Blessed by training

Hi all. I'm currently sitting on the verandah of the International Teams office watching the rain fall over Sydney. It's good to see the rain wet the ground! I am in my second week of iTeams Access training that is designed to prepare you for missions with International Teams. I have been so blessed to be here!

God is growing me, challenging me, exciting me and strengthening my vision for what he has in store for me. It's been really fun getting to know the others doing the training as we have lived in community over the past week. We are now staying in different locations around Sydney, but come together during the day at the iTeams training centre as a little tribe.

Today we have been learning about the local church and missions, which for me has been a good refresher of the concepts I have learned doing the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course.
Some of the most beneficial aspects of the last week have been putting together my personal philosophy of ministry - my own document of my core values, gifts, passions and ministry experience. This has been powerful in showing me the way God has worked in my life to shape me, growing me into the guy I am today and preparing me for the good works he has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I also know that God definitely isn't finished with me and has lots of ways in which he still wants to grow me and change me which is exciting!

Here is a pic of the Access tribe up in the Blue Mountains!

Please keep praying for me throughout the training and I look forward to catching up with those of you at Balwyn Gospel Chapel on Sunday when I return!

Phil