Amazing, inspiring, wonderful and just plain AWESOME. Those are the words I would use to describe the Easter Camp I went on this last weekend. It was fun, but it incorporated some of the most important messages you can ever receive in this life.
We played sports, hung out with friends, went swimming in the clear, blue Vanuatu sea and performed around the campfire; these were the activities and they were absolutely awesome. But these things were not the point of camp. Not at all.
The point of camp was that we can have 'Redemption through the Blood of Jesus' if we so desire it. All we have to do is go to Him and one drop of His blood will wash away every single bit of the bad stuff we've done in our lives. All the lies, the stealing, the swearing, the anger and just our meanness in general can all be taken away if we just believe in Him.
To me, this is the most important message of the world. Honestly, is there anything better than the promise of eternal life? I've always said I'm a Christian, presumed I'm going to Heaven, but this camp really made me think. Do I know I'm going there? I want to; I really do.
I want to be with my friends and family forever, celebrating in God's glory. I want to see people from the Bible, to get their perspectives on things. I want to know that Jesus burnt all my sins through His death, like the symbol that we had at camp. But most importantly, I want to know that I'm safe from absolutely anything that comes my way, whether it be good, bad or completely outrageous, I want to know God is with me.
And I can know all these things if I just put my faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Will you do it too?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Me
It's kinda funny how, when I decided to make this blog, I thought my life would somehow be more interesting than the normal teenager's life. That I could maybe change the world through writing. That I would write about my encouragement about how many people came to church on Sunday, or about my sadness about the lack of interest in our work here. That I'd be different. That maybe, just maybe, I would look back on this blog and go 'wow, that time in Vanuatu really changed me, made me more mature and just helped me learn about God.'
But, I'm a 13, almost 14, year old girl. Yes, I live in another country, speak 2 languages and homeschool, but my life is probably the same as most Australian girls my age. I'm not a different person just because I'm a missionary kid! What I blog about is no more interesting than what my friend, Ashleigh, blogs about.
My life is pretty average. Pretty boring, actually. Sure, we have youth activities that I organise. So does every Christian teen around Australia. Yeah, we had 50 people come to church last Sunday. You had about 150 in your church, I'll bet.
What I blog about just isn't these things. I blog about MY life, MY feelings. I don't blog about what the leaders in the church are thinking of doing to pull more people to come to Christ. I don't blog about the upcoming evangelical talk that we think will bring more people to church. Sure, these things are important to me. But they don't make up my life. I have a life outside the church; outside the mission field. I have friends. I have letdowns. I have a job.
And I'm me. I'm no different because I'm living in another country. I'm Jacinta Mae Zylstra. I like to sing and play piano. I have some really, really awesome friends who are so completely scattered throughout the globe but, quite honestly, I don't mind that. I play netball and am a huge supporter of the Dragons, an NRL team. I'm 13 years old and my best friend from my school in Australia is coming to visit ME. These things are important to me, whether they're going to change the world or not. I've been to the airport so many times in the past year that I think it would beat the amount of times you've been to the airport in your whole life. And I love this. I homeschool, I hate it, but it's part of my life. And even though that probably makes no difference to you whatsoever, I'm gonna write it, because it's important to me.
So basically, when you think of me, I'd like you to think of Jacinta, the person. Not Jacinta, the missionary kid. Not Jacinta, the girl who controls the projector at church. Not Jacinta, the person who is on the youth organising team. No, when you hear my name I'd like you to think about me. My happiness when I'm with the people I love. My love for music and performing. Think of the stuff that matters, don't just think of the fact that I'm in another country.
Please note that this is not to say that I don't like being a part of the big picture of bringing people to Christ. I do. I like that I get to help God in this way. I love that I have this opportunity. But I don't love it when that's all people can think about when they look at me. I have a life too.
And to those people who make up my life, thankyou. Thankyou for being there for me when I was less than pleasant. When I was a grumpy-bum, a sulky person, or just really, really hurt. When I was completely depressed, but also when I was happy and joyful - because you were probably the one who put that smile on my face.
To all you guys, my friends, family and mere accquaintances. I love you. Thanks for being there for me in any and every circumstance. And thank you for being here now.
But, I'm a 13, almost 14, year old girl. Yes, I live in another country, speak 2 languages and homeschool, but my life is probably the same as most Australian girls my age. I'm not a different person just because I'm a missionary kid! What I blog about is no more interesting than what my friend, Ashleigh, blogs about.
