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Writer's picturejoankoskela

Update from Living Wisdom Australia

Living Wisdom Training in Uganda


I was in Uganda in April with a colleague, and we had a wonderful time working and also enjoying a Safari. We ran a week of Workshops thanks to the fantastic organisational skills of a local pastor (thank you Ian), we so appreciated your planning ahead of our arrival and all the work you did to make our time so much easier. I hadn't been in Uganda since 2020, so it was wonderful to meet up with old friends and discover new ones.


After a week of workshops, I was driven several hours east to attend and speak at a Ladies' Retreat on Prayer Mountain. What a beautiful, peaceful and wonderful place.

I was so impressed with the incredible women I met, serving God in difficult conditions but incredibly committed to their callings while being beautifully transparent and real.



From the retreat, we went to Murchison National Park to enjoy the Safari that I was looking forward to in 2020. We loved seeing elephants, giraffes, buffalo, hippos and wart hogs up close and personal. The sunsets, sunrises, local people, delicious food and glamping were just divine. It was surreal waking up at 5 am in our glamping tent to hear the munch, munch, munch of hippos outside as we were right on the Nile River, so blessed.





Arua (Northern Uganda)


We continued north after the Safari to Arua, which is not far from the Congolese border. We ran another 4 days of Workshops with YWAM and Pioneers. Thank you so much, David, Emma and Sharon for making it possible and putting in all the preparation for us. We loved our time with you and came away full and blessed. What a wonderful group of people and thank you Lisa for adding lots of fun while we were learning and being challenged by some serious topics. I love the way Living Wisdom cuts across cultures, ages and time to bring real answers to people's situations, it is a powerful framework for the biblical command to renew our minds.


Day Class

Fun brain break
Lots of laughs
Sad farewells

Living Wisdom Training in Zambia


I left Uganda and arrived in Ndola to finally run the two week school I promised to Steven Sakala and his team. It was supposed to be 2021 but Covid stopped that and then in 2022 I was having cancer treatment, but as they say, better late than never. It was the first school I had run for a couple of years and I LOVED it. The Zambains that Steven had bought together were amazing people who were hungry, honest, funny and open to learn. I re-discovered how much I love teaching Living Wisdom schools. They are an incredibly special time of bonding, learning, growing and healing in so many ways. We eat together, learn together, cry together, laugh together, sing, worship and pray together all around the powerful Living Wisdom material.

David Riddell is planning on returning to continue growing the work in Zambia in 2025 and I will consider 2026 - Lord willing.



After Ndola I travelled south to Livingstone and caught up with friends in Kalomo. It was so nice to spend time with them and to offer counselling to people on the mission as well. Another highlight was recording several My Life Rulz snippets and Wisdom Bites for the local radio station but also in a video format that can be used in podcasts. You will hear when they are available. Thank you Jason and Andrew for all the hard work you put in to make this happen.



South Africa

From Zambia I headed down to Pretoria to spend a few days with another Living Wisdom friend whom I met in Uganda in 2016. Vimbai has attended the Living Wisdom training twice and is keen to set up as a Coach for Women in South Africa. Many of you invested into her coming to train with David in either NZ or Australia a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, Visas were denied, just for a 2-3 week visit for training! Some of you had your money returned and others allowed me to use it to continue to invest in Living Wisdom people, which I have done. It was great to connect with Vimbai face to face again and encourage her to take the next steps towards her goals.


England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Next was my offical 3 months of long service leave. I had the most amazing time and I am so refreshed, grateful, full, inspired and have memories that will stay with me until I leave this planet! I drove over 10,000 kms, took 11 flights, climbed in the Swiss Alps, explored my Celtic country roots, ate delicious food, walked, hiked, talked, read and prayed. I slept in about 4-6 different beds and places every week, and lived in divine protection and health the whole time. If any of you know me well, then you know that this is quite miraculous, I am known to have the odd accident here and there! I have thousands of photos to bring the memories, sights, sounds, smells and experiences all flooding back anytime I want to remember.


Switzerland and Germany

It was fantastic to catch up with my good friend, Silke and her husband, Daniel in Switzerland. I have known Silke and Daniel since 2007 when we met in Arnhem Land. They were the most amazing hosts, taking me to Germany for 4 days and giving me all sorts of memorable and wonderful experiences during my time with them.

I didn't see a lot of Germany but what I saw was impressive. But, God has really chosen to 'show off' in Switzerland, it is an incredibly beautiful country and I can image even more spectacular when there is snow around. It just amazes me that earth is just a reflection of what is waiting for us in eternity, no wonder we can't imagine or perceive it.





Special thanks to my English 'family'

I didn't realise what an incredible blessing it would be to have a 'family' in England.

I returned (like a boomerang) several times to regroup and set off on my next adventure. It was so nice having family to eat, laugh, play and talk with during so many weeks of travelling alone much of the time. I loved going to Church with them as well and eating their Sunday roasts with Yorkshire pudding and apple strudel. I hope I can repay their kindness and hospitality some day. THANK YOU for making my time away from home, feel like home.


2025


I will communicate with you all before the end of the year on plans for 2025. Thanks for journeying with me and your words of encouragement and your prayers. I appreciate doing life with like-minded people.




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