A lot of people have wondered what I will be doing while I'm in Australia, India and Thailand. My work here involves multiple things. Kingdom Justice issues are just one aspect of that. You may wonder what is Kingdom Justice? Many people may be familiar with humanitarian organizations like the Invisible Children who strive to put an end to child soldiering. Well Kingdom Justice is a lot like that...except it doesn't just stop from rescuing them from their current circumstances. To truly set human traffic victims free, we have to remove them from bondage physically and spiritually. They have to be restored emotionally, physically and know that there is a God that loves them, cares for them and will never hurt them. Someone to put the pieces back together, to offer them family, love and most importantly a safe eternity in Heaven. Kingdom Justice is more than just human rights, it is about saving souls.
So what I am doing here is helping in just that. By interceding for these children, and when traveling to countries where human trafficking is advertised everywhere on street corners, talking to these children. Trying to offer them other options and do whatever I can to be there for the children who are removed from these horrible places. There are organizations specifically helping with just that such as Destiny Rescue in Thailand and Compassion International. Please watch the video and when you go to bed at night, remember the children held in this bondage.
Stories from my life as a missionary
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
A Day of Rest and Hippies
After my 1st week of lectures on evangelism, we had the opportunity to go 3 hours south to the Gold Coast and stay on their YWAM base. We stayed specifically in a city called Surfer's Paradise (which I thought was an epic name for a city) and had an amazing time of outreach that I can tell you about in detail if you ask me (for sensitivity reasons). While we were in the Gold Coast I had the chance to meet some amazing Muslim friends. I met a wonderful family from Dubai and I really clicked with the two girls (Mahra and Sarah) and their brother, Mohammed. We had such wonderful conversations about life, our hobbies, love, music, movies, even God. I will definitely miss our chats over coffee and chai, but thanks to Facebook we will keep in touch. After spending a few days in this city I learned that a lot of the families from middle eastern countries that lie in the gulf peninsula travel to the Gold Coast to get out of the extreme heat of the summer. So literally, we were in a cultural melting pot. I think I even learned a few essential Arabic phrases while we were there.
Our outreach was long and hard. By the end of the week I was so drained emotionally and physically; not to mention my back was killing me from sleeping on the floor. So you can imagine my excitement when we decided to go to this really REALLY cool city an hour south of us to relax and shop around. We spent the night in this small hippie town called Byron Bay. You can drive through this place in less than 10 minutes. They don't allow any franchises and have one major grocery store. The best way I can describe this place is like this: Take the laid back beach town of Mission Beach, California; mix it with the people from Eugene, Oregon and Sedona, Arizona; and add the greenery and lighthouses from Kauai, Hawaii....and you would have Byron. It has shops that you would find only at a local renaissance fair. Very New Age-y with crystals and mysticism. Everyone has dreads in their hair and they walk barefoot, with all of their homemade clothes on their backs. You can rent vans with stoves and kitchen tables, just to park on the beach and surf all day. At night, the whole city came alive at the park overlooking the ocean. As the sun went down, the barbecues were lit and people pulled out their guitars and bongos and music and dancing began. It was something out of a movie.
Speaking of movies, this was the town that was the inspiration for the animated movie "Ferngully" (one of my favorites growing up). It was created to promote the movement that was against tearing down the rainforest. If you don't know which I'm talking about, google it and it will all make sense. :) They have this amazing trail that leads along the beach front and up to a light house which is the most Easterly point in Australia. It is just breathtaking. We went to this church Sunday morning and I felt like I was transported back to the 70's. This church was more like the basement of someones house with couches and chairs, local artwork adorning the walls, and the worship team was comprised of men and women in their 40-50's. The lead singer of the worship team looked like Cyndie Lauper, and they jumped and danced and swayed with the music while they sang to Jesus. The pastor walked around the stage, sharing his passion through his sermon, while we all listened and drank our coffee. It was so comfortable and people could express themselves however they wanted to do and no one cared. All I could think was "my MOM would love this place!!!" Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Our outreach was long and hard. By the end of the week I was so drained emotionally and physically; not to mention my back was killing me from sleeping on the floor. So you can imagine my excitement when we decided to go to this really REALLY cool city an hour south of us to relax and shop around. We spent the night in this small hippie town called Byron Bay. You can drive through this place in less than 10 minutes. They don't allow any franchises and have one major grocery store. The best way I can describe this place is like this: Take the laid back beach town of Mission Beach, California; mix it with the people from Eugene, Oregon and Sedona, Arizona; and add the greenery and lighthouses from Kauai, Hawaii....and you would have Byron. It has shops that you would find only at a local renaissance fair. Very New Age-y with crystals and mysticism. Everyone has dreads in their hair and they walk barefoot, with all of their homemade clothes on their backs. You can rent vans with stoves and kitchen tables, just to park on the beach and surf all day. At night, the whole city came alive at the park overlooking the ocean. As the sun went down, the barbecues were lit and people pulled out their guitars and bongos and music and dancing began. It was something out of a movie.
