Time to say goodbye to Sydney

It seems like I am always apologizing for not updating you sooner, but here I am again 2 weeks later and just writing again. The past 2 weeks in Sydney have been an interesting time for me. We were all very tired after the outback and so we have tried to take some time to refocus and get back into the swing of lectures, etc...

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Tania the base director here. It really helped me to speak to someone that has experience with DTS and that I could trust. This being my first DTS, I am not sure exactly what I am doing and if I am providing for the students what they need. I love all of the students and I am learning a lot from them, but sometimes they really test me. Please continue to pray for me as I try and relate with them and mentor them, sometimes I feel so inadequate to do it.

Destiny week was very busy for me as I was the leader of the week and was in charge of keeping everything going. I spent a lot of time also discussing decisions that some of the students need to make. It is interesting to see them wrestling with the same issues that I wrestled with last year. Knowing that no one can give them the answers except God, I am there for them to vent and just talk things out. Then on Sunday we went to Lucy's church and had a great fellowship with the Samoans. And in the afternoon a few of us headed into downtown Sydney for a day out. It was a great time. We spent the whole afternoon and went to Trevor's favorite restaurant there; Pancakes. It was really good, he and I shared pancakes and nachos. I know two very different tastes, but both very good.

The next week we had lectures on Holy Spirit and Spiritual Warfare. It was an interesting week for all of us as we also spent a couple of days at a juvenile detention center. It was fun meeting with the guys and getting to know them a little bit.

Well I am sorry, but I have to go. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers.

Outback and beyond

The past two weeks have been busy moving around a lot. First, we moved from the church we were staying at to the Island Breeze Sydney Base for a weekend of lectures with the Australian National Director of YWAM. It was a great weekend of lectures on Making Jesus Lord and Unity. He was really down to earth and real with us.
On Monday afternoon we made the 9 hour drive to the outback. It was a long drive with the last ~30 miles on a red dusty dirt road with big holes and bumps all over. It was a rough (literally) end to the trip. We arrived safely at about midnight and spent the next few days exploring some of Stephen's land. Get this he has 75,000 acres! We went wild pig hunting in the bush. I ended up spraining my ankle pretty bad stepping in a hole and had to walk on it for about 40 more minutes before getting back to the truck. Please pray for continued healing so that I can walk and jog normally.
In the evenings we would visit some of the "nearby" communities and do a program for them. I say "nearby" because it would take us at least 1.5 hours to get to any of them and the one took us about 2 hours and it was an aboriginal community of 65 people. We did a BBQ and had about 10 people show up, but it was a good night with them.
The next night, Thursday, we went to a youth group and had a great time sharing with them and then talking with them after. On Friday we had a big dinner with some of the people of another town and then did an outdoor program for them. The whole week was late nights and pretty busy, but we were so blessed by the family we stayed with. It was a great experience, but I had enough of red dust covering everything and the dirt road was beginning to take its toll on me.
Now we are back at IB Sydney and enjoying the next 2 weeks here with the staff. This weeks lectures are on Destiny and Worldview. It is strange because this is the topic when God called me back to Australia last year. Wow a lot has happened since then.
Oh yeah I should update you on my visa situation. I went to have medicals done this week and they are requiring that I have an echo cardiogram because of my heart murmur. I have known about the murmur and my doctor said it was fine and I didn't need the test, but in order to get a visa I have to have it done. The rest of the story is that my visa will probably not get processed before we leave for PNG in May and on the one I am on right now I can't leave the country until the processing is complete so I would have to pay more to get a different one. I am trying to decide what to do as I could just cancel this one and go to PNG and pray that I get another 3 month visa granted to come back for graduation. Or if I should get all of the tests done and pray that it all goes through in time. Please pray for guidance and direction in making this decision.
Also please continue to pray for safety traveling. (I am the main driver for the van....scary I know...just kidding I am very safe.) Continue praying for finances for our team. Pray for the changes happening at our base. Pray for health and strength as some of our team is experiencing sicknesses.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Please let me know how you are doing back at home.

Sydney

Wow things have been crazy around here. After Easter we went back to base on Monday and had 4 days of lecture. The topic was Faith in Finances & Stewardship with our base directors wife Jade. It was an interesting week and I felt that it was an important one for me. Though I haven't been rich, I have always been blessed with finances for what I needed. Now in this time of not working and not having income I am really looking for God's wisdom in how I spend what I have.
On Wednesday it was decided that we would be traveling to Sydney a week earlier than we had planned. So it was a crazy time getting packed and ready to go off base for 5 weeks. On Friday night we went downtown Brisbane for ministry. We walked around and then talked to some people. I talked to a girl named Dana. She does go to church when her grandma begs her to, but that is it. After talking for a few minutes about her life, I prayed for her. When I finished she said that she had tingles running throughout her body the whole time I was praying. I told her that I would keep praying for her and I pray that God continues to grow in her heart.
Three am Sunday morning we departed for Sydney. We took our van with all of the students and also our director's vehicle both packed to the brim with people and luggage. I still can't believe that it all fit.
We arrived Sunday evening and are staying at a church in one of the suburbs of Sydney. It is the church of one of our students and his dad is the pastor. It is a blessing for the team as we couldn't stay at the Island Breeze Sydney base for this week and also it is saving us funds.
Prayer requests: Financially some of the staff and students are struggling paying their fees. Pray for God to provide.
I received information on my visa this week. In order to have it granted I need to have a medical checkup, chest X-ray, Criminal report, proof of finances and I think a couple other things. This really disappointed me and I am continuing to look at my options and see how this is all going to work out as all of these things cost more money and there is no guarantee.
Pray for continued safe travel as we travel around to some different communities.
Thank you for your continued support & prayers!