Some Fun News...

I feel like I've told everyone in the world, but I realised, hey there's stacks of ppl who check up on me on this blog that I might not have any contact with otherwise....
Well anyway, my awesome news is:
I'm having a baby!

It's truly awesome, not just because baby's are cute and its nice to have them around, what is most awesome is that Pete and I have been hoping and praying hard for this over three long years. So many times I gave up hope that God would grant us this miracle without some medical intervention.... But it seems that God's power is enough in our case! (who'd have thought! LOL).
Besides the excitement we feel about such a huge blessing, we are sure it is God's timing - right now it seems the baby is due on the day of our commissioning! (NO ONE would plan that!). Cue: jokes about birth on stage etc... ;o)

Well thats our news, we are both stoked at the journey ahead of us and look forward to introducing another Brookshaw into the world!

How much does your coffee cost?

Saturday night Darwin Corps held a showing of the movie "Black Gold". This movie highlights the plight of coffee growers in Ethiopia and the injustice of the current trading system with the Western world. Did you know that currently Ethiopian coffee farmers only get 3 cents from a cup of coffee that costs you $3? Considering this nation is one of the poorest in the world and receiving millions of dollars in aid, it is a shock to think that they are being ripped off to this degree!

I challenge you to educate yourself about issues facing third-world farmers today and how you can influence change.... start by educating yourself, then buy coffee and chocolate marked "fairtrade" wherever possible. It could mean life or death for them!



I choose life, it might cost me more and require more effort, but it is right and just to do so!

HEY WE'RE IN DARWIN!!!! ;o)

Well we're here!!!! It took two flights with a short stopover in Alice Springs, but we've made it to Darwin (shorts'n'all!). We had two days to 'settle in', but as you might guess, we couldn't handle two days wasted! We've had a tour of the city, seen Darwin Corps' facilities, met most of the CO's and officer staff of the region and even spent a little time hanging out at the shops talking to locals.

So far we've had a 'cool' start to Darwinian weather, around 29-30 degrees with about 75-90% humidity (*pant!*). We're thankful for fans and Air Conditioning! I think I'm beginning to acclimatize (?), because I've reached the point where I'm turning off the A/C!!! Our unit is a one-room set-up with an additional bathroom on the side, it has everything we need and most of the stuff is new (its like Christmas!). Our unit is located under Captains David & Jennie Shrimpton's house (Flying Padre's), they're great! Check out our pics....

So far there's been 2 cockroach 'freak-outs', I think it'll take a bit of getting used to!! Other wildlife we've experienced so far are tiny lizards around the place, heaps of different ant species, on a walk through Mangroves we saw Crabs and mudskippers, down at the wharf we saw huge barra, moon fish and swimmer crabs (nice place for dinner when its not raining!). Otherwise I'm loving the lush greenness of Darwin, there are HEAPS of palm trees and lots of beautiful lawns everywhere, not many flowers though - its very tropical! (A bit like Singapore).

Anyway, we spent our first day in our Social Placement yesterday, the Sunrise centre includes Homeless Accommodation and a Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Program. Our Supervisor is Major Geneen Wright (Manager); we'll also be working with new Captains, Julie and Greg Howard (Asst. Manager and Chaplain), we feel very welcomed into the team. Something funny to know, there are now four Joanne's at Sunrise! (Reception, Social Worker, cleaner & me!) It seems they're really into 'multiples' - currently having a few Gregs and in the past having several Steves!

Tonight we're off to mud-racing with Darwin Youth Group, then tomorrow is church at Darwin Corps, we're itching to get into some ministry to see what God might do through us!

Back in Melbourne for Lisa's wedding soon - we'll keep you updated! Bless ya!

Mission & Ministry Out-placement

OK, so its out! Announced since Sunday, Pete and I (from 20th Feb-2nd June), will be moving to......

We will spend one month in a social placement and two months at a Corps/Church.

Here's a look at Darwin Corps...

Nice hey! We're so pumped to get up there and throw ourselves into the community! Its been a long time coming, but we're SOOOOO looking forward to getting on the offensive, right out there on the frontlines of battle!!!! YEAH! God use us and use us good!

Stoke it up.... Keep it white-hot!