Speaking of movies, this was the town that was the inspiration for the animated movie "Ferngully" (one of my favorites growing up). It was created to promote the movement that was against tearing down the rainforest. If you don't know which I'm talking about, google it and it will all make sense. :) They have this amazing trail that leads along the beach front and up to a light house which is the most Easterly point in Australia. It is just breathtaking. We went to this church Sunday morning and I felt like I was transported back to the 70's. This church was more like the basement of someones house with couches and chairs, local artwork adorning the walls, and the worship team was comprised of men and women in their 40-50's. The lead singer of the worship team looked like Cyndie Lauper, and they jumped and danced and swayed with the music while they sang to Jesus. The pastor walked around the stage, sharing his passion through his sermon, while we all listened and drank our coffee. It was so comfortable and people could express themselves however they wanted to do and no one cared. All I could think was "my MOM would love this place!!!" Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Big Scary "E" Word
Well let's see. Today is Tuesday the 20th of July, and while I've only been in the Sunshine Coast for 3 weeks, it literally feels like years. I will just start with what I've been learning and what God has been doing since my last blog.
For our 1st week of lectures, we talked about Evangelism. I know that is the big scary "E" word that no one really likes to talk about because it makes people uncomfortable; yet it is also unavoidable because we are ALL called to "go and make disciples". What was taught was a lot of the same things we have been taught over the years from church and Cru and what not, but there was something different about it. Something that made me take a step back and say "Ah ha...that makes so much sense". I wanted to share that with you guys.
We all know that sharing our faith can be something that is scary, uncomfortable, sometimes overwhelming when forced, and often times we feel nervous or unprepared. When most people think about Evangelism, they think BIG EVENT...with a Bill Bright, John Piper, revival preacher (or at least I do). In reality, it should be a simple casual conversation with someone else about Jesus. Did you know that 85% of people come to know Christ because a regular person introduced them to Jesus-through a normal conversation, reading a book or the Bible? It is truly the little things that have a great impact.
I was also reminded of some helpful steps, such as: Take the initiative, Be ready for a challenge, Be prepared and finally Know your style. We can be effective at evangelism because we have the Holy Spirit, for God is truly what allows us to be "fishers of men". Think about it; if we are constantly following Jesus and He is pursuing people, how can we not take the initiative? I love how Bill Bright describes effective evangelism: "Taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Spirit, and leaving the results up to God." If we are not responsible for the results then why are we so tempted to hide Jesus in our conversations?
I think for me personally, I fear man. The truth is that the Gospel is abrasive. It is not just a story but it requires a response. You either reject it or you lay your life down for it. I remember that Jesus reminded us in John 15:18-22 that we should expect judgment, persecution and rejection in advance. What a weight it lifts off my shoulders to know that I will probably be rejected and that is okay. We are persecuted, rejected and some places hated because Jesus was first. So here is the crux of it, if we find our identity in Christ, it lessens our need for the acceptance of our peers...and fear of the Lord combats our fear of others.
I think sometimes I forget the power of prayer and faith in God and his Holy Word (the Bible). It is so important to know the Word of God because that is our source of truth when sharing the Gospel with people. If you think of Mark 2 and the story of the 4 men who took their paralyzed friend and lowered him in through the ceiling so that Jesus could heal him. If you read that story closely you'll see (as I did) that the man had no faith that Jesus could heal him...he had been paralyzed his entire life. But his friends had complete faith that if they could just get him before Jesus, he would be healed. Before Jesus healed this man and commanded him to walk, Jesus forgave his sins, which was unheard of during that time because they still adhered to the Scribes way of doing things (sacrificing for forgiveness).
Sometimes I find myself feeling like the friends; full of faith that God is going to do something amazing and great. Other times I find myself more like the paralytic, just discouraged, beat up, tired, and struggling to be in communication with God. But regardless my present circumstance, Jesus still saves people and God will still be glorified!
