Aussie was a LONG HOT SWEATY month. Needless to say God was on the move… and I was continually being stretched, learning to choose JOY and have patience with the young people we were trying to reach.
Below are a variety of HIGHLIGHTS from the month in pictures: People that captured my heart, memories that were made, events that took place and what the Lord showed and taught me.
You alone are my hearts desire and I long to
worship you’
worship you’
I sang this line of the song ‘As the
Deer’ over and over again the first week we were here. By the second
week I was singing or humming most of the song every day the entire month. Thank you to my
teammates for never SSSSHHH’ ing me once!
Deer’ over and over again the first week we were here. By the second
week I was singing or humming most of the song every day the entire month. Thank you to my
teammates for never SSSSHHH’ ing me once!
These three little girls showed up at the house we were painting out of no where. We had no idea where they lived or where their parents were. They were literally the happiest little girls I’ve ever seen, shoeless and all. They wanted to help us paint and clean, it was so cute. They were so fun. I don’t think I’ll ever forget their smiles or how young and independent they were.
2 of the many Banjo kids. There father is a witch doctor but their Uncle goes to the church so they have gotten to get involved in youth night, band practices, and Sundays. 🙂 They are all incredible dancers.
This kid I only spent one day with and it was watching him play this guitar. He had just gotten out of jail the night before for stabbing another kid that weekend and had come to the church to do his service hours. He picked up this guitar and never put it down. He is one the most talented players I’d seen in a long time. He asked if he could come to church and get involved in the band! I’m praying he does so and can continue to turn His life around. It’s neat to see how much the music can help!
Auston & I goofing around in the house!
Team JSL @ a huge curtain fig tree on our way back from our day off at the Volcanic Lake! Thanks to our awesome ministry contact Gail, we got to see a few extra things this day. She was so wonderful to us!
This was our first project at the church. Emily and I conquered it in a day. This was the day I started singing ‘ You alone are my hearts desire and I long to worship you’ Emily was so gracious, she never once told me to shut up. I was thankful because I needed to keep singing it for the heart and mind to stay in the right place. I saw the most colorful bugs I’d ever seen before in this room, under dolls, in their hair, lizards on the wall etc. There was plenty dead and alive of everything we found!
I will forever think of toads when I think of Australia. These little guys were EVERYWHERE, seriously tons and tons of them, dead and alive. They were quite the distraction during prayer at night the first week we were there. Then I just got used to them… I counted the flattened ones on the road at at times during our long walks. 20+ several times!
Meet HOPE! This is her and I at the huge curtain fig tree they showed up on our way back from Lake Eachum. Hope is a 14 year old missionary kid and wise beyond her years. She has grown up with Aboriginal kids and is well equipped with the best ways to really reach these kids. The Lord has given her a passion to minister to them. She is a gifted leader and it was just a JOY and honor to learn and serve with her this month. I look forward to seeing her make a difference in this community in the future! I know the Lord is going to use her to bring HOPE to this community!
‘Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before him with joyful songs.’ Ps 100:2
OH I almost forgot the wiggly toes part…haha. It’s what you get when you crawl into the backseat of a car and cockroaches scatter across floor. 🙂
