The Days for NZ are nearing!

My Cousin, Becca Gray, is going to Valporaiso and got to visit me and my parents at Plymouth Wesleyans Christmas program last night. It was so good to see her and to catch up. She has an awesome heart for missions and was actually able to talk to a visitor from Romania in Romanian for a little bit. Awesome!


This is my shoutout to the awesome Spring Break group that i got to meet up with at Indiana Wesleyan while i visited. We went to Arkansas and rock climbed, quoted brian reagan, and laughed for a solid week straight. Good times

I was an Resident's Assistant in Hodson Hall at IWU. THis was the staff this year that i got to spend time with while i visited the school. I love these guys

Before leaving San Diego, i was also able to visit El Cajon Wesleyan, my home church where i grew up for 13 years. This is Chad, heather, and Dave who were all friends from the youth group.

This is my shout out to the indoor soccer team i got to be a part of while i was out in Cali. You guys were awesome and i will say hi to All Blacks for you!

Dan Eggenschwiler's blog

This is one of Dan's pictures from where he is staying
He was a photography major so he will have good pictures compared to my point and shoot if you are wanting some good background pics for your computer!

www.daneggenscwhiler.blogspot.com

My traveling partner Dan has already been through Fiji and just arrived in New Zealand. He has pictures and his thoughts up on his blog if you get the chance and want to follow the two of us together. I head out December 28... less than 2 weeks away!

Driving Across Country and BIG news!

I am currently in Rapid City, South Dakota right now. I watched the San Diego sunset, said goobye to the house, family, and friends and hit the road Wednesday at 7:00PM, drove through the night with a 45 mintue power nap, and arrived in Rapid City about 7PM.

This is the Lickness Family that adopted me as their kid the last 3 months. Thank you guys so much!

I am spending time with Jennifer and Brandon in Rapid City Friday and driving the rest of the way to Indiana Friday night and Saturday morning to see friends at IWU and end up at home for the holidays.

BIG NEWS: check out jen and brandon's blog: www.brandonjenniferbruce.com. News line reads that brent is going to be an uncle... ok more importantly the headline reads Jen & Brandon are GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!

I had a great time thinking and praying in the car about New Zealand. I will post some thoughts below on another post.

Lord, there is always more to do.

I like to consider myself an optimist but this seems to be one topic that I always end up on the wrong side of. I get excited about all the things I could be, but often get more frustrated then excited about how much there is still left to do in a day when it comes to relationships, work, money, and accomplishments I desire to achieve. In all reality, whether I am really busy or not, I seem to get about the same amount of tasking things done in the day. It is just the quality may suffer when I am busy and I may not get as many little things I would like to get done, done. So the problem may not even necessarily be that I am too busy to get things done because I always seem to come back to getting done what absolutely needs to be done. Yet I constantly find myself crying out in the back of my mind, “Please just let me have a blank slate! …Let me not have to answer to anyone and I will be fine. Then I can do what I want when I want to and everything that I do will be considered thoughtful and meaningful because it was something I didn’t have to do... (cont.)

So what would your answer be to this? priorities and focus were the answers the journal basically ended up coming to, but i am still figuring this one out so your wisdom is appreciated!

Weekend with Dan

Dan Came in this weekend to San Diego! I just sent him off in the LA airport to Fiji where he will spend four days and continue to New Zealand 3 weeks before me. We got to spend some time in prayer and talking about the trip. I had a get together Saturday night and said bye to some friends. Then headed up to LA and played and prepared before sending dan off.
Time is flying. I am driving up to Indiana tomorrow(Wednesday) I am planning on stopping in South Dakota for a day to visit Jen and Brandon on my way out.



Then i will stop by Indiana Wesleyan University to visit some friends before school gets out. This is the year where the majority of my friends are still there and not going off different ways after they graduate yet so i am excited to see them.

The time with Dan was very encouraging. We are both nervously excited about what is to come. Shoregrace is excited about us getting involved at their church and it looks like a great fit. The more Dan and i talk about God, lives, and our future, i can tell that this will be a very fruitful time and yet i can tell this will be a big time of growing up and learning to.

I will have pictures being posted soon. I will get my camera when i get back to Indiana.

Posting Again! Little More Info. How to GIve.

