As most of you know, I'm not the best at change. I like to be familiar with people, surroundings and the schedule; I like to have everything in control. But if you look in the Bible, when does someone actually have their life under control? The Bible is pretty unexpected and full of change if you ask me. As I've gotten older, it seems like I've been put in more and more positions where I need to be okay with change; this is no exception.
We had a week to get ready for outreach; teams have been leaving over the past 3 days for various countries. Our team is the last to leave. Internet is not very prevelant in Vanuatu, so we've been having a difficult time communicating with the base there. We don't know exactly what we will be doing, but we will be helping out with kids ministry and church services. 2 days after arriving, we are going to go backpacking into a bush village for about 10 days.
On the last road trip, we traveled to 5 locations in 4 weeks. We started in Byron Bay, a hippie, backpacker town where we were able to talk with a couple from Belgium about God and help them with some physical needs they had. Everyone was so open to God in that town and it was so relaxed; it was great! Plus, we had a chance to go surfing at sunrise one day.
From there, we went to Fingal Heads, which is Aboriginal ground. We stayed at an Aboriginal church and led the service for them on Sunday. We also got to take a hike and see the actual Fingle Heads, which were pretty cool.
Then we traveled by car ferry over to Stradbroke Island for Spritual Warfare teaching and 'Survivor' games. The beach was beautiful and it was a great weeks for teams to address strengths and weaknesses. We also saw so much wildlife! We saw a koala, bald eagle, shark, sea turtles, dolphins and schools of fish. I got to pet and pick up the koala:)
We went from the Beach to the Bush once again and headed to a ranch in Toowoomba where we learned about missions for the week. The weather turned warm very quickly, but there was a mud swimming hole at the top of the hill we cooled off in almost every afternoon. It w
as great just to be out in nature alone with our school again. I had the privilege of spe
aking the sermon at a local church on Sunday afternoon. God moved so much throughout the service and we got to pray for people afterward.
Our last stop was Chinchilla where we did a week of outreach. We helped out in churches, schools, and did manual labor at the local Boy Scout Club House to help with repairs from the floods that hit Australia last year. While we were there, I got to hold someone's 9 month old Wallaby:) We also saw people healed of back pain!
We had a week to get ready for outreach; teams have been leaving over the past 3 days for various countries. Our team is the last to leave. Internet is not very prevelant in Vanuatu, so we've been having a difficult time communicating with the base there. We don't know exactly what we will be doing, but we will be helping out with kids ministry and church services. 2 days after arriving, we are going to go backpacking into a bush village for about 10 days.
I love that God does not change, that He is the same yesterday, today, and always; that truth gives me a place to rest in the midst of so much change. It's normally in times of immense change we grow most. If we refuse change, we refuse growth. Life is about change.
Thank you so much for all your love and support, you are so much a part of what God is doing here.
Pictures:
Top right: preaching in Toowoomba
Top left: date to the city with Nele
Bottom: team Vanuatu
