March Update

Discipleship Training School:

Isi and I are currently serving as staff members on a Discipleship Training School (DTS) here in Brisbane. The school began on March 1st and it’s hard to believe that we are finishing up our fourth week already. Time has flown by! We have 8 students: 2 from the US, 2 from Australia, 2 from Papua New Guinea, and 2 from Fiji. There is an even mix of girls and guys, although 2 of the guys are quite a bit older (30 and 40) than the other students (18-22). All the staff members are pleasantly surprised by the great group dynamic of this team and the unity that they already have. It’s such a blessing.

Isi has 2 guys that he spends one-on-one time with. I have one ‘official’ one-on-one girl designated to me, but I find time to chat with all the girls during the week to see how they are doing. Actually our little house is quite the hang-out for staff and students which has been great. This would be partially due to the fact that we have an air conditioner, and the other two attractions would be Silina and that we always have snacks for company :) We are all enjoying connecting with the students and pouring into their lives. It’s not always easy (we are being pushed and stretched in our roles as mentors already) but it is so wonderful to see God moving in the students.

A Day in our Lives:

This is what a normal day looks like for us:
- Silina wakes us up usually at 6 am on the dot. She plays for a bit and then we start getting ready for the day.
- One of us (Isi on Mon/Wed/Fri and me on Tues/Thurs) attends the staff prayer meeting at 7 am in the classroom. The other one gets Silina ready for the day.
- 7:45 the students come into the classroom for devotions and have their quiet time and have group intercession until 9:00.
- At 9:00 lectures start and go until 12:30 with a break for morning tea. Each week we have a different guest speaker. So far the topics have been “The Father Heart of God,” “The Nature and Character of God” and “Biblical World View” (as well as orientation to DTS).
Isi and I take turns with Silina during lectures. We have a space at the back for her to lie down and do normal baby stuff (changing, feeding, etc). She usually takes a good nap in the morning, which allows both of us to briefly sit in on classes together without distraction.
- 1:30 – 2:30 pm is either small groups or one-on-one depending on the day.
- Isi has other duties after that but Silina and I usually spend the rest of the day together in the house. Isi is in charge of the base van and does a lot of driving for base necessities. He also helps lead worship for base worship on Monday mornings and Tuesday night community meetings.
- We have also scheduled some ‘family time’ for the 3 of us to ensure that we get to spend time together in addition to our weekends.

Silina:

Silina is adjusting well to life here. Thank you so much for your prayers! She turned 4 months this week and we are noticing some great changes. She is much more relaxed around large groups of people and settling into a good routine. This week was a bit of a challenge for me since Isi was sick and couldn’t spend time with her. Now Silina is battling a bit of a cold as well but we are praying for speedy healing for her.

Thanks:

Thanks so much for taking the time to read what’s going on in our lives. None of this would be possible without your prayers and support so thank-you again for that! We are so blessed to be able to be here serving in an area that we feel called to. May God continue to bless you and your family! Please send us an email to tell us how you are doing also :)

Blessings,
Tessa, Isi and Silina-Kae