I have been blessed by incredible giving and
sacrificial people, like you, who gave financially towards my DTS trip. I then
traveled to Australia to learn more about our incredible God with 30 something
people. I learned to live closely with 100 sum odd people in Lewis House and
even closer with 9 special girls. After three months in Australia I traveled to
Eastern Europe to witness the wonders of God’s love and the miraculous power of
prayer. Now I have been home for 5 days and I could not miss it more.
I look back on the last six months with nothing
but positive memories. Thank you Lord for calling me to that, and I cannot
thank all my supporters enough. You made a dream come true for one girl who
felt lost and directionless. By supporting me as you all did, you allowed for
me to be changed in how I see God and relationship with Him. Jesus is the Lord
over my life, I go where he asks me to go, and I seek his counsel on most
things, and I feel significant to Him. Like Jeremiah 29:11 says, He has
great desires for me and things to bring me joy--not hardship.
I am writing this, trying to think of some sort of closure or
significant thought that wraps this journey up, but I can't think of anything.
Well, I guess nothing that seems eloquent or all encompassing enough. A few
feeble attempts:
-God has big plans for me, He just had to get me
away from the white noise of the busy western culture in order to get my full
attention and have me listen for once. Now I know he desires great things for me,
which give me joy, and bring him glory.
-God is a miraculous God who moves mountains to
see that we are taken care of, who makes huge promises to show us how
miraculous He really is. We just doubt the promises because
of broken ones from humans that we are too fearful to trust our
eternal father, the one who created the earth and the endless heavens, who
created every tid bit of all of nature. When he promises $10,000 that is
nothing to Him! We just need to allow His glory to shine!
"Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be
feared." Psalm 119:38
-Prayer is world changing. There is so much crap
in this world that we as individual human being have no power to stop or change
at all. God is waiting for us to ask for His help and action. He has to
capacity to fix all evil, obviously, but he loves us so much he gave us the free
will to do what we want—good or evil. He waits patiently for our invitation and
won't just barge in on a situation. I know now that when something is bothering
me, big or small, if I pray and intercede for it God will move. He
answers prayer.
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| My Outreach team at our "graduation" or commissioning |
Also the idea of a YWAM base seems
more extraordinary now that
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| Tim Tam slams and community time in the Dining Room |
I am not there, but how incredible is
that!!! God gives each one of the people living there the specific calling to
do YWAM and go to that base for x amount of time. It is a house full of 20
somethings (usually, but not explicitly) living as missionaries depending on
God for financial provision, influencing
a western culture most of the time, and leading young people on missions for
another part of the year. The lesser time is spent in "traditional missions"
and the rest is on influencing the modern young generation. Is it just me or is
that mind blowing? Normal people who grew up in "normal" ways that
still do normal things and act normal but are full time missionaries. Humph.
When I ponder this I just picture the dining room and see young guys and girls
who don't seem home schooled like or churchy or weird. Normal people that you
see everywhere. But they are living on the Lord’s provision and
leading. They live to further the gospel solely, just in different ways. Pretty
neat!
For the combination of the above things and
through prayer and time spent with God, I know I am called to go back to
Newcastle Australia. Since I have been back I have absolutely enjoyed it, and I
appreciate it so much! At the same time I feel like a visitor. It doesn't feel
right to find my routine and settle here a bit. I am following the peace I
feel, and that leads back to YWAM Newie. I considered doing YWAM at the base
that is about 45 minutes away from my house but that doesn't feel right either.
It's just me trying to rationalize Gods call, again.
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| Back to Lewis House! |
As of right now I just have a small idea of what
all this will look like. I will go back to staff the Compassion DTS in October,
the same one I did a year earlier, and staff at the base for the other 6 months
of the year. That means meeting with my few students to help them in whatever
way I can, and grade their assignments and such, then go on outreach as staff
with the students. The same setup as what I just did but more leadership and
stepping out! The second six months are a bit more foggy, I just want to be in
that community for that time I am not sure what job I will play there. It is
kind of nerve wracking going back into fundraising mode, but what the heck-- God
provided last time he will this time too. He has asked for me to go and He will
provide. I will not worry.
So I will continue to post blogs about the lead
up and I will blog while I am there. Now I need to change my blog name =)
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| And coincidentally places like this ;) |