I highly advise people to read the book “Becoming a Contagious Christian” (I am going to read it soon), but from what I’ve heard, this book lays out simply our different styles of evangelism. Some people are direct like Peter in Acts 2 and 1 Peter, some take Paul’s intellectual approach like in Romans, other like the blind man in John 9 who just gives his testimony without knowing a lot about Jesus, the 4th style is Matthew’s interpersonal approach (relationship based), then there is the Samaritan woman’s invitational approach and finally Tabitha’s service approach. We all fall somewhere into these categories and it so beneficial to know your style of evangelism. How much better would it be if we could talk about Jesus our savior and also my best friend if we felt natural and in our element…versus some big crazy ordeal where we feel like we have to perform? I’ll take the coffee date conversation any day!
For our 1st week of lectures, we talked about Evangelism. I know that is the big scary "E" word that no one really likes to talk about because it makes people uncomfortable; yet it is also unavoidable because we are ALL called to "go and make disciples". What was taught was a lot of the same things we have been taught over the years from church and Cru and what not, but there was something different about it. Something that made me take a step back and say "Ah ha...that makes so much sense". I wanted to share that with you guys.
We all know that sharing our faith can be something that is scary, uncomfortable, sometimes overwhelming when forced, and often times we feel nervous or unprepared. When most people think about Evangelism, they think BIG EVENT...with a Bill Bright, John Piper, revival preacher (or at least I do). In reality, it should be a simple casual conversation with someone else about Jesus. Did you know that 85% of people come to know Christ because a regular person introduced them to Jesus-through a normal conversation, reading a book or the Bible? It is truly the little things that have a great impact.
I was also reminded of some helpful steps, such as: Take the initiative, Be ready for a challenge, Be prepared and finally Know your style. We can be effective at evangelism because we have the Holy Spirit, for God is truly what allows us to be "fishers of men". Think about it; if we are constantly following Jesus and He is pursuing people, how can we not take the initiative? I love how Bill Bright describes effective evangelism: "Taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Spirit, and leaving the results up to God." If we are not responsible for the results then why are we so tempted to hide Jesus in our conversations?
I think for me personally, I fear man. The truth is that the Gospel is abrasive. It is not just a story but it requires a response. You either reject it or you lay your life down for it. I remember that Jesus reminded us in John 15:18-22 that we should expect judgment, persecution and rejection in advance. What a weight it lifts off my shoulders to know that I will probably be rejected and that is okay. We are persecuted, rejected and some places hated because Jesus was first. So here is the crux of it, if we find our identity in Christ, it lessens our need for the acceptance of our peers...and fear of the Lord combats our fear of others.
I think sometimes I forget the power of prayer and faith in God and his Holy Word (the Bible). It is so important to know the Word of God because that is our source of truth when sharing the Gospel with people. If you think of Mark 2 and the story of the 4 men who took their paralyzed friend and lowered him in through the ceiling so that Jesus could heal him. If you read that story closely you'll see (as I did) that the man had no faith that Jesus could heal him...he had been paralyzed his entire life. But his friends had complete faith that if they could just get him before Jesus, he would be healed. Before Jesus healed this man and commanded him to walk, Jesus forgave his sins, which was unheard of during that time because they still adhered to the Scribes way of doing things (sacrificing for forgiveness).
Sometimes I find myself feeling like the friends; full of faith that God is going to do something amazing and great. Other times I find myself more like the paralytic, just discouraged, beat up, tired, and struggling to be in communication with God. But regardless my present circumstance, Jesus still saves people and God will still be glorified!
I highly advise people to read the book “Becoming a Contagious Christian” (I am going to read it soon), but from what I’ve heard, this book lays out simply our different styles of evangelism. Some people are direct like Peter in Acts 2 and 1 Peter, some take Paul’s intellectual approach like in Romans, other like the blind man in John 9 who just gives his testimony without knowing a lot about Jesus, the 4th style is Matthew’s interpersonal approach (relationship based), then there is the Samaritan woman’s invitational approach and finally Tabitha’s service approach. We all fall somewhere into these categories and it so beneficial to know your style of evangelism. How much better would it be if we could talk about Jesus our savior and also my best friend if we felt natural and in our element…versus some big crazy ordeal where we feel like we have to perform? I’ll take the coffee date conversation any day!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Excessive
Have you ever realized how we in the United States have so much stuff? It is like we start accumulating from the time we can make our first purchase and continue until we take our last breath. We are hoarders of the unnecessary. I say "we" because I am not on a soap box here, but completely guilty of it myself. This past week I have realized this more and more.
