of a relationship you can form in 6 weeks. Tomorrow all the based teams will head off to their local areas, as for us we have a month in Brisbane so we shall be staying put and just changing host homes.

I am doing well, learning lots and eating more junk food than I ever have before. On a serious note I ask please for your prayers next week we dive head first into our ministry running 5 encounter days, without the assistance on NET staff, we are on our own. Please pray for our team and also for the youth we will meet.

AMDG