Wednesday 11 November 2009

Ready to Roll

The last Create2Skate session last night went so well. The kids were all stoked to take away their boards and those who wanted to ride them added grip tape and transferred their hardware over. Their parents came to pick them up and I took a minute to tell the kids that Boardstore is run and staffed by people who loves Jesus and that God loves them and gave them the option of taking away a free Skaters Bible. They were all excited to take one and alot of them exchanged email addresses and phone numbers with each other. I loved that they had made friends and that the workshops had been a chance to build more relationships. We also invited them to Skate Church in Coolum this Saturday so hopefully some will make it.

I'm so stoked on how these workshops have gone and it's made me really excited about doing it again.

Click on photos for larger views


Liam finishing off his sun rays with oil pastels

Matt's fully stencilled board - he came up with it all himself! Sick!

Mark showing the potential of Posca pens

Like father like son; Jye working on his wave

Josh and Matt making some fancy grip tape



The finished products! L-R Josh, Matt, Jye, Harrison, Jesse, Liam, Marshall and Jesse.


Awesome ay. All the glory goes to God for giving me the idea and making it a success.

Thursday 5 November 2009

Create2Skate

Hey everybody

So the Create2Skate workshops are three weeks in! There are 8 kids taking part and it's been SO GOOD! Super tiring but worth it. Mark who runs skate church has been coming every week to draw and connect with parents that come and Dave Fisher who is head of visual arts at Caloundra Christian College has been coming and showing the kids new techniques. It's been a great opportunity to chat to the kids, encourage them and invite them to skate church and our bbqs.

In the first week the kids spent time coming up with ideas using books and magazines that I brought in. In the second week they experimented with painting techniques on MDF and primed their skateboards and this week they got started on their decks.

Here are some photos:

Everything laid out ready to go on the first session



Marshall, Jesse and Liam's board designs

Liam getting into oil pastels

Jesse using Posca pens for his awesome pirate

Harrison outlining his "Chairman of the Board"

Matt helps Josh spray through some mesh

Matt creating checkers with a stencil he made











I'm so stoked on how they're doing - last week next week!

Monday 19 October 2009

Philippines update

Hey everyone... here's some PRAISE HAMMERS! Our friends in the Philippines just sent us through photos of the new kitchen in the home for the blind that we stayed in during our trip there earlier this year. Look how big God is! And Pastor Pat did an amazing job, you are anointed!

Before:


After:



God is so good.





Tuesday 13 October 2009

OPEN SESAME

Thanks to Derek and Melissa for the photos



Thursday 8 October 2009

September Hammers


Things have been super hectic down here for the last month, sorry for the wait!

One Friday Ministry News

Heels on Wheels continues to grow and I've connected with quite a few new girls at the park. We've started a new bible study for skaters every Tuesday evening at Boardstore and the format; Pizza-Nooma-Study-Skate, is going really well.

Rob and Des had a successful trip to LA and San Diego for a trade show where they met new companies, a few pro riders and caught up with companies that we distribute. When they left Australia they had no place to stay in LA as their previous contact fell through. I connected them with my good friends Willsy and Liel who live there and they ended up staying with them and spoke at Willsy's church. Willsy and Liel are both from the Philippines so Des in particular connected with them telling them about our outreach to the Phillies earlier in the year. It turned out to be a really God appointed meeting and I was super stoked (and a little weirded out) that they were hanging out and blessing each other. I was also not at all jealous that they got to meet Willsy's new baby girl and hung out with his son Jet. Yep. Praise God that the trip went really well.

Boardstore Art Gallery

I wanted to do a series of art workshops for the kids before I head home for Christmas so I pushed ahead with an official opening of the gallery. More and more artwork flooded in and it took a long time to arrange it all and get it ready. I wrote a press release and a lovely lady in PR, Chrissy, who I know through the cable park sent it out to all her contacts. Here's a link to one article online:


The opening was last night and it went really well. So many people came and we had positive comments flying all over the place. Derek and our new mission builder Jamie spent all afternoon indoors on a lush day making 500 canapés and Melissa had the great idea to serve them on skateboard platters. Kodan spent ages stripping back skateboard decks which meant that as part of the evening Des, Mark and two graffiti artists Gavin and Adam spent their time painting the decks and talking to people about their art. Fabi spun tunes all evening, Shannon mixed up a massive punch and Chelsea and Holly helped hand out food as people came in.

It was really awesome and it took me a while after closing to sit down, settle my thoughts and realise it had been a total success. I really couldn't have done it without the grace of God and the help of those people on the night, everyone was so keen to support the venture and it was really encouraging to have so many people come, particularly people that I didn't know as that meant word was spreading!