Firstly, I brought two HUGE suitcases for 5 months because I convinced myself that I needed all of my stuff. Well, I'll have you know, other than jeans and a few sweaters...most of it is still in my suitcase or hanging untouched in my small closet. My blow dryer and curling iron, considered essentials amongst most females, was completely unnecessary. I can now get ready in 10 minutes since we are forced to take 3 minute showers (because Australia is in a bad drought); so my 20 minute minimum showers are now considered a luxury. (The girls have a system though. We go as long as we can without taking a shower so we can add 3 minutes each day to our total shower time). Everything here that would be so cheap at a Walmart or Albertsons, such as shampoo & conditioner, groceries, just a small cup of coffee is so expensive here...well you learn to live with the essentials. My constant Starbucks or even drip coffee cravings have been replaced with Nestle Instant Coffee. A gallon of milk has been traded for UHT milk, which is a non-refrigerated milk carton of "milk" that is drinkable for up to 100 days. Fruit and veg that is ripe is hard to find, and buying chicken is like ordering a T-bone steak or Lobster; meaning, you only get it on special occasions. So sausages, white bread, and cereal have become my best friend. But you know what, I am healthy and totally content. I have so little, but really I have so much.
This also makes me think about how we are always waiting for that "rainy day" to come, when we will need all of the stuff that until then has just been collecting dust. We save money, we store, we plan. Sometimes I wonder if all of our planning isn't just the outpour of constant worrying or fatalism. I personally don't want to live a life in constant fearing of the worst and doing everything in my power to prepare for it. If I did that, really, I would be putting God in a box. My entire life, and other people's lives, I have always seen Him provide. I have been in seasons where we had hardly anything, and times of great prosperity and God always given us exactly what we needed. In fact, God even promises in the Bible that He will work good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and that He takes care of the birds in the sky and we are far more precious to Him than mere birds(Matthew 6:26)...so why am I worried about Him forgetting about me? God, since the beginning of time has sacrificed for us, to help us, to make sure we were totally taken care of. After Adam and Eve sinned, God committed the first sacrifice by killing animals so that they could use the skin for clothing because they were naked. God committed the last sacrifice too, He sacrificed his son, Jesus so that we could have spend an eternity in Heaven...a blessing we did not deserve. So if Jesus made provisions for me in the beginning and has my eternity taken care of...why do I spend all this time worrying about today and tomorrow and where I'll be in 10 years from now?
I'm not saying we should all just sit around in static laziness, we need to be proactive. But really we should live with eternity in mind and not distract ourselves and depleat our savings with things that really, in the end, are just stuff.
Firstly, I brought two HUGE suitcases for 5 months because I convinced myself that I needed all of my stuff. Well, I'll have you know, other than jeans and a few sweaters...most of it is still in my suitcase or hanging untouched in my small closet. My blow dryer and curling iron, considered essentials amongst most females, was completely unnecessary. I can now get ready in 10 minutes since we are forced to take 3 minute showers (because Australia is in a bad drought); so my 20 minute minimum showers are now considered a luxury. (The girls have a system though. We go as long as we can without taking a shower so we can add 3 minutes each day to our total shower time). Everything here that would be so cheap at a Walmart or Albertsons, such as shampoo & conditioner, groceries, just a small cup of coffee is so expensive here...well you learn to live with the essentials. My constant Starbucks or even drip coffee cravings have been replaced with Nestle Instant Coffee. A gallon of milk has been traded for UHT milk, which is a non-refrigerated milk carton of "milk" that is drinkable for up to 100 days. Fruit and veg that is ripe is hard to find, and buying chicken is like ordering a T-bone steak or Lobster; meaning, you only get it on special occasions. So sausages, white bread, and cereal have become my best friend. But you know what, I am healthy and totally content. I have so little, but really I have so much.
This also makes me think about how we are always waiting for that "rainy day" to come, when we will need all of the stuff that until then has just been collecting dust. We save money, we store, we plan. Sometimes I wonder if all of our planning isn't just the outpour of constant worrying or fatalism. I personally don't want to live a life in constant fearing of the worst and doing everything in my power to prepare for it. If I did that, really, I would be putting God in a box. My entire life, and other people's lives, I have always seen Him provide. I have been in seasons where we had hardly anything, and times of great prosperity and God always given us exactly what we needed. In fact, God even promises in the Bible that He will work good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and that He takes care of the birds in the sky and we are far more precious to Him than mere birds(Matthew 6:26)...so why am I worried about Him forgetting about me? God, since the beginning of time has sacrificed for us, to help us, to make sure we were totally taken care of. After Adam and Eve sinned, God committed the first sacrifice by killing animals so that they could use the skin for clothing because they were naked. God committed the last sacrifice too, He sacrificed his son, Jesus so that we could have spend an eternity in Heaven...a blessing we did not deserve. So if Jesus made provisions for me in the beginning and has my eternity taken care of...why do I spend all this time worrying about today and tomorrow and where I'll be in 10 years from now?