From here on out i will start posting regularly if you want to follow my trip. So what am i actually doing and what is the need? For those of you who didn't get to read my letter everything leading up to this trip is covered in the post below. As for the need now here is what is happening. I have been in close contact with two churches that i will possibly be serving at in or near Aucklund. One is cession|community (www.cession.org.nz). THis is a younger more emergent church that is growing and is seeing how me and Dan's gifts will fit into their mission. Shoregrace is a 3 year church plant that just lost a few families and outside of volunteer help is being run (from what i know) solely by the senior pastor(http://www.shoregrace.org). Dan and i will have a chance to possibly help lead worship, help with background/group work, and possibly friendship evangelism with a lot of younger potential in the area with tourists, universities, etc. We will be figuring out details in the next few weeks leading up to and when we get over there.
I would love for you to help support me and everything that is contributed to this trip will be used by every means necessary only for ministry opportunities such as housing over there and ways to reach those hearts in New Zealand. More, WAY more than money, i need your prayers for growth, protection, and guidance as God is really shaping where i will serve in the future through this trip. But just to be clear if you would like to support me:

Please Send Money To:
Brent Dongell
Plymouth Wesleyan Church
11203 South Michigan
Plymouth, IN 46563

Details with the New Zealand Trip

This is basically the prayer letter i sent to my close friends and family. i will leave it up as the top post for a week or so then i will go back to the regular postings of my pictures, updates, and thoughts. If you have the time, please read through this. I so desire to stay close to all of you around me that i consider friends and family so please email me or keep in contact!


QUICK FACTS:
LOCATION: living in/near Aucklund
TIME PERIOD: Dec 28 '06-June 18 '07 (possibly extended through November)
ORGANIZATION: Going as traveler, but working with the Wesleyan church
GROUP: Traveling with Dan Eggenschwiler (friend from college)
PURPOSE FOR GOING: Mainly to see why God has called me there... for present ministry, for future work, or both? Secondly to live in another culture, travel, enjoy the island(surf, hike,etc.), and to explore how i can best proclaim truth and Christ to others.
PURPOSE FOR THIS POST: So that you can keep up with me. Keeping in contact with you throughout life is most important to me.
FINANCIAL NEED: Feel no obligation to give but i still need a little under $2,000 to ensure first month expenses of getting settled.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Send to: Brent Dongell in care of Plymouth Wesleyan Church 11203 South Michigan, Plymouth, IN 46563
CONTACT INFO Email: obrent@mac.com

This is my traveling friend Dan Eggenscwhiler and his friend julie collins

THE CALL
So here it is. The moment of truth as I head off to Aucklund, New Zealand in less than two months. It has been a long journey coming, but in early July I stepped out and told another potential job opportunity and blessing that once again it wasn’t my time. God had placed a yearning in my heart for the country of New Zealand and I knew it was time to step out and follow his leading. It did not sound like the ideal plan to success after graduating. I have chances for solid job opportunities, to get ahead financially, to invest in the current relationships in my life, and to continue on to graduate school. There have been multiple times that I have literally gone to my knees and cried out to God “Are you sure?!?” Sure New Zealand sounds great, but now? I am still figuring out how to best minister and proclaim truth to the world in my own life!…. God are you sure?!?

…Yet God has continually confirmed that this is what I am supposed to do. Countless encounters, timely conversations, and encouragement from God through the body of Christ have brought me to this place of peace about going. All of the worry, anxiety, and questioning seemed to stop one morning during my quiet time: I was staring off deep in thought when my body stiffened and my head turned as I distinctly heard in my head the words, “Do you trust me?” There was no one else in the house, and there was no questioning this sacred moment that the Lord chose to speak directly to my thoughts and reaffirm my ever so willing, yet feeble attempts at faith. Is God sending me to New Zealand to shape me in this time? Am I supposed to be there in the future? Big questions that I am continuing to trust God with as I go!

SHARING IN THE MINISTRY
Dan and I will be living in Auckland, NZ which is on the North Island. We have been closely communicating with the Wesleyan/Methodist church plants down there. God is moving in exciting ways, but the Wesleyan churches are relatively young. We will be working with Annie Wright, a Gospel Partners Missionary who is helping us get settled and placed into the right church. We have also been taling to Jeff Fussner and Richard Waugh who oversea the churches in this area of the world. There are multiple opportunities as to where we could serve. Sharing Christ, helping form ministries, leading worship, and supporting the church pastors as needed during these beginning stages will be our main focus.