Below are some pictures of the gallery and artwork that's gone in recently. Derek had his snazzy camera out at the opening so I'll ask him if I can put up some of his pictures for you to see too.




Photos by Mat Hardingham, surfboard by Mark Geltch
Day Dreamin' by Mark Geltch

Koi by Des Rountree

Isha and Richard, photos by Derek Ellens

Drawn decks by me

Pro model decks signed by Christian Hosoi when Rob and Des met him in LA

Pro model decks signed by Chris Cole in LA and Steve Caballero in Bondi

Pro model decks signed by Jamie Thomas in LA

Skate photography and art books

So now it's onto the workshops. I'll be running 4 sessions in the gallery on Wednesday nights starting in two weeks for people to design and create their own skateboards. I'm only charging $30 for the four sessions including the board and materials because I really want all kids to be able to come it they want and I totally see it as ministry not a money maker. I have no idea how many kids will show, I've encouraged them to register in advance but you know what it's like. Dave Fisher is Head of Visual Arts at Caloundra Christian College and he's been a big help with the gallery, exhibiting and offering advice and expertise. He told me last night that he has Wednesday nights free and will come to help which is a real relief especially if I end up with 40 kids.

God and Claire

I still feel like I need to come to God and ask Him to teach me about rest and balance in my life. I work work work, get exhausted and then find it hard to switch off and rest. Part of the problem is because I genuinely enjoy the work I'm doing I'm less inclined to step back from it and take time to rejuvenate. I didn't have anything planned today but still I've found it difficult to stop and let God bring peace into my heart, instead still feeling restless and like I need to be doing something productive.

I have always had the tendency to heap pressure on myself in anything I do and I struggle working out a timetable that includes time to rest. I'm used to a 9-5 job that has clear boundaries but ministry isn't like that. Ministry things can be all day and then in the evening too. The relationships I'm building don't just exist between 9 and 5. This has been a constant struggle since coming back into full time ministry and something God is still teaching me about.

Sunny Coast YWAM News

The July DTS are on outreach now in India and Indonesia and the September DTS schools started two weeks ago. Daniel Marks from Wales who was on my DTS is back as staff on the Waves DTS which is really great. It's so good having him back here, he is someone who really listens to God, speaks His word and carves a mean line on a skateboard so I'm super chuffed he's back. The other school is the Surfers DTS which is a new concept being run by Christie and Phil who staffed my school and Aaron who staffed a school last year. Already the students in both schools are pressing into God and on their evangelism walks in Mooloolaba have led 4 people to Christ. Praise God I'm so excited to see what else He has in store for them.



Tonight is our weekly Boardstore Bangers BBQ at Alex skatepark so I'm off to buy snags (ozzy hotdogs - I MISS English sausages... pork and apple... mmmmm)

Hope you're all well and please let me know if I can pray for you about anything!

In Him

Claire


Thursday 27 August 2009

In other news...


The trip to Darwin was a supreme success! Des did a great job leading the team as they ran skate comps and went into schools. They made great connections with people and God moved powerfully during that time, revealing himself to all the skaters on the team. By the end of the trip each of them had made a step towards God and it's been so amazing to see the transformations that God is bringing about in their lives. I'm already seeing one of them in particular speaking God into the lives of other skaters and his hunger for God is incredible to see. To read more about the trip have a look at Des's blog: desrountree.blogspot.com Praise God for the way He used the Impact World Tour and please pray for all the guys on the team and all the young people that they met up there.

Heels on Wheels, the girls skate session continues to go really well, last night sweets and slurpees kept us going for 5 hours, it was so good! The gallery is looking better and better, there are a few key pieces I'm waiting on, then we'll have an official opening and invite the press to come and get it some publicity. We're thinking about selling spray paint and other art supplies in there as well, please pray that God would make His plans for that space clear to me and that I would seek and listen to Him and His visions, not my own.

After Wakeskate Wonderland I was offered the opportunity to work a day a week at the cable park on reception and in the cafe which I'm really chuffed about. The managers at the cable are Christians too and I'm looking forward to helping out there and getting to know the staff and riders.

I had a lovely package of cards and letters from my homegroup at SMOB which made me feel very loved, and a box with a pair of sneakers and a notebook from a couple of friends at Christ Church. Thanks so much everyone, you mean so much to me :)

Last week a local school chaplain Alan Taylor and his wife were killed in a traffic accident as they helped their daughter fix her car by the side of the motorway. Many people knew and loved them, please pray for their family, children and friends that God would hold them close through this devastating time.

I've been praying alot about what I'm doing here and where I should be in the near future. I feel that God's been opening amazing doors for me in the ministry here, and I'm loving what I'm doing and the people I'm connecting with, both on the team and in the skateparks. I have moved my return flight to England to November 17th and will be staying home for a family Christmas (can't wait!) then heading back out here to continue the ministry I'm in. Please do pray that I would be hearing God on His plans for my life and being wise in my decisions. It's really hard to surrender my rights like being close to my family and friends but I have to admit that my life belongs to Him, my choices belong to Him as He made me, saved me, and knows what's best for me.