My life is pretty average. Pretty boring, actually. Sure, we have youth activities that I organise. So does every Christian teen around Australia. Yeah, we had 50 people come to church last Sunday. You had about 150 in your church, I'll bet.
What I blog about just isn't these things. I blog about MY life, MY feelings. I don't blog about what the leaders in the church are thinking of doing to pull more people to come to Christ. I don't blog about the upcoming evangelical talk that we think will bring more people to church. Sure, these things are important to me. But they don't make up my life. I have a life outside the church; outside the mission field. I have friends. I have letdowns. I have a job.
And I'm me. I'm no different because I'm living in another country. I'm Jacinta Mae Zylstra. I like to sing and play piano. I have some really, really awesome friends who are so completely scattered throughout the globe but, quite honestly, I don't mind that. I play netball and am a huge supporter of the Dragons, an NRL team. I'm 13 years old and my best friend from my school in Australia is coming to visit ME. These things are important to me, whether they're going to change the world or not. I've been to the airport so many times in the past year that I think it would beat the amount of times you've been to the airport in your whole life. And I love this. I homeschool, I hate it, but it's part of my life. And even though that probably makes no difference to you whatsoever, I'm gonna write it, because it's important to me.
So basically, when you think of me, I'd like you to think of Jacinta, the person. Not Jacinta, the missionary kid. Not Jacinta, the girl who controls the projector at church. Not Jacinta, the person who is on the youth organising team. No, when you hear my name I'd like you to think about me. My happiness when I'm with the people I love. My love for music and performing. Think of the stuff that matters, don't just think of the fact that I'm in another country.
Please note that this is not to say that I don't like being a part of the big picture of bringing people to Christ. I do. I like that I get to help God in this way. I love that I have this opportunity. But I don't love it when that's all people can think about when they look at me. I have a life too.
And to those people who make up my life, thankyou. Thankyou for being there for me when I was less than pleasant. When I was a grumpy-bum, a sulky person, or just really, really hurt. When I was completely depressed, but also when I was happy and joyful - because you were probably the one who put that smile on my face.
To all you guys, my friends, family and mere accquaintances. I love you. Thanks for being there for me in any and every circumstance. And thank you for being here now.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Bush
So today I felt like sharing something that my one and only younger brother wrote :) It's a poem about the bush; more specifically, Malakula, an island of Vanuatu that he visited in December last year.
Now though I've only been to Malakula once, when I wasn't even 4 years old yet, I think Corey has captured the whole atmosphere of the place. Not only of Malakula, but of Vanuatu, the bush :) So please, read it and try and understand what I love about this place. The freedom, the happiness, the simplicity of life; these things, coupled with the people, are what makes Vanuatu so special to me.
See vines coming from the trees
Take a swing if you please
Sleep in huts of bamboo, wood and leaves
It’s nice and warm so there’s no need for sleeves
Hunt the birds to your desire
On the roads, you’re bound to get a flat tyre
Take a short dip in the river
The rushing water will make you shiver
Build a fire to dry your cloak
Keep it going with wood and oak
The garden is the source of your food
Many children waltz around nude
When the wind blows hear the leaves rustle
To clear an area with a bush knife takes a lot of muscle
Hear a villager laugh with glee
The people are happy whether a he or she
Look down to the ground as fertile as can be
Now look up to the beautiful tallest tree
Every boy wants to climb the tree
In the bush you are free
By Corey Zylstra
Now though I've only been to Malakula once, when I wasn't even 4 years old yet, I think Corey has captured the whole atmosphere of the place. Not only of Malakula, but of Vanuatu, the bush :) So please, read it and try and understand what I love about this place. The freedom, the happiness, the simplicity of life; these things, coupled with the people, are what makes Vanuatu so special to me.
See vines coming from the trees
Take a swing if you please
Sleep in huts of bamboo, wood and leaves
It’s nice and warm so there’s no need for sleeves
Hunt the birds to your desire
On the roads, you’re bound to get a flat tyre
Take a short dip in the river
The rushing water will make you shiver
Build a fire to dry your cloak
Keep it going with wood and oak
The garden is the source of your food
Many children waltz around nude
When the wind blows hear the leaves rustle
To clear an area with a bush knife takes a lot of muscle
Hear a villager laugh with glee
The people are happy whether a he or she
Look down to the ground as fertile as can be
Now look up to the beautiful tallest tree
Every boy wants to climb the tree
In the bush you are free
By Corey Zylstra
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Reminising...