PRAYER FOR:
the Hearts of those in New Zealand
that God will continue to move
encouragement to the Body overseas
Dan and I’s brotherhood on this trip
Guidance as to where my future ministry lies
Community as I leave everything familiar

FINANCIALLY
The Point of this is not to ask for money. I would much rather your support, love, and prayers on this journey and step of faith. The point of this letter is to inform those who are dear to me what the next leg in my journey withholds. I will be working part time to pay for my expenses while overseas. Despite this, some of you have still expressed interest in supporting me in this time. I would be humbled and honored if you chose to support me in this time of vulnerability but please once again, and I sincerely mean this, feel no obligation. You can send money to the address below: For this to be tax deductable please make out checks in order to Plymouth Wesleyan Church For: Brent Dongell

Plymouth Wesleyan:

Send To:
Brent Dongell
Plymouth Wesleyan Church
11203 South Michigan
Plymouth, IN 46563

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NZ
POPULATION Around: 4,158,657
NEW ZEALAND Is made up of two Islands SouthEast of Australia
LORD OF THE RINGS was filmed in over 150 locations all over New Zealand
A KIWI is a local from New Zealand
RELIGION: over half of the New Zealand population is considered Christian in a 2001 poll, although 4 out of 10 did not specify a religious affiliation
THE CHRISTIAN POPULATION from the 2001 poll was made up of mainly Anglican, the Catholic, then Presbyterian.
SUICIDE RATE among teens is extremely high if not one of the highest.
LANGUAGE: English is by far the dominant language but Maori is the native language of New Zealand

Thanks again for your time and for how each of you have helped shape me into who i am thus far in my life. God bless.

Open Invitation!

If any of you were looking for an excuse to go to New Zealand i will be there!
My good friend trace is already talking about the possibility!

The New Zealand seasons are below
Summer: December-February
Autumn: March-May
Winter: June-August
Spring: Sept-November

When things just go wrong

I decided to tryout the day after thanksgiving christmas shopping this year. I really need a digital camera so i decided to go to best buy at 4am to wait in line for an hour before it opened at 5. on my way there at 3:40 i ran out of gas for the first time in my life looking for a gas station on the way. I showed up a half an hour and 400 people late! It was crazy but i got the camera as you can see below. I then proceeded to work off way too little sleep, with my new toy. I took some pictures(as seen below), but leave it up to me... towards the end of the day it slipped out of my hand about 3 feet of the ground. A little plastic piece that held the battery in place fell off.(right now tape is holding it in place). I have a warranty but to ship it in would take awhile and i leave cali soon and want it for friends and then leave for New zealand and want it then to. Oh those icky days.

The beauty of it which i think us Americans as a whole often forget is that our problems are so minute. So often we never truly give thanks for what we have received and move on to something else we "need" or want. It is so easy for me to move past the fact that i have an amazing labtop, an amazing camera, and the fact that i am getting ready to go on an amazing trip and to think that my computer is too slow, that my new camera is a nuissance and ghetto, and that there are still way too many details about new zealand to figure out to really make me feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Sound familiar to you at all?!?

i love the passage below. God has blessed us SO much. I try so hard to focus on what is unseen instead of these small physical problems. These stresses are so temporary and small compared to how God has taken care of us!

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Got a New Digital Camera and Last Day at Ralphs

This is my ralphs hero pose. Oh yeah... it's going on the Ralphs calendar next month!

This is sunshine. She is one of the daughters from the family from Canyon Hills community church that i am staying with in Del Mar who is off at college, but was back for thanksgiving

This is gus. He is one of the greatest things at Ralphs in Del Mar. He was a courtesy clerk(bagger) just like me, but he was also a celebrity. Everyone knew Gus. All the kids looked for him when they came in and he always made people laugh. It's amazing how much you can learn by being around people and letting them ruboff on you. This is a constant reminder to choose wisely your close group of friends.

This is Helen. She was one of my favorite cashiers because she was always so positive. It is amazing how gravitating a consistently positive person can be!