I'm not saying we should all just sit around in static laziness, we need to be proactive. But really we should live with eternity in mind and not distract ourselves and depleat our savings with things that really, in the end, are just stuff.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Changing Things Up
Okay well this is my 3rd official day in Australia and minus the jet lag it has been pretty awesome. Just to let you all know, I will be changing my blog style up a little. Here at YWAM we have to journal, it helps us remember some of the things we learned that really moved us, but we are limited in the way we can express it. So while some are expressing the way God is moving through drawings, song, sculpting, videos, etc...mine will be through this Blog. So you will be seeing a lot about what we are currently learning and how that is affecting me. So enjoy! :)
But today I am just going to catch everyone up on what Australia is like so far.
Okay, so my DTS (Discipleship Training School) is very small this term. Where usually there are 30 students, there are only 11 of us. 6 girls and 5 guys. But it gets better, because we are 2 DTS's in 1. YWAM Waves (which I am on) and YWAM Around the World DTS (which travels from Aussieland, to China, Thailand and India). So when the Around the World girls leave the there will only be 4 girls and 5 guys, plus the staff members. Normally I would think such small numbers are a bummer, but it is actually like a family. I love it. The ages of the students range from 17 to 24(me)! :) But the students and staff are all great.
Let's see. Since most my staff are from Florida, we celebrated the 4th of July down by the beach. We grilled up some "hot dogs". Haha. Okay "hot dogs" in Australia are called Snags and I think they are this beef chicken mixture, but they taste like breakfast sausage. You eat them with sauteed onions and ketchup on a piece of white bread. I thought it would be gross, but pretty decent. Oh and for all you sushi lovers, I had 2 big sushi rolls for $5...pretty sweet.
What else? Okay, so breakfast is called "Breckie". Afternoons are called "Avos". Salvation Army is called "Salvos". The mall is called "plaza". McDonald's is called "Mackers" and we have "Tea" every day, which is great cause I love tea and coffee. Every thing here is abbreviated or sounds like a made up word...hence Mooloobala (where the big beach is at and Starbucks!!!)
While we are living here, we all share house duties. Today myself and my friend Jack were given the duty of grocery shopping. Which is hilarious if you know me. I have such a hard time shopping in America due to my indecisive nature and always wanting the cheapest deal, so imagine me in Australia, where everything is worded or spelled different and the eggs are in an unrefrigerated aisle next to the utensils; and the milk is "special milk" that doesn't go bad and it is located next to flour. Everything is so random. The grocery store is in a plaza/mall next to the shoe store, clothing store, liquor store, tattoo parlor and every other kind of retail you can think of. It is like SAMS on steroids.
I am so excited to start school and outreach. We will be learning about Australian culture here soon. So far, they are pretty cool people. Very breezy (ie. chill or laid back).
Well that is all for now. I will be posting some more serious stuff as we get more into our trip. Cheers. Love you all, and hey "Catch ya later, Mate!"
Saturday, July 3, 2010
ON MY WAY
What a day it has been. Let's see, I started the day (July 1st) in El Paso, TX. As my mom, brother and boyfriend tearfully drove me to the airport I kept thinking "this is so surreal". But of course, as soon as I arrive at the airport we are informed my flight is delayed 2 hours, giving me a little more than an hour layover till my connecting flight to Australia. Honestly, I was stressed, to the max. I kept thinking what would happen if I missed my next flight and all the other "worst case" scenarios. But as I said my goodbyes and marched up to security God totally reassured me everything would be alright.
Getting on the plane in El Paso was simple, and I sat next to a nice woman from Baton Rouge who let me vent to her all of my stresses and issues awaiting me at LAX. But a Christian herself, she was quick to remind me that God was in control and He has perfect timing. How could I be late when He controls the clock? Which brought me some ease. I passed the time by cracking open some letters my boyfriend Bobby and best friend Nicole had written me, they were so encouraging but I couldn't help but a bit sad for all of those I was leaving behind. I cracked open a book my dear friend Hollie gave me called The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahney and I started to read. In the first few chapters God really started to convict me. Where was my joy, where are my priorities, why am I so worried? Before I could answer myself, the plane landed and it was time to run.
