I AM IN AUSTRALIA!!!
Here is a little bit about our month so far in Darwin:
Our squad took a bus from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
and then flew to Darwin, Australia. We
are just outside of the city working at a Christian Outreach Centre. It is a fundraising centre to support
missionaries all around the world. They
provide accommodations for the aboriginals who have to come into Darwin for
medical reasons. We have helped in every
part of the organization to keep it running. We actually came at a perfect time because the last two weeks have been
vacation for the children so many of the staff have been gone on holidays. We have been helping with office work, yard
work, working in the kitchen, laundry and we have basically taken over cleaning
“Harmony House” where we get to say “housekeepingggggg” and
then proceed in cleaning the rooms from top to bottom.
It is a different ministry from the other months but we always say when we
arrive at a new ministry site “we want to help you wherever you need
help” and so that is what we are doing and one verse which can easily be
applied here to remind ourselves is Colossians 3:23-24 “You are serving
the Lord Christ.”
I’m not sure if all of you know this yet, but this month is women’s month
and man’s month. So all of the 11 men on
the squad are together this month and the women have separated into 3 different
teams. There are 9 of us on my
team. They call us “a bunch of
sheilas.” It has been really fun
being with just girls, doing things like baking cupcakes, making music videos,
eating spoonfuls of frosting and crocheting every moment we get to make really
great winter hats (and yes it is really hot here right now, about 35 degrees Celsius).
One thing I am trying to remember this month is to rest in the Lord and
also to not let the month go to waste. It is very hot here and we are doing hard work and I AM tired a lot
because it is MONTH 10 of our trip 🙂 But I have been convicted about using my time wisely. I am reminded to seek God first and to use
this rare month to speak into my teammates lives and lift them up into who God
has created them to be. I know that God
has me leading this group of girls for some reason this month.
Now, I will tell you something about each person on my team this month:
Tabi loves folding laundry and has been using her laundry skills as she
helps with laundry every day. I have
realized this month that she has a very particular way of folding both fitted
sheets and flat sheets. I have never
seen a fitted sheet folded so nicely before in my life!
Faith has been showing her natural gift of meeting anyone and becoming best
friends with them so easily. She has
learned some Indonesian since being here and also has been speaking Thai with a
women here who spent 13 years in Thailand and I think she has also spoken Mandarin
with a woman from China.
Erin has really impressed me with her fan-cleaning skills. Last week we had the privilege of cleaning
the fans in the rooms and Erin did a smashing job and didn’t even get very
grossed out. Erin and I also majorly
cleaned up a yard of leaves, rubbish, and even some cutlery.
Natalie and I like to read the Chronicles of Narnia together in an English
accent and also speak in an English accent all day every day. She speaks very properly while also adding
some Australian phrases in there from time to time. Natalie has also proved herself to be an
excellent kitchen aid to feed the many who come to eat 5 meals a day here at
the centre.
Andrea has been working in the office this past week and I just happened to
be in the office once while she picked up the phone. She answered it so well and it sounded as if
she had been working there for years! She has also found her new found obsession with crocheting.
Allison was on my first team and it has been great being on her team
again. She has been amazing me with her counseling
skills as we can talk with her any time about the future and the stress that
comes with that. I also have been amused
by her love for cats; we have a next-door neighbour cat which she has just succeeding
in petting.
Elaina has also shown her office receptionist skills but also her baking
abilities and gift of hospitality as we baked around 50 chocolate
cupcakes. They were very tasty! It has been awesome to discuss and quote with
Elaina excellent subjects such as Anne of Green Gables and The Sound of Music!
Rachael has used her typing skills to type up reports and Bible Studies in
the office. We have also made an
excellent housekeeping team with a worker here as Rachel has been a very speedy
sheet-changer! She has also become the
leader in separating the food we get to feed the pigs at the farm!
And that’s about it for now. The
next blog is about my two days spent at “The Farm.”
Thank you for reading 🙂
– Aussie Annie