New Things i learned this year

3 Ways to turn a shopping cart while feet are up and riding on the back of it(courtesy of pushing carts at Ralphs):
1. Grab front corner with right hand, press down with right foot and balance tension of lean with keeping four wheels on ground.
2. While in classic riding position (both feet and hands on cart in crouched position), take foot and brake on the wheel in the direction you want to turn.
3. Go with with classic scooter technique by putting one foot down and pushing

When going through checkout line with groceries:
try to put heavy stuff first so easier to pack in cart

I am working on my breakdancing skills!
I can do a 35 second handstand
I can hold myself up from the ground balanced on one hand
i can almost put up from laying down on ground position

Two missed shoutouts in the picture timeline

I was a counselor and taught Bible at the Shadow Mountain Summer Kid's Day Camp (June- Aug)




and i got to spend a lot of good time with my friend Trace

Leaving San Diego

Below is a quick update of my life over the past 6 months
I drive back to Indiana December 7
I will drop off my car and possessions in Indiana, visit friends at IWU, and spend the holidays with my family before I leave

Dan Eggenschwiler will travel with me to New Zealand

Dan Eggenschwiler Flies out December 4
My traveling partner will leave a month earlier to get things settled, enjoy the NZ summer, and save on Christmas traveling expenses

Worked at Ralphs and took APU Graduate Classes

I Worked at Ralphs and Took Graduate Classes (Sept-Nov)
To pay for living expenses I have worked at Ralphs the past 2 months
I am also taking two Graduate classes at Azusa Pacific University, SD

Kelly got married

My Beautiful Sister Kelly Got Married on July 16 and became Kelly Benware
The Family came out to San Diego as Kelly married Brenton Benware

Worked at Canyon Hills with Jr. High

Accepted the Summer Job at Canyon Hills Community Church in San Diego
I led the Jr. High Youth Group and helped form the 20’s small group



This is me and three others from the 20's group that meets every Sunday. We traveled to Julian for a night.

I Graduated from IWU

I graduated with a Christian Ministries Major

New Zealand is Coming Soon!

I am leaving in 2 1/2 weeks from San Diego to drive home and prepare to leave for New Zealand on December 28th. There are still a lot of preparations to take care of before leaving and before arriving. Leaving student loans, loved ones, future jobs, and plenty of other important things in my life behind and discussing with those overseas all the logistics of housing, ministry, job opportunities, etc. In the next few days i will have a pretty extensive run down of this trip up on my blog and leave it up for one or two weeks so people can see what i am doing. After that, i hope you will continue to follow me through my journey as i start putting pictures on the sight and talk out my life and thoughts as i go. Today is my last day with the church family that i have become a part of and served with over the last 6 months. It is hard to leave those you love, knowing that exciting things are ahead for them. They have been so loving and appreciative that there encouragement has continued to bless me as i head out and work through the "icky" stuff of leaving. Thanks Canyon Hills.

Yosemite

I posted that i had went to Yosemite a weekend ago. here are a few pictures from the trip. It was me, Amy, Chuck, and Breanne. We had a great time. A few of those pictures are on top of half dome which was so beautiful from the top! I love defying heights, but I did get a little queezy when i got close to the edge! Sometimes it is just amazing to live in God's creation and to remind yourself that there is more out there than the schedule we are living. We know this, but we still often forget!

blessing vs. earned

"A man can receive only what is given him from heaven" This is John the Baptist's reaction to Jesus drawing John's followers to Himself. I love it!!! He gets it.

I wonder what would happen if we started to look at what we owned as a blessing from God When something is a blessing from God, when treated rightly, we see it as God's not our own. There have been a few times in my life where i was given or won something for free. I won a mini ipod. Clothes and other things have just been given to me. It is still hard, but it is somewhat easier to be willing to give these things back becasue i don't feel that i have earned them. I wonder if this is how we should be with everything we own. So often we hold on to what is "ours" and think that it is for us. It very well might be, but i wonder how many opportunities i miss to give because i don't truly consider my possessions as a blessing from God, but as "MINE!" This is way more formulated in my head than with these words but i hope you see what i am talking about

So WEIRD

I had to go to Point Loma University's Library to get some sources for a paper i am writing for one of the APU grad classes i am taking. This was the first time i had stepped back into the college lifestyle. This was more weird than going back to my high school alumni's football game a month ago. I am literally jittery and overwhelmed and can't concentrate. College student's just seem smaller to me right now. I see young students that remind me of IWU graduates so i feel like i know exactly what they are going to turn out like. I feel like i am in a completely different world looking in now. I never realized how much i love the college life but it is so weird to be here right now... i am literrally at a loss of words and overwhelmed. I don't know how to explain it but i am kind of giddy. I don't know what to do. I am going to copy off some books and then go sit in their student center for a little while and just watch people. Weird. I felt like i was still at the same level as college students and could jump back into that world no problem until i just came here and feel like an outsider looking in. Weird.

more pictures from labtop.

