[Video Cafe] Spring Has Sprung + Other News!

Posted on 6th Sep 2011 by Alison

In This 2-Part Episode: News for 6th September 2011. Moved to a new house, Upcoming International Trip!, Divine ordering of my life, Springtime in New Zealand, Song of Songs and the delight of God, new freedom to sing, and ending with a silly song about trees (that you do NOT want to miss!)

NOTE: At the 4-minute mark of the 1st video, the video freezes but the audio continues to the end. So, I recorded part 2, which is Take 2 of the part of the 1st video that froze, so I’m sorry to all of you who don’t want to hear me repeat a few little tidbits of news! But it’s worth it! I add a few little extras in the 2nd video AND I slightly alter the silly song at the end!

Part 1:

Part 2:

NOTE: If you are viewing this post in an email and cannot see the embedded videos, click on this link to watch the 2 videos on my website: http://alisonlam.com/2011/09/video-cafe-spring-has-sprung-other-news/

The Last 3 Years….

Posted on 18th Aug 2011 by Alison

Note: I recently sent this email letter to the staff and students of the Ski + Snowboard DTS from 2008. It’s been 3 years since I led that school at the YWAM Oxford NZ base. It was a very special school, and God did miraculous transformation in all of us. One of the students had the brilliant idea of starting an email chain between all the staff and students of that school asking each of us to share what has happened in our lives over the past 3 years since the school ended, so that we can all hear detailed accounts of what we’ve been up to and what God’s done in our lives. I’ve been amazed how almost every single person has written and shared very openly. I just finished writing my email letter and thought I might as well post it on my website, for those of you who want to hear an account of the past 3 years of my life. ~Ali

We all look funny when we stare at computers

This isn’t short, but it’s my heart laid open for all of you. So here we go : )

Time has flown! Has it really been 3 years since SDTS ’08? It’s so hard to believe! But life, as we know it, ticks on and keeps moving. I’m 32 now! Wowee! But I can tell you that my 30′s have held more dignity, grace and flow than my 20′s and 10′s and 0′s. So you all have something to look forward to, truly. Don’t freak out about the big 3-0. Trust me, it’s good.

After SDTS ’08 wrapped up, I had a Kiwi summer Christmas with Gretchen, Olivia, Rosie, myself and the lovely Inch family! We made fancy schmancy designer Christmas trees and desserts. So fun but still haven’t gotten used to a hot Christmas. Santa in stubbies and jandals lounging on the beach? No, that’s just odd. Continue reading →

Remembering 12 Years Ago…

Posted on 1st Jul 2011 by Alison

God has blessed me tonight. I am swimming in the sea of the joy of the Lord, basking in the joy of my salvation. God is so detailed. He loves me.

So, tonight, in our Friday night prayer meeting at the Tauranga House of Prayer, we had a visiting family from the House of Prayer in Malaysia come share about what God is doing in Malaysia, and humbly asked us to pray for them and for their nation. I have not crossed paths with any Malaysians in the past 12 years… nor been in a prayer meeting in the past 12 years focused on Malaysia. We prayed for the calling on the nation of Malaysia to have intimacy with God in prayer, overflowing into radical missions and the salvation of multitudes.

It hit me suddenly, Continue reading →

[Update] The Season of Singing

Posted on 1st Jul 2011 by Alison

A ROOM WITH A VIEW
I’m writing this in my new room! I’ve just moved into a Kiwi family’s home here, friends of mine whom I know through the House of Prayer. It’s a new season for me! I have inherited a lovely view from the second floor of this home. My full-wall length window overlooks a beautiful lush, green valley. God is good. Already my room feels like a refuge for God and Ali to chill out in. He can come into my room, kick up His feet and enjoy the view with me

I also have my very first desk in my bedroom (in my 5 years in New Zealand)! What a treat! I can write updates and compute from a desk, not a dining room table or a lap! I also have a full (huge) kitchen from which I can try out some new recipes. I’ve decided that I will be Intercessory Missionary by day, and Baking Extraordinaire Ninja by night We’ll see how this secondary calling goes!

THE SEASON OF SINGING
So all of you know that I minister in full-time prayer and worship in a community called the Tauranga House of Prayer linked with YWAM New Zealand. Most of the first 6 months of my time back in NZ (Sept 2010 to Feb 2011) were more about serving the House of Prayer in the background to keep the prayer room going daily.

Well, the season of being hidden is long since past, and the past couple months in 2011 have become a season of throwing Ali into the deep end of the vast ocean of mega doses of singing and speaking! They say, “When it rains, it pours” and that is certainly the case now. I’m singing on worship teams 5 days a week, 2 hours a day, in the prayer room (where we have a full worship team with singers and musicians that help to lead the prayer meetings). So, let’s just say that I can’t just go run and hide in the back corner of the prayer room and conduct my “prayer-meeting-for-one” anymore! Continue reading →

[Update] Speaking to the Around the World DTS on “The Cross”

Posted on 15th Mar 2011 by Alison

I’m writing from my home in Tauranga once again. I had the smoothest flight back from Christchurch to Tauranga last Friday night, only to find out upon my arrival, that Japan had been hit by a huge earthquake and tsunami around the time I was flying. So surreal, how we can have smooth sailing on one side of the planet, and then on another side, the whole world is getting rocked. We’re living in an intense season of history.

The view of the Southern Alps from the plane

Many of you wanted to hear how the whole week went at the YWAM Oxford base with the Around the World DTS school. So here’s a little recap! Continue reading →