TSAASTTCGFC - Grand Final Challenge, an update

Well things are progressing well, then bam!... its the final day of the challenge!
I won't provide a comprehensive list, but here are a couple more things we got up to:

• Pete blogged recently about evangelising a prank caller, next time one calls, try it! (Or maybe you could get a telemarketer saved!)
• We've had the privilege of collecting heaps over this past week, 4 attempts with 614 (Melb Central and Southern Cross Stations), we didn't get confirmed amounts, but each day my tin was packed to the limit with notes and lotsa gold, I pray that money will see people saved through 614!
• In a recent outreach night, Steve put Pete and I on the line when a gangsta-kinda guy came to 'preach' at us about the Salvos, we had 2 minutes each to share the gospel (which he agreed to listen to... yeah!), we didn't see any radical salvation that night, but on my parting handshake, I slipped the guy a little gospel of Mark - he thought that was hilarious and kept it - heres praying the gospel will stay with him till Jesus gets his heart!
• Collected $696 for Carlton Corps at Lygon Court shopping centre (nice), as I was collecting a uni student set up a henna tattooing table (henna - temporary painted tattoo). After my shift I asked her to paint me a cross and the words "Jesus Saves", to my disappointment, she said she'd especially love to write those words on my arm... turns out she's a believer! praise the Lord! Now I have a ready-made evangelistic opener, lets see some people saved this week!
• Prayer-walked the Collingwood area with Xander and Pete, along the way we met a guy from a past outreach in the park. Made a meaningful contact there, also prayed for rain.... since then we've received a healthy drenching!!! ;o)
• Freedom Friday last week we saw 4 College-mates meeting in the 707 prayer room. A time of focussed prayer and great mutual encouragement to continue the fight for freedom!
• Last night had an awesome night out with some mates of ours, I'm believing for the next Gowans and Lllarson!!! Candidates papers are getting sent their way today! whoo!

Well thats some of the cool stuff we've been up to for the kingdom! By the way, I'm loving the challenge and the way it has given me an opportunity to push forward in the fight! Maybe this should be a year-round focus to get us active in prayer, proclamation, evangelism and building character! I don't really care about whatever prize the challenge-winner gets, I care more that I've been challenged to reach my world for Jesus and in doing that, the prizes are fully eternal for myself and the people I've had the awesome opportunity to reach out to!

If you're interested in doing the challenge with your young people over the summer break - which I highly encourage! (its heaps better than sleeping in and playing the PS3/Xbox!), you can find the official list at the armybarmy blog in the 16th Dec post (thanks Steve!).

TSAASTTCGFC (Grand Final Challenge)

I think a few people already know about the Grand Final Challenge presented for this final 3 weeks of college. Basically we're challenged to form teams of 3 and choose tasks to complete out of a range of different options, there's evangelism, personal growth and other variations of Christian mission, ministry & formation (even the kooky stuff! hehe). I'm proud to say my team is made up of Pete, Xander Coleman and myself. We're pumped for the challenge to reach more people for Jesus and dive deeper in our personal commitment to the Lord!

Thus far our challenge tasks have included:

• Ridiculously early prayer (2-5am) - God used that time for empowering, edification and some serious intercession!
• Fasting (we chose to go a 'Freedom Friday' this week)

Since this is only the beginning, we're just getting warmed up, but we're praying to see some serious spiritual fruit out of this exercise. Praise the Lord for the challenge, it's certainly stirred things up!

Lieutenancy Change

The other day at Officers' Councils (Connections 07 event), it was announced that the following (thanks Stephen & Aaron - ArmyBarmy) is official....

"We've read at IHQ site that non-commissioned lieutenancy is ending. Apparently, in March 08, the current system will end and newly commissioned officers will receive the rank of lieutenant."
"The rank of Lieutenant is being reintroduced as a commissioned officer's rank as of March 1, 2008. All cadets coming out of training will be given this rank, and will hold it for at least 5 years (barring promotion by the General, or promotion ot Glory).They will be re-examining the current rank of Lieut. for non-commissioned officers."

The full announcement can be found at the rubicon.

Despite the obvious discussion about whether it is a bad/good decision... It was shared that a rank for the soon-to-be-nameless-'Lieutenants' hasn't been decided on yet... Got any suggestions???

I like 'Adjutant' - hard to say, not sure what it was used for, but it's different, so I like it ;o)

Let the weak say "I am Strong!"

Thanks to Pakenham Corps I had the opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Summit over the last weekend. I heard some awesome leadership insights, but I must say its pretty weird sitting in a room full of people clapping for a speaker who is on DVD! (and even funnier when the speaker asks a question and people answer! hehe!).

Aside from having a great time, I learnt some valuable lessons about how to grow as a leader. One of the most dynamic speakers we heard from was Marcus Buckingham (who works with the Gallup Poll people). He spoke about the common misconception people have - that to improve (as people and as leaders), we should work on fixing our areas of weakness.

Marcus' view was that many societies have taken this on, to the point that our children are recieving the message that the things they aren't good at are more important than the things they do really well (their strengths). What kind of people are we setting them up to be? Adults that are guilt-ridden by the fact that they aren't good enough...

How confident can a leader be in their abilities when they are living out of this paradigm???

Instead, Marcus said to build on your strengths and manage around your weaknesses. Just as we would expect Tiger Woods to work on his golf swing, instead of practicing scales on piano.

This also applies to working as a team...