So yeah, I'm a bit late but it's now a new year; a chance for new fun, new goals, new friends and new attitudes. But there are some things that might not be so great this year, such as new tears, new heartbreak and new mistakes. Everything new.
To go into this new year properly, I think I need to look over the old year first. 2010 was an amazing year, really. It was tough, but it was eye-opening. I've felt things this year that I've never felt before; seen things I've never seen; and had things happen that I wouldn't have dreamed of in 2009.
Over the past year, I have changed SO MUCH. To be frank, at the end of 2009/start of 2010 I was an absolute BRAT. Maybe you didn't notice, but my family did...I was really horrible. I had everything wrong -- I was all depresso about coming to another country and I think one of the reasons I was so angry about coming was that we were working with the church. I know, it sounds crazy, right? But I think it's actually true. If it was just for Dad's normal job or something I think I would've been fine with it, because it happens to heaps of kids around the world. But this, being a MISSIONARY KID, it just was weird, not normal, STUPID.
That was what I was thinking, up till around March last year when my whole perspective was turned around. Everything had been going really well in Vanuatu, we'd moved into our house, gotten into school at Central (oh, the good old days...), made friends and a whole lot of people were coming to church. I should've been happy, learning the language and I should've been fitting in really well in our community. But I just WASN'T. I was a grumpy bum who just wouldn't do anything that would make her seem like she was enjoying Vanuatu one single bit. I must've been the hardest person to live with...actually, Mum told me later that she'd never prayed so hard about anything in her life that I would just become better at fitting in and that my attitude would change. So yeah, I was completely HORRENDOUS to everyone around me...I think I was kind of trying to be horrible, as stupid as that is. But then something in my brain just clicked. I think it must've been God because nothing significant really happened at that point in time...I just all of a sudden decided that I should start learning Bislama (which I should've started learning in Australia like the rest of my family) and that I should actually make an effort to like it here, after all I'm gonna be here for 4 years!!! And guess what!! As soon as I actually gave the place and the people a chance, I loved it here!!! I absolutely love it now...Vanuatu's my home. I have changed, become more sensitive to other cultures and also I've just become used to the fact that, although all the Ni-Vans here don't have the exact same interests and ways of life as me, but I can still be great friends with them! I should be the one adjusting, not them. I'm in their country...if they'd come to live in Australia, I would've expected them to do the same thing, to get used to Aussie culture, not to make Aussies change to work in with their culture. As soon as that all clicked with me, I've had an awesome life here; I've really enjoyed it!
So 2010; the year of change for me. Physical and mental changes. And almost all of them have been changes for the better, thank goodness :) As He says in Romans 8:28, God works all things together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. I believe God has really worked out my life this year, given me the absolute best I could ever have...way more than I deserve :D
So now, before I close off my interesting (I wish...) post about what 2010's done for me, I just want to put a couple of thank yous to the people who've REALLY helped me get through this hard year:
Mum and Dad (and Corey and Tione) thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for putting up with me at the start of the year (I hope it's not too hard to do now)!!! I know I wasn't the most pleasant person in the world and thanks for just praying for me constantly...it really paid off :D
Everyone from ICC Youth (especially the Gibb girls) thanks for being my first friends in Vanuatu. Going to youth was what kept me sane for a very, VERY long time and you were all there for me when I needed you. So glad you're coming to our youth now!!
Kudra Ricketts THANK YOU!!!! Thanks for sticking with me all those fun days at Central, not thinking I was a weirdo (or maybe, thinking I was enough of a weirdo to be your friend :P) and for just being my friend!! AND of course, those weekly letters and visiting me in December <3
Grace Kenner, you are a very, very, very, VERY amazing person, girl!!!! Strong, happy, funny, cool, just WONDERFUL in all ways :D You are the panda to my jam, the grae to my chicken feet, the milk to my cookies and I love you!!! <3
My friends from ICS -- Ash, Katie, Kathryn, Jess and Storm I love you guys so much!! Thanks for not forgetting me and writing letters, speaking on skype and sending emails to me. You are the coolest girls ever :)
Emily Knoblauch you are just awesome; end of story. Nah, thanks for not giving up on me even when I didn't talk to you for a while (I'm so sorry about that, btw). I love our long, long facebook messages and I love that you're really good friends with Bronte now too :)
Grandy thank you for all my letters that you CONSTANTLY are sending me!!! You're so consistent and I so wish I could write to you as much, sorry I haven't! I love you up to the sky and I can't wait until you visit again...or until the next letter ;)
The Venu/Tav Hapi Family -- Mikel, V'niana, Lenny, Melin, Keven, Renol, Jeneen and Jentina thanks for being here with us, for being my second family. You guys have just stuck with me the whole way along and I hope our friendship lasts forever!!! <3
EVERYBODY WHO'S VISITED -- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have absolutely LOVED all your visits!!!!! We've had some GREAT times together and it's just been really cool for you to come all this way just to see us!!!