Thank you so much for your continued support, please let me know what I can pray about for you.

In Him,
Claire x

The One Friday Skateboard Ministry team:

Des, Fabi, Rob, Derek, Boris, Andy, Mark, Jonno and me.


Winter Wakeskate Wonderland Roundup

Hi everyone,

Winter Wakeskate Wonderland was a huge success! Right up until the last minute we were praying for another boat for the riders to use as we needed two but only had one confirmed, and more riders to come to the event as we only had 20 paying riders registered but needed 33 to break even on the event costs. On the day we had exactly 33 paying riders arrive praise God! And on the second day two Mastercraft X-Star boats came, the best wakeboarding boat in the world right now. Not only did the guys from Mastercraft come but they insisted on paying for the petrol to use them both all day which saved us a huge amount of money.

Things went really smoothly, we did have one bad injury during a freeride session but he was able to stay for the rest of the event. Alongside the riders we flew in from America, riders came from Perth, Melbourne, Cairns, Sydney and Gold Coast. The Pro riders we flew in said they had a good time, and two of them turned out to be Christians which was super good; knowing that there are people out there at the top level being Jesus in the industry. The atmosphere was great and everyone left saying they'd come back for the next event.

So thank you for all your prayers for the event. Andy, Millsy and Dubsy did an awesome job running the event and big thanks to the current YWAM DTS students and staff who came to help with food prep and cleanup each day which made a massive difference. Special shout out to Anne as well who did a sterling job working tirelessly leading the kitchen. Super Ultra Mega Steezy!

Here are videos that Fin put together of the goings on:




Thursday 6 August 2009

The Lord builds the house

Hi everybody

The gallery is open! There's more artwork to go in and I still need to do all the labelling and pricing but the door has been knocked through, the sign is up and people are having a peek! here are some more photos of the final touches and the finished space.

Des gets started on the back wall


The Gallery entrance


The finished space


Skater Jesus by Des Rountree

Canvas by Jonathan Cunliffe, photos by Derek Ellens


Paintings by Dave Fisher


My grip tape


So there's still work to do but it feels good to have the room open so people can see what's been going on. Last weekend Tricia came and prayed in the space and gave me these verses from Psalm 127:

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

I can spend all hours of the day working on this project but unless God is at the centre of it, there's no point. He need to build this into what He wants it to be. I'm so glad God keeps reminding me what and who this is all for.

The Heels on Wheels girls skate sessions are going strong, the last couple of weeks have been so much fun, super encouraging and are really helping us to get to know each other.

We have been praying for an indoor warehouse in which to build a skatepark for all the skaters in the local area. We asked God for a space near the shop, not over $500 a week, long and thin and with only a year's lease. And one has presented itself! It meets all those requirements plus they are willing to put a clause in the contract so that if there are complaints and we need to leave, the contract is voided and we're not tied in. It seems such an answer to prayer. We are holding off on it for a few weeks to pray further, certain that God will tell us whether or not to go ahead.

Des is off today on a 9 day trip to Darwin. He's taking a small group of local skaters up there to be a part of the Impact world tour, running competitions, demos and speaking in schools. Please pray for him as he leads this team, pray for safety and unity for the team and pray for all the youth they will come in contact with.

I was interviewed for a friend's website back in the UK a few days ago and it's already gone up online, you can find it here: www.gemgirls.co.uk. I'm so proud of my friend Amy and what she's doing through G:EM. She's so passionate about girls growing with God and I'm inspired every time she tells me about all the things they're doing.

I'm getting involved with the running of an event coming up - Wakeskate Wonderland. If you're not sure what wakeskating is, check this video out:



In it's second year now, it's the biggest wakeskate event in Australia, my friends Andy and Willsy run it and have asked me to help plan it. It's from the 18th - 20th August and basically people buy a ticket, come to the cable park, camp and ride there for the three days during which time we do competitions, boat sessions and entertainment. They are hoping for around 50 riders to attend so there's plenty to do to prepare. My job will be to be the overseer of things during the events. Andy and Willsy will be in charge overall, I will be the person people come to with questions or problems, watching everything and making sure jobs are getting done - I'm super stoked to be involved. It's going to be awesome! Please pray for all the preparations, there's so much to do and lots of logistics including flying in pro riders from all over the world.

So that's all for now, please do let me know if you would like me to pray for anything. Thanks so much for all your help and prayers, please pray that I would be patient and continue to pursue God's answers for things on my heart.

In Him
Claire