Faith week was an amazing experience; God answered our every prayer and showed us his awesome faithfulness. One morning we got specific, praying for some work on a farm, a meat pie for lunch and we got it all, including playing with the farmers 5 grandkids, answering a prayer from earlier in the week.
After faith week we’ve had teaching on relationships, spiritual warfare, Lordship, Dreams and Visions and God’s revival through the Jewish people. These weeks have been weeks of real breakthrough and I thank God for continued energy and hunger. Spiritual warfare was a real eye opener, and the final day of Lordship was huge laying down things that simply hold us back from everything God has for our lives.

I was also baptised in the local river on Thursday which was incredible, declaring publicly that Jesus is Lord. It was amazing to publicly set in stone many of the decisions I’d made on DTS. It was a special time for us as a school and God definitely moves in the spiritual through baptisms J

As I write this letter in around 5 hours I will actually be leaving New Zealand for the next stage in the DTS, the outreach. This is very exciting and it’s an answer to prayer that every student has the finances and is flying out, praise God. As I mentioned in my last letter I am spending 2.5 months in Africa, with about 3 weeks in South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Morocco. In SA we will be working at an orphanage for children who are victims due AIDS and TB. Then in Uganda we will be part of a sporting crusade consisting of around 3000 people from the Ssese islands to the north of Lake Victoria. I will share more about Tanzania and Morocco in a later prayer letter.

Praise

An amazing family that I have been blessed to be a part of here at the base.
Great teachers that God really spoke through satisfying our hunger for more and more of God.
Finances for all the students. We raised nearly $200,000NZD in under a month, God the provider is good.
The permanent base staff that make a DTS possible and who are such a blessing to all of the students.

Prayer for……..

Safety in travel for all the teams heading out very soon and as they continue to travel all around the world.
Unity throughout the teams that we would all stay so strong and rooted in his Word.
Continued growth in him and an overflowing confidence to spread the gospel to everyone we come across.
The hearts and minds of everyone we are going to minister to over the next 14 weeks

Thank you again for all your prayers; I could not be learning so much or having such a good time without yours and God’s help. Love and Blessings in Him to you all. John H

Thank you for reading this, my second prayer letter is attached. Thank you all for your prayers, interest and support in my Gap year, I cannot tell you how encouraged I feel this year knowing that you and most importantly God is supporting me.

Love in Christ

John Hopkins
Download the entire prayer letter in pdf format here.

The brief outline of my Gap year is that I am currently spending 4 months at the Oakes until Christmas, followed by a Ski guide training Scheme with the Christian outdoors company Abernethy, followed by a 6 month DTS (Discipleship Training Scheme) with YWAM (youth with a mission) with outreach in Africa. I will touch more upon these in later prayer letters.

I have spent just over a month here at the Oakes and Praise God for a really great month. I have loved getting to know the team and living with them all. During this month we’ve spent some time in Abersoch getting to know each other, followed by all the training we needed to be able to lead camps. We have also had 3 camps so far which have all gone really well. Aside from the camps we have work days around the house and grounds and study days which have also been really good. We have the half term camp coming up and many more to look forward to including some discipleship camps in the run up to Christmas.

Praise

• For a really great summer, God showed and taught me so much and it was so much fun.
• For the team here at the Oakes, that everyone gets on so well and we really enjoy living and working together.
• For 3 great camps so far and for all the kids that heard the Gospel a fresh.

Prayer for…….

• Further bonding of the team as we get used to everyday life at the Oakes.
• For the kids that are coming on camp, that they would have a great time but also that God would prepare their hearts and minds to hear his good news.
• My own personal growth that I would continue to learn more and live a life worthy of his name.
• For finances as I am not sure where all the funds for my whole gap year are coming from.

Thank you so much for your time and prayers. Here at the Oakes I have already been really encouraged by the prayer I have seen at work.

You can download my first prayer letter – feel free to print it off and let everyone see it!