Ok well my life is changed, especially my view of what missions is. I have traveled through river flooded roads, been sea sprayed travelling to an island in a little dingy, been part of discipling whole villages, eaten everything from unicorn fish to lobster, made the best of friends, and discovered a whole new culture and country that I love. This is Papua New Guinea.

I realised that I had started missions when a man brought his to children to see ‘Ben the missionary’ because I had shook his hand in church and he wanted to ‘know more about Jesus’.

So, a couple of stories, where do I start? Well, firstly, I now know just a small bit of what it means to really have a heart for a people group. In the first week of outreach, in the first village we went to (Hisiu Village – means Star) I was really brought down to earth by the reality of missions and how it is all about relationships. My original impression of missions was one of miracles left right and centre and trying to survive in a different country. While we saw miracles and came through some interesting times, what actually happened was seeing how others on my team took the time to invest in relationships. By that I saw the radical impact it had on the local people.

 So, I entered the second village with a challenge to know the people. It was in the village of Gaba Gaba (means drums drums) where I met Ken, David and Gunega having prayed for them recommitting their lives to Jesus in the first evening service we ran. These guys became my best friends. We spent time talking, praying, swimming, dancing and me trying to disciple them with the short time I had. Never have I felt such a ‘heart’ for people than I did for these three boys, I felt such a need to disciple them, to give them the tools to walk in their own relationship with Jesus after our team left. I realised how much I cared about them when I was talking with my leader and I just started crying because of the responsibility I felt towards them. I now know a bit of what it must feel like to have your own children.

Secondly, having done a lot of preparation with talks, testimonies and dramas I could not have prepared for the impact that they had on the communities we went to. You realise very quickly that ‘little old me’ has so much to offer simply because of the church and family upbringing as well as the discipleship I have had, and that the nation of PNG are not only in need of discipleship but so hungry as well.

Ok well I hope that lets you know a little of what happened, I have so much more to say but it will be much better in conversation, so ask me questions! I’ll let you know about the toilets and showers and what shark tastes like.

Thank you all for your support, God definitely looked after me on outreach, He is so worthy of praise in every situation! Yours, Ben Kessell

I always want to write a love song to Jesus that I could just sing from my heart even when I don’t feel like it. Did I tell you all about the ‘I LOVE YOU JESUS’ thing? Well one of the first nights of DTS I was just feeling empty and fake and wanting more. So I went up the front and said so, so Buddy (Our DTS leader, his real name is Nathaniel) got me to stand on a chair and first just pour my heart out to God and then shout something that would be my declaration that I could always remember that I made the choice no matter what I feel to love Jesus. After a couple of goes I shouted at the top of my lungs with all my breath (Daddy you would be proud) ‘I LOVE YOU JESUS’; I felt free. So now during worship times, times when I don’t feel like it, times when I feel the best, times when I feel God say ‘would you shout it for me’, you will hear me shout it. So just be warned, when you least expect it, and most likely when i least feel like it, you will find me shouting ‘I LOVE YOU JESUS’ with all that I can give. If I don’t for a while, ask me why not. Well this was just a couple of thoughts, Happy Christmas everyone!

I’m back! Recently finished my two weeks adventure in the Australian outback. Ok I have to tell you firstly about the animals I saw. There were kangaroos, possums, rats, cows, paddymelons (like small rat kangaroos), snakes, loads of giant cicadas the size of your hand that have this horrific scream, Kookaburras that laugh in the night and most excitingly a rare sighting of a solitary platypus in the wild which swam right up to the bridge I was sitting on with its glazed eyes and stubby flippers.

So apart from all that excitement we had such great fellowship for two weeks with no electronic distractions and so it was a great friendship building time.

The first week of lectures was on Spiritual Warfare by a guy called Dean Sherman which was so empowering and helped to just clear our minds. It helped us with how to be aware of the strategies for and against us and live prepared and fighting.

The second week was all about Lordship by a guy called Mark Parker from New Zealand. He was an amazing, enthusiastic speaker with such an anointed message. Lordship is – knowing Jesus and having a heart like His and following Him. Had a great day on Friday where we took the Old Testament practices about going to the tent of meeting and applied New testament ways to do each of them. For example; entering His courts with praise (started with praise and thanksgiving) the Brazen Altar, we offered God the good things and the sin, laying it down before Him. It was just an amazing time when I think I felt the best I ever have and also the worst. I think the biggest thing I am learning at the moment is that in all circumstances God is worthy to receive the highest praise we can give.

Coming back down the mountain we all celebrated a late thanksgiving on Monday which was a wonderful time where everyone brought so food to share and we had big celebration and time of thanksgiving. Wonderful!

So, my lecture weeks have been like this so far; Hearing the voice of God, Friendship with God, the Father heart of God and last week which was on Relationships. I never realised that I could learn so much in such a short space of time, with relationships this week I have learnt that each and every relationship is so important and how we interact can powerfully affect that persons life. I have learnt so much about how people think and do, and it has given me such a heart to honour people and know God so intimately. The four factors that are vital in any relationship are  -Love- most enduring, Trust- most fragile, Honour- most overlooked and Understanding- takes longest.

God keeps calling me to pursue Him and at the moment I’m just trying to work out how to do it but its an exciting adventure. Have had so many people pray for me (something that happens in worship times here is that we are really encouraged to just keep going up to people to pray for them, it really helps to focus on God) and a lot of it seems to just affirm the truth in my heart, all about being a leader and calling people back to the source that is Jesus. Been so challenged by what the speaker weeks ago questioned; are we more consumed with dream rather than reality? I want to pursue the reality of the Truth and let him break through. The writer John Dawson said that “True humility is laying down an identity that you are already sure of.” So I’m learning to lay down the ways in which I have been used to interacting with God, so that He can show me His way. Trust means commitment to a position of vulnerability. The definition we’re given was; “open to moral attack, criticism…” But I wondered can allow ourselves to be vulnerable to love? Open to a love attack? I’m up for it.

Well you have probably all been wondering where I have disappeared to. I am still here, but what have I been up to then you may ask? To begin, an average week (which we haven’t had for a while because we had a leaders conference – which Jonny was at – and last week we had the National Leaders Meeting for Australia) would look like this; every day we are waking up at 5:45 for morning exercise with breakfast at 7:00-7:30 with quiet time till 8.  Then we have anything from school worship to creative devotions or intercession until 9:30 when we all start lectures. At 10:30 a wonderful thing happens called morning tea, which is like the opposite from afternoon tea, its normally all savoury snacks and cold drinks; good break in the day. Then more lectures running to lunch at 12:30. After that we all have different work duties throughout the day, I have dinner clean up so most afternoons are free. Evenings are specific, on Tuesday we  have outreach prep, Thursdays is study night, Friday is evangelism and Saturday is Youth Street Live. Youth Street is where loads of youth from the community firstly take part in different teams ranging from skating to dance, then and evening meal and service with live band. Its great to see how much they provide for the youth of the area. One of the things that happens across all aspects in Australia is an encouraging and honouring culture which is great to be a part of.