Basically, thanks to everyone who's been in my life this year. You've helped me along so much and I love you all!!!!
I hope you all have a prosperous year and find it as great and challenging as I found 2010. And last, but definitely not least...
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!!!!!
To go into this new year properly, I think I need to look over the old year first. 2010 was an amazing year, really. It was tough, but it was eye-opening. I've felt things this year that I've never felt before; seen things I've never seen; and had things happen that I wouldn't have dreamed of in 2009.
Over the past year, I have changed SO MUCH. To be frank, at the end of 2009/start of 2010 I was an absolute BRAT. Maybe you didn't notice, but my family did...I was really horrible. I had everything wrong -- I was all depresso about coming to another country and I think one of the reasons I was so angry about coming was that we were working with the church. I know, it sounds crazy, right? But I think it's actually true. If it was just for Dad's normal job or something I think I would've been fine with it, because it happens to heaps of kids around the world. But this, being a MISSIONARY KID, it just was weird, not normal, STUPID.
That was what I was thinking, up till around March last year when my whole perspective was turned around. Everything had been going really well in Vanuatu, we'd moved into our house, gotten into school at Central (oh, the good old days...), made friends and a whole lot of people were coming to church. I should've been happy, learning the language and I should've been fitting in really well in our community. But I just WASN'T. I was a grumpy bum who just wouldn't do anything that would make her seem like she was enjoying Vanuatu one single bit. I must've been the hardest person to live with...actually, Mum told me later that she'd never prayed so hard about anything in her life that I would just become better at fitting in and that my attitude would change. So yeah, I was completely HORRENDOUS to everyone around me...I think I was kind of trying to be horrible, as stupid as that is. But then something in my brain just clicked. I think it must've been God because nothing significant really happened at that point in time...I just all of a sudden decided that I should start learning Bislama (which I should've started learning in Australia like the rest of my family) and that I should actually make an effort to like it here, after all I'm gonna be here for 4 years!!! And guess what!! As soon as I actually gave the place and the people a chance, I loved it here!!! I absolutely love it now...Vanuatu's my home. I have changed, become more sensitive to other cultures and also I've just become used to the fact that, although all the Ni-Vans here don't have the exact same interests and ways of life as me, but I can still be great friends with them! I should be the one adjusting, not them. I'm in their country...if they'd come to live in Australia, I would've expected them to do the same thing, to get used to Aussie culture, not to make Aussies change to work in with their culture. As soon as that all clicked with me, I've had an awesome life here; I've really enjoyed it!
So 2010; the year of change for me. Physical and mental changes. And almost all of them have been changes for the better, thank goodness :) As He says in Romans 8:28, God works all things together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. I believe God has really worked out my life this year, given me the absolute best I could ever have...way more than I deserve :D
So now, before I close off my interesting (I wish...) post about what 2010's done for me, I just want to put a couple of thank yous to the people who've REALLY helped me get through this hard year:
Mum and Dad (and Corey and Tione) thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for putting up with me at the start of the year (I hope it's not too hard to do now)!!! I know I wasn't the most pleasant person in the world and thanks for just praying for me constantly...it really paid off :D
Everyone from ICC Youth (especially the Gibb girls) thanks for being my first friends in Vanuatu. Going to youth was what kept me sane for a very, VERY long time and you were all there for me when I needed you. So glad you're coming to our youth now!!