This is professor steve mann in one class

this is april and cory from my apu classes that i hangout a lot with and shoot the breeze as we talk about God



This is april and katie after the 20's small group that i am helping get going on Sunday nights. This group has been an amazing place of ministry in its three weeks so far. I also still volunteer with the jr. high ministry and lead a small group that is amazing! This week will be a big spending week. Last minute flight details for New Zealand will be set. I will be getting my digi camera fixed and i will be camping in Yosemite for a couple of nights this weekend. Fun busy times!

Ode to Daydreamers

Do you ever have those times where you are reinacting something in your head and actually physically reacting to your daydream completely oblivious to your surroundings and the people around you. i remember one time in college where i walked by and having a really awkward "hi" with a friend. As i continued to class i was reinacting how i could've nodded or said something funny or responded to that friend. I didn't realize what i was doing until a friend coming up to me from an adjoing sidewalk woke me up by saying, "Brent... what are you doing?!?" Well actually... i was making a really stupid hello face to my invisible friend... Yeah, try and explain that one to my friend! Well just yesterday as i was walking to Ralphs i was excited about seeing some friends that night after work. As i was thinking about the night i let out a"yeeaaaahhh!!!" and started to laugh as i was thinking about the future night. The family getting into there car 20 feet in front of me all turned and looked at me with a puzzled face. ummmm... yeah... awkward ...wasn't talking to you. I said a little hi and was oUT! haha. Great moments.

Some Things i have thought lately:
How awesome is it that TODAY i have a new chance to truly live out who i want to be.

I watched some Jews walked by and thought, "how sad is it that they are going to hell." This thought disturbed me since i have no clue what there core beliefs are.
So i went to Shabbat(Jewish Sabbath)
Just talked to a rabbi the other day. It is interesting that in the same way we think the had it right until they missed Jesus, the Muslims think that we missed Muhammed the next prophet to reveal truth to us. THe Jewish culture intrigues me. I am thinking about starting to read through the Old Testament with no presuppositions of Jesus and to see how it would tell me to live to kind of see how Jews and people before the NT would see how to live. THen i want to read the New Testament and truly try and see what Jesus brings to the table. I know there will be a lot of historical/cultural background and traditions that i will miss, but i think it will be fruitful. I have always approached the Bible with Jesus(which is not bad, it is probably correct theologically), but i am excited to see what Jesus Brings to the table when you read through the Old Testament and see the state the world is in before the New Testament instead of just assuming that Jesus was completely obvious to everyone before the New Testament. It will be interesting to approach the bible with the idea that this is what God has revealed for me to know starting with the OT and going from there. THe journey will be sweet. I am starting in Genesis again.

Life in San Diego

Life has been crazy but good in the last little while. My digital camera is getting repaired so the only pictures i have were taken from my labtop. The first one is of my friend Cory who has become a good friend over the last month or so through the 2 grad classes i am taking at the branch of Azusa Pacific down here in San Diego. The other picture was taken at the break of one of my classes. The girl in the back, April, is the other good friend i hae made from my classes.



My life has changed since the summer time. I am planning on going to New Zealand in the next few months with Dan Eggenschwiler. Until that time i will stay out in San Diego for this semester and finish my two graduate classes until December. I am currently working at Ralphs grocery store bagging groceries and pushing carts and helping out with the jr. high youth program at Canyon Hills Community Church. The new Jr. high youth pastor just came in a week and a half ago and i am just volunteering for a month or so to help the transition go well at the church. I am also helping start up a young adult group while i am still at the church. My schedule is packed but not. You know how that goes. I have work at Ralphs everyday but Tuesday and Sunday. I have class Monday fro 6-10:45 & Tues 6-9:30 and Youth group Wednesday night. I play indoor soccer some Friday nights and on Sundays i am helping lead the Singles group. While pushing carts at Ralphs i spend most of those 2 hours a day repeating and memorizing Philippians in my head. It is good stuff. God has given me some amazing conversations with fellow workers, friends, and random people i meet. God is using this time to prepare me for New Zealand and the future and although there are still times of ambiguity and questioning and feeling like there is not enough time in the day, the Lord continually seems to send me reminders to sustain and strengthen me. There is way more to be said about my life and i am hoping to get back into the habit of blogging. Especially as i head off to NZ soon. That is my life, this is my story...
Quick side note: I have loved dancing by myself in my free time. I always have... but there is such a beauty in it.