Ah, I know I know, it's been almost a month since I've last updated this thing even though I promised it would happen every couple weeks. Bear with me though, I'm new to this and life keeps getting more and more hectic. Let me explain...
Well, the month of February was an eventful one to say the least. The month started off perfect with the celebration of my 23rd birthday. Yeah, 23 is right. The years definitely aren't getting any longer. So, for my birthday we had lectures in the morning but for the afternoon some friends and I went down to the beach to hangout and take a swim. We then had dinner at the school and after that 20 some odd people from the school went down to the pier on the beach to hangout and celebrate. Some went for a night swim and most everyone else just chatted among themselves. It was a relaxed, yet amazing birthday that I wouldn't have had any other way.
The weeks lectures were about relationships (with God, Family, bf/gf, ect.) and although those aren't my favorite talks it was actually a great week and one where us students really grew as a family. We were challenged to write out a timeline of all the major relationships we had with people throughout our lives and it was really interesting to see how everything has unfolded and see the times where I was really influenced by the people/situations I was around.
The weekend after was the long travel weekend and most people headed out for an adventure but I decided to stay back at the house, save some money, and relax. Although it was strange having the house mostly empty, it was a huge blessing to be able to have some quiet time. It was also a great weekend to hangout with some people I hadn't spent much time with and build some new friendships. We had Friday off and spent 6 hours at the beach (4 of those surfing.) Saturday we did the same and after bbq'd some hamburgers and snags at Alex Beach. The weather was absolutely unreal and I honestly didn't know my skin could possibly get as dark as it is now...Win. Then, like every Sunday morning, Katie, Eliza and I went to our favorite breakfast/coffee spot out in Cotton Tree. It's a bit of our getaway each week where we can go have breakfast, a cup of real coffee (Most of what they have here in Australia is terrible instant coffee) and do our weekly journals. We ended up spending about 4 hours there and then went out for fresh fish'n'chips. Surprisingly the seafood out here is close to as good back home in Astoria. Don't let anyone know I said that though. After that we headed out to Good Life for Church which was great as always.
Monday started off perfectly with me getting a birthday package in the mail from my family stocked full of fresh Stumptown Coffee, a sweet WESC tank top from my brother, a dope No. 1 Son leather wallet that was hand stitched, and a birthday card. Until I spent time overseas, I never realized the huge blessing even the smallest piece of home can be. The package along with the long weekend off came at the right time as I felt myself getting a bit overwhelmed with having so much going on and me getting homesick a bit. Perfect timing.
Tuesday evening we got our Papua New Guinea & Philippines outreach team together to have wine and cheese night on the beach. It was an awesome time where we got to share a little more in depth about ourselves and pray for eachother. Our team is really starting to mesh which is so fun to see but we would really appreciate your prayers in the coming 5 weeks as we prepare to leave. I can't believe we fly out in a month from Wednesday!! We have quite the diverse group that consists of Andrew from Tennessee and Claudia from Norway who are our leaders, Alex from France, Sandy from Egypt, Anika from Spain, Katie from Cali, Allison from Canada, Nicole from Canada, Adriana from Haiti, and of course myself. I'll be sure to post a picture of our group with the next blog.
The week of lectures was simply called "Bible Study" in our schedules and to be completely honest I don't think I could have been LESS excited. It surprisingly turned out to be so good. It was taught by a guy named Bryan who actually runs another school here with YWAM Sunshine Coast called the School of Biblical Studies. Growing up in the church and hearing the stories in the Bible over and over again it tends to get a bit mundane but he really challenged us to put ourselves in the stories, laugh at the humor Jesus had with the people around Him, and challenge yourself to really dig in especially when we're struggling. I won't lie, it was actually alot of fun. He recommended a book called Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung which will really challenge me on something I struggle with - picking something and doing it. Stoked to order it and start reading.
After the Bible week we had another really rough weekend of hanging out at the beach, surfing, spending time in the pool, bbq'ing and kicking it at our favorite beachside cafe. Sunday was a quiet day for me that I spent mostly to myself after breakfast as I was preparing my heart and my mind for the week of prayer we had ahead of us. Little did I know that this past week would be one of the most influential and life changing weeks of my life where I was really challenged to deal with some things deep inside that I hadn't dealt with. It's hard to explain all that happened but please feel more than welcome to email/facebook me if you want to know more. Let's just say my whole world was rocked and turned upside down.
Just to give you an idea of what the prayer week looked like - our school was divided up into five teams and we did three hour prayer shifts all 5 days of the week, 24 hours a day. We also had a worship/sharing/lecture time every morning from 930-1230 and a night sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 730-1030. Our best shifts were the late night ones where we really got into it. It was intense to say the least but by far my favorite week we've had since being here and was awesome to spend some good time and pray for a lot of you back at home. I honestly went into the week with high expectations that of course were met in a totally different way than expected.
One really cool/scary thing that happened and was confirmed multiple times this week was that I'm going to be away from home for a bit longer than first expected. Right now I am looking into staffing here at the Sunny Coast after my DTS which would mean I would be out here for most likely 2-5 years at the least. Honestly, I couldn't be more stoked about it. I'm really learning to be content with having very little and honestly I've never been happier and more satisfied. I could definitely use your prayers for wisdom in choosing the next step of my life as going into full-time volunteer and missions work would entail a full on commitment, raising support money, and the whole sha-bang but I know that He will provide.
Anyway, after friday I was completely emotionally and spiritually drained and honestly to the point where I'm beginning to ask "God, what else is there that you're going to dig up?!" I've been called out multiple times by multiple people to step out and step up as a leader and I'm doing my best to do that. I know that God has a HUGE plan for my life, I just need to stay focused and really lean on Him and trust that everything is going to work out. I just feel like He's doing a quick surgery, getting everything out in one shot, so that I can get to work here quickly. He's really been giving me a heart for the hurting and showing me new things each day. I won't lie, it's crazy exciting and as the Aussie's would say I'm "frothing" at the idea of what God has for me but right now I need to stay focused on today and what I can bring to the table today.
I did get to talk to my nieces for the first time since I left yesterday and even though it was only for a second it was such a blessing just to hear their voice. I miss them and the rest of my family to death.
This week is on Evangelism, and that's all I have to say about that so far. haha.
Thanks for reading. I promise it won't be so long next time and again feel free to send me presents (coffee or letters) in the mail or email/facebook me if you want to know more.
-D
Prayer Requests:
Future plans (Possible staffing, moving out here, financial support)
Outreach to PNG/Philippines (We leave on April 2nd)
Me staying focused and continued growth
My family back home as life seems to be changing for them daily and it's hard to be away during that
Katie, me, Andrew, Eliza, and Allison at the beach on my Birthday!
All of us^
Matthew 6:25-34
25"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