Kudra Ricketts THANK YOU!!!! Thanks for sticking with me all those fun days at Central, not thinking I was a weirdo (or maybe, thinking I was enough of a weirdo to be your friend :P) and for just being my friend!! AND of course, those weekly letters and visiting me in December <3
Grace Kenner, you are a very, very, very, VERY amazing person, girl!!!! Strong, happy, funny, cool, just WONDERFUL in all ways :D You are the panda to my jam, the grae to my chicken feet, the milk to my cookies and I love you!!! <3
My friends from ICS -- Ash, Katie, Kathryn, Jess and Storm I love you guys so much!! Thanks for not forgetting me and writing letters, speaking on skype and sending emails to me. You are the coolest girls ever :)
Emily Knoblauch you are just awesome; end of story. Nah, thanks for not giving up on me even when I didn't talk to you for a while (I'm so sorry about that, btw). I love our long, long facebook messages and I love that you're really good friends with Bronte now too :)
Grandy thank you for all my letters that you CONSTANTLY are sending me!!! You're so consistent and I so wish I could write to you as much, sorry I haven't! I love you up to the sky and I can't wait until you visit again...or until the next letter ;)
The Venu/Tav Hapi Family -- Mikel, V'niana, Lenny, Melin, Keven, Renol, Jeneen and Jentina thanks for being here with us, for being my second family. You guys have just stuck with me the whole way along and I hope our friendship lasts forever!!! <3
EVERYBODY WHO'S VISITED -- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have absolutely LOVED all your visits!!!!! We've had some GREAT times together and it's just been really cool for you to come all this way just to see us!!!
Basically, thanks to everyone who's been in my life this year. You've helped me along so much and I love you all!!!!
I hope you all have a prosperous year and find it as great and challenging as I found 2010. And last, but definitely not least...
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!!!!!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Let-Downs
Some people, they just don't make sense. One minute they're your best friend, telling you they love you, and wanting to hang out with you constantly; next minute, enemy, completely ignoring you, deleted from their life forever.
Believe me, I know. It's happened to me. It's happening to me. And it's HARD. I just don't get WHY they would do that and, more to the point, why ME??? Why did they have to hurt all my friends? Why did they have to ignore me? Why did God let this happen in the first place?
Now I don't know the answers to all these questions, as they're idle questions, useless. But what I do know is that 'All things work together for good to those who love God..' (Romans 8:28) And I do believe that God says, 'I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11)
So no matter what you're going through, whether it's good or bad, God DOES KNOW what he's doing in your life. When you go through trouble, lean on Him. When you are having an awesome time in life, thank Him. And just don't forget that God is in control of it all!
Believe me, I know. It's happened to me. It's happening to me. And it's HARD. I just don't get WHY they would do that and, more to the point, why ME??? Why did they have to hurt all my friends? Why did they have to ignore me? Why did God let this happen in the first place?
Now I don't know the answers to all these questions, as they're idle questions, useless. But what I do know is that 'All things work together for good to those who love God..' (Romans 8:28) And I do believe that God says, 'I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11)
So no matter what you're going through, whether it's good or bad, God DOES KNOW what he's doing in your life. When you go through trouble, lean on Him. When you are having an awesome time in life, thank Him. And just don't forget that God is in control of it all!
Jealousy -__-
Jealousy is SO a problem I gotta deal with. I'm jealous of so many things --> my cousin's singing abilty, my cousin's piano playing skills, my friend's humour, being able to go to school!!! It's crazy how many things I can find to be jealous of.
As you can see, the majority of the things I would love are actually traits which I can probably learn. I just haven't really found my thing yet. I'm not sporty, I'm not particularly musical and although I act all bubbly and crazy, I'm not really that much of a people person.
I don't really have my thing, which stinks, but I'm sure I'll find it eventually. And in the meantime, I just need to be content. If I'm not, my life will just be miserable...AND being discontent will become an idol. I mean, that is STUPID...who wants to be discontent?!?
It's not like I'm not into ANYTHING! I love singing, netball and my friends, but I just don't really think these things are what I'm meant to do. I just need to trust God that he'll help me to find the true me, or whatever I'm talking about, in His timing, the perfect timing.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Heart of Worship
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
and it's all about You,
it's all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry LORD for the thing I've made it,
when it's all about You,
all about You, Jesus.
This is the chorus of a song you may know called 'When the Music Fades'. It really struck me lately as I'm dealing with something a bit difficult for me.
You see, the family of leaders for my English-speaking youth group are going back to Australia in a couple of weeks so there will be noone to lead youth. Therefore, my Dad asked the pastor of their church if he would like US to take over their youth, to join it with ours.
I was absolutely completely having a hissy-fit over this as I claimed that 'youth was my release time' and that 'I needed to have some things in English'. But on Saturday night (AT YOUTH!), when I was singing these words, I realised that youth ISN'T about friends, it ISN'T about the language you're speaking; those are just extra bonuses. But you know what it IS about? JESUS. That's what youth is about.
So I need to pray that prayer in the song. 'I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it, when it's all about You, Jesus.' I need to know that church is about God, prayer meetings are about God, youth is about God, and my whole life..should be lived for God!
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