So literally, I ran to baggage claim. After wrangling 2 50 lbs bags off the baggage carousel I darted towards the island where I was to wait for a shuttle to take me from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4. Oh and I had to check my bags at Ter. 4 before 10:30....and it is 10:10. Talk about a blessing. This kind Asian woman who spoke very broken English, grabbed one of my suitcases and helped me run all the way to my Qantas counter. She said goodbye and walked away. I had made it there with 15 seconds to save. Thank you Jesus. I took a deep breath, called some family members and friends to inform them I was going to be okay and then made my way through customs. An interesting process. :) Finally, walking towards my terminal I see that most of my plane had already boarded, so I raced to the last gate and boarded this GIGANTIC bus of a plane. A double decker. Maybe a 747 or something (my brother could tell you). I take my seat and take a deep breath.
Wouldn't you know it, God had placed me in a seat right next to a Pastor from a Church in Denver who was traveling to Papa New Guinea to do missions. We talked about life, joked about the chaos of international flying, and He reminded me about how sovereign Jesus truly is and how awe inspiring his Gospel is. After sharing our supper I fell into a very deep (Ativan-induced) sleep and woke up 2 hours before landing, just in time for breakfast. The flight was the smoothest I had ever experienced and God just reminded me that He gave me the desire for Australia, He used people to bring this opportunity to my attention, Jesus raised all the money to come and He took total interest in all of the safety provisions to get me here...there is literally nothing to worry about because I am in the hands of my eternal Father and no one can take me from His grasp.
Now I sit at a computer at the house I will call home for 5 months and I can't even fathom how I was chosen for such an amazing blessing. This place is really something, it is like the Wizard of Oz. Like California mixed with Crossville, TN, and Hawaii. The drivers are crazy and pedestrians cross the street at their own will. It will be one crazy adventure, so stayed tune. Love you all and God Bless.
Getting on the plane in El Paso was simple, and I sat next to a nice woman from Baton Rouge who let me vent to her all of my stresses and issues awaiting me at LAX. But a Christian herself, she was quick to remind me that God was in control and He has perfect timing. How could I be late when He controls the clock? Which brought me some ease. I passed the time by cracking open some letters my boyfriend Bobby and best friend Nicole had written me, they were so encouraging but I couldn't help but a bit sad for all of those I was leaving behind. I cracked open a book my dear friend Hollie gave me called The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahney and I started to read. In the first few chapters God really started to convict me. Where was my joy, where are my priorities, why am I so worried? Before I could answer myself, the plane landed and it was time to run.
So literally, I ran to baggage claim. After wrangling 2 50 lbs bags off the baggage carousel I darted towards the island where I was to wait for a shuttle to take me from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4. Oh and I had to check my bags at Ter. 4 before 10:30....and it is 10:10. Talk about a blessing. This kind Asian woman who spoke very broken English, grabbed one of my suitcases and helped me run all the way to my Qantas counter. She said goodbye and walked away. I had made it there with 15 seconds to save. Thank you Jesus. I took a deep breath, called some family members and friends to inform them I was going to be okay and then made my way through customs. An interesting process. :) Finally, walking towards my terminal I see that most of my plane had already boarded, so I raced to the last gate and boarded this GIGANTIC bus of a plane. A double decker. Maybe a 747 or something (my brother could tell you). I take my seat and take a deep breath.
Wouldn't you know it, God had placed me in a seat right next to a Pastor from a Church in Denver who was traveling to Papa New Guinea to do missions. We talked about life, joked about the chaos of international flying, and He reminded me about how sovereign Jesus truly is and how awe inspiring his Gospel is. After sharing our supper I fell into a very deep (Ativan-induced) sleep and woke up 2 hours before landing, just in time for breakfast. The flight was the smoothest I had ever experienced and God just reminded me that He gave me the desire for Australia, He used people to bring this opportunity to my attention, Jesus raised all the money to come and He took total interest in all of the safety provisions to get me here...there is literally nothing to worry about because I am in the hands of my eternal Father and no one can take me from His grasp.
Now I sit at a computer at the house I will call home for 5 months and I can't even fathom how I was chosen for such an amazing blessing. This place is really something, it is like the Wizard of Oz. Like California mixed with Crossville, TN, and Hawaii. The drivers are crazy and pedestrians cross the street at their own will. It will be one crazy adventure, so stayed tune. Love you all and God Bless.
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