Instead of trying to make every member of a team seperately well-rounded, we should realise that a team is most well-rounded when the members aren't. What this means, is that when each member is working from their strengths, the team is stronger.

Now I think that this is pretty important to us who are working with the body of Christ, in ministry teams... Lets seek to engage people in their areas of strength, use what they do well to serve the Lord! Don't try to do everything well, but work on building a team who are strong in areas where you are weak (don't forget the importance of acknowledgement, thanks and encouragement).

Personally, we each need to find our areas of strength and then get 'buff' for Jesus!

On a completely unrelated note, check out this cool photo I took at the summit...

I call it "Field of Chairs"

I officially hate Reviews!

Can't write anything about how I actually feel.
But I came awfully close to throwing myself out a window... is that too much?
College is hard.
ERGH!


P.S. I now have the self-esteem of an ant who's just been squished.

Dear Lord, please do something with me, with college, with the Army - because you know nothing will change without you. Let it be.

How good is God!

I have way too much to write in this blog!!!! God has really blessed the socks off me! Last week was some AWESOME ministry with the kids and people out at Rochy, I was in my element and God was doing a good thing through the mission team! We had a great time.

The news today is mind-blowing (a new TP in Dec 2007), what is God up to???

Whatever it is, the Lord is getting things moving and I hope this momentum keeps up. I've had a read of the TC's dream/vision document (check it out here) and it was like fuel on the fire, I just want to get at missioning, visioning, leading and being with the people.

Our ATP Gregory Morgan has a great excerpt in JAC (from his thesis) about re-focussing educational strategy. I've pasted in a couple of my favourite quotes:

"We believe that the best educational theory confirms the fact that people learn best when learning matches the life experience of the learner. The idea that students are blank slates that come to be filled with knowledge is bad theology and even worse educational philosophy. Therefore we try to bring the experience and the learning moment together. (Frost and Hirsch 2003: 221)"

>> No one is a blank slate, everyone has experience, info and opinions to share. When it comes to cadets I think we should find ways to share our gifts and expertise to teach each other, a shared - not imposed - learning experience. For me, I've found sharing in group ministry is one of the most rewarding and richly educational experiences for me to date - experience and education.

"Do we want and need people who are socialised and identify strongly with others trained for ministry? Or do we want and need people who are socialised to society and identify with the community to which they are called in mission and ministry? A Christendom model of church can entertain the luxury of a separate class of people defined by status, however a missional church needs leaders who understand the genuine need for incarnational ministry."

>> I'm hungry for some incarnation, some community contact with the people I'm called to reach!

"[Mr.] Banks and others who share this view want the learning community of theological schools extended beyond the campus gates so that students, faculty, and administrators might experience their ministry in the context of God’s classroom – the world. Access to this world-oriented classroom would occur not after one’s degree is earned, but during the process of one’s education. The spirit behind this missional approach to theological education is found in the text of John 3:16… The context for theological education is not restricted to the classroom, but encourages us to be in the world at the same time. (2002: 54)"

>> Amen - Lord, bring it on

How can a Po-mo live with Mo?

Are you Po-mo or Mo? how are you getting on with the transition?
I've recently been reading "Postmodernism and the Salvation Army" (TSA Triterritorial Theological Forum - AUS, AUE, NZ, FiJI & TONGA). In one chapter, it talks about how symbolism is a huge part of the Salvation Army's 'thing'. It says,
"Postmodernity.. offers a number of new opportunities for the Army to embrace. These include symbolism that is:

• less word, more visually centred;
• less cerebral, more exponentially based;
• less metanarrative, more personal narrative encouraged;
• less explanation, more mystery allowed;
• less formality, more play and artistic expression;
• less structure, more creativity;
• less order, more party celebration;
• less control, more transparency and vulnerability"

I can see these tensions playing themselves out in my life at the moment. The question I grapple with, is how can a postmodernist live with modernism? The answers?

• Become Modernist - let the system shape you
• Change others to Postmodernists - shape the system
• struggle somewhere in the middle - grapple with the issues, not let it take you over
• Give up - ignorance is bliss (yeah right)

I hope I'm a 'struggler', but sometimes think I might be a 'everyone needs to get with po-mo, NOW!' kind of person (maybe trying to make up for the Mo's dragging their feet!).

One more list of dot points for you.... about structures that will enrich the Army for the future.
"The institution that will work for us in the postmodern era is one that:

• thanks God for its potential contribution to renewal and mission;
• can distinguish between purpose and process;
• is strong on vision and mission while being relaxed about boundaries;
• holds itself up to scrutiny and acknowledges its own transitory nature;
• can laugh at itself;
• listens intently to those at the grass roots;
• is saturated by grace."

I think perhaps that last point holds some answers for Po-mo's and Mo's living in harmony and taking this transition on.... GRACE.
Lord send us more grace, we need it to remain united for your purpose - to be a SALVATION Army. Amen.